Life with 2 under 3....this one is more about me this time

Tonight on the Current Lifestyle:

Life with 2 under 3......this one is more about me this time

Family hike, little man is under the white hat

I'm back folks! Thank you for being patient with me as I adjust to life with 2 under 3. If your following me on Instagram, you will have noticed that life is pretty jam packed with all sorts of moments and new experiences with little man. As a parent of two now, I can honestly say, I couldn't be any happier. I feel fantastic since my last post so, thanks! I know you totally "mind asked" me just now.

Whats it like now that little man has arrived? Well, I feel like balancing is the key word here. We are learning to balance time and schedules. Since little man has arrived, he has come with his own set of appointments, (doctor visits) and oh yeah, those every 3-4 hour feedings that don't just stop because he is asleep. I literally forgot how much my boobs were going to be out on display for my family until little man showed up. Not that my husband minds, but, well, they're here for feeding and everyone's viewing pleasure I guess. (Everyone meaning Chunky P, Little man, Scott, the cats and myself.) Since little mans arrival, the days start from sometimes 5:30am and don't stop until the kids are in bed at 7:30-8:00pm. I of course am not in bed at that lovely hour, but there's no time for sleeping when the baby sleeps. That's for people with only one kid stuff, or people who send their kids away to other places like school or daycare or a nanny or whatever. I'm not jelly or judging; just saying here, that doesn't exist. It's go all the time and guess what? I LOVE IT!!! I love the whole entire thing. Its like some sick motivator for me. I live off of the thought, you only have 20 minutes to do 50 things and mentally tell myself that someone doesn't think I can do it, and I freaking rock it!

I know, it's sick, but it works for me. Today for example; we went to the library for Chunky P's story time, picked up daddy from a car shop, played outside, I made lunch, cleaned up the house, I washed and folded the laundry, I worked out, both kids napped, I watered the newly planted garden, we played outside some more, Chunky P had school time with me, we took a family trip to the ice cream shop after I made dinner, we read stories and etc. This isn't an everyday schedule but I some how manage this type of thing with 2 kids. If you knew me before I had any children, I was completely lazy and not motivated at all. Its like I needed kids to learn how to ADULT. This is the type of stay at home "momming" (making up my own word) I always wanted.

Soaking up some vitamin D

How do I do it? Well, I think it's a combination of things. First, I think not having post-partum depression this time around makes a difference. Second, I believe my placenta pills which prevent PPD are to thank. Third, this sounds crazy even as busy as we are, but I constantly tell myself to slow down. What I mean by that is, I set aside time for myself to work on myself. Not just physically, but mentally. I meditate, remind myself to really see what is in front of me, to enjoy the moments, to be thankful and go to therapy. Yep, everyone needs some form of therapy or another. For the first time in my life, I can honestly say, this is the happiest I've ever been. (No I'm not on any drugs) Fourth, my kids motivate me to be better. I want to model and be someone they look up too.I'm constantly reading, learning, trying, accomplishing, sometimes failing at new things so that they can have this type of model in their lives. It;s never perfect, but I try and at the end of the day, that's what matters.

Campfire night

Just know,

You are enough,
what you do is enough
and "what someone else thinks about you is none of your business."

Some fantastic reads I've competed and highly recommend for staying mentally fit are:

1) The Power of Know: 30 Days of All-Natural Ways to Heal Mind, Body and Spirit.
By Kathy Ozzard Chism.

2) Vibrational Healing Through the Chakras: With Light, Color, Sound, Crystals, and Aromatherapy.
By Joy Gardner-Gordon

3) How to Heal Toxic Thoughts: Simple Tools for Personal Transformation.
By Sandra Ingerman

number 3 also has an app that can send you transformative reminders on your phone. It's amazing.

And thats all the rambling I'll do this evening. Cheers to your motivated self!

Ryder's birth story...well mine too

Today on The Current Lifestyle

Little Ryder's birth story....well mine too

As I type this, I'm currently still sitting on the post partum unit. Today is discharge day for me. However, and I'll get to it later on, Ryder will be making an overnight and day trip to the NICU.

Let me take  you back to Friday, March 3rd 2017. Around 1pm, dear husband and I made our way through the OBGYN office for yet another NST (Non-stress test) BPP (Biophysical Profile). My due date was March 7th and if you've been following along on our journey, little boy has been monitored since week 32 in utero for a low heart rate and low amniotic fluids. So, as expected, his heart rate remained unchanged, though we were informed that my fluid levels had dropped yet again and this time I would be sent over to the hospital to be induced. We were told to go home and grab our hospital bag, shower, secure Chunky P with a sitter, eat then head on over to the hospital. Dear husband and I arrived around 6pm in labor and delivery. I should have known that this was going to be such an adventure when the nurse at the desk said, "I don't have you scheduled for an induction." In fact, this was the second time today this had happened to us. The OBGYN office didn't have me scheduled for my regular appointment earlier that day but squeezed me in anyway. The nurse made some calls and well, I was given a room. The nursing staff at our hospital are really fantastic. My first nurse made sure I was comfortable and asked her list of questions before starting my blood draw and IV. Either she was new or the cards still weren't in my favor because it took Two IV sticks to get one placed. It has never taken someone more than once to place an IV in my arm before so I was quite taken aback when she asked if people always had a difficult time getting my blood.

Around 9pm, I was given my first med to dilate my already 2 centimeters cervix. The med lasted 4 hours and then around 1am I received another dose and check. This time I was at 3 cm and was starting to feel crampy. A new nurse had been assigned to me due to shift change and I should have taken her advice for some sort of sleep aide but, I felt that I could sleep though till the next dose............dear lord was I wrong. Around 2am, the contractions started to get longer and stronger and pretty soon I was not sleeping. I could see on the monitor how strong they were and because of the giant clock in my room, I could tell you they were always 2-3 minutes apart. I went like that till 4:30 am just painfully breathing my way though till my nurse came in to check on me. I did ask her for some IV pain meds which were offered, but when Ryder's heart rate didn't accelerate like they had hoped it would, I was told I could either remain as I was, or get an epidural placed. I was exhausted, so I decided an epidural it was.

The adventure continues. The nurse checked my cervix and prepared me for the epidural. I was now 4 cm. The nurse asked Scott to wait outside the room or go get a coffee while I was given the what should have been amazing drugs. The anesthesiologist was super sweet and fun, though, the first epidural was placed wrong. Not only was this the first painfully injected epidural I have received, I also had a list of "no no" symptoms. Symptoms were: a metallic taste in my mouth, along with the shock pain down my right leg and then my heart rate dropped and I became dizzy accompanied by a heavy chest feeling. The anesthesiologist apologized repeatedly and told me he'd place a second one for me. So, out the catheter from the first injected epidural was pulled and a second but much less painful one was placed in a new spot. This one took away my contractions, or so I thought, but I could still very much move my toes, legs and feel every touch. It didn't matter to me at that point because I was able to sleep for one GLORIOUS hour. That hour was AMAZING!!! Until life returned and I was checked at 6:30 am. At 6:30 my OB said I was 5 cm and she then attempted to break my water although she had previously told me we were trying to figure out what day my water had broken at home. Confused, yep, I was too. Turned out, my water broke sometime between Tuesday and Friday and I had no idea. But to be safe, she wanted to make sure it truly was broken. Turned out it already was. From the time she left contractions were coming on stronger and I was beginning to feel them. WAY more than I knew I should. I also knew that I should not have felt my catheter (the foley) being placed with an epidural.

45 minutes was all it took for me to dilate from 5 to 10 cm. I also did it all without Pitocin. My body was physically taking over control and I was unable to stop myself from pushing. My newly assigned nurse was so excited and ran to get the doctor. In came both the doctor, my nurse and a nursing student. By this time, I was clawing at Scott to make the pain stop and get him out. This was not how my last labor went and I was DONE! I was in tears and would say no over and over again when a new contraction started. Some how, some way, my nurse and doctor got me through it. 3-4 pushes after I profusely apologized for not being able to control the urge to push, little Ryder was born and that pain was gone. Ring of fire they call it. I actually don't think that was the worst part. I also didn't tear. Ryder was perfect. He cried for about a minute or less and has been amazingly quiet ever since.

The doctor concluded that I had an epidural that was placed too high. Also, there was barely any blood or fluid and she called that a dry birth. So in conclusion, I had a natural birth totally unprepared and lived through it. Believe me when I say NEVER AGAIN! And yes, women who choose to do that, deserve a cookie or a metal or a freaking beer! That's an insane amount of pain when you have drugs as an option. Damn it I still haven't had my beer!!!

Back to Ryder, since this is his story. He's beautiful. 6 pounds 10 oz blue eyes and so alert. He completes our family and I'm so happy he's here. Chunky P came to visit him along with his Oma and everyone is in love with him. I can't get enough of him and I don't think dear husband can either. Chunky P loves to pet him and say, "oh, he's so little or cute." then she kisses him and tells me when he's crying.            

As for Ryder spending time in the NICU, this has been a fear of mine. Earlier in our pregnancy journey, we notified the pediatrician and OB that my heart condition is genetic and with each baby we plan to have, he or she stands a 50% chance of inheriting it. Ryder was given an echocardiogram and an EKG yesterday morning looking for signs of my condition. His cord blood was also drawn and sent off for genetic testing for confirmation. Well, the EKG showed a longer heart QT interval. Instead of being discharged with me today, he is spending time up in the NICU and receiving a much lower dose of my heart medication as a precaution till confirmation of the diagnosis. If the blood test comes back negative, then he can stop the meds. However, we will have to wait 2 weeks for the results. So, the NICU is monitoring him as they start him on the meds to make sure he is stable when he comes home with us and the meds, which is hopefully tomorrow.

I had prepared myself for this. And since his heart rate had been so low and unchanged and different than Chunky P's I think I've always known. Though, it didn't sink in till I had to send him to NICU and call my husband and relate the news. That's all that I can type on the subject for now. I'll update more as we go along.

Wish him well and enjoy his cute pics.  

We are almost at "go" time

Tonight on The Current Lifestyle:


We are almost at "go" time


Ah yes, the famous last words I'll type before succumbing to painful contractions that I can't remember from my first labor experience. This week, has literally been the best week in a LONG time. I had some epiphanies if you will;

Hubby at the doc too

1) just because my kid watches TV, doesn't make me a bad mom. (IPad or whatever)
2) I can spend time teaching my child and it doesn't have to be ALL day
3) When I'm finished teaching and playing with my child, I don't have to feel guilty that it wasn't enough, because she needs independent play and I have my own life and house work to do. 4) I don't have to do it ALL

This week, I have actually accomplished more than I have in a long time. I was able to teach Chunky P about the letter P. Yes, she could already recognize it and the sound, but I as a teacher, wanted to give her more and incorporate other skills such as; math, money, gross and fine motor skills, and writing to name a few. Each morning, (I have her M,W,Th she's in day care the other days) while my chunk o love watched her favorite shows, I would print ideas from pinterest or think of some fun activity to do with her that involved the letter P. Why the letter P? Well, Monday was Presidents' day for those of us in the states. I wish, we had monthly family days like in Canada, but that whine, is for another time. So, I thought, okay, Presidents' day starts with P, President Lincoln is on the penny, penny is counting which equals math....etc you get the idea.

The more I thought about it, the more I could always find a way to come back to my original goal of teaching Capital and lower case P's and the sound to Chunk. We even had a letter hunt which involves placing all items we can find that start with the letter P into a bag. She then pulls out each item, names it and I write the item on our easel board for her to see the word. There are plenty of teachable moments you can have with your child. Don't make it complicated. Simple is

best. I have only just started to post pictures on my Instagram what we do and people are amazed and can't believe I have the time. Teaching a toddler or child doesn't have to be lengthy and boring and stressful. I literally spent a hour or a littler more with her one on one. That's it. The rest of the day, we did our normal routine. I was still able to feel accomplished because I realized finally, that I didn't have to do it all and/or do it all in one day. I now know, that my husband doesn't think I'm a slob and lazy wife because I can't get everything on my list finished. I put this thinking upon myself and he is always willing to help. He understands that I have little energy left and lots pain from being 38 weeks pregnant. Hello, we have less than 2 weeks now till little boy arrives. Excitement is in the air for everyone. I guess this post is more of a realization point than anything else, however, if it helps other moms too I'd be just as happy.

Wish us luck in the upcoming weeks. The last doctor visit was the best it had ever been. Fluid levels returned to what is normal for us and his heart rate remained unchanged. The doctor said I'm leaving you alone. So, repeating tests all next week and that my friends, I'll take. That's the most positive news I've had in a while. Now, If only I could get rid of this sinus infection, I'd be unstoppable!!!
Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you!!!

Final weeks and sickness

Today on The Current Lifestyle:


Week 6 of NST testing

Final Weeks and sickness:

Today marks week 37 and 4 days into my 2nd pregnancy. (According to my baby center app which tracks my progress.) Please don't assume I'm nuts-o and calculated that myself. lol. I am so glad to say that we are on the home stretch and almost through this pregnancy. I'm excited to meet my son despite what family and friends believe. This has been the most difficult pregnancy and I guess when you look miserable everyday or give truthful answers to how you're feeling people assume you aren't excited about a new addition to your family and then believe that all you do is complain. This is where I will state, then walk in m shoes for a day.

I'm not going to apologize for the stressful environment I face every Tuesday when I go to the OBGYN. They have been monitoring little boys heart rate for weeks now. Then, to top off with a beautiful cherry, (cuz we all love cherries!) the ultrasound tech and the doctors last week discovered that I have very low amniotic fluid, also known as Oligohydramnios. This is now more concerning than his heart rate I was told. There are two ways amniotic fluid is measured. One way is to measure the fluid in the biggest pocket in the sack and the other way is by measuring the sum of the deepest vertical pocket of fluid. The first way is how I was measured. The normal range is 2-8cms. Little boy is at 3.24cm. This level is lower than when I was at 40 weeks and induced with Chunky P. According to an article I've read, the way I was measured is the best way to determine more accurate fluid levels. I was told by the doctor that next Tuesday I will repeat the same tests I have been given since week 32 and if the level is at 2 or below, then they will discuss what to do next. They really want me to make it to 39 weeks as that is considered full term. To add insult to injury, factors affecting fluid levels can be sickness. Yes, I'm currently battling; congestion, runny nose, inability to breathe, sore sinuses, cough, night sweats, ear pain with ringing and a constant headache. As it turns out, Chunky-P and dear husband are just as sick. Though, they both have been prescribed antibiotics and either a nebulizer or puffer treatments; I was told by my primary care doctor that she didn't want to jump to conclusions of a DX and prescribe medications because I'm pregnant and my mucus isn't green like the other two germies in my family. I can safely continue flushing my sinuses with the Neil Pot or saline sprays and drink as much water as possible. (if only someone could feel my eye roll)

So back to how friends and family assume I'm not excited to meet my son. This journey has been rough, since day one; since I was admitted to the hospital in July with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. I am so excited to meet my son, to see his face, to have him be his own person and to allow me to heal and be my own person. I'm excited to see him grow and become a member of this family. I've given him everything I have in his short 9 month life. People who assume I'm not excited to see or meet him have never even asked me, though I've heard about it from phone conversations with my husband. I'm not sorry that when I tell the truth to the asked question of "how are you feeling" people aren't happy with my answer because it's not what they wanted to hear. As mommies on the BabyCenter app in chat rooms say, "stop getting butt hurt over my response to you." Life isn't a bunch of pretty roses and pregnancy is assumed way too often by society to be a happy time.

some of my favorite new quotes.....
 

To my friends who call to check on me, trust me when I say, I am not ignoring your calls. I know when you do and I appreciate the time and effort you took to dial my number. As of right now, I can barely speak due to my sickness. I promise to call you back as soon as I'm feeling able.

Here is a link to amniotic fluid levels: http://www.bellybaby.com.au/pregnancy/amniotic-fluid-levels/
          

Little boy update and 5 am TP call...what?

Tonight on The Current Lifestyle

Little boy update and a 5 am TP call....what?

Sick kid and stressed out mommy

Little boy:

sick toddler, not eating

Last Tuesday we had another OB appointment to check on little boys heart rate. This time, dear husband accompanied me as well as Chunky P. Now, I wasn't too thrilled about Chunky P coming because I knew the appointment was going to be long, but she was ill and had skipped school and we had no one to watch her. As usual I was hooked up to the NST which measures the contractions and heart rate of the baby. Husband, Chunky P and I must have sat in that room for an hour and had the nurses in several times trying to adjust the monitors and the doctor too. They just couldn't get a reading. If his rate wasn't all over the place, it wasn't being picked up at all. After an hour, the doctor came in and said she wanted me to have what's called a BPP or Biophysical Profile. It's an ultrasound with an evaluation of fetal development. In order for the doctor to know that the baby is still "living" or "thriving" the tech looks for specifics such as; fetal breathing, movement, heart rate, fetal tone and amniotic fluid. Your baby is then scored out of 8 points. You want as many points as you can get. The tech said when asked, that my fluid was in the normal range but on the lower side of normal. She wasn't too worried about that. (Not unusual for me since I was induced with Chunky P because she essentially had no fluid left to live in) As for his heart rate, it was still on the low side 115 spiked to 122 at one point but nothing more. We all were able to witness him moving and his breathing, which was fascinating to watch. After she printed 2 3D pictures for us to keep, she escorted us back to the waiting room before we would be called to see the doctor again. It was at this point I was convinced thanks to Dr. Google, that either my son had died or they were going to take him via C-section. When we spoke to the doctor again, she told us that he scored 8/8. A rare score. A great score. She said we are just going to continue to see you weekly and will always monitor his heart rate but they see no reason to intervene at this time. It was quite a relief to hear, though I'm not sure she realized that these past 3 weeks have been the most stressful and the next 5-1/2 (if I make it that long) weeks will be the longest weeks of my life. We aren't sure what to expect next. Upon asking about labor my doctor said if my water breaks or his movements change to go to L & D immediately. However, should I go into labor at home like a normal person, (I'm using the term normal) then I shouldn't wait until contractions are 4 minutes apart because they want to monitor his rate, so come in sooner. I asked her when I'm at the hospital when will she look at me and say we have to take him, we can't wait. She said, they'll let him stay in as long as his rate doesn't dip into the 105's or 90's. She said I can continue with my "as natural as I want plan" so long as he stays above 108. She even encourages it.
This is our life right now. It's a constant worry. Will we make it to 40 weeks? Will I get the natural birth I have always tried so hard to get? Will our son come out healthy and strong?

Links and info on BPP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophysical_profile

http://www.webmd.com/baby/biophysical-profile-bpp#1


5 am TP call.....What?

On a brighter note, Chunky P has been pulling out all the stops from independence to defiance to straight up not listening to obsessing over the weirdest things. My days blur together now, so all I know is that this happened between 2 or 3 nights ago. After Chunky P went to bed, she began a new game of "how many times can I get mommy or daddy into my room so I don't have to go to sleep."
It's not a new game, but for her it is. So, that evening, I must have been in there at least 3 different times for random things such as: "I have to pee pee on the potty, where's my water bottle, my slippers aren't on. etc." So after dealing with these items and finally going to bed, around 5 am husband and I hear her crying at her door. Husband goes to see what the matter is while I make my 4th nightly trip to pee. He comes back laughing, half angry because she asked him for toilet paper. Why does a 2 year old need toilet paper? To wipe her nose of course. SERIOUSLY! she was crying, thus causing more mucus to pour out of her nose and woke us up for TP to wipe it. So what do I do now when I put her to bed? I giver her toilet paper and she puts it next to her water bottle in her bed which sits next to her potty chair which sits next to her wipes and extra pull ups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Couldn't make up which one I liked more

BOOOOOOM.........mike drop.

Leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

Update and When did Candy Land become a $145 game?

Tonight on The Current Lifestyle:

Update and When did Candy Land become a $145 game?




Update:
The previous post was about Tuesday the 10 of January. For those of you still wondering, I went to my OBGYN appointment this past Tuesday the 17th of January for little boys heart rate check. Long story short, his heart rate is still low but not yet low enough for the doctors to get "cut happy." I spent about 30-45 minutes on the non stress test monitor again and was pretty anxious to see his results. I tried not to look at the monitor which averaged 112-115 BPM unless he moved. When he moved his rate spiked to 120 but never higher than 128. The nurse again asked what I ate that morning and then asked me to eat something sweet. I ate a granola bar from my bag, but that didn't seem to make any difference to his rate. I was told that I will be coming in weekly for heart rate checks from now on and it will be the first thing I do before seeing the doctor. (I think they realized I was there for over 3 hours at that point waiting for the machine. Parking is NOT FREE or reimbursed here in NY.) That's all I have for an update as of right now.

When did Candy Land become a $145 game?
So, this is, at least to me, an interesting thing. I've been looking to get Chunky P some board games so that we can have some family game night with her. I find it's great to spend a little time all of us together and I think it would be more fun if it were a game. Now, I also have my "teacher" reasons for getting a board game. 
FLASHBACK..............2013 I'm interning in kindergarten and I've just pulled out Hi Ho Cherry-O and Shoots and Ladders. The kids are excited and I've now heard from several students in my 4 rotating groups how they've never played a game "like this" before. When further pressed to elaborate, the kids have never played a board game! Now, as I stated in a previous post, Hi Ho Cherry-O is a math and counting game. Shoots and Ladders had been "modified" by another teacher for vocabulary. (I can see someone rolling their eyes at this screen and arguing what the hell I was teaching. Now we know.)
Present day.....2017 I am shopping on Amazon for Candy land. It's an easy beginner game while also teaching counting and colors. As I select the $7.95 game, something makes me glance at the reviews of the game. Not sure why, but this has now sparked the incredible title for this post. People who purchased the game, were quick to point out that the playing cards were pop outs from a thin sheet of almost paper like material. One even said it ripped the first time she and her son played and wasn't a good quality. I frowned upon that because I thought, yeah, a toddler game should at least have better quality cards. They are learning how to handle items and quickly get frustrated. So, I clicked the next inexpensive Candy Land game. $14.95. Seven dollars more gets you the better quality playing cards. Again, I scanned the reviews. (WHY, I don't know) Parents who purchased this game were quick to point out that not only was the road to Candy Land longer, but that the fairies or princesses were dressed like sluts.....

Now my curiosity was quite peaked. I further read that these parents didn't want their children playing games that exploited women and girls in that fashion. They wanted the

1980's version

1980's/1990's board back. Now, as much of a feminist as I am and want to raise my daughter the same, I can sometimes overlook small things such as slutty fairies. (that was difficult to type without laughing!) I want my daughter to grow up being respected yes, but I'm not about to ask my 2 year old what she thinks of the slutty fairy now am I? Or point out that the hoe of a princess is maybe sitting too close to the old King and is probably out to get his castle but like he doesn't care because he's a sugar daddy. Lets not forget to mention that the old game could be completely racist since those people were speaking on equality. I don't see anything in the 80/90's version but white people. Surprisingly these same people didn't comment in the reviews about race. Can't fight one without the other. This lead me to research the 1980/1990's games on both Amazon and Ebay. To get the complete game, without missing pieces no joke, can cost you between $100-$145. Like what the hell people?

2016 edition $7.95

Guess which one I bought?




$7.95. It was a F*** that moment and I told myself we have plenty of tape.



Have some comments about the crazyness of Candy Land? Or if you like my posts, leave a comment! I respond and love to hear what my readers are up to. 

The best day ever..............................NOPE! Guess we'll try again tomorrow

Tonight on The Current Lifestyle:

The best day ever.....NOPE! Guess we'll try again tomorrow.

I have purposefully waited to post this story. I wanted to calm my hormonal self down about this day before posting so as to make it sound less dramatic; but alas, I am who I am and if you find it dramatic, well then grab some more popcorn!

Last Tuesday, what are ears for?:
The morning started off fairly well. Chunky P got up happy and daddy was getting her ready for school so that I could get myself ready. We all met downstairs for breakfast like we do every morning. Lately, it's been a struggle to get Chunky P to finish her oatmeal, which is out of character for her because there have been times she has requested two oatmeal bowls. Cue bribing a toddler to finish her breakfast so that we can get to daycare/school on time. She fought me the rest of the morning. After a screaming fit from Chunky P as shes trying desperately to be independent and not use her ears, and slamming her bowl of unfinished oatmeal into the sink I proceeded to finish getting her ready by asking her to brush her teeth. Well, I guess the world falls apart when I ask that question. So, I gently forced/helped her to brush her teeth. It was a crappy job but I won't send my kid off without brushing her teeth. I then knew since I needed the upper hand, I would give her two options for shoe choices to wear and letting her choose is usually a way to get her motivated and out the door. Surprisingly, this tactic still worked and out the door into the car we went. We get half way down our street and I hear, "on-i-mo momma, onimo!" This is a request to play the song, Geronimo by Sheppard. Sure, I play Geronimo and she happily dances and sings in the backseat of the car after I made her repeat the request with a "please" at the end of her sentence.

Fast forward:
I'm now at the OB office getting an ultrasound done for my 32nd week appointment. "Good news!" The tech says, "he's head down." Awesome, that was a small concern of mine since he was breech a few weeks ago. She then keeps measuring him and continues chatting with me the rest of the time. We both tried to get him to move his hand or roll at one point when she said, "he just must be sleeping." She took two heart rate checks on him and then told me once she was finished that I could then wait in the waiting room until called back to see the doctor. Once I was in the check up room things began to change. The doctor came in and told me that his heart rate was low and they want to monitor me for awhile on the machine to get a better idea of his rhythm and rate. I asked if this had anything to do with my heart medication and she said, "it might." I then told her that my previous pregnancy I was on the same dose and medication and the rate was never affected. She wasn't too sure what could be causing the issue but wanted to check anyway. So, off I went to sit in the chair that has the contraction strap and the heart rate strap hooked to a machine. I reclined and watched the monitor until I couldn't bare to look anymore. The doctor had stated that she wanted his rate above 110 bpm. During the ultrasound he was 108. While on this machine, I watched his rate go from 55 to 115 then from 69 to 140. He was all over the place. I started to panic only when the nurse came in 15 minutes later, asked what I ate, while reading the heart rate paper, adjusted the straps, diverted my question, handed me a glass of water and said, "I want you to stay another 15 minutes." By this point, I was on the phone with my husband and informing him what was happening. After the 15 minutes were up, the doctor came in, took the paper and left. She came back 3 minutes later and said, he's at 120 now. We want to keep him in as long as possible and we want to see you back again next week. I left feeling completely stressed. This appointment, which should have not only been a great one, turned out not to be and had lasted over 2 hours.

Throw in an ice storm:

We are the flag

As if the previous events weren't stressful enough, my day had been pushed back by hours. Those hours where I knew I didn't have much time left due to an impending ice storm that was supposed to hit around 4pm. I continued on with my day, grocery shopping and eating a healthy comfort portion of McDonalds, (Yes I know horrible) As I'm leaving the grocery store, I walk out to the car to find the storm is already starting and it's literally raining ice. I pack up the car as quickly as I can without slipping and start the drive home. Now, where we live, it's on a mountain with a slight elevation. My ears pop every time I drive up or sown our street to give you an example. The elevation can cause some serious snow drifts and wind to go from 0 to 40 mph. (0 to 50-60KPH) I was excited to be getting home when I turned onto the last street before ours which takes me near a cell town station on the top of a hill. I could see ahead that the wind was whipping snow across the road but I had encountered this before and had experienced that if I got just over the hill I'd be clear on the other side. Oh how wrong I was. Out of nowhere, the snow drift became 2-3 feet deep and my snow tires and allwheel/4wheel drive stopped. No worry, I tried backing up, my tires spun wildly and my car shook. I was like, JUST F*ING PERFECT! Some how, I managed to get our Subaru out of that situation by reversing all the way down the hill. (Don't ask me how. But on a sunny day after this day, I drove by that spot after the snow had been plowed and I had been on the edge of a big ditch and would have rolled.) When I made it home and was able to check the radar, I was shocked to see what I was driving through.

Fast Forward:
Because this day could not end, it wouldn't have been complete without a near miss head on collision after I picked up chunky P from daycare. Seriously, I was driving under 25 mph on the roads with everyone else and as I began to turn slightly with the road, I know I hit black ice when my back end started to go a different direction. Thankfully I was able to correct the slide and avoid hitting a car in the other lane. I cried when I parked the car in the garage and told my husband that was the scariest drive of my life and would be the first time I wished to be back in FL.

After all of the events of that day I've found that it has taught me some valuable lessons. Its also given me much needed winter driving experience and well, I guess I'm happy that my family just was all together at home and well.


Thanks for reading, I needed to get this day out of my mind. Hopefully tomorrow, a week from this day, little boys heart rate is great and I can report and post a positive story. :-)



Rock on for winter has come and I am conquering.....

Stark Life!

Nesting Projects, Hospital Bag and Potty Training

Tonight on The Current Lifestyle: 

Nesting Projects
Hospital Bag
and Potty Training
First of all I'd like to wish you a very Happy New Year! Ours here at the Current household was as uneventful as expected. I'm a parent to a toddler and pregnant so no hangover for me to cure.....even if I wanted one. I rang in the new year snoring, or maybe peeing since I get up so much now. Who knows. Anyways, on wards to
Nesting Projects:

Chunky P's Mickey Mouse blanket

Little brother's blanket

Miami Dolphins wrist key fob

I have been nesting like you wouldn't believe. Since borrowing my friends' sewing machine a little more than a year ago, I have taught myself how to sew some pretty neat things. I didn't even realize that I enjoyed it so much until I asked for my very own sewing machine. I've taught myself how to quilt, which is my favorite type of sewing from the new hobby. My first quilt went to my father as a Christmas gift. The next two were baby quilts for my Chunky P and her little brother to be. Following that was a Star Wars blanket for my youngest brother and finally, the current one is for my husband. Also a star wars fan at heart. I'm almost finished with the awesomeness that is all Star Wars. Other than what my grandmother taught me at 10 years old on how to thread a machine, I've pretty much learned everything sewing related from Pinterest, Mommy Blogs or You Tube. Today, I was oh so proud of my self for making key fobs out of scrap fabric I had on hand. Both will be gifts for Chunky P's day care teachers. I plan on opening an Etsy shop just for fun but we'll see how that goes.

Yellow Triangle wrist Key fob

Hospital Bag: Next up on tonight's topic is my second hospital bag. Believe it or not, moms are kind of nuts about what they do or don't bring to the hospital these days. Here's what I'm bringing to the party and why!!!

For Me:
1) Toiletry kit: aka my toothbrush, hair brush, hair tie, deodorant, chap stick and lotion. The hospital has all of these items and more, however, it always makes one feel cleaner when it's their own stuff from home.
2) Granny undies, nursing bra and maternity clothes for going home. No, you don't lose all the weight and fit instantly into your pre-pregnancy clothes. (Learned something here I did. :-) )
3) My own PJ's. I'm not down with the hospital fashion for when visitors arrive at the hospital. Since I'm a smaller build up top, the gowns, even when tied, never stay on me. Especially if I have a heart monitor in place. It's like keeping a brick in your chest pocket. (Learned something here too I did. :-)
4) Small Jewelry bag. This is to keep my everyday wear earrings, necklace and wedding ring in. The staff doesn't even want you to wear your wedding ring in case of swelling or surgery. So bring a small bag to place these items in so that you wont lose them. (Learned something here too I did. :-)
5) The time killers: Phone and charger, tablet and charger, ear buds and snacks. I spent 27 hours laboring with Chunky P. I expect nothing less than 12 hours for the next one.
6) Pillow. One of mine, hospital pillows are horrible!
7) Cooler with bags for my placenta. This time to avoid Post Partum Depression, I'm having my placenta encapsulated. Yeah, I'm going to swallow little pills made out of it. MMM......tasty. I know you're all dying to try it too. Fun fact, we are the only species that doesn't consume our placentas on a regular basis after birth.

For Baby:
1) Going home outfit
2) Receiving blankets to keep warm in the car. We live in a snowy climate now. (Learned something here I did. :-) )
3) Our pacifiers. I personally don't like the look of the hospital ones. (Learned something here too I did. :-)
4) Car seat, Hospital wont let you take your new bundle of joy without proof of a car seat.

As for everything else, leave it at home. I've seen some crazy lists that include makeup, more than 1 outfit for each day for both mom and baby. I mean come on, you just squeezed out a bowling ball or had major surgery, who the hell are you trying to impress? Besides, everyone that comes to visit only care about the baby now anyway. You're supposed to look like Shit!!! It's called LABOR!

Last but not least for tonight is Potty Training.





Yeah, so we thought we'd try and torture ourselves and potty train our chunk of love before her brother arrives. Before Thanksgiving, we spent three days at home naked, well Chunk did, training. It went well. Although we failed it when we left for Boston from our place, a five hour road trip, on the fourth morning. So, we decided this time, we would try just pants and no diapers. Yesterday we talked all about how we are giving our diapers to her little brother. We then took the diapers from her room and placed them in a bin in her brothers room. The next morning, we started our journey. I had planned on taking her to the potty every hour. But I'd be lying if I didn't say that she beat me every time. What I mean by that is, she'd pee before I got to her, even if I switched times and went to place her on earlier. She'd be sitting in her pants, un-phased by warm wet pee. The only success we had today, because I know her signal, is we pooed on the potty. We've had this happen twice and so do you know what that means? Yep, that's right. I can predict shit! I guess if that's the only success, then that's better than nothing. She was ecstatic! She got a chocolate marshmallow, high fives, dancing and singing from mommy and daddy, a video of congrats from my aunt and her name moved up on her reward chart. What did mommy get? A bowl of shit to clean! Some how I'm thinking there is a flaw in this. Ahh well, but I'm proud of her and she talked about it all day long from that point on. It was so neat to see how proud of herself she was too. Tomorrow, I think we will go back to the naked training. For some reason that gets her more motivated to pee in the potty than to sit there in it.



Leave me a comment if you have some potty training tips! Or send me donuts because this prego is craving donuts more than Homer Simpson! I might have had 3 Boston Creams today. 😲