That time I Caught the Flu, then Lost My (Snooki Style) Pregnant Mind

Wow. Last week was a whopper. The husband was away on a business trip in Virginia, and it was the busiest work week of the year (my family is in the Irish Pub/Restaurant business). On Thursday night I started feeling a little sick and very achy. At first I thought I must have accidentally eaten something I was allergic to, as these are the same exact symptoms I have when I make an food allergy mistake. If only I had been so lucky. By Friday morning I had the full blown stomach flu (not the respiratory influenza you can be vaccinated for). Having the stomach flu sucks, but having it while pregnant is adds an element of fear to all the other awful feelings. Luckily my aunt is a midwife at the birth center I go to, so she made sure to cheek on me throughout the whole ordeal (I also was staying at my parent's house which was nice...nothing makes going through the flu better than having your mom around to take care of you). The main goal was to make sure that I was getting enough fluids, and I don't think there was a second I was awake when I didn't have a straw of water or gatorade connected to me. I really, really, really didn't want to go to the hospital if at all possible. The thought of waiting in triage while constantly throwing up + the whole fact that I was infectious was enough to make me the most determined person ever to stay hydrated. The worst part lasted about 50 hours, and even after that it probably took another 3 days to start feeling like I could function like a normal human being. Phew, I really hope it stays far, far away from you all because it was no fun!

Later in the week my mom decided that I would heal better at the shore (really, she needed to get away after 14 straight days of insane work), so off to the shore house we went. I must say, that if you have to recover from the remnants of the stomach flu, the shore is a pretty good place to do it. But after a few days of laying around, I started to get stir crazy. So we went to my mom's other favorite place...Marshalls (the one in Cape May if you are wondering). I was hoping to find some loose tops and dresses since summer seems to have come a bit early this year. My mom piled a bunch of stuff into the dressing room that she either thought I would like, or would fit over the bump. That's how I stumbled upon this gem. At first I thought it was just a teal dress, but oh no, in true Jersey Shore style, it has a huge leopard belt. (1) I can't believe I even tried this on and took a picture of it and (2) I can't believe I'm actually going to post this. You can thank my pregnant flu-recovering brain.

 Now I just have to work on teaching the baby to fist pump. 

I hope that picture made your Friday afternoon. Here are some other pictures in some of my more regular clothes: 

 25 Weeks

Almost 28 weeks 

I'm officially a few days away from the last and final trimester. Whoohooo! I figured I would share a few of the things I am loving lately: 

- Spanx Power Mama  

I'm on my feet all day at work, and these help so much. Just having that little bit of support when you are constantly bending over or going up and down stairs a thousand times is a blessing. Plus, I like that they make me feel less lumpy and bumpy when I wear a nice outfit.

- Burt's Bees Replenishing Cocoa & Cupuacu Butters Lotion

My skin gets pretty itchy, and I love this lotion. It seriously lasts all day and doesn't feel greasy or oily. Plus the smell makes me think of the beach. 

-These Tank Tops

I've tried tank tops from Old Navy, Gap and Target, but these are by far my favorites. The material is nicer than the other options, and not see through (like some of the lighter colored Old Navy options). I got them on sale for $12.00 when you buy two (I believe they are probably on sale often). I plan on living in these most of the summer.  

Hope you all have a great weekend! 

100 days

I remember hitting the 100 day countdown mark when planning our wedding. The last 100 days were a blur of activity...bridal showers, bachelorette party, rsvps, seating charts, favors, timelines, etc. It feels fairly similar this time around, minus the whole timeline part. Because you know, this whole thing is going to happen on baby's schedule, and not on mine.

So I do what any obsessive compulsive person does when they have no control. I write lists, and then lists for my lists, and then I revise and update my lists. I'm not sure how much Ryan is ok with this trend, but he's been with me long enough now to know how to deal with it :).

Anyway, the next 100 days are going to be busy. Which I think is a good thing, because it will definitely make time go by a bit faster. We have lots of baby classes coming up at the birth center we are going to, a baby shower, a nursery to put together, and various other housing and other projects to finish up. My goal is to get everything we can get done, done by mid-May. I doubt that there is much that I am going to want to do when it is super hot outside and I am 9 month pregnant, so this is my goal right now. I know I'll also feel better about having things done by this point, just in case this baby decides to pull a "me" and come almost 5 weeks early. I'm sure it is more likely that this little one will be late, but better safe than sorry.

So here's to the next 100 days! We can't wait to meet the little mcnugget and find out if we have a son or a daughter!

Friday Night Bullet Points

This has been a heck of a week...hence the lack of posts. So, here's a quick bullet point update:

- My sleep has diminished even more due to the hip issues I've been experiencing. Before, while sleeping in the recliner, I could get a good 4 hours of sleep before I had to move every hour. Somehow, this seemed to be enough to function normally.  Now there's no rest...just pain every hour on the hour (if not sooner), and zero sleep. 5 days straight of this found me a crying, hot mess, with a husband who had no idea what to do. My midwife suggested benadryl. I've been hesitant to take anything, as this has been an issue since week 15, so it obviously isn't going away anytime soon. I finally gave in last night, but no dice. I didn't sleep any better and felt like a zombie all day. Does anyone have any suggestions? Did anyone else take tylenol or something else for an extended period of time during their pregnancy? Ugh I feel so torn up about this. 

- The only way to describe the pain is to say it is like having an abscessed tooth in your hip. Of course, it only happens when lying on my side at night (obviously, because you know that's how you have to sleep during pregnancy). In the midst of my sleep deprivation today, I came up with the wonderful idea of seeing if I could sleep with an inflatable swim ring underneath my hip. Hence the reason my husband is now driving around Delaware looking for a place that actually sells inflatable swim rings... you know, in the middle of winter. I don't believe this trip is going to end successfully, but I'm super thankful to have a husband who is willing to try. 

- This week, our unborn child was referred to as "ornery" by one doctor and "strong-willed" by another. This whole pregnancy, I've said that I don't care if we have a boy or a girl (I truly don't, which is why McNugget is a surprise), as long as I get a nice, calm Ryan-like baby. Yup, doesn't look like that is going to happen. (I still love every ounce of you baby...even your ornery, strong-willed parts). 

- My mom always said that I was going to be paid back with a child just like myself. She loves to tell the story of the time I cried hysterically for 2.5 hours in bumper to bumper traffic on the way to the beach. Why? Because the bottoms of my shoes were scuffed. Yes, you read that right....not because the tops or sides of my shoes were messed up....but because the BOTTOMS were scuffed. Looks like she's about to get her wish. 

- My husband and VA friends laugh when I say hysterically. They also make fun of the way I say cherry, berry, banana, camera, and family. Liz Lemon actually said, "Do I say camera weird?" once on 30 Rock. I got a lot of text messages after that episode. Love that Tina Fey broke out the Philly accent. 

- There is a station in the area that plays really, really random songs all day long. They also love to play Men at Work's, "Land Down Under" at least 3 times a week. And my unborn baby....stinkin' loves that song. It's like dance party USA in my belly every time it comes on. I'm not really sure what this says about this child. Like will I need to buy Vegemite when it comes time for solids? Do they even sell Vegemite in Delaware? This is obviously something a rational person thinks about.

FYI this is one very odd music video. 

- Speaking of the land down under... this baby is positioned really low. As in I rarely, if ever, get kicks near or above the belly button. On one hand, this means no heartburn or kicks to the rib. On the other, I get frequent kicks *ahem* down below. Trust me, nothing will provide you with a look of shock on your face quite like that will. 

- We're headed to D.C. this weekend to catch up with lots o' friends and eat lots of yummy foods. We're going Oyamel for lunch tomorrow, Jaleo for dinner (as I've heard that the Jose Andres restaurants are good with food allergies), and then Busboys & Poets for breakfast on Sunday (I had the Mekhleme "Iraqi corned beef hash" last time I was there and it was delicious). I totally plan on making up for the 18 weeks of nausea and food aversions in one weekend. Challenge accepted. I'm also super duper excited to see so many friends we haven't seen in a while. Yay!

- On that note, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

My Pregnancy (Healthy Living) Routine

I figured that I would go over some things that I love to help me stay healthy throughout this pregnancy. The first 18 weeks were extremely hard for me because of the nausea, throwing up and major food aversions. I worried about what I was eating, because I couldn't stomach any type of meat and looking at the leafy green vegetables that I needed to eat for calcium (since I cannot have dairy), made me want to run out of the house. After a while, I wasn't just feeling sick because of the nausea, I was feeling really run down because I wasn't getting enough protein, iron and calcium (amongst other things).

Luckily my meat eating abilities returned before my iron levels dropped too much, but the lack of calcium still made me nervous. I've taken a supplement since the beginning, but I still believe that food should be your number one source for your vitamins. Enter my husband, the maker of my amazing green smoothie (he still makes these for me even though I can look at veggies again...love him for that).

While I couldn't look at cooked vegetables without feeling sick, for some reason I could handle them in blended form (maybe because the berries over-rided the vegetable taste?). Here is what you can usually find in my smoothie: 

- 2 handfuls of kale (steamed) 

- 2 handfuls of spinach (steamed) 

- frozen blueberries & raspberries 

- an apple 

- almond milk or water and some ice 

I found steaming the vegetables to be key, as your digestive system is already running slower when you are pregnant and this helps alleviate the chance of stomach cramps/ bloating/ indigestion. No reason to add any more discomfort to yourself. Also, a green smoothie a day helps keep the constipation away (yeah I went there).  

I usually get 2 large shakes out of this, which means I only have to make them every other day. Sweet!

This is the calcium supplement I take in case you were wondering: 

For my prenatal vitamin, I went with the Rainbow Light Prenatal One. I love these because they don't make me nauseous (they have a ton of really good reviews in this respect), you only have to take one a day, and they are gluten and dairy free (score!). They are also free of yeast, eggs, so, nuts, fish and shellfish if you were wondering. Love, love, love these. 

I also take Vitamin D3 supplements (since I live in the northeast and it is winter and I'm a pale, pale person), along with Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA supplements. I use Carlson Vitamin D3, because it is a quality product, and LifeExtension Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA with sesame lignans & olive fruit extract. I love this product because it does not smell or taste fishy at all. I've taken other fish oil supplements, which ultimately went to waste, because could not handle the fishy aftertaste. This one is pure awesomeness. 

Then there is my beloved water bottle. Everyone knows you have to drink lots and lots of water especially when pregnant, but I was finding it tricky keeping track of just how much I was drinking since I have a job where I am on my feet or driving most of the day. So I went in search of a water bottle that met the following criteria:

- Had measurements on the bottle 

- Was BPA Free

- Was thin enough to fit in a cup holder 

(You can get so much water drinking done while stuck in your car! Why are so many water bottles ridiculously wide?!?) 

- Had a straw

( I am clumsy enough... I don't need to spill water all over myself. Also straw = easier to drink in the car)

Enter the winner: 

CamelBak BPA Free Better Bottle

This sucker goes everywhere with me.  

With regards to exercise, I've mostly been sticking with walking every day, since prenatal yoga actually made my weird hip pain worse. I did just buy a prenatal bellydancing dvd in the off chance that it helps relieve some of the pain. I haven't tried it out yet, but will make sure to review once I do. 

So, that about sums up my healthy pregnancy regimen. Let me know if you have any question! 

**I was not paid to review any of these products. These are just what I found to help after a lot of research. 

Our Love Story

I decided to jump on the "Our Love Story" bandwagon started by From Mrs to Mama. So, here it goes!


This is my version. I think I'm going to have Ryan tell his version later this week :)

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Since September, 2006. I'd tell you an exact date, but I'm horrible with dates (except for all of our friends' wedding anniversaries. 3.5 years in the wedding planning business, and I remember every. single. one.) Ryan on the other hand remembers even the most obscure dates. I'll have to ask him tonight!

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

During the summer of 2006 I hung out with a group of friends in D.C. mostly made up of VT/UVA/JMU and WVU alums. For the most part we participated in "summer series," which was a schedule (yup, we had a schedule) of happy hours in (mostly dive) bars around the city. Classy. We also did fun things like go to 80's cover band concerts (in bars), camping & tubing in Harper's Ferry, and attending Nationals baseball games (they never won...no surprise there). 

One night we were all out in Arlington at Whitlows on Wilson (for any D.C. folks) and The Reflex, my favorite 80s cover band, was playing. In walked a very cute guy. He instantly caught my attention, and needless to say I was quite excited when I realized that he was a friend of someone in our group. We spent the entire night talking, but never exchanged phone numbers. I didn't think I would really ever see him again. 

Fast forward one month later, and the group had a tubing trip in West Virginia/followed by dinner at my apartment/ followed by another Whitlow's outing (The Reflex was playing again) planned. We liked to keep our days busy I guess! I was hoping that Ryan might join his friends for this, and was pleasantly surprised when he did. I decided to ignore him for a bit (I was a bit miffed that he spent an entire night talking to me without asking for my number), but that lasted all of maybe 10 minutes. He was too good looking and I caved. We spent most of the day and night talking and then he kissed me. In a bar. I think the band was playing "Walk Like An Egyptian." Somewhere out there, there is even a picture of this kiss. 

Needless to say, this story will definitely be edited when our little ones ask how mommy and daddy met. 

I made sure that he got my number after he pulled that one. I even put myself under the VIP section of his contact list.

He called the next day to ask me out on a date. A few days after that he asked me to be his girlfriend. 3 weeks after he kissed me in the bar, he told me he loved me (in Spanish...(he lived in South America for a while)...aaannnnddd I had no idea what he was saying at first). 4 months after that kiss he told me he wanted to marry me while we were watching "Walk the Line." And a whopping 9 months after we started dating, he asked me to be his wife. 

I said yes. Hands down the best decision I ever made. 

 The 1st time we met. 

Nothing says romance like the sweet, sweet sounds of "Don't Stop Believing" playing in the background. 

The night Ryan 1st told me he loved me.

 I believe his actual words were, "Te amo muchisimo." 

3. If married, how long have you been married? 

We were married on July 26th, 2008...so a little over 3.5 years. 

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? 

Our ceremony was at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware, followed by an outdoor reception at Bellevue Hall (an old DuPont Mansion). 

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? 

Not really. We'll use the occasional babe, and I'm one of the few people that call him Ry. However, in our cell phones, we're listed under our full names (first, middle and confirmation). A bit quirky I guess!

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey

- How much he takes care of me (especially now). He forever puts me first...even during the last six weeks when I've been stuck sleeping in a recliner (which we have to keep in our living room because of our narrow old house steps), he makes sure to sleep next to me on the couch in case I need something or have a bad dream. 

- He's always a gentleman. He still opens car doors for me even after 5 years of being together. 

- His unbelievable cooking skills. I always joke with him that I married him for his guacamole. But seriously...marrying someone who is an amazing cook is one of the best things EVER. Especially when you find out shortly after getting married that you have crazy food allergies. I probably would have starved that first year if not for my husband.  

7. Tell us how he proposed? 

He took me on a scavenger hunt around Virginia Beach (his hometown), which ended with him getting down on one knee on the beach. Followed by a yummy dinner at Steinhilber's. 

Thanks for the rock, Ry!

Engagement Photos: 

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

 Neither. I'm weird and don't like Valentine's Day or New Years (guess he lucked out with that!). I'm a huge fan of the 4th of July though (I believe the latest this baby can come is July 3rd which better be true because I am going to eat hot dogs like no other on July 4th). OMG HOT DOGS. (sorry pregnancy craving). 

He's more likely to send me flowers on a random day to let me know that he's thinking of me, or surprise me with a cleaned house and a wonderfully cooked dinner. I'll take these things any day of the week! 

We're also not really big gift people (we like traveling and experiential things more), so we're more likely to put our money towards those things. 

 Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina 

Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

Again, not really either. But I'll go with sunset dinner on the beach because I love food and the beach. I tend to fall asleep during movies, so that is a waste. 

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I'd spend the morning in Croatia, the afternoon watching VT play UVA in football (at Lane Stadium of course), and the evening eating dinner in Anguilla (because that is where the majority of Ryan's "favorite meals of his life" were). 

Eating in Anguilla 

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

Well I'm home with a bad cold, and since most cough medicine is a pregnancy no-no, there's no chance of this happening (which Ryan is probably thankful for ;) ): 

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?
Nope. But if somehow Ryan had the power to take away my crazy hip pain so I could sleep in a bed again, I would totally cash in on that. Oh bed...I miss you as much as a 100 hot dogs in their mustardy-relishy glory. 

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Always be each other's number one priority. 

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

McNugget's very 1st picture at 5.5 weeks. 

I had to go to the hospital because they thought I may have had appendicitis (luckily I didn't). It was a crazy night, but we got to see our baby (who was just a flickering little heartbeat at the time).

 It was amazing. 

Ohhhhh We're Half Way There (Insert Baby Fist Pump)

Yes, I had to bring the Jersey as 1) We just got back from the Jersey Shore (Sea Isle City in case you are wondering...which is wonderful, and not anything like the trashy tv show) and 2) I heard this song on the radio today, which was fitting since mcnugget is officially 1/2 baked. Baby totally fist pumped. I mean he or she is a product of two parents who met in a bar with an 80s cover band, so it is required. Welcome to your future baby, welcome to your future.

Anyway, Ryan convinced me to take a 1/2 way picture this weekend for the baby book that I'm hoping to put together sometime before the grand arrival. The chest to belly ratio is still a little off, but closing in. My arms and legs have gained nothing so far, and my face has actually thinned out. But everything in between.... oy vey. So worth it though. And, since I'm feeling generous today, I've included the picture below:

And for comparison, here is the only other pregnant picture I have at 4 weeks: 

A friend of ours told us that hitting 20 weeks is awesome, because you can start counting down. I have to agree...it feels pretty sweet. Even though I'm still having fairly bad hip pain and sleeping in a recliner, just knowing that we're on the downhill trek to meeting our baby is a huge deal mentally. I've even noticed a little bit more energy (although this could be due to work starting to finally slow down a bit), and my love for brussels sprouts has returned! They are by far my favorite food (cooked in olive oil on the stove with onions and sea salt), and I was so sad that the thought of them made me nauseous. But alas, all is good in my brussels sprout loving world again. 

20 more weeks to go baby! Can't wait to meet you (but in June...stay in there until then)!

My Boys & The Beach

This pretty much sums up our weekend. It's nice having the entire beach to yourself...

(even if it is in January).