22 weeks!

How far along?: 22 weeks

Total weight gain: No idea right now. I was up 15lbs at my last appointment, and I'm going to be honest - weight gain for me this time has ben difficult. I'm packing on the pounds. My appetite is massive. MUCH more than it was with Layla.  It's especially hard because when I got pregnant I was just starting to like my post-Layla body again. My boobs had finally gone down from nursing, I was at a comfortable weight, & training for two half marathons. Watching my weight creep up as I sit back & try and eat healthy (I try with lots of fruit & well balanced meals, along with regular exercise... Which is dropping because as she moves up I can't seem to breathe) is hard. 

Maternity clothes?: All maternity pants all the time :) Motherhood had a great BOGO deal on jeans! And I have lots of cotton skirts and dresses that will last me through the summer. 

Stretch marks?: Nope! 

Sleep: Same. Just getting up to pee. Best moment this week: Mr G got to feel little miss ISG from the outside :D 

Miss Anything?: Being able to take a deep breath. I feel like there's an elephant on my chest. Movement: TONSFood cravings: Mexican. Tacos. Burritos. Guac. Nachos. Must.have.now. In fact, we're having chicken tacos w/ lime cilantro rice, mexican corn & queso for dinner. OBSESSED.  

Food aversions: Not really anymore. 

Gender: Girly bits.

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: I still get morning sickness, especially if I go without eating over 2 hours. 

Belly Button in or out?: In. 

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Looking forward to: My birthday, Mother's day, Disney (again), & mommy & daddy trip to Bahamas in June!

Letters to Layla

What what? 17 months? Excuse me? When did THAT happen.. And I know next month when you're officially 18 months aka 1 and a half, I'll be crying into my pillow.

It's a little ridiculous how much you've grown and the little lady you've become. I'm so thankful I get to spend every day with you. Both myself and Daddy are home 90% of the week and we can see how happy that makes you.

You're a chatter box. No, I'm not kidding when I say you don't shut up. You'll randomly be telling us this story in your own little language, then walk to the front door, blow us a kiss, wave, and say byebye. You think it's hilarious.

You have a pair of pink sandals that are pretty much on all day. We can expect a tantrum if we try and take them off. In the morning you literally go get them and sit to put them on with your pink bead necklace. Dad thinks you're going to be a fashion designer. You also have a love for textures and fabrics. You'll sit in my closet and just run my dresses against your cheek.

Dancing is still your favorite past time. We have dance parties and everyone at our weekly Mommy and Me thinks you're hilarious. You get into the middle of circle time and just dance and dance and dance.

Your vocabulary is growing: Mommy, Daddy, Teddy, Baby, Layla, byebye, hi. If dad and I are laughing and you're sitting near us you'll throw your head back and pretend to laugh like you know whats going on.

Sleeping thru the night and two and a half hour naps have become your thing. Took us a longgg time. You're still our bed, and while part of me cares.... Another enjoys when you snuggle into me at 3am after you had a bad dream.

You're turning into a little lady. It's amazing to watch. Coming up we have my birthday, Disney, and Mothers day all in one weekend! We're still searching for a house, but have a specific one in mind. Hopefully it'll go on the market before Sissy makes her appearance ;)

Why we eat organically

In the years that have passed that label has become my BFF.

If I had to look back, I'd say we started to 'convert' our kitchen when I was first diagnosed with Endometriosis. My mother read up on causes and natural ways to control pain and found that doctors believe(d) a leading cause of Endo is hormones found in meats & dairy. The more we read, the more it made sense, & the more we started to buy things that were deemed to be made naturally or organically. Wasn't easy to come across 8 or 9 years ago, whereas now we've got USDA Organic labels on the regular shelves at Target and local grocers.

There's a downside: eating organically is expensive. Like break the bank, take from my daughters college fund expensive. Forget shopping at Whole Foods because I'll tell ya right now three apples cost about $75 (Ok, I'm exaggerating... a little). These days, though, Target (aka MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD) has an amazing selection of yummy, budget friendly organic items. My heart literally skips a beat when we go grocery shopping there - I can get Layla organic apple juice (which she just started drinking at 16 months because I'm a nut and decided to be the Juice Nazi and say, "NO JUICE FOR YOU."), milk, yogurt, eggs... etc etc etc. We follow the Dirty Dozen rule, & generally buy the rest of our produce as conventionally grown.

Don't get me wrong, we're not die hard crunchy people over here. I'm not all must-eat-quinoa-for-every-meal crazy. Infact, I hate quinoa. There's a package of double stuffed Oreos, mini red velvet cupcakes, & potato bread in my pantry, & Friendlys ice cream in my freezer. Last week I was desperate for milk and Mr G had to buy a half gallon of conventional milk to last us till Publix opened the next day. Almond milk makes me gag (probably because I hate almonds), but Layla sucks it down like it's God's gift to this Earth. But... BUT, there are things I won't skimp on - organic meat is a must (but, again, I'll buy conventional in a pinch). Organic peanut butter is another, as well as canned tomatoes. & for the most part, we are very very strict with dairy and limiting overly processed foods in our home.

It takes some extra budgeting every week & maybe eating out less (c'mon even we like to go over to Chilis every now and then and eat until you have to roll us out. processed chicken and all), but local organic buying groups, farmers markets, & real butchers help our cause. It does mean that I usually have to hit four places to get my grocery shopping done on a Sunday, but I do it gladly to know that I'm feeding my child healthy food... Only to cook it and watch her promptly take two bites and throw the rest on the floor.

Oh, and I swear I'm not "that" mom, I don't really limit my kids TV watching (always said I would), she did eat a chocolate covered Peep for breakfast on Easter, & we eat mac & cheese (Annie's organic, yes - but it throws Kraft under.the.bus.. SO GOOD) at least once a week. & we just shared a homemade not-so-organic chocolate chip cookie at 11:30am on a Monday BEFORE lunch ::gasp!:: :)

Its just a name

A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. - Shakespeare

Does a name matter? Does it define someone? Does it make a person who they are? Simple answer, no.

Shakespeare got it right. But, let's be honest: a parents first real job is to name their child. They seek out books and Google. They stress over origin and meaning. They'll ask themselves, "do we want a name staying true to our heritage, or will we just go with whatever feels right?"

Here's where it gets tricky, despite the fact that naming a child is purely the job of the parents, everyone will feel as if they have a say; and beware because they will get balls to the wall passionate about it. The name of your child becomes the center of attention, the topic at every dinner... Especially if you ask opinions (DON'T!), your kids name (or current lack their of) basically becomes the mother effin holy grail. Everyone wants in. Everyone wants to have a say, & in the process they forget who exactly is the one pushing this watermelon sized child out of her vajayjay (and actually gets the last say).

With all of that being said Mr G and I have decided on a name. We love it. Baby G actually picked it herself.. Sort of.. By doing flips when we brought the name up. For us the name feels right. The rest of my family hates it. Dilemma? Not really. Because while I value their opinion, I also know their objections are basically invalid. There's one thing about names: they will always have something about them. Weird spellings, bad nicknames, hard pronunciations. Just like everything else in life, there are pros and cons. Nothing is ever completely perfect. Until you attach that name to a tiny human being. Who has no flaws. Pure innocence and... When you say their name for the first time, it is perfect - as if it was made for them.

So maybe Shakespeare wasn't so right. Not that a name makes the person... But that the person makes the name.

19 & 20 weeks

I feel like I'm apologizing to myself for not blogging (even though I secretly {or not so secretly now?} feel like half the time I'm blogging/talking to myself. Either way, I promised I'd do this weekly (er, not so weekly) update since I didn't keep track with L and wish I would have. So here goes nothing, & I promise (albeit to myself) to blog more because I have lots to say! Including an update on Layla who is so beyond into toddlerhood I want to put a 'to infinity and beyond' sticker on her back when she runs after birds at the park growling like a monster.

How far along?: 20w3d

Total weight gain: This is SO hard for me to type: 14lbs. I was maybeup 10lbs with Layla at this point & my 20w belly was like my 28 week belly. It's amazing how your body remembers.

Maternity clothes?: Pants. I can still get away with the bellaband, but am mostly in my regular shirts. I don't really buy maternity clothes. I just went on a little shopping spree at Old Navy for some L (vs s/m) sizes.

Stretch marks?: Nope!

Sleep: Same. Just getting up to pee.

Best moment this week: Feeling the roll and tumble. She's an active one.

Miss Anything?: This week?? Still my B cup boobies.

Movement: Tons! Starting to feel a bit on the outside too. Totally insane.

Food cravings: Tacos. Give me Chipotle. NOW.

Food aversions: Not really anymore.

Gender: GIRL! ALL GIRL! Two girls 22 months apart? I can't even. Dresses. Tutus. Bows. PINK. I die.

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: I still get morning sickness, especially if I go without eating over 2 hours.

Belly Button in or out?: In.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Looking forward to: Naming this peanut!