Moving, Pregnancy, and Back Pain

You may or may have not noticed that I've been somewhat absent from my blog. I think it's a combination of a lot of things that has caused it.

I am so excited that we are closing on our house in 1 week and can move in. But at the same time I am completely overwhelmed. We are renting our condo through a property management company. And while we are super relieved that they are taking care of finding/screening/contracts with the potential renter which helps with the stress, we still have to take care of little things like dealing with the utility companies setting up landlord agreements and keeping my house clean all the time for the several different showings that I hope produce fruit (i.e. a renter) soon.

Moving. We have to pack up everything and move it. While I'm 31 weeks pregnant. I KNOW this is not the greatest time to be moving. But what do you do? I think Chris is overwhelmed by it too since he know I will not be capable of much.

I'm in my last trimester. While I feel this pregnancy was much easier in the beginning I almost feel it is getting harder in the end. My back KILLS almost all the time. I have a little relief in the morning, but by the end of the day I want to curl up in a ball and cry most of the time. I did not have this kind of pain when pregnant with Max. But I also wasn't haulin' a 35 lb toddler most of the time. I have resulted to making Max walk a lot, but I still have to lift him into his car seat, the tub, his crib. I make him crawl into his high chair which he is willing to do because he loves to eat. I am trying to take care of my back, but it is hard to lift with your legs when you also feel like your pelvis may come apart as well. It hurts too. And working full time on my feet for 12 hours probably doesn't help either.

Ugh. I don't mean to complain, but back pain is what woke me up today at 4:27. I am never gonna get the much needed sleep in prep for the sleepless marathon that is having a newborn at this rate. I've tried Tylenol, warm baths, heat packs, back rubs, resting at night. Cute Chris was getting all sorts of things for me last night so I could just lie in bed. He even rubbed my back for me. So grateful for him. I am willing to take any suggestions for relief if you have them.

Anyway, dealing with everything has been a bit overwhelming which is why I have been absent, but I hope to get some pictures up of the brand new house when we finally settle in!

Belly Pictures!

Just wanted to have a record of the different belly pics between my pregnancy with Max and this pregnancy. So here they are in all their glory!

16 weeks with baby girl Cannon

18 weeks with Max/17 weeks with baby girl

20 Weeks

24 Weeks

26 Weeks

In other news... Chris and I have found a house and we are currently awaiting closing!! It's in West Jordan and is everything we could want in a home. We are very thankful that Ivory Homes has a 3 year lease program that enables us to rent the condo out for three years and then hopefully we can sell it and not lose any money! We feel so very blessed.

It's A ...

GIRL!!

We are so excited to find out that Max is going to have a little sister! Chris and I couldn't be more happy. She looks healthy too.

Pregnancy Progression

So we have had a rather interesting week with a bout of a GI bug that ransacked my whole family, but I may have to delve into that later. It has been weird to compare my two different pregnancies.

With Max, I had so much morning sickness (week 7-24) that was barely relieved by Zofran, acne/breakouts (I was a teenager again), terrible gas (early on), constipation, sickly looking (pale, always asked if I "felt OK"), weight loss (about 10 lb's), and felt first fetal movement between weeks 14-15 and felt it regularly at about 18.

With #2 I have felt so much better. I have had bouts of morning sickness, but only vomited twice. Able to curb nausea by eating frequent small meals. No Zofran. I have had a few zits, but not more than normal, not much gas, regular BM's (sorry if it's TMI but it is MY blog), Weight loss (only about 5lb's... apparently pregnancy is my best weight loss plan), First fetal movement... jury's out, but I think it was about 13 weeks. I "might" have felt some at 12 weeks, but they still aren't regular, just sporadic.

One of the biggest differences (BESIDES the MORNING SICKNESS/PREGNANCY SICKNESS) is my belly. I didn't feel like I started "showing" with Max until about 18 weeks. That's the first time I noticed a stomach "pooch" that was more than my normal belly chub. But with #2 I swear I noticed a bump at about 11 weeks and I feel so big already and I'm not even half way there. Maybe my stomach muscles are way out of shape...

Here's photo proof. I am wearing the exact same shirt:



18 weeks with Max

17 Weeks with baby #2

The Grass is Always Greener...

Just a few of the conversations I've had this week at work have come back to the old saying "the grass is greener on the other side" and it is funny how many situations this saying applies to. There is always something we want that we don't have.

My thought process started this week when I was talking to my coworker about how much Chris and I want a house, and how we feel stuck in our Condo since the economy plummeted and our house lost value. How many homeowners 5-6 years ago (when we bought our place) would have ever thought that renting for 5 years would be more beneficial than owning a place for 5 years. Because that is the situation we are in. If we were renting, we could just leave/ not renew a lease. But No, we have to sell and most likely take a loss if we do. We feel stuck.

Then I was talking to a coworker about her life and her new purchases since she just bought the new iPad and was telling me how excited she was playing around with it. She is a single girl living with roommates making RN wages (we aren't millionaires... but we do alright) and she just got back from China doing charity work for Operation Smile. It was her second time.

As I was driving home I was thinking about all the places she has been and how she not only has the money to do so, but the free time as well. Her rent is probably 1/2 or even 1/3rd of what my mortgage is. And she can buy a new iPad if she wants.

However, that is a narrow way of looking at it. I look at her situation and see the freedoms I used to have and how I have sacrificed some of that to be a wife and mom. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a wife and mom (I wouldn't trade that), but there are some things you have to sacrifice to do so. I read a post on Pinterest that said, "You know your a mom when going to the grocery store by yourself is a vacation". There is some truth to that.

But what it really comes down to is looking at the WHOLE picture.

My work friend has expressed a desire to find a good guy and get married. So maybe she looks at my life and sees that? Who knows?

Maybe Chris and I's situation with our Condo isn't ideal, but there are families in my ward with 2 or even 3 kids... (with more on the way) that are in a 2 BEDROOM CONDO.... that bought their place for more than we bought ours. There are family's just barely getting by with one income. There are family's where both parents have lost their jobs and have little education to fall back on. And I'm complaining that my 3 (soon to be 4) person family is "running out of space" in my 3 bedroom condo. There is always someone in a situation worse than yours. It really puts things in perspective. I am humbled a lot talking to people in my ward.

I'm glad that we do desire more for ourselves and look to others for inspiration. That desire helps propel us forward. Without it we would never progress. However, we do need to keep things in perspective. That way we can be grateful for what we have, while we work for our dreams.

#2

So, for those of you who don't know (or haven't see the little "creepy baby" counter in the corner of my blog... as some people like to call it):

Chris and I are expecting baby #2 in September!

I am very excited to have this new little life coming to ours. We had a rough year last year, but despite all of that, we have had so many blessings! This baby being one of them.

It is strange how different this pregnancy has been from Max. I was so sick with him. I threw up nearly every day, was so nauseated all the time, and was taking zofran from 10 weeks to about 24 weeks.

This one I have experienced some nausea, but it usually goes away when I eat (That DID NOT happen with Max). I have not taken one zofran pill, nor anything for nausea. I have felt overall pretty good besides the absolute exhaustion I feel nearly every day. Like I could sleep all day. Then I can't sleep at night. But I don't want to complain because so far this one has been easier.... even with a 2 year old in the house. (Maybe someone is watching over me)

The 2 year old on the other hand... has challenged me in ways I never realized. He is striving for independence and does not like to do anything that is not HIS way. I understand why it is called the TERRIBLE two's. So many power struggles each and every day. Some days I lie in bed fearing that I can't even handle the one I have, how on earth am I going to handle 2! But like all challenges in life, we figure out a way. It is a learning process and it won't always be easy, or go the way we imagined. But that is Life! All you can do is try to enjoy the ride, however wild it may be.

But even with our challenges, I sure do love my son. He makes me laugh every day. This is his future "blackmail picture".

He found my bra and a swimsuit insert in my underwear drawer and used them as a necklace and hat. He kept saying "hat" and putting it on his head. So funny!

He also does this silly dance whenever music comes on. I call it his "white boy dance" because it is so funny and sorta awkward looking. He sorta moves his arms like a monkey and rocks back and forth. We were watching American Idol the other night and he just kept doing his little dance and laughing because Chris and I were laughing. If I ever need a laugh, I just think of his white boy dance.

He loves the outside! I swear he would live outside if he could. I try to take him out on warm days, but I really dream of one day having a fenced in backyard where I can let him run free without having to chase him so he doesn't go in the street, or the Jordan River, or some place scary. He loves the slide, and when Max finds something he likes he does it OVER

 and over 

And over 

and OVER

Again!

I am so excited for the future with Chris doing really well at his job, a baby on the way, a sibling for Max, the possibilities of going part-time soon, and the dream of a house.

By the way, if you know any one looking for a great 3 bedroom 2 bathroom condo in a central valley location then let me know. We are hoping to get our place on the market this summer. But who knows?

TWO!!

Max is 2!

I wanted to have a fairly low key year considering last year was so eventful as well as lots of things going on in our lives simultaneously. So we decided to have a dinner party with all the immediate family that lives in state. My parents, my MIL, SIL Lori, and Chris, Max and I. We had delicious ham, cheese potatoes, salad, fruit plate (Max's favorite) and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Max loves fruit (especially strawberries)

He always has a spoon or some kitchen utensil in hand. He loves playing with utensils. Sometimes I wonder why we even buy him any toys. All he needs is a kitchen drawer and some utensils and he's entertained.

He actually tore open his gifts for the first time. He loved doing it to. It was more exciting than the actual present!

He loved the party stuff. The horn and especially the BALLOONS! This boy LOVES balloons.

My Mom made him the most beautiful quiet book for church. He loves playing with it. Especially the "shapes" page. He know all his shapes. Even an Ot-ta-ta (Octagon).

He got books mostly and a cool helicopter from aunt Lori.

It was so cute to see him react to having all the people he loves in the same room. He was on cloud nine. It was nice to spend time with family and have a low key birthday.