Sunday, June 30, 2013

Last Chance

Today is the last official day for Google Reader! I remember being pretty upset when I read that. However, I have joined Bloglovin' and have loved using it, (and its app!), for the past few months.

With that in mind, I know not all of you use Google Reader. If you need to, you can always bookmark my page. If you do decide to use Bloglovin' as well, be sure to click here:
Follow on Bloglovin

I will have this button on the side of my blog page if you forget and decide you want to keep up with me :)

I do hope you continue reading, no matter how you do it! I really appreciate all the support and friendships I have made through blogging.

Hope y'all have had a great weekend!

Friday, June 28, 2013

+/-

Pregnancy brain has officially taken over. In order to write a decent coherent post, I thought I'd take a hint from one of my favorite bloggers, and do a +/- post for today :)

+ After writing this post yesterday, Jillian had a really good night! We didn't give her any milk after 6:30 pm, and she went just about the entire night without coughing. Hopefully this trend will continue!

+ Phil got paid overnight! Now I can buy groceries again ;)

- My vertigo is awful today. The day started fine, but shortly after Jillian went down for her morning nap, I started to feel strange. I knew it wasn't really bébé, but I also knew it wasn't good. After lying down for about 30 minutes, I discovered I was not able to stand upright for more than 5 minutes at a time. This afternoon has a bit challenging, but so far everyone is surviving.

- The vertigo means we can't go to Tulsa for a wedding :( I really wanted to go, but there's no way I'd make it up the turnpike, let alone mingle at a wedding reception feeling like this.

+ Phil is such an amazing husband! Because I told him that I couldn't stand up, he offered to stop by and make lunch for me so I could eat. I think he's a keeper!

- It is so hot here! The actual temperature is only 95, but the heat index is well over 100. Summer in Oklahoma has officially started y'all.

+ Jillian has been so sweet lately. She loves to give hugs and kisses. She's also gotten a little bashful/clingy, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I love it when she holds onto my legs as tight as she can :)

How is your Friday going? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Exhausted

I finally had my first official pregnant breakdown last night. And y'all? It was not pretty.

I may have briefly mentioned on here that Jillian has had an allergy/sinus thing for awhile. In fact, when I finally broke down and took her to the doctor, she also had an ear infection. {Only the second one in her entire life.} The doctor even made a comment when I took her that she has been relatively healthy, and he was pleasantly surprised he hasn't seen us all that often. Well, this was right before we left for our Chicago trip in early June. She had suffered with a runny nose and a cough that caused her to throw up for about 3 weeks at that point.

Even after her antibiotic ran out 10 days later, her cough barely improved. Amongst all the VBS chaos last week, (I was the opening and closing leader), Phil ended up taking her to the doctor again. Dr. V wanted to do x-rays just to be 100% positive it wasn't in her lungs as pneumonia. We quickly got results that told us she did have some inflammation, but that it was completely allergy related. That was a relief! They prescribed an inhaler for two weeks, and we were told we would see improvement within 4-7 days. Yesterday marked day 6 of the inhaler.  She has gotten much better at taking the medicine. However, things are not better.

She still has a runny nose. We still have to steam the bathroom once before bed, and most nights once in the middle of the night. She still has an awful cough that keeps us all up at night. Her mucus is still teetering between clear and bright yellow. Worst of all, last night she threw up mucus. Not just a little bit either. As Phil went to be with her and clean her off, I just bawled my eyes out. I'm talking, ugly-soap-opera crying.

Why is none of the medicine working very well? Why does she have to suffer for this long? Why can't I help her?! I just feel absolutely helpless. I desperately want to find something that will make her feel better, and finally kick whatever this is in the butt.

We are calling the doctor today to update them on her condition, but only because they told us to. If this inhaler with a steroid isn't working, I don't know what will. I hate that this has gone on for as long as it has. I just want her to feel better.

Odd thing is, she acts normal. She eats like she usually does, and is relatively in a good mood. She only cries when we mess with her nose for the millionth time, and after she's throw up mucus. {I don't blame her for that!} Besides the lack of sleep, she's her perky, and running-a-mile-a-minute self. It seems to upset me more than her, though I'm sure my extra hormones have a little something to do with that.

Deep down, I know it will get better. Whatever she's allergic to will go away, and she can breathe easier. Until then, I'm going to be a sleepy, and emotion mess.

At least I am able to drink a little coffee again. {Silver lining anyone?}

{6 Weeks of Sickness}
{Top Right: Jillian sleeping on me because she was so congested 5/15 Bottom Left: Her inhaler with the special mask the first night 6/21 Right: Her antibiotic for the ear infection on 6/5}

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Bébé Deux Week 17 Update


Today's date: June 25, 2013

How far along: 17 Weeks

Total weight gain: I gained a little for about a loss of 2 pounds overall.

Size and growth of baby: Bébé is the size of an onion! Cartilage is hardening into bone, fat is starting to accumulate, and the umbilical chord is getting thicker and stronger :) {via}

Baby is a: baby for now. We should find out 2 weeks! Be sure to vote on my page :)

Maternity clothing: I wear maternity pants consistently, and very few non-maternity shirts.

Sleep: I sleep ok, but never feel like I sleep enough! I can't always nap though, which can be hard. I try to just lie down anyways and not do too much when Jillian naps. The other morning, I woke up to pee at 5:45 am and couldn't get back to sleep. I just felt ready to get up and eat breakfast I guess.

Movement: I can't always tell for sure what I'm feeling. It seems to be more rolling movements than kicks like Jillian did. However, Phil can usually put his hand on my belly, (with light pressure), and feel stuff before we go to bed. It's always fun to see his face light up when he feels bébé :)

Cravings/Aversions: My main craving this past week was corn, avocados, and salted caramels. Aversions are the same.

Morning Sickness: I still take Zofran once a day.

Symptoms: Round ligament pain, lower back pain, pimples, a little heartburn, some nausea, peeing a fair amount, and tired.

Labor Signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

How this pregnancy is different than the first: I had lost more weight with Jillian. I am also more tired with this pregnancy. Vivid dreams were plaguing me with Jillian, but not so much with this pregnancy. Well, at least so far. Finally, I feel like my allergies are much worse this pregnancy. I've been super stuffed up/sneezing for days.

The best moment of this past week: Seeing two of my good friends over the weekend, and seeing a movie with Phil for the first time in months!

What I miss: Nothing at all :)

I'm looking forward to: More and stronger movement, and our next appointment on July 2nd!

Bump Comparison:
{Left: Jillian 2011 Right: Bébé Deux 2013}

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Chicago Trip - Part Two: {Saturday, Sunday, and Monday}

Saturday was our only full day in Chicago. We tried to squeeze in as much as we could :) We started off taking the bus to Millennium Park so we could see "The Bean".

{Jillian fell asleep on the bus. Luckily, G-Chaz was willing to carry her around :)}
{p.s. We bought this backpack carrier especially for this trip. Overall, we really like it and it was a big help!}

{The bean! It was pretty crowded} 

{Family portrait :)} 

After that, Phil decided he wanted to go to the aquarium. We took the bus over and saw the beautiful lake as we walked to the entrance.

 {Such a beautiful view!}

Unfortunately, they were not letting anyone inside because they were closing early. I have a feeling a wedding was there. It was only 11 something in the morning. We decided to eat an early lunch thanks to a hot dog vendor near the entrance. Plus, Jillian woke up and needed to run around. After we filled our tummies, we decided to take the water taxi to the Navy Pier!

 {Jillian walking around while we wait for our water taxi!}

{Baby with the skyline} 

{Jillian on the water taxi with her Jemma! She's pointing out all the birds} 

We stopped for a drink and potty break at the McDonald's in the Navy Pier. Then we went to find the Bob Newhart statue across the street!

 {A quick family session before we continue ;)}

Then it was time for us to hope on the red line to see the Cubs! Boy was it crowded on the train!! We hardly had breathing room on the way there or back. The Cubs are pretty popular!
 {Our view from our seats!}
{Some of my favorite people :)}

As seen in this picture, Jillian was getting pretty sleepy. We left after the 7th inning stretch and relaxed at our room. I don't have a picture of it, but we walked to a small burger place called Fatty's Burgers and More. It was REALLY good! Every enjoyed their burger, (I had a grilled chicken with avocados), fries, even though our portions were huge. I definitely recommend them if you want a quick bite :) We spent the rest of the evening just hanging out and relaxing after our big day.

Sunday, we woke up and went straight to breakfast. After that, my dad was keeping an eye on the weather. There were some thunderstorms forecasted for their route home. We decided they would drop us off at the station and head home a little early than we originally planned. It was hard to see them go, but I was so thankful to spend the time together that we did :)

 {Jillian was helping G-Chaz and daddy load the luggage trolley}
{And by helping, I mean dancing ;)}

We stored our main luggage in a locker, then took the bus back to the Navy Pier for some souvenier shopping and last minute fun. We all got something to remember our trip by, then had an early lunch at Bubba Gump! (Phil had never eaten there before, so it was a must!)

{Family photo}

We had enough time to ride the bus back, get and check our luggage, and then relax in the sleeper car lounge! It was very nice with its own bathrooms and complimentary snacks!

{Jillian and mama waiting for our train}

Before we knew it, it was time to load up and get going.
{Bye Chicago! See you soon :)} 

{We got some rain on the ride home, (but no dementors hehe), but it was still a relatively* smooth ride}
{Jillian of course didn't nap, but that ok}
{*I will have to do a separate post about a major mishap on my part. You just wait...}

We got delayed a bit, so we didn't get to my aunt's house in Kansas City until right around midnight. Luckily, we had time to sleep in a bit, have a nice breakfast, then head home. We were able to stop and see Phil's mom for about 2 hours, then got home just in time for dinner. It was a long, but good traveling day.

{Heading back down the turnpike...}

Like I said before, it really was a great trip. We had good company, Jillian did really well, and we had a great time. I really hope we can go again sometime soon :)

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Bébé Deux Week 16 Update

{I feel like my bump looks smaller this week? I don't know, it just looks like it to me}

Today's date: June 18, 2013

How far along: 16 Weeks

Total weight gain: I lost a little for about a loss of 4 pounds overall.

Size and growth of baby: Bébé is the size of an avocado! They can hear my voice, and should recognize it once they are out and in the world! They are also forming taste buds. {Hope they like spicy food ;)} Bébé also has eyelashes and eyebrows. {via}

Baby is a: baby for now. We should find out by the second week July! Be sure to vote on my page :)

Maternity clothing: I wear maternity pants consistently, but still wear a few non-maternity shirts.

Sleep: Y'all, I have been so exhausted! I had one day where I thought my nesting was kicking in. Ever since then, I am wiped out. If I'm not in bed by 10? I am dragging until I get my little butt into bed. 

Movement: I feel something every other night just about! It's a different sensation than the kicks Jillian did, but they definitely make me smile :)

Cravings/Aversions: My main craving this past week was oatmeal. I'm eating better overall, which is nice! Aversions are starting to dwindle a bit, but mayo is a new one. In fact, just typing it made me gag a little :-/ Meats about 75% of the time if I smell it raw, anything overly sweet, fast food/junk food, and anything that just happens to sound awful at the time.

Morning Sickness: I still take Zofran once a day.

Symptoms: Lots of round ligament pain (especially when I get up too fast), sore/heavy boobs, lower back pain, pimples, a little heartburn, some nausea, peeing a fair amount, and tired.

Labor Signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

How this pregnancy is different than the first: I was more queasy, and also lost more weight with Jillian, though it was improving at this point. I also don't recall feeling this tired with Jillian during the second trimester. {The 1st and 3rd trimesters were a different story...}

The best moment of this past week: Ordering part of my gender reveal stuff online, seeing a dear friend of mine graduate from radiologic tech, and spending time with Phil for Father's Day!

What I miss: Nothing at all :)

I'm looking forward to: More and stronger movement, and our next appointment on July 2nd!

Bump Comparison:
{Left: Jillian 2011 Right: Bébé Deux 2013}

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Chicago Trip - Part One: {Thursday and Friday}

I have to make a slight side note for this post: it is my 500th post! Man, it's hard to believe I've written that many in just 4 short years. No matter how long you've been around, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and keeping up with my little family :)

Back in Decemeber, Phil and I decided to take the train from Kansas City to St Paul for Christmas with my folks. The price was comparable to flying, and I wouldn't have to be worried about the weather :) Unfortunately, as you know, we got the stomach flu right before we left, and missed our train. Boo. After we called Amtrak, we were told we would have a few months to use up vouchers to make up for the train we couldn't take.

With that in mind, we decided to just play a mini-vacation to Chicago because Phil has never been. We told my folks, and we ended up planning on meeting them there. We ended up having a great trip!

The train from Kansas City to Chicago leaves at 7:45 am, so Phil asked for Thursday off so we could head up to KC. We got there in time to have a little dinner after getting our tickets at the station. Then I treated Phil to a late birthday/early Father's Day gift - great seats at the Royals game! My aunt offered to watch Jillian so we could enjoy the game together :)
{Jillian at our lunch stop in Wichita. She says "We're #1!"}

{We had to find Phil's brick before the game. Do you see us?!} 

{The view from our seats} 

{It's not a trip to KC without some Topsy's popcorn :)}
{Not pictured: my delicious limeade}
{We left at the top of the 7th because it was already 9 pm, and we had to leave the house for the train station at 5:30 am. We did win which was awesome!!}

Friday morning came too soon, but we were ready to get on the train! It was the first ride for both Jillian and Phil. It was closer to 14 years since my last ride, but it was still fun! If you have a young child or active toddler, I highly recommend getting a sleeper car. It's not a lot of room, but it has enough that they can stand, walk a little, etc. Jillian would have been miserable in coach if she had to stay in the same seat the whole time. Plus, meals are included on the train! We got breakfast, and lunch for free. We did pay extra out of pocket for something for Jillian, but it was worth the $4.
{Waiting for our train at the station :)} 

{Jillian looks thrilled to be on the train HAHA} 

{Fun on the train} 

{This was the only nap she took on the train - during our lunch!} 

{Our first glimpse of Chicago!} 

{My parents offered to pick us up, but unfortunately got stuck in traffic. What would have taken 45 minutes took 2 hours! Luckily, we had some Daniel Tiger episodes on Phil's phone that kept Jillian occupied :)} 

{Once we checked into the hotel, we had enough time to get settled, then take the Red Line train* to the game! We were a little late to the game, but it was ok.}
{The Sox fans were much better behaved than the last game my family went to. I think not having a 2 hour rain delay while people continue to drink really helped with that ;)}

{*Note: If you're in Chicago for a period of time, I highly recommend buying a CTA pass. We got a 3 day pass for $20 a person, and we got our money's worth! (We didn't need a pass for Jillian) We were able to ride as many trains and buses as we needed to get around easily.}

{Jillian dancing at the White Sox game!}
{We went to the White Sox game on Friday night. It was much cooler than we expected, so we had to buy Jill some pants and a jacket so she wouldn't get too cold. We left after the 7th inning stretch because we were all pretty tired. They ended up losing anyways, so we didn't miss out.}

Next up: Chicago Trip - Part Two {Saturday, Sunday, and Monday}!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Jillian: {18 Months}


Jillian –

You are 18 months old today! It’s hard to believe you’re just as close to your second birthday as you are to your first. According to the doctor, you are 21lbs, 8 oz and 31 inches long.

You wear 12 Month, and 12/18 Month clothes. You wear size 3 Luvs or Pampers Cruisers brand diapers for the daytime and Huggies Overnight for bed.

Eating is good. Some days you eat like a bird, and other times we can’t feed you enough! You have three square meals and one snack. You drink whole milk for breakfast, lunch, and right before bedtime. You have water with dinner and if you’re thirsty throughout the day. You use sippy cups with straws, but will drink from a regular cup if we help you.

You have 8 teeth, and are still working on your molars. Those things hurt and are taking quite a while!

You just have to move around! You run more than you walk right now, but you’ve had fewer injuries as of late. Climbing is starting to cross your mind though you haven’t done it much. You love waving hello to everyone, and usually don’t mind being held by people. You are becoming shyer, even at church. I think you just like being with mama and daddy best :)

Sleep has been a bit challenging, but only because we are weaning you off your pacifier. We have you sleeping from 8 pm to 7 am without the pacifier with minimal crying. However, you are really fighting us on not having a pacifier for naptime. We haven’t tried too hard because of our trip to Chicago this past weekend, but we’re going to be revisiting this soon. You usually nap for 2 ½ to 3 hours in the late morning/early afternoon, and then you usually want to nap/have quiet time in your crib for another hour closer to dinnertime. Once we get a handle on this pacifier thing, I think sleep will still be a favorite pastime of yours.

You are turning into quite the chatterbox! You say several things clearly, and other things only your mama and daddy understand. You will do the correct beginning syllable, but won’t do the ending. It sounds like that is a typical thing for beginners, so we’re not worried. In fact, just in the last week you’ve gotten really chatty! You imitate our movements and the things we are saying. You mostly do it with your mama and daddy, but are too shy with others around. You come by it honestly, because your mama was the exact same way until junior high. Overall, you’re doing really well and we’re quite proud of you! You’ve come a long way baby :)

We went on a mini-family vacation over the weekend! We drove up to Kansas City, and then took the train to Chicago where we spent a few days with your Jemma and G-Chaz! We walked around town, went to a few baseball games, and had a great time. Overall, I think you enjoyed yourself, and traveling with you was relatively easy!

Jillian, you amaze me. To think of how far you have come from just 6 months ago is inspiring. You are so sweet, caring, and funny! My heart just bursts every time you smile. We love you baby girl! :)

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Bébé Deux Week 15 Update

We just got back from our amazing trip to Chicago last night! I will hopefully do a recap with pictures by Thursday this week. I also have lots of catching up to do in terms of blogs, so sorry in advance for all the comments I will be leaving :)

Today's date: June 11, 2013

How far along: 15 Weeks

Total weight gain: I gained a little while on vacation, but I still have lost about 3 pounds overall.

Size and growth of baby: Bébé is the size of a naval orange/softball! The legs are finally longer than the arms as bébé continues to grow to normal proportions. They are wiggling all around with their functional joints! {via}

Baby is a: baby for now. We should find out by the second week July! Be sure to vote on my page :)

Maternity clothing: I wear maternity pants consistently, but still wear a few non-maternity shirts. That may have to change soon.

Sleep: With all our traveling, I've gotten less sleep than normal. However, I slept soundly, (even without my body pillow), and should be able to nap now that we're home.

Movement: I felt a little something at the Royals game on Thursday night, but nothing consistent just yet. I sure hope he/she gets moving soon :)

Cravings/Aversions: I didn't have many cravings this week since I spent most of it traveling to and from Chicago. However, I did really want some Hot Cheetos, but regretted it later :( Aversions are starting to dwindle a bit: meats about 75% of the time, anything overly sweet, fast food/junk food, and anything that just happens to sound awful at the time.

Morning Sickness: I still take Zofran once a day, but overall can eat well! I thought I might lose it at 2 am on Friday morning, but luckily nothing manifested. 

Symptoms: Lots of round ligament pain (especially when I get up too fast), sore/heavy boobs, lower back pain, pimples, a little heartburn, some nausea, peeing a fair amount, and tired.

Labor Signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

How this pregnancy is different than the first: I was still really sick, and also lost more weight with Jillian. I also did more traveling this weekend than I did almost my entire pregnancy with Jillian. I was a little nervous about it, but it went so well!

The best moment of this past week: Jillian slowly getting better from her infections (sinus and ear, poor girl!), our fun trip to Chicago, and seeing the Royals win at home!

What I miss: Nothing at all :)

I'm looking forward to: Feeling more movement, VBS at church next week, and our next appointment on July 2nd!

Bump Comparison:
{Left: Jillian 2011 Right: Bébé Deux 2013}

But I Know What It Feels Like

This post is going to be awfully vulnerable and hard for me, but I really want to finally say it out loud. I got permission for my daughter ...