About Kelly

Wife and stay-at-home mom who loves to run, knit, and bake- often using sarcasm to express herself

Pregnancy 2: 27 Week Update

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning!

Here I am…27 weeks along and rocking my first week in the third trimester.

Cravings:

Hmmmmm…I guess the bowl of cereal I mentioned eating the other day is something I’ve been craving.

I have also had a hankering for Reese’s Pieces. I mixed them with ice cream last night and was in heaven.

Sleeping:

I seem to toss and turn quite a bit during the nighttime hours. If I move my head in the slightest, my nose starts running. This is the good stuff, people.

Pregnancy Brain:

I can’t think of any examples that took place this week. What a shame.

Exercise:

Thursday: 3.1 miles on the TM. When I got down to the basement and started running (6 MPH), trying to breathe deeply was a struggle. I slowed down and walked for a mile (4.5 MPH). That felt like such a challenge that I started running again and it actually felt easier. I make a lot of sense when I’m pregnant.

I wasn’t able to finish my usual 3.5 miles because I have a short window from the time my husband finishes running and I need to be ready to watch Lula.

Saturday: 6 miles! I took a few walking breaks but overall it was a decent run. In the afternoon, we worked out in the garden. Yes, my stomach is getting in my way more and more.

Sunday: We ran 5 miles and the wind was gusting.It was challenging but the fact that it was warm enough to wear shorts really helped my mental state.

Tuesday: 2.7 miles on the treadmill. I pretty much walked the whole time. I tried to run twice and the pelvic pain I remember from my last pregnancy is back. I felt disappointed until I realized that even walking 4.3 MPH is a workout, especially if I swing my arms.

I am going to try to run tomorrow morning. We’ll see what happens.

Weight Gain:

Yes, I’m still gaining weight and sound like a broken record at this point.

Notes In The Margin:

I actually didn’t mind the taste of the glucose drink this time around. It wasn’t as sweet as I remember from my last pregnancy. ~~No word yet on whether or not I passed.~~ Updated: I passed!

I didn’t get the Rhogam shot last week because I wasn’t technically 28 weeks on the day of my appointment so I am going back to the office this Friday.

Braxton Hicks contractions/round ligament pain has been happening frequently since last Saturday. I don’t really care which one it is, I just know that it is uncomfortable. The best way I know how to describe it is that my stomach turns into a hard shell and feels like it is burned.It seems to happen when I’ve been on my feet for a long time. If I don’t sit down for awhile, it gets worse.

This baby is a mover. Lula was too but this baby has been engaging in some very intense gyrations in the womb. I love it.

Last week, I had a few bouts of nausea that were reminiscent of the first trimester. I actually retched a few times on Saturday morning but made myself run anyway. Once I started running, the sensation went away. I think that if I had stayed home and felt sorry for myself, I probably would have thrown up.

Lula and I are staying home all day today and I am ridiculously excited about it. It’s supposed to rain all day so between cleaning and baking and playing, some relaxing is going to take place as well.

Have a great day!

Past pregnancy updates for Baby 2:

Week 26

Week 24

WIAW Pregnancy Eats (Week 23)

Weekend In Review: 4.13 & 4.14

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Kelly

Good afternoon! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend.

Although Pa was on-call this weekend, we still had a great couple of days at home.

We celebrated Friday night by making a homemade pizza.

It was so good. We use this crust recipe and bake it on a stone.For years, we tried to make a half-whole wheat pizza crust and there is truly no comparison to this one.

We were thrilled to run Saturday morning (sarcasm), but one thing I know about myself is that I almost always feel better once I get out of the house and start moving. I had a few bouts of nausea before the run and even hustled to the bathroom once, but nothing came up. Guess what made me feel better? Running.

I decided to coddle myself with a bowl of honey nut cheerios and berries post-run, rather than my usual green smoothie. It was so good.

Lula didn’t take a nap Saturday–she played in her crib instead–so we knew we needed some outdoor time to distract her.

The lovely chickweed was back in the garden, even after Pa’s efforts last weekend.

He tilled it again while I dug dirt out of our compost bin.

I discovered a lot of rich soil that we then sprinkled over the garden. Lula was very helpful in this process.

I can’t say enough about how fun it is to watch her occupy herself when we are outside.

Once we finished up our tasks, Pa mowed and I shot a few amateur nature photos.

A solitary bud on our locust tree.

The forsythia blooming is a sure sign of spring.

At this point in the afternoon my stomach was as hard as a rock so I brought Lula back inside and sat down as soon as possible.

Pa and I enjoyed burgers while we watched this documentary. It was creepy, sad, and disturbing. I would recommend it if you enjoy watching shows like Dateline and 48 Hours. However, like many episodes we have watched lately, the ending of this documentary did not give us the closure we were looking for.

Sunday morning Lula was chattering at 6:45 and by 8 we were back outside for a 5 miler.

I took a few walking breaks along the way and felt pretty good, even after such an active Saturday.

Once everyone was cleaned up,

we decided to see if the local greenhouse was open and purchase some plants.

Although the sign said,

the owner recommended not buying plants yet since it was so windy out and the forecast this week is chilly. We thought that was sage advice and headed home.

Of course, Lula slept on the 7 minute drive home so once again, a nap didn’t happen.

After lunch, we convinced ourselves to go back outside and do some more yard work. The garden looks great……although close-up there is still knot weed everywhere. Does anyone have advice for how to eradicate this stuff?

We planted spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce seeds in the garden and planted phlox and pansy seeds in the wildflower container we keep on our deck.The leftover onions I kept from last year were completely dried out, but not to worry, Lula found a good use for them.

Last but not least, we planted our wildflower patch.

As I was watering it, Lula discovered the fun of walking through the running hose.Once again, my stomach was starting to make me extremely uncomfortable so it was time to head inside. We had a relaxing evening and Pa and I felt ready to start the week after a good night’s sleep.

I hope that you have a wonderful day!

Happy Friday!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning!

I woke up feeling hungover this morning. How? I have no idea considering I went to bed at 9:30 last night and…oh yeah…I can’t drink since I’m pregnant.

I am comforted by the fact that it’s Friday.

Lula had her 18 month check-up yesterday and everything is great. We no longer have to buy iron-fortified cereal (HOORAY!) and can even move her to 2% milk if we wish. She is at the 50th percentile for what is referred to as her “Baby BMI”. That phrase cracks me up.

Today, I get the pleasure of sipping on some Glucola before heading to my appointment for a blood draw and a Rhogam shot.

Lula and I plan on running a few errands in the “city” after my appointment since we’ll be close by and we’re trying to be more frugal with gas these days.

I’m already looking forward to getting back home and relaxing for the rest of the day. We hope to pick up some plants this weekend and at least drop seeds in the ground.

Have a great weekend!

Pregnancy 2: 26 Week Update

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning!I honestly feel that I am nearly as big as I was when I gave birth to Lula…3 more months, 3 more months.

Just for fun, here is a picture of me at 26 weeks last time around. Cravings:

Egg salad!Okay, I guess this craving was mainly because we had hardboiled eggs to eat up after Easter. Mixed with a little mayo and sweet pickle? Yum.

Homemade macaroni and cheese.I made a Betty Crocker recipe using skim milk and 2% reduced fat cheese. It was okay. I actually liked it better reheated. I have a crazy fattening recipe I haven’t made in years but I’m not sure I want to make it and then potentially eat it all at once.

Sleeping:

Welcome back, pregnancy congestion! It has kept me up for a few hours overnight in the last week so that has been fun.

Also, even with my trusty pillow, my hips are starting to ache more and more.

Pregnancy Brain:

Me: “Hey Pa, do you want carrots or green beans with your dinner tonight?”

Pa: “Green Beans.”

Two seconds later…

Me: “What kind of veggies do you want with your dinner?”

I described the railing of the deck as “top boards” the other day.

Exercise:

Thursday: 3.5 miles on the TM. I really wanted to walk the WHOLE time I was running but I survived.

Friday: It was such a beautiful day that Lula and I took a stroller walk in the morning. My stomach felt tight and walking uphill was a challenge.

Saturday: 6 miles! Hooray for shorts. Here’s a picture of one of my port-o-potty stops. I’m not joking.

I had a bad side stitch and walked for awhile but I was pleasantly surprised that I experienced no pelvic pain.

Sunday: It was so hard to wake up but it was a beautiful morning.We ran 5 miles and it felt great…after the first mile or so.

I also spent time weeding the garden which was much more tiring than I expected it to be. I hope you like my outfit as much as I do…I don’t have maternity “working in the garden” clothes. Tuesday: 3.5 miles on the TM. It was 70 degrees and muggy in my basement. Although I thought I would walk the last mile, the run got better the longer I kept at it, if that makes sense.

I am curious how much longer I will be able to keep running. Humidity is creeping back into our climate which is guaranteed to slow me down. I’m prepared for anything and plan on taking the rest of this pregnancy one run at a time.

Weight Gain:

I’m still gaining but like I’ve said before, much more slowly than I was when I indulged in sugar all day long. I also weigh about ten pounds less than I did at this point in my pregnancy with Lula.

Notes In The Margin:

My glucose test is this Friday. My orange drink is chilling in the fridge.I can’t wait until consuming that and my required Rhogam shot are both behind me.

A friend told me that when she was pregnant (20ish years ago), she was instructed to eat a sugary meal prior to her glucose test. She ate pancakes with a bunch of syrup…I sure wish those were the rules now!

This pregnancy has gone well other than fatigue and nausea in the first trimester. That said, I am really looking forward to being done with pregnancy and having a newborn again!

I plan to write a post about my thoughts on juggling a brand new baby with an almost 2 year old soon.

Have a great day!

Past pregnancy updates for Baby 2:

Week 24

WIAW Pregnancy Eats (Week 23)

Weekend In Review: 4.6 & 4.7

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning- I hope that your weekend was great.

We started Saturday off with a 6 mile run. Although I had a bad side stitch, a few walking breaks helped and eventually it subsided.

Saturday was gorgeous- pretty windy but sunny and a high of 79 degrees! I was able to hang diapers outside all day long.

We had family over for an early dinner so after an unsuccessful nap attempt–both me and Lula–we started getting ready.

Check out this amazing salad our company brought!

It included apples, dried cherries and light cream cheese balls rolled in walnuts…just what this pregnant lady was craving!

We enjoyed a simple make-your-own sandwich bar for dinner…casual and easy.

After our visitors left, Pa got Lula to bed, and he and I relaxed before conking out around 9:30.

Sunday the sun was shining and after an hour of sitting around, we convinced each other that we needed to run.

It was a great morning and we got through 5 miles. I took a few walking breaks on some of the uphills and otherwise felt fine.

Once we were home and cleaned up, one thing we wanted to tackle yesterday was the garden- ugh.Every year we have the same discussion- is it worth it? It is so much work at the start and since we use land that hasn’t been cultivated, there are awful weeds that encroach on the garden.This knotweed stuff is the worst- it’s nearly impossible to pull cleanly out of the ground and when it’s tilled up, its seed scatters and takes root yet again…and in our opinion, becomes stronger than it was before.

We decided to do our best and prepare the garden anyway.

This year, Lula was on her own and she had so much fun wandering around.Last year, she was pretty much stuck in the stroller.She was pretty good about sticking close by and did her best to help out.

Once we started weeding the big patch of knotweed, we found this little guy!

Pa put him in our compost bin so he would have some privacy after being shocked out of his home.

A few other fun garden surprises included onions…

…and cilantro.Soon enough, it was Lula’s nap time and I was exhausted so I brought her in and then relaxed while Pa tilled the garden.

After Lula’s nap and lunch, it was back to the grind.

Pa and I plucked out as much of the chopped-up knotweed as was possible.

There is still a great deal of it rooted in the ground but for now, the majority of it is gone…largely thanks to Pa’s efforts.

In other news, Lula ate some fresh catnip I brought inside for Frankie…

…she seemed okay afterwards.

And we got much-needed rain in the late evening into the overnight hours.

Here’s to a great week ahead!

Easter Weekend 2013 Part II

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning! If you are catching up, Part I of my epic Easter weekend can be found here.

Easter morning saw us up bright and early. Pa and I took Lula out in the stroller for a 5 mile run.

When we got back to the house, Pa had some final touches left on Lula’s Easter present so we all hung out in the yard instead of showering right away.

Obligatory profile shot of the week…I’m running out of tops I can run in!

Once we were cleaned up, Easter eggs were boiled…

…and dyed…

…and displayed…

…and hidden throughout the yard…

….and hunted for…

…and discovered…

…and smashed!

Lula’s Easter dress is from her Aunt Amy, who bought it for her when she was a newborn. I seriously never thought she would be big enough to wear it!

Once she tired out, it was time for a ride in her Easter gift from Pa!

Her hair is an indicator of the wind, not my speed.

Lula’s beautiful handmade Easter basket from her auntie…tossed to the side as she checked out its contents.

One of the paper mache eggs Lula found inside.

We ended up grilling for Easter dinner which was great- no frills, no fuss.

Pa and I ran again Monday morning–5 miles–and his mom took off when we returned.

Monday was a pretty relaxed day with a trip out for lunch (Jason’s Deli) and a little more shopping.

When we came home, we took advantage of our brother-in-law by making him help Pa move an incredibly heavy desk down to the basement to create more space for Baby 2′s nursery.

A new dresser from Ikea was assembled shortly afterwards.

Lula did her best to help…

…but found that clothespins were much more exciting.

The finished product…

…complete with personalized knobs from Anthropologie.

Thanks to Emily for the idea.

SInce our visitors left, we’ve been playing catch up and gearing up for the warm weather that is headed our way.

Have a wonderful day!

Easter Weekend 2013 Part I

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning! Wednesday already? I am shaking my head.

We had a fabulous weekend and here I am, already 25 weeks pregnant!

I am feeling fine. I definitely have some catching up to do on sleep after our weekend visitors–so does Lula if it isn’t clear from the above photo.

Our house guests left yesterday morning and it has been so quiet without them here.

treats

Backing up, on Friday, Pa’s mom, sister and brother-in-law made the trek to Kansas to spend the weekend with us.

We were glad to give them a few days of mild weather since they live in South Dakota and Minnesota.

We had a nice evening catching up before it was suddenly 11 and definitely time for bed.

Pa and I ran solo on Saturday morning- I got in about 5 and a half miles with a little walking when I felt too uncomfortable.

After cleaning up, we headed into KC.

The Plaza is a great shopping destination. We saw giant bunnies like this one scattered throughout the couple of blocks that make up this beautiful area.No trip to the Plaza is complete without a meal at Winstead’s.

Delicious diner food- every bite was enjoyed.

We tried to give Lula a fair amount of walking time while we were out and about. We also brought the stroller and mixing it up worked really well for her.

After a few hours of shopping, we made our way here.

The place was hoppin’ since we stopped by on the day before Easter, but all of the beautiful displays kept us distracted while we waited.

We purchased some delicious goodies and after one more stop, made our way back home, exhausted…or maybe that was just me.

A bath, dinner, and some bedtime stories and Lula was off to bed. The rest of us sat around and chatted and my brother-in-law and I put together a quick Mexican meal.

Although Pa and I went to bed at 10, I was up past 12…my mind was racing and I felt like I had drunk a cup of coffee late in the day.

This is getting long so I’ll leave you with a peek at Lula’s Easter dress and wrap up our Easter weekend recap tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Lula: 18 months

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning! I hope your weekend was wonderful.

We have visitors so instead of taking away precious time from them by writing and publishing a weekend in review post, I’m posting a Lula update instead.

Embarrassingly enough, the last Lula update I did was at 11 months old!

I’m sorry I didn’t keep up after that as I just read it again and it was so fun to take a look back. At least her baby book is pretty much updated- phew.

It’s hard to believe that she is already a year and a half old.

18 months is such a fun age. When I think back to the days she relied on me to entertain her 24/7, it was hard.There is no other way to put it.

Fast forward to the present and most days are a lot of fun. I don’t even mind if she doesn’t end up taking a nap. She has fun playing in her crib and I still get a break.

She is walking, walking, walking.She started tentatively walking in December and left crawling behind for good mid-January.

I have to be on the lookout because she will suddenly show up right next to me…let’s just say that has startled Mama from time to time.

She loves Frankie.If he’s around, she is constantly hugging him, laying her head on his stomach, or laying directly on top of him.It’s pretty cute to watch, as long as she doesn’t go overboard, which happens frequently.

We have a play corner set up for her and she enjoys making a huge mess and looking at her treasures while she chatters.If I am working in the kitchen, this is her go-to spot.

I’ve been doing a lot of deep cleaning lately and she is right there with me.Sometimes she mimics me with a dust pan and broom and sometimes occupies herself by ripping a Kleenex into the finest shreds I have ever seen.

She also enjoys pretending to water the plants after she sees me do it.

We go to story time every Tuesday morning and she has a great time intereacting with the other kids. She has recently taken to wandering the entire library once the librarian starts reading. I don’t mind…I like her to be active.

Our other stomping grounds include Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Target and the park. I am looking forward to getting back to the park once the snow is gone and things dry out again.

Cloth Diapers: size M in gDiapers, double overnight

Clothing: 18-24 month

Shoes: size 3-4, impatiently waiting for her Minnetonka moccasins to fit her!

Eats: As many fruits and veggies as we can convince her to eat!

LOVES sugar. We rarely give it to her. I figure it’s going to be enough of a battle once she gets older, why give it to her now?

Here was a typical day of eats last month.

Attitude:

Sunshiney disposition most of the time.When she gets frustrated, she starts swinging her arms and sometimes wants to hit Ma or Pa. She has also been known to yank on her face or hair. We’re working on it.

She is very determined. Most of the time, when we redirect her away from something she shouldn’t be playing with, she will calmly attempt to find another way to get the item in question. I don’t want her to be defiant, but Pa and I both like that she perseveres and doesn’t give up easily.

She has some “imp” characteristics in her as well.She seems to enjoy making others laugh and doesn’t take herself too seriously.

Lula is very observant. In new situations, she watches for awhile before she is comfortable enough to involve herself in what’s going on.

She is incredibly curious and loves soaking in the world around her.

Language: Dada, mama, nana, lala, baba and recently added, blah, blah blah. She recognizes a lot of words. If I ask her to get her shoes, she will go pick them up for me. However, saying them? She isn’t quite there. She has her own language that she uses constantly.

She points a lot at what she wants……and frequently asks, “dah?” in the sweetest little voice when she wonders what something is.

Nursing: No longer- she wrapped up at 17 months on her own and doesn’t seem to miss it one little bit.

Naps: I change her diaper and read her a few stories around 11:45 AM and she is in her crib at 12.Somedays, her nap consists of playtime in her crib. She loves it and I can’t think of the last time she started crying in her crib…unless she was really overtired.

If she doesn’t take a nap and we have errands to run in the afternoon, she usually sleeps in the car.

If she does nap, it lasts until 1:45 which is when I wake her up.We found that she really can’t sleep much past 1:45 without having a hard time at bedtime…especially now that it’s lighter out later in the evening.

It’s pretty common for her to wake up on her own and play in her crib until I come get her.

Nighttime: We had a rough go of it when we got back from our Christmas travels.A combination of poor sleep, lots of extra attention, co-sleeping when things got desperate, and teething while we were away led to quite a few overnight wake-ups upon our return.

Most wake-ups were less than a minute of crying, two lasted for over an hour. Mid-February, she found her way and rarely wakes up overnight anymore. She is a heavy sleeper.As proof of this, Pa has gone into her room in the evening to pull out a chirping battery from the smoke detector, Frankie often races up and down the hall and meows loudly overnight (he’s crazy), and we are pretty loud and active once she goes to bed.

We live in a split-level and the kitchen and living room are right down the hall from her bedroom, so she sleeps nearby all our evening fun.I’m grateful and hopeful this deep sleep continues once Baby 2 gets here since their rooms will share a wall.

She is a wonderful baby and we love her so much.It’s fun to see how she has grown and how much she is able to do, especially compared to those first three months.Since she turned one, time has gone so quickly and I know there is no stopping it!

Happy year and a half little Munchkie!

Happy Friday!

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning!

We made it to Friday.

We have family arriving today and staying through Monday. Lula and I are getting ready by doing some last minute cleaning this morning. As a friend of ours once said, “the cleaning doesn’t stop until people arrive.” I am finding that to be more and more accurate the older I get!

Lula had her first taste of an Easter egg hunt at the library earlier this week. Hidden all over the library were pieces of candy and the kids were given plastic cups to retrieve the goodies. Lula had a great time! Over, and over, and over, she placed the treats into the cup and then dumped them back out again. What a great game.

Have a wonderful weekend, I hope the sun decides to show its face!

Pregnancy 2: 24 Week Update

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Kelly

Good morning!

I hope that your week is going well.

For 24 weeks along, I have been feeling pretty good.

Cravings:

Sweeeeeeeeets. Usually things that aren’t in the house are what I want to eat. I made a chocolate cake for Pa’s uncle’s birthday and the cake mix sat in the kitchen for a few days beforehand. Every time I saw it, I wanted to make it and have a big slice.That craving was fulfilled Saturday.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about a big romaine salad with goat cheese, strawberries, and roasted almonds.Once fruit is in season and on sale, I will be making that pronto.

Sleeping:

I am getting to the point where I find myself tossing and turning a lot at night. My hips are starting to get sore when I lay on one side for too long. Pa reminded me the other night that a pillow was probably in order. I don’t have a fancy body pillow but use a small pillow between my knees.It actually makes it a lot easier to turn from side to side when I only have a small pilllow to contend with. It has made a big difference in how much my hips ache.

Pregnancy Brain:

It’s been absent lately. I would argue that when I don’t remember things that I normally do, it can–at times–be chalked up to the fact that I am trying to keep track of me and Lula!

Exercise:

Thursday: 3.5 miles on the TM. I ran for 2.8 miles (6.0-6.1 MPH) and then walked the rest. 2 miles into the run, I started feeling some painful twinges in my pelvic area (this happened to me in the second trimester when I was pregnant with Lula).

I ran through the twinges for a few minutes but when they didn’t go away, I decided to actually listen to my body instead of pushing through the pain. I’m so glad that I did! I have the rest of my life to push myself. Being kind to my body while it’s carrying a baby is a reasonable thing to do.

Saturday: 6 miles! It was a gloomy, windy, chilly run…but I did it.

Sunday: I was excited about the snowfall for a lot of reasons, one being because it meant we couldn’t run outside. We ended up snowshoeing instead. That plus shovelling was a great workout.

Tuesday: 3.544 miles on the TM

In addition to scheduled exercise, I have also been cleaning like a madwoman every day. Vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing things, picking up after Lula, etc.
These sessions wear me out, but it feels so good to have everything in its place!

Weight Gain:

For the first time in a few months, I didn’t gain anything this week. That’s good for me, since I am a little ahead of the curve at this point in my pregnancy.

Notes In The Margin:

I’ve noticed that I am starting to get out of breath more quickly. This usually happens when I am doing something strenuous. Additionally, my stomach is starting to get in my way more and more…and we haven’t even gotten into toe nail polish season yet!

That wraps up my summary for week 24- hope you have a fantastic day!

Past pregnancy updates for Baby 2:

WIAW Pregnancy Eats (Week 23)