My Money Soapbox

Something that's really getting under my skin lately is money stuff. Just trying to figure out how to get the income up before this little one arrives so we can afford the medical bills that come along with it. Why is it so expensive to birth a child in this country? Honestly, I am not a political person. But I have to say it really PISSES me off that I can go to the Emergency Room for 45 minutes and get a $500.00 bill, or that doing something as natural as having a child will cost me well over $3,000 WITH INSURANCE. It's absolutely ridiculous.

And while we are on that subject, why the HECK does higher education in this country cost so much? I just don't get it. Honestly, how can you raise your children for 18 years drilling them that the only way to succeed in this country is to have a college degree- and then turn around and charge them thousands of dollars for it?

What is the point?!?!! WHAT IS THE POINT!! Why should I spend my whole first 18 years of life to get into college, and then spend the REST of my life paying it off?!!? Oh, and by the way, when you want to expand your family and enrich your life, we're going to charge you ridiculous amounts for that too!

I so want to be able to tell my kid to just do his best in school, maybe take some time off to travel after high school, MAYBE get an education (in something that he REALLY KNOWS he wants to do, no rush) and then settle down. But honestly I just feel like in America today that advice pretty much sets him up for disaster. Sad, but true.

Eat.

I am struggling with this eating thing. I must confess, I am struggling too with being ok with this weight gain thing. I liked counting calories and fitting things into a little box (or plate). I liked feeling like I had control and feeling like I was satisfied with one serving (because I really was). But now I feel like my entire life is off kilter- I am SO hungry all the time. I eat and eat and still I feel like I could eat some more. I went a little crazy last weekend for Canadian Thanksgiving and came home weighing 3lbs more. WOAH! Yes, I do realize some of this is bloating (and my scale happily went down a bit this week) but I am still feeling angry and frustrated to have to see that thing move up.

I KNOW it's not in vain...I know I should be gaining weight...but I don't wanna! WAH! I just want my little tike to eat what he/she needs and be nice and healthy and leave the rest of my body alone.

Ok, now that I'm done whining I'm going to go eat lunch. Hmm...what will fill me, satisfy me, and be healthy for my little one? Probably an entire chicken. Ok, I kid.

Lazy Sunday

Am I the only one that feels like a big bum on Sundays every week? Even though the sun is shining and I have the whole day to do whatever I want, here I sit, on my bum, watching a new show that Kellen and I have just gotten into.

Oh well. Sometimes it's nice to be a bum. Sometimes its nice to "close the curtains and pretend like there's no world outside" as Jack Johnson may say. And to tell you the truth: I'm exhausted.

The way society and baby books paint your first two trimesters of pregnancy is this: you begin clenched over a toilet seat for the first few months, only taking breaks to swallow down a glass of water and a couple of saltine crackers. Then your second trimester hits and you magically arise and feel like the world is your oyster. I have this vision of this pregnant, second trimester super hero, kicking butt and taking names. Strategically eating a well balanced diet, she never misses a dose of her pre-natal vitamins and gallops through the park each day making sure she gets her "strongly encouraged" 30 minutes of brisk walking in.

But, as they say, every woman is different. So I was luckily spared from spending my first three months making close friends with the porcelain king, I did however, have several unplanned dates with my two favorite worldly items: my bed and pillow.

Now that my second trimester is here I think everyone (including myself) expected all energy to return and surge through me. Uh....not so much. Oh well. Who knows how long it will be until I feel free from the grasp of exhaustion again?!

I'm Famous!

I feel so special and famous today because I was able to do a guest post on the oh so fabulous blog called Girl Talk. This blog is especially for women (obviously) and covers a broad range of topics- written by a couple different ladies and there for all to see and share! Check it out if you have interest in these kinds of topics!

PS- Amber, you will like this one ;)

Oh Canada....and mashed potatoes?

Hi All!

Man am I excited! Tomorrow I take off to a new country. Crazy, huh?

Ok, not too crazy. Really, I am going to Canada. I live in Washington state so it's really only a couple of hours away. One of my best friend's is Canadian and I asked her if I could join in on her Thanksgiving this year! It kind of makes me giggle that Canadians have Thanksgiving in October, but of course that's just because I grew up here in the U.S. so it's different for me. But I'm really excited to experience it!

So yesterday I was thinking how incredibly funny that God is sometimes. Seriously guys, I am convinced the "big guy upstairs" has quite a good sense of humor. When I was little I remember praying and telling him silly jokes and wondering if He was laughing- which since I thought I was extremely funny, I always imagined he was :).

Anyway, I am reminded of this again this week. A couple of weeks ago I prayed that God would bring some ladies in my life that I could relate too. I am 22, so there are just not a lot of girls in my situation that either have kids/or are pregnant. Most people at my age are still caught up in the single/party life. I love my friends that are still enjoying this stage, but I felt like I needed at least a couple of women close to me that I could talk about things with.

Well, let's just say within the last three weeks it seems that pregnancy is spreading like a contagious disease. The checker at the grocery store. The dental assistant. Almost my ENTIRE bible study group. And also a really good friend who just found out she's due one month after me. CRAZY!

God makes me laugh. Sometimes he answers our prayers in ways we can never imagine, sometimes he purposely does NOT answer our prayers (because he has a better plan) and sometimes he answers them above and beyond what we asked for. I like Him. :)

Check out my belly!

So my blog has slowly turned into a pregnancy/life blog and less of a healthy living blog. I guess the thing is, you are going to write where your heart is at...right?

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks"-Matthew 12:34

The fact is, healthy living NEEDED to be my focus from November-June. I needed to put my all and every effort of my thoughts there to accomplish what I did, and I'm so happy I did. It's helped me to maintain more healthy choices before pregnancy and now throughout.

I'm not saying I don't still struggle. But the way in which I eat/move/live is drastically different than one year ago or prior. I'm so happy I took those 8+ months to install some healthy habits in my lifestyle before beginning this new journey of life.

So what have I been up to this weekend? Well...it's really weird. I woke up this morning and my belly must have just popped out over night....

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...............muhaha. I'm funny. Ok, this was really with a fake belly in place at "Motherhood Maternity" at the mall. Can you believe that this is what I'm suppose to look like at the BEGINNING of the third trimester? I don't see any more room for growth! This is tremendously scary people!!!!

So I got some maternity jeans today. They are SO comfy. Not that I REALLY needed them at this point (some pants will still button, only one pair I'm having trouble) but apparently my belly really is suppose to just "pop" over night. So I am prepared! haha.

Also, I mentioned to you all that I started painting the baby's room last weekend. I'm starting it early and taking it slow (like doing a little bit every day) so I don't get overwhelmed at the end (when I really am just as big as above!). I am giving you all a sneak preview tonight:

but that's all for now! I can't wait to post pictures when I am all done!

I had SO much fun last night. I got invited to go to a "coffee tasting" party with some new friends. I got to try a bunch of little samples of different kinds of starbucks coffee, paired with various desserts and appetizers. Yummy! The hosts really went all out, it was such a fun night.

I'm Excited.

I have good news!

Now, I am only 13 weeks along so if you are going to comment and tell me that is impossible, please spare me. I will ignore you simply because that is what everyone else is saying in my life but I don't really care.

Last night and this morning I am 98% positive I felt the baby. It was the weirdest feeling. All of the sudden it was like right under my skin in a certain place was a involuntary muscle twitch that went away really quickly. It definitely was not my own body....I'm not sure how to explain it other than that. I can't even really tell you how it is I know that this was in fact the baby, I just KNOW....does that make sense?

Anyway, it happened last night while I was sitting on the couch and then this morning in the exact same position. It did not feel like "gas" or a "muscle moving" (as this is what people keep saying it "must have been").

I looked it up on google and a lot of articles say its possible to feel it this early if you are "in tune"with your body. I feel like the last ten months have put me in tune with my body in a way I never was before...so for that, I am grateful! What an amazing feeling.

So anyway, I'm happy :)