Mommy 2 Connor

Lesson Learned... Mommy Wisdom

2011-07-24T10:04:00.001-04:00

I think we when we become parents, there are a lot of lessons we have to just learn on our own. Not that a 'helpful' friend, parent (stranger... passer-by) hadn't mentioned these things to us along the way.   But the only way to truly learn and embrace new and sometimes hard-to-swallow ideas, is to live them. This goes double for parenting. Before having Connor, there was an endless list (ok, mental list) of things I was never going to do... or things that I was hell-bent on doing. Funny how when you're tired, sleep deprived, yearning for adult social interaction, and pretty much spent emotionally, psychologically, and physically, what we might or might not do as parents ... especially in the beginning.

Lately, these thing have been standing out more and more. Things that I thought were interesting or funny, contradictory or affirming to what I *thought* were my beliefs about parenting, or otherwise interesting observations I've made as I round out my first full year of staying-at-home with two.

1.) Poop:  The idea of changing poopy diapers or wiping a butt is something that some parents really struggle with... especially in the beginning. Lesson Learned: It's ALWAYS better out than in. You think a poopy diaper is bad? Wait till you hear what you have to do if the baby CAN'T get it out. Believe me, you want at least one or two per day... or it gets really ugly...er...

2.) Need a Sitter? Call Dora!: I honestly thought I would let my kids watch a small amount of TV and that's it. I'm not one of those who swore I wasn't going to let my kids know a TV existed until they are teenagers. However, I did not realize Baby Einstein videos would be the only thing to put my boys into a trance-like when colicky or over-tired. And I didn't realize Connor's first best-friend would be Diego, and his first girlfriend would be Dora. Lesson Learned: Do what works. If Dora, Diego, Sesame Street, Baby Einstein, etc... gets you a moment's peace, it's TOTALLY worth it. And for those of your friends who don't let their kids watch TV.... I bet they aren't home with them all day... and if they are, well, good for them... but I bet they don't shower!

3.) The Great Boob Debate: Oh boy did I ever plan on nursing each boy for six months. Let's see ... I made it about 3 months with Connor and 4 with Logan. Some people are willing to give up every waking (and non-waking) second to their child - living like they are pregnant for an additional 12 months or more after birth. To those people, I say "Way to go!" Me, I give my kids ALL of me for about 12 hours during the day. After that, I'm going to have a couple glasses of wine, have my husband give the baby a bottle before bed, and get 8 hours of consecutive sleep. Lesson Learned: You have to do what works for your own sanity and family. My kids are not always sick, they are perfectly chubby, hitting all their milestones, smart, handsome, and do not have 2 heads. Formula is not the evil twin of breast milk.  Seriously. Relax. It's fine.

4.) Doesn't He Look Adorable: I love to shop. And having kids is just one more category of shopping bliss I get to dabble in! Clothing being the #1 for me. And because I LOVE to shop and get a deal, my focus has always been high-quality clothing for the kiddos - especially Connor, now that I know we'll be able to hand it down to Logan. Now, I'm not saying we don't have undershirts and underwear, and other cute items from Target, but the majority of the boys' clothing is from nicer retailers - I wait for an extra % off sale items and pounce - usually on things for next season. The boys pull off the madras-shorts-with-polo shirt look very nicely. Lesson Learned:  Present your child as a 'pretty package' when going out in public. It's not fair, but pretty and nicely dressed people get paid more at their job, date better looking people, live longer, etc... and I feel it's helpful to them (and us) to give the boys this advantage early.  We've found that society extends a lot more patience and understanding to a fussy child in restaurant dressed nicely rather than a diaper and ratty onsie.

5.) Oh, Your Fancy, Huh?: I read recipes and home -decorating ideas, and ways to make your holidays sparkle, and other BS articles in magazines all the time. It makes me feel a little guilty that the fanciest dinner I make for the fam comes off the grill. Recently in one of these mags, I saw how you could make a super-cute 4th of July themed picnic table with little citronella candles, tablecloth, etc... that would be great for dinner and then all the way through fireworks activities! I brought the supplies to re-create this look on our weekend trip to the lake. Let's just say, the neighbors ended up having to run over with a fire extinguisher. The entire table was engulfed in flames with the tail of the table cloth was blown onto the candle's flame by the wind. Oops. So much for a cute themed table. That's what I get for trying too hard. Lesson Learned: (and actually there were a few lessons learned here, but I'm going to stick to the topic) We are all good at some things and struggle with others. I can grill corn to sweet perfection, create gorgeous chocolate covered strawberries with white chocolate drizzle, create silk flower pins that are nearly identical to ones selling for $50 in stores, and I can color-coordinate and organize a closet till the cows come home (and actually enjoy it). But I'm not Martha Stewart - and not many of us are. Trying too hard generally leads to major frustration, which doesn't make for a happy family! So stick to what you're good at, and leave life-sized homemade gingerbread houses with working electricity and running water to Martha.

6.) Nicknames Make Me Feel Better: The first cute baby nicknames I became aware of were 'Buggy' and 'Monkey' - from watching one of the countless Tori Spelling reality shows. I never understood why you would call your kid something other than the name you just got the privilege of choosing for them! Turns out, it's not really a choice. I've found that the term Monkey has stuck with Connor because he used to climb on things so much - I started calling him that and never really stopped, though I also use his actual name, Buddy, etc... as well. With Logan, being the lug that he is, we started calling him Turkey or Bubba. There are also many times throughout my dad when I call them 'Little Monsters', 'Stinker Butt', or something of the like. Lesson Learned: Sometimes those cute little names are so mommy and daddy don't use BAD names. When I catch Logan doing something naughty, jokingly calling him a 'Little Monster' as I re-direct him makes me feel better... it just does.

7.) Anything in Yellow Packaging: Gerber, this one's for you. My kids' faces literally light-up when we stroll through the 'snack' section in the baby aisle at Target. If it comes in a bright yellow package, we love it. Lesson Learned: Learn your child's currency and then STOCK UP! We don't leave home without a stash of rice rusks, juicy treats, crunchies, and puffs.   If you aren't sure what these things are, you don't have a one-year-old!

8.) 1, 2, 3... We have ALL heard the mother at the pool, mall, strore, etc... with the 1.... 2.... 2 and a half.... threat. I used to think, 'Ugh - so annoying!" Lesson Learned: I'm not sure if somehow this is part of the new preschool curriculum, but there is something completely frightening to a toddler about this phrase. Because 9 times out of ten, it does get them at least moving in the right direction! And while I still find it annoying, believe me there are much louder and worse things I could be saying after trying to get my kid out of the baby pool for the last 10 minutes.

9.) Putting it on Display: I'm a bit OCD, and for all the things I cannot change in my life, I like to keep those things I *can* change as streamlined as possible. Yes, there is a lot of clutter in our house, but there are some sacred areas I felt like I could always keep as mine. The laundry room was no problem.... I always said I could hide anything I wanted in there because the rest of the family doesn't even know it exists. Not sure how their underwear gets clean... must be magic! The other area is my kitchen. As a singleton, cluttered displays on a refrigerator were almost offensive.... why take that beautiful, blank, clean space and crap it up. Lesson Learned: Everything my sons create happens to be a work of unabated masterpiece. Genius, if I may be so bold. ;) And yours will be too!

10.) Do Not Disturb: I know I'm not the only stay-at-home mom who had visions of a clean, organized home, once they were able to quit their job and be home with the kiddos. I honestly thought I would perfectly fold laundry, cook nice meals every night, keep up-to-date on scrapbooking, and have the storage area in the basement looking like a dream. HA! Lesson Learned: ANYTIME I get during the day, without being pestered to 'watch me', feeding or washing bottles, making mac-n-cheese and apple juice sippys, changing diapers, watching and talking about the Cars movie, etc... is a precious moment. Dont' get me wrong, I love doing those things for my children. But forgive me for not wanting to immediately jump up and finish the laundry, dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, etc... as soon as I manage to get them both down for a nap at the same time! So there is no surprise that our house reflects this attitude. It's pretty bad. My biggest fear is an unexpected visitor.... unless it's someone who wants to come clean and organize my house, of course!

Undoubtedly, there will be additional lessons learned in the coming years.... ahh, I can't wait for that!! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

A New Pair of Shoes Each Month!

2011-03-06T09:25:00.000-05:00

I just discovered a new website (well, it's new and exciting to me, anyway!) and I posted about it over on my other blog! It's definitely worth checking out!

http://objectsofmyclosetsaffection.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-pair-of-shoes-each-month.html

A Little Update - Top 10

2011-01-30T22:42:00.000-05:00

10. Logan is now 6 months. That's a big deal considering my goal for nursing (at least 50/50) was 6 months. Did that happen?   Not quite. Today marks about 6 weeks since I nursed for the last time. What happened? I can't point to one single thing, it was a mixture of low supply, selfishness, and laziness. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing a pitty-party for myself, or even beating myself up about not continuing. I'm really proud of the 4+ months I put into it and I really believe transitioning to formula was the best choice for our family. Easier? Yes! More expensive? Yes! I feel less guilty about stopping with Logan than I did with Connor because Logan doesn't have the tummy problems that Connor did... although we started Logan on the Enfamil Gentlease right away instead of farting around (literally) with the regular stuff - just to be safe! BUT - it was much harder for me to pull the final plug on nursing Logan because he is our last baby. I kept saying, "This is the last morning I'm nursing", "Today is the last day"...... and then I'd wake up the next morning and nurse him again .... and then give a bottle... it was silly really. Anyway, moral of this rambling is ... I made it through a vacation, the holidays, and many social events without stopping - and I did make it 4 months, so I have decided to let myself be proud of that fact and move on...

9. Connor is a little man now. Seriously. He says words (in both English and Spanish) that shock us daily. His reasoning and metal awareness is just amazing! He is definitely in the "What's that", "Why", and "How come" stage.... which is exhausting... but I am so thankful to have a thriving, wonderful, smart toddler.

8. Connor is also a liar.... sometimes! ;) Being so smart has also allowed him to figure out how to manipulate and toy with us parents. I asked him, "Connor, did you take a nap at school today?" And Connor, knowing that I will make him nap at home if he didn't nap at school says, "Yes I did take a nap. Twice, five times." (exact verbage) So I say, "If I call Ms. Roseanne, will she say that you took a nap?" And he says, "Yes she will." I proceed to take out his daily report and it says he didn't nap that day. Busted.... but so cute! ;)

7. Logan may out-weigh and tower over Connor by the end of this year. It IS a possibility! Connor is now in the 20th percentile and Logan in the 70-90th range. It's crazy. The great thing about this is I may be able to eventually move clothes from one closet to the other without having to store a couple of size ranges in between.... they say big babies don't always end up 'big' in the end - but Logan is on track to being a pretty big boy!

6. Connor has played both 3-year-old soccer and basketball in the past few months through our local YMCA. What a ..... treat?! Nightmare?! I don't know. We spend more time getting dressed (shin guards, tee-shirt, tennis shoes, etc....) for the game than playing in it - but Connor REALLY enjoys himself and it's a new role for me to be a proud side-line mommy. It's a great learning experience for both parents and the kids.   I'm not sure we have a professional athlete on our hands, but Connor feels like the star in every game, which is really all that matters!

5. We JUST moved Logan from his Rock and Play Sleeper to his actual crib. He's been in his own room now for about 3 months, but still in this little sleeper thingy (which, BTW, is the best thing ever!) Connor slept in his carseat in his crib until he was 9 months, so I really wasn't stressing about Logan still being in his sleeper - but the transition was pretty easy. One more thing to check off my to-do list. (which is only like a mile long)

4. At six months post-baby, I can finally say that I feel like most of my clothes finally are back to fitting (at least close to the way I actually want them to) and I'm back to more of a maintenance gym routine. Though a specific and limited calorie menu and 4-6 days a week in the gym weren't exactly FUN, I am proud of what I accomplished (especially through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, etc...) and I'm a much happier person now that I am more content with my new post-baby-#2 bod! Not everything goes back into place, but there is a comfort and confidence that comes with knowing you did everything possible to at least TRY an get it back there!

3. I am still loving my Swagger Wagon. I was a always a nay-sayer in regards to mini-vans, but after 6 months as a mother of two, I can honestly say, without a doubt, that my van is pretty much the only thing that makes my life easier on a daily basis. Plus, in the world I roll in, I do drive just about the coolest car there is. It's no Porsche or Jaguar, but honestly, I'd rather have automatic sliding doors than a rag-top any day of the week... at least for the next few years! ;)

2. I have not gotten a pedicure or painted my fingernails in over 6 months. Not cool.  Just sayin...

1. What did we do with all out time before we had two? I used to think that same thing when we first had Connor.... and now I think, if we just had Connor, our life would be cake! But I wouldn't change anything about our life now. I feel like we finally have our complete little family!

So I leave you with a few recent pics...

New York City - Jan 2011

My boys in their UK gear!

My cuties - Jan 2011

MIA? Well, Not Exactly!

2011-01-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

Whoa! I cannot believe it's been since Sept that I posted on this blog! I made a tough decision a few months ago to drop a few things in my life until we got a little more settled in with our growing family. Blogging, unfortunately, was one of the first things I had to let go. Not only this blog, but my clothing blog, AND blog reading.

But things are settling in nicely around here - finally! Now that the holidays are over, I think I'm ready to tackle my goal of getting this (and my other) blog going again! I'm also toying with the idea of combining my two blogs in order to make blogging a simpler process for me. Although a 'mommy' blog and a 'fashion' blog are like polar opposites in terms of topics, I feel like there might be a lot of similar readers - or at least readers have the choice of just skipping certain posts if they do not pertain to their interests. And I'm not sure which blog name I would actually keep.... Anyway - just a thought - haven't decided yet.

So I wanted to say "I'm back" at least once a week at this point and hopefully more! I can't wait to update you on everything that's been going on with the boys - and of course have more post-pregnancy discussions regarding various topics!

Thank you to all who commented in the following two "Let's Talk" posts - I assure you there will be more! And welcome all new followers!

Happy Friday!

Let's Talk: Post Pregnancy Issue #2 - Post-Partum Depression & Baby Blues

2010-09-05T13:11:00.000-04:00

This is something that a lot of women have trouble talking about. The funny thing is, once you mention it in a group of moms, all of a sudden the ice is broken and the truth comes out. Post-partum despression (PPD), or at least the "baby blues" is soooo common and a lot of women suffer from some it to some degree after the birth of their baby.

*Ahhh.... what a relief it is to hear real women talk about real personal issues - letting their guard down and really communicating and learning from their friends - creating close bonds and friendships with other moms... friendships like you've been trying develop since middle school (more on friendships after mommy-hood in a later post)*

Back on point: Why is this such a "personal" and "hush-hush" post-pregnancy (PP) issue? Obviously, mental health issues are nothing that most of us wish to divulge openly - if at all - but since PPD is so common after pregnancy, it seems like something that would be more widely discussed... at least among women... or at LEAST between you and your doctor!!

Alas, it is not.

With my first son, the crying started about a week post-partum (PP). I wasn't sure what I was crying about, all I knew was that I couldn't stop it once it started coming. It would happen about twice a day and would only last about 5 minutes... but it was everyday... and worrisome.

(On a side-note, from my research on baby blues, this pattern is very common - not crying and feeling sad ALL day, but for short periods during the day...)

By the time my 6-week PP check-up rolled around, it had stopped (thank God) and there was really nothing to discuss with the doctor. Which is a good thing because, wouldn't you know it, they never even asked me how I was doing emotionally. No one did. And I can tell you that if I had still been feeling depressed and sad at that point, I doubt I would have just come right out with that information on my own without being asked.
My experience the second time around was different. I think I was so afraid of getting PPD that I sat around the first few hours after getting home from the hospital crying and worrying about getting it. Thankfully, short of some crazy mood swings (sorry Jamie :) and a couple short crying fits, there has been no daily crying or sadness. In all honesty, I feel like I just don't even have the time to sit around and be sad and depressed this time. Whew! I'm relieved!! And again, no mention of baby blues or PPD at my PP check-up.

Strike two.

For me, the first few weeks are so tiring and hard - and such a huge adjustment for the entire family. And I think that's why they are the hardest for me.... and probably most families. However, the risk for PPD exists ANYTIME after pregnancy - so it's always something to consider and watch when you are a new mom!

So, what is the deal with me writing this? Mostly to point out how the current medical system (at least what I've been exposed to in having two babies) really lacks in resources for following up with new moms in regards to PPD and baby blues. Being handed a sheet of paper when leaving the hospital with a checklist of symptoms, telling you to "call your healthcare provider" does NOT cut it. I've always felt like a quick phone call from either your OB or the hospital during the first week or two would be a very worthy follow-up. Time and money well-spent in my opinion.

I feel like the medical system has really let women down in regards to mental well being - "dropped the ball" so to speak. I've got 10 different numbers and resources to contact if I have trouble breastfeeding, but no certain number to call if I have trouble just getting through my day? Of course I could call my OB, or the hospital, or Google it to find some help in my area ... I know that. But when you aren't feeling like yourself and barely have the motivation to get out of the bed in the morning, is it realistic to expect a women to look up a phone number, call, leave a message, be called back, does my insurance cover this, etc... ? Seriously. Not going to happen.

I know there are advocates out there to help women emotionally after giving birth, but where are they? Why don't THEY have fliers in my "Going Home" hospital packet along with all the other formula and nipple butter samples?

I thank my lucky stars that this hasn't been a huge issue for me. And I wish I had the resources, time, and energy to do more about helping women who are silently suffering with post-pregnancy sadness, blues, or depression. But, if nothing else, I leave you with this:

If you know a new mom, call her and ask how SHE is doing. In all likelihood, the baby is great.... and she gets asked about the baby 10 times a day... Ask how SHE is doing. Stop by.... offer to bring some coffee or a snack. Share you experiences and knowledge of life right after having a baby. Just opening up the dialogue could make a huge difference!!

*On a side note: Something to consider when speaking with a new mom - If one more person had told me to "get some rest" or "sleep when the baby sleeps" etc... when I was first coming home from the hospital, I seriously think I might have exploded. My personal suggestion, DO NOT say these things to new parents. It actually stressed us out MORE to hear people say this all the time!! OF COURSE I AM TIRED - I HAVE A NEWBORN. DUH! It doesn't help for you to tell me I SHOULD be sleeping! ahhhh! - OK, I feel better now! :)*

Sometimes Bigger IS Better

2010-08-28T10:09:00.000-04:00

Logan's 1-month appointment was Thursday and boy was I surprised at his weight! 11 pounds 11 ounces! Wow-ee! I was looking back through Connor's baby book and he didn't weigh that much until his 2-month check-up!

We are amazed that Logan is in the 90th percentile in both length (22.5") and weight when Connor started out as only 50 percentile and has slowly worked his way down to about the 20th! I guess Logan will be beating up on Connor sooner than we thought!

What does this all mean? A few things: We had to buy some summer clothes for Logan because he already grew out of the things I had for him AND he is sleeping better than Connor was at his age! Yea!

All of us out to dinner at Stoney River for my mom's birthday and Jamie's parents anniversary!

And Logan slept through it all, of course!

Thanks for stopping by!

Let's Talk: Post-Pregnancy Issue 1 - Breast AND Bottle Feeding

2010-08-24T14:43:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of women out there with strong feelings one way or another on breastfeeding. I'd like to think I am not one of those women. Honestly, I think other people's opinions and judgements about breastfeeding are better left unsaid, because more often than not, they end up stressing a new mom out more than actually helping!

I do, however, feel strongly that there doesn't have to be a right or wrong, all-or-nothing answer when it comes to feeding your newborn. The "right" answer is whatever works best for both you and baby... and the rest of the family... and maybe even your social life because, let's face it, an unhappy mom = unhappy household.

I am certainly not the most cuddly, sit-around-all-day-and-look-at-the-baby type moms.... but I do enjoy the special closeness that comes with nursing. The hubby and I tried to keep our lives as similar to pre-baby as possible when we had Connor, and with our second baby, things haven't been any different... and that makes nursing a pain (pun intended a little bit ;) Slipping off to a quiet room, alone, for 30 or more minutes, to nurse, isn't exactly my idea of a great time. Again, love the bonding with baby, but it sucks when you feel like you are missing out on other things because of it.

So am I nursing? Yes. Do I love it? Yes ... and No. Let me explain.

I would not trade the nursing experience for anything. The first time he latches, the little milk mustache, the bonding, the coy eye-contact while feeding, and the sense of providing for your own baby. Wow - that's cool. What else is cool? I love not having to wear a padded bra in order to have boobs right now ... plus I can still eat like I'm preggers because nursing burns so many calories. There are so many other benefits for you and baby - I think most of us are aware... these are just my personal faves!

HOWEVER (and this is important), breastfeeding is not like a lot of lactation-pushers would suggest. Does it hurt at first? Yes. Your nipples will feel as if you took a wad of sandpaper and went to town on them.... for a short time, that is. I honestly don't think anything can prepare you for that, but it does get better - quickly if the latch is correct. To be completely honest, for me, the pain of nursing is really a non-issue. Uh, I just gave birth. this is nothing!

Now for THE 2 BIGGIES!!

1.) Daddy (or other helpers you might have enlisted) CANNOT nurse for you. Nope, he can't. And, having him give a breast milk bottle once a night so you can sleep doesn't really work either because you still have to get up and pump. Bummer. By the second night home from the hospital, this reality sets in hard-core!

2.) No matter what any lactation-pusher tells you, it has been my experience, the experience of my friends, and confirmed by hospital nurses, that babies tend to go longer between feedings when they are on formula. Yes. That's right. 4 hours instead of 2 hours at night? That's a big freakin' deal!

Nursing? Easier? I wouldn't say easier. Cheaper - sure. Are there benefits - of course... but formula is also great... and not evil!

So here is what I have worked out that makes sense for me and our family. Feel free to steal this idea! In fact, I recommend it!

My little punkin' gets to nurse anytime between 7AM and 7 PM. Between 7 PM and 7 AM, he is hittin' the bottle. He gets anywhere from 2-4 bottles right now, which are half breast milk and half Enfamil Gentlease formula. That is just until his little system gets more developed and used to the formula, then it's going to be all formula at night and I'll use my stored-up pumped breast milk for day-time bottle feedings when I'm not home, etc...

Right now, I still pump a couple of times between the dinner time breastfeeding and going to bed ... that's just to keep up my supply, which is crucial when cutting out several feedings and supplementing with bottles/ formula. (Now, this is where I screwed up with my first son - you MUST keep pumping or feeding regularly in the beginning and not get lazy!!!) I think at about 6-8 weeks, my milk supply will be established enough where I'm not having to pump anymore unless I miss a day-time feeding. I also happen to enjoy the Mother's Milk tea, so I have a cup or two of that a day... not sure it helps, but I figure what the hell?

I'm certainly no expert, but I'm hoping that other moms out there who are looking for a little insight and support on breastfeeding and supplementing will find my experience helpful and comforting. It doesn't have to be all or nothing! It's whatever you want it to be! The more enjoyable and flexible nursing is for you, the longer you will keep it up! It's a win-win... Bonus!

Lot's more hot mommy topics coming soon! Thanks for stopping by!

Pictures and Update!

2010-08-15T10:28:00.001-04:00

A quick update: We are all doing just fine! A little tired, but fine! Connor is adjusting well and has been very proud to announce his new big brother status to anyone and everyone! At Logan's 1 week appointment, he had already gained almost a pound from when we left the hospital, weighing in at over 8.5 pounds!

More to come when I've got more time, but I leave you with some pictures!

Thanks for stopping by!

Heading into our bathroom to put on some fashionable hospital duds! Notice the clock .... 6:15AM - yucky!

Rockin' the sweet hospital gown just before laying down and starting the 'process'! Sexy, right? ;)

8 pounds 5.4 ounces. Wow! Big boy!

Proud daddy!

Our new family of 4!

Still in recovery.

Hospital website shot

Another hospital website shot. Here you can see a little bit of his facial bruising, which the doctors said was from delivering so fast! Poor buddy!

Big Brother Connor holding Logan for the first time! With dad and Grandma's help, of course!

Getting our 'going home' outfit on!

You forget how hard it is to put a tiny little thing into a giant carseat! I finally just had to plop down on the ground to figure it out!

Just minutes after arriving home!

So serious!

We had a great time playing in the baby pool in the backyard! We wanted to make sure Connor still got to have some fun.... even though we were exhausted!

Last weekend at Jamie's firm picnic in Shelbyville.

Our first outdoor walk all together!

Logan Dean Brodsky

2010-07-27T21:38:00.000-04:00

Proud to announce:

Logan Dean

Born July 27th at 12:57 PM.

8 pounds 5 ounces and 21 inches

Tuesday is the Day! And We Are 39 Weeks!

2010-07-25T09:57:00.000-04:00

Thursday, at my last doctor's appointment, I was 4 CM .... but unfortunately not 'in labor' like I was hoping! I had even packed up my makeup and everything to put in my hospital bag that morning, just in case they sent me across the street to have a baby. But no.

I'm still measuring perfect to a little small and the baby's heart rate is still in the upper 130's/lower 140's. It's funny because, just like for the last few months, the baby moves wildly when they put the little hear rate monitor on my stomach so they have to fish around to find him! What a stinker!!

SO, bottom line, we are scheduled for an induction on Tuesday morning at 6 AM!! YAY!

I am bummed that they could not fit me in on Monday like we had initially discussed, but at least we now have a confirmed timeline of events .... unless he decides to come sooner! In my head I keep thinking that Monday I'll probably just go into labor since that was the day we had decided to initially induce. Who knows, maybe the the baby is an A-Type planner like me and had already made plans to come on tomorrow! :) We'll see!

Anyway, just wanted to give an update!

My Little CrewCuts Model!

2010-07-20T23:27:00.000-04:00

Because I just haven't talked about my little Connor enough lately, I decided to make him feel super special by breaking out a new outfit from his "back-to-school" stash and take him shopping for new pool toys! He also got a haircut this morning, which he seemed genuinely excited about!

Anyway, we had a good little day together (which I'm trying to cherish as much as possible while he is my only munchkin, even though I'm quite miserable right now!) and I wanted to share these pics of just how cute my little cheese-ball is!

Wow- he really cheesed it up for this one!

I told him to keep his eyes open for this one and he did! Gotta love the nap-bed-head!

38 Weeks: It's Getting to Be "That Time"

2010-07-20T15:52:00.000-04:00

Oh lordy, the nights have gotten to be bad news bears. Everything hurts more at night, and that's not just when you are pregnant. I spent from 2 AM to 5:30 AM last night up and laying on the couch, using a stopwatch to monitor contractions .... and dealing with nausea... working up a sweat trying to determine if I should wake up Jamie and have us jump in the car. Unfortunately, the end result was just a loss of sleep (which is the last thing I need!) and no baby!

Now, had I not been so tired and if it hadn't been storming, I might have insisted we head to the hospital since I know they would keep me and eventually get this baby out. If tonight goes the same as last night, that might just be the case!

I know (believe me!) that's it is much easier to take care of this little bugger while he is in my tummy, but between the night-time contractions and bathroom trips, I am just ready to get this party started, because I'm already not sleeping well! Why not at least have a cute baby to show for it! Grrr!

Sunday night, I got so desperate to get something started, I had Jamie buy me a Volcano Taco from Taco Bell and then I went for a walk/jog around the block - at 11 PM!! Still nothing. Hmmmm....

I'll keep you posted! If nothing happens naturally before next week, Monday is the big day! Thanks for stopping by!

38 Weeks (T-Minus 7 Days!)

Ready for Launch... Quick Doctor's Appointment Update

2010-07-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Went to the doctor today and here's the deal...

I've now progressed to about 3cm .... which I kind of thought would be the case because I was at least 4cm at this point (37-38 weeks) with Connor AND I've been having contractions at night that are keeping me awake! At least it hasn't been for nothing!

Still 60-70% effaced... so that hasn't changed much... thank goodness, because the doctor alluded to the fact that the thinner and softer the cervix, the faster you can dilate... which is not in my best interest as far as getting to the hospital and getting an epidural!

Head is still down and the heartbeat is strong. My belly is measuring perfect for 37.5 weeks (maybe a touch small, which I think is a good thing!) and blood pressure was very good! Still no swelling.... which is amazing in this heat! Yay!

I'm in the "it could happen at any moment" phase of this pregnancy at this point. For me, that means not going any further from the hospital than my house (which is already 20-25 minutes as it is!) and not going many places (like malls, etc...) by myself as I'm scared of what might happen. The doctor informed me that, based on how quickly I had Connor - where I basically broke all the rules of first-time-labor, I should not even call the office first when I go into labor.... just head straight to the hospital and call them on the way! Sounds like a plan.

As I lay here writing this, I feel like it really could happen at any moment. What does that really mean? Probably nothing. I'm playing mind games with myself at this point... which is pretty normal!

IF I can make it to 39 weeks without going on my own, I confirmed today that we will be scheduling an induction the last week in July. Now that I am 3cm and having my second baby, there really is no question that I should be a great candidate for an induction in 10 days! Whaaa hoooo! (but honestly, I'd be shocked if I can make it to July 26th!)

I'll keep ya posted! Thanks for stopping by!

37 Weeks and Still Cookin'

2010-07-14T18:05:00.000-04:00

Ugh, no, not dinner... a baby!

Looking forward to my doctor's appointment tomorrow to see if any progress has been made! I've been eating a ton of pineapple and walking at night... both things that are thought to induce labor... maybe.

I really feel like we are ready for this baby ... and I'm definitely ready to not be pregnant anymore. A friend of mine told me it would be like this with the second baby... aka: less lust with being pregnant, and more rush to just 'get it over with already'! She was right.

If it weren't for the fact that I am so nervous about not making it to the hospital in time for my epidural, I would be even more anxious to get this party started .... but the reality of it is, I am concerned about that! Most experts (and moms) agree the second labor and delivery is much faster than the first. That's the last thing I need since Connor's labor (that I felt) was less than 4 hours!

There does, however, seem to be no hard facts or figures on having your second baby earlier or later or about the same as your first. I would assume most people have their subsequent babies earlier, but that doesn't always seem to be the case. From what I've read, there really isn't much correlation between pregnancies in regards to when you will go into labor (or how!)

The doctors and nurses I talk to say to "leave for the hospital" at the first twinge or cramp... but in your 37th / 38th week, you feel weird things going on in there all the time ... and it's especially exaggerated with your second child! I can't go running to L&D every time I feel something!!

I did program my delivering hospital into the navigation in my car as a "favorite" so no matter where I am in the city, I can always just punch it in and find the fastest way to the hospital. My bags are packed and in the car. I'm making sure not to skip any daily grooming steps - although I know if I let my hair go dirty an extra day, didn't shower, or got a huge un-coverable zit on my face, I would for-sure go into labor ASAP! It's the whole "don't wear dirty underwear, you never know if you might get in an accident and the entire hospital will know" scenario!

Anyway, we've had no imminent signs of labor starting soon, so I'll just assume I'll be here to give you an update on what we find out at the doctor visit tomorrow! I definitely feel a ton of Braxton Hicks (which are actually real 'practice contractions' at this stage in the game) that are mildly uncomfortable at times, but with no rhyme or reason. Other than that, nothing.

37 Weeks + 2 Days

Tractors - and Baby Doctor Update

2010-07-09T15:30:00.000-04:00

It was finally under 90 degrees yesterday (although still 90 percent humidity) so I walked with Connor up to the house being built in our neighborhood right now. Connor has had his eye on the Caterpillar tractor sitting in front of it for a few days - so I promised him we could go visit it! This was probably the highlight of his week - or life! I only had my cell phone to take pics, so they weren't great.. but better than nothing! If only we could figure out a way to rent one of these suckers for Connor's third birthday party this Fall! Hmm...

What a cheesy smile!! He was so pumped!

Yesterday Jamie and I headed to my OB for my 36 week appointment. After waiting an HOUR in the waiting room (I always end up with appointments with the dang on-call docs!) we finally went back. My blood pressure is great - 110 over 64, baby's heartbeat is perfect - in the high 130's (doc tor says it starts lowering in the final weeks/days of pregnancy because the baby isn't able to move around quite as much ... I didn't know that) and I'm measuring perfect for 36 weeks. The exam showed that I am about 1.5cm dilated and 60% effaced ... so not A LOT of progress, but better than nothing! With the pain and weirdness I've been feeling lately, I thought I might be dilated more, but no.

We also discussed the possibility of induction at 39 weeks (if I make it that long) due to the extremely rapid labor I experienced with Connor. We won't be able to make that determination until my 38 week appointment, based on where my body is at that point. I kind of have a feeling I won't make it to that point... I told Jamie last night my guess (based on pretty much nothing) is that I will go into labor some time between next week's 37 week appointment and my 38 week appointment. We'll see ... but either way, July 26th is likely D-Day if I don't go before! YAY!

Red, White, and Blue - 4 Weeks Till I'm Due!

2010-07-05T16:37:00.000-04:00

So, we've made it to 36 weeks! Woo hoo!

In this final month, there will be 4 doctors appointments and exams... if I make it that long. My next appointment is this Thursday, where hopefully we will get some good news (aka: dilation, effacement, etc...). Connor was born 9 days early, so I'm hoping for at least that this time around.

This weekend has totally taken it out of me! Between the heat and all the bad eating-out-food, I really need a couple days of rest - and getting back to our normal schedule, which means Connor going to bed before 11 PM!

Below are a few pics from Saturday and Sunday night fireworks - plus a sweet one of me in front of my new Swagger Wagon (my family thought this would be hilarious... haha) and my 36 week belly pic!

Riding on the "Comfy Cow" after getting ice cream!

Helping daddy pick out fireworks at Grandma and Grandpa's Saturday night...

Some where kind of loud!!

July 4th at our house

Dancing with our sparklers!

It got kind of dark, so you can't see how huge I am here... but you can here...

36 Weeks

35 Weeks and Finally Some Relief From the Heat!

2010-06-30T15:49:00.000-04:00

First off, I'd like to say "Hallelujah" - it's finally NOT 100 degrees outside! Woo hoo! It's definitely helped me to feel better this week.

What's changed? Still feeling tons of kicks, prods, and pokes.... which are getting stronger and harder to ignore! For some reason, this little guy loves to roll all around while I'm driving... very distracting!

I've also stopped going to the gym for the most part, opting for the basement gym (elliptical, weights, etc.. we pretty much have an entire gym in our basement anyway) where I can wear whatever I feel like wearing and no one is looking at me like: "Please do not have that baby right here on the floor!" The looks were getting more annoying in the past month, so the basement seems like a better choice right now. Also, as a germ-a-phobe, I'd rather Connor and I both avoid the gym this last month to help make sure we aren't sick for when the baby is born!

Tomorrow night Jamie and I are going to a mini-Lamaze class at Norton Hospital. Don't mis-take me: I still TOTALLY plan having the epidural as soon as possible into the labor process. However, with how fast I went into full-blown labor with Connor, I really could have used some breathing techniques to keep me calm and focused (instead of crazed, dehydrated, passing out, etc...!) We're taking this class to be as prepared as possible for anything that might happen, which, let's be honest, could be as drastic as not making it to the hospital!!

More on that later this week!

35 Weeks

34 Weeks: Slowing Down A Bit

2010-06-20T23:28:00.000-04:00

So, I don't have a 33 week belly pic like I normally would have, but here's what I DO have...

I was a bridesmaid in a dear college-friend's wedding last weekend...

At the reception .... with the hubby!

What a blast... and I'd like to say what a gorgeous, stunning bride she was and how honored I was to stand next to her and her new hubby on their big day! (belly and all!)

The following afternoon, two other dear friends threw me a beautiful baby shower 'sprinkle' at a local Bed and Breakfast! It was simple and wonderful! I'm so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family...

My mom and I at the shower.

So that was week 33. Also, no doctor's appointment last week, but I have one this week, so I'll keep you posted. I'm kind of bummed because I was still trying to talk Jamie into paying for an extra ultrasound, or 3D ultrasound, just for fun - but I've been reading that after 34 weeks it's kind of pointless because the baby should be turned face in and head down by this point. I'm still planning on asking about it at my appointment on Thursday, but I guess I might have missed my window! :(

34 Weeks (today!)

Tick-Tock: Less Than 2 Months To Go!

2010-06-06T23:29:00.000-04:00

We've officially made it to the 32-week, 8-month mark! Woo hoo!

Now well into my third-trimester, this baby boy has started moving with significant meaning and purpose - if you know what I mean! You can see my stomach moving from across the room - lurching from side to side and up and down. At approximately 3.5 pounds, he is running out of room in there, so elbows, feet, knees, and his little bottom are poking out everywhere!

I haven't really started to feel any new symptoms, only worsening of existing ones. Heartburn and reflux is worse, even on the increased dose of Nexium, and I've started having to use the restroom more often. The Braxton-Hicks contractions are getting stronger and more noticeable, but the doctor doesn't seem concerned about that at all... plus it's more common to feel them earlier and stronger with your second pregnancy. I do believe if you were a fly on the wall you might get a pretty good kick out of seeing me get up out of bed... it's getting harder and more like a 'rolling' technique at this point!

On the plus side, I haven't noticed any feet or ankle swelling yet, and my back and sciatica pain has wained, even while still working out at the gym. I'm hoping I'll keep feeling this well through the end. Fingers crossed!

I'm now on a every-two-week doctor appointment schedule, so my next one is this Thursday. I'm still trying to talk Jamie into getting an extra ultrasound for the fun of it - possibly a 3D one, but he's not totally sold on it yet. Bummer! I just really want to see this little guy one more time before D-Day!! Maybe a small part of me just wants to see that male genitalia again to confirm the sex ... even though we have no reason to question that this baby is a boy from looking at the first ultrasound!!

31.5 Weeks

32 weeks

My New Swagger Wagon

2010-06-03T15:58:00.004-04:00

So, we bit the bullet and got our new 2011 Toyota Sienna last week and I am loving it so far.

I was pretty much one of the last "hold out" mommies in the neighborhood who has (or is having) 2 kids, so for me to go "mini-van" is pretty serious. I always said I would NOT get a mini-van until I was 30, but here I am, at 27, loving my new ride!

(this is not MY van, but exactly like mine - Blizzard White, Limited, AWD, etc... real-life pics to come next week! I thought it would be funny to take a picture of me really pregnant in front of the new van - oh the irony of it all! So look for that next week!)

For any of you out there who might be considering a van, you might ask:

Why the Sienna? Good question.

I always thought of myself as more of a Honda Odyssey mom if I had to go 'van', but the Sienna's body style was updated for 2011 to actually look more like the Odyssey, plus the Sienna offers a lot more of the luxury / nice features that Honda doesn't. For instance, the Smart Key system (you never have to use the key for anything! Just have it in the diaper bag!), all-wheel-drive w/ run flat tires, automatic upgraded headlamps and wipers, dual screen DVD player in the back, and dual sunroof... so the kids have one in the back, too!

Honda is dramatically updating the Odyssey body style for 2011, but it will likely still not have the features listed above and won't be available until Early Fall of this year.

Other things this puppy has: 180 degree backup camera, front and rear parking sensors, leather, power everything, built-in sunshades on the back windows, navigation, recliner-style second row seating, etc.... So basically, lots of cool stuff to make up for the not-so-cool mini-van stigma.

Coming off an SUV, I must say this 'wagon' accelerates and handles better - so for me, it's an upgrade in performance, convenience, comfort.... and SPACE!!

Why not get a giant SUV? Well, this was an easy decision.

1.) Gas mileage, 2.) I hate driving something the size of a truck - parking spots and the garage are a pain! 3.) They sit up way too high for me to lift in Connor and a baby seat, 4.) No automatic sliding side doors ... which makes getting in an out in our garage SO much easier, and 5.) SUV's are way over-priced for what they are.... especially when you have small children.

For the money a nice big SUV costs, I'd rather have a nice, practical mini-van for 5 years, and then get a nice sedan later on when we're not lugging 2 car seats and a double stroller around.   But that's just me.

Toyota has tried to go WAY above and beyond the standard advertising techniques to promote the 2011 Sienna, and as someone who said they would ONLY ever consider a Honda Odyssey, and I have to give kudos to the Toyota marketing team. Bravo! You won me over!

And, if you are on the fence about a van, just go test drive one and you'll be over the moon, as well!   To be able to have a full-sized car seat, infant carrier with base, double stroller, single stroller, and a bunch of other kid-crap in the car and not feel the least bit cramped or anything - it's a breath of fresh air for our family!!

Below I have 3 of my favorite marketing clips for the new Sienna. If you haven't seen these, you've GOT to check them out! There are even more on YouTube, but these are the best! Hilarious!

"Swagger Wagon Music Video"

"Meet Mommy and Daddy"

"Playdate Copy Cat" (this is my favorite!)

Thanks for stopping by, more pics to come soon!

29.... 30... and Counting

2010-05-27T22:52:00.000-04:00

Quick post with some belly pics today! Busy busy busy ..... and hot hot hot!! Plus, Connor is now officially on summer vacay... so that means less me-time (aka: less blog time!)

29 Weeks

30 Weeks

(not the best outfit choice for comparison, but I was lazy!)

Thanks for stopping by, more exciting posts to come... promise!

Thought I Would Never Say These Words...

2010-05-19T23:22:00.000-04:00

We're getting a mini-van!

Yep, you read that correctly.

I always said I would never get one until I was at least 30... which I'm not... so this is a real shocker to my own system. But...

As it turns out, I feel like an SUV is not exactly the mom-mobile I thought it was. It's hard to get Connor in and out of, and because I refuse to drive a huge, monstrosity of an SUV, the size that I am happy with (what I have now) barely holds my new one-and-a-half stroller. And, with our awesome new Britax infant seat installed (which I'm kind of obsessed with!), the passenger seat has to be moved all the way up!

Soooo, that got me to thinking ... thinking dirty dirty thoughts ... about looking into a mini-van.

2010 Honda Odyssey

Now, the Honda Odyssey was always in my head as the only van I would ever consider, but since the new 2011 Sienna hit the streets, that's now our front-runner choice! It has everything the Odyssey does, plus a ton of the extra-nice options that I'm used to with my car now. And after a long test-drive with the fam, trying out and playing with all the fun things a van has to offer (and there is really just too much to mention!) I am totallly SOLD on getting a van ... and now I want it sooner rather than later! It's going to make my life SOOOO much easier... especially with the second little one on the way!

2011 Toyota Sienna

Why am I telling you all this? I guess it makes me feel better to get it out there - I feel like it's a deep dark secret that I'm carrying around and it feels better to get it off my chest!

So, I'll keep you posted on when the big day will be .... we just have to sell my car first! It will be a sad day .... but momma likey the mini-van .... at least for the next few years!

28 Weeks - I'm Complaining .... You Were Warned!

2010-05-12T15:58:00.000-04:00

We have officially hit the third trimester. Yay! And I have to say, there is a big difference between my first and second pregnancy. I've found myself already complaining that I want this to be over with. Then I feel bad because I know this is the last time I'll be pregnant, so I should enjoy it (ahh, the beginning of the 'mommy guilt' ... it starts before the baby is even born!) Here's what's be going on...

This baby is a freakin' acrobat. Seriously. I do not remember this with Connor. I remember movement, but nothing to this extent. With this little guy, he rolls and jumps around so much that it makes my stomach hurt and literally shakes the bed at night! ahh! I mean, I'm glad that the baby is moving so much because it's a good sign, but this is crazy! And when it's not a crazy circus going on in there, it feels like that feeling you get in your stomach when you have a bad stomach virus and something 'bad' is about it happen... you know what I mean.

Anyway, just add this to the constant heartburn, nighttime reflux, and going to the bathroom every 10 minutes and .... I'm done.

Is it July yet?

And don't think I haven't done this math....

9 more weeks until the baby is 37 weeks and considered full-term.

I never really felt this way with Connor .... I think because we were scared to death of what our life was going to be like once he was born, so I was willing to put up with any symptoms of him being inside me!! But this time around, I know we're ready and I'm feeling anxious to get the rough first 3 months over with!

Alright, I'm finished complaining! Thanks for listening!

The good news is, my glucose test was fine, and everything else health wise is really ok. I started going to a physical therapist for my back and sciatica pain a couple weeks ago and the improvement has been like 95% with just 3 consultations... awesome! Here we are at 28 weeks...

27 Weeks Baby!

2010-05-03T23:43:00.002-04:00

I had an OB appointment last Thursday, which included the 1 hour glucose screening. I'm guessing everything went great with that since I didn't receive a phone call the next day. Yay! It's a truly disgusting test where you drink a small bottle of, in my case orange, mysterious liquid, wait an hour, then have blood drawn. Not a big deal, but the liquid tastes nasty and gave me a mean sugar rush headache and subsequent crash an couple hours later. Blah!

The visit with the doc went very well. I saw the same doctor who delivered Connor for the first time since his birth, which was a nice treat. We discussed the Braxton Hicks contractions I've been having since about 24 weeks... not a big deal as long as they are not consistent or painful, and I need to drink more water. Done. My tummy is measuring exactly where it needs to be for the August 1st due date they gave me at our first ultrasound. So I guess that eases any worries I had about being too 'small' for 6.5 months... not that I was really worried.

As I've mentioned before, this little guy seems to be doing circus acts with much gusto within my abdomen... to the point where it actually stops me in my tracks sometimes because I simply can't believe how fast and hard he is moving! Well, it seems I'm not just imagining this. The doctor could only barely get the heartbeat (which was in the mid 150's) because the baby was flipping and flopping around so much! Even the doc was amused at all the movement! My bladder on the other hand, much less amused!

So, everything is chugging along just as it should I suppose. The next thing I need to decide is if I want to do a 3D/4D ultrasound or not. It's $150, and Jamie is not totally sold on the idea of it for whatever reason, so I don't know. My only reason for wanting to do it is to verify the "boy parts" again, but I'm really pretty confident with the initial pics we got.

Anyway, here is the latest belly pic....

27 Weeks

Before and After 'Big-Boy-Room' Pics and Derby Hat Parade

2010-05-02T22:42:00.000-04:00

BEFORE

(yucky office before pics)

AFTER

(fresh off-white pant ... double closet doors, and the single room goes into the play/bonus room ... which is not yet fit for picture taking I'm afraid!)

(I love this color of blue! That's his new night stand, but I need to still get pics of the matching dresser and bookshelf... we didn't have them yet in this picture! The football lamp is an item we won at the Chance School Auction this year! Rug is from Target ..... gotta love Target!)

(And, for the main event.... his new big-boy bed!! Bedding and bed is all from Pottery Barn ... freakin' love pottery barn!)

(And, this is Connor helping in the process. Yes, he has on a dress shirt and no pants! ;)

In case you aren't on the up-and-up regarding the Kentucky Derby, it was yesterday. And, if you live in Louisville or the surrounding area, it's something we celebrate for at least 2 weeks in advance. This year, Connor walked in the Derby Hat Parade at his school! Had to be the cutest thing I've ever seen!

The cutest!

Waving to the camera... but my zoom was on too much!

Forget couture! Isn't that the cutest horsey-hat he made himself!

At the Great Steamboat Race the Wednesday before Derby!

25 Weeks - Quick Pic Post

2010-04-23T00:11:00.000-04:00

Very quick post today with new belly pics! The baby is moving around like a freakin' crazy person here lately! I mean like stop-in-the-middle-of-what-I'm-doing-and-say-"Whoa" type of movement! I'm really trying to enjoy it while it lasts because I know that come 30-32 weeks, the baby will be too big to move so quickly and often!

I'm still having people ask me how far along I am, and then comment that they think that my stomach looks small for 6.5 months. I guess it's supposed to be a compliment, but it's starting to make me feel like I'm not growing like I should. I have a doctor's appointment next Thursday (it's also my glucose test.... blah!) so hopefully they'll do some sort of belly measurement or something that will re-assure me.

Next week I'll post some pics of my belly at 26 weeks with Connor and 26 weeks with this baby boy.

25 Weeks

Vacay Pics from Huntington Beach and L.A.

2010-04-21T21:31:00.000-04:00

Walking along in Malibu

Such a good little guy at the beach!

A great view from the top before walking down to the beach

Connor's 1st L.A. Kings ice hockey game

Aquarium of the Pacific

He LOVED the little fish... which weren't even part of the exhibit, really

Walking to Huntington Beach from the condo

Beach bum

This is the only family pic I got the entire time! boo!

PMLE Update - Just in Time for Summer!

2010-04-21T15:45:00.002-04:00

First of all, I want to say a big, gigantic THANK YOU to all the readers and comments on my original post {here} regarding PMLE!! It is so so helpful to hear from others who suffer from this and all the wonderful prevention ideas!! If you haven't already done so, please check out that post for additional updates I've made, alopng with the many many wonderful reader comments and suggestions! I promise you... there are others out there who suffer from this who are also looking for anwers!

I feel like I'm going into this summer with a new sense of hope. That is why I am updating and re-posting about this now! Here are some specific ideas/ products we have discussed or have had suggested to us regarding the prevention of PMLE!

* Heliocare/ Solaricare Pills
* Claritin
* Beta Carotene (and any anti-oxidants both topical and orally in general)
* Niacin
* Vitamin E oil (topical)
* Parasol (avobenzone)
* Alphaglucosylrutin (AGR) **if anyone knows of ANY product containing this, in the US or otherwise, PLEASE let us know! It was in the Eucerin Daily Sun Defense Lotion, which is no longer available!)**
* Spectraban Oil/Lotion

Also notable as preventitive:

* Higher SPF sunblock
* Sun hat / umbrella
* Slowly building up your skin's tolerance to the sun

Please check out the new updates at the original PMLE post and especially the comments for additional info and suggestions!

BIGGEST NEWS YET!! My recent 2-week trip to Sunny California...

While sunscreen shopping for this vacation, I made a HUGE discovery.

Did you notice that the Banana Boat Clear Ultramist Dry Oil Sunscreens now contain Avobenzone!?!? Even the SPF 4 has 0.5%, with 3% in the SPF 15! There is also 3% in the Baby SPF 50 formula, so I suppose that's the most any of the lotions/oils contain. The avobenzone is part of Banana Boat's "Avotriplex" photostable UVA technology. (go to BananaBoat.com for all their products!)

I checked my sunscreens from last year (even from Banana Boat) and they do not contain the avobenzone... however, the Baby SPF 50 formula did. Needless to say, I've now switched to using only this Banana Boat Dry Oil Spray in SPF 4, 8, and 15. I haven't checked to see if the Spray Lotions by Banana Boat also contain the "Avotriplex" technology. This is a big deal considering it was nearly impossible to fund this ingredient (which is also called Parasol, but the way) in any sunscreen below SPF 30+! I will also mention that Arbonne's Face and Body SPF 15 also contains this avobenzone... and I'm sure there are others.

Now, what does this mean for us? Well, for one, there is now an SPF 4 and 8 option for those of us that still want to get a nice tan, but try to prevent this nasty little rash from appearing! So what happened for me? I started out our vacay by using the SPF 15 Dry Oil all over, even on my legs, which I never do (I know.... I'm bad!) Slowly, as we headed to the beach more, I began knocking the SPF down to 8 and kept it there most of the time. the last few days I used SPF 4 on areas I would normally not use any sunscreen. The result? A really great tan, no burning, and most importantly NO PMLE rash!! Yay! This is especially notable beacuse it was early in the season, which is when we are all MOST prone to developing the symptoms the worst.

I also took Beta Carotene pills while we were in Cali, but that was it, as I didn't want to take anything else (since I'm preggo) and I really wanted to test out my new sunscreens!! I didn't even use my beloved Eucerin Sun Defense lotion (which I bought from Germany.... see original post for more info!) which I've sworn by for years! The ONLY thing I must mention is that I wasn't exposing my stomach to the sun (for obvious reasons.... no one wants to see that... not even me) which is the area I'm second most prone to developing the rash, next to my chest. Sooooo, that one will have to wait until next year, but I am still thrilled with my new plan of action in the sun!

Bottom Line: Before going on a beach vacay, from now on I will start taking Beta Carotene a few days before on through the vacay, and use a sun lotion with avobenzone in it as a moisturizer for a few days before leaving to prepare my skin. A derm doc recommended this to me with the Eucerin back in the day, so I think I'm going start doing it again. Once at the destination, I will start out using an SPF 15 all over (with the avo ... that goes without sayings) and then knock down the SPF during the week as I build up my skin's sun tolerance. I will also bring a hat to help shield my chest for when I feel like wearing it, because I know that helps, too!

Regarding the Heliocare Pills, I am going to try those next year when I'm not pregnant. Has anyone else tried these with any luck? Regarding the AGR, I have no idea why, but it seems to be pulled from all US products, and possibly overseas, as well. I'm still trying to figure out why, because accordign to my research, there have been a TON of studies that show AGR significantly helping to prevent PMLE. My sister is in pharmacy school right now, so I'm putting her on that right away to try and figure something out!

Finally, keep the comments and suggestions coming! And, thanks for reading!

24 Weeks.... and There's No Question Now! New Pics!

2010-04-13T12:52:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been out of touch for a while! I'm comparing the last belly pic post to this one and whoa! big difference! Also about a 6 pound difference! The doctor was like "Well, I'm not worried that you aren't eating!" haha! I guess that was HER way of saying "Whoa!"

Anyway, still dealing with the same old crap .... heartburn, reflux at night, etc... but my back hasn't gotten any worse (yet) and no new annoying symptoms yet... though I am starting to remember that constant "I have to pee" feeling from being pregnant with Connor. Ohhh it gets so much worse though... at least at this point, I can usually make it through the night without getting up to pee. By 9 months, you're looking at at least 2-3 times per night!! Grrr!!

Short post today, we're still trying to recover from vacay (which, by the way, is much easier when you come home to a 10-day weather forecast of low 80's and sunny! Yipee!)! Vacay pics to come tonight or tomorrow!

22 Weeks

24 Weeks

23 Weeks in Southern Cal

2010-04-05T13:10:00.000-04:00

Well, we celebrated me hitting the 23 weeks marker with a bang ... literally! We are in the LA and Huntington Beach area visiting DH's parents, and unless you've been completely shielded from the news, you know there was an earthquake near here yesterday! We didn't feel the first 7.2 one because we were driving in the car from LA to the beach, but last night at 6 AM our time, we were shaken awake by an aftershock! It only lasted a couple of seconds, and probably only woke us up because there is so much "rattley" stuff in the condo, but we felt it just the same. Of course, this is just a little nothing to DH since he grew up here, but I've been wanting to experience a small earthquake forever ... especially since I missed the one that hit Louisville a couple of years ago! (I'm a very heavy sleeper!)

In other news, I've never once seen it rain while we were in California, and it's of course raining today in Huntington Beach. We're heading to the aquarium with Connor today and then the nexct 3 days look like they will be perfect beach days! Yay!

Anyway.... just wanted to give a little update.... new belly pic when I return home next week! Happy late Easter!

21 Weeks: Birthday Belly!

2010-03-25T16:33:00.000-04:00

Well, I celebrated my 27th Brithday on Sunday... and what better to celebrate than with a nice belly pic?! I finally broke down and got some maternity yoga shorts and tank tops ... ala, the outfit you see below!

21 Weeks

Recently, I've been having some very annoying dull and achy pain in my lower abdomen, especially on the right side. This, in addition to the wonderful lower back pain I've been having has been leaving me in a really fantastic mood lately! Apparently, this is just growing pains (joy) but they are a lot stronger this time around than with Connor. Working out does seem to make it worse ... at least afterward for a few hours, so I may have to start cutting back a little bit. (which I've already done anyway.... but I guess maybe I need to start taking it a little easier!)

Anyway, we leave for LA next week for a week and a half, so I'm laying here making lists of things to bring so when Jamie gets home I can have him drag up the suitcases and I can start packing. Grr... I am such an over-packer it's actually very stressful! Oh well, I've tried to get better and I'm not sure it's possible!

Happy Spring!

20 Weeks and 10 Pounds Later.... We're Halfway To The Finish Line!

2010-03-15T16:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, today officially marks the mid-point through this pregnancy! (we'll, secretly I'm hoping we're a little further than halfway and that I'll only make it to about 2 weeks from my due date... ;)

So far I still feel like I'm able to do most things I want to do... except my back starts hurting a lot sooner. Working out is still pretty much status quo, but I've started using an incline bench for exercises on my back (instead of flat) and it's hard for me to run for very long without feeling like I have to pee really bad!

Eating an apple before bed (and then nothing afterward) is now a mandatory part of my routine. My OB nurse told me she heard this helped with heartburn and reflux and I was skeptical.... but it's funny what you'll try when you are desperate! So far, it's working great! I can't believe my heartburn and reflux is already this bad! When I think of how much bigger this baby is going to get ... and subsequently how much smaller my stomach will be squished up inside.... eating could be rough for the next few months!

I'm still able to find some regular clothes in my closet that still fit, but the selection is getting slimmer! I'm actually super excited about most of my maternity clothes, even swimsuits, so I'm not minding getting to wear them again!

In other news, we made a lot of progress on Connor's big boy room this weekend.... it might not look that way, but we did a lot of cleaning, shade hanging, etc... now we just need to dresser delivered and the bed built and we're set!

More belly and room pics to come later this week! Thanks for stopping by!

19 Weeks - Appointment Details AND Making Some Progress on Connor's New Room!

2010-03-10T18:48:00.000-05:00

Monday's appointment went very well .... annd as you know, was very informative! BOY! {Woot!} That is really what I was hoping for! The heart beat was 148 (prefect) and all the measurements looked great. The baby is still measuring right at 19W +1D (on Monday) which is exactly where that first ultrasound at 9 weeks would put him! The due date is now set in stone as August 1st! (so unofficially, to me, that means late July! ;) Our ultrasound pics weren't nearly at great this time around. Mostly because baby was curled up in a ball with his legs crossed and head turned away ... so no cute profile pic this time!

19 Weeks

We are also making some major strides on Connor's new "Big Boy" room! Last weekend we completed the painting of the room, all of his furniture from PBK arrived and we have the room completely cleared out of all the old furniture! Here are some early before and afters. I'll keep posting pics as we get further along in the process! My plan is to have this completely ready for Connor when we get back from LA in early April! He is so excited! We go up and 'visit' his new room daily and talk about his new bed, etc.... I really hope this transition goes smoothly because the next step is potty training!! ahhh!

BEFORE - As our office, the room was already a mess because we had been storing things for the NEW room in there!

In Progress - That's my dad and grandfather painting ... we paid them in McDonald's and beer!

AFTER - Still not cleaned up ... and the tape is still on, but you can get an idea of the colors. They are Pottery Barn colors: Old Blue Jeans and Navaho White.

What we came home to after dinner on Thursday night! All the furniture and bedding! (minus the dresser which will have "white glove" delivery including assembly and clean-up of the boxes and mess... which is good because we'll have A LOT to lug upstairs and assemble as it is!

This is the look I'm going for. You can see everything online here. I've pretty much gotten everything in this room, accept a different lamp and rug, plus we're not going to put a basketball hoop in Connor's room as he is already WAY too obsessed with shooting basketball (and this is coming from a HUGE UK Basketball fan! But enough is enough already with the sports inside the house!)

PS: Pottery Barn Kids actually has a pretty good incentive to both create a registry with them AND open a PBK credit card. You earn a 10% off registry completion discount for 6 months after the date of the event you register for (which can be anything .... in our case, Connor moving to his big-boy room!) to be used for anything you don't recieve. That discount can be used online or in the store. The credit card has a rewards program where you earn $25 for every $250 you spend! That's a really great perk... much better than most store credit cards! (just make sure you pay it all off every month!) With our purchases for Connor's new room, I was able to get a personalized Anywhere Chair and Basketball Net Shelf for free! Yeah!

IT'S A BOY!!

2010-03-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

Just a quick little note to say: It's a Boy! I screamed (probably a bit too loud) in the ultrasound room when I saw "it" .... I yelled "I see a penis!" Haha! Just wanted to share! More to come!

Tomorrow Tomorrow! The Day Has Come!

2010-03-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

I'm now 19 weeks and tomorrow is our official ultrasound appointment! Yea! I say 'offical' because we've had 2 previous ultrasounds (1 very early on around 9 weeks and then 13 weeks for the nucal test) but this is the one where they do all the important measurements of the baby, it's heart, brain, etc... and of course, find out the gender!

I am getting so pumped up and excited about finding out the sex! As I've said before, I am really hoping for a boy. Mostly for practical reasons like having WAY too many boys clothes, a baby blue nursery, and blue everything! However, if we are having a girl, I could get WAY excited about painting the nursery pink, buying a baby UK Cheerleader outfit, AND we already have a girl name picked out that we both agree on. Sooooo....... basically I just cannot wait until tomorrow morning! I'll be updating my Facebook page first... and then this blog later in the day! Thanks for stopping by!

Because I Said I Would :)

2010-03-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

18 Weeks .... I took this Monday morning!

It's funny, because you can clearly see where the 'baby belly' begins and ends ... at about the 6th gray stripe from the bottom you can see a little indentation.

I'll try to take pics every week now since I seem to expanding on a daily basis! I LOVE looking back at the belly pics I took when I was prego with Connor! I'm so glad I did it!

The Countdown ... 6 More Days!

2010-03-02T21:49:00.002-05:00

Time seems to be creeping by as we await our next ultrasound .... the one where we find out the sex of the baby! (among other, more important facts like the health of the baby's heart, etc...) I'll be right at 19 weeks at the time of the ultrasound next Monday, which is a really good time to tell the sex. As much as I wanted to schedule it sooner, any earlier than 19 or 20 weeks might not warrant the "results" we want, which is a definite gender decision!!

What do we know so far? Well, at my 13 week ultrasound, the tech really thought she found a penis twice... AND a vagina twice.... so that doesn't really help. But, she did say she was 75% confident that it was a boy! That's #1.

#2 is based on the Chinese Calendar. Many people don't think this is very accurate, but others claim over 90% accuracy. My thought on this discrepancy is that people aren't using it correctly. You must use the LUNAR calendar. This method was accurate for Connor and MANY other moms I know who used it correctly. This is a good website to try and will help you to convert months and ages from solar to lunar. For instance, I am 26, but 27 in lunar years. And this baby was conceived in the 11th month of our calendar, but in the 9th month of the Chinese Lunar calendar. This predicts I am having a boy, as well!

#3 is even more off-base and it involves the old wives tale about dangling a pendant above your hand (or tummy). Supposedly, if it swings back and forth, it's a boy. And if it swings in a circular motion, it's a girl. I tried this both with my hand and tummy and both times it swung back and forth ... indicating boy!

However, my face has been breaking out a lot more with this pregnancy, I had more morning sickness this time around, and the baby's heartbeat was pretty fast at my last check-up ... all indicating girl!

So..... what does this tell us?

NOTHING! Except we have to wait until Monday to find out! ha!

And as I type this, I feel the little bugger kicking and moving around in my belly and it just makes it harder not to know the sex! It's also comforting to feel the baby moving this early... it's like a tiny voice saying "Hey mommy!" Love it!

On a slightly different note, I've gained right at 7 pounds, which is a little low (maybe from working out.... maybe I'm just waiting to explode all at one time .... yep, that's it!) That said, I've really tossed all cares aside when it comes to eating! Yea! Fun! Regular Coke here-I-come! That is truly my special pregnancy treat!

Also, there is no hiding being prego now! This happened in the last few days where I'm even waking up looking pregnant! Before, it was mostly toward the end of the day once I had eaten a lot! Pics to come tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by!

Say What? Did I Just TOTALLY Miss The Boat on This?

2010-02-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

So, I'm sitting here watching The Doctors (ok, actually I was mopping the floor and watching it) and they were talking about baby formula and what kind of water to use to make it.

Now, when I introduced Connor to formula, which was far earlier than I had planned, I DO NOT remember being concerned at all with what type of water I was using. I mean, to an extent. Clearly, I was using fresh, clean water... but now I'm a little concerned.

According to the doctors on this show, and apparently many other sources, we are not supposed to use tap water for formula for the first 6 months. Any kind. Whether you live in glorious New York City or Louisville, KY (both of which have very clean and yummy tap water) or in an area with crappy tap water.

I don not remember hearing this specifically from my pediatrician... and I hardly recall even reading much on this at all when Connor was born!! We generally used the water dispenser from refrigerator, tap water, or sometimes bottled water if we were out and about. I was even known to take water from a water fountain in desperation!! Ack!

So, what's the deal?

Ok, these doctors recommended using bottled or distilled water, installing a reverse osmosis filter on your sink faucet, or boiling your tap water before using it. (Also, they recommended boiling any water from the tap, even if it was filtered, etc.... for the first 2 months of baby's life to avoid any remote risk of infection.)

Ummm, clearly our family did not follow these guidelines.

The reasoning behind the non-tap water is that the baby might get too much fluoride - because there is fluoride in the water AND in the formula. I honestly never thought of this. And, I'm wondering why, if this is such a big deal, I don't remember hearing about this sooner..... uh, like while I was using formula!!

Connor is fine and clearly survived this HUGE oversight and child abuse on our part {eye roll} so I'm not worried. And, I guess I'll know for the next baby! Bottled water.... check.

What did you use for mixing your baby formula? Did I just completely miss the boat on this? Was your pediatrician super concerned about this? Did I just have temporary post-partum hearing and memory loss regarding this? I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Kick ALERT! And, Right on Cue ... 16 Weeks!

2010-02-16T11:33:00.000-05:00

I thought I might just be imagining it on Valentine's Day while we were out for dinner (or just digesting food!) but I was pretty sure I felt a kick!

Then, yesterday, I was pretty sure again. So (just like a girl with pretty much nothing better to do because we've been locked in the dang house due to this snow crap for days!) I layed down flat on the bed and watched and felt my tummy for about 20 minutes. And, sure enough, very definite kicks! YEA!

After I got up, I started laughing because I just imagined how funny I would have looked just laying down staring at my stomach if someone walked in on me! HA! I seriously don't care! Plus, Connor was the only other person in the house and I'm pretty certain he wouldn't think anything of it! :)

It's kind of odd because with Connor I felt tickles and bubbles in the belly area around 15-16 weeks pregnant for a couple of weeks at least before feeling kicks. This time, I might have felt some tickles and bubbles, but nothing definite! I guess every pregnancy is different!

So now, I'm officially obsessed with finding out the sex of the baby again! I think when you actually start feeling the baby move, it really helps me connect to know the sex. ie. "Oh, she (or he) kicked again!" instead of "Oh, IT kicked again!"

Anyway, I leave you with belly pics, plus a couple others! This is the first belly pic worth posting since the last one... there wasn't a lot of change until just very recently!

Connor and Papaw Tomes

Valentine's Day dinner night out!

Belly Pic @ 14 weeks

Belly Pic @ 16 weeks

When the Going Gets Cold and Snowy ..... We Drink Hot Chocolate!

2010-02-14T17:53:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would be saying this, but ENOUGH with the snow and snow days off from school already! Where was all this snow when I was in high-school? I would have killed for this many snow days!

Connor only goes to preschool on Monday and Tuesday and it's been forever since he's been able to go both days in a week! Now we're expecting 7-8" more snow tonight! Boo! At least we were already supposed to be out of school for President's Day tomorrow.... but they better get those roads clear for Tuesday morning because momma's got stuff to do!!

Drinking some hot chocolate! Well, warm.

Who says sugar-free hot chocolate isn't yummy??

Dear Connor: My Favorite Things: Jan/Feb 2010

2010-02-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

Taking the lead from a fellow blogger, sorority sister, mommy, and friend over at babywebbsite.com, I've decided to write a little something to Connor (and eventually our new addition) every month or 2 so he (okay, mostly I) can remember what each stage was like. This is my first letter/list.

Connor,

These are my absolute favorite things about you at this stage:

1.) Your newly-invented laugh that sounds like a mix between a Little Rascals character and a fat cartoon chef in a Disney movie. Combine it with your big, bright white smile and squinty eyes and, yes, you get whatever you want ...every time!

2.) Your specific request for "pee pee powder" and "butt cream" when we change your diaper.... and then the cute giggle and "That tickles!" that follows.

3.) Your uncanny ability to spot and name any and all construction vehicles (or "tractors" as you call them), school buses, garbage trucks, firetrucks, police cars, boats, Mini Coopers or other really small cars (you call them "baby cars") and 18-wheeler trucks any time we are out on the road.

4.) You never forget anything. If I say we're going to Grandma's house tomorrow, we better be going! You'll remember and ask the next day as soon as you wake up in the morning! No more consoling you by saying we'll do or have something "later" or go somewhere "later" ... unless we're going to follow through!

5.) Funny, your favorite number is five. Even though you can easily count to 20, most things come in 5's.... 5 tractors, 5 doggies, etc... even if there are only 3 or 4!

6.) You know how to get what you want almost all the time by saying "Special treat, please." I guess we started this when you were about one, calling things "special treats" and it really caught on! Now that you're a big boy, you'll go over and open the cabinet where you special treats are kept... just in case daddy or I forget what exactly it is you want!

7.) Now, I'm not exactly sure how you know this, but I'm going to give daddy credit for this one.... When asked "Who has the money?" you always answer "Daddy". And "What does daddy do at work?", "Makes money!" And "Does mommy (substitute any name) have money?", "No, daddy has money." Love it! Smart kid.

8.) On the same topic, when I go upstairs to get you in the morning, you always either state or ask "Daddy working!?" just to be sure he's not home... because if so I guess you would want hime upstairs with you instead of me! Like I said, you don't miss a thing!

9.) What an athlete you are! From 12 months, you've gotten compliments even from complete strangers about how great of a basketball shooter you are. Now, you are progressing to baseball and soccer and can even hit a baseball without a tee! Your favorite game right now is it hit the ball and then run the bases and "wipeout" at home plate for a home run every time!

10.) We could call you Mister Manners. From please and thank you, to bless you and excuse me, you truely are a charmer... which makes you very popular with the old ladies at the mall, who think you are to die for.

11.) You are the best toilet flusher in the midwest .... now if we could just get you to be the one going in the toilet!

12.) I never knew a man could be so happy with my simple cooking.... if you had it your way, we 'd have nothing but frozen waffles, oatmeal with cranberries, pancakes, rice, and cheese roll ups.... I can handle that!

13.) You can now spot U. of Kentucky emblems and immediately say "Go Cats"! That's my boy!

14.) You are such a big boy... even when you have me kiss your 'boo boo's' 100 times, you're still a big boy.

15.) Finally, you are still such a great sleeper. 10-12 hours at night and 2-3 hours of naptime during the day. You and I are like 2 peas in a pod that way! ;)

I love you more than I ever knew was possible... it surprises me by getting stronger every day,

Mommy

Snowy Day and Belly Pic

2010-01-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

This city is so funny (which is the nice way of saying nuts, psycho, crazy, disturbed) when there is a chance of snow. For a WEEK now, the weather media has been talking about this "Significant Winter Storm" that would be moving through Friday and Saturday. Supermarkets were packed, the news channels scheduled extra early morning broadcasts, etc...

I mean seriously, wouldn't we all be able to live for 24 hours without milk and bread in the house? Maybe it's just me, but the only time I even got the least bit concerned about the food situation in our house during the winter was when Connor was on formula.... because you can't fake formula for a 3-month-old. But other than that, COME ON!

Anyway...

My theory on winter weather around here was always been that the more and further in advance it's talked about, the less likely it is that anything will actually happen. I think I developed this theory in highschool when it seemed we were never on a snow day when they predicted we might be, but there would always be random little bursts of snow that they only predicted about 8 hours in advance that caused school closings, bad roads, etc... Like clockwork - this is just the curse of the Ohio Valley and it's weather.

So....

Prepare yourself for this amazing picture of Mother Nature's great wrath...

OMG!! What destruction in our backyard! {tee hee}

It did snow a massive 1-4 inches around the area.... whew! (I'm hoping you can sense the sarcasm here!) I think we probably have about 3 inches on our deck. And, to just put me a little bit more over the edge about all this 'snow business', all my gym classes and daycare at the gym were canceled this morning! Bummer!! I'm still going to head there later, but I haven't been able to do my Urban Iron or Zumba for weeks and it's driving me crazy!!

Enough about that ... in most recent news, I think I'm going to have to transition to the maternity pants soon.... or live in the dreaded 'comfy pants' for the next few months. Here is my most recent pic from 13 weeks exactly. I think I'm approx. the same size now as I was with Connor at 16 weeks, which I hear is very normal for the second pregnancy. I'm also obsessed with feeling the baby move for the first time, which happened very early (around 16 weeks) with Connor, so I'm expecting it any time now. I keep thinking I feel some little squiggles down there, but I just can't confirm it yet! I'll keep you posted!

New York Trip, 2nd Ultrasound and Screening, Kobe Shoes!

2010-01-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

So we're back home after visiting Jamie's extended family in New York. Shweew! Glad to be home! The trip was quite enjoyable, and of course everyone fell in love with Connor and his cute personality and had a great time playing indoor basketball and baseball, cars, etc... for a full week! Connor probably recieved more attention in that week than he has in the last year (and this kid is in no need of attention, let me tell ya) and averaged about an 11:30 PM bedtime, so what a relief it was to come home and get him back in school and back on schedule. (more about that below)

These are the new "Kobe" Nike tennis shoes we got him while in NY .... they are so cute and he calls them his "Kobe Shoes"! Not sure they would be cute in a man's size, but very cute in a little-boy size!

It was good to get a little mommy-break (we stayed at a difference aunt's house than Connor and Jamie's parents) and we even made it into the city for a night on the town ... dinner, shopping, hotel and then breakfast in the morning.... nice! On a sour note, I got extremely motion sick on the bus back out of the city and had to bail about 5 stops before where we were supposed to get off, leaving Jamie on the bus by himself with all our crap. Luckily I made it off in time .... we'll leave it at that. Gotta love making a spectacle of yourself in front of strangers... but isn't that what motherhood is all about like 75% of the time (starting with child birth) so I guess I'm used to it.

But, as nice as it is to have a little vacay from the norm, it's even better to be home to my own bed, bathroom, closet, kitchen, etc... (minus all the laundry, sorting mail, putting clothes away, and all the other crap you have to do when you get home) Plus, I need to get back on the "eating right" train ... on-the-road and vacation eating will seriously do a number on your stomach and how you feel in general.

And we didn't have a second to breathe once we got home. Monday morning was my early-pregnancy screening called a Nuchal Translucency (spelling... ahh, not sure about that one and too lazy to Google it). It's a combo blood test/ ultrasound that checks the baby for Down's Syndrome and 2 or 3 other serious chromosonal abnormailities. I went to a specialist, not my regular doctor, which was the same specialist we saw when I was prego with Connor. We received nothing but good news ... thank goodness.

As a bonus, the ultrasound tech had some extra time to play around, so I got to see the baby for about 30 minutes.... unfortunately they didn't take a video this time like they did with Connor, which is a super-bummer because SOMEONE recorded over my ultrasound tape of Connor (which honestly makes me want to cry right now). With all the extra ultrasound time, we spent a lot of time down south looking for any signs of a penis or otherwise. They found maybe a penis, then a vagina, then a penis, then maybe a vagina (or the "three lines" as they call it) so basically we confirmed that the baby is DEFINITELY a boy OR a girl. Ha! It's just too early to tell for sure. But now I'm even more anxious than before .. March 8th can't come fast enough! It's just so amazing to see such a small creature living inside of your own body... there is nothing quite like experiencing an ultrasound of your baby.

So, as for today.... more exciting times. Roads in the area were ice-covered all morning, making travel especially difficult and dangerous. I never would have left the house this morning had I known the extent of how horribly bad the roads were. There was basically no way out of my neighborhood, and even with an SUV with 4WD and even a "snow and ice" driving setting, I had NO control of the vehicle. CRAZY! It took me an hour and a half to get Connor to school (which doesn't even compare to how long many people were stuck out on the road) and saw many close-calls and scary situations. Many men were out in their suits and dress shoes helping push cars up hills and back onto roads.... it made me proud to live in such a nice and helpful society .... and also scared to see how many dumb-ass people (such as myself) didn't bother to turn on the news this morning before heading out the door!!!

Coming soon.... belly pics (13 weeks pregnant and officially can't button my jeans now.... trying to hold out on the prego jeans as long as possible, because once I go the way of the comfort waistband, there's no going back!) and some great baby-finds on clearance at Target! Happy Tuesday!

The First Few Weeks...

2010-01-14T16:06:00.000-05:00

This is a blog entry I kept and didn't post before we let the cat out of the bag. Most posts revolve around food and not feeling well, so not particulary that interesting, but anyway... just excuse the bad grammar, spelling, etc...

* did you know that a seltzer water or club soda tastes much like a well-poured vodka soda when served in a nice glass? or that a 4-ounce pour of red wine can actually last for 3 hours at a party? it's like the "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop" question .... I've never actually made it happen, until now!

* running through the morning sickness! why, because of the half-bag of cheddar potato chips I ate yesterday night, courtesy of Archer Farms. also, i have about 5 christmas parties/ events coming up - and I bought new dresses for them, so I must still fit in them ... only 3 more weeks of caring, then i can really let loose. McD's drivethru here i come!

* morning sickness is in full swing on tuesday, Dec 8th. good thing Jamie took Connor to school today. I also had a bit of spotting ... so I'm actually kind of glad I'm having the morning sickness, it's a good sign.

* Jamie has a motion sickness watch thingy I've always made fun of. I got new batteries for it today and now wear it fashionably as part of my wardrobe.... because as ugly as it is, it's better than vomit.

* i still love to eat .... are you kidding me? i'm one of the only people I know who can actually power-eat though nausea.... sometimes it helps, sometimes I'm sorry.

* dirty diapers suck WAY more with a heightened since of smell. yikes

* apparently I cry at everything - at least 2 movie trailers before the movie even started made me tear up. wow.

* made jamie run to KFC for me tonight ... nothing else sounded good and I haven't eated all day... I think I might have to go there every day for the next few weeks.

* one thought today .... McDonalds sausage egg and cheese biscuit .... are you kidding me? leaving now... Why can't McD's have breakfast all day? Really?

* Ran a 4K race early this morning in 20 degree weather ... lot's of uphill which I wasn't expecting, but I didn't stop... I was probably the only runner wearing a motion sickness watch... finished pretty well, about 325 of 650 including men. I really want to keep this running thing up as long as possible, I've worked so hard to be able to run a 5K!!

* feeling really crappy today .... it's 2 days after xmas and not recovered yet ... didn't get out of my PJ's and had McD's and pizza to eat ... I really wish I could go running right now, but I think I would pass out... really not a good day!

* Still able to fit comfortably into most clothing, so finding holiday garb wasn't too bad! Funny, with Connor I wanted to start showing immediately... this time around, I had several outfits I planned out and bought for xmas parties, etc... so I was motivated to stay on track with working out, etc... we'll see what happens now that the holidays are over!

We are packing and preparing for a 9 hour drive ot New York tomorrow and Saturday! Ugh! Hopefully I'll be able to post some from the Big Apple!

First Ultrasound and Belly Pics!

2010-01-13T21:08:00.000-05:00

I wanted to post these puppies on Monday, but I have just been feeling SO OVERWHELMED lately! I think it's a mix of pregnancy hormones (duh .... just ask Jamie), trying to put all the Christmas stuff away, and getting ready to go out of town for a week. There is a lot of other stuff, but from what I can figure, these are the biggies. Anyway...

Our appointment went very well on Monday morning. The ultrasound actually moved by due date up 6 days to August 1st because the baby measured 11 weeks and 1 day, instead of 10 weeks and 2 days like my cycle would indicate. (OK, lets talk about this for a sec... I'm not going to argue with someone telling me I'm a week further along than we thought... let's face it, that's just a week less of pregnancy for free! Sweet! HOWEVER, I was closely monitoring my cycle by taking my basal body temp (BBT) every morning and using ovulation strips, etc... so I'm not completely 'sold' on this whole new-due-date thing... but we're going with it....)

The baby just kept flipping around and 'dancing' the throughout the entire ultrasound! So cute! I forgot how magical this experience is... it never gets old! The heartbeat was excellent at 162 ... and listening to that never gets old, either!

I kept joking with the tech, asking her to look for a penis (which wouldn't even be possible to find at this point!) which she thought was funny .... but I was being serious! You can see in the second picture how perfect of a shot it would be to see a little pee-pee if it were about 3-4 weeks down the road! Oh well!

11 weeks, 1 day (approx. 4.6 cm)

They already look cute and chubby, don't you think??

So our next appointment is for first trimester screenings, which means..... another ultrasound! Yea! With Connor, we got a video tape of this particular ultrasound (which subsequently was recorded over with a football game... it's a touchy subject... I'd rather not go into it) so I'm hoping we'll get one this time around, too!

In all the craziness, I find myself mentally making note of all the baby stuff I wish I had gotten with Connor and trying to figure out how we're eventually going to get it (this list is coming soon... basically a list of all the things that, as a new mom, I thought I needed, and then a list of all the things I now know I need and have to go get!)

Look for tomorrow's post .... my "super-early-before-we're-telling-anyone-pregnancy-journal-entries".

11 weeks

Monday, Funday

2010-01-10T23:17:00.000-05:00

Mondays aren't usually my favorite, but ever since Connor started preschool on Mondays and Tuesdays, I can get so much done!! So much to do tomorrow!

Little Charlotte has a grooming appointment and has to be dropped off first thing in the morning and then I have to take my car in for a maintenance appointment and get a rental... hopefully a good one! And, then to my OB's office!

Tomorrow will be especially great because we are having our first ultrasound! Yea! We were a little disappointed last week when we didn't have an ultrasound at our first OB appointment, but since the doc says my uterous is a bit tilted, she recommended one for tomorrow. It's not a big deal, I think she mostly just realized I really wanted an early ultrasound and to hear the heartbeat, so that was the excuse. ;)

With Connor, I had an ultrasound at about 7 weeks due to some spotting, so I guess I wasn't really sure what was protocol. N E Way.... I'll have pics to post tomorrow!

We are tired from hitting up the Great Train Expo at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville today. There wasn't a whole lot to look at that Jamie and I were interested in, but Connor had a great time checking out all the trains! He is really into trains right now... mostly because we got him the Thomas Wooden Train table for his second birthday which he is now obsessed with! Luckily, we were able to get out of there only purchasing a little Thomas bathtub squirt toy and nothing more!

I've also got a huge to-do list for this week including: putting Christmas stuff away (errr), organizing maternity clothes so I know what I have, and packing for our New York trip next week! Better get to bed!

Lots of Picture Updates .... and Good News ;)

2010-01-08T10:50:00.003-05:00

ow, I'm a little embarassed at how long it's been since I blogged on here ... but I guess that's just an indication of how busy we were over the holidays! It was literally one {fun} thing after another .... here is a taste...

Woodmont Breakfast with Santa

UK Alumni "Big Blue Santa"

Hanaukkah Celebration (aka: Eating Jelly Donuts!)

Dad's Birthday Celebration

Hubers Lunch with the Fam

Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning

Christmas with Mom's Fam

New Years

**Also, I'm excited to announce that we are expecting another baby!! I'm due August 5th! That also contributed to my complete lack of doing anything that wasn't neccessary for the last few weeks since I wasn't feeling well. Luckily, starting around New Years (9 weeks) I kind of snapped out of the morning sickness phase (finally!) although the tiredness is still lingering.

So, obviously, for the next few months this blog will be focusing a little more on the wild adventure that is pregnancy and how we are preparing for number 2 (and of course still on Connor!) Coming soon: a little collection of notes I wrote during my down-time away from the blog regarding early pregnancy and getting back into the swing of it! Also, our first ultrasound pics (Monday is our appointment) and of course new belly pics every 2 weeks starting at 12 weeks!

Happy New Year!

These Days are the Best Days

2009-12-03T21:16:00.000-05:00

After Connor woke up from his nap today (a 3.5 hour nap, at that!) he surprised me by saying "I love you, mama.... hug." and then giving me a full-body hug!!

Need I say more?

My heart completely melted and I just stood there holding him in my arms for about five minutes.

I swear, two year olds are not always candycanes and teddybears, but when you share a moment like that, it makes up for every ball thrown at your head, fart while changing a diaper, full-blown tantrum at Target, etc... you get the picture!

Me and my babies... pooped from putting up the Christmas trees!

A Great Night Out!

2009-11-15T22:08:00.003-05:00

Jamie and I headed to Lexington yesterday afternoon for the Beastie Ball, benefiting the Lexington Humane Society! Jamie's law firm sponsored a table, so we were able to spend the evening with many friends and acquaintances. It's always nice to have a night out on the town, especially when it's benefiting cute little fuzzy puppies!!

There was a really extensive selection of silent and live auction items, plus a lovely dinner, cocktails, and dancing! We spent the night at the hotel where the event was held and had a yummy breakfast at the Marriott restaurant this morning! 24 hours of baby-free relaxation and fun time! :)

As a bonus, I was able to wear a dress that I wore for our wedding rehearsal dinner over three years ago ... a dress I never really thought I would be able to wear (in public) again! Yea!

This week's big event is a Parent's Night Out for the parents of all the kids in Connor's class. We're hosting it at our house, so I've got lots of preparing to do!! Funny, it's actually been kind of nice to have an excuse to fix up the house a little bit! I've hung two big mirrors, several pictures, ordered and framed some wedding pics, and organized some shelves and cabinets. Also, we're having this new kitchen faucet installed this week!

I think it will update the look of our kitchen a lot. I'm super pumped! Funny the things that get me excited these days!!

Class Pictures and I Really Don't Love Halloween... sorry

2009-11-04T14:00:00.001-05:00

At the parent-teacher conferences on Monday, we got the class pictures they had taken. OMG! They are the freakin' cutest pics I have even seen of Connor (and we have a lot of cute pics of him!) I'm afraid to scan and upload the pics for the blog b/c of copyrighting (does anyone know if that would be ok for me to do if I give the photographers credit? ) but you'll have to trust me, they are darn cute!

What I CAN show you are our Halloween pics. Don't get too excited - it's the same Elmo costume from last year! I had to bribe this child with Skittles just to get the thing on! He kept saying "Too big, Momma.... Too much, momma!" Basically, he wanted nothing to do with the costume. To make that even more abundantly clear, as soon as I got the crappin' costume on, he pooped and I had to take the entire thing off again to re-diaper him. Oh the whoas of motherhood. Gotta love full-body-one-piece-polyester-furry-costumes!

Not to sound like a bad parent, but we only went to our two neighboring houses with Connor this year. His idea of Halloween (besides eating the Skittles) was to hand out the candy to all the other little goblins...err.... children from the neighborhood. A O K with us... we'll have plenty of years to come where we're stuck trick-or-treating all night. (Now I can totally appreciate how relieved my parents were when I was old enough to go around the neighborhood with my little sister by ourselves... seriously!)

The original Halloween prankster ... Connor put all our decorations on the porch into his candy sak and took them inside!!

Halloween is just overrated to me. It's stressful to find a costume and it leaves us with tons of candy in the house - which we'll eat - which isn't good. But more pics...

"Anybody home?"

Connor trying to escape back into the house. Guess he's really not that into Halloween either!

Notice the one little piece of pumpkin garland I threw on our front bush. There. That's my decor (sense a litte sarcasm?)

How many days till Christmas?....

Wonderful World of Preschool

2009-10-28T16:41:00.006-04:00

Connor has been in preschool now for about two months and OH the the improvements and changes we have seen in our little guy! For any mom out there that questions the value of finding an excellent preschool, let me be clear: it is totally worth it!

As a stay-at-home mom, there was definitely some question as to whether of not we really needed to enroll Connor in a preschool. After all, we were going to Gymboree, the play room at the gym, and now 2-year-old soccer play where Connor gets plenty of interaction with other children. However, even the best mom with the best kids needs a little break in the action every now and then.

Once decided to pursue the preschool option, we quickly found the perfect fit. Out wishes were pretty simple: non-denominational, an actual school setting (NOT a daycare), and offering options for a young 2-year-old without potty training expectations. Since most preschools in our area are either run through a daycare facility or church, it made our search short and sweet!

The first day he brought home his bookbag filled with arts and crafts and paintings, I was so proud my heart almost hurt! I am just so proud of my little boy! And, the best part, he absolutely LOVEs his 6 hours of mommy-free time at school (and so does momma!)

Yesterday, he brought home a progress report from his teacher in preparation for our parent/ teacher conferences next Monday. (I guess "progress report" is the new lingo for a "report card" ;) A preschool report card is truly hilarious, but so on the money regarding their specific development areas and benchmarks. Criteria include things like the child's ability to dress themselves, wash & dry hands, sit still, follow one and two-step directions, etc.. Each area has 2 options for a "grade": developing and usually.

Most of Connor's checks were in the usually column, with a few in the developing column (and a couple of no's written in... specifically in the "dressing one's self" which he does not do! :) The teacher's complimented him very much and suggested that the best way we can help him as parents right now is to let him do more activities such as eating and hanging up his coat and bag on his own to build self-confidence. (Apparently, Connor uses the smile-and-flirt-to-get-adults-to-help-me tactic at school, just like at home! I taught him well! haha ;)

We couldn't be happier with Connor's progress in school so far! Especially as the very youngest kid in his school, as he just made the October 1st birthday cut-off by 4 days! We are also thrilled with our choice to enroll Connor in preschool at two, and with the school we picked! I'm having a fun time meeting other parents, volunteering on committees, and even hosting our Parent's Night Out at our house next month (since I'm a room parent!) We've really jumped right in!

As a bonus, a couple of ME days a week are nice to have. Simply having the time to shower and blow-out my hair, or vacuum or scrapbook is great! I can appreciate the luxury of being able to try clothing on while shopping, I can actually walk past the toy/sports section of Target without spending an hour explaining that we "have all of those things at home .... they have to stay here!", and I can hop in and out of the car to run about 10 errands in the time it takes to run 2 errands with Connor in tow!

I'll post more updates regarding our school experience as the year progresses!

I leave you with a couple of pics from our trip to the Louisville Zoo last week!!

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure!

2009-10-18T20:37:00.004-04:00

Pictures from my race last week in Downtown Louisville! I beat my goal time by quite a bit, finishing the 5K in about 28 minutes! Then, today, I ran in The Hunger Walk and improved my time by a minute! Yea!

Sorry for the lack of posting recently! Too too busy!! More to come...

The entire crew!

Just after the race!

Me and my baby!

What a Whirlwind!!!

2009-10-07T22:31:00.008-04:00

I honestly don't have a lot of time to write at this moment, but I'm going to get some pictures out here before more fun things keep happening and I just get further and further behind. (which reminds me that I need to start focusing a little bit more on my scrap booking since I just got all the supplies out recently and I realized I am only just getting to when I got pregnant with Connor ... holy crap, that was 3 years ago!!!)

This upcoming weekend will be nothing short of another hurricane of events, followed by the same the next weekend! But for now, I'll stick with the last couple of weeks!

University of Kentucky day at Mike Linnigs with my mom's side of the family - this was a special night because we just flew back from Florida, but our entire family was able to meet up at the last minute! On the far left is my cousin who was on a 2 week vacation home from Iraq, and the man next to him is my uncle who is going through intensive chemo right now to fight a late stage cancer. I'm so glad we were all able to meet up (although not everyone got the memo about it being UK night - hence all the red clothing!!)

Celebrating our 3-Year Anniversary at Hotel Nightclub on 4th Street in Downtown Louisville! We made a night of it, and ended up staying at the new Marriott Downtown! Fun night!

HUBER'S ORCHARD AND WINERY PICTURES!!

Biiiggg tractor at Hubers!! Doesn't Connor look tiny on that thing?

Feeding the ducks on deck at Hubers!

My little punkin'

Yummy roasted corn for lunch!

BETHANY'S WEDDING PICS!!!

The bridal party enjoying champagne and getting our nails done!!

At the rehearsal dinner!

AFTER the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, we all went out .... for several hours. This is just evidence of one of the many reasons we all felt so spectacular the next morning!!

Myself and the gorgeous bride!!

Good Night!

Just Too Much to Blog About... but a Fabulous Website

2009-10-05T15:16:00.005-04:00

I am working on getting all the really great pics from the last couple of weeks ready to post on the blog! We have been running around like crazy people celebrating Connor's 2nd birthday, being in an out-of-town wedding for our very good friends, and our annual Huber's trip to drink wine and pick pumpkins!! Seriously, we are so not even close to being recovered from the last couple of weeks!

Connor at Hubers!

But for now, while I have a minute, I want to share a great website with you! A neighborhood friend of mine has teamed up with a friend of hers to start their own embroidery business! They craft so many cute, useful, and unique items! There is something for every occasion and age, and you can customize most anything!! Think: birthdays, weddings, bachelorette and bachelor parties, bridal party, Christmas, family reunions, school spirit, sports teams, new baby, etc... there is truly something for everyone!!

Please check it out when you get a chance! They are currently offering free shipping and a free gift with orders placed by October 15th!! Check it out now!!

http://shopmandn.com/

Thanks!

Cracking Me UP

2009-09-23T12:12:00.003-04:00

Connor showing off his "Birthday Hat" he got at preschool yesterday!

Connor has changed so much just since he started his 2-Day Preschool. We've noticed him becoming more patient, self-sufficient (as far as playing alone, getting the toys he wants off the shelf, etc...) and more vocal and social (which we didn't really think was possible!). It kind of makes me wish we had started him in the 3 or 5 day program, but we can still do that next year when he is in the 3's class.

I attribute a lot of this immediate improvement simply to the fact that he is 1 of 8 at school, but at home, he is getting constant attention. His teachers are amazing. That's right, he has TWO teachers for just 8 kids... which is why it might be hard for us to ever switch over to public school later on! From what we have witnessed so far (which is actually quite a bit with the volunteering I've done, conferences, parent night, etc...) the entire staff at Chance School is freaking amazing! They seem to be "on" all the time - and that's difficult to fake! I also LOVE the liberal attitude the school takes toward school and discipline. It's not like they're running around wild, but they use positive reinforcement and direction to correct behavior, plus teach a LOT of self-reliance which promotes self-confidence.

So the reason I'm cracking up today is this: when we got home from the gym this morning, I sat down at my computer (standard) and Connor ran off to make chaos in the family room (also standard). It wasn't 2 minutes after I sat down that he came up to me and started pulling at my leg.

"Watch TV, please mamma. Watch TV, please mamma." (a little louder the second time, of course.)

{And, for those of you who may not have a little one, at two years old, everything is repeated over and over and over and over again consistently without fail until you not only respond, but do whatever it is they are asking. FYI. ;) }

"Sesame Street, on? Sesame, on?"

So, we make the journey into the family room where I put on Sesame Street. Connor sits in "his" chair and then goes on to say:

"Crackers, apple juice... crackers, apple juice..."

HAHAH! I wonder where he gets this?? Sitting in front of the tube eating crackers!! LOL! Hilarious! Connor knows what he want .... and generally he wants it right now!

Now he's sitting in his highchair here next to me and I'm watching him pick every single veggie out of his bowl of pasta before he will eat it. He even says: "No" every time he finds a piece. This little mannerism I'm going to attribute to his dad!!

Ft. Myers - And We're Home Again for a While!

2009-09-18T17:34:00.005-04:00

Finally, pics from our recent vacation to Ft. Myers Beach!! We stayed at a great little timeshare complex that is directly on the beach. Connor freakin' loves the sand and ocean (more than I do I'm afraid) so the entire week went very smoothly - we even had good weather, which we weren't sure about during the rainy/ hurricane season!

Celebrating our 3rd Anniversary at Matanza's on the waterfront

Sanibel Island

Daddy and Connor napping

On a side note (and this is really random), it occurred to me while we were flying home from Florida how similar airplane travel is to preschool. It actually made me laugh out loud a little bit. There is a specified snack time.... you get one little packet of cookies and juice, if you ask for it! They'll also bring you a little blankie and pillow for a nap. You are told when you can and cannot stand up and go to the bathroom. There are certain words you aren't supposed to say (ie. bomb, etc...). I'm not sure where that even came from - but that's the kind of things you start thinking about when you're bored on a plane! There are other familiar similarities if you think about it! Share in the comment section if you think of any more!!

ZOO DAY! {vaca pis to come!}

2009-09-13T10:35:00.002-04:00

We're just getting back from Florida and I am going crazy trying to get things organized.... BUT ... I wanted to share a couple of pics from our trip to the Louisville Zoo the weekend before we left. I promise, vacation post w/ pics coming ASAP!!

PS - Just had to share Connor's very first piece of artwork that was sent home from preschool! I'm in love with it!! I always said we wouldn't put artwork on the fridge because it looks messy - but I guess that's before I was a mommy!!

Polymorphic Light Eruption: Finally Some Relief (Updated 2/28/10)

2009-09-02T11:33:00.011-04:00

**Update: Also check out my newest post {HERE} with some additional and consolidated info!**

I mentioned in a previous post about a sun-induced skin disorder that I have suffered from since about mid-teenage years. As a sun lover and beach goer, the idea of having to stay out of the sun was pretty devastating ... and not really an option. After doing a little research, it seems experts believe 1 in 10 people suffer from this disorder - and not surprisingly, European countries are spending much more time and energy trying to come up with prevention and treatment remedies than the US. As you can probably guess, in the states if you tell a doctor or dermatologist that you have a sun-induced skin issue, their answer is to..... stay out of the sun!! Duh!!

If one more person told me the rash I developed was sun poisoning, I was going to LOSE IT!!! I can tell you first hand that if you find someone else who gets this AND knows what it is, I will be very surprised!

Suffering from polymorphic light eruption (PMLE) has led me to do my own research and experimentation with prevention (not so much treatment since once the rash appears it's really too late) and I'd like to share my findings here for those who might be interested.

(all info in italics was taken from the best website I've found on this disorder: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Polymorphic-Light-Eruption.htm)

What Is Polymorphic Light Eruption and How Do I Know If I Get It?

Polymorphic light eruption (PMLE) is a skin condition where your skin reacts to sunshine with a rash. It is not the same as sunburn. PMLE is not harmful, but can be inconvenient. Usually the PMLE rash occurs in spring or on a sunny holiday, when the skin is not used to sunshine. The rash heals completely. There are various treatments and preventative measures.

Reading just this small paragraph told me I was reading about exactly what I develop while on vacation. For many years, I blamed the sand and the ocean for the rash I developed.... thinking I was maybe allergic to some sort of shell fish or something. Turns out, we're just in the sun a lot more while on vacation.

Polymorphic light eruption is a particular type of rash that occurs in reaction to sunlight on the skin. The name comes from 'polymorphic eruption', which means a rash that varies (it can look different in each person). It will be called PMLE in the rest of this leaflet.With PMLE, the rash follows a particular pattern (explained below under symptoms). It usually starts when you first get sun on your skin after a long period without much sunshine. For example, in spring, or if you go on a sunny holiday during the winter.PMLE mostly affects people aged 20-40 years. It is more common in women and in people with fair skin type. It probably affects around 1 in 10 European women.

While it can come in many 'forms', but rash always looks the same. It starts with just a little itching sensation on the chest or upper arm. Within a couple of hours it looks terrible... red and blotchy, even a bit raised, and the itching is indescribable. That night, it might go down a bit, but within minutes of being back in the sun the next day, it's back and gets continually worse until I'm able to stay out of the sun entirely for at least a few days. As I said, many people would stop me and say: "Gosh, you have sun poisoning!!" But it simply wasn't possible... and I wasn't even sunburned! Annoying!

What Causes PMLE?

PMLE is caused by the radiation from the sun. The degree to which people suffer from this varies a lot. Some people cannot even get near a window and must stay covered all the time in order to not experience symptoms. Others, life myself, need a lot of exposure over the course of a day or several before the rash emerges. There is also research that shows you can 'toughen' your skin up by increasing the amount of sun exposure slowly - which is a technique those with severe PMLE must use to even be able to step outside on a sunny day. This might also explain why I hardly EVER get this on a late summer vacation (because we've been out in the sun, at the pool, etc... all summer already), but a February or March beach vacation is the worst!

The rash is usually on the parts of the body which have been covered during the winter, such as the arms and chest. The face and hands are less likely to be affected.The rash clears up within a week if you stay out of the sun. However, if there is more sunshine on the skin then it is likely to get worse. It heals well, without scarring. Symptoms tend to improve during the summer, as your skin becomes more adapted to sunlight.

There really is no definite way of diagnosing that you have PMLE accept for "phototesting" your skin's reaction to sunlight --- the best way is just to notice a pattern of reaction to the sunlight over time. As a sufferer of this, believe me, you know if you have it!!

Treatment and Prevention

Here's where it gets worse. Treatment basically comes down to wearing high SPF sunscreen (UVA AND UBV protection!), covering up, staying out of the strongest sunlight (10-2) etc... This is all fine and well for someone who is OK with slathering on their kids SPF 55 and staying hidden under an umbrella all day! NOT ME! So, moving on to what matters:

According to this website (and others - just google PMLE for more info!) there are other things that can work to prevent this from occurring (other than just staying out of the sun!) Here I have gone down the list of what I have found:
From the left: Eucerin Daily Sun Defense, Ocean Potion Anti-Aging Sunblock, pure vitamin E, beta-carotene pills

EUCERIN DAILY SUN DEFENSE LOTION: This is what a dermatologist recommended to us years ago to use for PMLE. There is a lovely mix of alphaglucosylrutin (AGR), Parasol 1789 (avobenzone), SPF 15, and other anti-oxidants in this lotion, which I would use twice a day for about a week before heading to the beach, plus while we were at the beach, and it warded off the rash pretty well. Here's the catch - it became harder and harder to find, until I realized it had been discontinued (apparently because of the miracle-working AGR??) by the company. I contacted them and they said there was nothing comparable or a replacement. Joy. I was able to order some from Germany about a year ago (for a pretty penny, might I add), which was awesome, but now it appears I might not even be able to get it there anymore! Ahhh!! I do still have a bottle of this stuff left, but the scarcity of it led me to begin researching what else could help prevent PMLE, instead of stalking this lotion!!

SOLARICARE (or HELIOCARE) PILLS: Read up on these by clicking here and here. I was about to go this route, when I decided to read what the main ingredients were. I went the way of trying to duplicate this pill myself. That being said, if I was able to just grab this from Target or something, and they were a little cheaper, I would be willing to try it. I would also try them if I had any specific knowledge of these puppies working: so if you've tried them, please speak up in the comment section!

BETA CAROTENE: I found these pills at the local CVS for under $10 for a ton of them. I began taking 2 per day on days I was in the sun and 1 on days I wasn't. This is a no-brainer because BC is so good for your skin and nails anyway.

TOPICAL VITAMIN E: This, also from CVS, comes in a little plastic bottle of oil. I added a couple of drops to my lotion and sunscreen every time I applied. I also would put it alone on dry parts of my skin. Research shows applying this topically can be more effective treatment than taken orally, which is why I went with this oil.

ANTI-OXIDANTS IN SUNSCREEN: A lot of articles I read recommended using a sunscreen with Parasol 1789 and plenty of anti-oxidant vitamins, which aid in the reduction of cell damaging free radicals - meaning it not only helps the skin prevent as much damage, but also helps repair it. Most people recommended suncreeens by Eucerin, but I could only find really high SPFs with the anti-oxidants, plus I couldn't find any with Parasol. Then I stumbled upon "Ocean Potion Anti-Aging Sunblock SPF 15 with Parasol 1789 and Solaplex". This had everything I wanted, plus was pretty cheap!

*UPDATE*

Check out these links:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16760827
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15238098?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_SingleItemSupl.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

Prevention Tips to Try Based on Comments Below:

1.) Heliocare: Ok, now I really want to try this. A few of you mentioned this, and even that some doctors sell it. I plan on ordering this in the next month of two! There are many sites online, though I'm not sure of any stores to buy it at. I will definitely do a review of this product.
2.) Light Therapy: Done at a doctor's office. I need to look into this... is it just a tanning bed? hmm?
3.) Claritin, Niacin and Beta Carotene for two weeks prior to vacationing. This is similar to the pills I was talking about taking in the post, but adding Niacin and Claritin. DEFINITELY trying this!
4.) Sun lotions with Parasol and / or Helioplex!

5.) Also check out this webpage which suggests Lycopene as being the best free-radical scavenger in the carotene family ... which is what we want!

6.) I just read an interesting take on PMLE online where they suggested PMLE is an immune system reaction to a 'preditor' (the sun) attacking the body. Interesting, I'll be looking further into this.
Keep the comments coming people... especially anyone who knows WHERE you can find/buy products (or pure) alphaglucosylrutin!? Anyone have thoughts to share on HelioCare as it relates to PMLE? Sun-season is almost here again!

THE BREAKDOWN!!
Here is what I'm going to take this Spring/Summer to prevent this PMLE nightmare and we'll see what happens:
PILLS:
-Beta-carotene, niacin, and lycopene supplements (in the form of pills)
-Alternatively, I may try the HelioCare pills instead .... I need to read the ingredients on this to see if they might be the same of what I listed above.
- Claratin for 2 weeks before a vacation (as well as the other pills listed before up to 2 weeks before the vacay!)

TOPICAL:
- Eucerin Sun Defense (for the alphaglucosylrutin, Parasol, and other anti-oxidants) Mostly I'll use this to build up resistance before a vacation.
- ANY sunscreen I can find with the most anti-oxidant and free-radical protection I can find.... the lower the SPF the better .... higher SPF's are easier to find with this particular protection.
- Extra Vitamin E oil added to lotions both while in the sun and after-sun.

OTHER:
- A hat does wonders for me, and since my face and chest rarely tan well any way, and the chest is generally where my PMLE first pops up, the hat can REALLY increase the number of days I can stay rash-free while in the sun.
- This is obvious, but build-up sun slowly the first few days in intense sun and DO NOT GET BURNED even a little bit, which just decreases the amount of rash-free time I have in the sun by about 10 times! No burning!

OK - so that's my five minutes on a soapbox. What say you? I'd love to hear from others who suffer from this, what works, what doesn't, etc.... Have you tried the Solaricare or Heliocare pills? Anyone? I'm intrigued!

PS - Please remember - I am not a nurse, doctor, dermatologist, etc... not by a long-shot. I am just a normal person suffering from PMLE and trying to make other people's lives better! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE research everything for yourself before trying anything!!! It's hard to find info on this (which is why I'm putting it hear) but it is possible!!

Connor's First Day of Preschool!

2009-08-27T10:24:00.005-04:00

Connor's first day of 2-Day Twos preschool was Monday the 24th and it went very very well! I didn't even cry until they actually took him out of my arms and he was crying "momma momma" as they headed into the school - so I think I did pretty well! They told me I could call the office any time to see how he was doing .... and I even kept myself from doing that! I just knew he was going to be fine! He had a blast at the conference and visiting his teachers last week, so I felt comfortable that he would adjust seamlessly!

Preschool bag

Breakfast of Champion Preschoolers - Eggos and Bananas!

Yeah, he knows he's cute!

Ready to go!

The school reported back that he slept about 90 minutes during naptime and ate only a little of his lunch (standard!) Tuesday, he brought home his first painting/ drawing for the fridge! My little man is such a big boy now!

Can you say: prodigy!? ;)

I can't wait to go and peek in on him while at school one day! I'm sure it's about the cutest thing ever!

The Hangover

2009-08-18T16:54:00.000-04:00

I feel like I am still in the morning after 'hangover' from our trip. Not just me, but the entire family. It's hard for anyone to adjust to a three hour time change, but trying to adjust a 2-year-old, while keeping some degree of normalcy in our life is really tough. Not that I'm complaining about little Connor sleeping until 10 in the morning, but honestly we are going to be screwed when preschool starts next week! Our biggest issue is getting to bed at a decent time of night - the weather is just so nice and we have been doing so many fun things outside that it's impossible to get Connor in bed before 10 PM! (not to mention it stays light outside until 9 PM!)We have to be to school by 8:30 AM ... ahh! This means we need to leave the house by 8 AM - so the current sleep schedule is clearly not OK anymore!

Speaking of preschool, we had a parent/ student/ teacher conference yesterday at Chance School. We were able to meet Connor's teacher and student teacher, purchase his little school bag, and get our carpool drop-off and pick-up info! Connor's teacher is AMAZING ... she has been teaching 2 year olds for 35 years and shares many of the same ideas about parenting and teaching that Jamie and I have... including about discipline, religion, etc... and she even loves using Discovery Toys in her classroom! I am SO excited about our situation at this school... we were SO lucky to get in! Next Monday will be fun, exciting, scary and sad all at the same time ... expect to see some tears on the computer screen! ;)

Connor's little school bag for snacks and lunch!

Of course, as the shop-o-holic I am, I had to get him this super cute lunch box and book bag from PBK with his name on it! I have never seen such a small back pack! Love it!

Have you ever seen a backpack so small?? Too cute!

On a different note, we are still going through issues with my LR2 and we're contemplating trading for a different car at the same dealership. Fortunately for me, one of the other car brands they have is Porsche. Last night Jamie and I went to test-drive the Cayenne... and of course we loved it! I don't even want to talk about it too much because i don't want to get my hopes up... but I really hope we decide to order this car!! I love that it has automatic opening and closing of the tailgate, plus built-in garage door openers... two options that you would think my fully-loaded Land Rover would have, but doesn't, because it wasn't offered on the LR2. Jamie is really the one who loves Porsche - he's been having withdraws since we sold the Boxter when Connor was born ... plus he's forced to buzz around in a super-sweet hybrid right now because of all his commuting to Lexington .... so I think he would really like to have this car to drive on the weekends and evenings, in addition to me just loving it in general! Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Jamie decides we can't live without this car! ;)

So this isn't a brand-new one, but it's the closest I could find to the one we're looking to get!

AND, just to make my day even better, Jamie did the grocery shopping for me last night and brought home roses! I am so spoiled!!

OK - back to the laundry! Gotta get something done in the house today before heading out for Girls Night tonight!

Winding Down

2009-08-11T12:34:00.005-04:00

It has been a fun and eventful 2 weeks here in Cali, but our trip is about to wrap up! I'm pretty bummed that the trip is over.... but I'm really looking forward to getting back home and back into our routine!

There are so many things we are looking forward to when we get home, including Connor starting preschool, our vacation to Ft. Myers for Labor Day, my friend Bethany's wedding, etc... Yippie!

Here are a couple of pics from our trip... but I'll will post a link to my flickr album in the next week or so!

Also, I have been reading a few fellow blogger posts about the use of Latisse to stimulate lash and possibly brow growth! My mother-in-law was nice enough to purchase me a tiny bottle and I've been using it for about 2 weeks now. I apply 1-2 drops to a little eyeliner brush (that I never used anyway) just before bed! I'll keep you updated as to any results. I have NEVER had a great set of lashes ... and I'm constantly over-plucking my brows since I stopped getting them waxed ... sooooo.... I'm crossing my fingers for a miracle here.

AND - before I end up with a TON of comments about it .... I KNOW there can be side-effects and it's a chance I'm willing to take! If a possible side-effect was blindness, I would not take that risk. However, slight redness or skin irritation, etc... is not enough to scare me from trying. I've noticed possibly a bit of redness JUST along the lash line.... but I'm also at the beach and in the sun a lot right now, so it will be interesting to see if anything changes when I get home.

Speaking of being in the sun.... I have suffered from what is called Polymorphic Light Disorder (PMLD) since I was a young teen. I've been researching prevention and solutions to this annoying sun rash for years and finally made some, what I feel like are, breakthroughs! Check back tonight or tomorrow for findings if you are the 1 out of 10 people who suffer from this!!

Inspiration at the Beach

2009-08-05T20:09:00.005-04:00

I skipped my weekly fitness post on Monday since we are already in California, which was what I was working toward. Anyway, we have now been here a week and I'm happy to report that, with the help and support of my sister who has a running background, I have walked/ jogged along the beach five of the last seven days! Woo hoo! I already feel myself getting stronger and able to run longer distances (which isn't really saying much) so I plan on running every day for the remainder of my vacation in Cali! My goal is to be able to run 2 miles easily when I get back home. Of course, here, I get to run outside and by the beach... at home it's really too hot to run outside, so I'll be hitting the gym... but 2 miles just the same.

It dawned on me a couple of days ago the lifestyle differences among stay-at-home moms (and others) who live in southern California and those who live, well, pretty much everywhere else! This area is filled with flat-stomached mommies, fit and toned retirees, and young six-packed co-eds. So what's the deal? Whether it's walking a dog, walking your kid, or walking to walk... people here are really on the move. Is it the gorgeous weather and proximity of the beach? Me think YES! Here is an example of the difference in our day here and at home:

While we're at home: we wake up, drive to the gym, I work-out inside while Connor plays in the playroom, we drive home, get ready, drive to the pool, drive home, put Connor down for a nap....

While we're here: we wake up, walk to the beach and walk/ run for about an hour, walk back home and back out to the beach with Connor, walk back home, put Connor down for a nap...

Notice the difference?

It's so cool living within walking distance of everything you need... especially when it creates and more active and healthy lifestyle! I have no doubt that if I lived in a place like Huntington Beach (which is where we are right now) I could be as fit (and tanned) as I wanted with almost no additional effort!

Why? It's just so easy! It's not like there aren't bad foods and bars here; coffee and donut shops, fast food, and margaritas. But, people around here seem to have a bit more of a grip on their bodies and how to live how they want to live. No excuses ... not the "mommy" excuse, not the "I work at a desk" excuse, etc... No, not everyone is thin and fit... but the ratio is much different here than in many areas of the country ... especially the south and midwest.

Why? I truly believe it's just easier when you live in a more moderate climate! A lot of my excuses for not working out just don't even exist in this climate: snow, cold, humidity, allergens, rain, super-hot, etc... it just doesn't happen here!

So..... what to do...

Shall we all pack up and move to Sunny C.A.?

Probably not.

But, what you can learn from this lifestyle is to not to be over-looked!

We Have A Winner!

2009-08-03T18:55:00.002-04:00

The winner of my Hoopnotica Giveaway is ....

Martha from Goleta, CA!!
Congrats to Martha!

She will be receiving her Travel Hoop and Intro DVD soon!

Thanks so much to all who entered!

LAST DAY TO WIN A HOOPNOTICA STARTER KIT

2009-07-31T18:15:00.004-04:00

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE HOOPNOTICA GIVEAWAY!

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!

ONE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND ANNOUNCED TOMORROW!

GOOD LUCK!

enter here

Huntington Beach!

2009-07-30T01:49:00.003-04:00

We are here and having fun! Connor misses his daddy, but was SUCH a great little boy on the plane yesterday (like so good it was scary!) and is pretty much back on his schedule already! We are so lucky and have such an amazing little boy!

A few quick pictures for now!

Also, DON'T FORGET!!! Click HERE to enter my giveaway! You only have until Friday to enter!

Hoopnotica Contest - Last Few Days to Enter! Free Shipping on Etsy Items!

2009-07-26T12:26:00.003-04:00

Just a little reminder that the Hoopnotica Workout Introductory Set winner will be chosen on August 1st! That means you have just a few more days to enter! Click here to go to the original contest posting and post a quick comment! If you don't want to leave your email address in the comment, you can email me directly at lindseytomes@hotmail.com with your contact info! It's a super-fun and "pretty" way to "whittle your middle"! This is over a $60 giveaway of products!! Enter today!!

Also, I've been offering FREE SHIPPING on the flower pins in my Etsy shop and the deal ends tomorrow! Check them out!

Happy Sunday!

Tonight's Events - You Won't Even Believe It!

2009-07-24T23:41:00.003-04:00

So, we were supposed to head to Lexington for a firm picnic, but we kind-of veered from that. Juuust slightly!

At first we thought we might go to the zoo tonight and play in the toddler splash park area, but then it seemed the weather was going to be a bit cooler than expected (not a big surprise... Louisville is about to set a long-standing record by not having one single day in the 90's... we had them all in May and June! Sheesh!) so we nixed that plan, too!

It just so happened that I saw a sign for the Oldham County Fair, advertising the demolition derby was tonight! Woo hoo! (for those of you reading from big cities, or perhaps just anywhere not in the mid-west or south, this is where a bunch of rednecks get together and watch a bunch of even bigger and crazier rednecks run old and beat-up cars into each other all night long... and yes, we pay to get in and watch!) And although this isn't something I would normally consider "up my alley", there is something about it that was all really enjoy. Maybe it's the crazy-loud V8s, the fire shooting out of the exhausts, or the mud being slung everywhere ... whatever it is, it sure draws a large and enthusiastic crowd!

Connor had a great time.... he was yelling "crash" and "cars" the entire time, plus Jamie bought him one of those seizure-inducing strobe light necklace thingys, which kept him busy for a while!

This is a picture of Jamie and Connor in front of one of the firetrucks (one of like 10 that were there!) I took it on my phone, so it's not great!

All-in-all it was a fun family night! Plus, it was an excuse to hang out outside and eat popcorn and soft pretzels!

Hoopnotica Giveaway: Enter For Your Chance to Win!!

2009-07-21T00:00:00.001-04:00

GREEN YOUR WORKOUT BY DITCHING THE TREADMILL
AND JUMPING INTO A HOOP THIS SUMMER!

There is a new “Green” workout movement sweeping
across the nation that’s fun and beneficial to your
health: using a Hoop as a form of exercise and as a
way to wiggle away those extra pounds to get in
shape for bikini season!

Celebrities such as Marissa Tomei, Liv Tyler, and Beyonce are finding a slimmer, sexier,
and more toned version of themselves in the hoop. Ryan Seacrest of E! News describes
Hoopnotica as “Part dance, part exercise and ALL fun”.

Hooping is as simple as spinning a weighted adult sized hoop rhythmically around the
waist. Hoopnotica provides an energizing, effective, and low impact workout that
tones muscles, increases flexibility, improves coordination, and strengthens the
cardiovascular system. Simply hooping around the waist burns an average of 300
calories an hour, where more vigorous hooping can burn up to 600 calories an hour!

Hoopnotica would like to offer the awesome readers of this blog the opportunity to win an intro to Hoopnotica kit, which includes a choice of travel hoop and an introductory DVD!!

Alright ladies, here's your chance to win your very own Hoopnotica Hoop and Level 1 DVD... just like the one I reviewed in this post last week! The contest will run today through the 31st!! It's easy!! Here's how to enter:

1.) Simply leave a comment on this post talking about your health and fitness goals, and

2.) What you find most appealing/ exciting about trying Hoopnotica!

3.) Don't forget to leave an email address in your comment if you do not have a blogspot account where I can access your contact info!

At the end of the month, one winner will be randomly chosen! They will receive a brand new hoop and DVD straight from Hoopnotica!

ENTER NOW!!

Recent Activity w/ Connor

2009-07-20T09:57:00.005-04:00

Whoa have we been busy lately .... hence the lack of posting in the last week or two. However, it's only going to get worse with our impending 2 week long trip across the country ... for which I feel like I should have started packing like - 3 weeks ago!

It seems like summer is go go go non-stop because there are so many fun things to be doing outside! We've been visiting local baseball teams' games in the evening, hanging out by the river at favorite hot-spots, and hitting up the neighborhood pool. Not to mention, my sister is now officially done with summer classes and her temp job, so she's able to come over and play with us now!

So, here are some pics from our recent activities!!

Swinging in a big-boy-swing at our family reunion in J. Town

Watching the fireworks at the Louisville Bat's Baseball game!
We love going on Friday.... because there's fireworks!

At the Lexington Legends Baseball game with people from Jamie's work!

So cute!

Running down the hill toward the river at Captain's Quarters

PS - Be sure to check back tomorrow! I'll be posting information about a give-away I'm hosting where one lucky blog reader will win something awesome!!

Weekly Weigh-In: Week 6

2009-07-20T09:41:00.005-04:00

This week started off really well... but I've had some mild to moderate stomach issues since about Thursday that have yet to subside (NO IDEA what's going on.... I'll keep you posted if I ever find out!) BUT, I had an awesome workout on Saturday, attending 2 of the best classes at my gym that morning! I burned 850 calories in that workout alone! I've also been trying to incorporate more of the Hoopnotica workout into my home routines ... I am so over crunches right now!

So here are the stats:

Accomplishments

Calories Burned: 2538

Total Workouts: 8

Total Workout Time: 7:28

One more week until we leave for Huntington Beach for 2 weeks... which basically means living in a bathing suit! Ahh!

"Hoopnotica: Find Youself in The Hoop": Review

2009-07-15T15:07:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I have been on an attempted health-kick lately. I read in a magazine recently that a lot of celebs have been using the "Hoopnotica" workout to slim and trim their waistlines. When I read this, I had to go check it out myself. As an avid "hooper" in the 80's and early 90's, I figured this might be a workout for me. Here's my take so far...

General Info:

Where to purchase: Hoopnotica.com (I really wasn't able to find any used ones on eBay or anything, or I would have done that! Although, it's easy to find additional DVD's for Hoopnotica on eBay, Amazon, etc...)

Price: about $50 for the starter set (plus shipping - bummer!) You can buy just a hoop or instructional DVD (but what's the point?) for less, but a starter set is the best deal. I purchased the "NEW & IMPROVED Hoopnotica Fitness Travel Hoop" and added a Level 1 DVD for about $67 with shipping.

What is it? You get a hoop (choose between travel hoop that breaks apart, and regular) and an instructional DVD. The point is to learn how to "Hoop Dance". The DVD breaks down the basics of "Hoop Dancing" and then show combinations at the end. There is also a stretch / warm up section at the beginning, as well. (of course I skip that ... but that's just how I am!)

My Review:

The hoop arrived in about a week (but July 4th was in there, so it should have been less!) via UPS. The packaging for the hoop was very pretty (the box that is .... it doesn't really matter ... but it's pretty!)

The travel hoop is super easy to snap together and apart. I choose the travel hoop because I could travel with it (duh!) and so it would fit in a smaller sized box when I decided to hock it on eBay after getting frustrated and sick of it (honestly, that did factor into the equation!) The hoop is larger and heavier than the one you had in your garage middle school, and the website claims that using a toy hoop would not result in the same benefits as this 'special' hoop.

I was excited to get started, so I chose the "getting started" menu selection. There is a warm up {skip} and then they start into the basics of hooping. It gets harder as you progress from 'waist hooping', to 'hip hooping', 'passing and floating', 'halos', etc...

Moment of Truth:

This is hard!! Not so much hard in the sense of cardio strengthening, but difficult in general. IF I had not already been pretty decent at waist hooping, I would have given up on this immediately and pawned it on eBay. HOWEVER, since I had already mastered that first skill, it gave me the patience to go further. Each skill has taken me about 20-30 minutes to even get, and I still haven't mastered them yet.

I think if I keep working at it 3-4 times per week for about 20 minutes, I'll eventually be able to do all the moves on the "Beginner's" DVD that I bought with the hoop. For some reason, I am truly motivated to get this thing down. Not only does it work the waist , but it looks pretty and impressive when you're doing it!

Bottom Line:

If you do not know how to hula-hoop at all, I would not buy this. If you have a dance background and can hula-hoop, this is a fun addition to your regular, boring workout. Are you going to shed like 10 pounds a week? NO. Maybe once you are a super expert... so if I ever get to that point, maybe I'll come back and re-review.

I'm going to keep working at it. Right now, I use the Hoopnotica routine and practice time as a warm-up before I do my cardio dance DVD or the elliptical. There is a huge sense of accomplishment when you are finally able to complete a difficult move... so it can be fun and rewarding .... but also frustrating!

Week 5: Weigh-In

2009-07-13T18:59:00.003-04:00

So, things are not much better after this weekend's constant festivities! However, I've been trying to be good! I'm also using the ACV more religiously ... but I'm not sure it can combat 5 vodka cranberries and Taco Bell ... if so, I need to be buying it in bulk!!

Accomplishments:

Calories Burned: 2063
Number of Workouts: 5
Total Time of Workouts: 6:00

Major Bumps in the Road: Women's Club Murder Mystery night on Saturday. Lot's of eating and drinking. This definitely was no conducive to maintaining my weight goals OR working out the next morning! Enjoy the pics, though!! ;)

The theme was "Class of '85 Reunion". I was the "Math Team Cheerleader"

Jamie was the "Math Team Captain"! Is that a calculator in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

I MIGHT Have Done These Things ;)

2009-07-09T14:23:00.000-04:00

I might have borrowed this idea from fellow blogger and sorority sister's blog here...

"I guess it's time to list the things I might have done since, well, last Thursday!

If you want to play too, simply make a list of things that you might have done and leave a comment so we can visit your blog and feel a little better about our own list!"

I might have opened a package of Goldfish crackers while we were still shopping in Target... and I might have blamed it on Connor, even though I was the one who was hungry and cranky!

I might have rolled my eyes when I saw a MAN driving a car with tons of Pro-Life stickers on it ... because I might make my own bumper sticker that might say something about being pro-circumcision or pro-vasectomy (or something else that only involves men's bodies).

I might have filled up the baby pool out on the deck for myself to layout in (and, again, blamed it on Connor!)

I might have gotten way, super, overly excited when I remembered Connor was going to need a lunch box for his preschool that starts in August... and I might have gotten online and immediately started adding things to my PBK virtual shopping cart... and I might be monogramming everything because it's so cute. I might be one-of-those moms!

I might have just picked up large pieces of dirt and dog hair off the carpet and pretended like I vacuumed it!

I might have eaten an entire, Costco-sized tub of hummus in less than a week. I might also be starring on next season's 'Dance Your Ass Off ' if I continue eating like that!

I might have chosen going to the pool over Gymboree AND grocery shopping this week.

**Are there things you MIGHT have done this past week? If you are going to make a list, be sure to post a comment here so we can look at your list when you post it! **

July 4th Pics

2009-07-06T23:09:00.004-04:00

Below is the link to the July 4th pics I posted from our trip to the lake!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2322025&id=12928981&l=bdf58ff4d0

Week 4: Weekly Check-In

2009-07-06T17:41:00.002-04:00

OMG!!! I am not even going to give this much of my time this week because last week and the weekend were SO BAD!!! But, I will still provide my workout totals! I've already been very good this week, so I'm hoping next week will be better! I also received my Hoopnotica workout DVD and hoop today, so I'll be reviewing that soon, as well!

Accomplishments:

Calories Burned: 2295

Number of Workouts: 7

Total Time of Workouts: 5:43

Happy Monday!

What a Fun Weekend

2009-06-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Busy busy busy .... that's what our weekend was like!

We kicked off the weekend Friday night at Churchill Downs for their second Friday of night racing. Jamie and I went to the very first night racing Friday a week previous without Connor, but it was a complete disaster since about 20,000 more people showed up than they were expecting .... so needless to say, that caused long lines and frustration (we're talking wait-in-line-45-minutes-for-a-cheap-beer bad). So, we gave it another go this past Friday, and decided to take Connor since they advertised tripling the staff at the track, and the temperature outside was supposed to be a little cooler.

Well, the outcome was good and bad. I'll start with the good. We arrived about 7 pm and were able to find a good and FREE parking spot close to the track. There were NO lines AT ALL for the concessions once we got in the door. Churchill definitely fixed the problems from the week before. Also, about 30 minutes after we got there, Connor decided he didn't want to be in the stroller anymore (this is pretty normal for us right now!) So, I was able to slip a beer vendor $10 to keep the stroller folded up behind her booth for a couple of hours so I didn't have to lug it around EMPTY all night! Totally the best $10 I spent all night (well, maybe tied with the beer!)

Now for the bad. It was somewhere in the ballpark of 100 degrees inside this place. NO AIR - NO AIR MOVEMENT - HOTTT (sweat-dripping-from-back-and-chest kind of hot) and poor little Connor was taking it worse than Jamie and I were. We headed upstairs to get some ice cream after counting the horses as they left the paddock for the 7ish race. That was the last time we saw horses or bet!!

I'm glad we went, but next year, we'll always be making night racing a 'date night' instead of family night.

Saturday, we headed to Eastview, KY (I dare you to try and find that on a map!) for a family reunion (my side of course!) which was fun. We weren't able to go last year because we were in Myrtle Beach, so this was the first year everyone was able to see Connor. I could tell my parents and grandparents were so proud to be able to show him off. Here are some pics!

After the reunion, Connor headed back to the 'Ville with my parents and Jamie and I went to a picnic / dinner party hosted by a partner at Jamie's law firm. That was a good time, except for all the mosquito bites we acquired .... both of our legs look like we have some sorta polka-dot disease. Super sexy.

We rounded out the weekend at Captains Quarters on the river Sunday night. The weather was FABULOUS so we ended up staying kind of late. It's nice because we've learned that if we take a big blanket for us all to sit on, Connor stays busy for hours just running around, watching the boats and water, etc... He also came home with a couple of new girlfriends!! haha!

Walking with Dada by the boats!

Connor chillin' with his girlfriends on a boat!

This upcoming weekend we are heading to Nolin Lake to stay at my grandparent's lake house. My parents are coming down on Friday, we're going down on Thursday! We all went to the lake together last July 4th weekend and had a blast! I'm hoping this year Connor will want to play more in the lake and actually enjoy riding on the boat! Either way, it's a great time grilling out, eating and drinking, fishing, boating, sunning, etc... Can't wait!

Week 3: Weigh-In

2009-06-29T08:44:00.003-04:00

This week = not so great on the working out and eating well! Grrr. I DID add a tablespoon of "Bragg" Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to my diet, as suggested by Gigi in her amazing blog here.... so I'm waiting to see if we're seeing an results from that in the next month or so.

Accomplishments:

Calories Burned: 1506
Number of Workouts: 3
Total Time of Workouts: 3:31

Lot's of eating out this week .... maybe because we've been so busy!?! NO EXCUSES! My wine and cheese party on Tuesday night definitely did nothing to HELP! The results from this week are in and it's not good! I don't expect July 4th Weekend to do much in the way of helping , either ... but we'll see!

Body Fat %: 21.5 (2.9% away from goal)
Goal Weight: 8.9 pounds to go

Have a great week!

Best Husband Ever

2009-06-24T16:25:00.004-04:00

Just a short post regarding how awesome my DH is! He came home with 2 big bunches of flowers yesterday! He also took Connor to the pool while I had a Makeover and Wine Tasting party with some ladies at our house last night! I don't tell him this nearly enough, but he is an amazing dad and husband!

Week 2: Weigh In

2009-06-22T09:26:00.001-04:00

I'm going to start posting this on Monday morning instead of Fridays because that is how my H/R monitor and calorie counter is set up! So it even reminds me!

Accomplishments:

Calories Burned: 2449

Number of Workouts: 7

Total Time of Workouts: 6:15

Screw-Ups:

Lot's of eating out this week .... grrr. (Red Robin, KFC, ice cream, etc...)

Body Fat %: 19.9 (2.9% away from goal)

Goal Weight: 7 pounds to go

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2009-06-21T09:26:00.005-04:00

These are pictures from this morning. I went upstairs and brought Connor down, then handed them this HUGE book titled "I Love You, Daddy" and he carried it to Jamie who was still in bed! Too cute!

Watching Jamie open his presents!

Jamie and Connor had the night to themselves last night while I went to see a play at Derby Dinner Playhouse to see "Leaving Ladies" with my parents and the rest of our fam (like 13 people!) It was a good time, and Jamie was more than happy to take a pass on theater night to spend some time with Connor and avoid getting a sitter!

My parents!

Julie and Mike!

Me and Dad!

Another wild table!

My Uncle Rob and Dad before the show!

My Mom and I

Apparently, they had a big time! They hit up the local PetSmart to get Charlotte some dog food, but spent about an hour there checking out the birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, and cats!! Then they headed to H. H. Gregg to price out the audio equipment for finishing off our home-theater in the basement (OK, so maybe that wasn't TONS of fun for Connor!) BUT, then they headed to Chuck-E-Cheese for some cheese pizza and a few 'rides'. I avoid that place like the plague due to illnesses being spread there .... Jamie assures me he sanitized his hands when they left, but I'm not so sure I believe that. Deal is... if he gets sick, Jamie has to stay home with him at least one day!!! At least they had a good time, though!

Today, we are hopefully going to the pool, but I'm not sure the weather is going to cooperate. I'm looking out the window right now and it's still pretty cloudy! We have reservations at Bravos tonight for us, my parents and my sister. Then, we plan on heading to Captain's Quarters for a couple of hours sans-baby while Lisa "catches-up" with Connor! Lisa's summer class is over {woot!} so she'll be home for the rest of the summer! She's doing a temp job at my dad's office for a few weeks and then we head to Cali .... so her summer has been packed already!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Connor's 1st Movie Experience

2009-06-17T13:21:00.005-04:00

As a member of The Louisville Hip Mommas Meet Up group, I get emails all the time about events in the Louisville area for parents of young children. A while back I heard about this Tuesday and Wednesday morning movie for only $1 at the Tinseltown in Springhurst. I thought for $1, it was worth a shot with Connor. The deal is, any age is admitted, the music is kept at a lower decibel, and the lights are not dimmed as dark as they normally would be! Sounded good!

We showed up about 5 minutes 'till 10 am (when it starts). After purchasing our popcorn (we smuggled in juice for Connor and iced coffee for mommy ... it was 10AM!) we headed to the theater. Surprisingly, they had us in the first theater in the hall, which is the biggest one. There were a whole lot more people there than I had anticipated, including some strollers with really little ones who had older siblings. It looked like a few day cares showed up, as well.

The movie was Veggie Tales: The Pirates That Do Nothing {yawn!!} but it had just enough action to keep Connor involved for about 45 minutes to an hour. I'm convinced that without the popcorn, animal crackers and apple juice, the timing might have been more like 5-10 minutes.... but whatever works!

I'm glad we gave this a shot, and we'll probably head back at least a couple more times throughout the summer because it's so cheap and something different to do! You should check out the Cinemark website for the theater near you to see if they offer this "Summer Movie Clubhouse" movie deal this summer!

Rough Day

2009-06-15T13:19:00.004-04:00

**Warning** If you are pregnant with your first child, or considering becoming pregnant with your first child, you may not want to read this post. Seriously ;) This is a look into my past 2 hours...

After running a couple of errands, I decided to take Connor to eat at QDoba. I've take him there several times and it's always very hectic, crowded and cramped. But today, all hell just broke loose. There is no other way to put it. And, it really wasn't completely Connor's fault, but he definitely accelerated my frustration and complicated the situation.

First, while I'm paying for our food, I look down and Connor had popped the top off of his snack-tap and spilled all the contents (Giant Rise Krispies and Craisins) all over the floor right in front of the register. {strike 1}

Next, I realize that , even though we have permanently down-sized from the super-honkin' travel system stroller to the more aerodynamic McClaren stroller, there was no way I would be able navigate through all the freakin' chairs and madness going on in the restaurant... while holding a tray, of course. {strike 2} With a lot of help from nice business men and other moms, I was FINALLY able to get through the crowds.

We ended up having to sit outside because there was no tables available inside. {strike 3} The temperature was only about 89 and the humidity was only about 80%, so already I'm thinking we should have gotten this food to go. {strike 4} There are no high-chairs ... sweet. {strike 5}

I sit out food down on the table (which is black and metal and doing a good job keeping our food warm, at least) and head back inside to get our drink. Holy crap .... for like 2 minutes while we're getting our drink, nothing bad happens.

Once back outside, dripping sweat all the while, a nice lady brings us the high chair they are finished using. Sweet. Of course Connor doesn't want to go IN the high chair, so I'm stuck holding him while we try to eat. {strike 6}

In reaching over the pick up my food, after giving Connor some rice to munch on, I completely knock my entire plate onto the ground. {strike 7} And, I say Shit pretty loud {strike 8}. So now, I have no food and I'm thoroughly embarrassed ... even more.

As a added bonus, I realize that the food did not only land on the ground, but also on my new J. Crew leather handbag, which has also been doubling as a diaper bag lately. {am I even counting strikes at this point .... no... what's the point} I decide to give up on our nice lunch. ha.

I pack up what's salvageable from Connor's lunch and through all our trash away and we head toward my car... with Connor pushing the stroller of course (so as to avoid a complete breakdown) and me holding one handle of the stroller, QDoba plate in the other, and tears in my eyes.

I felt like I actually held it together pretty well, all things considered. Especially when it's really hot out, it's hard for me to keep any sort of composure. But I could feel the burning of people's stares as we walked away. I used to be that person. "Why do you even go out of the house?" I would think. And today, I'm not even sure why we did. It's days like these that I would PAY to have a desk job.

Why College Basketball is SO Much Cooler Than the NBA

2009-06-14T10:35:00.000-04:00

I've been informed that tonight is extremely important. Tonight the Lakers have a chance to win the NBA Championship. Woo. (Can you sense my excitement?)

Jamie grew up in LA, so obviously this is a big deal to him. No one else I know even watches or follows NBA, but that not surprising when you grow up in Kentucky. We have no need for the over-priced tickets and over-paid players in this town. No sir. We don't need fancy luxury boxes to draw celebrities to our games (ie: Ashley Judd). Nope. Because when you play basketball in Kentucky, you are already a star. Whether you grew up bleeding blue for Kentucky Wildcats basketball, or somehow you were sadly duped as a young child into cheering for the Louisville Cardinals growing up and just never could break away (can you tell I'm a UK fan? ha ;) you know where the real basketball passion lies, and it's not in the 10-million-dollar contacted players in the NBA ... it's right here in basketball country. And, if you didn't grow up in basketball country, or a place where college basketball was held to the highest standards... I'm sorry.

But that's not all.... here are more reasons why NBA basketball is inferior to NCAA College Basketball...

* In college basketball (CB), when you win a game, you win. There aren't 7 games to determine who's better. You get one shot... do or die. What's up with all the games?

* If you are accused of raping, stabbing or shooting someone, attempting it, almost doing it, or otherwise implicated in such activity, and you are a player on a CB team, you will be removed from the team .... not slapped on the wrist and allowed back on the court within weeks.

* In CB, you play because you love it. You listen to the coach. You want to become a better player. Enough said.

* There is no cheesy and annoying music blaring over the loudspeakers during every split second break in the action at a college game. What is up with that? I don't know how people are able to remain sane at an NBA game with all the music and goofy crap blaring!

Can you think of other reasons NCAA College Basketball is way-superior to NBA? I'd like to hear what you have to say! (and if you don't agree, that's cool, too! This is just for fun... and to annoy my husband!)

Weekly Workout Summary #1 (and funny picture of the week)

2009-06-12T13:12:00.004-04:00

Check out this classic Easter photo of Connor and I ... this is my life. Our faces say it all! Now aren't we glad we took that nice portrait outside? ha!

Accomplishments:

Calories Burned: 2518

Number of Workouts: 6

Total Time of Workouts: 6:09

Screw-Ups:

Monday Lunch - ate at Grandparents... that's never healthy!

Tuesday Night - noshed on tons of Dark Chocolate Chex Mix, popcorn and strawberry pie for movie night with the girls

Wednesday Dinner - Mexican & Margaritas ... totally worth it!

Body Fat %: 20.1 (3.1% away from goal)

Goal Weight: 8 pounds to go

Have an awesome weekend!

Resolution #2 - Get in Shape Shirley...

2009-06-11T17:37:00.001-04:00

OK, on my other blog I just posted about my 2-week shopping strike {gasp}, so it's only fitting that I fill readers in on my other "resolution" for the summer... well, I'm actually going to call it a "goal" instead... because that's really more accurate.

You ready?...

Just to prepare you, it's an extremely unique and interesting resolution / goal...

Okay, not really....

I've decided to change my eating and exercising habits to try to be the best and the most fit I can be (to a certain extent ... I'm of course still going to drink wine and eat pizza ... I can't change WHO I AM!).

Cheesy, right? Here's how this all came about:

Recently, I've not been feeling excellent about how my clothes are fitting/ looking. And before you go thinking I'm deranged... I know that I am thin and do not need to "lose weight" per say... but I would be much happier with a lower % body fat count. I've been there before ... just after graduation college (when the beer drinking weaned a bit and I started eating a little less disgusting) it didn't take long to achieve the body I wanted. Without dieting and just adding a bit of exercise into my life, *bam*, I was at my goal weight and looked great.

Soooooooooooooooooo, some things have changed since then. Not only am I a few years older, but I've also had a child ... duh... so reaching my goals is certainly not going to be any easier. But I can do it!! Nothing feels worse than knowing you aren't being the best you can be ... and right now, that's how I feel.

To stay motivated and accountable, I'll be posting my stats here once a week to include:

1.) workouts: what I did each day,
2.) screw-ups: bad days of eating, etc..., and
3.) body fat %: BF%= as determined by our little scale thingy in the master bathroom.

So, look for weekly updates to be posted on Friday regarding my progress! The goal, to run a 5K this fall! (and for my clothes to all fit the way I want them to!)

Our ... Garden!?!

2009-06-10T00:22:00.005-04:00

While out on the deck this afternoon, it occurred to me how utterly pathetic my motivation is to "keep a garden". So, I took some pictures. Here you go:

JALAPENO & BABY TOMATO PLANT

Oh yes, gorgeous, right? The only reason I even bothered with planting these is because we actually eat both of these veggies .... I mean, fruits & veggies ..... errr... whatever.

RED FLOWER THINGY

This was a Mother's Day gift from my mom. I planted it and it didn't die ... yet. The day I planted it, I left Connor outside by himself for like 5 seconds and came back to a completely bald plant because he had plucked all the buds off of it! He was so proud! The plant recovered well ... I'm sure it was due to all the TLC I gave it (you know, watering once or twice a week and ... ok, that's it)

If we end up planting anything else worthy of noting, I will let you know. But it's doubtful! The fact that I have kept these alive for this long is already a miracle! Just thought I would share!

Great Weekend!

2009-06-08T23:53:00.009-04:00

As usual, we were GO GO GO all weekend! Sunday, we went to my cousin's high school graduation party where they had rented a bouncy castle thingy, which Connor had a love/hate relationship with. (honestly, he is just too short and unsteady to be in a bouncy thing at this point .... and Jamie and I were WAY too hot to deal with it ... but anyway, Connor had a good time!)

Jamie in the bouncer with Connor!

Last evening, we went to Captain's Quarters for the weekly Sunday mayhem. We learned last week the exact science of taking Connor to CQ for a little Sunday evening, southern-style entertainment. This includes the imbibing of a couple cocktails, as well as picnicking with burgers and hot dogs on a blanket on the grass, while watching the sun set and taking the the view of boaters and barges on the Ohio River. The three of us thoroughly enjoy it!

At CQ with the fam!

Today we hit up he gym for a couple hours and then headed to my grandparent's house for some lunch (which, for Connor, was Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies, BTW) and then came home to clean and nap!! (guess which one I did!) Hopefully, tomorrow can be a pool day! We'll see!

NEW BLOG!

2009-06-06T21:33:00.006-04:00

I made a decision today to take a bit of a leap and start a second blog dedicated to fashion and product reviews, wish-lists, and my favorite clothing pieces, products, food, etc... of the moment. I will, of course, continue to update this blog with all the happenings in my, and my family's, life... especially regarding Connor and being a mommy!

That's the reason I started this blog; to be an inspiration to other young moms and wives out there who want a glimpse into the lives of real people who are trying to juggle the responsibilities of being parents while trying to hold on to at least a shred of a social life!

I hope you'll take a peek at my other blog someday! I'll post the name of it when it's all set up!

Back on topic...

We had the BEST family pool day today! There was no one else even there until about 1 pm, which is crazy because it was such a nice day! Anyway, we played at the baby pool for a few hours and then Jamie took Connor home in his wagon and I got to spend some mommy-alone-time sunning myself and talking with friends from the neighborhood. It's amazing how many more people we know in the subdivision now that we have Connor. Funny how children bring us all together!!

This evening, we ate on the river at King Fish. The weather was P E R F E C T today... and tonight was no different ... a perfect night to picnic on the river! We ordered takeout from the restaurant and then ate on a blanket down by the river while watching the sunset! Connor even found some little friends to 'play soccer' with after eating! What a great night!

PS - Notice Connor is wearing a Lakers jersey .... while I'm not a fan of NBA or these jersey things (unless they are blug with a UK on them!!) the Lakers are apparently in the NBA Finals, so I let it pass this one time!!