Comes and Goes

The waves of nausea. I never felt like this with LH. I had a great pregnancy, minus the swelling - correction - my imitation of a blowfish! Really, it was a scary scene. I was so puffy - my eyes and cheeks and even lips were swollen! I didn't necessarily feel bad, I just looked bad. This time around, I'm already feeling the effects of my lentil bean taking a toll on me! That's what the books say it is....
I did manage to have some coffee this morning. About a half a cup with a sprinkle of sugar and splash of cream. I just needed something to get me going. I have really backed down on caffeine in general and it feels good to drink more water throughout the day (with limes of course).
The nausea is unsettling though - no pun intended. I mean, I am not sure if I would rather just get sick and get it over with or feel this way all day - which is how its been happening. I feel good for a bit, then BAM, it hits me! I have already consumed 2 slices of bread with butter and oatmeal this morning. I am still feeling like I need some crackers - unsalted of course - to settle my stomach.
AND, this whole low sodium diet I'm trying to follow didn't go so well last night when I had potato chips and some dip for dinner! I really am trying to do better about my sodium intake to prevent as much of the swelling as possible. Lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains and fish seem to be the key, except I can't eat a lot of fish! I don't love turkey and ham, bacon, sausage, and hotdogs are out of the question, so I guess I'll need to stick to lean pork and chicken! Maybe I'll just become a vegetarian for this pregnancy!
Ok, enough ranting....

Awella and her stinky stick

Little Hauss and I finished out the weekend with a classic - 101 Dalmatians! It really is one of my favorites along with Lady and the Tramp!
As we are sitting there watching, LH asks, where is that Awella and her stinky stick? Huh? Ya know mom, the mean lady with her stinky stick she puts in her mouth? HAHA...Cruella and her cigarette!
I love it!

Best. Weekend. Ever.

Hands down one of my favorites so far.
We did absolutely nothing. After my 12 hr sleeping spell on Friday night I would have thought I had more energy to get up and get moving over the weekend for some fun family activities, but nah, I just got geared up for some cuddly couch time!
It was so nice not having anywhere to be or anything to do. We were on our own lazy schedule and just lounged and napped at our leisure! It was fabulous! I did manage to get all the laundry put away, sheets changed, dishes done and vacuumed. It practically took me all day to do it, but it got done. I took some Facebook and tv breaks in between while LH played the Wii. I even made lasagna for dinner and stayed up past 10pm!
Today I actually left the house for the first time all weekend....only because I didn't want to cook breakfast! We ventured out for some pancakes and sausage and then stopped by Redbox to get a couple of movies for the afternoon! It really is bitter cold and no one should go out unless absolutely necessary. I couldn't wait to be back home snuggled in under the blankets! Brrrrr.
So, now its nearing dinner time and I'm in my pjs (a fresh pair) watching LH play the Wii again, and loving that I have a lot of leftovers and won't have to cook!!!
Too bad I don't have one more day....I just want one more....
Leaving the house will be difficult tomorrow morning I'm sure, but being well rested, I'm sure I can do it.

Hibernation

I woke up at 7:20 this morning. This is not unusal! LH has been accomodating lately on the weekends and sleeping past his usual 6:30 and giving us a few more minutes of shut eye. I am very grateful. Most of the time, I still wake up before him.
What is unusaul is that I slept for 12 hours! I totally settled in last night on the couch after dinner ready to catch up on some magazines and watch LH play Wii with Hubby and the next thing I know, I'm being hugged and kissed by the sweetest 4 year old whispering he loves me and good night! Whoa! So I thought, I can hang out with hubby for a little bit, maybe watch our movie we rented, and then again, got woken up by him around 11 asking if I wanted to move to the bed!!!!
I was so happy I didn't take a nap yesterday and got some stuff done, but didn't expect to fall out that early for the night! Hubby said LH even climed up and laid with me for a while as he was watching Hubby play the Wii. So sweet!
Today I hope to get lots of stuff done....might even take a nap so I can actually participate in family fun activities this evening! Sheesh!

Is there even a word for it?

There are many disorders, sicknesses, etc for the most random things, like the fear of characters/mascots is Masklophobia and the fear of garlic is Alliumphobia. Well my word is Ochophobia - the fear of vehicles but most importantly ONE vehicle in particular - a MINIVAN!

Really, I almost got physically ill just browsing them on the internet.

You are probably wondering why I'm browsing a minivan anyway, and you might be correct if you are guessing that we are going to have a baby!!!!!!!!

We are not terribly far along, but I feel like the whole world knows already, so I might as well blog about it! We are super excited and I feel great....with the exception of disliking coffee at the moment! I really hope this one goes away! Coke seems to be a great substitute for now, but I really miss my morning java!

So, back to minivan purusing. I can barely think about it without reaching for the trashcan! Ugghh! It's not like I HAVE to have a minivan, but the next few years flashed before my eyes, and I am thinking that my little Subaru Impreza isn't going to cut it with 2 kids and all the gear that goes with them to boot! PLUS, Hubby is a whopping 6'1", so he'd be cramped in either seat with a child behind him. NOW, I could make it work if I had to. Afterall, we do have a 4 door full size truck as well, but I was more concerned with other passengers! What about when LH want to have a friend over after school to play? Or my parents are in town or we are visiting them and we all want to ride together? Or if I decide to carpool with my friend who has 2 kids going to elementary school with LH? Then what? I have not ruled out the possibility of an SUV or SUV crossover with a 3rd row, but really, how much room do you really get in those? More and more, its pointing to the inevitable! I am just not ready to face it! BUT it really does seem like the most practical plan for the future!

Do you resolve?

I don't necessarily make resolutions - especially at the beginning of a new year. I try to make realistic changes throughout the year if possible. Reflecting on this past year, things I have changed or accomplished are:

• Couponing seriously and practically changing my entire shopping strategy. I am at the point that I will not buy something unless it is on sale (and worth it) or with some sort of coupon/incentive to go along with it. It's become quite an obsession, but well worth it in our budget!
• Planning weekly/monthly menus. Sometimes I can plan far enough in advance and premake some things to put in the freezer for easy cooking nights. It really does save time and money - not to mention using up what you have on hand!
• Went to a cash system. We aren't total Dave Ramsey'ans but we are close. We decided to ditch the debit card and live on cash. Surprising it was the best thing we ever did and we feel like we have more money and do more things we want now than ever before.
• Paid down our credit CARD. Yes, just ONE. We never have had more than one, but if you have 1 or 5, you use it. We are all guilty of it. We just stopped using it about 2 years ago, but still had to pay for the balance. With the cash system, we allocate more each month to pay on it, paying it off faster. We have noticed a big difference already and its only been about 8 months.
• Spending more time with family. We still need our own time individually and our date nights, but we seem to be spending more quality time as a family and its been great. With hubby working nights and all of our activities, I didn't think this was possible, but we just make it work.
• Reading more. Its been a long time since I could just sit down and read for pleasure, but now that LH is a little older and can entertain himself longer, its become easier to do.
• More home improvement. We have really stepped it up this year and worked on our house. Its not a bad house and doesn't really "need" anything, but it just needs updating here and there. We have really accomplished alot.
• Became more involved in our church. I have been going to this church for over 25 years and stayed really involved until about College. It took until last year to find that place just for us where we fit. We love our Sunday School class and have done more in this last year as a couple and family to help people in our community or church family and its an amazing feeling. We have met new friends and have made it OUR church and not just MY church. Its been a blessing for all of us.

Overall I feel that 2009 was a wonderful year. I have a few "ideas" in store for 2010, but I won't call them resolutions. I don't want to be held to something from here on out, but I will feel accomplished when these ideas turn into reality!

Ringin' in the New Year Family Style

We celebrated the New Year with good friends and their kids! The original intent was to have a family game night and play the Wii and shuffle board complete with good snacks and drinks. Plans changed a little after we found out our HOKIES would be playing in the Chick-fil-A bowl! We adapted....its not hard when you get to watch the game on a 104 inch flat screen and your kid is consumed with play!!!

Hubby was loving this TV!

Happy 2010! Cheers! Kids toasting their "champagne" AT MIDNIGHT! We got home and LH to bed around 1:30...he was hanging in there better than me! I was trying hard to stay awake come 1 am.

Go Hokies

Playing DS! Oh, that's Daddy Daycare!!! See, he's a natural!

It was the best way to spend the end of a great year - with great friends and family! Even though there have been some moments I'd rather forget, most of it was awesome and this next year is just going to be even better!