Encouraging our husbands

I asked my husband once if I nag and his response wasn't what I expected, he informed me that I don't...in the way a normal wife nags or in the way one normally thinks of nagging. I don't do it verbally; I do it in my attitude and actions. Ouch....lol. But I'm glad I asked and he was honest. Another way one can nag without realizing it, is by not praising and edifying our husbands. What are you doing when you aren't thinking and praising the good? Thinking on the negative. Now maybe you wouldn't categorize that as nagging, but it definitely isn't edifying and respecting.

22 weeks (6 months!!!!) and an 18 Month Photo shoot

I turned 22 weeks and still hadn't gotten my 21 week pictures done...oopsie. Oh well, what is one week. So I took my 22 week pictures today. I got my workout done in the morning and then this evening decided to do a photo shoot with my son and we ended up walking down to the nearest school park to play and for pictures. It was a great little walk and I got some really cute pictures. So basically, this post is going to be a picture blog post. Enjoy!

Eating Healthy....While Pregnant? Mini Series Part 3

Well, as promised, here is the post on what our eating habits are....or what we strive for them to be. Let me give a little back ground. I was "raised" a country girl. I was born in the city, but when I was 6, we moved up north and soon after started a hobby farm. We raised our own pigs, chickens (for meat and eggs), goats (for milk, yogurt, etc. we sold them for meat as well, but never ate the meat ourselves), had a huge garden. We would buy cow meat from friends of ours who raised them and my dad hunted...mainly deer. I was raised on meat. I was raised to raise my own meat or shoot it. lol When I met my husband (or shortly after we met...I can't remember the time frame exactly), he finished the Master Cleanse.

Mundane Monday

Is it Monday already?! What a great weekend I had! Here are a few pictures from my wonderful weekend....

Grilling!! Yummo! He cooked it to perfection.

Friday Funny

I thought that this video was pretty funny and shows how truly funny kids conversations can be. Enjoy and have a blessed weekend!!

Friday Funnies

Happy Friday everyone!! Enjoy this short video from Tim Hawkins, he is hilarious!!!

Marriage Books

I wanted to read this new book on marriage that has come highly recommended to me:

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Marriage-Truth-Friendship-Together/dp/1400205387.

Cloth Diapering....Do you Dare?!

Welcome to the June 2013 Natural Living Blog Carnival: A Natural Challenge. This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Natural Living Blog Carnival hosted by Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project through the Green Moms Network. This month, our members took 1-2 weeks to explore a natural practice that they had yet to try. Today, they're going to tell you about their experience! Hopefully, you'll find some inspiration to try something new on one or more of the posts.

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I have been cloth diapering for almost two years now, but only off and on. I received a bunch of cloth diapers as a baby shower gift and boy was it a blessing! I received them from a great friend who is a cloth diapering pro of three young boys (her latest is only 2 weeks old!). I started researching when I was pregnant with my first and couldn't wait to begin. After looking into it and receiving a lot of disposable diapers at my showers, we decided to use disposable diapers with the newborn until the poop firmed up a bit. Honestly I am glad we did.

Midwife Appointment!

I had a normal midwife appointment today, but I wanted to ask her a few questions. I kept track of my periods before getting pregnant and I noticed that the LMP we were going by was only 1-2 days long, so it got me thinking that maybe that was just implantation bleeding.

Eating Healthy...While Pregnant?! Mini Series Part 2

So, in the last post here, I shared about how eating healthy while pregnant IS indeed possible...if we don't follow those myths about eating and exercising while pregnant that are spread around. It is tough, but so is eating healthy when you aren't pregnant, so why not start now? No time like the present right?!

Ultrasound Pictures!!!

So, we had another ultrasound today just to get a picture of baby Brine's heart, and I thought I would post all of the ultra sound pictures that we have so far for you to see. :) Nothing too exciting and they all look the same to me, but it's still fun. :)

This is a 6 week ultra sound. You can kind of see the baby has legs and arms here. Really tiny.

Mundane Monday

It's back....Monday! Why?!?! I can understand the stigma behind not liking Mondays. You have just had (hopefully) a wonderful weekend doing whatever it is you did. Hanging out with friends, spending time with your husband and kids, or just being by yourself and pampering. Whatever you did, you were able to choose what to do with your time. You didn't really have a schedule or at least not one that chose you since you most likely decided to go to things. But, now you have to get back to your schedule, whatever that is. Maybe it's working outside the home. Maybe it's back to the "hum drum" of home life while daddy goes back to work. Maybe it's going back to the grind of school. Whatever it is, it's back to routine. And that, for some reason, seems to suck the energy out of us. One way to not let that happen is to be thankful and praise God for everything. Whatever that is for you today. Here are just some of the things I am thankful for today:

21 Weeks...a little over half way!

 We are officially past the halfway mark. 19 more weeks to go! That's exciting to me!! :) I am at the point where if I stood up straight and proper, you still wouldn't be able to tell....though I've gained more than what I am supposed to for the week I am in (still hoping at my appointment this week, my midwife tells me she thinks I am further along than I really am! That would rock!!). We haven't really announced on facebook. What we have been doing is every week, I post a picture of a piece of fruit or veggie that the baby is the size of that week. Of course, all of the mom's or pregnant ladies are figuring it out. Everyone else who doesn't really follow my blog hasn't yet. It's fun. :) Here is this week's photo....what else would you do with a banana? My husband has been the genius behind all the picture ideas. It was his idea to do this for my profile picture every week too. He's a genius like that.

So what is new? Not much really. I go in for another ultrasound on Monday because at the last one, the baby wasn't in the correct position to clearly view the heart, so nothing looked wrong at all, they just like to get a good picture of it. I don't mind, I get another ultrasound. :) Hoping that maybe they can do some 4D this time?

How far along: 21 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Weight Loss: I'm not sure...I think I am still in the 12-13 pound range? 

Maternity Clothes: I have worn them, but not because I have too. I can still fit into all my normal clothes, I just think the other clothes are cute and they are "new to me."

Stretch Marks: None so far, hoping with water and lotion I can avoid it like I did with Levi.I talked about here how I made my own tummy butter.

Friday Funnies

Hi Everyone! I saw this cute video and thought I would share. Enjoy this "Friday Funny" and have a blessed weekend! 

Eating Healthy...While Pregnant?! Mini Series Part 1

I know, I'm going to get some hate for this one. It's a toughy....trust me! lol But it's about eating healthy. It's tough anyways, am I right? And then, being pregnant? First, most struggle with morning sickness where you either can't keep anything down or nothing sounds good at all....except maybe carbs (Why is that?!). And then the second trimester hits.....and all of a sudden you feel like you could eat out a whole store out. I know trust me. But just like with PMS, these are just cravings and you don't have to adhere to these cravings. No, it isn't the baby wanting something (though some cravings are good ones and mean you actually do need something like protein or iron or calcium) and whatever the baby needs, it will take from you. And, you don't actually have to eat for two. Ouch huh. Now, I'm not the expert, I know you are supposed to eat so many more calories each trimester, but I don't know how many that is. What I do know is that I am trying to eat at least 6 small meals a day. Breakfast, a snack, Lunch, a snack, dinner, then another snack. I try to (sometimes it doesn't work) space them at least 3 hours apart.

Another thing I am trying to implement right now as well is drinking at least a gallon of water a day. My husband read that if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should drink one ounce of water per lb of body weight. That is a lot of water and yes you do pee a ton when you first start, but that is just because your body isn't used to it. It takes a bit before your body adjusts and actually starts using the water for good. Once that happens, the benefits are amazing and the peeing lessens. lol

Now, like I said, it is tough. I know, but we are strong women and we can make healthy food choices. Not only for ourselves but for the benefit of our baby. And, the choices we make now (food choices and exercising) will greatly impact how fast and easy the weight comes off AFTER baby is born. Interesting huh? So, get a head start. I am going to post later about what I am doing to eat healthier and some meals that I enjoy along with possibly some recipes in this little mini healthy eating series. :)

What Do Women Want?

Now guys and gals, before you get scared and think this is going to be a feminist post or a male-chauvinist post, take a big sigh of relief...it's not. It is a simple post on things we can do in our marriages to help fulfill our spouses needs. I saw this post today when I was browsing through blogs and I wanted to share it with you. It is a really good yet simple post on what women really want. So any guys reading this, check it out. :) It may prove to be helpful for your wives. And ladies, we don't get off the hook. The author of the blog created this post for us to learn what our guys really want. I love how short, concise, and honest it is.

These two blog posts are awesome. I would recommend you click the links and head on over to her blog to check it out. :)

Here are the links one more time:

http://christianmensblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/10-things-women-want-men-to-know/

http://christianmensblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/what-men-really-wish-women-knew/

Reading Through Facebook

I thought it would be fun to read through facebook from when I was pregnant with Levi. It's like an online , public journal which is good, but can also be bad. Anyways, it was funny. First, I am impressed with how much I walked with Levi and I continued to walk until the day before I went into labor. I am working out doing zumba and such, but I'd like to start walking again. It is tough because of my work schedule and Levi's naps.

Homemade Tummy Butter

I have been using coconut oil for everything, cooking, diaper rash. I use it instead of lanolin creme now, etc. Well, I made some homemade tummy butter with it tonight. :) It was really easy. I melted it down, added a bunch of scents I wanted (essential oils, mainly grapefruit, lemon, and lavender.), the popped about 10 or more vitamin E capsules.

West Bloomfield Henry Ford Hospital.....It ROCKS!!!

I am not sure if I have bragged on Henry Ford West Bloomfield enough, but it is an outstanding hospital. I researched hospitals that are good for natural birth here. I was born in Beaumont, but their C-section rate is very high and they aren't very natural birth friendly compared to others. It is like a hotel or a cruise ship...seriously, it is amazing!! Here is another blog mom who also thought so and actually, her blog post is one of the things I found about this hospital and helped me decide!

94 Percentile?! What!

We had an ultrasound today to measure baby and see how things were doing. Baby is still measuring 1 week ahead if not a bit more. Weight-wise the baby is measure almost 2.5 weeks heavier than normal. Weighing just over 11 oz at 18.5 weeks when 5.5 oz is normal. After having Levi who was really small born at only 5.14, I am hoping this kid isn't ridiculously large. lol I will find this all out at my next appointment which is next week. It could be just the fact that I am farther along than we originally thought which would be lovely! :) So far, at week 19, the baby is the size of a mango...though ours is a tad bigger...lol.

Fighting the lazies.....What to do?

I'm sure you have had these days, you just do not feel motivated. Despite all your efforts, just doing the dishes takes everything you have. You are tired, everything is overwhelming and you just want to stay in bed. That is me today. I don't feel grouchy, I don't feel depressed, and I don't feel angry; I just don't feel like doing anything. I am fighting the lazies.

Bringing Young Kids into the Service

I just read this article today and I want to say this is so true, and honestly I struggle with this.

Yay for Braxton Hicks!!

I started feeling braxton hicks contractions around last week and guess what? I'm thrilled! I love braxton hicks. Yes, they are uncomfortable, but they are just getting my body ready for labor and the more I have the better my uterus is prepared and rearing to go! lol With Levi, they were never too painful, just uncomfortable and felt like even just sitting doing nothing, I was doing ab workouts. lol