Spring Break in California

We spent spring break in Northern California visiting Jeff's family. We flew out there on Wednesday March 14th & came back home on Tuesday the 20th. I was looking forward to the time away & time off of my daily household duties (not that I have been the best at keeping up with those duties lately.) It was great to get away & great to show off Hannah. We had great weather & spent most of the time at the house visiting & enjoying the sunshine.

On Thursday Hannah told Jeff she wanted to go to the zoo, rather than just telling her "no, there isn't a zoo here." He told her yes, well Hannah doesn't forget a planned trip to the zoo. She brought it up so many times that morning, that Grandma suggested we go over to this Wild Cat Refuge in a neighboring town. Even though there were all kinds of wild cats, Hannah knew that wasn't a zoo. She did enjoy seeing all the animals & luckily once we got home it was nap time. So by the time she woke up the zoo was a distant memory.

On Saturday we did head down to San Francisco for the day (a little too long of a drive for such a short trip, for a 2 year old & pregnant lady,) but it was fun! That really is a great city, despite the gray weather.

Here are a few shots from the beach. (We didn't last there long, for obvious reasons.)


Hannah really liked seeing the ocean. She also enjoyed correcting Grandma when she pointed out some birds near by, informing Grandma that they weren't birds, they were Pigeons!

This is us by Pier 39 after seeing the sea lions, we wandered down there after enjoying some chowder in a bread bowl up at Fisherman's Wharf.

Take note of Hannah's colorful socks! It was chilly enough, that we bought her some fun tights to add an extra layer on her little legs. She did enough running around that she probably would have kept herself plenty warm without them.

On our walk back to the car we passed by the Boudin bakery window, where they were making all kinds of fun things out of bread. Hannah had yet to nap & it was after 3:00, so she was enjoying a ride on Grandpa's strollers & using his head as a chin rest.

We went into this museum like thing of all kinds of old time arcade type games. Hannah really enjoyed her ride on the 25 cent pony!

All in all it was fun to see the family, but there is just something wonderful about coming home after a long trip & crawling into your own bed!!

Anyone good at math?

What do you get when you take this sweet face

and this innocent bottle of nail polish?

A REAL MESS!!!

We didn't get any pictures of the paint on the hardwood floors. Luckily dad got that all cleaned up before we pulled the camera out!!!

I know, I know, it doesn't seem like it would add up, does it?
But don't let that innocent face fool you!!

I'll have to add more of the details from our Sunday morning fun a little later.

10 weeks

Week 10 started out great, by Wednesday I was really thinking I hit the jackpot & the yucky nausea was on it's way out of here... I mean it started so much earlier this time, why wouldn't it go away earlier also? Well I obviously thought all these thoughts too soon! Because things went downhill starting Thursday morning & they got rather yucky as the weekend was upon us. Nothing I couldn't survive, but I will make sure to really appreciate how nice it is to feel good!

Not only did the nausea start earlier this time around, but so did the headaches, those didn't start until the nausea went away last time. But this time they thought they would accompany that queasy feeling. And I guess whoever said 3 is a crowd didn't inform my body, because to add to my delightful duo, the dizziness came back! Like I have said before, any of these 3 things would be tolerable, but when you combine them it's more than I care for. But it will end & better days are just around the corner waiting for me to join them in my second trimeseter!

New Hair Cut

I had been looking at Hannah's hair for a few days thinking how she really needed a trim. She had so many layers for so long & we are slowly growing it out, so it has been easiest to keep it short as all the top layers grow out. I have trimmed her hair numerous times, but it is getting much thicker & it makes me a little more nervous. I have wanted to have it stacked in the back just a bit, so I was debating if I should just go pay a professional.

As usual I think about things too long & I get to the point I can no longer take it! It would take too long to actually take her in, so last Thursday I pulled out the scissors & the water bottle. I laid a towel out & popped in a movie (I knew we would be here awhile, as I am no professional & the movie would help with keeping the wiggles to a minimum). The sides ended up being a little shorter than I had planned... I was going for more of an A-line.... but when I went to trim them there were so many of those ends at all different lengths, I just trimmed it straight across to even it all out. I have to say that I think it turned out fine! I was able to get some nice layering in the back, a professional would point out that it wasn't exactly even, but hey, we'll be right back on the floor doing this again before long!

** Of course I didn't take a picture right away & by the time I remembered, it had grown out enough. So I'll have to make sure & get one next time around!**

Our own private yard

This weekend was planned out in advance by Jeff. He had said he was going to fix the broken section of fence over spring break. Well the 2 Saturdays of spring break filled up really quickly, he has a test the first one & we will be in California visiting family the second one. So he decided that this Saturday was the day. I think one reason he was so eager & willing to get this going (I hadn't mentioned it in a long time... I was fine waiting until summer!) was he had some fun new toys, I mean tools to use. Such as his air compressor & nail gun!

This is a picture showing you what the fence looked like before. There were lots of loose boards, some of which had nails. Such a child-friendly area, wouldn't you say?

In preparation, he ripped all the old boards down & got all the chicken wire out of the way (that is what we put up to keep the neighbors dog out of our yard for the time being.) He also went to Home Depot (or The Depot as we lovingly refer to it,) and priced everything out & checked on the size of fence boards so we could do the math to figure how many would be needed. Friday he went out & decided which existing posts would work & which ones needed to be replaced. There was only a 25 foot length of fence that needed fixing, consisting of 4 posts, but 2 of them needed help. They both needed to be re-seated, & one for sure had to be replaced. So he & Hannah got out the Quickrete & went to work.

Saturday he was up bright & early mentally ready for the task at hand. I on the other hand, wasn't so ready. I couldn't believe he was so ready & willing... we had nice weather earlier in the week, but it was only going to be in the high 40's today. I was hoping for another Saturday of sleeping in while he kept Hannah entertained. He was off the The Depot, & couldn't take Hannah, as there wouldn't be room for all the wood & her car seat. He was back and hard at work before I knew it. I couldn't believe how fast he was getting that fence up, perhaps Hannah was a big help. He he. As a side note, Hannah learned what lots of tools were & Jeff was so pleased when he could ask for the level & she would go find it & bring it to him.

The project did require a couple of extra trips to The Depot (what projects don't require that), but by the end of the day, the fence was up! We had our own private backyard.... we've only been in the house 10 months! Jeff also managed to build a fence to go around his compost pile! Despite the fact that I was a bit harsh on his lack of perfectionism (what can I say, I am a perfectionist... he pointed out some cosmetic flaws in the project & I questioned why they existed if he knew they were there, why not fix them?!? Needless to say we have agreed to disagree, his faster, less perfect approach to life is a nice balance to my way of doing things.) as I was saying... despite the imperfections.... I LOVE the fence!! I knew I would, any fence is better than the sad excuse of a broken down, rotting, weathered, windblown fence we had before!

Now I am itching to paint the shed, it is in need of a nice coat, & I am thinking of painting it to look like a barn... perhaps it will be a nice change!?!

9 Weeks

My appointment last Friday was great. I really liked the Dr. & his staff was great. He was very generous with some Rx for some medications to try for the nausea. I was able to have an ultrasound & I was measuring right on at 8w4d, my due date is September 30th. Which is my brother's birthday & he was thrilled with that. We e-mailed family & friends stating that we had some pictures of Hannah & such. And included the ultrasound pictures in the mix. Everyone seemed very excited with the news!

This week started out with more of the same nausea, exhaustion, nausea. On Sunday I decided to take a Phenergan to help with the m/s. I took it will Hannah & remember it helping, what I didn’t remember was how tired it made me and that I only took ½ a pill at a time with Hannah. I have no idea how I managed to take that medication regularly & still function somewhat normally before. Because one pill on Sunday wiped me out! I know it was a combination of exhaustion & trying to get over the head cold, but that pill did me in…. I think I slept for about 5 hours Sunday afternoon waking up a little after 5:00 & still managed to go to sleep at 8:00 and sleep through the night. So I decided that I wouldn’t be taking those again during the day. I have been taking ½ of one each night before bed, and it has made for some great sleep every night & helps with the nausea in the mornings.

We did have some great weather this week & were able to make another trip to the zoo and a trip to the park. By the middle of the week I was feeling really pretty good. The nausea was mild enough that I could ignore it for the most part, especially if I made sure to snack all day long. The improvement was much needed, even if it only ends up being short-lived. I was able to cook dinner a few nights & enjoy the meal, it was nice to feel a little back to normal. I am still only averaging once a week at the gym, but I’m okay with that. Hannah keeps me plenty busy & with the weekly trips to the zoo, that is 2 hours of strolling around. Once I’m through this trimester & the dizziness subsides I’ll be back to the gym a little more often.

Long Overdue update!

I planned on posting a week ago & life took the wheel and here I sit a week later with much needed updating. Valentine's was nice, nothing special.... we have playgroup on Wednesdays & someone offered their home for a Valentine's Brunch party. It was great... lots of kids, heart shaped waffles, fruit, a craft corner to make homemade Valentine's and swapping Valentine's with all of the little kiddos. Jeff had young men's that night so we just got Chinese Take Out before he had to leave. Despite the simplicity, it was still nice to spend a fun day with Hannah & a quick, but nice dinner with she & Jeff both.

Our friends gave us tickets to the National Bull Riding Championships on Saturday night. I had debated on getting a babysitter or not & my procrastination made for an easy choice. It was fun to do something different, & Hannah absolutely LOVED it! I was so amazed that she did as good as she did for 2 hours.... and it was passed her bedtime! Sunday morning she woke up talking about the bulls & how they bucked off the cowboys, and about the fireworks going BOOM BOOM!

Saturday Jeff & I both woke up with sore throats & I was sure it was a cold, he being more optimistic thought it was allergies. I sure wish he would have been right, because we both would be feeling much better 5 days later, rather than feeling drained. I really shouldn't complain, I haven't been sick since this pathetic excuse for a cold I had in early November. So I guess I had it coming, but poor Jeff had the flu a month ago & now this. Despite the yucky cold, we at least have blue sky & sunshine with a high of 70 today! The best thing about winter is how ready it makes you for spring!

8 weeks

I can't believe I'm 8 weeks... for some reason that just makes me feel better knowing that, with each passing week I let out a sigh of relief. The nausea has let up some the last few days, don't get me wrong, it's still there but it comes in waves and when it's really slight I can ignore it. I know I am fortunate to have been able to keep everything down thus far, but some days I would love to vomit just once to get that little bit of relief, if only momentarily.

The exhaustion on the other hand is full force! Yesterday it was so hard to keep my eyes open, & Hannah didn't nap for much more than an hour, so there was no nap for me. I do feel that for the most part this pregnancy seems to be easier than with Hannah, but it's still has some not so fun side effects. Some days I can't decide if it's better to be home rather than working.... it's nice to not have to get up, get ready & be to the office by a certain time. But there are also days where I think sitting at a desk would be easier than chasing after a 2 year-old. I will say that if there a chance of me winning the mother of the year award prior to being pregnant, that chance is no longer. The only award I could be up for now is the one for the most amount of television you let your toddler watch. I do try to have it be educational & I watch it with her and I lay there. I felt guilty for awhile but now I am to nauseous & tired to care... I figure another month & we will be passed this, and we can start on our detox program!

Please don't think I am trying to dwell on the bad here, I am just trying to keep a good record so I have something to compare with my next pregnancy. As much as I hate m/s symptoms I am comforted in knowing that it is a sign of a healthy pregnancy. I have my first appointment this Friday, it will be fun to hear the heartbeat & nice to actually meet my OB & his nurse.

I have this terrible head cold that Jeff brought home from one of his co-workers, I felt it coming on sometime this weekend & it is kicking my butt! It's a bad enough cold on its own, but not being able to take much for it makes for some long days & even longer nights. Luckily there is a sunny spot in my life every day this week... it's the sunshine!! It's been out & the weather has been around 70 and it's the most delicious thing ever!

7 Weeks

I am 7 weeks along, and haven't done the best job keeping notes of this pregnancy & all my symptoms. I failed to do so also with Hannah, so it's been hard to know if things are the same or not. I can say that finding out earlier has already made for a long pregnancy. I actually found out at 4 wk 1 day, but I KNEW at about 3 1/2 weeks. As with Hannah I suspected, but never got a positive test result until 5 1/2 weeks.

To give a quick recap on the last 3 weeks... nausea, nausea, nausea, exhaustion, nausea, exhaustion, nausea, oh and did I mention nausea? I guess that has actually only been the last 2 weeks. it started at about 5 weeks & has progressively gotten worse daily. Nothing sounds good & about the only thing that is palletable is cold cereal. It reminds me of my pregnancy with Hannah, we had so many varieties of cold cereal because it was one of the only things I could even think of eating. I think the last few days I have had cold cereal for all 3 meals!

Last week, on Thursday (6 1/2 wks) I woke up extremely dizzy. I tend to have lower blood pressure & get a little lightheaded at times, such as blow drying or doing my hair. But this was worse. By the time I stood up & took a few steps the room was beyond spinning, everything was a blur. It had me a little freaked out. I made sure to stay really hydrated & took it REALLY easy all day. I tried to lay down as much as possible and really didn't do more than I absolutely had to. I wondered if it was blood pressure or even blood sugar. So I made sure to eat about ever 2 hours & to get some protein with each snack. Nothing seemed to make a difference. By the end of the day I felt even worse. By this time the Doctor's office was closed, so I decided to wait it out until morning & call first thing.

The next morning nothing had changed, & it was a long morning waiting until 9:00. I haven't been in to the doctor yet, as most won't see you until 8 weeks. This particular OB I had chosen was a women that came highly recommended, I had called just a day or two before to make my appointment & they couldn't get me in for a month! Well when I called with my symptoms & concerns I was informed that since I hadn't been seen there, they couldn't give me any medical advice. They wouldn't be me in that day, but my symptoms did sound serious & I was told to see my regular doctor. I informed them I didn't have one & they said to find a walk-in clinic, but to be seen today. I was very unimpressed with this & decided to try the next highly recommended OBGYN on my list. His nurse called me back within 30 minutes & told me rather than have me come up to there office, to go to a Pharmacy & check my blood pressure. If it wasn't that, they would have me come in to test my blood sugar. What relief, someone that was willing to help! It ended up being my blood pressure it was about 90/50. I called her back with my results. She said, that is a little concerning and told me to up my fluid intake & make sure that I am drinking plenty of other things, besides water. Perhaps a soda every day! WOO HOO!! I had basically cut out soda (other than a sip of Jeff's at a restaurant) a few months ago. Now I was being told to have it! She also said to make sure I am getting enough salt in my diet, which I had really cut back on when I found out I was pregnant. These changes seemed to help, I know it's still low (I haven't actually checked it yet,) but the dizziness is tolerable now.

Valentine's Thoughts

In my attempt to calm the little miss down for her nap this afternoon, we sat down to rock & read a book. With Valentine's around the corner I searched for a holiday appropriate book & decided on Love You Forever, a classic, in my opinion! I showed it to Hannah & asked for her approval. She began trying to sing the little song from the book, I took that as a yes. She sat quietly, nearly motionless throughout the story as I read & fought back tears on more than one occasion. I remembered back to my childhood and my mom reading that book, and she too would fight back tears, often times losing the battle. I am sure I would giggle at her, just as I'm sure she knew that one day I would understand!

Sure enough, a number of years later I understand... or perhaps it's not so much understanding as it is amazement that I can love someone so much & in such an intense way! Don't get me wrong, I love and adore my husband... and that is a special, intense love. That is so different, we met, we connected, we bonded, we fell in love and that love continues to grow and grow. But with a child you often wonder if you will love your child & if you will love them from the beginning. And sure enough as soon as you look at that little face you are in love! I could go on & on trying to put this into words & I don't think I could do it justice. As I finished the story I thought about the many women I know who have given birth to a new baby in the last couple of weeks, and how overwhelmed they must be feeling, this overwhelming feeling I am talking about isn't from the whole ordeal, I am talking about the overwhelmed with love with their new baby. I thought back to when I had Hannah and how I loved her so much it almost hurt, I could burst into tears just looking at her and how blessed I felt.

Going back to Valentine's Day, it is a strange holiday, a very silly and commercialized one, but I love it just the same. It was never highly celebrated in our home growing up, sure we recognized it, but it also happened to be my younger sister's birthday. We would tease her that we were cheated because of that, but really we weren't. I am of the belief that Valentine's is indeed a holiday to celebrate love, but not just with our companion or mate, but with all the people we love. With our family & friends. I have an anniversary devoted just to my husband and me. So I want to make Valentine's a special day for my family. You may think I am getting sucked into the commercialization of the holiday, but is there a bad thing in taking another day to focus on family & show our love and appreciation for them and all they do for us? Yes, this post is more of a rambling of many thoughts, but that seems to be a pattern for me. So now you know my take on the holiday (I'll share more details on how we actually spend it later...) What's your take & what will you be doing this Valentine's Day?