New Favorite Thing

So, it's all cold and dreary and stuff in the mornings.

And that is lame.

And all I want is a hot cup 'o joe.

And I can't have one.

Well, not a real one anyway.

Alright, I can have one.

But, then I can't have one later at my discretion.

I hate using the one caffeinated beverage first thing in the morning.

I know, I know... #preggoproblems

In any case, I recently tried an experiment that I would like to share with y'all.

This. 

Or any hot cocoa of your choice, etc. etc.

But here is the genius part. Instead of using hot water or milk, I used 6 oz of hot decaf coffee.

And then I may add a little cream.

Shut up.

It almost tastes like something I would pay for outside my home.

And if you could do it with FOR REALZ espresso (which I cannot wait to do) it would be amazing.

That is all.

Happy Friday!

Evelyn Rae is 16 months old, I am 27 weeks along with Baby Bump

...and my poor baby needs lots of cuddles today. So Momma needs her comfort today. In the form of this drink.

Throwback Thursday: An Early Birthday

I have failed at blogging this week. Suburban Housewife Problems and stuff. Whomps.

BUT! Today I bring you a post about Evelyn's first birthday! Finally!

When we were in Wisconsin this summer for the 4th of July, we decided to do a little mini pre-celebration of her birthday with my parents, since they wouldn't be able to be down here for Evelyn's actual birthday or party.

It was reminiscent of a lot of my birthdays growing up, as I am also a summer baby, who had plenty of birthday celebrations at our little cabin in Wisconsin.

I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Kinda.

What's going on guys? 

Why's my chair outside?

Ooooh...

Where'd it go?

You're just gonna leave me here with this thing?

Alright. I dunno what this is, but you seem to be pretty excited...

Hmmm.

NOM. 

This. is. awesome.

This is possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me!

All done!

And then, in a time honored lake tradition, Daddy took a naked butt little baby down to the lake to clean off.

Skinny Dipper

Evelyn is sixteen months old, I am 27 weeks along with Baby Bump

...and who doesn't love pictures of a frosting covered baby?

Happy Veteran's (Celebration) Day

“Most of us, most of the time, live in blissful ignorance of what a small, elite, heroic group of Americans are doing for us night and day. As we speak, all over the globe, American sailors and submariners and aviators are doing something very dangerous. People say, ‘well, it can’t be too dangerous because there are no wrecks.’ But the reason we don’t have more accidents is that these are superb professionals; the fact that they master the dangers does not mean that the dangers aren’t real. 

Right now, somewhere around the world, young men are landing high-performance jet aircraft on the pitching decks of aircraft carriers – at night! You can’t pay people to do that; they do it out of love of country, of adventure, of the challenge. We all benefit from it, and the very fact that we don’t have to think about it tells you how superbly they’re doing their job – living on the edge of danger so the rest of us need not think about, let alone experience, danger.” 

George Will, commenting during the ABC news special coverage, on Jan 28, 1986, of the space shuttle Challenger disaster.

Though Veteran's Day was officially yesterday, today is the day that is designated for its celebration. I am so lucky and blessed to have my very own Veteran at home to celebrate this go-round. I know too many families who are without a Mommy, Daddy, husband, wife, brother or sister, daughter or son today - though I am sure that their absence does not diminish (and may very well enhance) their families' celebration of their pride.

Thank you to all those who serve, will serve, and have served in the past.

Reunited after our very very first military separation. 

Don't we look like babies? Geeze Louise.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.


Evelyn Rae is SIXTEEN months old, I am 27 (!!) weeks along with Baby Bump

...and look at what we were doing last Veteran's Day.

26 weeks

Skin

Meh, more of the same. No stretch marks yet (new ones anyway) KNOCK ON WOOD.

Weight/Clothes

Starting to feel a bit...erm...large, BUT when I was standing in line to vote (with husband, so he was actually standing in line while I chased Evelyn around the entrance to the zoo - our polling place) I turned around from grabbing Ev and this woman got a good view of my front and said, "Oh my gosh! You don't look pregnant from behind AT ALL!" So, that was nice. Thanks lady for making my day.

Also, grateful that football season is coming to a close - I think I am stretching these shirts to their maximum capacity. Today's outfit brought to you by the ODU Black Out game.

Cravings/Aversions

Meh. Food. Take it or leave it. MY STOMACH IS SO SQUISHED and I just want a glass of wine.

Cramps/Pain

RLS rears it's ugly head. Seriously my legs are so uncomfortable when I finally get to sit down at night after the mini terrorist I am in charge of keeping alive all day finally goes off to bed.

Sleeping

Boo. No room. And reflux. And stuff.

Heartburn

ohhhhh, DO I REALLY HAVE 12 MORE WEEKS OF THIS?! Good Lord. I forgot how much indigestion sucks.

Fetal Movement

Visible. Like a lot. Thought I was going to make some tables move this week that I was pressed up against. 

The Girls

Itching. Whomps. That probe means they are getting bigger and stuff. cool. meh.

New this time around

I am taking full advantage of my one caffeinated beverage a day, and taking less advantage of my vitamins. Whoops.

Oh yeah, this again.

THE CRAZY NESTING URGE. I just want *all this crap* out of my house and I want it clean and looking like everything I see on Pinterest. Oh, and I don't want to be the one to do it. That's cool, right?

Mental State

See above. Being driven insane by the urge to nest and have things clean and the aforementioned one year old terrorist who likes to destroy my peace and order and cleanliness.

26 weeks, last go round

Evelyn Rae is almost 16 months old, I am 26 weeks along with Baby Bump

...and that little ponytail SLAYS me.

Throwback Thursdays

Remember how we went and did a whole bunch of stuff this summer, but I never blogged about it because I was all nauseous and pregnant and running around after a newly walking baby and all that jazz?

Welp, I am blogging about it now. On Thursdays. I am going to call them "Throwback Thursdays."

So, here's the first one:

The 4th of July 

(yup, I know, never blogged about it.)

I love the Fourth of July. Like, love, love it. It is my all time favorite holiday and has been for so many years. I was thrilled this year to be able to bring my baby girl to my family's cabin to experience her first  Fourth of July the same way that I did for so many years.

We spent the day outside enjoying the sun, and the shade. 

Grandma bought this great little sunshade tent where Evelyn and Daddy hung out, spotted toads and played with the floaty turtle.

We spent time on the dock and in the lake, swimming and splashing and waving at boats.

One of my favorite things about the Fourth has always been boating, and we got to take Evelyn on her very first boat ride.

She wasn't sure how she felt about the lifejacket, but eventually...

she got comfy.

Later that night we set out to see the best fireworks display ever in existence. There is this little town called Greenwood near the cabin and they put on the BEST fireworks show every year, right after their annual baseball championship.

This was the very first smocked outfit I ever bought for Evelyn, so excited that she could wear such a precious thing for the 4th!

Doesn't she look sweet?

Naturally, she promptly had a massive blowout in it before the display started, necessitating an outfit change into this random back up purple onesie we had in the diaper bag. (There is no laundry at the cabin, so no cloth diapers either. Disposable diapers + too much watermelon = disaster.)

The best laid plans, right?

But, we recovered in time to enjoy the show and let our sleepy baby fall asleep on the ride home.

Evelyn Rae is fifteen months old, I am 26 weeks along with her little baby brother or sister

...and I can't wait to have two little ones at the cabin next July. Four month olds like fireworks, right? ;)

Today *UPDATED*

Alright friends, since today is going to be rainy and gross here in Southeastern Virginia, annnnnnd I am avoiding TV because of all the election coverage/rehashing/bashing/self congratulatory craziness... (got my fill last night, and also feel this way after every election regardless of who wins).

I gave created a very lofty and ambitious to-so list for myself. I also may not get out of PJs today. Hmm.

How does this affect the blog?

I am shooting to catch up on all my Bumpdates so far. How did I get six weeks behind?

Geeze Louise.

UPDATE: Everythign through the most recent update is UP!

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or... head to the "Bump Watch 2.0" page up above...

or...

Check that link over there ---> throughout the day for the updates. I will update this post when we are all caught up.

Also, I may be playing with some design elements, additions, new features, etc. on here today so DON'T FREAK OUT.

I will be doing enough of that as I wing this whole coding nightmare.

Also, this.

Evelyn Rae is fifteen months old, I am 26 weeks along with Baby Bump

...and ALSO, have you seen the new Instagram profiles? Mine is up!

Adjusting.

Though I know that there is so.much.more adjusting to come with this little kicking and rolling and playing baby that is still happily contained in utero - I have to share something that has been so hard for us (read: me) to adjust to...

One a day naps.

Oh, friends. I thought these days would be glorious. So much time to get things done. Only one nap a day? We could be out and about so much more and life would be flexible, and oh the champagne dreams I once had.

Turns out, I have had a much rougher time adjusting to our new schedule than my precious daughter. She is totally fine with the one nap a day (most days, minus these last few days of teething, blah blah, molars suck, blah.), but Momma? Momma just cannot get it together to get out of the house at a reasonable time in the morning to get everything I need to done and then get back to get baby girl in her crib on time for a nap.

I hate, hate, hate, letting her start her nap in the car and it has been happening SO MUCH lately.

Back when girl was on two naps a day, I used that morning time to get ready and organized. When she woke up, it was go time and we were out the door in no time flat. All my stuff was ready and raring to go, just waiting on the last piece - an awake baby. So, we could get out the door and get to where we needed to go and get back in time for an afternoon nap.

Getting ready in the morning with an awake, monkey like climbing, curious about everything, experiencing one year old separation anxiety (WHY ARE YOU IN THE BATHROOM MOMMA, I WANT TO BE WITH YOU....) running around toddler is not.easy.

Why did I think it would be? I don't know. To be honest, I don't think I really ever did think about it.

I never thought about how challenging it would be to wash my face and put on make up whilst pulling a child from flushing the toilet for the umpteenth time because clearly that is the most fun game ever invented, or trying to climb into the tub, or trying to throw her toothbrush in the toilet, or banging incessantly on the outside of the bathroom door should you DARE to put her outside of it. MOMMA, you made an UH OH. I AM ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR!

(Mostly Evelyn only operates in capital letters.)

So the last few months have been...challenging.

Getting ready and out the door, and then the errands themselves have inevitably taken me longer than I thought, and then I end up with a cranky baby who wants her nap, and who wants a cranky baby out in public? NO ONE. Including me, alright old lady side eyeing me in the next checkout line? I know the girl is about to have a melt down, but I NEEDZ MAH GROCERIES.

Whew.

In any case. We have now adjusted. The last two weeks, even with those damn molars, have been better. Maybe my expectations and goal setting has become more attainable and realistic each day.

(via)

(These are SMART goal terms - also, the SMART acronym can be described in a manner of ways, look it up if interested, etc... See? grad school education is applicable in EVERYDAY LIFE.) 

Thank you grad school. 

This was undoubtedly one of those mountain kurt of a molehill situations that just went against my whole nature of operating until this point. But, we are better now, and ready for the next challenge.

Just let me feel like I have my life together for a little while first, ok universe?

Evelyn Rae is fifteen months old, I am 26 weeks along with Baby Bump

...and Baby Bump is now called bump because that is all this little thing does - bump me from the inside. Holy active child.