Things pregnant ladies should know

Last time I was pregnant, I found these wonderful tips online. I thought I would share them with my first time mom friends, just in case they need a little help. Being pregnant can be so overwhelming and confusing at times. It's good to do this...no that's bad...eh it's ok in moderation...no it's not...don't even think about it...my best friend's mom's cousin did it and she was fine. These should clear up any confusion over questions you may have.

I accidentally did this in hip hop class the other day. I just need to be more careful!

I don't see anything wrong with this...

Good thing I found this one before this Memorial day weekend! I was not aware!

PS...I am already 27 weeks 5 days pregnant! I feel like I keep updating this blog but I really am not doing great at keeping up! It's going by way too fast! I can't even think about the fact that my due date is only 12 weeks away or I may have a panic attack but I am managing to stay calm so far. This pregnancy is a breeze! Ask me again in a couple weeks how I feel about that statement though...

Week 23 - The roommate

                  Not sure why I keep having these pictures taken right after dinner. I may have been    slightly pushing out the belly with my lunge move there.


It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now! My body has been taken over. Bodysharing, what a strange concept. Of course anyone who's alive knows that a pregnant lady shares her body with another person but you totally forget or have no idea what it's like when you're not pregnant. It all started coming back to me this week as my bladder became a punching bag! Oh is my bladder in your way? I'm sorry, I will just run to the bathroom every 12 minutes to empty it and make more room for you! Just imagine, you have a roommate. The kind who steals your stuff, crowds your space, eats your food, and is mildly physically aggressive at times. Then imagine that roommate is inside of you. Ah! Scary thought! It came very apparent to me today when I laid down for a nap and at that exact moment, baby boy deciding it was punching bladder Zumba time or whatever was going on in there. I actually had to lay there and giggle for a little bit because it reminded me that of course this wonderful thing is growing inside but also, we have different schedules and this won't be the last time I will be prevented from taking a nap because of him! I'm ok with it though. What's even scarier/kind of funny is, this baby is probably only maaybe a pound and a half. That means he has ohh about 6 or more lbs to put on, which means I better be making more room! I actually cannot believe how huge I am right now for 23 weeks. I'm not worried about it or anything but it is quite different from last time! A lot of people I know are pregnant and it's hard not to compare myself to them. I know not to do that! Women who are having their first babies are always smaller and cuter I guess. I am still teaching dance which hasn't been as difficult as I thought. I just avoid doing any floor moves because I know it will take a lot of effort to get back up. I'm sure it's pretty comical to watch me try to teach my hip hop dances or demonstrate ballet choreography. I haven't been laughed at yet though (outloud at least) so it must be ok. I have only gained about 10 lbs believe it or not. It must all be in my uterus, which is fine! Also TMI alert: if you've never been pregnant you probably don't know this because pregnant ladies don't talk about it. It is just about impossible to go #2. That's right I said it. So I think that adds to some of the weight going on there. Ps, flaxseed helps. Go get some! Anways so the baby's the size of a mango which is a little over 1 lb and 11 inches long from head to butt.
Oh and we bought Leah's new bedroom furniture this week! We pick it up next week and she is going to love it! I just ordered the bedding. I can't wait to set up her new big girl room!

Halfway?!

My pretty girl hanging out with Mommy on St. Patty's day

19 weeks, 5 days. I don't feel like I look this big but holy momma! I guess this was right after we ate dinner at Smokey D's and I was wearing horizontal stripes....haha!

This picture is at 16 weeks, 1 day. 4 weeks ago already! AH!

Holy crap, time is flying by! It has been 6 weeks since I update my blog. "Woopth, thorry!" as Leah would say with her sweet little lisp. Today I am 20 weeks, halfway there! This pregnancy seems like it is going so much faster than my first, it's unbelievable. The most exciting thing to happen in the past 6 weeks was that we found out that we are having a BOY!! I sort of had the feeling it was a boy but I never really said it because I didn't want to be wrong. I would find myself referring to the baby as "he" and then wondering why I thought or said that. Turns out I knew but didn't know it! Ryan is pretty excited too. Now comes the work that we have been putting off this whole time. Finding a name (no progress yet), picking out nursery decor (nothing yet), getting new furniture for Leah, possibly registering for new baby boy stuff, etc. We have decided to keep Leah in her room since it is bigger and she will need the room for a bigger bed. Plus, we didn't want to turn her world too far upside-down! She's comfortable in her room and we will keep it that way for her. She still doesn't get that she is going to have a baby brother. I keep saying "You are going to have a baby brother!" She replies, "A baby brother-sister!". She'll get it soon enough I suppose.

I feel like this pregnancy is so much different than my pregnancy with Leah. There are a few obvious differences of course, like the fact that I'm not working in an office this time. I'm moving around a lot more. I can't tell if this is making a difference in weight gain or not. I have gained about 10 lbs so far! Woopth. I can't remember where I was at in weight at this point with Leah. I weighed more with her when I started out but I was smaller...how does that work? Anyways, I feel a lot calmer about being pregnant this time. Probably because I know what to expect and I know how having a baby is going to change my life. I was really freaked out about that last time. Before I had a child, I spent a lot of my time going out with friends, drinking, having fun and being free. I haven't really had that luxury in a while so bring on another baby! One thing that is the same as with my previous pregnancy is that I want Dairy Queen blizzards all the time. I would be fine and happy if I had one every day. I haven't had one in a few weeks though....someone owes me one! :-)

On to the 2nd trimester!

Time is flying by! I am 14 weeks today and feeling pretty good, thank goodness! I feel like I just hit 12 weeks, now I'm already 14 weeks and in the 2nd trimester? Ah this is all going so fast for me! haha! I am thankful for that though. Only another 6 weeks until we find out if it's a boy or girl, what do you think? Of course we don't care either way. Ryan seems to think he is doomed to have 5 daughters and no son but I think he's just being funny. I honestly have no idea. Last time, Ryan and I both just knew that we were having a girl, so it was no surprise when the ultrasound tech told us it was a girl! This time, I have no gut feeling or anything. Leah isn't helping either. I ask "Is this baby a boy or a girl?" her response, "a boy and girl!!". NO, no it is NOT one of each! There is only one. I thought older siblings were supposed to have some sort of sibling intuition? Oh well, time will tell, I'm so excited to find out!

So, the baby websites all say the baby is the size of a lemon this week, I thought it was the size of a lemon 3 weeks ago but what do I know! The baby has doubled in weight since last week (I feel like I have as well) and can now pee, grimace, clench fists and suck thumbs! Amazing! It is also beginning to produce bile this week which is an important bodily function of course.

Baby Parks #2 - 12 weeks

Wha? A plum? Why does it look like I swallowed a head of iceberg lettuce?

12 weeks! Almost out of the 1st trimester already! This pregnancy is definitely moving faster than the last. Recently, I've found myself so busy that I actually have forgotten I'm pregnant! Last time, I had time to stew about it 24/7, this time I have a 2 year old and daycare kids to chase after! I have been feeling a lot better the past few days. Nausea is gone (knock on wood) and I'm not as tired. I have been feeling a little dizzy and getting headaches so I guess it's a fair trade. I went to the doctor last week and got to hear the heart beat again, 170 this time! Unfortunately Ryan couldn't go with me as he had to, ahem, GOT to watch the kids for me while I went! I swear I can already feel this baby move, is that even possible? It is so strange! There are little flutters in there! Or is is gas? Could be both, but flutters is more magical.

We have told Leah that there is a baby in my belly but she doesn't quite get it yet I don't think! I have to remind her not to jump on me and kick me (a joy of being a mother, getting beaten to a pulp by a 2 year old) because of the baby. She just kind of looks around like "baby? where?". For the past 4 days, Leah has flat out refused to nap. I just want to kick and scream like a baby too, am I allowed to do that? Please for the love of God, please let me nap! I'm carrying a child, this is hard work, don't you get it?!?! Of course she doesn't get it, and how can I stay mad at that sweet face while she is running to me for kisses. But thank good for Dora the Explorer, ayuda me!

Parks baby #2!

I can still hardly believe it! Even though this baby was planned, it seems so surreal. I am currently 11 weeks along and it seems to be going by so quickly already. The pregnancy so far has been pretty textbook. I feel pretty crappy most of the time with brief periods of normalcy. I wish I could remember what I felt like when I was pregnant with Leah but that seems like a million years ago! It was only like 3 years though right? Geez. I found out I was pregnant when I was about 4 weeks along and couldn't believe how great I felt! Fast forward 2 weeks: I was starving every hour and I HAD to eat or I would be heaving over the toilet, extremely tired, and crying. Lovely huh? This week, I am not as hungry, nauseous, or tired which is wonderful! The one thing I forgot about (maybe I purposely forgot about it?) is the raging HORMONES! My poor husband is trying so hard to be understanding but how much can a guy take, really? I have completely lost my filter which causes me to be rude, blunt, harsh and completely ridiculous most of the time. I am on the hormone roller coaster and I can't get off! I even know I am being out of line but it's like my stupid mouth won't listen to my smart brain. Then immediately after, the tears start coming. I'm hoping this subsides soon! Also, I am huge. Ok maybe not that huge but man, it's true when people say you start to show sooner after your first pregnancy. It's like my body just knew where to go. pppllfffttthp. That was the sound of my belly popping out as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Right now I look like I looked when I was 17 or even 18 weeks with Leah. YIKES. Not worried though, just kind of crazy!

Enough about me, how about this baby? Ryan and I have gotten to see the peanut on an ultrasound one time when I was 7 weeks, 5 days. The heart rate was 124, which the nurse said was normal for that gestational age. I have a fetal heart doppler at home and I have been trying for a couple weeks to see if I could pick up the heartrate myself. Yesterday, I was finally 100% sure I found it! The heart rate was 164 today. According to old wive's tales, that means it's a girl but I don't know! Everyone in my life seems to think this hog is a boy. We shall see.

I'm excited to start sharing the ups and downs of this pregnancy like I did last time. Here we go with the fruit....baby Parks #2 is the size of a lemon. We're makin lemonade!

I am the mother of a 2 year old

Wow. I have neglected this blog for far too long now. Probably because I felt like I kept repeating myself in every post. Leah is amazing, we are having so much fun...blah blah. This is still true of course, but I didn't want to bore you with details. Leah turned 2 years old exactly 1 month ago. I was looking back at some of my old posts when I was pregnant and when she was a newborn. I'm so glad I posted all of that! I don't remember much of it until I read it (and laugh). It really doesn't seem like it was that long ago, but I never imagined being the mother of a 2 year old! It sounds so weird when I say it still. Long gone are the days of no sleep, having a baby on my boob 24/7, worrying about EVERYTHING she did or didn't do, having no time to brush my teeth/shower/eat/clean/go anywhere. I now have time to do all of these things and I get to teach my child how to do them as well! She is becoming so independent, maybe even a little too much for my liking sometimes! I can remember wondering when I would have a little more freedom from the needs of a small baby, and now that the time is here, I want her to be little again!

Becoming a mother was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I have had people ask me what it's like to be a mother, how I do things, how I cope with staying home, how I take care of other people's children...basically, how do I stay sane? It's true, taking care of children all day, every day can be exhausting, stressful, frustrating, exhausting...oh I already said that...mind numbing? That doesn't sound right. For some reason I can't think of the right word and it's probably because I spend all day singing children's songs. My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. This is an example of what I'm trying to say. Anyway, what I've learned so far in my life of being a mother for 2 whole years, is not to sweat the small stuff. You always hear people say that but, I mean, REALLY, don't sweat the small stuff!!! Kids will be kids. They will ruin stuff, they will scream when they don't get what they want, they will use your furniture as their jungle gym, they will get dirty (reeeally dirty), they will find everything you ever will try to hide from them, they will poke/pinch/slap/punch/kick you when they are angry, and they will always use your most expensive eyeliner to "play" with. None of these things are the end of the world. These are ways your kids learn. They learn about their environment and how to act, what is appropriate and how to get the end results they want. They are discovering how to be people. Most of the things kids do are actually pretty hilarious if you just let yourself see it. I've always been able to laugh at the absurdities of many situations. Having a child has tested this, but I'm glad the quality remains or I may have gone crazy by now. I may even want another one (or 2)! So maybe I am crazy. All I know is that I love my kid more than anything in this world and that may make me nutty sometimes but...I am the mother of a 2 year old now! PS..I will also be using this excuse to be nutty probably until she is out of her teens. So, if you are weighing the pros and cons of having children, or wondering what kind of mother you'll be, just know that once that child exists, you will never love something more. Everything else will come with time and experience, so don't sweat it! All you need is love (and lots of snacks). Corny enough for ya?