Pregnancy=Acne

For me pregnancy = acne. It sucks. I am about to turn 25, I'm like a "real" adult. Yet somehow I have the worst skin issues right now. The same thing happened to me when I was pregnant with Danny, but we were off living on the west coast and I didn't have to see family and friends all the time. Not that it didn't totally bum me out, because it did, but it didn't seem as bad.

My only hope for this jacked up face of mine is that the chlorine in pools and sunshine helps a sister out. I just want to feel pretty :)!!

My own Nemo

May, 2012. 

Here is a picture of my little fish. Danny got to swim with his cousins yesterday, and he was in complete heaven.

Saturday I took him swimming at my Grandma's pool (no dead mice this time). I put his floaties on and decided to take him away from the steps to see how he would do. I expected him to flip out and cry as soon as I let go of him. Not so much. The kid just went off on his own and started swimming. He wanted nothing to do with me holding him, or helping him as soon as he realized that he could float. It didn't stop there, he even jumped off the side of the pool by himself, in the deep end! The kid has no fear. At one point he was just jumping in the pool without me being close by, I had to swim by big pregnant self to the deep end as fast as I could to make sure he wasn't alone.

He is a fish.

Really, he didn't want to get out of the pool Saturday or Monday when we were there. He didn't want to take a break to eat or anything. I almost had to drag him out of the pool to give him ice cream yesterday--yes, my child has finally found something he likes better than food.

It is a good thing Danny and I are both good tanners, since we wont be spending many days away from the pool this summer.

Here is to hoping the little sister gets my skin, like Danny did, and not her dads Irish skin.

Irish skin and Gypsy skin.

The dead mouse

Alzheimer's Disease is nothing to joke about. It is a tragic way for an elderly person to spend the final years of his or her life. I know this because my Grandpa is suffering from the disease. He is 84-years-old, and in great physical health. He seems to be doing pretty well for a man well into his eighties, but he definitely has memory issues that seem to be affecting him more and more.

All that being said, sometimes humor is the only way to survive certain things in life. Today was just one of those days where you either laugh or cry, and laughing always seems like a better option.

I took Danny to my Grandma and Grandpa's house today for his first time in the pool for the season. We did a quick hello to the Grandparents and then made our way to the pool. Not long after Danny got in the pool, and was happily playing on the first step, my Grandma and Grandpa came by to do some outdoor work. Grandpa was cleaning the pool skimmers, and Grandma was chatting me up. A few minutes go by when all of the sudden Grandpa hurls a dead mouse at us, it lands right in between Grandma and me.

The mouse was much less cute, and much more dead, than this mouse.

I wasn't sure what to say or do, as Danny made a horrific face at the mouse carcass sitting on the pool deck, very close to him. I guess I must have yelled 'GRANDPA, DANNY CANNOT PLAY WITH A DEAD MOUSE" because Grandma quickly jumped in, in complete disgust and made Gpa get rid of the mouse. Grandpa was laughing the whole time and just kept saying "I thought Danny might want to play with it." Grandma and I were horrified, we even washed the deck down, you know, just in case there were mouse germs hanging around.

I am still laughing about it. I can't wait to tell all my cousins about the dead mouse that Grandpa threw at my two-year-old son.

Finding our normal

The next few weeks will be interesting for sure. We are trying to find our new normal within our family. Since Danny was four months old I have been a full-time student, which meant being away from him several hours a day 2-5 days a week, depending on which semester I was in. It was difficult, and we all sacrificed to make it happen.

I noticed in the past few months that Danny acted like he was used to me not being around, the days or hours that I would be home with him he seemed annoyed by me. Annoyed to have to follow my rules and behave in a certain way. It was very stressful. Some days it seemed like all I did was discipline him, and all he did was cry. I'm sure my pregnancy hormones didn't help, but the last semester of school for me gave me the most terrible Mommy guilt I could ever imagine.

Now that I have been home for a whole week I can see us slowly getting back into a normal groove. I guess I can't call it "getting back" because last time I was home with him 24/7 he couldn't sit up on his own, but none-the-less we are getting there. We had a great day today, we ran errands, visited Grandpa, played outside, created lego masterpieces etc. Danny was well behaved until around 4:30 this afternoon when he had just had enough of being a good boy.

Baby steps.

I got a regular nap out of him the last two days, we are eating meals at the same time every day--structure. It is a beautiful thing. Kids desperately need it, and Moms rely on it to make their days go smoothly.

My husband graduates from his police training class in three weeks. He will then be working shift work for the first time in a few years--I am hoping that Danny and I can maintain our normal-ness even when Dad is working a crazy schedule.

Here is to hope!

Oh Baby!

So I have been a little busy with the less-important things in life to really focus on my pregnancy and get excited.

I am excited now. I am more than half way through my pregnancy, feeling lots of little kicks and rolls, and looking like I'm carrying a watermelon.

19 weeks.

There I was a few weeks ago, after a particularly long day of school I might add. The belly has grown considerably, but I don't have a blog-worthy picture to share. Maybe this week.

I do have some exciting news to share with the blog world. We found out the gender of our sweet baby. After being on the green team with Danny we decided it would be fun to find out this time. This way mom can prepare more and big brother can understand more. I am happy to announce that we are expecting a baby girl! Danny is so excited, he is already lifting my shirt, hugging my belly and saying her name as best as he can. I am excited to have a little girl to pass all my womanly wisdom to (lol), and Stephen is excited to buy an AK-47.

One of the things I am really excited about for our new baby is to cloth diaper!

Gro-Via AIO's, Thirsties AIO's and Gro-Via Hybrid Shells.

I will, of course, write up a blog all about cloth diapering (not that I am an expert at all), but for right now I will leave it at HOW STINKING CUTE ARE THEY??? Seriously, my little girl is going to have one fancy hiney.

In case you are wondering what the inside of my uterus looks like, here ya go:

Baby Girl X at my 20 week ultrasound.

We can't wait to meet her!

Well, I did it

The grades are in.
The ceremony is over.
I have officially graduated from the University of Maryland.

May 21st, 2012

I honestly thought I would feel different after I graduated, but I don't. My journey throughout the last two years seemed to intense and extreme, and now it just seems like "whatever."

The ceremony was short and sweet. I was able to speak with one of my favorite professors after the ceremony was over. She shared very kind words with me and even said that she was proud of me for working so hard while raising Danny. That was a proud moment for me. 

I am very happy to be done with school, but I have a lot of work to do now that I have my little man home with me all day. We have a lot of bad habits to break and need to get back into an acceptable routine.

Now that school is over I can "get back to life" as I have been saying. I can be "just a mom" again, which is all I've ever wanted. I also need to start working on writing things more serious than a blog, that is a little intimidating, maybe I'll start that next week :).

Thanks to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. I am lucky to have so many caring people in my life.

A reminder

While I go to church, claim my faith and try to live it every day, I am certainly not the most religious person I know. I don't cite the Bible on a daily basis, and I don't always know what the "Christian thing to do" is without really thinking about it. But I do my best in life. I love my family and always try to be kind to others.

Oftentimes I doubt the decisions that I make, that my husband and I make together. I wonder if we're doing the right thing, especially when people are upset with me or us. Whenever I have felt like this and doubt begins to take over I always turn to the same place. It has never failed me, and I have never lost confidence in the answers that I will find.

I will just say, THANK GOD FOR GOOGLE. Because a person like me, who is not familiar with all the passages in the Bible that I would like to be, can really find a shortcut with Google. Today I needed to reassure myself that my husband and I are on the right track, and that we will never go wrong when we do what is best for our family.

Just in case I need reassurance again (which I know I will), I am going to leave my little reminder right here.

Ephesians:
{5:28} So, too, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
{5:29} For no man has ever hated his own flesh, but instead he nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ also does to the Church.
{5:30} For we are a part of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.
{5:31} “For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.”
{5:32} This is a great Sacrament. And I am speaking in Christ and in the Church.


I am so lucky to have a husband who does this. 

The big day!

Well the day has come (tomorrow). I graduate from the University of Maryland tomorrow morning. I would say that I am super flipping excited for it, but honestly, it is just a ceremony. I thought I would be more excited to walk across the stage than I am, but I'm really not.

What I am excited for is being done with school. I am excited to no longer have to spend every free moment I have in the evenings doing homework, writing papers and reading books that don't particularly interest me. I am excited to have less stress in my life and to be a better mother because of it. I am excited to be home with my children all day, every day, and to plan fun activities for them. I am excited to be a stay at home mom, for real now. I am really excited to read a book, for fun! I have been caught up in my hypnobirthing book lately that I have not had time to read any of the 5 books that are sitting on myself unread. I am excited to start living my life again.

I couldn't have made it through the last two years with out my husband, Stephen. He has not only been super supportive of my quest to finish college, but he has really picked up my slack around the house. He has cooked, cleaned, done laundry, gone the extra mile with Danny, all to make things easier for me. Even in the last eight months, when he started training for one of our local police departments, he has still helped keep our home and family running smoothly. Between career struggles, now always supportive family and raising a infant into toddler into two year old boy, he has always supported me and for lack of a better term "had-my-back."

I also have to thank my dad, he has done so much for Stephen and I throughout our relationship, none more than the last year and a half. He has also been willing to drop everything in order to help me with Danny when babysitters fell through.

My brother Joe, for inspiring me to go to college when I was a kid. I never really thought about college until he was in high school doing his college search. Ever since then I always thought "if he can do it then I should be able to do it." Maybe I am competitive, or maybe I just admire his hard work, but he is certainly one of my biggest inspirations. My sister-in-law, Haley. She has inspired me with her drive and dedication. She put herself through college all the way to a master's degree, while raising her daughter. She is a true friend who is always been encouraging to me. Thanks for lending me the cap and gown for tomorrow!

And to all the people who said that I would never finish college once I got married, or had a baby, thank you. Nothing is more encouraging to me than naysayers, I couldn't have done it without all of you as well!

Grandma

So my graduation is in two weeks (two weeks!!!), so I want to take this opportunity to praise my grandmother, and say how touched I have been by her kind words.

It has been no secret that I plan to be a stay at home (or at least work at home) mom while my children are young. Pretty much from the time I was pregnant with Danny I knew that I couldn't leave him in the care of others while I work. I mean to say nothing against mothers who work outside the home, I think those women are superstars, it just isn't for me. Emotionally I am not strong enough. Even with the life plan to be a SAHM I still wanted to finish college. When Danny was four months old I began my final two years of college at the University of Maryland. Since then I have not had a huge load of support, although there have been people who I know I never could have done this without, there have been enough naysayers to take note. People have asked why I would bother getting a degree if I am "just going to stay home." Or they will ask why I waste my time. The look of complete shock when I tell people I'm not looking for a job because I plan on staying home, it priceless.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter what the naysayers say. I know that an education is not "wasted" on someone who will stay home to raise his or her children. I actually believe that if you plan to stay home with your kids you should get a college degree, after all, you are going to be your child's first, and most important teacher.

The most shocking things that I have heard from anyone about my going to college with a young child to care for is my Grandma. Grandma grew up during the depression, she married young and was a Navy wife for over thirty years. She raised five children, often on her own when my Grandpa was at sea. She can recall a time when she "didn't have a dollar to buy a tube of lipstick." I have no doubt that her own children never went without. It sounds like she was Supermom, I can tell you with complete certainty that she is Supergrandma. I wouldn't be who I am today with out her.

Anyway, when I hear her say how proud she is of me for making up my mind to go to college, even though I don't plan on getting a job is probably the most special thing in the world to me. She has told me several times over the last few months how proud she is of me for working hard and taking care of Danny, and how proud she is that I am going to graduate from college. I know that my Grandma never had the chance to go to college, and she was very happy when she sent her daughters to college. It is really nice, and encouraging when she gives me her stamp of approval, and shows me that she completely understands.

Danny's carseat

Danny, April 17th, 2012.

I just have to share this picture of Danny. The day after his 2nd birthday. He is 34 inches tall and 30 lbs. Notice he is rear facing in his convertible carseat. His legs are not smooshed up, he actually looks rather comfortable as he sleeps in the car.

I urge all parents, grandparents and anyone who transports a precious child in a car to educate yourself on carseat safety. THIS LINK is a great place to start. Keeping your child safe is always more important than giving them what they want, and if you keep them rear facing they will never know what they are missing by being able to face forward.

My night off

After several weeks of being crazy busy with school I have decided to give myself the night off!

I finally wrapped up all assignments for my German class (other than the final), and actually have nothing to turn in tomorrow. Instead of taking this as an opportunity to work on one of my final papers that I still have to write I have decided to just sit on my butt and surf the web/watch TV. My husband is playing softball, my son is asleep and I am enjoying quiet time.

I deserve it after the traumatizing experience we had this evening.

My brother was over this evening, and while playing/messing with Danny he found a big, nasty soft tick in Danny's head. So horribly disgusting!! Thank God Joe was here, because it took he and I both to restrain Danny while my husband removed the tick. It was so sad hearing Danny scream and seeing him shake. He was so scared, he didn't understand why we were holding him down (and smooshing his face in a pillow). Not to mention the fact that it took a while to get the tick out, my husband was trying to hard to keep from ripping Danny's hair out.

Poor kid.

He is so sweet though, as soon as we were done extracting the tick he clapped his hands (through tears) and said "yay!" He got a popsicle and lots of hugs after that.

I am happy that we have a big yard with lots of woods and fun things to play with at my Grandma's house, and I am very happy that my son is so adventurous, always wanting to be outside, but I really hope we never EVER have to do this again.

In case you don't know what to do should a tick infest your child CLICK HERE. Luckily, my husband and I knew what to do since we took a child care class before Danny was born, but the link I shared tells you exactly what you need to know.