Life lately

Oh goodness.  Life lately has been fun, hectic, stressful, and wonderful all rolled into one.  Sometimes Often I wonder why we I thought a puppy was a good idea when I'm pregnant with a toddler in tow.  Oh.Em.Gee.  At least he's cute and G loves him.  Don't worry, Zeus is not mistreated in any way and gets plenty of love.  He's just a handful at times.  A thirty-two pound handful that requires a lot of attention.  At least it's good practice for baby #2, yes?

Proof that he is still alive and well.  Also, proof that R needs new work socks - ay!

We've been finding ways to entertain ourselves...

He crawled into this box and told me he was going to Sunnyside.

and have been indulging in some culinary treats...

Cupcakes to celebrate pooping in the potty (should there even be another reason?!?)!  He wanted the one with the heart.  :)

Enjoying some of Gigi's delicious jalapeño ranch dip.

It was a tough decision, but I obviously went with the enchiladas.  

My little man moved up into a bigger car seat...

and now insists on picking mama a flower on every walk...

Be still my heart.  

Especially during the frustrating moments, I'm trying to take a cue from my toddler and take the time to smell the flowers.

Namaste.

Bumpdate: 19 weeks

• How far along: 19 weeks!
• How I'm feeling: Overall, great!  
• Size of the baby: The size of a TOMATO! (P.S. I'm not really sure how accurate these fruits & veggies comparisons are.) 
• Total weight gain: 8 pounds. 
• Maternity clothes: Oh yes!  I am BFFs with my pouch pants these days.
• Sleep: Not great but not terrible.  
• Gender: Your guess is as good as mine.  Everyone tends to think girl! ... including the dry cleaning lady.  :)
• Movement: Feeling baby move more and more.
• Food Cravings: Brownies, pasta, and onion rings.  Always healthy cravings. ;)
• Food Aversions: None.  
• What I miss: My feet not feeling so tired by the end of the day.
• Best moment of the week: No "best" moment per say, but I'm excited we are one week away from the BIG ultrasound.
• Big Brother: G is becoming more interested in the baby and refers to the baby as baby sister L... the only name we can decide on, which is of course a BOY name.

Milestones Monday

This past weekend was full of special "milestones"... some little and some big, but all the kind that make you realize just how fast these precious days do go by.

We had our first family hike that included Zeus (not pictured, since I was holding his leash).

G had his first soccer "practice" - a day I've been waiting for since he was born!  It went about as expected for an almost three year old.  He didn't last the whole hour (that is way too long for this age group, btw), but it was still a joyous occasion for this soccer loving mama.

We had our first swim of the year - also not pictured because I was too busy helping with dinner.  It is so nice to have a private pool five minutes from home.  Thank goodness for grandparents!


G wore undies for the first time and did pretty well.  We've decided he's not quite ready to be diaper free full time unless he starts going número dos in the potty.  Until then, we are embracing and praising his successes and his efforts.  This potty training shiz is not for the weary, yo.

Constantly moving toddler = blurry iPhone picture

My heart is heavy for Zach Sobiech's family today.  I am sure they are wishing they had more precious days with him.  xoxoxo

TBT

Sweet cousins, only two weeks apart...

Bumpdate: 18 weeks

• How far along: 18 weeks!
• How I'm feeling: Overall, great!  Starting to feel more energized and less like a big 'ol lump.
• Size of the baby: The size of a SWEET POTATO! 
• Total weight gain: 8 pounds. 
• Maternity clothes: Oh yes!  I'm not sure how much longer I can last in jeans because the Texas summer heat is coming.    
• Sleep: Not great but not terrible.  
• Gender: Your guess is as good as mine :)  Everyone tends to think girl!
• Movement: Feeling baby move from time to time.
• Food Cravings: Fruit salad, nachos, baked potatoes, and burgers with fries.
• Food Aversions: None.  
• What I miss: A nice glass of wine with dinner.  I know that some mamas continue to do so on occasion throughout pregnancy, but I refrain from any alcohol just to be safe.
• Best moment of the week: Nothing related at all to pregnancy, but meeting new neighbors just down the street!  They have a son four months younger than G and a four month old daughter.  
• Big Brother: G is becoming more interested in the baby - last night he told R that it was time to check on the baby and went to the bathroom to find the heart rate monitor.  :)  He is very doting on his playmates' little brothers/sisters, and he comments almost daily that he wants a baby sister.

Mama

Mama.  Such a simple word but one that holds so much weight.

When I first looked into his eyes, I knew I was done for.  Over the past two years and nine months, I have changed tremendously in my mama role.  I have surprised myself in doing things that I thought that I would never do and I have done many things that I had always dreamed of doing someday.  I have stretched, I have grown, I have cried, and I have laughed {infinitely more times}.  I now understand and appreciate my own mother that much more.

Ack, I HATE this pic of me, but this was life just two weeks in.

Oh, little man G... I will never forget the day that you made me a mama.  It has been an awesome ride so far.  I love you to the moon and back, now and always.

****

On days like today, I am so very thankful to have my entire family close by.  This morning, just our little family went to the park, and then we met at my parents' house for a potluck brunch - easier on the kids and no reservation needed!  The afternoon was spent napping at home, watching golf, and lounging around the house.  A perfect little Sunday.

My mama and sisters

Sweet cousins

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mamas out there!  Also, as someone on FB so eloquently put it, "Love and prayers for the longing moms, the empty armed moms-to-be, the sacrificial birth mothers, the grieving moms, the grieving daughters, and the motherless babies."

Also, because this article is hilarious ...
http://www.chicagonow.com/baby-sideburns/2013/05/ten-things-i-want-for-mothers-day/

Bumpdate: 17 weeks

• How far along: 17 weeks!
• How I'm feeling: Overall, great!  
• Size of the baby: The size of an ONION! 
• Total weight gain: 7 pounds. 
• Maternity clothes: Oh yes!     
• Sleep: Not great but not terrible.  I am waking up extra early to deal with a certain puppy these days.  
• Gender: Your guess is as good as mine :).  G's teacher thinks girl and it seems like most everyone preggo right now is having a girl.  This pregnancy is very similar in lots of ways to my pregnancy with G, so I really have no clue.
• Movement: I am feeling movement here and there.
• Food Cravings: Breakfast tacos and smoothies.
• Food Aversions: None.  
• What I miss: The simplicity of life pre-puppy, which has nothing to do with being pregnant.  :)
• Best moment of the week: No "best" moment per say, but I am excited that our gender ultrasound and anatomy screening is only three weeks away!
• Big Brother: G isn't too concerned with the baby just yet.  When asked, he has stated his preference for a baby sister.

Woo hoo!  Another week ticked off the chart!  I don't feel like I am growing astronomically and my bleeding has stopped (*knock on wood*).  Still on pelvic rest until the doc gives me new orders, but I am keeping busy with G and the pup and resting when I can.

My DVR is bursting at the seams and I have a very lonely disc of Downton Abbey waiting for me, but I can't seem to make it past 9:00 six nights out of seven.  I am sure to find more down time once I stop tutoring in a couple of weeks and the boring summer TV programming starts up.

****

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Two simple and delicious recipes

If you are at all like me, you are always overjoyed to find simple and delicious recipes.  While I usually go healthy to boot, the next two recipes may not quite fit that bill (okay, one of them isn't bad but the other is sinfully good).


First up, oven roasted red potatoes.  This recipe calls for three ingredients.  Three!  The biggest pain is washing and cutting the potatoes, and even that isn't anything compared to the prep work of some recipes.

I don't have a picture for this one (sorry), but I've made it a few times and R loves them!  They also got rave reviews from our awesome sitter who ate them re-heated a day later.


Next up, cinnamon toast à la Pioneer Woman.  I haven't attempted any of her recipes in a while because  they are usually too involved for my patience level right now.  This one, however, is easy and hits the spot if you are looking for some morning indulgence like I was today.

Happy cooking!

Casa de Zeus

We have a new baby in our house.  A furry, four-legged variety that is just shy of fifteen weeks old and while very cute, is very demanding.

We named him Zeus because he is going to be a big doggy.  The vet thinks he is a Great Dane mix and judging by his massive front paws, he will indeed be gargantuan.

He was found crossing six lanes of traffic by a friend's friend who couldn't keep him and was looking for a good home for the {big} little guy.  I initiated contact because my brother and his fiancée have been talking about getting a dog.  They decided he would be too big for their house and didn't want to deal with a puppy.  We tried another friend who raises Great Danes and a Great Dane rescue, but somehow we ended up with him.  ;)

He is sweet, he loves to bite (yay - not), and he isn't quite potty trained.  He also loves to howl and yelp at night, but luckily, he is getting better and we have been getting more sleep the last few nights.

Poor baby.  He can't help it that he's just a pup and who knows what the first many weeks of his life were like.  We are trying our best to have lots of patience and love, and G (for the most part) is interested and excited about him.  He calls him either "Juice" or "George."  Juice because he can't pronounce Zeus correctly and George because he gets confused - the lady we adopted him from has a son named George that we met.

He's pretty good on the leash already and will go to training as soon as he's done with all of his shots.  It's never a dull moment around here, that's for sure!

Bumpdate: 16 weeks

• How far along: 16 weeks!
• How I'm feeling: Overall, great!  I'm feeling some heavy pelvic pressure (sorry if that's TMI) but apparently that is not uncommon this early on in a second pregnancy.
• Size of the baby: The size of an AVOCADO! 
• Total weight gain: 7 pounds. Up two from last week - oops!
• Maternity clothes: Oh yes!  I am loving a pair of cargo pants in particular that I borrowed from a friend and all of my maternity long dresses.    
• Sleep: Not great but not terrible.  I feel like I turn from side to side and even wake up and find myself laying on my back, even with the maternity pillow.  
• Gender: Your guess is as good as mine :)
• Movement: I am now confident that it is indeed the baby that I'm feeling.  I feel flutters here and there.
• Food Cravings: Cheesy enchiladas, Chinese food, and lots of cold water with lemon wedges.
• Food Aversions: None.  
• What I miss: I really wanted a margarita at the Mexican food restaurant and the crawfish boil this past week.  
• Best moment of the week: Going to my 16th week appointment and having it be very uneventful.  Those are the best kind of dr. appointments.
• Big Brother: G isn't too concerned with the baby just yet.  He does love to hear the baby's heartbeat though.