Category: motherhood

August 5, 2014

Wisconsin Dells Trip (Part One)

A few weeks ago, we planned our last family vacation before baby, while it was still manageable to do so without an infant, while we’re still just a family of three. We decided to head to Wisconsin Dells after finding a great camping deal there and wanting to spend more time in our new little toy. We got 15 total attraction tickets, which amounted to 5 different attractions for the three of us: Noah’s Ark, Timbavati Wildlife Park, Pirate’s Cove Miniature Golf, the Ducks, and the Deer Park. More than enough to keep us busy for an entire week!

We took a Saturday through Thursday trip in order to avoid some of the weekend crowds at these places. In the Dells, many things are cheaper Sunday through Thursday, so it’s helpful to know that. That time span also left the following weekend open for lounging at home. You know, the whole vacation from vacation thing.

Anyhow, we left on Saturday, after Hubster got done with work. It was quite later than expected. After getting settled in, I took Peanut down to the play area that the campground provided, including a giant blow-up jumping pillow. Peanut could hardly be torn away from that contraption. If I wasn’t so preggo, I would’ve been right up there with him:) After dark, we heard a bunch of loud booms. After investigating, we got treated to a fireworks display from a nearby racetrack that was pretty darn good.

On Sunday we got up and took a Duck tour right away. It’s amazing how they make those vehicles to drive on the road and the water. It’s like something out of a movie that’s totally a real thing. Peanut was quite enraptured by the phenomenon.

After the Ducks and a quick bite to eat, we hit up the miniature golf course. Pirate’s Cove has some great golfing, and they take the best care of their grounds than any other I’ve seen. I think this year’s theme for our family is miniature golfing. We’ve done it quite a few times now and can’t seem to get enough. Peanut is getting pretty good at the rules and lining up his ball. And he loves it!

Pirate’s Cove also has a Family Play Center that we indulged in for a little bit. They had a huge playground, giant jumping pillow, giant chess and checkers, a racetrack, and trampoline basketball.

Pedal Go-Karts

Giant Chess

Giant jumping pillow

On Monday, my parents came to visit for the day and we treated them to the Deer Park, one of our favorite Dells attractions. You get to hang out with deer and feed them out of your hands! We always take our time there and buy lots of animal food because it’s so rare to get to experience that experience with deer. Later on, we took mom and pops to our campground for hot dogs and S’mores and a little pool time. Poor dad had chemo scheduled for the next day, so they couldn’t stay overnight.

After all that fun, the whole family hit the campground pool for a cool off.

It always amazes me that we keep going back to Wisconsin Dells. It’s such a touristy town, but it’s also totally insane. It’s one of those towns that is so unique, you just have to go there. Where else can you drive down the street and see an upside-down White House, miles of snaking waterpark tubes, rides and roller coasters of every kind, piles of neon summer clothing and weird statues of all kinds? And if you only live 2 hours away, you might go there every year cuz your kids are enraptured by it all.

Stay tuned for Part Two of our family vacation to Wisconsin Dells.

July 1, 2014

Baby To-Do List

This week, I enter my third trimester, and with that, the to-do list has been weighing more heavily on my mind. I guess it’s true what they say about your second-born. We have been quite lax this time around. No baby magazine subscriptions, no intense Google searches (except for my heart palpitations), no rush to completely baby-proof every nook of our home. I’m even having a hard time getting interested in baby literature this time around. Certainly some things have changed in the last six years, but most of the baby guidelines are much the same. I’m excited–certainly! Just a little more lax. But, that to-do list is creeping up on me:

Decide on a name. I’m already through the “K” baby names and have found absolutely nothing I’m happy with. Once we settle on a name, don’t ask what it is though. It’s our only secret:)
Prepare and freeze extra meals for when the baby comes. Now’s the time to start clipping recipes that I can double or triple and freeze. Any good resources?
Pick out a new car seat. Our old one is obviously expired by now, but I’m hoping to find one that’s compatible with our still-useful travel system stroller.
Make a list of what to pack in my hospital bag. Then, eventually, pack it.
Sew a baby bunting thing. I have a lot of sewing projects on my Pinterest board, but this is the only one that I’m hell-bent on finishing.
Find furniture for Peanut. Poor boy has had a girl’s vanity dresser for far too long. We want to get him a new wardrobe and desk instead of the girly dresser and changing table-turned-bookshelf. Scouring Craiglist every day.
Along with that, we really need to get a move on Baby Girl’s room soon. What was once our office will now be her nest. We need to get the old furniture out and move the new furniture in. It hurts thinking about it.
Choose a new pediatrician. Our insurance has changed since news of our Baby Girl hit. Peanut and Baby Girl will both need new care.
Journal for the baby. I kept a journal before Peanut was born about what I was thinking about, what was happening, current baby news, and how I felt about him. I remember all the news about BPA in polycarb bottles was just coming out and I’ve got a clip about that in there, along with our choice to use glass bottles. I want to do the same for Baby Girl. I think I only have one entry so far. Must. Get. On. That.
Choose an easy scrapbook format and some simple embellishments for the baby. I don’t want to cheat my second-born of what I created for the first-born. I know I have to stay right on top of it or it will never happen, so purchasing the whole set-up now will save this project.
Purge Peanut’s baby clothes. I no longer need any boy clothes. This is going to be so hard to do, parting with those little bitty outfits that bring back memories. However, we’re having a family rummage sale soon and it would be the perfect opportunity to clear the attic. Plus, I have friends and family with boys younger than Peanut that might enjoy some of our spoils.
Figure out the whole breast pump thing with my insurance company.
Film a prenatal workout video or 4. I likely won’t have anymore children, so I know right now is the ideal time to film a prenatal workout video. I really want to do this because there’s not a whole lot out there. It’s not just a “should do.” I’ve been jotting momma-friendly moves and hope to get something together really soon. Before I lose my baby belly in three months.
Do some kind of maternity photo shoot.
Pick up a few more baby girl clothes. This–and the car seat and diapers–are about the only things we need for baby #2. All the big stuff has just been patiently waiting for a new recipient in our attic for the past 6 years.
Clean out the chest freezer. Gots to make some room for all the extra milk.

Oh geez. Just looking at this list is making me sleepy. Haha. I could literally nap just about anywhere right now. In fact, I’ve been known to steal away on my lunch break for a quick nap. Luckily, nothing will crumble if I don’t get to all of these things–or most of them really. I’m enjoying this time to take things a whole lot slower than my normal Type-A turbo pace, so I’m not as intensely focused on all of that right now. Just making it through a work day and dinner is enough for me. Ideally though, it would be nice to tackle most of them, or at least get a start on most of them. Baby steps (pun totally intended)!

June 21, 2014

Ticker Update

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I am beyond thrilled to announce that my ticker is in fighting shape. Being a devoted runner and soon-to-be second time momma, I am very reassured by this. My echocardiogram came back completely normal. My pulse was a bit high, but that’s pretty normal for pregnancy. The Holter monitor caught in the 6,000 range!!!!! of PVC’s, or skipped heartbeats, over the 48 hr period I wore it (3,000-something per day). However, no arrhythmia was detected.

My cardiologist said that they have patients with PVC’s in the 20-30,000 range, which is when they start having some concern. On a scale of 1 to 10, my benign “problem” ranks around a 1. However, she did offer a small dose of a beta blocker that’s safe for pregnancy. With her guidance though, I am not going to take them, at least not yet. I have them on standby in case the PVC’s really do become bothersome. Since the meds are not really medically necessary, they’re really only for my comfort, I’d rather wait this thing out and just tolerate it than medicate it.

My blood pressure this time was well back in the normal range–and actually a bit low for a preggo at 110/70. I was starting to worry that pre-eclampsia was sneaking up on me, but I think the higher readings were just because of nerves. Thank goodness. We pregnant ladies sure do worry a lot, don’t we?

It’s kind of neat to understand how my heart is working. I do get lightheaded once in awhile (though it’s a pregnancy-related symptom, not a heart problem-related one). The nurse practitioner explained that my heart is working fast right now, and she used a sponge analogy. If you were to squeeze a sponge long and hard, you’d get more water out of it. If you squeeze it fast and incompletely, not as much water will drain. That’s how the heart is working during pregnancy. It’s not as efficient at getting all that extra blood where it needs to go. Hence, the lightheadedness at times and the PVC’s. Beta blockers help smooth out that heartbeat, so the beats are good and hearty.

Well, I’m just so thankful that that’s out of the way and I’m doing fine. It was a few emotional days being hooked up to wires and waiting for those test results. Now that I know nothing is wrong, I’m not as anxious about or attuned to all the PVC’s I’ve been having. It has made a huge difference just knowing that I’m going to be fine.

June 4, 2014

State of the Baby Address

I haven’t been saying much about my pregnancy other than making the announcement, but it’s so true what they say about each pregnancy being entirely different. This one has left me with a lot more worry and has felt like an entirely different experience than the first uneventful one. From morning sickness to anxiety flare-ups to weird heart behaviors to health scares, I’ve been trying to navigate waters that feel completely foreign to me.

First, we had a false positive reading for Down’s Syndrome which sent our world into a bit of a spin of waiting, testing, waiting some more. Everything came out “normal,” but the experience was kind of excruciating and full of questions. We just wanted to know what we had to prepare for and wrap our minds around it, but admittedly there were lots of tears and doubt.

In the last month, I’ve developed some pretty frequent heart palpitations. I had them during my last pregnancy, but they were very different. With Peanut, they only showed up around month 8 during exercise and exertion. They were pretty infrequent. This time, they happen all day, every day, whether I’m sitting in my chair or out hiking. I, of course, reported them to my baby doctor right away.

My OB was not too worried about them. She said they were pretty common in pregnancy considering the extra blood volume a pregnant woman has in her body. She said I could either monitor it for any changes, see my general practitioner about it, or she could refer me to a cardiologist. I chose the cardiologist because I just don’t want to mess around with my heart. And with my anxiety, I have a hard time with worst-case scenario thinking. I just want to be extra cautious and know for sure that everything is fine.

This past Friday, I saw the cardiologist. He told me not to worry about it, but that we were going to be extra cautious and a little more aggressive with testing since I’m pregnant. I appreciate the gesture! My blood pressure was reading pretty high that day, so I was suffering from nervous energy wondering if it was a sign of pre-eclampsia. However, my BP was back in the normal range at Monday’s appointment, so I’m hoping it was just a fluke because I was nervous.

So Monday, I got fitted for my electrodes. Cool, huh? How bionic-womanlike of me. I’m wearing a Holter monitor for 48 hours to detect any abnormalities. Then on Thursday I’m scheduled for an echo-cardiogram, an ultrasound of the heart. As frightening as heart conditions sound and these tests seem (I’ve never had to see so many doctors in my life!), I’m trying to stay positive and take everything in stride. After all, both my OB and cardiologist said everything is likely to be benign.

Despite these “setbacks,” everything is going relatively fine. I feel much better, but I still have no interest in cooking or any type of food prep and my energy wanes big time during the day. Peanut wants me to play the instant I get home from work, and it’s hard to deny him that. My pleading eyes just can’t convey to him the complete exhaustion I feel at the end of the day. I try to give him what I can, but many days are “lets watch a movie together” days. When I’m feeling truly energetic, I can muster a 6 mile bike ride with the family, but that’s only happened once, so…

Well, there are only about 3 months left until we meet our baby girl and I’m hoping things become a whole lot more uneventful really soon. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, would ya? I appreciate every one I can get.

May 13, 2014

Baby Confessional

I have a little confession to make. I bought three vintage girl outfits at the thrift store long before we decided to add another member to our family. I have kept them tucked neatly away in the very back of my son’s long closet. I figured if our dreams of a little girl never came true, I could certainly find some satisfaction in selling pretty vintage baby girl outfits online. I seemed to find them quite easily anyhow.

The gentle textures and dainty details made my heart smile. Whether it was my child or another’s child inside those layers, I would still be gratified by having found the baby clothes. Their sweetness was tangible just by existing in my home.

A few weeks ago, we learned that we are indeed having a girl!!!! I am of course beyond happy for this baby’s health, no matter which gender, but I almost feel like me and this baby girl were just somehow meant to be. Although I am entering a whole new world of girl-dom, I am embracing the job of momma with all the things that come with little girls. We will have the sweetest balance in our family. I can already imagine the secrets with my girl and the fun dynamics that will make our family unique.

Now these adorable little outfits are being accompanied by even more little girly outfits, mostly from thrift and consignment shops and rummage sales. At some point, I’ll have to purge all the teeny boy clothes that I’ve been hoarding “just in case” for five years. It will be so difficult to let go of those favorite little boy clothes. I might keep some, but most will find good homes with friends and family.

It’s funny all the emotions baby clothes can evoke. From the mysterious clothes that haven’t had occupants yet to the teeny stored clothes that harbor precious memories of a child that is already 50 times the size of his beginnings. I can’t wait to see the face of the little girl that will be filling out the wrinkles in these clothes. We’re halfway there!

February 10, 2014

Lately I’ve Been…

…Around, just not as much in this space as I’d like to be. For that matter, even my home could use quite a bit of TLC right about now.
…Surviving some terrible nausea and attempting to make peace with the fact that the only thing you can do is just wait it out.
…Waiting out the cold here in Wisconsin. A day in the 30s would be bikini weather at this point. Poor kiddos have been so cooped up in school without recess, they’re really getting restless.
…Looking forward to our upcoming trip to Florida in March. This will be the first time in my life I get to go to Disney. Can’t wait to watch Peanut soak it all in. Hopefully Florida welcomes us with the warm air we so desire.
…Getting very inspired by the Olympics and all the chatter about it. What, me? Into sports?
…Reading Amanda Knox’s story, Waiting to be Heard. I mean, wow! She pretty much lived nightmares that I’ve had before. Like any good mystery, the book has me unable to put it down. It’s thick, but I got through most of it in a weekend.
…Looking at houses and dreaming about living in the country. However, the thought of actually listing our first home (and making is show-ready!) and the prospect of moving have me completely paralyzed.
…Staring at my Peanut and all his expressions and movements and just reveling in them. Kids are special, no? He reminds me of everything that matters most.
…Cooking up a special project that I can’t quite announce yet, but you’ll see…

What have you been up to?

December 30, 2013

Visit to the Oshkosh EAA Museum

Our town has absolutely nothing for a small child to do in the winter, indoors, unless you are a YMCA member. Even our McDonald’s Playland went away during the last round of renovations and a close-by kid-friendly cafe disappeared. We run out of ideas for keeping Peanut entertained in the cooler months sometimes. That is, until we stumbled upon the children’s museum inside the EAA museum in Oshkosh.

You see, Oshkosh hosts the biggest aircraft convention in the world every year and so the aircraft museum is a signature part of our city. Since we live here though, we are all too used to that one week in July where our city is completely descended upon and consumed for the love of airplanes. Many of us try to get out of the city and rent our homes out to avoid the hubub of tourism.

Sure, we’d been to the museum before, but not in a long time. One day Hubster decided to take Peanut there for a visit just for something to do. Then, we happened upon the kid’s section of the airport. And we discovered that the interactive play area beats out the Mickey D’s Playland any day of the week! We immediately purchased a family membership and now enjoy the place as often as we’d like.

Since I’ve been off of work for about a week and a half with Peanut this Christmas vacation, mostly cooped up in the house with all our new Christmas paraphernalia, we decided to take a day out to the museum to burn off some accumulating steam.

Check this place out.

Test how many pounds of thrust you can generate on this mother of all exercise bikes.

Use this robotic arm to build and move around blocks.

Watch flight simulators

Sit inside a real cockpit with tons of controls and buttons and pretend you’re a pilot.

Tilt and lean to maneuver a hang glider, and just across the way, a hot air balloon.

Sit in one of the rows of flight simulators and actually give your flying skills a try.

Then, sit in the viewing tower and see if you can see any action with the provided binoculars.

This place is awesome. It’s like science and physical education and math all got together and made this awesome place. An interactive learning experience and boredom buster all in one.

All you adults out there, the regular museum is definitely worth the admission. There are several hangars’ worth of aircraft to see and learn about, even for the person who isn’t entranced by planes. Hubster and I like to peruse the exhibits once in awhile too and always learn something. If you’re ever in Oshkosh, WI, you need to check this place out. And if you live here, especially if you have children, you’ll be doing everyone a favor by purchasing a membership and enjoying the exhibits.

November 8, 2013

Fall Family Traditions

It’s important to me that our little family establishes memorable traditions that extend our love for one another and our desire to make meaningful connections throughout our sometimes harried days. I like to pull out small little things that we can together enjoy either once a year, once in awhile or once per season. One day, I hope my son will remember some of these with fondness when he’s all big and grown and perhaps even carry some of them on.

Whenever someone completes an accomplishment in our house, we make it a point to celebrate that person. It’s not enough to just “high five” and “atta boy” each other. This past week, by some foreign-to-us luck, Hubster landed the position at work that he’s been hoping for for over a year and a half. It was quite by miracle that he got it, but I can just see on his face how happy it makes him. So, we had a lunch date at one of his favorite Chinese restaurants. I think he liked it:)

Aside from that lunch, Hubster and I have made a concerted effort lately to have more date nights. We’ve had a few celebratory gift cards come our way that make it possible without the guilt. It’s imperative to keep connecting on just a you/him level because it’s way too easy to become two separate people with two separate lives. We want a partnership, so we choose actions that hold us true to that partnership.

Halloween harbors some other fun traditions for our family. On this holiday, I always bust out an Edgar Allan Poe tale or poem. Sure, the stories may be a little sinister at times, but I think it’s a fun, intelligent way to end the night. Plus, I was an English major, so I thinks it’s neat that we can slip some classic literature into our family traditions.

Aside from that, we also do the whole trick-or-treating thang too. Even in the rain, as we did this year. We grabbed a giant umbrella and hit the streets shortly after sundown. My feet were utterly soaked by the time we made it home, but you absolutely can’t steal this tradition from a kid. Even one who’s scared of trick or treating;)

Costume #1: pirate for Boo Fest

Costume #2: Batman for school

What are your favorite family fall traditions?

October 30, 2013

Our Pumpkin Patch Weekend in Pictures

This past weekend, my amazing workplace sponsored a day at a local farm, so we took them up on the offer. We hijacked a couple of our nephews and took our family on a short trip. It was a sunny afternoon, but a bit windy and crisp, so we didn’t linger quite as long on the activities as we usually do, but we sure made some memories:

There were hay rides and pony rides

Chicken and turkey catching

Our star chicken catcher

And the star turkey wrestler

Cluck Cluck

Cow Milkin’

Tractor Ridin’

Tiny lovin’

Baby bunny

Where we spend the most time: with the kittens!

He grabbed one and two more jumped up

Cheer up, kid!

The inside of the jacket is the best spot in the house

Pumpkin pickin’

Trying to find just the right one

I found mine!

Tom-foolery

Wheelbarrow ride to the pumpkin field

The goat climbing stump

And a general concensus that we had fun

October 16, 2013

This Past Week I…

…went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch with Peanut and kept my three little Kindergarten charges safe and in line:) Took a legitimate nap afterward.
…carved pumpkins and roasted pumpkin seeds (I share with no one) with my family. Dremels are the best way to carve pumpkins ever!
…hosted my weekly Bible study in my home, after burning my nostrils with bleach and bathroom cleaner.
…dreamed of all the people we could have over for dinner now because our house is clean! Any takers?
…took Peanut on a Starbucks coffee/hot chocolate date because he was such a big helper with the cleaning. He cleaned the windows and did the dishes without being asked, without even the remote suggestion that he should help! Such a sweet boy.
…enjoyed my very first Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Why have I waited so long? Must.find.recipe to make this at home myself. Perhaps this one…
…had a cookout at a family friend’s house, complete with backyard S’mores.
…had a huge family lunch with family that were visiting from Texas.
…acquired a brand-new roof in just one day. We had some serious issues that literally kept me up at night. *Sigh of relief.
…pushed through weeks 9 and 10 of the LiveFit Trainer.
…completed one entire portion of an e-book I’m hoping to launch in the near future.
…finished up a freelance writing job and a pro bono writing job that I took on.
…soaked up some really amazing content until I started to feel overwhelmed with inspiration!
…acquired some supplies for a brand-new fitness DIY project that I’ll be sharing soon on here. Giddy, giddy!
…received a body fat caliper I ordered in the mail. I’m totally geeking out on this nerdy fitness tool.

How have you been involved in your week?