Catching Up

It's been a very long time since I blogged.  These past few months have been an adjustment period in a lot of ways and I've been kind of floating through the weeks until lately.  I'm feeling a little bit more like my old self these days, just with an extra large belly and severe forgetfulness.  Here's what's been happening in the past few months.

The first few months of pregnancy were so much harder than I imagined.  At one point I had three different medications because I felt so sick all the time.  I was finally able to get off of these and although I have nausea fairly frequently it's so much better than it was, and it's manageable at this point.

I definitely look pregnant now and I feel it as well!  While I'm sure the baby kicked earlier, I first recognized it as baby movement while laying in bed on the 4th of July.  Mr. C. felt a couple weeks later when the kicks got forceful enough to feel from the outside.

We did a lot of work on the room from painting the entire thing, to ripping up carpet and laying engineered hardwood, to painting a dresser and some things on the walls.  I'll be posting a nursery post once it's all done so I'm not sharing too much yet!  We spent quite awhile looking for a gliding rocker I liked (ordered online!) and a crib (also online!) which we waited about a month for.  The crib is all together now and I really love it!  It was most definitely worth the wait.

Between redoing floors, house guests, and pet guests, we just got our house back and spent this past weekend cleaning like crazy.  I don't think I've ever cleaned as much in one weekend as we did this past weekend, but the house finally feels like home again which means I can actually relax.  I learned a long time ago that my living space greatly impacts my stress level and I do not do well in a messy or cluttered space.

This summer Mr. C and I had some days off together due to my summer schedule and Mr. C's few weeks off in the summer.  We spent our Monday mornings eating breakfast out, swimming on Sunday afternoons, and getting things ready around the house on the weekends.

This summer went fast and somehow I'm already at 29 weeks.  I still remember being 5 weeks along, terrified in the hospital that I was going to lose our baby.  I'm so grateful that everything was fine, and feel blessed to have had a healthy pregnancy other than feeling icky for a lot of it.  So far things have been very good and she's been active at the few ultrasounds we've had.  She moves a lot during the day and her kicks and turns are getting more forceful.  I think she's been practicing her somersaults lately.  Her heartbeat is always good, I'm finally feeling more normal, and I passed my glucose test!

We spent a week in NE this summer and it was amazing.  I always love seeing all the green and the weather was great.  Mr. C and I walked around the lake by my parent's house almost every morning.  That's one of my favorite things to do and that lake is one of my favorite places back home.  We spent the first days with a couple friends who picked us up from the airport.  We didn't do anything spectacular but as always it was nice to just hang out, play games, and catch up.  I was blessed with a beautiful surprise baby shower as well and was so overwhelmed with everyone who showed up to help us celebrate.  Throughout the trip we spent time with family and friends and really had a chance to relax.  That was the last plane ride with just the two of us.

I expect the next few months will be full of baby things.  We have a couple classes, showers, and I have a baby room to finish and organize. We've decided on a name (unless she looks nothing like the name we've picked) but we're keeping it to ourselves until she's born.  I'm enjoying our still semi-spontaneous dinners out after work, cooking time consuming meals during the week,  watching too much TV, late night grocery store shopping, sleeping in, and time with Coconut before the baby comes. Every now and then I panic a little bit thinking about giving all of this up, changing this life we've built that we love, but that's short lived and I remember that we're starting a new adventure and although it will be different that's okay.  I am glad we've had the time together just the two of us for so long.  I have no doubt that things will change but I know I have an amazing partner beside me, one who is already a great dad to this little girl.

Baked Wings

This weekend I finally found of the energy I’d been missing.  The house is cleaner than it’s been in months and a clean house just makes me so happy.  After being so productive Saturday, we had time to just relax and do some fun stuff.  We spent some time on Sunday looking at paint colors and chairs for the nursery and it’s sooooo exciting!  We found out last week though a blood test (was it just last week?) that we’re having a girl and I couldn’t be happier!  I’m super anxious to get the walls painted, the floor laid, and start decorating for this little girl!

I’m getting back to my normal eating habits with the exception of the ice cream that’s continuing in my otherwise sugar-free lifestyle.  Sunday evening Mr. C made this chicken while I whipped up a salad and some sautéed corn with jalapenos.

I usually ask Mr. C if he has any meal requests when I sit down to meal plan for the week, and this chicken and my Chipotle Avocado BLTS seem to come up every single week.  My aunt introduced us to this simple recipe and since then it’s been a regular in our meal rotation.  These chicken wings are one of the easiest things to make and the hardest part is waiting the hour for them to bake.  The best part is that while the skin probably isn’t the healthiest thing, it’s a heck of a lot better than it’s usual fried form.  Add some corn on the cob, a salad, and you’ve got yourself a great meal.

When you buy the chicken, make sure you’re buying wingettes instead of wings.  The wings have multiple parts and you can use them but you have to cut them apart.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the type of person who is okay touching raw chicken longer than necessary.

Here’s the super simple recipe:

Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Spread chicken wingettes out on the tray.  Season with salt and pepper on both sides.  We like a lot of pepper on ours.

Bake for one hour or until brown and crispy.

That’s it!  Easy peasy!

Where's my Glow?

This pregnancy has not been at all what I expected.  I'm not sure why but I always thought I'd be one of the lucky women who had no sickness.  I just expected to feel amazing and I'd be glowing and so happy about the baby growing inside of me.  While I still think the entire process is pretty amazing, I have to say that so far this pregnancy thing is not fun.  Whoever said it's "magical" was a liar (probably a man), and the more I hear about new things I'll get to experience the more not fun it sounds.  I think there was a week where I knew I was pregnant and felt normal and thought that things were pretty great.  Then the sickness hit.  Well meaning people keep telling me that it will pass and sharing their simple solutions like "eat crackers".  Well people, I've eaten crackers and tried candied ginger and raspberry leaf tea and everything else you can think of.  I'm on pills to make it better and they seem to work for only a few hours of the day. I'm grateful it's something but when I feel like my eyes are going to fly out during one of my puking fits it sure doesn't seem like it's doing much.  So when these well meaning people say these well meaning things, it takes a lot of self-control to not just punch them in the face because I'm not a moron and I've tried it all.  

I thought I'd be glowing, journaling daily, blogging about the wonderful things that happened along the way, and writing in my pregnancy book, but at this point I'm still too tired or sick to do anything.  My pregnancy app currently tells me that things should be "low maintenance" now but again it's just lies.  LIES!  

Our house has been in a constant state of disarray over the past few months with no signs of anything changing.  I went from having a "to do" list of 5-10 things per evening to settling for 1-2 per week.  This week I hope to paint my nails before the nausea turns to the migraine that nothing can help.  Our nursery has no floor and the office is so full of stuff from the guest room (from moving things to redo that floor) that it's barely identifiable as an office.

In other news, we just found out it's a girl and couldn't be more thrilled!  Since I can remember I've pictured myself with a little girl and now I'm so excited to start really planning the nursery and buy some overpriced cute clothing.  In the meantime we've purchased a few used things like a baby sling and a play mat and it's so weird to see baby things in my house.  I see them and think "who the heck is that for?"  It's a weird concept, this baby thing.

A couple weeks ago I was feeling exceptionally horrible.  There's no break from the sickness, emotionally I was struggling with some things, and it just seemed like the flu that never ended.  I was not in the best of moods when we went to the perinatal doctor, but when we saw little Baby C. on the ultrasound (our fourth ultrasound but best by far), it lifted my mood enough and reminded me that although I feel like it's a bad case of the flu, there really is more going on, and eventually this will all be worth it.  Now that I know it's a little girl it's beginning to seem even more real and being able to say "she" is amazing.  My mom was asking me about "her" room earlier (Baby C's) and it was so nice to be able to think of a little girl in there instead of an "it".  

I hope things get better but for now I'm still trying to just focus on the fact that we're both healthy, I know she's in there growing, and I just keep praying that one day the sickness and headaches cease and I can just enjoy this.  In the meantime feel free to say a prayer for me and under no circumstances should you ask if I've tried eating crackers in the morning to help things.

I'm pregnant!

I began writing this a couple months ago but finally decided it was time to post it.  It takes me a long time to do things these days :)

I am a planner, and I always have ideas of the way I think things will be.  As we all know, the world doesn't work that way.  I had no doubts I was pregnant pretty early on.  Mr. C had been eyeing a messenger bag and I decided to order it for him along with a dad book and I'd give it to him the morning I saw the positive test which I just knew was just days away.  I took multiple tests and they came up negative.  Waiting the two weeks to take the tests in the first place was the longest time ever, but then having them come up negative was more crushing than I anticipated.  I knew it could take time, but I also have worried for years that maybe I'd be that person who wasn't able to have kids.  About a week after the last negative test and some sporatic spotting I came home from work and took another test.  It was positive.  I was optimistically happy but so very confused.  I told Mr. C, my mom, and decided to be the crazy woman who would show up at the doctor's office the next morning and demand a blood test.  I got the first blood test and was told that I'd need to go back monday for the next.  Luckily my best friend was flying in that day and she managed to keep me distracted throughout the weekend.  

Tuesday I waited for my phone to ring.  I stared at it between work appointments and finally I called and left a message.  I received a call back confirming that I was in fact pregnant.  I somehow pulled myself together enough to call Mr. C and my mom to share the news and went on with my day at work.  That night I was finally able to give him the bag with the book.  Telling him through a whispered voice on the phone while we were both at work was not at all how I pictured the moment, but we were happy nonetheless.  Telling my mom was not the fun way I expected to share the news either, nor was telling my dad, but that's how things go.

We were able to surprise Mr. C's family, some friends, and keep things under wraps from everyone else for a few weeks.  

At 6 weeks I remember being relieved that things were going so well and then I found myself in the hospital later that very same day, scared that maybe my worries were true and this wasn't going to be so easy for us.  I was lucky enough to have a friend take me.  I'm not sure how I would have gotten myself there otherwise because I was a mess and about to fall apart but she somehow kept me together and I let a little bit of myself believe that when she said everything would be fine, that it really would be.  It felt like we waited forever in the waiting room.  Finally I had an ultrasound and over an hour later they confirmed that things seemed to be alright.  I was so relieved.

Later that week we went in for our scheduled ultrasound which was surreal.  We actually got to hear the heart beat and this time we left with pictures.  The pictures showed us this tiny blob that apparently was a baby.  We were both excited, but watching Mr. C's eyes light up when we heard the heart beat was my favorite part of that experience.  It was all seeming so real.

We had planned to wait until 10-12 weeks to make the news "Facebook official" and tell everyone at work, but decided that 10 weeks was plenty of time.  We'd had 3 ultrasounds with a heart beat and my issues had cleared up.  We posted an announcement on facebook and sat there for a few minutes staring at the computer as it dinged away with "likes" and comments.  It filled my heart to read the loving comments from people genuinely excited for our news.

It still seems a bit surreal especially since I haven't started showing yet, but I know there's a baby in there.  I've seen it waving its little arms around on an ultrasound.  I feel my body acting in ways it hasn't acted before and I have these food cravings I can only blame on the baby.  I gave up sugar a year ago and haven't looked back but this baby has made all of that come crashing down.  Apparently the baby likes ice cream and tropical skittles.  Although these few months have not been what I'd describe as fun, I am thankful for the time to adjust to the idea that there's going to be a baby (OURS!) in the house soon.

Weekend Wrap-Up

This past weekend was one of my favorite weekends this year.  I realize that we haven’t had too many weekends in 2016, but nevertheless it was amazing. 

Saturday morning began with a hike.  This wasn’t just any hike though; it was my first moderate hike and the 4 miles on the map looked super easy.  The real thing wasn’t so easy for me, but when we got to the top of the mountain I was pretty proud of myself.  Right before we reached the top I had to stop for a few minutes to catch my breath.  I was feeling like we’d never reach the top and was not in the best of moods.  I turned around, looked down the trail, and saw a woman doubled over right before she threw up.  In that moment I remembered that someone always has it worse.  Although I felt bad for that poor woman, I felt accomplished to not be puking and continued on my way.  Although I complained a bit (or a lot), at the end of any hike I always feel refreshed and accomplished.  I’m horrible at shutting down my mind, leaving technology behind, and not trying to do way too many things at once, but hiking is a way for me to step aside, take a breath, and just enjoy being and spending some quality time with Mr. C.

I was feeling adventurous after a successful hike and suggested a new Thai place for lunch.  My mom thinks things with onions are spicy, but she ordered her food medium spicy even after I raised my eyebrows.  We all ended up with medium, but my mom and Mr . C’s food was much spicier than mine.  As great as my food was, the best part was listening to the conversation between Mr. C and my mom regarding how spicy their food was.  At one point I asked Mr. C how his was and he responded that he his vision was so blurred because his eyes were watering so badly.   Hilarious stuff.

We had some friends over Saturday night.  These are the kind of friends that make anything fun.  We could have been cleaning the tiles with a toothbrush and I probably would have still enjoyed it.  At one point during a game I looked around, heard the laughter filling our living room, and was so happy.  I love the home we’ve made, and I really love having people we love in it.

Sunday morning we headed to church for a musical service.  Since I couldn’t be bothered to read the email Friday I had no idea that the service would be all musical, so it was a great surprise!   I left feeling refreshed and I didn’t even have to hike a mountain this time.

We spent some more time with some friends and then I decided to do some adulting.  Not only did I file our taxes in JANUARY, but I also cleaned out the fridge.  Pretty exciting stuff right there.  Being productive is a requirement for me to feel good about the day, so that really topped off the weekend. 

Mr. C worked while my mom and I made this dinner together.  This is one of my all time favorite dinners and I could totally eat it everyday.  Just as I started putting on my Jamberry after months of having nails too short,  it began raining with the lightning and thunder starting shortly after.  It was a perfect ending to my version of a perfect weekend.

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

My Guide to 2016

The start of a new year is always exciting.  It’s a time to begin fresh and look forward to what the next 12 months have in store.  There are a few things I like to do to start the year off right.

Get a planner or calendar that makes you happy and then actually use it!  When I’m without a planner I feel like things are jumbled in my brain.  Even if I remember dates, I have to see them written down to really understand how they fit into the week.  You can ask my carpool buddy about this – I’ve texted her many times the night before an appointment because I knew my dentist appointment was on the 3^rd but just realized the 3^rd was the next day and I definitely can’t carpool.  Each year I treat myself to an Erin Condren planner as well as a Quotables calendar for work.  If I’m going to stare at something for a year I certainly want it to be something that makes me happy.

Set some concrete goals.  New Year’s resolutions get a bad wrap, somewhat for good reasons.  People are frequently super ambitious and decide to lose 100 pounds in a year with no plan of how they will healthily achieve that, or set a goal of being happier without identifying what that would look like.  Goals are always important, but it’s necessary that they be realistic and thought out.  Committing to being happier in 2016 is a great goal, but being happier to me involves different things than it would for Mr. C, so it’s important to identify those things.  I tend to think of setting goals as an ongoing thing, but something that deserves some thought as we begin a new year.

Commit to a healthy change.  This can be something major, maybe as part of a yearly goal like getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep a night or something minor like setting aside time everyday to just relax.  A better you means everything will fall into place easier.

Get organized. After I put away the Christmas stuff I’m always in an organizing mood.  I’m a firm believer that having an organized space leads to more productivity, creativity, peacefulness, and just not feeling like a crazy person.  I’m not talking about a major overhaul here, but just spending some time to tidy up those messy drawers or the closet that has an avalanche each time it’s opened.

What are your must-do’s for a new year?

Looking Back: 2015

I’m not sure how it’s the end of the year already, but 2016 is almost here.  Each year I take some time to reflect about the events of the year and my goals for the future year.  2015 had some big changes.

In February I said good-bye to my Alero of 12 years and bought a crossover.  My Alero had seen its better days but I’m a VERY sentimental person and may have cried a bit as I bid my car goodbye.  I love Betsy though (my crossover), I’m a bit obsessive with her being clean ALL the time.  I’m still excited that I get to drive her and haven’t quite got over the shock.

To celebrate our anniversary we took a much needed long weekend in Santa Barbara.  I’m not sure how long it had been since our last vacation, but it was far too long.  The trip ranks in my top 5 of all times and I quickly fell in love with everything about Santa Barbara.  We were able to walk everywhere and felt like locals by the time we left.

In June we committed to going completely added sugar/sweetener and refined-grain free for a couple months.  We’ve continued this and are super selective now, but I can’t imagine going back to the way it was before.  I don’t miss sugar/sweeteners, I have more energy, feel much healthier, and I’ve lost 30 pounds which I’m pretty darn happy about, especially since it was in a healthy, sustainable way, something I’m very passionate about.

This is the year I become obsessive about my tea.  Water, tea, and wine are my jams now.  I’m not joking about this tea thing; a day without tea is no day at all.

I turned 30 this year and am still moving along.  It was a really big birthday to me; I guess it was the age where I thought I should feel like I had my life together.  I don’t have all the answers but I certainly feel much more like an authentic grown up than I did last year.

We finally decided to officially put down some roots and bought a house in September.  It had been our home for a bit, but it’s a pretty great feeling knowing that it’s really ours, or will be after our next 278,987 payments (it feels that way anyhow).  That being said, the process was long and one of the most stressful things I’ve dealt with in awhile.  I’ve said that we will be living in that house for the rest of our lives so we never have to go through that process again.

The home buying process was so stressful that we decided to go back to Santa Barbara for my b-day to celebrate, but the closing date changed weekly and it was hard to plan.  In my mind we would recreate the wonderful trip we had taken in February, but by the time we knew what was going on we weren’t able to book reservations early enough and there was literally nowhere in Santa Barbara to stay unless we wanted to pay $800 a night.  Contrary to popular belief, working in public service doesn’t really pay well enough for that.  We decided to still go to Cali but stay somewhere else.  Almost everything for the entire trip was a mess and it didn’t turn out AT ALL like we had planned, but it reminded us that even when things are messy we still have each other and needed to make the best of it.  I think I would have been okay having missed out on that lesson and having things just work out.

Mr. C and I took on quite a few big projects around the house after our house closed.   I was very happy with the house before, but I love the changes and I feel like it really reflects our personalities.  I wouldn’t have said we were the handiest people, so I’m very proud of what we’ve done.  I’ll be blogging about the updates and posting pics so I won’t say too much, but we spent hours at Home Depot (literally HOURS), got our hands dirty, bought a lot of new tools, and somehow made our house even more of a home than it was.

This was my first full year in my current position and I’ve finally settled in.  I feel like I’m where I belong and I only wish I would have made the change earlier, although I still believe it happened at the perfect time.  I have more work but I wouldn’t change it for anything.  I am really thankful to work in an amazing organization I believe is truly changing the climate of post-secondary education.

This year we were fortunate enough to have some visitors this year.  One of my best friends and his boyfriend came to visit earlier in the year.  They’re the kind of people who are perfectly content playing games, checking out our favorite restaurants, and shopping, so it was a great, low-key time. 

My parents recently decided this was the year they were going to try to become some sort of snowbirds and will be a walk away from our home.  To commemorate this, they hosted Thanksgiving in AZ and for the first time in 12 years I was able to spend Thanksgiving with my cousins, aunt, uncle, parents, and Mr. C’s parents, brother, and uncle.  It was truly amazing to have everyone together in one place and amazing to have a home full of people we love.  My parents will now be spending part of the year down the street for us and I’m so thankful to have them close. 

What were your highlights of 2015?  I’m excited to see what 2016 has in store for us!