What's In a Name

15 days and continuing until the big reveal about Poppy!!  I'm having fun thinking up names and even convinced Mr. Cob to travel that road with me at brunch this past weekend.  We started going through the alphabet but only got to letter C!  So let's continue this fun game and pick out 52 potential names...the fun part is that I know if our "top" names are on this list or not!  Can you guess?  (And don't spoil the fun if you're one of the few people who know the top contenders!)

Boys names first and then girl names (while I would think this is self explanatory, my name doesn't fall into the typical category, so I feel the need to clarify).

Arthur

Addison

Bobby

Brynn


Clarke

Clara

Desmond

Daniella

Edmund

Emmerson

Franklin

Frances

Gusto

Gabriella

Henry

Hayden

Issac

Imogene

Julian

Jocelyn

Keenan

Kalle

Leo

Lucretia

Morgan

Molly

Nigel

Naomi

Oscar

Olive

Percival

Poppy

Quinn

Quinley

Reed

Rosalyn

Sebastian

Serafina

Trevor

Taylor

Umberto

Uma

Victor

Vivienne

Walter

Waverly

Xavier

Xena

York

Yvonne

Zane

Zoe

What do you think?  Love or hate any of these names?  I decided not to put our top two girl names or our top boy name on the list to avoid anyone saying they hate them and potentially swaying me away from using them.  Although, in making this list I came across some "new to me" names that will make this a tough decision.  I mean Lucretia Swan has a lovely ring to it (thanks mom and dad for that one)!! 

Bump #2 @ 16 Weeks

 As of today I'm 16 weeks along with pregnancy #2.  And there's a bump.  So I figure why not start documenting my progressive weight gain online for all to see.  In another two weeks I can do a side by side comparison of bump 1 vs. bump 2.  Mr. Cob is trying to win brownie points and told me he definitely thinks I'm looking thinner this time around.  Oh he's a sweet man.  And a liar.  (He is a litigator afterall).

I also need to remember to do this first thing in the morning next week...10pm at night after a full day of work, wrangling a 2 year old and not reapplying makeup since 8am, does not the prettiest picture make.

So here I am at 16 weeks pregnant with Poppy!  (Also, as a sidenote, the top I'm wearing is not a maternity top. I bought it before I was even pregnant with Lukas.  It is gathered on the sides (like maternity tops...).  Why did I think this would be flattering on my non-pregnant body?  I really wonder about my fashion sense some days!)

16 weeks!

\

Does this pregnancy make me look fat???

You’re Not Alone: Trying to Do it All - Parenting

So I've talked on here before about my "other" writing gig over at Dr. Z and Friends where I'm given the opportunity to write about my experiences as a working mom.  Well there has been a major overhaul of the Dr. Z blog and it is now called 360 Parenting.  You can still find me there once a month and be sure to check them out in the beginning of February as there will be some seriously fun giveaways going on!

The past few months I've been writing about Trying to Do it All...something that all parents struggle with.  I've already talked about Working, Friendships and Love.  So the last post in the serious is about PARENTING!  Please check it out and leave a comment if you'd like!!!  Thanks for reading and your support!

You’re Not Alone: Trying to Do it All - Parenting

15 Weeks (Round 2)

How far along? 15 weeks and 3 days

Total weight gain/loss?  Total gain of 5.5 pound so far. Another 0.8 pounds gained from last Friday, so somehow I'm staying on track. My doctor told me that the "major" weight gain would probably start in another month.  Oh joy.

Maternity clothes? Nope!!!!  (Insert happy dance here).  Now to be fair, I probably could start wearing some maternity clothes (some might argue I should start wearing them).  But I still haven't been able to bring myself to haul the bin out of the basement yet.  I have however, expanded my maternity clothes closet and bought another fabulous dress this week.  If you're pregnant check out Bellydancematernity.com - they have some designer maternity clothes on sale.  I bought another Isabella Oliver dress for $95 less than retail!  I think it will become a staple in my summer wardrobe.  So while I'm excited about these new maternity clothes, I'm just not quite ready to start wearing them. 

Stretch marks? Nothing new.

Sleep? Fabulous.  I've been fighting off a cold this week so I've been going to bed very early and sleeping for 10-12 hour stretches.  It's wonderful!  The only thing interrupting my sleep these days is strange sex dreams.  What is up with those dreams and pregnancy?!?  So odd.

Best moment last week? Realizing I could still fit into my suit for a work event!  I was not looking forward to figuring out what to wear for a "business attire" cocktail party at my firm if my suit was too tight.

Movement? Every few days I'll feel Poppy fluttering around, usually at night when I'm laying very still!  My doctor said it's still very early to feel any movement.

Food cravings? Roasted tomatoes and milk.  But not necessarily together.

Food aversions? Silly question.

Gender? Less than three weeks until we find out!  I've been leaning towards thinking Poppy is a girl.  Who knows though.

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in/out? IN.

What I miss: Running.  I ran/walked one day last week and it was just not feeling right so I stopped.  I've been walking on the treadmill but it seems like such a waste of time because how many calories can one really be burning by walking for 40 minutes?  I also still miss wine.  Especially during work cocktail parties.  Blah.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out if Poppy's a girl or a boy so we can really get into picking out a name.  I have a top girl name contender in mind but the boy names are more up in the air.  And Mr. Cob refuses to talk to me about it until we know for sure what we're having.  He's no fun.  I keep doodling names on paper like I'm a 15 year old girl in love. 

Milestones: While not baby related at all, we're 25 days into the new year and I've kept most of my resolutions so far!  Especially the ones about cooking/not eating out and saving $2000 per month!  I'm still working on the patient parenting thing...something tells me that will be a lifetime battle.

14 Weeks (Round 2)

How far along? 14 weeks and 3 days

Total weight gain/loss?  I'm up 4.7 pounds from pre-preggo weight. So that's only 0.8 pounds gained this past week. According to the American Pregnancy Association you "should" gain between 1-4.5 pounds during the first trimester and approximately 1-2 pounds per week in the second trimester.  So far I'm staying in these guidelines, thanks to some serious planning and willpower this time around (and exercise).  My mantra: I will not gain another 60 plus pounds this time around.  It might even be what I wake up to every morning on my phone in an effort to get me out of bed to work out.  No, it hasn't helped me get out of bed at 6am to exercise, but it does remind me not to overdo it with the food.

Maternity clothes? NOT YET!!!  I have jumped up a size in my work pants (thankfully I have pants from a size 2 to 12 in my closet), but everything else fits.  My belly is starting to bloat out though so certain clothes are less than flattering right now.  I'm wearing a lot of long, flowy tops to conceal what appears to be a muffin top.

Stretch marks? Nothing new.

Sleep? Could be better.  I've been waking up often at night for no apparent reason and continue to have very bizarre dreams.

Best moment last week? Going to a kids play with the little man and seeing the excitement on his face as he watched the story unfold.  (If you're in Atlanta, check out the Alliance Theatre's Theatre for the Very Young
which puts on plays for kids aged 18 months to 5 years.)

Movement? A few times this week I swear I've felt those butterfly movements.  Usually at night when I'm sitting very still.

Food cravings?  French onion soup, but I want it to be homemade so I haven't had any yet.  I'm thinking we'll have to make it this weekend.  Strange craving, I know.

Food aversions? Please.

Gender? I have no idea and my mind changes from day to day.  I can't help starting to list out boy and girl names that I love.  We can find out the sex on February 14 but part of me wants to wait...

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in/out? IN.

What I miss: Red wine.  I've been cooking dinner every night and there's nothing that goes better with cooking a meal than a glass of red wine.  Well, I suppose conversation with a good friend goes with cooking too, but it's very rare that a friend shows up in my kitchen in the middle of the week during dinner prep.

What I am looking forward to: My next OB appointment next week to hear Poppy's heartbeat again - such a sweet sound! I'm also looking forward to someone at work finally asking me if I'm pregnant.  You see I haven't made any sort of "announcement" at work and only a handful of people know.  Inevitably someone is going to say something about my belly at some point and I'm just waiting to see who the lucky person will be.  If you'll remember, my coworkers don't exactly hold their tongues.

Milestones: I'm officially in the 2nd trimester according to all sources (there are some "people" who say the 2nd trimester doesn't start until week 14 even though I think week 13 sounds better.

Fears About Going from 3 to 4

Before becoming a mom I was worried I wouldn't be any good at it.  I convinced myself that the slew of bad decisions I'd made during my teenage years and early 20's surely made me unfit to parent another human being.  I didn't possess an innate maternal instinct and I didn't grow up dreaming about the children I would have one day.  But the day Lukas was born was the best day of my life.  Something inside me clicked and everything felt right in my world.  It turns out that I was meant to be a mother.  And I love this role in my life above and beyond everything else that I do.  It feels natural.  It brings me joy.  And I wouldn't trade a day of the hard parenting times (two year old temper tantrums anyone?) for anything in the world.  Simply put, I love being a mom.

 

So there is a huge part of me that is beyond excited to bring another little boy or girl into my life and spread my parenting wings wider.  I now know I possess the one single skill you need to be a good mom: love.  Lots and lots of love.  Everything else works itself out.

 

But I've found myself anxious and a little worried this time around too, but for very different reasons than my first pregnancy. 

 

I now worry about how my relationship with Lukas will change.  I won't be able to give him all of my attention at home.  He'll have to share his mommy with a baby sister or baby brother.  What happens when he wants mommy to read him his bedtime books and play with Thomas when mommy is nursing the baby (an activity that daddy simply cannot do)?  What happens when I'm home alone with both kids and Lukas wants mommy to "carry you" (his way of asking me to pick him up) but mommy's already holding a fussy, screaming baby?  How do I share the love?  How do I make sure Lukas knows he is loved and not being replaced with a newer model?  How do I keep the special bond that we have going strong?

 

I now worry about being spread too thin.  The working mom gig can be tough and I already feel like I don't have enough time with Lukas.  Now I'll be splitting that time between two kiddos.  Will it be enough?  Will I go through all the emotions of feeling like a bad parent again since I don't spend the majority of my time with my children?  Will I feel another pull to become a Stay-at-Home-Mom?  Will the daycare guilt start all over again when I hand a 12 week old infant over to people he/she doesn't know yet?  Will I question my decision to have (more) kids when I'm not even the one to "raise" them? 

 

I know in the end everything will work out.  I know there will be up moments and I know there will be down moments.  I know that crazy hormones stick around way past pregnancy and tend to amplify any feelings I'll feel.  And in my heart I know that all the what-ifs and worrying will be worth it, because while I am worried, I know how my heart will swell with more love than I ever imagined possible the moment I see this new little soul for the first time and hold him or her in my arms.  I know the bond that will immediately form the moment I nurse this little one.  I know that Lukas is going to be an amazing big brother.  I know I will cry when I see Lukas kiss his little sibling on the head for the first time.  I know the love I already have for my husband will multiply exponentially when I see him singing songs to our new addition in the middle of the night.  I know the joys of motherhood are going to increase with a new baby.  And for those reasons I'm so excited to be adding to our family.

 

But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous too.  Transitions and change can be scary.  But sometimes the scary things are the best things that happen to us in this life. 

 

 

2013 Cooking Resolution Update

While Poppy is the big news in my life right now, I promise to not write only about babies and pregnancies for the next six months.  So let's talk about my second favorite topic: food and how my resolution #2 is going.

So far, I'm happy to report that we are still doing great on the food front (yes, yes, I know we're only 14 days in to the new year).  You can read here about what we ate through the 8th.

So what else was on the menu last week?

Wednesday, Jan 9th - leftovers (Mr. Cob started his bowling league that night so he grabbed a bite out and Lukas and I ate some leftovers)

Thursday, Jan 10th - leftovers (I had dinner out with some girlfriends and Mr. Cob and Lukas had leftovers)

Friday, Jan 11th - Pasta with peas, turkey and mushrooms (You can find a similar recipe here).

Saturday, Jan 12th - leftover pasta (I'm especially proud of eating dinner in this night.  We met some friends at the park and then they came over so the kids could keep playing after dark.  We tossed around the idea of going out for Mexican, but I felt guilty and really wanted to keep to our eating-in resolution and food budget, so we decided to eat leftovers.  Normally, I would have been the one leading the going out to eat charge!)

Sunday, Jan 13th - Peanut Butter Noodles from Dinner: A Love Story - get the recipe here (I LOVED this dinner, but Mr. Cob hates peanut butter so he was less than enthused.  Lukas was a fan.  We served it with edamame and sliced cucumber)

And for the remainder of this week our menu looks like this:

Monday, Jan 14th - Fried Tilapa with Black Bean, Tomato Avocado salad from Dinner: A Love Story.  (The recipe originally called for flounder but flounder is $14.99 per pound and I just wasn't up for shelling out that much for fish, especially with a picky toddler who may hate it.)  UPDATE:  Lukas LOVED the fish and ate almost an entire filet - so apparently this is a kid-friendly recipe!

Tuesday, Jan 15th - Taco Tuesday - Mr. Cob found a recipe for Cowboy Tacos that he'll be making.  I'm not sure if doing a new recipe defeats the purpose of easy taco Tuesday, but we'll see how it goes).

Wednesday, Jan 16th - Apple Onion Pork Chops from Dinner: A Love Story (recipe here) with roasted sweet potatoes

Thursday, Jan 17th - Lazy Bolognese Pasta from Dinner: A Love Story (similar recipe here)

Friday, Jan 18th - leftovers

So that's our menu.  Menu planning alone will save you money. I swear it!  We shopped at the Dekalb Farmer's Market last night for the week and our grocery bill was $94.  So far I can tell that we are DEFINITELY saving money by cooking at home.  Perhaps the biggest savings is coming from cooking enough every night to have leftovers for lunch the next day.  Lunches for Mr. Cob and I each can easily total over $50/person a week if we eat out every day (a $10 steak salad, followed by $12 on sushi, $8 at chick-fil-a, etc. - you get the picture).  I do find that I have to remind Mr. Cob to grab the leftovers in the morning (or shove them at him as he's leaving the house), but it's a small thing to save a ton of money.

Aside from the big dinner meal planning I've also been snack planning.  Snacks are huge for me, especially when pregnant.  I think the lack of snack planning is where I really lost ground on the "average" weight gain race last pregnancy.  I wouldn't bring enough food with me to the office and in a state of ravishing hunger I'd go buy a snack that was less than healthy.   So here's what I'm snacking on:

- Homemade almond butter granola bars (the recipe made 14 bars)

- Greek yogurt with sliced strawberries (I'm partial to the Fage Greek yogurt)

- Roasted Beets with feta cheese (if you've never had roasted beets, try them...they are DELICIOUS!)

- Roasted tomatoes with goat cheese (I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE slow roasted tomatoes)

- Edamame

- Roasted chickpeas (I found a recipe on Pinterest that I plan on trying this week!)

I'd love to hear some of your go-to meals and snacks!  How are your resolutions going???

13 Weeks (Round 2)

Ok, let's wrap up this self-indulgent pregnancy posting week with a survey and maybe a picture.  Maybe.  We'll see how I'm feeling after writing.

How far along? 13 weeks and 3 days

Total weight gain/loss? In a shocking turn of events I've lost weight this week.  I'm up 3.9 pounds from pre-preggo weight.  I think this is due to a combination of eating in, trying to walk 10,000 steps a day, my pregnancy workout DVD and being overly sensitive to the weight gain.

Maternity clothes? Nope.  But I think they'll be coming out this weekend.  Or at least the Bella Band that I'm going to borrow from a friend and give a whirl.  I never tried it last time, so we'll see.  Have I mentioned that I did splurge a little on myself and order a few new work pieces from Isabella Oliver Maternity?  And I found a Diane Von Furstenburg maternity dress on ebay!!  I'm super pumped for their arrival.

Stretch marks? No new ones, but I will say that it feels like the old ones are more prominent.  Hopefully that's all in my head.
Sleep? Pretty good.  I just wish I could get more of it.

Best moment last week? Sharing my news on the blog and with some work friends and more friends.

Movement? I know it's too early to feel Poppy jumping around in there, but occasionally I swear I can feel him/her.  Though, it's likely just gas.

Food cravings? Nothing comes to mind

Food aversions? Never.

Gender? I'm feeling girl right now.

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in/out? IN.

What I miss: Dirty vodka martinis and running.  Admittedly, i could still run and I just haven't tried but it doesn't have the same appeal right now.

What I am looking forward to: Getting my new maternity clothes in the mail!

Milestones: 2nd trimester baby!

Ok, what the hell.  Let's go ahead and start the Weekly Pooch pic while we're at it.  5 weeks earlier this time around....

13 weeks!

Secret Preggo Post #5

(If you're just joining the show, start here and then go here, here & here first before reading this post, otherwise you'll be a little lost...).

January 4, 2013 - 12 weeks, 3 days (or 5 days depending on which EDD you want to go with).


Ok, so I did the silly weekly pregnancy questions/survey starting the last few months of my first pregnancy, but I think I'll make them my weekly Friday post for this pregnancy. So here's my Friday pregnancy #2 roundup:

How far along? 12 weeks and change

Total weight gain/loss? (We should probably just cross out the loss part of that question. The second the pregnancy test turned positive my body started packing on the pounds. It's just how I do pregnancy.) Up 6.5 pounds

Maternity clothes? NOT YET!! Although, I think stretchy pants are in my very near future.

Stretch marks? Only those left over from pregnancy #1

Sleep? Depends on the day. I was waking up multiple times a night to pee but that seems to have subsided. I'm still relishing in sleeping on my back for a few more weeks while I can.

Best moment last week? There were two: (1) celebrating the New Year with great friends in the mountains and (2) seeing this little baby on an ultrasound!

Movement? Not that I can feel, but the little thing was bumping all around on the ultrasound.

Food cravings? Nothing of note. In the beginning it was grilled cheese sandwiches and I did have Mr. Cob run out one night for some sizzling rice soup. Otherwise I'm just generally hungry.

Food aversions? Please. Moving on.

Gender? My gut says boy, but I did dream that it was a girl. We'll find out in 6 weeks!

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in/out? IN.

What I miss: Red wine and being able to take real medicine for these persistent headaches. Tylenol doesn't do squat.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the baby's gender so we can figure out where #2 is going to sleep.

Milestones: The 2nd trimester is in sight...

January 7, 2013 - 12 weeks, 6 days.

So pregnancy rhinitis. I forgot about it until a week ago. Now I cannot stop sneezing. And with sneezing comes peeing myself every so slightly now and again. It's awesome, really. Glad to see this fun side effect has returned for #2.

I think this baby is a girl. Reasons being that I cannot stop thinking about girl names and I feel a lot crappier than I did with Lukas. I am nauseous for some period of time most days. And something in my gut is just telling me girl (as opposed to my gut on Friday that was telling me boy...). Have I mentioned that Lukas wants us to name the baby "Bob the Builder" if it's a girl? What do you think? I think Bob the Builder Swan has a lovely ring to it. Especially for a girl. I mean, I think we should keep the masculine name thing going for another generation...

Secret Preggo Post #4

(If you're just joining the show, start here and then go here & here to catch up on my secret posts that I kept before going public with pregnancy #2).


Wednesday, December 26, 2012 - 11 weeks and change. Ah I'm starting to feel like me again! The extreme fatigue is lifting and now I'm just feeling pudgy. I can deal with some pudge if my energy stays up - it is much easier to stay positive when you are awake. The worst pregnancy "side effect" right now is constipation. TMI, I know. But in case there are any other closet pregnant women out there wondering if this is a normal side effect of pregnancy, I'm here to tell you it is.
On another note, I blurted out to my boss last week that I was expecting. I didn't plan it, it just sort of happened. I'm glad he knows so that my random absences in the middle of the day and lack of enthusiasm are now explained. I'll just say that I have a great boss. If I ever question my job in the future, someone please remind me of this fact. He's totally support of me and was expecting me to walk in his office with this news any day now. I definitely feel a sense of relief now that he knows.

But for some reason, I'm still not ready to tell the whole world. Our close friends all know. Our families know. And for now that is perfect. I think I'd like to get to 13 weeks and also get through our next ultrasound (January 3rd) before being totally open about being pregnant. I know my risk of miscarriage has decreased greatly after week 11, but it's still possible. So give me another two weeks and I'll probably be blogging again every day about this baby.

And instead of starting the bump pics at week 18, I could probably start them today. I feel like I've already popped.

January 3, 2012 2013 (does it take anyone else a good month into a new year to write the correct year?)- 12 weeks, 2 days. Ultrasound #2 today! We saw the baby again and his/her heartbeat sounded strong and I think he/she is already super cute! The baby kept its legs closed the whole time, so it's a good thing it wasn't the big "reveal the sex" ultrasound, because I think we'd have been out of luck. The baby's measurements were good and at some point the screen flashed to all my info and the EDD was July 16, 2013 (the due date my doctor gave me), but the EDD(AUA) was July 14, 2013. After a quick google search, EDD(AUA) stands for Estimated Due Date (Actual Ultrasound Age), so that due date is based on the actual measurements from the baby. I've suspected that my due date should actually be the 14th, so I'm game going with that!

In other news, I'm continuing to gain weight. (Insert eye roll here.) I hate you women who lose weight in the first trimester. Turns out there are some perks to morning sickness. Just sayin.

I officially have a bump and the size 4 clothes are about to be hung up. Oh who am I kidding, I'm in my size 6 trousers today. I predict full on maternity clothes by the end of the month. I don't mind the bump, it's the gigantic ass I'm not looking forward to. Again, fingers crossed that better eating habits and more exercise this time around will curb that.

Oh, and we'll find out if baby #2 is a boy or girl on VALENTINE'S DAY! So six more weeks!

Secret Preggo Post #3

(If you're just joining the show, start here and then go here to read the first two installments of the series of 5 posts I kept before going public with pregnancy #2).

Thursday, December 6, 2012 - The headaches have started. Yesterday to be exact. Repeated today. And all I can take is Tylenol. So yea, my head is still pounding. Oh, and last night I dreamt about scales. The scale in the doctor's office. The scale in our bathroom. Scales were everywhere and they just kept creeping up and up and up. It should be a fun 32 more weeks if I don't get over this weight thing soon.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - Over 9 weeks here and still 6 days away from seeing the OB. I'm getting anxious to see the heartbeat and find out that everything is OK. I've been feeling slightly depressed the past few days. My skin is breaking out and I'm too nervous to use my acne medicine even though the dermatologist told me it's safe during pregnancy. I've said before that having bad skin trumps any sort of bad hair day or bad body image day. It is just hard to feel pretty when your face is plastered with blemishes. Thank God for makeup. I might be going to the mall this weekend to buy some extra-coverage goo.

I'm also unable to shake this fear of getting huge again. I've already gained 4ish pounds and I'm just not mentally prepared for the huge ass and legs again. I'm just not. But I'm so freaking tired every day so the thought of working out just exhausts me even more. I've been good about working out on the weekends and can manage to get a few workouts in during the week. I need to start walking on the treadmill at night just to stay active. I think the mental game is worse this time around because I KNOW what happened before. I'm not going into this blind and hoping I gain only 25-35 pounds. Nope, it didn't happen last time so if I want to stay in that range this time, it's going to require some serious effort on my part. I'm really hoping my energy levels perk back up once I'm done with the first trimester.

On another totally unrelated note, the sex dreams have returned. Such a strange side effect of early pregnancy.

Thursday, December 13, 2012 - Ok exhaustion, you can go away now. Seriously, any day would be great. I am about to close my door and fall asleep under my desk. I'm not sure I can keep my eyes open any longer. Hopefully no one will miss me.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 10 weeks and a day here. Yesterday I had my first OB appointment and we were given a due date of July 16, 2012 (which just happens to be one of my good friend's little boy's birthdays!). And even more exciting than learning poppy's due date was getting to SEE poppy and know that he/she is doing OK. I had an ultrasound and we saw poppy's heart beat, a head, butt, four limbs and you could even distinguish the hands/feet! The little thing was moving all over the place and looked a bit like a koala bear. I'm still hoping to birth a baby though. Everything feels very real now! I'm excited and want to shout the news to everyone I see. But I'm going to wait a little while longer for that. My energy seems to be coming back (thankfully!) and I haven't felt sick. I wouldn't say I have much pep in my step but definitely doing better than I was a few weeks ago. I no longer feel the need to go to sleep immediately upon arriving home.

Big Brother To Be

Secret Preggo Post #2

(If you're just joining the show, start here to read the first in the series of 5 posts I kept before going public with pregnancy #2).

Tuesday, November 20, 2012 - I really am not very good at keeping this pregnancy thing quiet. Well, Mr. Cob was the first to somewhat spill the beans. We were at the park with friends and I was asking him when we need to leave the park to make it to a party that evening in time. He said, rather loudly, but unceremoniously, "well, we need to stop and buy your prenatal vitamins." I looked at him in horror as my friend T laughed behind me. She may have been laughing at something else entirely, but I was convinced she'd heard him (she had, but claims she wouldn't have made the jump to assuming I was pregnant). So we told her. And then we told her husband. I've been avoiding my mom like the plague because every time I talk to her I want to shout out the words. But we have started a tradition of announcing the news to her with a tee-shirt and Lukas will proudly (I hope) don his shirt announcing "I'm Going to be a Big Brother" on Thanksgiving, in just two days. Surely I can keep it quiet for two more days. The shirt has two turkeys on it. It's adorable. Last week I was at a birthday party and my friend was drinking champagne and said to me "This champagne is really amazing" and handed me her glass to take a sip. I should've just taken the sip and moved on. But no, I froze and she instantly knew. And last night I was with another friend getting a pedicure and she made some comment about my being pregnant or with a new born over the holidays next year. I have no poker face. She immediately knew. Maybe I can't make it through another two days without my mom figuring it out.


Tuesday, December 4, 2012 - 8 weeks here. And I'm still 2 weeks away from our first prenatal appointment. So the past two weeks have been busy - Thanksgiving rolled around and I ran my third half marathon. Only this time it was the first one where I was pregnant. Go me. We told our families the big news, which went over very well - apparently they'd all been suspecting/hoping for this news, but were nonetheless thrilled. A few more close friends have shared in the news with us as well. So it's been fun spreading our cheer.

I am still exhausted. I'm going to bed very early every night. Although I'm not sleeping well between the trips to the bathroom and strange dreams. I'm trying to eat healthy and not pack on the pounds too early. I even started a pregnancy exercise program - The Tracy Anderson Method: The Pregnancy Project. So far I love it and my ass and legs hurt, so hopefully it's working. I'm feeling pudgy now. My stomach is in this constant state of bloat. All of my clothes are still fitting and I have my fingers crossed that remains the case for at least another month or so (wishful thinking? perhaps).

The one big difference this time around is the nausea. I feel generally icky and like I'm going to throw up for at least a few hours each day. Perhaps this means poppy is a girl! Which scares the shit out of me. My teenage years are flashing before my eyes....is payback on her way?

Wednesday, December 5, 2012 - I cannot stop obsessing about gaining weight again. I REALLY REALLY REALLY do not want to pack on the pounds this time around. I want to be a cute pregnant girl. This is not good considering I still have 8 months of this pregnancy to go. I know that you are supposed to gain weight when you are pregnant. And I'm OK with gaining weight. I'm not OK with the prospect of pushing 200 pounds on the scale for a second time in my life.

Grand Adventure #2

So I feel like the blog has been kind of lacking and slow these days.  And figured it was time to spice things up.  I was running out of material.  Lukas didn't like having his picture taken and all his daily ins and outs being broadcast over the interwebs.  And I respect my child's privacy.  So I need new material.  And with the help of Mr. Cob, new material is on the way!   In about 6 more months.  Yup, I'm pregnant!!!!  All in the name of blogging.  (Kidding, of course.) 

And as a side note, to any friends who learn about baby #2 through this blog, please don't take offense - it seemed really strange to call everyone up and share the news the second time around.  I don't know why, but I've felt really funny spreading this news.  So I figured I'd just write about it.  I'm much better with the written word than the spoken word.

Over the past two months I've been jotting down my thoughts on this pregnancy and how I've been feeling.  Here's the first post in the series of 5 from the past few months, with new posts to follow later this week.  Enjoy!

Saturday, November 10, 2012 - I've been really tired the past week.  And depressed according to the husband, which I think translates into my being mean.  I hadn't really given my mood much thought, just assuming it was another down in the ups and downs that is life.  And I was only three days late.  Nothing too out of the ordinary. But I woke up this Saturday morning and decided it wouldn't hurt anyone to take a pregnancy test.  Mr. Cob was still sleeping.  Lukas was still sleeping.  I was alone in the quiet morning.  I shouldn't be left alone in the quiet morning.  So I did my thing and then put the stick down on the back of the toilet.  I brushed my teeth and then went back over to the stick to check it out.  I assumed it would be negative.  The actively trying gears hadn't been shifted yet.  I am training for a half marathon (ironically, the same thing I was doing the last time I found out I was pregnant).  I'd drank way too much wine just the weekend before.  So I was a little surprised when two lines showed up on the stick.  Two distinct lines.  Two lines mean positive.  Two lines mean pregnant. 

I walked out of the bathroom holding the stick and somewhat coherently said to my sleeping husband "I think I'm pregnant."  This is what Mr. Cob woke up to this morning.  You could say he was shocked.  But happy.  I started crying.  He smiled, still half asleep.  Then he was worried my tears were not happy tears.  I reassured him they they were.  It was just a bit of a surprise.  A very welcomed surprise. 

But just to be sure I took one more test.  Two lines again.  Definitely pregnant.  Happy dance.  Time for a nap.

Sunday, November 11, 2012 - I'm having a hard time keeping this news quiet.  We've now seen my three closest mom friends and I really wanted to share the news.  I've avoided my mom all weekend, fearful that I'll blurt it out over the phone.  But for now we're keeping it quiet.  We decided to tell our families over Thanksgiving.  Today I ordered a "I'm going to be a big brother" shirt for Lukas to debut on Thanksgiving day.  It has a picture of two turkeys - one little and one big.  I wonder what the little man is going to think when he learns that he's no longer going to be the littlest man in the house.  Well I suppose he might still be the littlest man if poppy turns out to be a girl.  And yes, we're calling it poppy for now.  Ok, it's time for another nap. I forgot how quickly the exhaustion sets in.  And the gas.  It's just plain gross.

Thursday, November 15, 2012 - Early pregnancy is weird and unsettling.  There's no reassurance that everything is OK in there.  I sort of wish I'd start having some morning sickness or something to settle my fears (I might be eating those words in a week or so...).  I am definitely tired and I've convinced myself that my bump is already showing - Mr. Cob assures me it is entirely in my head.  Considering I'm wearing my size 4 trousers today, it probably is.  But I still feel bloat-y.  I called the OB this week to make our first appointment.  December 18.  Over a month away.  I'm just trying to think good thoughts and give poppy some love.  I'm making sure to eat clean as much as possible.  I'm starting out every day with a green smoothie.  This morning's concoction had pineapple juice, carrot, broccoli stem, avocado, spinach, banana, frozen mango, frozen peaches, some protein powder, moringa and a few springs of cilantro just because.  It was an interesting combination.  I've also switched to decaf coffee...I know "they" say you can drink 1-2 cups of regular coffee every day of pregnancy and be OK, but I figure I'd rather be safe early on and just stick with decaf.  It worked when I was pregnant with Lukas.  Last night I found some prenatal yoga videos online and tried one out - I loved it!  I really am going to work out this entire pregnancy.  I will NOT gain 50+ pounds again.  I repeat, I will NOT!  (post-script: I ran 10 miles that night  ON THE TREADMILL.  Do you know how awful running on a treadmill for two hours is?  I'm serious about the not gaining 50+ pounds again.  2 hours on a treadmill serious.)

Now We're Cooking

I'm happy to report that 8 days in to the New Year, I've kept at least one of my resolutions: namely, to cook more.  Have I mentioned before that I LOVE to cook?  And by cook I mean follow a recipe to the t.  I get annoyed with cooking because it requires time and planning, which are two things I don't always have on my side.  I can't tell you how many times I've started a recipe only to realize that we're out of lemon juice or salt (yes, salt).  And until the past couple of months I still felt like Lukas needed to be watched at least every 2-3 minutes for fear of him climbing something he shouldn't be climbing or making some huge mess, which makes cooking dinner after work a difficult task.  Thankfully he can now entertain himself for long chunks of time, or is happy to dance in the kitchen while momma cooks.  So we've been cooking.

For Christmas, my brother in law & his girlfriend gave me Dinner: A Love Story and I am OBSESSED.  I've now cooked 4 meals and have earmarked a dozen others to try soon.  It's a great book that reads like a novel but includes easy, family friendly recipes.  Also, she has a blog that lists many of her recipes, so check it out!

Here's what our 2013 dinner menu has looked like:

Jan 1: @ grandma Sip Sip's house

Jan 2: Mushroom, Pea, Turkey Sausage Pasta (recipe from my friend Emily) - Mr. Cob made this because I was feeling under the weather.  It was AMAZING.  And I love that it was an easy recipe that you can remember without needing to refer to a book or recipe card.  It's on our menu for tomorrow night again..

Jan 3: Panko breaded chicken (From Dinner: A Love Story) w/haircot verts and couscous - I have to remember that dinner doesn't have to be a difficult recipe.  This dinner was easy and delicious.  Again thanks to Emily for the green bean suggestion.

Jan 4: Porcupine Meatballs (from Dinner: A Love Story - but also a childhood favorite of mine) - Something went wrong with this recipe, either one of my spices was bad or it just wasn't good with ground turkey.  I'll try them again but will get my family recipe.

Jan 5: Greek shrimp (from Dinner: A Love Story)  - DELICIOUS - this recipe alone is reason enough to buy the book. (Nevermind, I just realized the link is on her blog...check it out!  Seriously, great!) Serve with cibatta bread to sop up the sauce.

Jan 6: Belgian Beef Stew (from Dinner: A Love Story)  - Better for leftovers day 2.  The twist is adding a dollop of dijon mustard on top.  I forgot this step on Sunday, but remembered it for my lunch the next day - it made all the difference!

Jan 7: Meatless Monday - Southwest Quinoa Salad - I found this recipe on pinterest and have changed it a little bit (I cook the zucchini and add some salsa) - it's always a hit with the hubby.

Jan 8 (tonight): Taco Tuesday  - We're just going with standard tacos tonight, but I'm excited for an easy dinner!

So I'm on track and loving it!  I've also made homemade almond butter granola bars, which were SUPER EASY and delicious.

Do you have any easy, go-to dinner recipes to share?  How are your resolutions coming?

Hello Twenty-Thirteen!

Well, December came and went.  But you wouldn't have known that from keeping up with my blog.  It's not that there hasn't been anything to write about.  It's been a busy month.  A fabulously busy month.  I just haven't felt like putting pen to paper, err, fingertips to keys. You know what I mean.

December brought family and Christmas and a trip to the mountains with friends.  December brought presents and a bunch of new toys to our house.  December brought an abundance of love and laughter.  December was filled with joy.  I hope the same is true for your December.

And now here we are in 2013.  (Thankfully those doomsday preppers were wrong and we didn't all disappear into the abyss on December 21, 2012.)  It's a new year.  And you know how I love a new year.  With it's clean slate and fresh start.  Call me cheesy, but I love it.

As always on January 1st I set my intentions for the year.  Some are the same as prior years, but others are different.  I'm excited about them all, even though I was watching the news last night and some "expert" said you should only make one resolution a year, otherwise your odds of failure are great.  I'd already made my 6 resolutions, so I think I'll keep them all.

So here's my plan for 2013:

1. Put $2000 into our savings each month (this will require that we rein in our wayward spending).
2. Eat good food at home - stop eating out so often and PLAN all meals.
3. Walk 10,000 steps per day.  A certain Christmas present I got is helping me with this one...
4. Be patient in parenting.  Especially during the bedtime routine.
5. Think before speaking.  Watch my tone. 
6. Bring more God/religion/spirituality into our family.

Wish me luck!  What are your intentions or resolutions for the new year?  Or are you the kind of person who detests resolutions and thinks I'm a sucker for always making them?