Do you ever have days when your selfies just turn out pretty dang ok? Me neither, especially with the fat face I've been rocking lately. Thank you pre-e swelling. So I had to document a day when I actually got ready and was feeling pretty good about myself! We went to church and then to Target before I had a bridal consultation. 

I over did it and ended up sitting in the car waiting for Bryson and Foster to finish shopping and felt pretty crappy the rest of the day but I am still trying to find my limits and after laying in bed day in and day out when I finally get a chance to do something I normally over do it by trying to do everything in one day. I'll get the hang of it these next two and half months!

29 Week Bumpdate

This week has been sooooo much better than last week. Nothing eventful has really happened and we have just been hanging out at home. Lo and I went on a date night to Cinderella  a couple of nights ago but that's about as crazy as it's gotten around here. Lo had her very own cookie booth at the beginning of the week! She sold over one hundred boxes of cookies in under two hours, not too bad. Her Aunt T and miss Claira came and helped out. Claira kept trying to look up at us but then the sun got in her eyes and she would cry and look back down then be fine. It was adorable and hilarious at the same time. 

Cinderella

Yesterday we started remodeling the big kids' room! We are almost done, all the essentials are up but the room still needs a little fun-ness and organization. Foster loved helping dad and dad loved the help ;) I can't wait to show you all the completed room in a couple of weeks! I am waiting for even a sneak peek until it is completely finished because I am SO excited! 

When Foster came into our lives Lo had a little stage of acting out and didn't know why. We had a talk with her that if she was needed more attention she just has to let us know and we'll do something special for her asap. She doesn't overuse it and has only told us she needed more attention maybe three times since Foster was born.

28 Weeks Bumpdate

This weeks bumpdate is going to be a lot different than last weeks. It's amazing (and scary) just how much can change in a few short days. Looking at last weeks update  I was feeling so optimistic about getting off bed rest. I was feeling better, I hadn't been contracting too much compared to normal and I was just all around feeling optimistic. 

Monday I had my appt and modified bed rest wasn't going anywhere. It was a bummer, but it didn't surprise me too much. 

Tuesday night comes a long, our busy night, and I was getting Lo ready for gymnastics, we dropped her off, ran to Target, back to get her and drop her off at Girl Scouts then home for some rest before we picked her up. We dropped her off at 6 and when we got home I realized I had been contracting quite a bit. I decided to lay down and drink some water which tends to help. I started thinking about how many I had had since dropping off Lo. I knew I had 3-5 in Target, a couple in the car, two while bringing her into Girl Scouts....all in the matter of an hour. After laying down and realizing they weren't slowing down at all Bryson and I started timing them. They were 5 minutes apart and had been consistent at least 1 1/2 hours at this point. This is when my Dr wanted me to call. All of a sudden it changed from 5 minutes apart and 30 seconds - a minute long to 2 minutes apart and each lasting a solid 1 minute a piece. 

27 Week Bumpdate {+ some Life Lately}

 This post is going to have a lot in it with River's update, my update and some life lately. I thought I would start with River, then me, then some life lately :) 

We had our second appt with our perinatologist on Monday and from what I gathered from the Dr, everything seemed like it was going great. He was verryyy quick and didn't really give us time for questions but the tech took her time and said everything was looking great. I'm just assuming if there is a problem than he would have talked to us about it. I have my normal appt with my Dr tomorrow so I plan on going over everything with him. 

Also, fingers crossed that I can get off bed rest. I have been feeling really good these past couple of days and have hardly been contracting at all. I am feeling sluggish and am ready to start living life, going on walks and enjoying this warmer weather. 

What I {Ate} Wednesday

Normally when I do a What I {Ate} Wednesday post I will just pull random pictures off my iPhone camera roll and compile a general list; but today I thought I would take you through a full day, start to finish, on what I eat. It's actually yesterday :)

 

As most of you know, I a STILL having morning sickness- yep, at 27 weeks. It's fan-tastic. So my carb intake is at least 60% of my diet. Unfortunately, this is showing up drastically on the scale. So I am trying to get my carbs through fruits, whole grains, etc. instead of breads. I am really trying to eat healthier or these next three months are going to be awful.

 

I will do my 27 week update after I finish replying to work emails. I have had my computer in the shop and have soooo many emails and voicemails to get to.

 

Anyyyywaaaayyyyssss, here was yesterdays meals and some simple recipes :)

 

I'm sure most of you are sick of seeing this breakfast but I really do love it and eat it a lot. They are Van's Whole Grain Waffles with some butter, syrup and chia seeds. Normally I would put half a banana on it but I knew I would be eating a lot more fruit through the day so decided to save it.

 

 

An hour or so after being awake I will have a small cup of iced coffee with some Sweet Cream Natural Creamers. Delicious and only three ingredients!

 

Foster needed a "toffee" too so he has some chocolate almond milk.

When lunch time rolls around I was definitely feeling hungry so I had my morning snack with my lunch because I had missed it.

 

My morning snack would have been a "green" juice but it worked with lunch too and helped me feel fuller. I was out of kale and parsley, which is why my green juice is so orange.

 

There is 1 green apple, 2-3 carrots, 2 celery stalks and 1 lemon. Delish. I missed the parsley especially but it was still really good.

 

 

For my filling part of lunch I had an acai bowl. All I do is blend 1 acai packet with 3/4 a banana and a splash of milk then top with granola, goji berries, the remaining banana, chia seeds and raw unsweetened coconut. Normally I would through more nuts and seeds on but the granola I used already had a ton, so I omitted those.

 

After picking Lo up from school she requested a smoothie and a juice. So her and Foster slurped down a carrot + green apple + celery juice while I made whipped smoothie ice-cream. For the three of us I used 2 bananas, 1 cup frozen blueberries and 1-1/2 cups frozen strawberries, lots of chia seeds and 1-1/2 cups of milk. Blend until frothy and thick.

What's the point of having a big ol' baby belly if you don't use it as a table for ice cream?! 

Dinner WAS going to be stuffed bell peppers but my Mema called and asked us to come over for dinner, so Frito pie it was! We'll have stuffed bell peppers tonight, because life is all about balance people :) 

Week 24 Bumpdate

So there's a lot to update on, it's not necessarily happy or sad, it's just the way this pregnancy is going and has been going since the beginning. Many of you already know I am on bed rest and I have gotten so many loving messages but I wasn't wanting to share the full story until I had answers. It's been two weeks and I'm not closer to figuring out what's going on then I was then so I thought I would share what I knew, and update later. 

The night of the Super Bowl I was feeling more nauseous than usual and was having pretty regular Braxton hicks. I didn't think anything of it being as how I've been sick this entire pregnancy. Bryson and I ended up leaving the party early and were planning on just hanging out at home with the kids. 

Kings of Leon

How did I miss these! I started this blog post back in September but then something came up and I had to stop and never finished. So anywayssssss..... We brought the kids to the zoo before the concerts and Foster was OBSESSED! He had never been to the zoo before and he was pretty sure that he belonged with the animals.

After the zoo we brought the kids to their first concerts and it was soooo much fun! Foster was head banging and Lo was loving the girls time with her friend, Taryn. Bryson and I love concerts and we love our kids! So it was a no brainer to combine the two, even though They were easily the youngest kids there but that didn't stop them from having a great time! And I have to say it's pretty cool that the kids' first concert was Kings of Leon, Kongos and Young the Giant!

We stayed at the Isleta Casino and will definitely do so again. The pool was perfect for the kids and the rooms were pretty nice but it was great being so close to the amphitheater and we could get ice-cream at the hotel... win, win.

22 Week Bumpdate

No update last week because there really has been nothing all that exciting going on. Just work and school. No drastic changes and everything has been going about the same haha really! We are pretty boring, busy people :) 

Total weight gain: 10 lbs 

Gender: We have our suspicions 

Name: River Jayce

Maternity Clothes: I wore some the other day and they just kept sliding off. I can still button my jeans but by night they get a little tight but are still more comfortable than maternity jeans, surprisingly.

Stretch marks? No new ones that I can see.

Sleep: I have been so HOT lately that I have not been sleeping good. My poor family is freezing (even my husband who sleeps with a  sheet has been bundling up). I was at church today and everyone was saying how cold it was but I was sweating. I thought that was supposed to come later!

Movement: So much movement! Little River is very prominent and is right against my skin instead of being tucked back in. I even felt him/her windshield wipe the inside of my stomach! It was very creepy but cool feeling at the same time.

Best moment this week: Nothing all that special has happened this week. Lo's reading is going great and Foster fell and hit his eye but it is healing nicely.

Miss Anything: I would really love  margarita. I think I am ready for summer!  

Belly button in or out? Its a half-y right now. 

Food cravings: Nothing consistent but I have been having so many "craving" for either salty or sweet foods.  

Anything making you queasy or sick:  If I don't eat every couple of hours I start to feel sick, if I'm too hot I feel sick, if I live I am nauseous.

Labor Signs: Nope, just the normal braxton hicks 

Symptoms: So tired and still sick. Also, the sciatic nerve pain with this pregnancy is no joke.

Wedding ring on or off? On and feeling normal.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am a little cranky and short....mainly with Bryson though. I swear he is trying to get under my skin lately just so I'll act crazy and he can call me crazy.

Looking forward to: Super Bowl party today should be a lot of fun! We are heading over to my parents to hang out with the family and eat some yummy food. I will also be bringing some homework and work because I really couldn't care less about the Super Bowl.... I am just excited for the food.

10 Week Update/Announcement  | 11 Week Update | 15 Week Update | 16 Week Update | 17 Week Update | 19 Week Update | 20 Week Update

Strung Along Fine Lines

A lot of times I feel like life is a balancing act. We, especially as women but men as well, are expected to have exceptionally behaved children and make excuses (teething, sick, etc.) when they act like, well, kids, a spotless home with zero dirty dishes in the sink, freshly mopped floors and decluttered counters, cook food network healthy, organic, gluten free, cruelty free meals while simultaneously decorating a cake, be successful in work and be the best wives we can be all while making it to the gym 5 times a week and gulping down green juice and salads in between gymnastics, girl scouts, play dates, church functions and still making time to read to our kids.....

I don't know about you but that was a hell of a run on sentence and, if we're being honest, that is how my life has felt lately. Like one big run on sentence. Life is all about balance and there is no way we can possibly balance all those things and still be happy. 

I am a type A person. and I like to think that I can do everything and if I just stay organized down to the tiny details then maybe, just maybe, I can get everything done in a  day. 

But I can't. 

These past 5 months, and maybe more, I have not been myself. I blamed it on a hard pregnancy, but, it all has to do with me trying to get everything done just how others (and myself, I am my harshest critic) expect it to be. 

This realization hit me today. I am in the middle of my third homework assignment and I just needed a break. So here I am. 

I was thinking back to yesterday when Lo and I had a girls day with one of my friends and her daughter that is Lo's age. We went to lunch and then went to get our nails done. While I was sitting alone I was checking emails and getting back with clients then when we went to their house and were watching a movie I was setting my schedule for the week. When I ran out of work to do on my phone I felt so guilty that I wasn't working. I realized I haven't sat down and watched a movie without working or doing homework in months...maybe even longer. 

It's getting to the point of being extremely unhealthy.

I have never in my life been sick as many times as these past 5 months, I am still getting morning sickness but I have had the flu, colds, infections and I am pretty sure I have a sinus infection right now.

It isn't healthy to never let your brain or body relax. I wake up in the night thinking about work that needs to get done or things we need to do and don't fall back asleep for hours. 

The absolute, most unhealthy thing that I think I am doing is pushing relationships to the side. Reading and playing with my kids has been taking a back burner, Bryson and I haven't played a game or just enjoyed ourselves in a long, long time. We used to play a board game or card game almost every night. 

I feel overwhelmed and unhappy a lot of the time because my mind is absorbed in the wrong things. Tomorrow morning I am making a change. and it starts with a change in perspective. 

I can't do it all. and that's ok.

I am going to make  a time for work and homework and stop working into the wee hours of the morning. 

I am going to play with the kids more and enjoy Bryson's company more.

I am going to make healthier decisions mentally and physically for myself because I am sick and tired of being sick an tired. 

Tonight I am going to finish what is due tonight and then I am going to go to bed. 

Crazy Pregnant Lady

Odds are, if you've been pregnant (or with someone who's pregnant) you know about the dreaded pregnancy emotions. 

I'd like to think I'm a pretty level-headed person.  I try not to jump to conclusions, if somethings bugging me I don't beat around the bush and my husband cries more often then I do. 

But these pregnancy emotions have turned me into a crazy lady. I swear it gets worse with every pregnancy.  So I thought I would give some of my most memorable, emotional moments from each pregnancy. 

Pregnancy #1 - This one to me seems pretty reasonable. When Bridge to Teribithia came out I had seen it a couple of times but I was maybe 5ish months pregnant and decided to watch it again with my sisters. I laugh cried from around the middle of the movie alllll the way to the end. 

Pregnancy #2 - With this pregnancy it was all about the commercials. I couldn't handle anything that I could turn remotely sad. However, Bryson did tell me I was super sweet this pregnancy. I say it was because my hormones were so high that I had to keep them in check.

Pregnancy #3 - So here we are. I have been super hormonal and cranky. Exhausted and filled with all sorts of emotions. This past week I was grocery shopping with Bryson and we always split up because Foster will cry if Bryson is near us because he wants to be held. I went to get hamburger buns for the bison burgers we were going to have that night. I grabbed the pack I always do and was looking at it realizing there were only four buns. So what? It was that moment I realized that there wouldn't be enough for all of us when River is big enough. I did not have a full out bawl session but I did shed a tear or two. Bryson came over right then and just brushed past it. I knew that I could just buy two bags.....but for some reason it didn't seem realistic then. 

I honestly have no idea why I am so much more emotional (my husband would say crazy) this time around.  am going to blame it on lack of sleep and a exhaustion from chasing around a wild one-year old.

What is your best crazy pregnant lady story?

What I {and the littles ATE} Wednesday

In the essence of full disclosure eating healthy for me lately has been a huge struggle. Excess meat upsets my stomach and I have still been feeling the effects of morning sickness so I have been on a major carb trip lately. I have been trying to sneak more protein in with eggs, broccoli, oatmeal and things like that but it's not always easy! I have been trying to log my food intake a lot more on myfitnesspal (aspengroen) but it's taking me awhile to get back into the routine of it. 

I am also going to share some quick meals that I threw together for the kids but it really didn't merit it's own big post because I do not make my kids "special" food because they don't like or don't want to try what we are eating. So everything you see is both what I ate and what the kiddos ate. Their portions are a little different so I did show a couple of pictures :) 

There are a couple recipes on this post as well :) 

We love egg muffins. They are so easy and really easy to heat up and give to the kids on the way to school. We just throw in whatever we want and cook in a muffin tin until they are fully cooked but still wiggle a little.