Miss Diamond

I'm the Mommy, therefore I pick up all of the girls' toys.

Isn't that a pretty little basket of toys?  All neat and clean, just the way I like it.

This is what happens after Diamond comes through.

She likes to chew and lick all over her toys. 

Chomp!  Chomp!  Chomp!

And even though the toys technically belong to Diamond and Marilyn, Dimaond like to stake her claim on all of them and if Marilyn gets one, Diamond tries to take it away from her.

Then she comes in to check me out while I walk on the treadmill.  Sorry it's fuzzy, I was walking.

Then she does some yoga.

Preparing for Happy Baby or Dead Bug pose?  Or maybe she just wants me to rub her tummy.

Then she rests.  And the little space heater I use for my feet makes a good chin rest, don't you think?

She also likes to keep a watchful eye out for Kitty Kitty or any other thing that needs to be barked at and pounced on.

It finally happened

It finally happened.

At almost 29 weeks, I had to take out my belly ring.

WAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

My poor little belly button is all naked now.  Well, it isn't so little anymore, it's become quite stretched over the last few months, which is why I had to take out my belly ring.  It was starting to get irritated from the maternity panel in my pants and I was afraid that if it kept rubbing it would get infected.  And now that it's been out for a few hours, the hole is completely flat!  I've had my belly button pierced for so long that it's just a part of me, something that I don't even think about anymore.  Of course, those kinds of piercings are more common than they were when I had mine done eons ago.  But, my belly looks so strange without it!  I hope that the hole doesn't close up before I can put something back in it.

Have you ever heard the story of the day I got my belly button pierced?  It was quite a day.  My friend, Mignon, and I decided we were going to do it, so we headed down to a little store on The Strip in Stillwater.  As we were filling out our paperwork another woman walked in to get her belly button pierced, too.  She looked to be about 40 and I remember at the time thinking she was too old to get her belly button pierced.  I should tell myself to shut up sometimes.  She was nervous and asked if she could go back to the "piercing room" when we did and we said yes.  I decided that I would go first because I was afraid I'd chicken out if I didn't.  I'd taken my friend, Jenny, to get hers pierced when I lived in California and that dude pierced her with a sterilized nail!  I think we were both traumatized.  Anyhoo, four of us (me, Mignon, the stranger lady and the piercing guy) all squeezed into this tiny closet-like room that was only about 6 feet wide by 10 feet long. I laid down on the hospital-like mattress while Mignon held my hand and the only light was a spotlight above me.  It was hot, I was nervous and having four bodies crammed into the small space was not helping.  He cleaned the area around my belly button with some betadine and then one ..... two ..... three STAB!!!!  There was no pause after he said three, it was just an immediate jab.  I think I screamed and I'm pretty sure that Mignon did, too, and maybe even the other lady.  Then Mignon asked if it hurt and I said, no not really, it just surprised me.  I think I had just psyched myself out in anticipation.  I think I was entitled to a little apprehension considering that the only other belly piercing experience I'd been privy too involved a sterilized nail!  He cleaned me up and Mignon and I traded places.

Remember that I said it was hot in there?  Remember that I said I was nervous?  Remember the betadine and do you know how that crap stinks?  Yeah, well all of that was about to come to a head.  As I stood there holding Mignon's hand and he started cleaning her belly, I remember feeling okay, my heart wasn't beating out of my chest anymore and I felt like I'd calmed down.  Suddenly, the room started to spin and go black and all I got out was, "I don't feel very good."  And, poof!  Down I went.  Thankfully, the piercing guy and the stranger lady caught me and I remember hearing Mignon yell something to the effect of, "OH MY GOD!"  I regained consciousness almost immediately and they helped me out to a chair under an air conditioner vent so I could cool off.  I was sweating like a race horse!  Poor Mignon.  Now, she was going to have to go through the experience on her own after watching her friend pass out.  I'm laughing out loud at the thought.  Sorry, Mignon.  I tried to be a good friend!  While I sat out front, I vaguely remember hearing her yell or scream and I think the guy may have had to pierce her twice.  Ouch!

Even though I was 20 years old, living on my own and paying my own bills, I still hid my belly ring from my Mom for a couple of years.  She had known that I wanted one and said that she could handle my tattoo (I only had one at the time), but the thought of me having a belly ring made her feel sick.  And when she did finally see it, she covered her eyes!  And if she saw me touch it, she needed a wet wash cloth to keep her from puking.

That was more than 15 years ago!  My belly ring is like one of my tattoos (I now have 4), it's just a part of who I am and I feel completely naked without it.  Even though no one else can even tell that I don't have it in, I kind of feel like the emperor in "The Emperor's New Clothes".  So, please, don't point out my nakedness if you see me.

Trip to the mall

Last week I took a little trip to the mall in Tulsa.  Here's my woe ..... they're called tatas and they're huge.  If this subject offends you, feel free to stop reading now.

We all know I'm pregnant and with that I have filled out extensively ..... all over and especially in the bust region.  I've always been a Victoria's Secret bra and panty girl, but I know that the largeness I'm experiencing is temporary, so I really couldn't justify spending a large amount of money on bras that I'm only going to wear for a short period of time.  So, being a cheapskate, I went to a department store and tried on some bras.  All of which made me feel squished and pushed my girls into my armpits.  YUCK!  How's that for a visual?  But, I was desperate to buy something that I didn't spill out of, so I bought one bra and hoped that it would suffice until I found something better.

Let me explain why it is that I like VS bras - because the wires don't poke me or dig in.  It's that simple, oh and they make your girls look awesome.  I'm vain, I want them to look good and I want the bra to be comfy, so VS is my store of choice.  Sue me.  I bought two new bras online in November, carefully taking my measurements and ordering according to their size chart.  Guess what?  The bras weren't big enough.  *SIGH*  I've been toughing it out ever since until last week when I just couldn't take it anymore.

I was super excited when I walked into the store, only to have my bubble deflated when I discovered that my favorite bra does not come in super-gynormous-pregnant-boobie size.  The young girl who was helping me was very nice and quite attentive, running back and forth to get different bras for me to try on.  After the first one she asked if I liked it and if it fit, and all I could say was, "Um......"  She looked and also said, "Um....."  Even though I was in the right size for my measurements, we went up in band and cup size and I tried on 8 or 10 bras before I declared, "We have a winner!"  She told me that several pregnant women and post-pregnant women had been in the store over the last week, all having the same problem (not being able to find a bra), but that I was the largest breasted one she'd seen so far.  That is not encouraging.

After spending my paycheck at VS, I asked where the nearest restroom was.  Much to my chagrin, she said that the main ones in that section of the mall were closed and I'd have to go down to the food court or to one of the department stores.  I waddled down to the food court, except I couldn't find a bathroom - ANYWHERE.  I continued walking to see if there were some open bathrooms in the other end of the mall and finally stopped and asked a young man at a kiosk and he pointed me in the direction of Macy's for the nearest potty stop.  At this point, I hadn't been to the bathroom in about 2 hours, which in pregnancy speak is like 2 days.  I NEEDED TO GO!  When I walked into Macy's I asked where the restroom was and the nice lady pointed me to the back of the store.  I felt the wind slip out of my sails.  I didn't know how much further I could make it.  Then she began ohhing and ahhing over my belly and asked how far along I was and if I was having a boy or a girl and how awful it was that the bathroom was in the back of the store.  I was polite and didn't interrupt her, but the dam holding back my bladder was about to let loose.  Plus, I was out of breath after having walked the entire length of the mall in search of the restroom.  Finally, I was able to get away and waddle to the back of the store - where there was no sign for the restroom.  So, I had to ask another associate, except when I asked my words came out in huffs as I concentrated on not peeing my pants.  She was nice enough to ask if I was okay and I said yes, that I just needed the bathroom and a teenage girl texting on her phone laughed.  Finally, I made it to the restroom!  Amen!  Now I had to waddle all the way back down to the other end of the mall to go to Motherhood.  Needless to say, I got in my walking exercise that day.

The Motherhood store is my new best friend and I think if I could get away with it, I might live in maternity clothes for forever.  They're actually quite flattering and comfortable and cute.  Plus, I love this thing in the dressing room:

If you haven't figured out what it is, it's to simulate a baby bump so you can buy clothes that you will grow into.  I got a few new shirts and some pants and then rewarded myself with a chocolate white chocolate chip doozie cookie (chocolate cookies, white chocolate chips, icing in the middle to make a super chocolate sandwich = YUMMERIFIC!).  And just to be on the safe side, I bought an extra one for later.  You never know when the craving will hit and you can't get those doozie cookies just anywhere.  :)

Exercising at 28 weeks

It's official, I entered my third trimester last week!  And finally, even though I'm still having a lot of sinus trouble, I'm feeling well enough to workout!  Hallelujah! 

This photo is deceiving.  I won't tell you how much I weigh.  It's A LOT.

Here's a typical workout routine for me - and this can be adapted to any fitness level, pregnant or not.  I like to alternate between cardio and strength intervals because it keeps me from getting bored.  For the walking intervals, I walk at 3 mph at a 1 or 2 percent incline for 5 minutes - which will give you 1.5 miles for this routine.  And I'm not going to lie, sometimes I have to put my hands on the rails to help keep my heart rate below 140 (because I'm pregnant).  Pre-prego, I would run at 6.2 mph ..... um ..... that ain't happening now, folks.  I use 8-10 pound weights for the strength moves as opposed to the 12's and 15's I used before and I do three sets of 8-10 reps (for a total of 24-30 reps).  If you need to, take a SHORT reprieve between sets, and by short I mean just a few seconds.  And the strength intervals shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes; they typically take me about 3.  It's important to remember that because I'm pregnant I'm supposed to keep my heart rate in a certain range, which is VERY different than the range I had before I was pregnant.  So, if you're not pregnant, push yourself a little bit.  If I can do this during my third trimester of pregnancy, you can do it, too!  :)

Walk
Overhead Press
RT Stationary Lunge
LT Stationary Lunge
Walk
Squats
Tricep Extensions
Calf Raises
Walk
Bicep Curl
Plie' Squats
Plie' Inner Thigh Squeezes
Walk
Dead Lifts
Bent Over Row - arms narrow
Walk
Bent Over Row - arms wide
Push-ups
Walk
Chest Press
Chest Flye
Glute Squeezes
Stretch

I can complete this routine in 50-55 minutes and doing the modifications for pregnancy, I still burn about 400 calories.  I did this same routine pre-prego, pushing myself and using heavier weights and moving immediately from one move into the next, and I burned 600 calories in the same time frame.  You can change the walk to a jog or run and increase the incline to adapt to your fitness level.  You can use heavier weights or add pulses to each strength move, as well.  For the push-ups, you can do them against the wall, on your knees, with your legs extended and on your toes, on the ball or BOSU or if you're really a stud muffin, try doing them on one leg.  You can do some of your strength moves on the BOSU to give you the added challenge of balancing.  If you're just starting your fitness routine you can slow the walking pace down and use 3-5 pound weights and as your fitness level improves you can increase your speed and weights.  Because I'm pregnant, I do not lay flat when I do the chest press and flye, I lay at an incline on my BOSU.  Monitor your heart rate, listen to your body and drink plenty of water throughout the routine.  If you're not familiar with the names of the moves listed, let me know and I'll do my best to explain!  :)

How a 45 minute commute turns into 90

On any normal day, it's a 45 minute commute through the countryside from my house to work.  Some days, it's a lot longer.

Now that I've entered into my third trimester, the sleepiness is beginning to rear its ugly head, again.  I was heading home from work and I was having MAJOR trouble staying awake.  I drove until I could get on the turnpike and pulled over at the overpass next to the ODOT building.  I always feel safer pulling over there.  That's the only stretch of road on my commute that actually has a shoulder to pull off on.  Plus, it's close to D's office and I know that if something happens to me, at some point, a trooper will be coming by there.  After I pulled over, I set the timer on my phone to go off in 15 minutes ..... or so I thought.  Twenty minutes later I woke up because my right arm was going to sleep and the phone was still in my left hand and I'd never hit "start" on the timer.  Oops.  And my contacts and eyelashes were sticky.  I hate that, but it's better than falling asleep at the wheel, so I dealt with it.  I lifted my seat back into an upright position and away I went.

About 5 miles later, a trooper was coming up behind me, running hot.  I pulled to the shoulder and let him by and thought, "I wonder where he's going?"  Figuring there was a crash ahead, I stayed in the outside lane and continued on down the road, still driving 65 mph even though the speed limit on the turnpiek is 75.  I like to conserve my gas, so I always drive 65.  Anyhoo, half a mile later, we rounded the curve and there was A TON of black smoke billowing into the air and I thought, "That's probably where he's going."  I'm smart like that.  See smoke and a trooper running hot?  Hmmm, there must be something going on.

Sure enough, after the next curve, even though I was stopped about 1/4 mile away, I could see that there was a car on fire.  My first thought, not knowing what had happened, was that I hoped everyone was okay and perhaps my impromptu nap was a blessing in disguise.  If this were an accident, it could have been me involved if I hadn't been stopped on the side of the road catching a little snooze.  And I said a little prayer for the people in the car and a thank-you that I was safe.

Sorry for the bug guts on my windshield.  It's spring, guts happen.

See that white car on the shoulder up ahead?  He was just a looky-loo who's only concern was that he was almost out of gas.  I had been stopped for a couple of minutes and traffic was starting to back up when I saw him coming up behind me on the shoulder.  I honked and gave him the what-the-hey look and he stopped and I shook my head in disgust.  What makes people think that what they're doing and where they're going is more important than anyone else?  I swear, people can be so selfish and impatient.  He stopped beside me and 63 seconds later he started honking his horn at me, so I rolled down my window.  "Can you see any better from up there?  Can you see what's going on?"  (I drive an SUV, he was in a smaller car).  "Well, it looks and smells like a car fire, so I assume that's what's going on."  I wanted to quote Bill Engvall and say, "Here's your sign."

"I'm almost out of gas," he said, as if that excuses his poor decision to drive down the shoulder in an effort to get closer to the crash and see if he could go around.  Dude, do you see all of the cars stopped?  Do you see the two troopers with the road blocked because the smoke is covering the roadway and it's not safe for anyone to pass, yet?  Shouldn't those two things be a clue that we're not going anywhere anytime soon?

"Then I guess you'd better turn off your engine," I said.  I would think this kind of thing would be a no-brainer, but apparently it's a much harder concept to grasp than I thought.  He sat there for a few minutes then pulled forward and joined in with some other looky-loos who were changing lanes and parking in the middle of the lanes and on the shoulder to get a better look at what was going on ahead.  With several of the motorists in front of and behind me parked on the shoulder and knowing that the fire department wasn't on scene yet, I figured there might be a problem arise when the fire truck responded from behind us.  And, sure enough, this old gal was correct.  Here came the fire truck, blaring its horn and suddenly there was a lot of "Uh-oh! What am I to do now?" going on as the people on the shoulder scrambled to get their cars out of the way.  So, here's your free lesson for the day:  When stopped in traffic due to an accident or other emergency and when the lanes of traffic are blocked by stopped traffic, don't pull your car onto the shoulder and park there - the EMERGENCY VEHICLES NEED A LANE OF TRAFFIC, too.  How would you feel if you were the one in need of the emergency responders and they couldn't get to you because there were too many looky-loos blocking their way?

A little bit later a man came jogging up the shoulder ..... another looky-loo.  SMH.  He started walking just after he passed by me and, honestly, I had to laugh.  He had on a leather style waist coat with the collar turned up and pointed toed shoes.  The outfit made me think of Throwback Thursday; it did not look like modern attire.  The way he strutted with that getup on made me laugh out loud!  Like he was the cock of the walk or something, like a little banty rooster strutting around the yard!  I'm telling you, it was like John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever"!  Hahahahaha!  I'm still giggling about it.  He walked about 50 yards ahead of me and turned around.  Then I saw a white pickup coming up behind me on the shoulder.  People, please, please, please, stop this.  It is dangerous.  Mr. Looky-loo walker got into Mr. Looky-loo pickup and then they sped ahead, trying to get a better spot in line - which, on a personal note, I find to be very rude.  We've all been waiting just as long or even longer, wait your turn.  SMH.

Just a couple of minutes later, the roadway was opened and we were all on our way.  As you can see, the car was completely burned up, but thankfully, no one was injured.  It wasn't actually an accident and he didn't hit anything, his vehicle just caught fire.  I don't know why.  I don't know why she swallowed a fly, I guess she'll die.  Oops, sorry, I always sing that song in my head when someone says, "I don't know why."  I'm cool like that.  Jealous?  I think I may have ADHD.

I made it home 90 minutes after I left work, but at least I made it home!

Safe travels, peeps!

It's that time of year

It's that time of year again ..... time to burn off the pastures!

On Saturday, I knew that one of the rural fire departments was going to be doing a controlled burn across the road from our house.  We burned around our house 4 days before that, so the risk of our grass catching on fire again was very small (the only grass we didn't burn was the short stuff around the house), but an ember could land on the roof and catch the house on fire.  It's always important to be fire aware!

I was about a mile away from the fire when I took this picture.

This is in front of our house, we burned a few days before, but you can see the flames and smoke from across the road.  I want you to remember this tree.

If you look closely, you can see a fireman wearing a yellow vest on the right side of the picture.  He was setting fire to the grass beside the road.  The wind was from the northeast, so they set the fire on the south side of the property and let it burn backward; this keeps the fire burning slowly and it's less likely to get out of control as it burns against the wind.

These are two large brush piles all aflame.  The land had an overgrowth of trees a few years ago and it was cleared with a bulldozer and the piles have been sitting there for a year or two.  That meant that the piles were nice and dry and they had a pretty good flame going.

The smoke is starting to pick up.

The fire truck is sitting at the corner, watching and waiting, making sure the flames don't jump the road or get out of control.

Remember that tree that I said I wanted you to remember?  Same tree.

It got VERY smoky!

The piles of dead trees burned well into the night and the fire department stayed on scene making sure the fire didn't spread.  In a few weeks, our grass, as well as the grass across the road will be a beautiful green color as regrowth starts.  We haven't had a very harsh winter and burning cuts down on ticks and other creepy crawlies that didn't die off over the winter and it gets rid of any disease and weeds, as well.  Plus, it kills those pesky cedar saplings.  Damn invasive trees.  It also forces all of the ground critters to scatter, which means that the coyotes will probably be out in full force.  And that means my Honey can do a little more hunting.  :)



Maxtens 1000

Did you see my post about Posterior Pelvic Pain?  Well, I have found relief!

While I was at the chiropractor's office last week, as she was unhooking the paddles from me, I told one of the girls that I needed one of those electronic muscle stimulation machines at home so I could hook it up to my backside and buzz myself as often as I wanted.

"We sell them," she said.  "It's a small mobile machine, but it does the same thing this one does."

What?!  I think I may have gasped and lost my air and I'm pretty sure my mouth gaped open.  At that point I don't think that I even cared what the machine would cost.  I wanted one and I wanted it RIGHT THEN!  I cringed a little as I asked, "How expensive are they?"  Thinking she was going to say something around $500 or more.

"About $100, I think."

What?!  I am going home with one of those machines TODAY!  And after my doctor approved it, I did just that.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

I may have found Heaven.  At least, Heaven for my butt, anyway.

Say hello to the Maxtens 1000!

Here it is, all bundled up in it's own cute, little carrying case.

Here are the extra paddles I bought to go with it.

Here's the controller.

If you read my post about PPP last week, then you know that I have been having some serious pain in my right buttock.  I'll try to refrain from saying butt cheek.  This puppy has made me feel SO MUCH BETTER!  I cannot rave about it enough.  If I could use two or three of them with about 12 paddles and hook them up to both sides of my buttocks and my back all at the same time, I would.  This has been the best money I've spent on a pain relief product - EVER.  Last week, I couldn't get out of a chair without searing pain in my backside.  Now, it's almost completely gone.  I love this little machine.  I can wear it at work, in the car, in bed, or wherever.

I think it's time for my daily butt buzz right now.  I'll be vegging out if anyone needs me.

Waddle, waddle, waddle, yeah!

Have you seen this video?

I saw it on facebook a few months ago and D and I cracked up!  Now, he quotes lines of the song to me daily.  His favorites are:

Waddle, waddle, waddle, yeah!

Look at my belly!

I'm pregnant and I know it!

My favorite part is at the end when she says she doesn't want anyone to ever see the video.  Haha! 

Why do pregnant women waddle?  Well, let's see, why don't you strap a 25 pound medicine ball to your stomach, drill some screws into your low back, butt and hips, drink a lot of salt water so you bloat up and strap a blanket to the inside of each thigh to simulate your thighs rubbing?  Now, put on a pair of gigantic elastic waist pants and start walking.  Can you keep those things pulled up?  Do they bag in the crotch?  Are you comfortable?  Are you breathing a little harder?  Do you find your feet turning out and your stride becoming wider and you catch yourself leaning back just a little?  Welcome to the pregnant waddle.  I try very hard to not waddle, but I'm pretty sure it's a futile fight.  And with three months to go, it's only going to get worse.

So, if you see me out and about and you want to give out a "Waddle, waddle, waddle, yeah!" to me, go ahead.  You and D can sing along together.

Hello, heartburn

Hello, heartburn
Sorry to see you
It's been a long time
In fact, it's never,
that we've ever met before

How'm I feeling?
Well, not so great
You creep up
Late in the day
And leave a bad taste
In my mouth all night long

What's that heartburn?
You want to stay?
Well, I'm afraid
I'll have to say
No, thank you
Now please be on your way

Goodbye, heartburn
I've found relief
With some tums
And tagamet
I bought at Walgreens
Generics work just fine

What I'm trying to say
Is I hate you
And I loathe you
Goodbye, heartburn
I'm getting rid of you

Okay, pretend you're Conway Twitty and give that a little "Hello, Darlin" tune.

I have never, ever, ever, ever in my life had heartburn or acid reflux.  But, about a month ago something started happening.  I first noticed it in the afternoons and it kind of felt like I had something gross stuck in the back of my throat, almost like a little bit of food was coming up.  You can thank me for the visual later.  Having never experienced heartburn before, at first I refused to acknowledge that that's what was going on.  Then, I refused to buy any kind of antacid, determined that I would beat it down with my strong will.

I gave up last week.

These are my new friends.

D told me that the Tums would taste like chalk and recommended a pill.  However, I wasn't sure how quickly the pill would send relief, so I bought the Tums, anyway.  Assorted fruit flavors, I figured it can't be that bad and with that nasty bile taste in the back of my throat, I didn't really care if they tasted like chalk or not as long as they worked.  And they did.  Winning!

I had Cheerios for breakfast and I think it's time for a Tums.  So, please excuse me.  I'll return later.

All made up - or not

Okay, I'm going to preface this post with this, I am not writing this to sound vain - I'm a lot more self-critical than you think - just writing this to answer a question I'm asked all the time

Over the last couple of years I've received a lot of compliments on my skin and makeup.  Last week, two women at the chiropractor's office were asking me about my makeup and loved my lipstick so much and said it looked so natural that they thought I'd had my lips tattooed!  Yes, I have four tattoos, but not on my lips.  So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret ..... I don't wear foundation.

A couple of years ago while we were on vacation, I saw a picture of myself and my face looked too opaque.  I wore the sheerest foundation I could find and I realized that it just didn't look right.  I have tried all kinds of foundation since I was a teenager, from the cheapest Walmart brand to high end department store brands and I've never found one that I was truly happy with.  I have red hair, very fair skin and freckles, so sometimes finding the right makeup combination is difficult to do.  Plus, when all of your facial freckles are covered with foundation and the rest of your body is rockin' out with freckles, it just doesn't look natural or normal.  I decided to nix the foundation and see how I looked with just some concealer (under my eyes, on my chin and a tiny dab on each side of my nose) and translucent powder - anything darker than translucent is too dark for me.  At first, I wasn't sure that I liked it, but D assured me that it looked good and he liked it.  And let's face it, him liking my makeup is far more important to me than if everyone else likes it.

Since then, I've come to love not wearing foundation.  My skin feels like it breathes better and in the heat of summer I don't have to worry about getting the runs on my face when I sweat.  And during the winter or during allergy season, I don't have to worry about my foundation being wiped off when I blow my nose.  I also switched to Cetaphil to cleanse my face after I learned that Hollywood stars like Cameron Diaz use it and swear by it.  I've had far fewer breakouts and my skin looks healthier.  After I stopped taking birth control pills, my skin was in utter chaos and the Cetaphil is the only cleanser that I found that cleared it up.  Like foundation, I've tried umpteen different kinds of cleansers and moisturizers and the Cetaphil works the best for me (I use Olay moisturizer).  Last year I bought an electronic face scrubber at Ulta (it cost me $20, other varieties available from Olay and Clarisonic) and that has also helped make my skin smoother.  They key to using the scrubber is to not to push or force it on your face; just let it sit on your skin and then move it around while it does it's thing.  This will keep your skin from getting irritated by the brush and allow the device to work properly.

I realize that some people can't go without foundation because they need something to even out their skin tone or cover scars, etc.  But, for me, it works and I love it.  My skin looks more natural and less made-up.

Also, if you're wondering about my lipstick, I use a lip pencil from Ulta in a color called Bon Voyage and I use a lipliner from Revlon in color #200 Sublime. Both are neutral and I think they would work on many different skin tones.  I'd include a pic of my lips, but that would just be creepy.

Flat butt

This pregnancy is making my butt go flat.

Seriously.

I have always had a very round, shelf-like badonkadonk and now the topside is flattening out.  Either that or there's a new fat deposit on the topside that makes it look flat.  I'm not sure which.  I assume this is a combination of weight gain from the pregnancy and a lack of exercises like squats and lunges and other butt boosters.

Every time I get into a fitness routine again something happens and I get sidetracked and the next thing I know a month has gone by and I haven't exercised at all.  I've had several severe sinus infections over the last few months that were so debilitating that I couldn't do anything except lay in the recliner and suffer.  I was healthy for 2 weeks, was walking every day and using my free weights and then I got sick again.  And between being sick and going to my PCP, OB, chiropractor, birth classes and just normal every day activities, I've been too worn out to exercise.  I declare a mulligan!  I want a do-over!  I'm tired of inactivity!  I'm hoping this current sinus infection hits the road soon and I can stop coughing, stop hacking up my lung every 10 minutes, stop blowing my nose all of the time and get into a routine of healthy activity!

And I'd really like to be able to sing without sounding like a pack-a-day smoker.

And I'd really like to be able to breathe without sounding like a poor, dying beached whale sucking air through it's blow hole.  It's not the extra weight that's making me wheeze, it's the snot.  Sorry.

On another note, my lips seem to be fatter than pre-prego.  Not sure what's up with that.  I think I'm going to have to start farming out certain duties of personal hygiene, like shaving my legs.  I think I'd just rather pay someone to shave them than to have to bend over in the shower and try to do it myself.  And if my butt outgrows Victoria's Secret panties, I'm going to cry.  A lot.

One more on body pillows

So, this week I bit the bullet and ordered the mack daddy pillow I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

As you can see from the picture, it is HUGE and quite a bit larger than the Preggle Pillow.

I ordered the Leachco Back 'N' Belly Pillow from diapers.com for about $73 on Sunday and it was delivered on Tuesday.  I love fast shipping - and it was free! 

If you have a queen sized bed, I don't know that I would recommend the mack daddy pillow because it is so big and space might be an issue.  However, we have a king sized bed, so no issue other than D can't reach out and touch me in the middle of the night because the pillow is in the way.  :)

For me, this mack daddy pillow works much better than the small one.  I'm tall and I'm not petite, so the larger size gives me more support and it's more comfortable for my legs.  Having support in front of and behind me does make a huge improvement in my comfort.  It seems to have more usable positions, too.  It's also easier to switch from laying on my left side to my right side - and I use the term "easier" lightly because, as any pregnant woman will tell you, rolling over is NOT easy, especially if you have a badonkadonk for a butt and you have to lift and roll.

As you can see, Marilyn likes the new pillow, too.

* This is not an endorsement, just a random review of what products work for me.

Posterior Pelvic Pain

For the last month or two I have been suffering from excrutiating pain in my right buttock and outer hip.  And when I say it's excrutiating, I mean it almost makes me cry.  You could drive a screwdriver into my right butt cheek and I probably wouldn't feel it.  It hurts when I sit, stand, kneel, walk, lay on my side, etc - I cannot find any position to be in that alleviates the pain.  At night, I lay on my left side because it's better for circulation and I thought it would take the pressure off of my right side.  But, c'est la vie, it doesn't.  I can get short term relief from the muscle stimulation at my chiropractor's office, but it just doesn't last long enough.  I want weeks or months of relief!  When they place the paddles on me and crank up the intensity, they're usually surprised at how high I ask them to take it.  I want to feel like my butt is still vibrating when the session is over!  That's the only way I can get some relief.  I get my butt buzzed about twice a week.  :)

Each week I get an email from babycenter.com with information about my baby's development and in this week's email it mentioned Posterior Pelvic Pain as something that I may be experiencing.  It hit the nail on the head!  Until now, I had no name or explanation for what was happening in my butt and hip, all I knew was that it hurt and hurt like a mutha.  I googled it further (because I google everything) and I found a very informative article (see below).

Apparently, this is quite common in pregnant women, more common than lumbar pain.  I know lots of women who have complained about back and hip pain while they were pregnant, but apparently they weren't told about PPP, either.  So, I'm going to do my duty and let you all in on PPP.

Here's the article about posterior pelvic pain from coreconcepts.com:

Posterior Pelvic Pain (Sacroiliac Joint Pain) in Pregnant Women

Posterior pelvic pain (PPP) is pain felt at or near the sacroiliac joints of your pelvis as a result of sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

These are joints located at the 2 dimples of the lower back. The pain often feels deep within your lower back and can occur on one or both sides of your back. In some cases, pain radiates down to the buttock and the back of the thigh.

While pain may begin at any time during pregnancy, PPP on average begins in the 18th week of pregnancy and becomes more intense as the pregnancy progresses. The pain usually spontaneously resolves within 3 months post delivery. But in some cases it can become chronic and disabling.

What are the Sacroiliac joints?

The sacroiliac joints (SIJ) are formed between the sacrum, a triangular-shaped bone in the lower portion of the spine, and the right and left ilium of the pelvis. The SIJ is a strong and stable weight-bearing joint that permits very little movement due to its natural structure. The main role of the SIJ is to allow forces to be transmitted effectively through the body, absorbing impact from the legs to the spine during activities such as walking, running and jumping.

The SIJ is kept stable through two mechanisms:

1. Firstly, the rough, groove-like connecting surfaces of the sacrum and ilium interlock and help stabilise the joint, like two pieces of Lego together.
2. Secondly, the SIJ is further strengthened by a complex mesh of ligaments and muscles such as the core stabilizers. These core muscles, such as the transversus abdominis and multifidus which surround the SIJ, act as active stabilizers by actively contracting to create a compressive force over the SIJ, gripping the joint firmly together. They act as a natural corset by providing that compression around the lower back and pelvic region -much like wrapping your fingers around the two Lego pieces, keeping them firm and tight.

Posterior pelvic pain arises from sacroiliac joint dysfunction, in other words, when the stability of SIJ is compromised.

Why does it happen?

During pregnancy, mechanisms stabilising the SIJ is affected. This instability allows for increased motion, stressing the SIJ.

1. Hormones released during pregnancy relax the ligaments of the body to allow the pelvis to enlarge, in preparation for childbirth
2. Due to the growing uterus, some of the core muscles around the pelvis get ‘stretched’ and weakened.

Moreover, the additional weight and altered walking pattern associated with pregnancy can cause significant mechanical strain on the sacroiliac joints, which may result in SIJ inflammation, giving a deep ache in the posterior pelvis.

What are the symptoms?

Of all the back pains experienced during pregnancy, posterior pelvic pain is the most common – you are four times more likely to experience PPP than lumbar pain.
You may have posterior pelvic pain / sacroiliac joint dysfunction if you have:

• Deep, boring pain in the back of the pelvis (around the sacroiliac joints)
• Pain may occasionally radiate to the groin and thighs.
• The pain is typically worse with standing, walking, climbing stairs, resting on one leg, getting in and out of a low chair, rolling over and twisting in bed, and lifting. The pain improved when lying down.
• If there is inflammation and arthritis in the SI joint, you may experience stiffness and a burning sensation in the pelvis.

Diagnosing Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction in pregnancy

Your doctor and/or physiotherapist will conduct a thorough history and physical examination to determine the underlying disorders for your pain. That includes your description of symptoms, a series of tests designed to look at the stability, movement, and pain in the sacroiliac joints and surrounding structures. Imaging, such as computed tomography (CT) scan and X-ray may also help in the diagnosis. Another reliable diagnostic method involves injecting an anesthetic agent into the SI joint, guided by an X-ray machine, numbing the irritated area, thereby identifying the pain source. However, due to the concerns of fetal exposure to radiation, diagnostic procedures involving radiation is generally avoided.

Treatment and Management

The first-line treatment of pregnancy-related sacroiliac joint dysfunction is physiotherapy and exercises that focuses on core stability of the trunk and pelvic girdle. Sometimes, a sacro-iliac belt is prescribed to complement the core stability exercises and to give quick pain relief. Exercises will form a large part of the treatment and in some cases, mobilisation (a gentler form of manipulation) of your hip, back or pelvis may be used to correct any underlying movement dysfunction. Other manual techniques include muscle energy technique (MET) and myofascial release. It is vital to engage a physiotherapist who is skilled in treating pregnancy-related pain as she is aware of the studies that support the use of specific stabilizing exercises and other treatment techniques, thereby preventing the dysfunction from escalating into a chronic condition.

Other alternative treatments include anesthetic and steroidal injections into the SIJ that can help in pain relief, which lasts from one day or much more long-term. Oral anti-inflammatory medications are often effective in pain relief as well. However, these two treatments may be contra-indicated during pregnancy.

Posterior Pelvic Pain Home Advice

Here are some tips for expectant women with posterior pelvic pain..
Lying down

• Avoid lying on your back for long periods of time, particularly after the 19th week of your pregnancy.
• Try lying on your side (preferably your left) with a pillow placed between your knees and another under your tummy.
• If your waist sags down into the bed, try placing a small rolled up towel under your waist.

Turning over in bed

• To turn to your right while lying on your back, arch your lower back, tighten your pelvic floor muscles and lower abdominal muscles and bend both knees one by one.
• Turn your head to the right and take your left arm over to the right of your body. Hold onto the side of your bed if you can.
• To turn, pull with your left hand and take both knees over to the right so that you roll to the right. As soon as possible, bend your knees up as high as they will go – this helps to lock out your pelvis and lessen pain.
• Reverse this to turn to the left.

Getting out of bed

• Roll onto your side with your knees bent up, move your feet over the edge of the bed and push yourself up sideways with your arms.
• Reverse the process when you lie down.

Standing from a sitting position.

• Sit on the edge of the chair.
• Keeping your knees apart slightly and lean forwards till your head is directly over your knees, keeping your back straight.
• Stand up by pushing up with your arms, with your back straight and tummy tucked in. This helps to hold your pelvic joints in their most stable position and may reduce your pain significantly.

Reference:

1. Fitzgerald CM and Le J. Back pain in pregnancy requires practitioner creativity. Biomechanics. 2007 November 
2. Ostgaard HC, Andersson GB, Karlsson K. Prevalence of back pain in pregnancy. Spine. 1991; 16:549-552.
3. Ostgaard HC, Zetherstrom G, Roos-Hansson E, Svanberg B. Reduction of back and posterior pelvic pain in pregnancy. Spine. 1994; 19:894-900.
4. http://www.sidysfunction.com/articles/lumbarbackandposteriorpelvicpain.html  

My Honey got a new chainsaw

My Honey got a new chainsaw for his birthday.

He got right to work taking out a tree in the fence line.

Tiiiiiiiiiimber!

Gotta trim up the stump.

And don't forget to cut it into smaller pieces.

Big boys and their toys!

Buying nursery furniture

Of all the nursery items we have to buy, the crib and dresser were really what I have obsessed about.  We're pretty laid back about everything that's going on and pretty much have a just-go-with-the-flow kind of attitude.  But, I confess, the thought of buying furniture made me feel a little stressed.  I hated to buy something that I couldn't put my hands on, something that I just had to rely on the reviews of others.  Because, let's face it, some people do not know how to write an effective and informative product review.  Saying things like, "It's beautiful, so happy I bought it!" tells me nothing about the quality of the product.  Is it sturdy?  Does the finish scratch easily?  Was it difficult to assemble?  What is the quality of the construction?  If you had to deal with the manufacturer's customer service, were they helpful, rude, ambivalent?  We looked at furniture at one of the gynormous baby super chain stores and we found that we were not happy with the quality - the drawer bottoms were as thin as paper!  How in the heck is that supposed to hold anything of weight and last for years?!  I'm a tightwad and I'm not going to waste my money on a piece of crap that's going to fall apart in a year or two.  So, I have researched and researched and window shopped and online shopped and we finally decided to spend the money on good quality furniture.  My friend, Robbie Lee, who owns a furniture store, and her husband recommended this line from Young America - which they have for their nursery.  It's made in the US and it's not made from glued together particle board - two pluses in my book!  The company offers a mix and match style, numerous finish colors and the bed converts as the child grows.  We ordered the crib, conversion kit and dresser this week and it will be delivered around the last of April or first part of May, which works out perfectly because that's about the time Jakob will be going home and we will be able to start converting his room into the nursery.  I can't wait to get these pieces in place and decorate!  :)

3D/4D Ultrasound

We had our 3D/4D ultrasound this week and I have to say, it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen!  Our little man was moving and stretching and laughing and smiling and pooching out his lips and it was awesome and strange and wonderful.  It's so bizarre to think that this little peanut is inside my body, growing and developing every day.  If I didn't look like I'd swallowed a watermelon, I wouldn't believe it.

He has his Daddy's cute little cleft chin.

He had his eyes open and we could see him blinking and he kept bringing his hands up to his face like he was trying to suck his thumb, but he had trouble finding his mouth, so it just looked like he was clapping his hands.

At one point, he was smiling real big and the ultrasound tech commented that he must have thought something was really funny.  I said he was probably in there farting and then he smiled even bigger and it looked like he laughed.  See?  Everyone thinks farts are funny.  I started talking about farts and he started laughing.  There's just no way around it, folks, farts are funny.  So, stop being so stuffy and give a little giggle!

Old farts in class

D and I went to our first labor and delivery class this week and I think my Mom was more excited than we were. We only have 14 weeks to go until our due date, so the countdown is on! We're excited, but we're still in the go-with-the-flow mindset and we're not too amped up about things. We have some items on our to-do list to take care of, but we haven't lost our minds, yet.  Five things from class:

1. I think we were the oldest couple in the class. Everyone looked SO young! One couple looked like they were 15, but since the dude had on a "Seniors 2006" t-shirt, I assume they just look younger than they are. But, I would guess that everyone else in the class was in their 20's, maybe one or two around 30. Us old farts rocked that class! However, I'm glad I waited until I was in my thirties to start a family. I'm much more laid back and mature than I used to be and better established financially than I was in my 20's. I think I'll be a much better parent at 36 than I ever would have been at 26.

2. I do not want to hear anyone tell me that my belly looks small for being 6 1/2 months along. There were women in the class who are due in April and I was as big as they are. Those women are small. Me, not so much.

3. D and I have the same ideas about birth. We were asked to finish this sentence, "Childbirth is _____." I filled in the blank with "gross" and he said "messy". At least we're on the same page. He's had experience with a human birth before, I have not, but I have seen animals give birth and I watched the birth video on babycenter.com and I concur, messy and gross it sure is.

4. There must be something in the water in this county because all but two couples in the class are having boys and there were probably 20 couples.  One couple was being surprised, so they could be boy-bound, as well. During the meet and greet, every couple introduced themselves and I was shocked at how many of us are having boys. If you're looking to get pregnant and you want a girl, don't drink the water around here!

5. Our boy moved around and ninja kicked and karate chopped the entire time we were in class. He must have known that we were talking about his coming entrance into this world and it excited him. Either that or he's comfy where he's at and doesn't want to come out and was expressing his displeasure with the impending introductions. However, his movements were a welcome change to me. I have been sick - AGAIN - for the last week and over the weekend he didn't move much, which is always concerning to me. So, to have him bouncing around again makes me feel better.

After class we went home and I enjoyed a cupful of this:

It was awesome!  It tasted just like red velvet cake - my fave, by the way.  I think I will have some more tonight. Maybe two cupfuls. Or three. Or maybe I'll just have it for dinner instead of dessert.