17 weeks 4 days

 

Dear Bump,

It seems like just yesterday we found out about you and yet 18 almost 19 weeks have passed. I am almost to the halfway mark! And what a difference a week makes! As I stared at this weeks bump shot I am amazed at how we went from a faint little pudge to hello momma!

Going forward I am going to show you off in all your glory. I really enjoy my preggo body and belly. I find it amazing that I can create a person and house them in my belly. I don't mind showing off my stretch marks, my war wounds so to speak.

This was our week for the monthly doctor visit. Both Spencer and I got to hear your heart beat. It always makes me smile. Your heart was gong about 160 BPM...the midwife said you could possibly be a girl. Spencer's heart rate was always in the 170's. If you are a boy,maybe you will just be a tad bit more laid back?

I've posted a picture of the Spencer bump at 19 weeks for comparison. Pretty close, huh?

Love,
Mommy

My Love/Hate Relationship with Twitter

I can't remember how I first got introduced to Twitter. I think I saw a few people throw the word around and I became curious. This was before I had a smartphone. I signed up and then thought "now what?"

Once I got a Blackberry, Twitter made a lot more sense. I was home with a new baby and it was my lifeline. I could stay connected to what was happening in the world without turning on a TV or radio. Nights when the baby woke me up and I couldn't fall back asleep? You got it, I could read tweets from those on the west coast or other insomniacs. In those early days (nights?) I remember Soleil Moon Frye was always posting late into the night when she should have been asleep. I remember being able to see weather maps with Al Roker before the sun was up.

It was during this time that Twitter was so good. And I loved it.

Fast forward to just a about 6 to 9 months later and suddenly Twitter was growing at a rapid rate. I began to get the urge to re-vamp my blog and suddenly all the new blogs I was finding had their Twitter names attached to them. People were interacting even more than before! It was instant gratification with other moms out in cyberspace. But I felt like suddenly I was just a small fish in a big pond. I wondered if my voice was even being heard.

At this point Twitter was still so good. But I began to hate it.

Twitter can be hard to grasp. It can also make you feel like an outsider, even when you have tons of followers. Followers are the same as friends on Facebook. So here you are tweeting about what you're doing or not doing. Or trying to interact with someone you admire and getting no where. It can make you feel like that wannabe in school who follows the cool kids in hopes they give her/him one kind word or look.

Last week Jaci over at Ravings of a Mad Housewife lamented on how she just didn't get Twitter. And all her commenters said the same thing, how it was lame, boring, etc. I may have been the only one who praised the service. But I got their frustration.

At the same time I wondered if they were using Twitter the right way. Were they forcing it, instead of just going with the flow? Were they expecting too much from Twitter? After all he's just a small blue bird. You can read Jaci's post here,along with all the comments.

A few weeks before that Melissa at Adventuroo posted a wonderful article about Twitter and making sense of it all. Because it really can be overwhelming at first. Tweet, Twit, twhat? If there ever was a guide to Twitter, Melissa's post should be in it. See for yourself. She compares it to a cocktail party...I don't know about you, but I love me a good cocktail.

Do you get it? Is the thought of 140 characters making you salivate with anticipation of creating your own Twitter handle and hanging with the masses? Then now you need some more great advice from Melissa on what to tweet about. Here are her top 9 things. If you read the comments not everyone agrees with her list. But that's what so great about social media...ideas don't have to be all right or all wrong. You can do what is comfortable to you and for you.

I still go back and forth with my love/hate for Twitter. But love it or hate it, I won't be leaving it anytime soon.

Are you on Twitter? Want to follow me? Look for the "Tweet x2" on my sidebar.

What's In My Bag, Yo?

Fadra surprised us all with a Saturday post and she mentioned it was fluffy and light-hearted and instantly I was intrigued. She joined in with Nice Girl and her what's in your bag post. If I have to admit one thing...it is that I am Nosy. That's right with a capital N. But I also don't mind sharing, so here we go!

This is my running to the store or heading out without the Boy bag. Don't let the size fool you...I can fit a lot in there!

A peek of what it looks like before I empty it all out. It has the essentials and doesn't look so bad, right?

Okay, now we are getting somewhere!

My essentials: LV wallet (gift from Hubbs), Blackberry, car keys on Tiffany key ring (wow, my Hubbs is Da Man!), designer sunglasses (scored at outlet!) and mints for nausea and fresh breath.

Random items: empty Publix giftcard, receipt from Kroger, empty wrapper from the Boy's snack and all the loyalty/reward cards from all sorts of stores. Exciting, right?

The makeup bag: Chanel glossimer, clear mascara, Estee Lauder lipstick, Yes to Carrots berry balm, Bubble & Bee organic chocolate and mint balm, Bubble & Bee organic lotion stick, Aleve bottle (with Tylenol), Clean Well sanitizer, Tide stick, blotting papers, Covergirl eyeshadow, floss, and girly products.

So that's it. That's what's in my bag, yo! Do you feel like you know me better? Want to play along? Visit Nice Girl Notes and join in the fun!

Fashionable Friday: Do You, Part Two

This is part two of last week's Fashionable Friday: Do You post. I want to give some pointers on shopping, on keeping organized and even a tip to look 10 pounds lighter.

I love to shop. Always have and it didn't matter the store. When I was a kid living in New York my mother use to take me to thrift shops and I would play for hours with old shoes and bags and hats. She also taught me that name brands did not have to cost a fortune and we regularly stopped at a place called Loehmann's. They are the original TJMaxx and Marshall's.

As I got heavier, I realized shopping wasn't always so much fun. When you haven't embraced your new size, shopping can actually be a drag. Especially when you see your old size and have to skip a few hangers to get to your new size. It can be downright depressing.

When you become a mother, shopping whether depressing or not suddenly becomes an Olympic sport. You get in, get out and are done. Half the time you get to the store and look longingly at the women's section. If you always loves shopping, the love doesn't go away. But the ease of spending hours in the fitting room does. There is nothing like a toddler who wants to look under all the stalls or crawl under your own stall to get away as you have pants half hiked. While before it might have been depressing, now it's just not fun. Period.

My secret weapon for shopping now? Online. I especially love shopping at stores that will let me return the items to their brick and mortar locations. Target, Old Navy, Gap, Kohl's. If there is a spend a certain dollar amount to get free shipping - do it. You can order something in several sizes, several colors. You can order jeans and try them on at home and take back what doesn't fit...without ever seeing a sales associate roll their eyes.

My second weapon is looking for inspiration from magazines. You can mimic your fave celeb's style by looking for similar pieces. I know some of you say you have the worse sense of style but you probably aren't giving yourself any credit. Maybe your style is just eclectic. Maybe you are ahead of fashion. Either way having a go-to picture or idea is helpful when you are perusing sites.

Thirdly, when you shop, shop in full pieces. What I mean by that is if you find a top you love, make sure you have pants and shoes that you know can wear with the top. There is nothing more frustrating than to buy something and suddenly realize you have nothing to pair it with. Save yourself the stress and either purchase a whole outfit or mentally put the outfit together. This doesn't mean you won't have impulse purchases, it just means those will be minimal.

Lastly when new items come in? Get rid of pieces that don't fit, that are worn out, faded, etc. If you haven't worn it or forgot you owned it? Give it away, donate it, use it as rags. You will never feel like you have the right items if mixed in with new stuff is old stuff taking up space.

And now for the big tip to look 10 pounds lighter. One word...bra. That's right ladies, you have to get right with your boobs. Half the women reading this (all 5 of you) are wearing the wrong size bra. Wearing the right size will change the way you walk and stand. Many of the major department stores have bra fit specialist that can help you find your size. I suggest either Macy's or Dillard's. My favorite place though is once called Intimacy. You can pretty much find any style bra in sizes up to K. And they don't even make you feel funny for having one girl bigger than the other. Check them out here. I will admit, be ready to spend some $$$ on a good fitting bra. I suggest having at least 2 that are really good. You should never wear the same bra day after day (guilty=me) as your bra needs time to breath and reclaim its shape. So once you know your true size find it at regular store (Target, wal mart, etc.) and wear that one around the house, etc.

I hope my tips and suggestions help you get a better picture of how you can do you. I sometimes forget my own tips but I'm really working hard to do me. Looking put together doesn't have to be hard or overwhelming. Like me, you just have to take things slowly.


I will gladly take suggestions or questions about fashion and use it as my next post, so if you have any, send them my way!

16 weeks 4 days

 

Dear Bump,

Well if you look really hard at my belly...you can tell I am pregnant. I no longer have to push my belly out in order to show. It isn't a big belly but it makes all the more real that you are there and will be here soon enough.

I've been having a bit of pain but I think it is because I have to do a lot of bending. Your big brother really keeps me on my toes. Hopefully he will only teach you the good things. The other day we went out and collected acorns to celebrate the arrival of Autumn. Can't wait until Spencer can show you the things I am showing and teaching him.

I have to admit...I am scared. I know I will love you just as much as I love your Daddy and Spencer but what if I can't handle both of you? I didn't realize how overwhelming motherhood could be and now with two of you needing my attention, well it can really seem like a lot. Thank goodness I still have plenty of time to wrap my head around it.

Several more weeks before we decide to see what you are...but in our hearts you're already special.

Love,
Mommy

Fashionable Friday: Do You

I think the hardest part about being a mom and staying fashionable aside from time, is growing accustomed to the new shape our body has taken. That's why I am calling this post, Do You.

Do you can mean many different things but in keeping with the fashion theme I am going to focus on admitting our bodies are different and embracing the change. In other words, you have to do YOU.

As a teen and into college life I was pretty much about 100 pounds with the luck of having a large chest. On a good day I was 5'2 with no shoes. Even at that size I had issues with clothing but I didn't let it stop me from dressing fashionable. It was the 90's and I rocked grunge, constructions boots and everything in between. But then I went from this:

To this:

At my biggest size I still dressed cute, I still wore my platforms shoes, my stilettos, my platform sandals. I did me, even if I was a bigger than I was use to. I did my hair, I did my makeup. I took the time to do me.

But even at a bigger size I was not content. Even if I dressed like I cared when I looked in the mirror all I saw was fat. I even bought many of my clothes in sizes that were too big because that is how I saw myself. My only saving grace were my feet, who miraculously have remained a size 6.

Now that I have given birth to one child I can appreciate the body I had before he came along. Now there are parts hanging where they didn't hang before. There are pooches that weren't there before. It is hard to embrace this new body but just as I was getting use to it I found out we were expecting baby number 2. I happily embrace my preggo body, mainly because I can let it all hang out.

Do you embrace your new mommy body? Do you struggle with your self-image? Maybe you find that it is easier to love your new body than the old? Or do you still reminisce about your old body?


Next week, Do You part 2, how to shop!

15 weeks 4 days

Dear Bump, This week we have been on a family vacation. Things are totally different now that your brother is moving and grooving. He is having a great time at the beach and I hope you are too. Can you tell that Mommy is a bit more relaxed? We have a few more weeks before we have to decide if we want to know whether you are a little brother or a little sister. Everyone that offers an opinion thinks you are a girl. I think it's because we already have a beautiful boy and nothing would balance him and us than a beautiful girl. I look forward to being able to feel you soon and I think Spencer will too. Love, Mommy