Just the facts ma’am:

• I’ve been slacking…and it stops today! Well, on this one thing anyway. 🙂
• I actually discovered an unconventional thing that I’m more unconventional than. 🙂
• Christmas is coming, and I’m absolutely giddy about it!
• I’m anxious to get baby’s room finished.
• I am not finished Christmas shopping.
• I love coupons, and there are some good ones in circulation this month.
• Every movement my baby makes makes me smile…I NEVER tire of it!
• I’m so ready to meet the incredible infant that I’m growing, but I can wait…just not patiently. 🙂
• I’ve already used to many smiley faces in this post. 😛
• I enjoy being a little encrypted. >:)
• I’m enjoying Christmas music more this year than any other especially the free album that Target was giving out.
• I’d like to save the world one person at a time, but only a select few will let me.
• There are currently no gifts left to wrap in my home, and that makes me sad.
• Bryan’s parents will be here tomorrow night, and our house is filthy.
• Naps are positively awesome…awesome I say!
• Nothing makes me quite so content as first thing in the morning cuddles.
• I can’t wait to share my baby bump and hopefully (fingers crossed) some baby kicks with my family.
• I can’t wait for the family to open they super awesome but very hush hush special gifts we got!
• I have an almost, but not quite, complete Halloween craft project to finish…yes, Halloween!
• We may or may not have a Christmas wreath this year. It’s really up in the air.
• Pictures and videos of newborns can make me cry in an instant…happy tears though.
• Actually, I cry a lot lately. Ah, hormones. 🙂
• I wish the mailbox was closer to our house…perhaps in our yard or attached to the house like the good ‘ol days.
• Bryan doesn’t get enough credit.
• I adore my CrossFit family and community, and without them life here so far away from my real family would feel a lot less fulfilling.
• I miss my granny.
• I worry way to much, but I don’t know how to stop it.
• You’re bored with this list…I’ll stop.

These are simply random musings and thoughts floating around in my brain today. And now you know.

It’s not really starting to look a lot like Christmas here in Texas with the constantly fluctuating temperatures, but nonetheless, Christmas is coming! And I couldn’t be happier because it’s my favorite holiday and time of the year. Nothing makes me feel quite so fuzzy inside as knowing that my whole family will be gathered in the same place for an extended period of time. Everyone will be happy. I’m very excited to go home and be with my family in Mississippi. However, there’s celebration occurring here in Cedar Park before we ever get to the actual holiday.

Bryan’s parents will be arriving in town on the 11th. I’m always excited when they come into town, but I’m especially excited since we’re pregnant. I’ve seen Bryan’s mom once since we found out, but we haven’t seen his dad. It’s definitely making the holiday season more fun. We got the baby’s dresser and crib to our house this past week. Bryan and his dad will be assembling the crib while they’re in town. I can’t wait to see it all put together. The room is really starting to take shape, and I’m loving it!

We have a few fun things planned to do while the ‘rents are in town, but most off all I look forward to when we will celebrate Christmas even if it will be like a week early. I look forward to giving out the presents we bought each year. I’m really looking forward to it this year because we got some special but very hush hush gifts. 🙂 I can’t wait to see their reactions!

We’re so on top of Christmas this year! The tree is up and the decorations are out. I have our Christmas cards ready to mail out today. Most of our shopping is even finished! I can’t believe how on the ball we’ve been! I even have everything we’ve bought already wrapped and organized based on where they’ll be opened. I’ve still got a few more things to purchase, but because it’s so little, I don’t really feel stressed. Ah, that’s a nice feeling. Check out the winning photo for the Christmas cards:

More than anything, I’m looking forward to going home to the great state of Mississippi and being surrounded by my family especially the newest addition which might come as early as this week! I can’t wait to share my baby bump with everyone. I hate being so far away from them during this exciting time in our lives. We leave on the 22nd, and I’m counting down the days.

Baby News:

Currently, I’m in my 20th week which means halfway! Wow…when did that happen?

Well, I’ve already told you about the furniture. I did 3 loads of baby clothes and got them packed away. They will be ready when the time comes. I’ve organized them by gender and gender neutral. I’ve discarded the things that were no good or wouldn’t fit at the right time of the year. Things are looking so much better in there! It won’t be too much longer till I can start packing and hanging everything. It’ll look like a real nursery in no time!

We start our Bradley Method classes this Thursday! Wow, it seems like so long ago that we signed up for them. Time is flying by. I’m very excited about what these classes can teach us. I’m very nervous about the delivery. Eeek!

We have our first appointment with the Austin Birthing Center on Monday. I’m also very excited for this. It will be different and somewhat sad to not see Dr. Solomon, but also very exciting to start this process with a place so focused on how we see the delivery going.

The most exciting thing to report is that baby has been moving around, and it’s no mistaking what’s going on now! The highlight of the movement so far was when Bryan got to feel the baby early one morning.

You can always check out my baby bump progressions here: Pregnancy Progression

Things I’m Digging at the Moment:

Pictureka – this is the best iPhone app I’ve gotten in awhile. I could play it every day because each game is different. It’s based off the board game. If you like hidden object games then you should definitely check it out.

Food…it’s a big deal. The creation of food has become a major business here in the US. It’s simply amazing when you stop and think about it. Seriously…you can buy just about anything. Snacks, goodies, treats, prepared meals, raw materials, processed, all natural, conventional, organic….you name it, it’s available. And thanks to the Internet, if it’s not available in your local grocery store or farmer’s market, you can still have it shipped right to your doorstep. You can even buy foods from all over the world and never leave your town. That’s both cool and somewhat scary.

Food isn’t just a business. Just ask someone about their favorite foods, and they instantly become animated and passionate. Food goes far beyond just nutritional and life sustaining means. Food carries with it deep rooted memories and nostalgia. People are very attached to most of the things they eat. Food has become synonymous with religious events and family and cultural traditions just to name a few. The smell of something can instantly transport us back to a time and place from our yesteryears. Think about the food your family ate. It makes your mouth water, yes, but it can also make you long for that time. Food is so intertwined into our almost every experience that it becomes a very emotional topic. And therefore, it makes it extremely difficult to talk to people about nutrition and diet. People, I’ve discovered, have a hard time talking about this topic from a scientific standpoint. If I tell someone that pasta is bad for them, them become defensive and want to know why I’m attacking their sweet little grandmother. Huh? But if you want to educate yourself, you HAVE to be willing to cut the ties between food and emotions. You can love a dish till the day you die, but it won’t necessarily love you back. And that’s not a healthy relationship.

The last year and half has been the most eye opening time in my life. I’ve become aware of food. Where it comes from…what it’s made of…who made it…how it got to me…and most importantly how my body uses it. Be careful if you decide to follow in my lead because the business of agriculture and food production is a rabbit hole….a scary, scary rabbit hole. And once you know, you can’t unknow. But don’t fret; ignorance isn’t bliss in this case. It’s extremely important that you understand what happens to your food both before and after you consume it. Being educated just might save your life…seriously. I would love to see everyone educated on the food system. I would love to save lives. I would love NOTHING more than to help people help themselves and their families lead happy, healthy lives. And if I had one wish in life, I’d love to see a re-haul of America’s food system embracing sustainable, organic, and individual/community practices.

If I could make people understand anything about food, it would be this:

• whatever you think you can’t live without (this doesn’t include meat/veggies), you can! No, really, you can.
• food is an addiction…you can literally become addicted to your food
• it is very much in the realm of possibility to eat healthy foods that are both delicious and affordable
• if you are eating the typical American diet, you are likely killing yourself as well as effecting the genes of future generations
• the government does NOT have your best interests at stake…do not follow the food pyramid
• you can revamp your emotional attachments to food

Oh, that list doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the things I’d like you to know, but it’s some of the most important things to get you started.

If you know me, you know that my husband and I follow a very strict Paleo diet. When I say diet, I don’t mean a the kind that will get me to some short-term goal. No, I instead am referring to the kind one would follow for life like for instance: a cat’s diet is mostly meat. One should eat this way all of the time. It shouldn’t be over when you reach a certain weight or just because you feel better. It’s the way you maintain a healthy, long lifestyle. It should be something you’re passionate about…extremely passionate about.

I am extremely passionate about this way of living. I’m passionate because I know the secret to being healthy isn’t really a secret, and I’m happy to share it with you. But here’s what I’ve learned:

• I can’t approach people about their diet…not even my family because people are emotionally attached, and they get defensive very easily
• I don’t offer what I know until I’m asked, but I’m always available for this subject. I’ll answer questions to no end. And I’m always happy to point you in the direction of lots of amazing resources and research on the topic of nutrition.
• Most people don’t want to be educated. For some insane reason, people actually enjoy being ignorant. It’s one thing to learn and chose to do it anyway, but it’s something entirely different to just chose to ignore it completely.
• Most of the time when people to ask me nutritional questions, they think I’m a lunatic, but at least I know they’ve heard me.

One thing I don’t shy away from is attacking business and especially organizations who choose to associate themselves with food products that are bad for you. For instance, if you want to see my blood boil, then show me an organization who is trying to help cure a disease by getting people to eat the very foods that cause it or at best make it worse. For instance, my husband and I ran a race in NYC called Get Your Rear Into Gear. The whole point of the race was to raise money and awareness about a specific cancer. That’s great! There are people who dedicate their lives to such organizations. Wow! And yet, sadly, their biggest sponser was Dunkin’ Donuts! Are you kidding me?!? Dunkin’ Donuts was actually at the end of the race feeding people donuts. I had trouble controlling myself when a lady offered me one. I just ran 4 miles, and I really don’t think eating that is good for me ever but especially after physical exertion.

You get it…I’m serious about what I eat. You have no idea! I’m currently pregnant, and if you think I’m strict about what I eat, you haven’t seen anything yet. It’s sounds crazy and out there. I understand how you think that, but let’s look at it like this. I’m still nostalgic about the foods I grew up on and not many of them are very nutritious. What if my child could become emotionally attached to healthy foods. How amazing to always be able to eat what you crave because what you crave isn’t going to kill you!

I don’t want to control what people eat. I don’t support the government creating laws that ban food products or ingredients. I don’t care if McDonald’s puts a toy in their happy meal. It’s no one’s job but mine alone to control what I put in my body. I don’t need someone, nay I don’t want someone to tell me what’s best for me. I’ll be the judge of that, and you should too!

Yes, I’ll agree that a little cheat here and there will do little in the way of your overall health. However, not cheating will not harm you either. I’m not an idiot. My child will go on to eat a cookie one day. My child will grow up and be out of my sight. I won’t be able to control what they put into their mouths. But I can educate them. Imagine all the places in the world eating and not eating things you can’t understand. If it’s the way you’re raised, then it’s what you know. And if at some point you decide it’s not for you, then you’re free to choose.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with some links to my favorite nutritional experts. These are the people and resources that I believe very strongly in. If you’re ready to learn why I eat the way I eat, then please feel free to learn, learn, learn!

• Mark’s Daily Apple – a blog about primal living (note: this is not a paleo blog, but it’s very close)
• Robb Wolf – a site, book, and podcast that covers all things paleo. This guy really knows his stuff. This is an ever growing recourse that will cover anything you can imagine, and if it doesn’t, just ask the guy, and he’ll answer it!
• CrossFit.com – okay, this is a fitness site, but they strongly push the paleo diet (they also push the zone but I do not stand behind this diet), and there are some resources and forums for the paleo diet
• Paleo Hacks – understand this site and the diet before you go surfing around. This site is simply people asking questions and others answering them. Experts aren’t answering these questions, but it is full of a lot of FAQ’s.
• Paleo Blocks – this is a blog with a lot of recipes. A quick google search will find you many, many more blogs just like these. Blogs like this help you keep your eating/cooking exciting.
• Dr. Cordain – this is THE leading expert in the paleo diet. He has spent countless hours studying nutrition and it’s effects on the human body. I’d call it a must-read.
• Whole 9 – this site is really amazing. They have recipes, articles, and so much more centered on the paleo diet. They even do lectures!

Lastly, let me say that I don’t care what your opinion about the diet is. I didn’t write this post to piss you off. If  you’re getting defensive, you’re just wasting precious energy. If you don’t agree with my opinions, I don’t care. I can’t stress to  you how little I care. And I absolutely will not argue with you about it. So, if you write a negative comment, I won’t respond. I don’t discuss topics with people who already have their mind made up – it’s pointless! I will however, talk with anyone who’s interested. I will talk and answer questions for as long as you can stand it. 🙂 If you’ve seen success with the paleo diet, then I definitely want to hear and see all about it! Share! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog where my opinion counts because….It’s MY blog!

We had our last appointment with Dr. Solomon yesterday morning. We got our 20 week sonogram (though I’m actually in my 19th week). Amazing! Baby bean has grown so much! It blows my mind! The baby was determined to make it’s presence known not only on the screen at the doctor’s office but all day by moving around constantly. It was pretty crazy how much it moved yesterday. I’m still getting used to feeling that going on inside my tummy!

The sonogram was great and revealed no problems. Everything checked out perfectly normal. The baby was moving around, and it even flexed it’s arm muscle for us. Ah, growing a future CrossFit champ I hope. Nothing would make me quite so proud as having my baby be at the Games someday. 🙂 A mom can dream…

I’ve been documenting the ever growing belly, but I was hesitant to share it with the world until we were further along. Considering that next week I’ll be halfway through my pregnancy (assuming that I go full term), I think I’m ready to share. For now, they’re just stills, but when baby is out, I really want to put it to music and make a video that shows my pregnancy journey. Till then click below to be whisked away to the land of baby bumps…

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027569&id=163200356&l=c2847140f7

If you like to gamble (but not really) then I have the perfect opportunity for you! Below is a link to an online guessing game where you can take a stab at trying to guess everything about our baby’s birth from gender to time of day. Try it out. I’ll let you know who comes closest in each category as well as overall. Simply follow the link and then search for “TheBabyBean” (case sensitive).

http://expectnet.com/game.php

Aside from growing a human, we’re just gearing up for Christmas around here. Since Bryan’s parents will be here on the 11th and we will be leaving for Mississippi on the 22nd, there isn’t a lot of time for us to do shopping and wrapping. Today is the last day of November which means Christmas decorations can go up tomorrow! I’m very picky about when my Christmas decorations go up and down – never up before December 1st and always down by December 26th (except we’ll be out of town then so as soon as we get back). I just can’t understand having them up from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. But, hey, that’s just me!

And in recap, Thanksgiving was good. We spent it over at Bryan’s grandparents house in Leander. I really enjoyed extra time spent with Bryan while he was off work. I think we made the most of it. As soon as he got off work at noon on Wednesday, we went to eat, Mt. Bonnell, and then The Spiderhouse Cafe. It was spontaneous and very much awesome! I live for moments like these.

Things I’m digging at the moment:

– Word Warrior for iPhone: I love word games, and I especially love the unique twist this one brings. It’s a word game/role playing(ish) mash-up.

– our new kitchen table (our old one is for sale by the way) even if it has to stay in the box till we sell the old one…hint hint

– the 2 uber cuter, uber stylish baby items we’ve ordered – neon green chucks and a plaid fedora. Hey, my baby is gonna have style!

– my awesome husband for all of his handy work around the house most notably the new shelving in the nursery closet!!

Things getting on my nerves at the moment:

– the ever changing temperature. I’m not a fan of cold weather, but I’m also not a fan of not knowing how to dress each morning. It’s crazy…really. I’d prefer a cold front come through and finally bring winter to Austin.

Recent Pictures of Life:

sweet pea

sibling love

preggo crossfit

preggo wallballs

sweatin’

baby bump

bella

crazy b

Recent Videos:

Wow…where has the time gone? Where did I go? No where…just too lazy to update. I hope there’s no one out there in the digital world that follows this blog. I hope everyone that reads knows me, and therefore doesn’t rely on this blog to know what’s going on in my life. It certainly would be frustrating to rely on me to write here just to be in the know of my life happenings. But really…who cares what’s going on in my life? It’s not that exciting…well, it is to me, but that’s because I’m bias. 🙂

Okay, the last time I posted I was in my first trimester, and we hadn’t been to the doctor once. Now I’m in my 2nd trimester (18 weeks to be exact), and we’ve been to the doctor multiple times. The pregnancy is stable and going great. I’m feeling amazing…much different than those first 14 weeks or so where I felt like utter shit most of the time. I’m no longer on pelvic rest, haven’t been since we saw the doctor the first time. I’ve been doing CrossFit 2-3 times a week – modified, of course. I’ve felt the baby move. We’ve been working on the nursery though right now it’s quite in disarray. We built our registry at Babies R Us, and bought the nursery furniture there as well which is scheduled to arrive in the next week or so. Bryan installed new shelving in the nursery closet to get the maximized storing potential. We’ve been given many more baby items and purchased a few ourselves including both necessities and novelties. We are still taking donations, however. 🙂

Here is how the doctor’s visits have been:

Visit 1 (@7 weeks) – We received our first sonogram trans vaginally. We saw our baby for the first time as well as heard it’s heartbeat. It was simply too amazing for words, and I felt myself tear up at the miracle of life and our ability to create it. It was also a huge relief to see that everything was doing great. The baby didn’t resemble anything human nor did I really know what I was looking at most of the time. However, when the heartbeat showed up on he screen, I knew instantly what it was. We received a due date based on the size of the baby. April 23…that’s the day we have our eyes set on. Of course, the baby will have it’s own agenda. We talked to the OB/GYN about everything so far and everything to come. I gave blood for lots of tests.

Visit 2 (@11 weeks) – The doctor tried to hear the baby’s heartbeat with the doppler but was unsuccessful. Just to make sure that everything was okay we were giving another sonogram. The baby was there and doing great and looking very much like a baby. 🙂 It was just as magical as the first time. It was amazing to see the growth and development between the the 2 sonograms. We received the results of my blood work which returned all good/normal.

Visit 3 (@13 weeks) – I had to come back just to make sure that everything was good so the doctor could take me off of the progesterone pills. Since I was in my 2nd trimester, it was time to nix the pills. The doctor listened to the baby with the doppler. As soon as he touched my stomach, the baby’s heartbeat was heard. Baby was doing great.

Visit 4 (@17 weeks) – The doctor listened to the baby via the doppler, and wow, we have a super active child! It took the doctor around 10 minutes just to give us a heart rate. He even said that the baby was very active. He also stated that based on the activeness and heart rate, he believed it was a boy. This is something that I’ve been stating myself. I strongly believe it’s a boy. I know I could be wrong, but I just feel like it’s a boy. The doctor measured my uterus, and the baby was right on cue with the due date (only 1 day behind). The doctor asked that I come back in 2 weeks for my 20 week appointment. Since I had some appointments so close together, I got off the normal schedule. This will put me back on track. We’ll be getting another sonogram which should revel the sex if we wanted to know, but we do not!

This next appointment will be our last with our OB/GYN. Dr. Solomon is amazing, and Bryan and I both love him. I highly recommend him, but after research and talking, we’ve decided that delivering in the hospital is not the best option for us. I was always open to the idea of a more natural childbirth and was sad that the hospital was so closed-minded to options as simple as squatting to push. Bryan came round to the idea of a more natural childbirth after a friend of ours suggested we watch the documentary The Business of Being Born. I highly recommend this movie as well. We looked around and settled on the Austin Birthing Center for our prenatal/delivery needs. We’ll be going to our first appointment there in December. I’ll try to make a whole post dedicated to this subject because it’s something I feel very strongly about. Now I just have to figure out how to break the news to our current doctor. It’s making me kinda nervous.

So, that brings you up to speed. We have our next and last appointment with Dr. Solomon on Monday. I’m super excited to see my active baby on the screen again! I’ll try to post more regularly and not keep you in suspense – no promises though!

Baby Bump Pictures (click to view larger):

I have been taken pictures of my belly…not daily but usually more often that once a week of the progress of my belly. I haven’t posted these pictures yet, but I do have some pics that show off the baby bump which is growing quite big.

Recent Cat Videos (click to view):

Here are some vids of our cats as of recent. I’m both sad and happy to report that we finally found OC a new home. He is with Bryan’s ex whom he used to live with. She loves OC and was very excited to take him into her home. I’m super thankful that she came to our rescue. We hear that he is settling in and steadily becoming friends with their other cat and 2 dogs. He’s such a trooper. We miss you buddy. I’m also happy to report that Bella has become her old self, and our home as found peace once again. It’s awesome to see her running around and playing like she used to without the fear of being attacked. It’s good to know that her spirit was broken. She’s also a trooper. We have the best cats.

IMG_0150

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Recent Pics (click to view):

a little stop by the water

bryan

us at a wedding

me

cat love

3 cats, 1 blanket

me n mallos

bryan n mallos

sleepy boy

crazy tongue

us

just me

us at the goos

We have less than a week until our first prenatal appointment. Tuesday can not come quickly enough. I’m dying to find out what’s going on inside of my body, and I’m also terrified to find out. Everyday…all day…these reoccurring thoughts just go round and round in my head. I’ll have to say that I’ve had many positive days since my last post. However, I still hit lows where I cry and worry. I’m so anxious to just know. In the meantime, I’m sticking to what I can do, and I put lots of faith in that. And I pray that it’ll all work out. I’ve still been reading some websites and forums which has actually been nice, but I’m staying far away from anything labeled miscarriage. I’m actually already showing. From what I can tell from other women’s postings, the small framed women report showing quicker. Right now I look either just fat or way more than 7 weeks, 2 days. I don’t care…I embrace a belly.

We’ve already collected quite a bit of baby items. Having all this baby stuff really drives home the fact that there is in fact a child growing inside of me right now. So far we’ve collected:

• Eddie Bauer stroller w/infant seat snap in – NEW
• Eddie Bauer play pen w/bassinet – NEW
• umbrella stroller
• used stroller
• crib
• highchair
• car seat/booster seat
• crib mattress
• bedding
• books
• toys
• onesies
• diapers
• a Halloween costume
• rocking horse

It’s a random collection, but it’s all very welcome. I really don’t want have to spend a ton of money on things that will only be used for a short time. Some of these things we traded our old iPhones for and some was graciously given to me from an old coworker. It’s all greatly appreciated. My mom said she was going to leave a box of stuff from my childhood as well as my younger siblings’ childhood at my grandparent’s house. I probably won’t be seeing that until Christmas, but I’m excited to get my hands on some stuff that has meaning to me. Some of the things I may end up leaving at Bryan’s grandmother’s house. It would be nice to have a crib and highchair over there. I certainly don’t want to have to pack up the entire house every time we visit.

So far I haven’t really had any morning sickness. I’ve felt queasy now and then, but I haven’t had the urge to throw-up. I find that if I let me stomach get too empty, it goes haywire. Now it matches the rest of my body. 🙂 My sleeping is all messed up to. It’s a little cruel that the hormone that makes you sleepy during the day can keep you up at night. I’m finding this to be too true lately. There’s little that I can do about it though. I’m not complaining…just stating the facts. I don’t care what pregnancy throws at me as long as I get to hold my baby at the end of it.

On another note, though not a happy one, we are desperately trying to find our cat, OC, a new home. He has been aggressive toward our other cat, Bella, for some time now. It’s gotten to the point where Bella can no longer live her life without constant fear of his aggression. She often stays outside without eating or drinking. And when she is inside, she stays planted on her cushion of the couch. I hate seeing her living in fear. I also hate to give up one of our family members, but we’ve trying everything within reason. If anyone reading this would like to give OC a new home or knows of someone that would, please let us know. He only shows aggression toward Bella. He has never been aggressive toward the other 2 cats. I think he’d do just fine around other cats, dogs, and children though he’s never been exposed to toddlers and under. He’d be an amazing companion for an elderly person or someone who is home a lot. He loves attention. He greets all of our visitors and is ready to purr at the slightest pet. He even purrs at the vet’s office! He’s so sweet and easy going. He makes a great cuddle buddy. He really is a fantastic cat, and he’s fixed and litter box trained. What more could you ask for? Please help us find him a good home. We need to get our house back to a calm state ASAP.

Lastly for the moment, my match with Nathaniel my little brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program has reached it’s year anniversary (tomorrow). I have decided that with the baby and our business, I don’t think I can give the relationship the time and attention that it deserves. I won’t be continuing the match. I’m sad, but I really do feel this is the best thing for me. I have a lot on my plate right now. However, because Nathaniel is 12 and we stayed together for a year, he’ll be receiving a scholarship to college. I’m really happy to have given him this opportunity. I hope to maybe be a big again in the future, but for now I need to focus on my own family. I hope that he understands. I’m saddened by this, but again…it’s for the best.

What’s it like to be pregnant? Ah, how many times have I wondered this and longed to know. Well, the longing part is over. On our second month of trying, we finally did it. I’m pregnant! This should be of no surprise to anyone. We didn’t exactly keep it a secret…at all. I couldn’t help it. I was so excited to have my dream become a reality that I couldn’t keep it in. I have a lot more that I am keeping in right now regarding being pregnant, but I think my blog would be a good place for me to get it out there. I need the therapy.

So, what’s it like to be pregnant? Well, for about 3 days it was exhilarating. And then after some spotting and cramps, it all turned scary…quick! Being pregnant is exactly how I’ve heard and read it would be. I can’t stop peeing, can’t stay awake, my boobs hurt, etc. But no one ever told me that all of that was the easy part. The hard part is not knowing…anything! Though the spotting was almost nothing it was enough to make me call my doctor’s office. They had me come in to get my progesterone level checked. It was lower than the doctor would like to see at my stage of pregnancy so they prescribed me a pill to boost my progesterone and put me on pelvic rest (nothing strenuous). All of this has just terrified me. What if I lose this baby? It’s hard to think about, and the thought can easily bring me to tears, but it is a real possibility. And since the scare, many, many women have shared their miscarriage stories with me. In some ways this was nice because they all had children, but on the other hand so many women had had a miscarriage which meant the odds are high.

Every waking moment I think about this baby. Is it still there? Is is growing normally? What will the doctor say to us when we finally get to see him on Sept. 7? Will the baby be fine? Will it be just an ovum blight? What is going on in there? I can’t let myself be too excited about becoming a mother because I’m too terrified that it’s not going to happen with this pregnancy. I’ve always been the kind of person to focus on the most negative outcome. It’s probably a coping mechanism that I developed from my childhood. Everyone was always letting me down so I learned to expect the worse. If it goes the way you expect you’ll be somewhat prepared, and if things turn out way better, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised. It’s not the best way, but it’s my way.

In CrossFit the unknown is what we’re training for. And life is definitely full of the unknown. I have to accept the fact that right now, I’m in the dark about whatever is going on inside my body which is difficult for me. In case there is some random reader who doesn’t know me personally, I like being in control. And right now, I have no control over what happens to this baby. Ok, I have some powers, and I take solace in these small things I can control. Things I can control:

• my diet: as of now I have no morning sickness to speak of though it may set in this week according to what I’ve read. I take great pride in knowing that I’ve been feeding the baby only the best in the way of nutrition. Everything is organic. All the meats are natural. I won’t sway on these things. It’s tough especially now because we are traveling this week. But every time I eat a meal that is organic and paleo, I feel like I’m doing something good, and that helps me feel a little better about not being in control. Of course this unwillingness to bend on my rules can be somewhat frustrating for my hubby. 🙂
• my sleep: as of now, I want to sleep…a lot…sometimes most of the day and all night. Some days are better than others, but when I feel a zzzz’s coming on, I don’t try to fight them. I let me body have what it craves. I try to sleep as much as I can with no guilt. This isn’t easy, as I can definitely tell that a lot more falls on Bryan’s shoulders because of this.
• my progesterone pills: I have to take one pill twice a day. Progesterone is huge in pregnancy. It helps make the lining of my uterus able to support the baby. I’ve set my cell alarm to go off every 12 hours. I’m consistent and never miss. Hopefully, this is giving my body the extra help it needs to make a great home for the baby.
• pelvic rest: the doctor didn’t specify how long to stay on pelvic rest, but while on it I’m not supposed to do anything strenuous which means, sadly, that CrossFit is a no-no. I haven’t worked out in over 2 weeks, and that really blows. But this won’t be forever, and I’m hoping to get the clear to go back to at least light exercising after our first doctor’s appointment. I’m not even supposed to lift things over 15 pounds! This is so not my lifestyle. However, taking it easy makes me feel like I’m in control. It’s silly, but it helps. And right now, I’m all for anything that helps my positive outlook and keeps the emotional breakdowns at bay.
• chemicals: even before finding out that I was pregnant, I was looking into trying to stop using so many chemicals on my body. I tried to go shampoo-less, but after 4 weeks, I broke down and washed my hair. Now I wash it about once a week. It’s not a complete removal, but the usage is less. I want to buy some more natural shampoo too to further this. I have stopped using deodorant for now. If I go back to exercising, I may have to wear some. Basically, I’m trying to keep unnecessary things off my body. I like to think the body can do it’s on thing, and regardless of being pregnant, I’d like to experiment with this.

The internet with all the websites and forums has been an amazing source for me to find out more about the changes that are taking place as well as things I should do and things that I should avoid like raw meat. 🙁 I even got an app on my phone that allows me to track the progress of the baby. However, the Internet especially the forums have been a little bittersweet. It’s awesome to see that other women are terrified. I like knowing that nothing that I’m feeling or even experiencing hasn’t been experienced before. But reading some of the stories makes me even more on edge. So I’ve stopped looking for the time being.

One more thing being newly pregnant has made me is…jealous. I’ve always been a little jealous of anyone with kids because I’ve always wanted them so badly, but now I’m jealous of anyone who’s more pregnant than me. Why? Because there pregnancy is more established and less likely for miscarriage. I’ll probably be able to relax a little once we hit week 13 (most miscarriages happen in the first 12 weeks). I’m 6 weeks, 2 days today…about halfway there.

I hope that our doctor’s appointment gives me the confidence boost I so desperately need right now. I’m going crazy inside of my own head with up and down moments, and the hormones aren’t helping. I’ll keep you posted on what we learn at the doctors, but for now, I’ll just keep writing about how I feel. I hope I can do this everyday or at least every few days.

I think about this blog daily. And I think it would be good for me to write in it daily. I think of what I want to say, but I also think I gotta upload those pictures first so the post will be complete. Well, I never get around to that, and the next thing I know months have gone by. So, to update all 3 of my readers so that no one is lagging behind, here’s what I’ve been doing since I last wrote:

• I got married! I married the love of my life under a tree in the yard of the house where I grew up. It was a stressful day, but it turned out to be an amazing day. It turned out better than I’d ever dreamed of. Surrounded by our family and friends, we said “I do” and started our new lives together. I love him so much, and I love being married to my best friend and my rock!

Wedding pictures – I haven’t uploaded the professional shots yet (I’m lazy!)

• We went on our honeymoon to NYC. We drove there and back. We saw and did so many amazing things! I can’t even pick a favorite. We ate to our hearts’ content, and lived it up as much as we could. We visited Chattanooga, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and NYC. And the best part was coming home to my 4 cats who weren’t mad at me! 🙂

Honeymoon Album 1
Honeymoon Album 2
Honeymoon Album 3
NYC Reception

• I received my Level 1 Certification in CrossFit. It was so awesome! I’ve been interning at CrossFit Cedar Park in hopes of having my own class someday. I will hopefully be teaching a preschool aged class CrossFit soon. I love it! I love watching people transform and change their lives. It’s empowering watching someone get stronger and knock down barriers!
• We’re pregnant! It only took us 2 months of trying. I have to admit, I was terrified we wouldn’t be able to do it or that it would take forever. We’ve had a little scare since learning that I’m pregnant. And we still don’t know much and won’t till we see the doctor on Sept. 7. It’s a roller coaster ride to say the least. Emotions are all over the place in our house…mine especially. I never knew being pregnant could be so nerve racking. I don’t want to go into a lot of detail, but I will say as of today, things seem to be ok. I will definitely be writing more on this subject as I think it would be great therapy for me, but I warn you…it will be some heavy reading.

Ok, not really. I just wanted a clever way to say that I’m going to be visiting some CrossFit boxes during our honeymoon. I love CrossFit, and if you know me then you are probably saying, “yeah, what else is new?” I do love me some CrossFit. And I love my CrossFit family. They are a family – a big, supportive, extended family. I’m super happy to be a part of our gang and also equally thankful to have them all in my life. I believe each CrossFit box is like that. They are truly amazing places to work out and be a part of that environment. You can’t find it anywhere else…well, I have never found it before, not on this level. But my CrossFit family extends outside of the Cedar Park box. Every time I visit another box, my community/family of CrossFitters grows. And I never want to stop expanding my community!

It seemed naturally that wherever we went so would our WODs. WODs can really be done anywhere. Ok, so maybe you can’t haul around an olympic weight set with you in your car, but there are PLENTY of WODs that can kick your ass with no equipment. Don’t believe me? Do 100 burpees for time! Let me know how you do. 🙂 And while we probably will be reduced to doing some WODs wherever we can along the way, if at all possible, you can bet I’m going to be in a CrossFit box somewhere getting my fitness on! I already have 3 places lined up to visit. Well, I do need to make some calls to finalize some things, but we have plans to stop by a couple here and there. While we are staying in NYC for 2.5 weeks, we plan on training exclusively at the Black Box. It’s not far from where we are staying at all.

I can’t wait to meet all of the people and coaches at the Black Box. I know that I’ll be Facebooking with them in no time. I Facebook with all of my CrossFit friends even those from other boxes. We constantly encourage and congratulate each other on our CrossFit journeys. Hearing how other CrossFitters are doing is very addictive. I understand if you just don’t get it. I know my Facebook statuses must seem really odd and are probably getting old by now. I can’t help it! It just takes hold of you, and you love every second of it!

We also plan on hitting up some CrossFit boxes Philadelphia, PA and one in Mississippi. I haven’t looked into it yet, but I’m sure that we might hit up one in New Orleans. We’ll be there for a couple of days on our way home. And the best box of all to visit? Well, of course CrossFit Strong in Dallas where I’ll be getting my CrossFit Level 1 certification just days before we head back home. You have no idea how excited I am to visit this place simply because after a long 2 days, I’ll be certified to coach CrossFit! Eek! So exciting! 😀 And I owe it all to my wonderful husband-to-be for purchasing it for me! He rocks!

There is a tradition when you visit other boxes of exchanging t-shirts. I talked to Dave at our box, and we are going to be getting our t-shirts this week. Can’t wait to collect some more! I love CrossFit t-shirts almost as much as I love CrossFit. They go hand-in-hand. 🙂

Why is this week going so slowly? I’m ready to hit the road…except for the leaving our kitties part. That part just makes me want to cry. I really hope that they will be okay without us, and that they remember who we are when we return. Has anyone ever left a cat for an extended period of time? Oh, and no, they won’t be home alone for a month! What kind of mommy do you think I am???

Another blog post…and you guessed it, it’s subject is my upcoming wedding. What can I say? I seriously thought about what to write for a good 5 minutes, and I kept coming back to the wedding. Maybe because it has taken over my life or maybe because we leave for our wedding in one week! Either way, all I’ve got on my brain is wedding, wedding, wedding! I know I’ve said it before, but let me just make sure you don’t miss out on the fact that I’m sooooo ready for this whole thing to be over with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to get married. He’s an amazing man, and I’m a very lucky gal. However, as far as the planning and stressing goes, I’m ready to be rid of it all. Done! And when it’s all finished, I can just focus on being a great wife to an even greater husband. Ah…the good life! But alas, we have a week to wrap things up here and then hit the road and then another week in Mississippi to finish it up there. I do not look forward to either of these weeks as they promise to be hellish and extremely stressful. Can I just take a giant nap and wake up on the morning of June 5? I didn’t think so.

I’ve gotten even more done since the last time I blogged. Which is natural considering that we leave next Saturday. However, so much is left to be completed. We have to clean the house as well as do some things outdoors and in the garage. We have to pack – ugh! We have some last minute details to get into order. I have to make sure we have some paleo foods to take with us on this trip as grassfed beef and organic produce aren’t easy to come by in my hometown. Sigh…when will the world realize what garbage they eat? Well, until that time, we have to pack and transport it all the way to Mississippi with a weekend stop over in Dallas. Awesome! <—that’s sarcasm in case you couldn’t tell! I just keep reminding myself that all this is worth it and that the event will turn out to be as beautiful as it is in my head. But just in case it doesn’t, I’m swearing to just laugh it off and keep truckin’ with the show. No matter what, I know the honeymoon is going to be stellar! 🙂

Enough about the wedding, I want to talk about marriage and my commitment to Bryan. I have found who I truly believe to be the most amazing man walking the earth. I feel so blessed everyday that I wake up beside him. To be his wife is the biggest accomplishment I can boast, and I feel extremely lucky and proud to have the job. I promise to always try and be a good spouse and when the time comes, a good mother as well. He makes me so very happy, and I want to make sure that I do the same for him – always! I love what we have together, and I want to keep experiencing it for the rest of my life or as long as God will grant us to be together. I know that our life together is going to be a fun adventure even with life’s curve balls. I also know that with Bryan by my side, there’s nothing that we can’t accomplish and get through. We make a great team, at least I think so.

We are very different, but we are also so very much alike. It’s both of these things that makes us perfect for one another. Our differences keep things interesting, and our similarities give us common ground. It’s a perfect balance that works. That’s not to say that it’s 100% smooth sailing (that’s the interesting part), but I know that we’ll always work out our differences and come back to common ground. We have so much to teach each other as well as so many new things to learn as a couple, together. I never want to take a moment for granted.

One day Bryan and I were walking through the neighborhood, and the subject of those elderly apartments came up. I’ve always wanted to live in one of these places. They look like so much fun! I was shocked when Bryan enthusiastically agreed! How much fun would it be to live as a couple in a place where we are only responsible for our apartment. You are surrounded by tons of people to visit and befriend. They plan tons of activities for you, and all of your meals are served to you. It’s paradise as far as I’m concerned. I totally bet we’ll live in one of these one day. And I bet we’ll be as happy as we are now and still joined at the hip. We will probably be way more in sync and have tons of funny habits. And most likely, we’ll get on each others nerves a lot more, and we still won’t be able to live without each other. Ah, sounds good. I’d say I can’t wait, but there’s a whole life between now and then that I’m just as anxious to get to. I just want to experience everyday to come with my man by my side….living life and loving it.