I've been meaning to blog for a while. Some of you may know we are fostering now....check out our other blog here for more info on that.
In this process I've been reminded how important it is for me to document and remember important milestones of our own two boys, as well as for our foster kids. So, here's me trying to start a habit of weekly (or maybe monthly...) updates!
Caleb
(I'll ask him most of these questions....but my answers, if they differ, will be in italics.)
Age: 3 years, 4 months
Weight: 35 lbs
Height: 40in
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Toy: Thomas the Train
Favorite TV Show: Jake & the Neverland Pirates
Favorite Book: Jake & the Neverland Pirates - Birthday Bash
Favorite Song: Jesus loves me
Favorite time of day: Bath time
Favorite Food: Oatmeal
What I want to be when I grow up: a Bear (yes, he's serious), and a Pirate
I like it when mommy....is happy.
I like it when daddy....is home.
I like it when Daniel...is jumping on my bed with me.
I know these letters (can recognize): A, B, D, T, O (and a few others but he quit cooperating...typical 3 y/o!)
I know these numbers: 1, 2 (again, he refused to finish...)
I can count to: up to 6, or down from 10...(thank you space episodes of Mickey and Curious George...haha! "BLASTOFF!")
New milestones: In the past week or so he's gotten very...well, brave. He used to be fairly cautious but now it's like the inner daredevil has been unleashed. We're talking climbing on top of the couches (like the very top part...) and jumping from one couch to the other, wanting to climb on top of our bar-height chairs/table to touch the ceiling, jumping on his (or our) bed, etc. No fear. Craziness. If we don't have to go to the ER before the years' end I'll be surprised.
Habits: Caleb definitely has some OCD tendencies. Some things have to be "just so" or he'll freak out. He's very much a schedule/advanced notice kind of kid. When we're in the car, running errands, I have to make sure to include EVERY stop we're going to make so he is in the loop...Now I don't want him to sound like he's a maniac if we go off schedule. But his personality is such that prior notice and/or an explanation in the moment definitely has better results than "spur of the moment".
Other notes: Caleb gave up his paci this past month (May 27 to be exact) at Legoland! He loved the park, and has asked several times already if we can go back. He only asked for his paci a few times after giving it up and has done GREAT since! We were a bit surprised.
He's also finishing up a round of antibiotics and breathing treatments. We're going to be keeping track of this stuff....I believe it's seasonal allergies for him as he had the same symptoms this time last year. (When his Dr checked his Rx records it had been almost a year to the date that he had a round of antibiotics...)
Daniel
(Obviously I will be answering these on his behalf...he can't talk.)
Age: 11 months as of yesterday (*tear* my baby is almost one....eeekkkk!!)
Weight: 23 lbs
Height: I've gotta check....it's been a while since his last well visit and he's definitely grown since then
Favorite Toy: Anything his brother has. Haha. No really. But he likes pretty much anything he can put in his mouth, chew on, or that makes music.
Favorite TV Show: He has JUST started to pay attention to the TV. He's never cared about that thing, which isn't a bad thing...but he LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse now. He giggles when he sees Mickey. Cutest thing ever.
Favorite Book: He doesn't have a preference but he does love books.
Favorite Song: He just loves music, period. Christian, Worship, Country, Rock, whatever. He's not picky.
Favorite time of Day: He's very happy in the mornings, and loves bath time at night.
Favorite Food: Grandma's homemade bread is a favorite. He's not too extremely picky just gets bored with the same thing after a while (who can blame him?!)
I like it when mommy...cuddles with me.
I like it when daddy...plays rough with me.
I like it when Caleb...jumps on the bed with me.
I can say: Dada.....yup. That's about it. He laughs when I try to get him to say "Mama"....oh, but he just started saying "moo" this week. :)
Favorite activities: Climbing on/over EVERYTHING! This kid is fearless. And non-stop. Go, go go. Bed time has a whole new meaning for me now...
Car rides? Loves the car, especially since he's in a big boy carseat now (rear facing/convertible but he can now see out the window and look at his brother!).
Sleeping through the night? Nope. Still not...he gets up once (sometimes twice) for a bottle. We just mix it, give it to him in bed and go back to sleep. He'll finish and fall back asleep on his own. Thank you Jesus for that gift. I don't know what I'd do if I had to physically get him out of bed to feed him every night for 11 months....mama's who are still BF at this age, I feel for ya!
New milestones: Standing for a few seconds on his own; still doubts his own ability to do so, though. Waving hi/bye.
Habits: Sucking his thumb
Other notes: Finally seems to be kicking this junky cough he's had for a while. Poor kid's been on more antibiotics this year than I care to admit. This last round is almost done, and coupled with some various home remedies and oils I'm hopeful that it'll be done with for good.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
It's a New Year!
I cannot even fathom how time flies these days. It feels like just yesterday we found out we were expecting baby #2 (which was, in actuality, in November of 2012!), went to Disney with our (then) only child for the first time (April 2013), had baby D (July 2013), and I could go on and on. Point is, 2014 is now here. And I know if I don't purposefully determine how I'm going to spend it, it'll be gone and 2015, or even 2020 will be here before I know it and I won't have anything to show for time gone by.
So, while this might be cliche, cheesy or even downright dumb, I'm going to post my goals for 2014 here, online, for whoever actually reads this (ha!) to see. Feel free to call me on these....I need the accountability ;)
In 2014 I want to....
1) Read the Bible through in its entirety. Yes, I am almost 26 years old and haven't done this. Shame on me. I mean that! It's something I should have done a long time ago.
2) Start - and finish!! - the Bible Studies for our church womens' ministry ON TIME. ;)
3) Have "Date night" with my husband at least three times a month. Every week might not be realistic (although I'd love that) with our schedule. But 3x a month is doable.
4) Create a weekly meal plan and stick to it. Purchase groceries from BOGO and other sales for the week. (We started this in October '13 and it's been GREAT! So much $$ to save!)
5) Make an educational pre-school "schedule" for Caleb from January thru June; do 3 lessons per week.
6) Take at least one mini-vacation with my husband...even if it's just to a hotel 30 minutes away.
7) Take constructive criticism well.....or at least "better" than I normally do. ;) I'm just not good at not being "perfect" (and I use that term very loosely because I know there's no such thing)
8) Loose baby weight accumulated from both pregnancies....this is hard for me to admit but I'm just gonna throw it out there. No further explanation is going to be given so don't ask ;) ha!
9) Blog more often. Not sure if anyone cares a whole lot to read what I have to say, but it's a creative outlet for me and I definitely need that "me" time once in a while. I'm not going to put a specific number on this because I have yet to figure out what a reasonable number would be.
10) Pray more. I used to think this was one area in which I was "ok"...but I have realized that is not the case. I need to pray more often, more purposefully, more genuinely, more determined, more deliberate and truthfully, if I'm being honest, with much more faith.
11) All of the other ideas that are swarming around in my head that I just can't put into words yet. I determine to do some of those as well.
There, I think I've covered quite a bit ;) I'd love to hear some of your goals for 2014! I do not like to call them "resolutions" because I feel like those are too easily given up. Goals are something that takes work. I think setting a "goal" includes admitting you're not there yet, you need help, and you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. "New Years Resolutions" have such a bad rep - partially because most people don't keep them, or create such lofty resolutions without admitting it'll take a lot more than sheer willpower.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
So, while this might be cliche, cheesy or even downright dumb, I'm going to post my goals for 2014 here, online, for whoever actually reads this (ha!) to see. Feel free to call me on these....I need the accountability ;)
In 2014 I want to....
1) Read the Bible through in its entirety. Yes, I am almost 26 years old and haven't done this. Shame on me. I mean that! It's something I should have done a long time ago.
2) Start - and finish!! - the Bible Studies for our church womens' ministry ON TIME. ;)
3) Have "Date night" with my husband at least three times a month. Every week might not be realistic (although I'd love that) with our schedule. But 3x a month is doable.
4) Create a weekly meal plan and stick to it. Purchase groceries from BOGO and other sales for the week. (We started this in October '13 and it's been GREAT! So much $$ to save!)
5) Make an educational pre-school "schedule" for Caleb from January thru June; do 3 lessons per week.
6) Take at least one mini-vacation with my husband...even if it's just to a hotel 30 minutes away.
7) Take constructive criticism well.....or at least "better" than I normally do. ;) I'm just not good at not being "perfect" (and I use that term very loosely because I know there's no such thing)
8) Loose baby weight accumulated from both pregnancies....this is hard for me to admit but I'm just gonna throw it out there. No further explanation is going to be given so don't ask ;) ha!
9) Blog more often. Not sure if anyone cares a whole lot to read what I have to say, but it's a creative outlet for me and I definitely need that "me" time once in a while. I'm not going to put a specific number on this because I have yet to figure out what a reasonable number would be.
10) Pray more. I used to think this was one area in which I was "ok"...but I have realized that is not the case. I need to pray more often, more purposefully, more genuinely, more determined, more deliberate and truthfully, if I'm being honest, with much more faith.
11) All of the other ideas that are swarming around in my head that I just can't put into words yet. I determine to do some of those as well.
There, I think I've covered quite a bit ;) I'd love to hear some of your goals for 2014! I do not like to call them "resolutions" because I feel like those are too easily given up. Goals are something that takes work. I think setting a "goal" includes admitting you're not there yet, you need help, and you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. "New Years Resolutions" have such a bad rep - partially because most people don't keep them, or create such lofty resolutions without admitting it'll take a lot more than sheer willpower.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Disney Post 1 - Art of Animation Resort
Hello there!
We recently took a family trip to Disney - Caleb's first time! We were so excited. And we had a blast! I did a ton of research before we went and most was super helpful. Some wasn't worth my time reading and just a little silly. But I plan on writing about our trip in a few posts and I'll include the info that helped, what didn't, and some stuff we figured out on our own.
First: The Hotel
Disney's Art of Animation Resort
We chose a Cars family suite. They also have Little Mermaid, Nemo, and Lion King themed rooms. Actually - each "theme" has it's own part at the hotel. I only took pix of the Cars section...but here are some of them:
We recently took a family trip to Disney - Caleb's first time! We were so excited. And we had a blast! I did a ton of research before we went and most was super helpful. Some wasn't worth my time reading and just a little silly. But I plan on writing about our trip in a few posts and I'll include the info that helped, what didn't, and some stuff we figured out on our own.
First: The Hotel
Disney's Art of Animation Resort
We chose a Cars family suite. They also have Little Mermaid, Nemo, and Lion King themed rooms. Actually - each "theme" has it's own part at the hotel. I only took pix of the Cars section...but here are some of them:
Our room was in the "Mater's Garage" building.
They had life-sized models of the Cars Characters...Caleb was going NUTS!
In our room: The table/Murphy bed....super convenient!
Decor in the hallways
Me and my little man with Lightning!
The hotel had a great check-in service, the staff were very helpful, and everything was very clean. It's the newest resort, so it should be...but sometimes you never know.
When we arrived we found that they had activities in the lobby area for kids at certain times of the day (ie - teach them how to draw Mickey Mouse) and games at the large pool all afternoon.
The hotel provides bus transportation to and from the parks - just be forewarned that the lines can get pretty long. As a resort guest you can also request a free parking pass to take your own vehicle to the park. We took the bus but we had extra help from grandma and grandpa - or else the folding up of the stroller, carrying the bags plus the kid, and the stroller itself could've been a little difficult.
The Room:
The Suites were incredible. They include a queen sized bed in it's own bedroom with adjoining bath/shower. In the "living room" there is a table that turns into a full-size Murphy bed, and a couch that pulls out into a full-sized bed as well. There is a small kitchenette with a microwave, sink, and mini fridge. A second bathroom with a sink and separate room with toilet/tub is right off of the main living area. We had four adults and a two year old in the room and had more than enough space. It was great!
Food:
We decided to bring most of our own food and forgo any meal plans and avoided eating out as much as we could. After all, spending tons of money on the room and tickets was enough.....we were trying to enjoy ourselves but save where we could. We made a breakfast casserole before leaving home, and brought it in cut-up pieces in ziplock bags (obviously in a cooler). Other good breakfast foods would be cereal (get a half gallon of milk for the mini fridge), boiled eggs, bread (no toaster though), etc.
We also brought small sandwich rolls, sliced cheese, lunch meat & spread to make mini sandwiches for lunch. The park allows you to bring in soft-sided coolers! (I never knew that until I did some digging)
We brought granola bars, raisins, juice boxes, gatoraid and small water bottles, too. So we snacked, ate our sandwiches, and had our drinks while in the park - no extra spending needed! It was great. I hate spending $3 on a bottle of water!! And, it being April in FL it was fairly warm - I'm 28 weeks pregnant so staying hydrated was a must. I survived. ;)
We were there a total of 4 days, 3 nights and only ate out at dinner time. On the last day we also had lunch at a park but that was a "Character lunch" - more about that in another post. Food alone saved us a ton of money. The average meal is $10 per person at the cheapest place - and the portion sizes were NOT that big. You know how parks are....the resorts aren't too much better. We did like the "food court"/diner at the Contemporary Resort (we took the monorail there and back one evening).
Let's say for kicks and giggles we spent $10 per meal, per adult (I won't count Caleb), per day. We would have spent $480 on food. We spend less than $100 in groceries for all of the food, snacks and drinks we brought, which fed all 4 adults and the toddler. Win!
Allright, I think that's enough info for now. I'll be posting more on the parks themselves, some helpful packing tips, taking a toddler a to Disney tips as well as being preggo at Disney! Coming soon ;)
XO
Silky Soft Legs
OK.....I have to admit that often times I never try half of the "cool" things I pin on Pinterest. It's not that I don't want to - I just forget, don't have the time, or am frankly too lazy to make time for them.
Until today.
I saw this pin about "summer legs" and actually followed the link to read the info. You can find it here.
Here's what I did:
1. Run a warm bath. (I added some bath salts and baby oil to soften legs/feet)
2. Mix in bowl: 1 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. oil (I used olive oil because I didn't have enough baby oil left; original poster says you can use other oils too, whatever you prefer), 3 tbsp citrus (lemon/lime is what was suggested....but I didn't have any so I used aloe vera that I had sitting in the fridge). That's all the original poster had - I also added a bit of lavender lotion and lavender scrub my lovely SIL got me from Aveda:
3. Soak legs/feet in bath for 5-10 minutes (or however long you want! relax!!)
4. Shave as normal (I use shaving cream and the shick hydro silk razor)
5. Apply scrub generously to legs and feet. Rub, massage, and enjoy - this part feels SO GOOD! Just like the deluxe pedicure at a nail salon.....I suppose the only thing that would make this part better is if someone else was doing the massaging for you ;) {hint hint to hubby!}
6. Rinse well.
7. Shave again!
*The original poster stated that she shaved again and was surprised at how much dead skin she "shaved off"....I didn't have this problem, which actually surprised me because my skin tends to be pretty dry. But maybe I was just having a good, hydrated day ;)
8. Apply scrub again and massage.
9. Rinse well
10. Moisturize, if you normally do. Personally, I don't ever put lotion on right after I shave b/c it burns my legs (I have super sensitive skin). I didn't feel like I needed to, though, as my legs were SUPER soft. Two hours later - I can't stop feeling them. Ha! I did moisturize my feet though, as I live in FL and therefore get dry, cracked "FL flip flop" heels all the time.
I had some left over and cannot wait to use this again...so easy and feels so good! Enjoy!
XO
Until today.
I saw this pin about "summer legs" and actually followed the link to read the info. You can find it here.
Here's what I did:
1. Run a warm bath. (I added some bath salts and baby oil to soften legs/feet)
2. Mix in bowl: 1 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. oil (I used olive oil because I didn't have enough baby oil left; original poster says you can use other oils too, whatever you prefer), 3 tbsp citrus (lemon/lime is what was suggested....but I didn't have any so I used aloe vera that I had sitting in the fridge). That's all the original poster had - I also added a bit of lavender lotion and lavender scrub my lovely SIL got me from Aveda:
3. Soak legs/feet in bath for 5-10 minutes (or however long you want! relax!!)
4. Shave as normal (I use shaving cream and the shick hydro silk razor)
5. Apply scrub generously to legs and feet. Rub, massage, and enjoy - this part feels SO GOOD! Just like the deluxe pedicure at a nail salon.....I suppose the only thing that would make this part better is if someone else was doing the massaging for you ;) {hint hint to hubby!}
6. Rinse well.
7. Shave again!
*The original poster stated that she shaved again and was surprised at how much dead skin she "shaved off"....I didn't have this problem, which actually surprised me because my skin tends to be pretty dry. But maybe I was just having a good, hydrated day ;)
8. Apply scrub again and massage.
9. Rinse well
10. Moisturize, if you normally do. Personally, I don't ever put lotion on right after I shave b/c it burns my legs (I have super sensitive skin). I didn't feel like I needed to, though, as my legs were SUPER soft. Two hours later - I can't stop feeling them. Ha! I did moisturize my feet though, as I live in FL and therefore get dry, cracked "FL flip flop" heels all the time.
I had some left over and cannot wait to use this again...so easy and feels so good! Enjoy!
XO
Friday, April 12, 2013
Toddler Food
First off - two posts in one day! I feel super accomplished. :)
I came up with a list of food items, {kind of} sorted by food group and typed it up in an easy printable for the fridge. I don't know about you - but I end up feeding my toddler the same snacks and foods simply because a) I know he'll eat them and b) I don't have the time or energy to come up with something fun, new and creative on the spot. {Thanks, Pinterest for making us NORMAL moms feel inadequate...}
So while this is by no means an all-inclusive list, I think it'll help start {hopefully} a trend at our house where little Mister will eat more than just yogurt {his fave} and grains {any cracker! another fave} for snack time {ok...and honestly, sometimes meal times too}.
Just so y'all don't think I'm an awful food-mom, I DID get him to eat organic brown rice {cooked in organic chicken stock!}, quinoa, and chicken last night. Major win for us! Every once in a while he surprises us...and then again, other days he just wants pizza. :)
XO
Peeves...Part Two
OK, I normally don't go on rants online regarding various things. Especially not twice in one week. Chalk it up to being pregnant, or just very, very tired of our culture/society jumping down people's throats for absolutely the dumbest things.
Yesterday I pinned {this pin} on Pinterest. Granted, it originally got pinned to my "Good Food" board instead of the "I can't wait for a PINK makeover" board.....but rest assured, I fixed that mistake. I don't eat Barbie dolls.
Personally, I think this is a great idea! When I was little my mom always made sure my dolls had "undergarments" on. I never fully understood until I understood the whole "modesty" thing, but I knew at a young age that dolls {and people} shouldn't be un clothed in front of other people - that it was inappropriate. There are parts of our bodies that are special, and need to be covered up because its the right thing to do.
{I could go on and on about this part but I won't}
The pins' title was "Good way to avoid nakedness".
Last night I got an email notification that someone had commented on my pin.
I didn't check the comment until this morning.
Here's what a complete stranger felt the need to write on my pin/board:
"Because being naked is wrong." {actually, there were typos}
UM....?! Really?!
Why yes, mystery person, in case you haven't noticed it is NOT ACCEPTABLE to be naked in public. At least not in the corner of the world I live in!
I'm not sure why this bothered me so much. Maybe it's because I don't know them and they don't know me. Maybe it's because as a people we feel the "freedom of speech" right means we deserve to offer our opinion to anyone, anywhere, for any reason, whether asked for or not. If you ask me {we'll just pretend you did}, I think that REEKS of entitlement and a very snobbish attitude.
My response {which I may or may not delete off my board} was, granted, not the most eloquent or graceful. But here it is, in it's finest; please don't judge me:
"I don't know you - but no, being naked isn't "wrong" but inappropriate at certain times/places and I'd want to teach my daughters to cover up for modesty sake. That stripping off ones clothes at random times in front of whomever is around in order to change is not ok...among other reasons. Why must people always take offense to the dumbest little things? If you don't think it's wrong then don't color in your kids' barbies. Simple!"
I know - perhaps not the best way to handle the situation. But the last sentence I meant with all my heart.
Our response to trivial things that don't really matter should be simple - if you don't think there's anything wrong with your daughter's Barbies being naked, then don't worry about coloring their private parts in! If you don't think there's anything wrong with your son whistling at "hot chicks" as he walks past, then don't smack his mouth and explain why that's inappropriate. If you don't think that it's a big deal if your hubby watches porn on the internet, then don't set up security measures/blocks/etc to avoid that temptation. But for those of us who would like to protect our daughters from immodesty, our sons from ignorant macho-ness and our husbands from sin - leave us be. Please and thank you.
XO
Yesterday I pinned {this pin} on Pinterest. Granted, it originally got pinned to my "Good Food" board instead of the "I can't wait for a PINK makeover" board.....but rest assured, I fixed that mistake. I don't eat Barbie dolls.
Personally, I think this is a great idea! When I was little my mom always made sure my dolls had "undergarments" on. I never fully understood until I understood the whole "modesty" thing, but I knew at a young age that dolls {and people} shouldn't be un clothed in front of other people - that it was inappropriate. There are parts of our bodies that are special, and need to be covered up because its the right thing to do.
{I could go on and on about this part but I won't}
The pins' title was "Good way to avoid nakedness".
Last night I got an email notification that someone had commented on my pin.
I didn't check the comment until this morning.
Here's what a complete stranger felt the need to write on my pin/board:
"Because being naked is wrong." {actually, there were typos}
UM....?! Really?!
Why yes, mystery person, in case you haven't noticed it is NOT ACCEPTABLE to be naked in public. At least not in the corner of the world I live in!
I'm not sure why this bothered me so much. Maybe it's because I don't know them and they don't know me. Maybe it's because as a people we feel the "freedom of speech" right means we deserve to offer our opinion to anyone, anywhere, for any reason, whether asked for or not. If you ask me {we'll just pretend you did}, I think that REEKS of entitlement and a very snobbish attitude.
My response {which I may or may not delete off my board} was, granted, not the most eloquent or graceful. But here it is, in it's finest; please don't judge me:
"I don't know you - but no, being naked isn't "wrong" but inappropriate at certain times/places and I'd want to teach my daughters to cover up for modesty sake. That stripping off ones clothes at random times in front of whomever is around in order to change is not ok...among other reasons. Why must people always take offense to the dumbest little things? If you don't think it's wrong then don't color in your kids' barbies. Simple!"
I know - perhaps not the best way to handle the situation. But the last sentence I meant with all my heart.
Our response to trivial things that don't really matter should be simple - if you don't think there's anything wrong with your daughter's Barbies being naked, then don't worry about coloring their private parts in! If you don't think there's anything wrong with your son whistling at "hot chicks" as he walks past, then don't smack his mouth and explain why that's inappropriate. If you don't think that it's a big deal if your hubby watches porn on the internet, then don't set up security measures/blocks/etc to avoid that temptation. But for those of us who would like to protect our daughters from immodesty, our sons from ignorant macho-ness and our husbands from sin - leave us be. Please and thank you.
XO
Monday, April 8, 2013
Pregnancy Peeves
Well, if you haven't noticed already, I'm pregnant. (Why else would I be planning a nursery for a random kid named Daniel?! See previous post if you're lost)
And, you know what? There are A LOT of misconceptions, opinions, theories, and assumptions when it comes to pregnancy. I have "liked" various mommy/kid/family pages on Facebook and saw a post on one of them yesterday that asked the question "Should pregnant women receive special treatment?". You guys - I was ASTONISHED at the answers I was reading! I'll answer personally at the end of this post to {hopefully} keep you reading ;)
Basically, women (and even a few men had the guts to speak up) who have been pregnant, and even women who hadn't, were chiming in on both sides of this topic. And frankly - both "sides" were being extremely rude about it. What happened to the day and age where logical conversation and good discussion could carry on without demeaning insults, dropping the F bomb (and company) every other word, and calling people names?!
On one side, there were the "I-could-do-everything-I-did-before-I-was-pregnant-and-so-should-you-quit-being-a-pansy" individuals. On the other, there were the "I-had-the-worst-pregnancy-ever-and-needed-help-with-everything-every-day-or-else-I-would-loose-the-baby" folks. Then there were the "I've-obviously-never-been-pregnant-but-ya'll-need-to-suck-it-up" guys...and a few girls.
Here's where I stand: no one should judge a pregnant woman because you have NO IDEA how she feels. Even if you're pregnant. Even if you've been pregnant. Even if you've been pregnant ten times. But especially if you haven't been. This being my second pregnancy I can say that this one is TOTALLY different than the last one.
With #1 I was sick the 1st trimester, but only for a day or so at a time. Starting in approx. week 8, I'd be nauseous, throw up, and then feel great. I threw up a total of 5 times, never twice on the same day. I couldn't eat a whole lot because nothing sounded appetizing, and lost 15 lbs. Once I got over that hurdle (exactly at week 12), I was GREAT! Weeks 13-38 were awesome. I had some round ligament pain every once in a while, and got tired a little quicker; but all in all I was feeling perfectly fine. {The last two to four weeks I had a lot of indigestion and was just feeling HUGE but again, nothing major}
This time around, I got sick starting at week 4 or 5. Nauseous ALL FLIPPING DAY LONG. I threw up ONCE {I think it was week 7 or 8}. There was absolutely NO relief except for sleeping. Which, with a toddler running around, wasn't exactly easy. Thank goodness for awesome in-laws and an amazing husband. I don't know how I got through the first trimester (plus a few weeks, because the sickness didn't end as abruptly and "promptly" at the end of the first trimester like last time). I'm always tired and can fall asleep anytime, anywhere. I feel HUGE already and feel now like I did 9 months pregnant last time. I have indigestion SO BAD I hate eating {but let's be real - I love eating so no, I'm not starving myself}.
I'm not complaining. I am so excited to be pregnant with our second child and I cannot wait to hold him {for many reasons} but I'm painting these two drastically different pictures to prove a point. During my first pregnancy it would have been super easy to "judge" the tired, cranky, not-put-together, sloppy pregnant lady because that wasn't me {now it is - ha!!}...but who am I to judge? As the saying goes, don't judge someone 'til you've walked a mile in their shoes.
Now, some of the "special treatments" that repeatedly came up in the above mentioned Facebook debate were closer parking, holding doors, giving up seats, cutting in line, and "freebies". Here's my personal opinion on these in particular:
Closer Parking - Heck yes. It should be an option. If you feel it's healthier to walk, then don't park there when you're pregnant. But this is a no-brainer to me for multiple reasons: 3rd trimester (speaks for itself), 1st trimester (so you can get to the trashcan quicker), pregnant with toddlers or just other children in general, and/or just for the sake of being courteous.
{Many of the arguments against it were its "unhealthy" not to walk and people abuse it....welcome to the real world, folks. Any privilege is abused by SOMEONE. That's no reason not to present it to others who might genuinely need/want/respect it.}
Holding doors/Giving up seats - Um, hello?! Isn't that called common courtesy?! This should be done for the elderly, pregnant, moms with babies/young children (or dads), etc....why would anyone be against this??
Cutting in line - Now...here's where I kinda ride the middle of the fence. I mean...if it's a bathroom issue and you see an obviously pregnant woman in line - just ask. She can always say "no thanks". I know I've been waiting for a stall before, though, and about to pee my pants, and this courtesy would've been great. :) I don't necessarily think just because I'm pregnant I should be allowed to cut in line at the grocery store, or at the bank...maybe at an outside event (to get inside quicker if it's very hot or very cold?) or something. I guess there just needs to be discretion in any case and both parties (pregnant and non) should be respectful and polite. {As anyone should be, at any time...which our society has seemed to forgotten which is why it needs to be said?! Ugh}
Freebies - Again, an "it depends" scenario. Free smoothie on a hot day? Yes please! Free HD TV just because? I wouldn't expect that one...haha
I think it all boils down to these things - respect, courtesy, manners, and entitlement. The first three are seriously lacking today; the last is utterly TOO common. And not just for pregnant mamas! This world we live in; this crazy "I'm entitled to _____; but how dare anyone else think they can get it for free" mentality just drives me up the wall.
I just felt compelled to bring some of this up and see where y'all stand. What do you think? If you've been pregnant did you get special treatment or not? Did you like it or not so much? I'd love to see your opinions. Keep 'em polite, respectful and clean please and thank you :)
XO
And, you know what? There are A LOT of misconceptions, opinions, theories, and assumptions when it comes to pregnancy. I have "liked" various mommy/kid/family pages on Facebook and saw a post on one of them yesterday that asked the question "Should pregnant women receive special treatment?". You guys - I was ASTONISHED at the answers I was reading! I'll answer personally at the end of this post to {hopefully} keep you reading ;)
Basically, women (and even a few men had the guts to speak up) who have been pregnant, and even women who hadn't, were chiming in on both sides of this topic. And frankly - both "sides" were being extremely rude about it. What happened to the day and age where logical conversation and good discussion could carry on without demeaning insults, dropping the F bomb (and company) every other word, and calling people names?!
On one side, there were the "I-could-do-everything-I-did-before-I-was-pregnant-and-so-should-you-quit-being-a-pansy" individuals. On the other, there were the "I-had-the-worst-pregnancy-ever-and-needed-help-with-everything-every-day-or-else-I-would-loose-the-baby" folks. Then there were the "I've-obviously-never-been-pregnant-but-ya'll-need-to-suck-it-up" guys...and a few girls.
Here's where I stand: no one should judge a pregnant woman because you have NO IDEA how she feels. Even if you're pregnant. Even if you've been pregnant. Even if you've been pregnant ten times. But especially if you haven't been. This being my second pregnancy I can say that this one is TOTALLY different than the last one.
With #1 I was sick the 1st trimester, but only for a day or so at a time. Starting in approx. week 8, I'd be nauseous, throw up, and then feel great. I threw up a total of 5 times, never twice on the same day. I couldn't eat a whole lot because nothing sounded appetizing, and lost 15 lbs. Once I got over that hurdle (exactly at week 12), I was GREAT! Weeks 13-38 were awesome. I had some round ligament pain every once in a while, and got tired a little quicker; but all in all I was feeling perfectly fine. {The last two to four weeks I had a lot of indigestion and was just feeling HUGE but again, nothing major}
This time around, I got sick starting at week 4 or 5. Nauseous ALL FLIPPING DAY LONG. I threw up ONCE {I think it was week 7 or 8}. There was absolutely NO relief except for sleeping. Which, with a toddler running around, wasn't exactly easy. Thank goodness for awesome in-laws and an amazing husband. I don't know how I got through the first trimester (plus a few weeks, because the sickness didn't end as abruptly and "promptly" at the end of the first trimester like last time). I'm always tired and can fall asleep anytime, anywhere. I feel HUGE already and feel now like I did 9 months pregnant last time. I have indigestion SO BAD I hate eating {but let's be real - I love eating so no, I'm not starving myself}.
I'm not complaining. I am so excited to be pregnant with our second child and I cannot wait to hold him {for many reasons} but I'm painting these two drastically different pictures to prove a point. During my first pregnancy it would have been super easy to "judge" the tired, cranky, not-put-together, sloppy pregnant lady because that wasn't me {now it is - ha!!}...but who am I to judge? As the saying goes, don't judge someone 'til you've walked a mile in their shoes.
Now, some of the "special treatments" that repeatedly came up in the above mentioned Facebook debate were closer parking, holding doors, giving up seats, cutting in line, and "freebies". Here's my personal opinion on these in particular:
Closer Parking - Heck yes. It should be an option. If you feel it's healthier to walk, then don't park there when you're pregnant. But this is a no-brainer to me for multiple reasons: 3rd trimester (speaks for itself), 1st trimester (so you can get to the trashcan quicker), pregnant with toddlers or just other children in general, and/or just for the sake of being courteous.
{Many of the arguments against it were its "unhealthy" not to walk and people abuse it....welcome to the real world, folks. Any privilege is abused by SOMEONE. That's no reason not to present it to others who might genuinely need/want/respect it.}
Holding doors/Giving up seats - Um, hello?! Isn't that called common courtesy?! This should be done for the elderly, pregnant, moms with babies/young children (or dads), etc....why would anyone be against this??
Cutting in line - Now...here's where I kinda ride the middle of the fence. I mean...if it's a bathroom issue and you see an obviously pregnant woman in line - just ask. She can always say "no thanks". I know I've been waiting for a stall before, though, and about to pee my pants, and this courtesy would've been great. :) I don't necessarily think just because I'm pregnant I should be allowed to cut in line at the grocery store, or at the bank...maybe at an outside event (to get inside quicker if it's very hot or very cold?) or something. I guess there just needs to be discretion in any case and both parties (pregnant and non) should be respectful and polite. {As anyone should be, at any time...which our society has seemed to forgotten which is why it needs to be said?! Ugh}
Freebies - Again, an "it depends" scenario. Free smoothie on a hot day? Yes please! Free HD TV just because? I wouldn't expect that one...haha
I think it all boils down to these things - respect, courtesy, manners, and entitlement. The first three are seriously lacking today; the last is utterly TOO common. And not just for pregnant mamas! This world we live in; this crazy "I'm entitled to _____; but how dare anyone else think they can get it for free" mentality just drives me up the wall.
I just felt compelled to bring some of this up and see where y'all stand. What do you think? If you've been pregnant did you get special treatment or not? Did you like it or not so much? I'd love to see your opinions. Keep 'em polite, respectful and clean please and thank you :)
XO
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