Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Day 241 - The Best of Intentions

Song of the day:  Taylor Swift & Nicki Minaj - Super Bass


This morning I had every intention of doing a school day run through.  Well, kind of an intention.  My plan was if I woke up between 6:30 and 7:00 that I would do a run through.  Well, I woke up at 6:56 and tried to time out if I really need to get up by 7:00 or if I can wait until 7:30...  I fell back asleep trying to figure it out.  I got up again around 8:30 which is about when we need to be leaving for the day, so we'll try again tomorrow I guess!  


I filled out all of Elliot's daycare papers yesterday and I'm still so torn about the whole thing.  I know it will be really good for him to spend time and socialize with other kids, not to mention that it's really good for me to get back in school, but I am already missing the time we get to spend together.  Really, it's only for 16 weeks.  Then we get 9 weeks (or so) together before the next baby gets here!  I'm glad that we'll have a few more weeks to spend together before his world gets turned upside down!  And I'm glad that he'll learn about sharing with other kids before the baby gets here!  I keep thinking about trying to start potty training Elliot, but he has no signal at all that he's going to the bathroom.  TMI:  It used to be really obvious when he was pooping, and now he does it and you don't know until he runs by you and it smells.  And I tried to just let him run around naked and see how that went, and within 30 seconds he had already pee'd all over one of his toys (that was thankfully cloth and easily washed).  Hopefully being in daycare will also help him realize that going to the bathroom should happen in the potty and not in his diaper.  We'll see, I guess!


I can't wait for Kyle to get home.  I'm just so bored at night without him here.  Not that I'd be doing anything different, but the house gets lonely when he's not home :(  He had cleaned the house when Elliot and I were at my parents, so I'm going to be spending the next two days getting it picked up again.  Yesterday I went through all of Elliot's clothes and packed away the ones that are too small, and put away all his new clothes.  I actually need to buy more hangers because he has so many clothes.  Looks like we may have gone a little overboard when we went shopping for him!  The good thing is that most of them are 18 months or 18-24 month clothing so they should last a really long time!  


Today the high is 84, tomorrow 92, and Friday 91.  YUCK.  But thankfully a cold front is coming in Friday night and the weather will be in the low to mid 70's for the rest of the week! That's the perfect weather for me!  I love the fall!  I love layering clothing and wearing jeans.  And since I'm always warm (with the baby being my own personal furnace), anything over 73 makes me feel horribly hot!  And the fall is just so beautiful :)

Monday, August 29, 2011

Day 239 - Last week of summer.

Song of the day:  Justin Bieber - Pray


It's been two weeks since I last wrote.  I'm not really sure why I haven't written anything.  Probably because the only thing to write about would be how nauseous I have been :/  I've tried some over the counter meds (okay'd by my doctor), different flavors of suckers, and eating small foods every two to three hours.  Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.  I'm 14 weeks now, and have been hoping for a little give on the sick feeling, but it's still around.  Thankfully it's not as bad as it was a few weeks ago, so hopefully I'm on the down swing.  


I  realized that this is the last week that I have as a stay at home mom.  It's a bittersweet feeling.  I am really excited to be back in school, but it's so sad to not be spending every day with Elliot.  Kyle's in Michigan this week, but will thankfully be home for the first two weeks of school so I'll have some support in case I'm starting to feel overwhelmed.  I realized that since I changed my class schedule around that Elliot only has to be in daycare for 4 days a week instead of 5, and that he'll only be there for 28 hours a week which puts him under full time - and saves us $55/week which is awesome!  


We've also taken a real look at our budget and we'll be out of debt (except for student loans, which we don't really count) by the time the baby gets here!  That's a huge relief since we're also looking to get a larger car and hopefully a house.  We're 95% sure that we're staying in Madison for at least another 3-10 years and we're sick of renting.  The only thing keeping us from buying a house in Madison would be if the most amazing perfect job ever opened up to Kyle in La Crosse.  That's highly doubtful.  We've started looking at houses online, but who knows what will still be available in 6 months, or what else will be available!  I always hate not knowing what's will be happening.  And everything is going to be happening really fast.  Our lease is up March 31st and the baby is due February 27th, and we're going to have to be house shopping, and moving, and having a new baby (not necessarily in that order) all in about two months.  Lots of prayer will be what gets us through this!


Tomorrow Elliot has his 15 month check-up and then sometime this week we're going to head to Whitewater to turn in his daycare papers and hopefully get the rest of my books.  Thankfully UW-Whitewater seems to have a lot of adult students so I don't feel totally alone and old going back to school.  Hopefully it will take two years to get done, but I'll already have to take a semester off this spring for the baby, and who knows how quickly I'll get pregnant again!  Lol.  Okay, I think it's time for 1st lunch...

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Day 226 - looking for some energy

Song of the day:  Adele - Turning Tables


We had such a fun weekend!  Kyle and I went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells Friday- Monday.  Elliot spent the extended weekend at my parents house, and as much as we missed him (and even thought of bringing him to the Dells for a few hours), we had a great time just the two of us.  It was nice that we each got to sleep in!  We spent almost all day Sunday at the outdoor water park and only applied spf 10 once.  Not a good combo!  Thankfully the sunburns weren't as bad as they initially seemed, but Kyle had stripes and that was pretty funny :)  


Monday we got up early and drove to Whitewater to return my summer books and pick up my parking pass.  Then we drove to West Salem.  Five hours of driving was not fun, but seeing Elliot was totally worth it!  He was so excited when we walked through the door!  He had a huge smile and kept screaming like a 11 year old girl meeting Justin Bieber, lol.  It was like he couldn't believe it was really us.  He gave us a ton of hugs and kisses :)  As soon as we showed him the new shoes we got him (found out right before we left that none of his shoes fit anymore!) he wanted to put them on and go o-u-t-s-i-d-e.  Yes, we now have to spell outside.  As soon as he hears it, he heads for the door!  We played outside for a while, then we all took a nap!  


I'm still really really tired from this weekend, and unfortunately the morning sickness still hasn't gone away :(  Elliot just went down for a nap, and I plan on napping as well!  Tomorrow afternoon we're going to go play with Kynzley and Maria and Thursday morning I have an appointment in Madison, at 8:00 am.  Thankfully Aunt Carrie is going to come babysit!  Having family and friends here makes me wish we were able to move back, but we're slowly accepting that the time is just not right.  Hopefully someday :)

Monday, August 8, 2011

Day 218 - I wouldn't call it giving up, but...

Song of the day:  Rebekah Hulse - I've Always Wanted To Do This


I have been gaining weight, and I'm going to continue to gain weight, until about February 27th.  :)  And for those of you that still haven't figured it out, I'm pregnant!  My appointment on Friday was my first ultrasound!  We were able to tell the rest of our family and friends (and thank you to the ones we already told for keeping a secret) this weekend, and now I can finally say that I'm 11 weeks along!  The picture below is a close up of the ultra sound.  It's super fuzzy, but the bottom circle area is the head, and the top circle area is the body.  The babies heart rate was 163 bpm.  I can't wait for the next ultrasound (in about 11 weeks) to find out if we're expecting a boy or a girl!




This pregnancy is completely different from when I was pregnant with Elliot.  I am extremely nauseous and the only thing that helps is grazing all day, mostly on carbs.  My favorite snack is buttered popcorn with pickles.  Not mixed together, cause then the pickles would make the popcorn soggy, but eaten one after another.  SO GOOD.  I'm also into every kind of noodle dish.  And, just like when I was pregnant with Elliot, meat is grossing me out.  I don't know what it is, but I don't want any meat.  I've been subbing peanut butter, nuts, and beans to help keep my protein up.  


As far as weight, my goal is to stay active (which I have yet to do) and eat healthy (which I'm doing okay at) and not gain as much weight (unless that's just what my body does) this time around.  I'm just glad that I had lost all of my pregnancy weight before getting pregnant again!  I see the scale going up, and I'm trying to be okay with it, but it's actually been harder this time around.  With Elliot I embraced the weight gain, but now, I just worked so hard to get rid of the weight, that seeing it creeping back up is psychologically taking it's tole on me.  I'll add though, that I'm not trying to lose weight or cut calories or anything.  I still know that I'm pregnant, and that I'm gaining weight, and that's good, I'm just not fond of it, lol.


I'm not sure if I'm going to do a weekly weigh-in.  In fact, I'm probably not going to.  I will do a monthly weigh-in though on the 27th of each month, just to keep everything in-check.  I also wrote down my weight gain from when I was pregnant with Elliot, so I know where I'm at in comparison.     


I had to get a new doctor since I had a c-section with Elliot, and I will probably have one again.  I have yet to meet him, and I hope he respects my wishes to wait until my due date to have the baby, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when it comes.  :)


Oh, and, if you clicked on the song link, you've just been Rick Roll'd!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Day 215 - Answers Coming Soon...

Song of the Day:  Wizard Love - Meekakitty featuring Heyhihello


We've had a really fun last couple of days.  My brother Logan was originally supposed to come down Thursday night and watch Elliot Friday afternoon while Kyle and I go to my doctor appointment.  Instead he decided to come down Wednesday afternoon so he could hang out more.  We've been in the pool a few times, and went shopping, and Elliot's really enjoyed having him around!


Today I am going to spend the morning packing for the Hall Family Rendezvous.  We'll be in a tent in the middle of the woods for the next few days!  I'm really excited because we have family coming in from California that don't get to make it every year.  It will be great to see everyone!  This afternoon I have a doctor appointment, and hopefully Monday I'll have some answers, and be able to tell everyone what's going on and how it's affected/ing my weight loss goals and progress. 


Well, I need to get some packing done, and I don't have much else to say.  I just wish it was 1:00 already!  :) 


  

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Day 212 - Try (almost)Anything Once

Song of the day:  Nicki Minaj - Super Bass


Okay.  So yesterday morning I tried the glowing green smoothie.  It was... okay.  It's one of those things that I really want to like because it's so good for you and jam packed with all these healthy things, but it wasn't as great as I was hoping it would be.  I think maybe if I would have added a little more fruit, it would have been more tasty.  The first problem with the smoothie is that all the ingredients are way too much to fit into either my food processor or blender so I had to do it in shifts.  It makes 2 quarts of smoothie!  Which is way more than I'm going to have in a day, even if I really liked it.  I let it cool in the fridge, then added a little bit of V8-fusion juice and some ice cubes.  This made it drinkable and I finished about 14 ounces.  I'll try some more later today when it's colder.  I also ended up adding the juice from a whole lemon, and I should also say that I used regular produce instead of organic produce.  I think that there is merit in some organic produce (specifically anything that you don't peel first), but I think that produce is a healthier choice to processed food any day, whether they are organic or not.  Also, I wasn't about to spend an extra $2 per item when making something that I'm not sure if I'm going to even like.  And considering how much it makes vs. how much I'm going to drink, I think going with non-organic produce was a good choice.  I think that maybe this smoothie would be better with an extra pear, or maybe a nectarine or peach in it.  I also slipped up a little bit when cutting the lemon in half and cut my finger.  Not fun.


The avocado pesto pasta was really good.  We decided to not use the chicken, so it was just a pasta dish, which made it lighter.  In comparison to the pesto I made a few weeks ago, I'm not sure which one I like better.  I really like the creaminess the avocado adds, but I like more of a basil flavor and the avocado really overpowers the basil.  Maybe adding only one avocado instead of two would give the creaminess without the major avocado taste.  


Yesterday morning I opened up the windows and the patio door.  It was almost cold in our apartment from having the air conditioning on every day for the past month or so.  Also the air was feeling dry and over processed.  In about 10 minutes it was so humid and thick that I felt like I was in a sauna.  Even though it wasn't "perfect weather" it still felt really nice to get fresh air in the house, so I kept them open... for about 30 minutes, lol.  


I was exhausted yesterday.  I napped every time Elliot napped.  I'm feeling the same way today :/  We have a heat advisory from 1-7 today with thunderstorms from 3-7, so it looks like we'll be spending another day inside.  Kyle took Elliot swimming when he got home from work yesterday, and the temperature had finally cooled down a bit, and he said it was actually enjoyable for once.  


For dinner tonight Kyle has requested chicken with lemon-leek linguine.  I think I only have angel hair pasta, but I really like linguine with this meal so I may have to grab some when I get the leeks and garlic.  Or maybe I'll have Kyle get it on his way home depending on the rain, lol :)  

Monday, August 1, 2011

Day 211 - makin' food

Song of the day:  Boyz in the Sink - Belly Button


Again, it's been a while since I wrote.  Life has just gotten so busy and I haven't really had time to write!  As far as weight loss goes, I haven't lost any.  This week I'm focusing on making food at home.  We have been ordering out, A LOT, and that definitely needs to stop.  Kyle is home all week, so that will hopefully help me make food.  It doesn't really make sense, because I make Elliot food, but Kyle and I end up deciding between Noodles and Pizza Hut.  


We had a really great weekend!  Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market and got breakfast there, then walked along State Street.  I found a store that sells essential oils for a pretty good price, and I think I'm going to try my hand at soap making.  I took a soap making class with my mom and Carrie while we were up north, and I think I could do it at home.  I'm waiting to see if I still want to do this in a few weeks because the oils are really expensive so I don't want to buy them and have them sit here.  We also went grocery shopping, and swimming as a family.  Elliot loves going to the pool and as soon as he gets any hint of the plan he's standing at the door!  


Sunday we spent the day getting our house in order.  Since Kyle's home this week, we are finally all done living out of suit cases, for a while at least.  We also rearranged our living room into every possible layout, just to give up and put it back how it was.  We then realized if we moved one of the couches over three feet then we would get the feel we were looking for.  If only we would have tried that first!  I also made some salsa, and it was so good!  Kyle and I ended up having tacos and salsa for both lunch and dinner.  


In honor of making food at home, tonight I am making avocado pesto pasta with chicken!  It looks really good, and we love pesto, and anything with avocado in it!  I'm hoping it turns out well, and that my basil stays looking good all day!  For breakfast this morning I'm going to try a glowing green smoothie.  I have seen this made on the Today show a few times, and it looks really good, so I'm giving it a try!  I am waiting until Elliot goes down for a nap though, because anytime I'm in the kitchen he thinks he's getting something.  I also have to share if he's awake, lol.  


I'm not really sure what we're going to do today.  It's supposed to be in the 90's and sunny.  We may head to the pool, but the problem with the pool is that it's heated.  This was nice when it was only 75 degrees, but now that it's in the 90's it feels more like bath water than a refreshing pool.  We may go to one of the aquatic centers, but I'm not really sure if I want to make the journey over there, and pay for 45 minutes (tops) of swimming.  But we'll see, because there's not really anything else to do that doesn't involve being really hot outside.