Random thoughts from the mall

• The mall playground is my best (and sometimes worst) friend these days.  I'm trying to soak up the last few weeks Lucy and I will have as just the two of us during the day, and I love getting her out to play, but it's getting a little difficult for me to chase her up and down playground structures at the park.  Since she's still so little (and deceivingly mobile) she could totally fall over the side of a lot of the structures, even though she gets to the top no problem. One day she'll learn to be careful, but right now it's not there!
• It's also awesome for people watching and seeing what other mommies are up to.  If I ever get a tattoo, I think I'd get what this one chick had.  She had two Starbucks drinks tattooed on her forearm, with the date that she and her husband met below it.  How cool is that?  My tattoo would be an Iced Venti Two Sugar in the Raw Black Tea, and Andy's would be an Iced Tall Americano with April 2003 under it.
• I'll bet you didn't know it took me a good half an hour to approach said mommy and ask her about the tattoo.  I'll also bet you didn't know that I can be painfully shy so my former profession as a reporter put me way out of my comfort zone a lot.  I always complain to myself about how I wish I had more mom friends to hang out with during the day, but I'm never going to make them if I don't put myself out there!  I am ridiculously bad at making new friends, and I'm pretty sure it's because I'm super afraid of rejection and putting myself out there.  It's pretty much why all of my friends are either ones I met working at Starbucks or ones I met through Andy.  I guess I can't really complain about not having more friends since I'm such a scaredy cat.
• Mean girls start early!  I love getting Lucy together with other kids, be it play dates or at the mall playground, because it gives her a chance to interact with other kids.  I know all kids aren't always going to treat my little flower nicely, but I was very surprised when Lucy pretty much got punched in the face by another little girl!  She couldn't have been much older than Lucy.  I've noticed when little kids greet each other, they do this awkward ritual where they walk right up to the other and stare at them.  I can only imagine if that's what we continued to do as adults.  Anyway, the little girl walks right up to Lucy, does the awkward close-range stare, and then bops Lucy in the face!  Her dad pulled her away from Lucy, and Lucy sat there stunned for a second.  And then the saddest thing I have ever seen happened.  Her face crumpled up and she started crying, and ran over to me, like she'd been completely violated.  I felt so sad for her, because I know that will be the first of many times in her life where someone will hurt her feelings like that.  It was especially heartbreaking, though, because she doesn't understand what happened.  I comforted her and decided it was time to go.  The little girl's parents didn't say sorry or anything, which I realized later was kind of messed up.  I know my kid is going to get punched or kicked by other little kids, it's just kind of what they do, but an acknowledgment of what their kid did would have been a little nice.

Baby #2 Update

I had a 32-week ultrasound just to check up on the little guy and make sure that he's doing okay.  What the doctor was looking for was to see if there was any bleeding anywhere, specifically in the brain. 
That's because my autoantibody goes after platelets in our babies, and there is the potential for bleeding since we don't know if it has attacked his platelets yet. 
Luckily there was none and everything was looking good, as per the doctor.  The ultrasound tech estimated that he already weighs a little over four pounds, so if he gains 1/2 a pound a week we could end up with an eight pound baby!  That's a lot of baby.
So either my infusions are working or we're just getting lucky again like we did with Lucy.  She didn't show signs of platelet issues until after she was born.
Unlike Lucy, this one appears to be head down, so I'm having a list of different discomforts than last time.
I certainly don't remember peeing as often, this early. 
Also, instead of a constantly dull ache underneath my right ribcage, I'm getting sharp pains in my ribs every once in awhile which I can only guess to be feet jamming up in them.
I'm having way more Braxton Hicks contractions than I did last time, too, so I'm a little worried about going into labor on my own (and way early) and not making it to my scheduled c-section date.
I'm actually kind of sad about him being head down, because if we didn't have these complications with the platelets, I could have possibly labored and delivered naturally instead of having a c-section.
When I was pregnant with Lucy, we attended childbirth classes and learned how to go through labor without pain medication and were really looking forward to the process.
When I found out she was breech and would have to have a c-section, I felt like a lot was taken away from me.  Of course, when we discovered the platelet issues and that Lucy probably would not have survived childbirth, I felt better about the situation.
But a little part of me will always be bummed that I'll never give birth the conventional way, and I'd definitely rather not be cut open on a table, but what can you do?
As long as our kids are safe, that's all that matters.

Random Monday thoughts

I'm pretty sure she picked up her cold germs here.

• Cold season has officially kicked off.  The little one's nose started running yesterday and she ended up sleeping in our bed last night so I could keep her on pillows with her head elevated.  My hats off to moms who co-sleep because she is all over the place when she sleeps, which kept waking me up.
• I managed to pull off four stories for the month of January!!  I started freelancing for my old newspaper chain last January after I quit my full-time job to stay with Lucy, and back then the thought of two stories per month overwhelmed me.  It's kind of ironic that we've reached the point where she can entertain herself while I do phone interviews and photos, but in two months we'll be back to square one with a baby in the house.  I'm going to take a few months off from writing while I get my sea legs and we'll see how much I can accomplish after that!!
• It sort of makes me sad to know that Lucy and I have reached the point where she can play by herself, which has been great for blogging, reading, and doing housework, but we will be initially starting over again.  I hope this little boy likes the Moby wrap as much as she did.
• I have an ultrasound on Thursday to make sure everything is going well with him (no bleeding anywhere because of my immune condition).  Happy thoughts our way are welcome!
• I'm hoping we'll be be able to re-confirm that this one is a boy so I can donate/consign some of Lucy's old clothes  so I can make room for boy clothes.
• Oh, and coffee just isn't the same with Splenda.

I don't tolerate glucose

Man, you get one bad score on a three-hour glucose test and suddenly counting carbs becomes an obsession.
I passed my first test in November, but was required to retake the test a month later just to be safe which I'm cool with because the potential results of not having blood sugar in check can lead to a really big baby and/or a really shaky baby having sugar withdrawals.
Luckily since I only had one bad score, I was deemed "glucose intolerant" and not diabetic.
I'm thankful for that because it means I don't have to prick my finger daily to test my blood sugar.
Buuuuut...I have to eat like I'm a diabetic, which is kind of a pain in the butt.
Initially I thought this meant I needed to stay away from sugary foods, but after a phone call with a dietician, I realized there's way more to it than that.
I'm the first to make fun of people who do low-carb diets.  You need carbs to live, and you can't live on steak and cheese alone.  Figures I'm now the one who has to count carbs.
Not only do I have to have three meals and three snacks a day, I have to eat a set amount of carbs at each meal.  Breakfast and snacks are 30 or less, and lunch and dinner are 45.
But it gets better.
I can't have fruit before noon, because it spikes blood sugar, or milk, or cereal.
So there goes cereal with banana, I can't put apples in my oatmeal, and I can't have cantaloupe with my eggs.
I can have oatmeal or eggs with toast or a tortilla.  Some vegetables are okay with eggs, like bell peppers, or spinach or avocado.
The other rule that I'm having a hard time getting on board with is having an evening snack.  I'm not supposed to let more than 10 hours go between my evening snack and breakfast. 
Since I never know what time Lucy will get up, be it 4 a.m. or 6 a.m., I've been having my snack around 8:30 p.m.  I know some people that like sleeping after a meal, but when I do it I just wake up and feel gross.
Figuring out low carb snacks hasn't been too much of a problem though, it's been more of a struggle to remember to eat them and to pair a protein with them.
By far the biggest challenge has been planning dinners.  I had meal planning down to science, using a Pinterest board my favorite crock pot site to pick meals from.
On Sunday, when I usually meal plan, it took me about an hour longer than usual just to figure out some meals that fit my carb requirements.
What I'm planning to do this week is go through my favorite go-to recipes, and use this website to calculate the calories and carbs. 
The plus side of this is I've been using Fat Secret to track my carbs, not calories, but by staying at or below my required carbs I've actually managed to eat the correct amount of calories to sustain my current weight.
Which is great, because I've already gained more at this point than I did in my entire pregnancy with Lucy, which is not healthy given the fact that I'm only supposed to gain 10 to 15 due to my starting weight.
Only eight more weeks of this, though, so I think I can handle it.

Because I feel like complaining today...

• Today was the fifth or sixth day in a row that Lucy has gotten up at 4 a.m.  I'm at a loss for what to do about that.  We used to be able to get her back to sleep for another two hours but now she won't sleep unless she's on one of us.  Since that's not how we roll, she doesn't go back to sleep.  Andy suggested starting our day at 4 a.m. to she learns that sleeping with us won't happen just because she's up early.  I know he's right, but it's hard to want to do that at 4 a.m.
• Since I have two photo assignments today, she'll probably sleep in the car which means no naps for mom.  I really hope spacing our kids 18 months apart is worth it, because being pregnant with a one-year-old who doesn't like sleep is the pits.

• Our high efficiency water heater is working a little too efficiently.  I went to take a shower at 9:30, 4 1/2 hours after the last shower was taken and never got hot water, just tepid.

I really hope today starts getting better.  

Marble cake redemption

I baked a cake this weekend in order to redeem myself for a dessert I made last month.  About once or twice a month we have dinner with our friend and his family.  We usually do some sort of theme, and I think for November it was salad.  

Anyway.  I decided to bring a macaroni salad AND brownies.  I go to make them and discover that we don't quite have enough eggs to make the brownies and for breakfast the next day.  Now, usually you would just say, okay, quick run to the store for some eggs, no prob.  Well, we've been working really hard at budgeting, and I knew I'd be going grocery shopping the next day at Winco and would pay less for eggs there.

As part of our budgeting, we've been using some of our food storage, which includes gelatin.  Andy had made pancakes with gelatin instead of eggs when he was a Boy Scout, and had read that you can bake with gelatin, too.

Don't.  Just don't do it.  Technically you can, but no.  Don't.  Listen to me on this one.

I looked online for how to mix the gelatin with water to make egg substitute, and followed the direction.  Since I wanted to make marble brownies, I had to make the chocolate brownie part first.  I did and poured it into the pan, and went on my merry way making the cream cheese part.

I kind of knew something was up  when I went to pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie sludge and it just kinda rested there on top.  I was able to swirl the cream cheese stuff through the brownie, but there was, um, resistance.

I baked it according to the directions in the recipe, and was a little concerned when it didn't really rise as much as normal brownies do.

Discouraged, we decided we would still bring the brownies over there anyway.  Luckily our friend's mom had also made some sort of apple spice cake, so dessert wasn't completely shot.

Patrick decided to try the brownie first, and he said it tasted good, but had an interesting texture, I think is what he said.

Then his dad and Andy tried the brownie, and that's when the Goodyear tire jokes started.  At one point we all agreed that the brownies could be used to patch a tire and get to a service station, if need be.

They really did taste like brownies, all chocolatey and such, but I now know what a chocolate flavored tire tastes like, if there is such a thing!  

To make up for the Goodyear brownies, I made a marble cake this weekend (we had plenty of eggs!).  It turned out fairly well.  I used this recipe and frosted it with a basic vanilla buttercream.

To make one eight-inch round marble cake, all you really need to do is make a basic vanilla cake batter, reserve 3/4 of a cup of the batter, and put the rest into a greased and floured pan.  After that, mix one tablespoon of cocoa powder into the reserved batter, and drop that by spoonfuls over the batter in the pan.  Swirl with a knife and then bake according to your cake recipe's directions.

And never use gelatin to bake unless it's the apocalypse and you want brownies.

 

A word on naps

Please excuse me if I'm a little cranktastic for the next few weeks.
If you are one of my Facebook friends or follow me on Twitter, you'll notice that from time to time I complain about the wee one's sleep patterns.  Most of my angsty posts happen between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.  Well, it's been awhile since I've really whined about getting up early or being awoken every hour because we finally got into a good bedtime and naptime groove, which minimal fussing at both.
Until this week.
First Lucy came down with an icky cold the week before Christmas, was on the mend from that and then got hit with a stomach bug.  The poor kid was so miserable and congested from the cold that we let her sleep in our bed for a night or two, but all of her naps were with us on the couch.  Then the puking happened and we were worried she would puke in her sleep so again we bedshared for about two nights.
Now she's all better, but unfortunately she's teething and has been hit with a super-clingy phase, which I'm attattributing to Wonder Week 64. 
I cannot for the life of me get her to nap in her crib, which resulted in no naps on Thursday.  She got lucky on Friday, because Andy's mom babysat and they napped together.  Hey, I"m not that strict and I'm just glad she slept.
So we're back to the crying in the crib instead of napping, the waking up screeching and wanting to cuddle at 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
I know this will pass, we've gotten through it before, it's just hard to see the end when you're in the weeds.

Making 2014 Count

This blog is in response to a prompt over on Little Baby Garvin.

I’m 1/3 of the way into my second year of mommyhood, and about to add another to our brood.

I’ve always felt bad for women who let go of themselves after having families, focusing on their children’s and husband’s needs instead of their own.

I always thought I wouldn’t let that happen, but I think I have or am really close to being on the way to that happening.

How I’d like to make this year count is to make time for myself more than I have in the past 16 months.

I’m definitely not thrilled with the state of my body/health, so I want to focus on walking more with the kid(s) and eating on a more regular basis instead of haphazard snacks and a big dinner.

I have the best intentions to go for walks but rarely find the motivation to do so.  I’m not really sure how to find that motivation, but I’m trying to walk with friends more often, because it’s lame to cancel plans!

I want to do more of the things that I used to enjoy before being a mom.  I need to unplug more and read more books.  Find more projects to crochet.  Get the sewing machine out and learn how to sew. 

I know that sounds crazy because things are going to get nuts in March when the baby gets here.  But once I get my sea legs with having two kids it’s game on for rediscovering things that make me me.

I’ve also got to get over myself and ask for help once in awhile when I need it.  I get to bent on being able to do everything on my own but with a toddler and a newborn around, I don’t think I can afford that.

Doing more fun and creative activities with Lucy is also on my list.  More walks, more trips to the playground, and fun and unique arts and craft activities.

I also want to make this year count by doing more things with my husband that we enjoy, making time after the kids go to bed to spend time together, and not just watch TV or play on our phones.

So yep, I’m going to make 2014 count by remembering that I’m more than just a mom and a wife, so I can be the best mom and wife possible.

It's a New Year!

I don't usually make New Years resolutions, but this year I've decided I'd like to get better at blogging.
I always say I'm going to write more, but then I never do.  But a lot happens in life and it's a shame to not record it!  I was so great about keeping a journal in high school, but that's fallen by the wayside.
Seeing that things are going to get a lot more interesting here in about two months, what better way to get in the habit of blogging than to resolve to blog at least twice a week?

Anywho.  The holidays are over I guess as of today.  I was really having a blast getting into the holiday spirit up until about a week before Christmas, and then Lucy and I both got colds.
Before that I made sugar cookies for the first time!  I used this recipe for the cookies, and this recipe for the sugar cookie icing.  I was specifically looking for a way to make icing without using egg whites, because the whole salmonella thing freaks me out.
I had a blast cutting out the cookies once I realized you need to use a metric ton of flour to roll them out and cut them.
Andy helped me ice the cookies, and it was really a two man job!  I mixed the icing and piped it onto the cookies and he spread it out.  Lucy just wandered around the kitchen.

Maybe it's because I was pregnant and getting over a cold during Christmas week, but I was definitely relieved when all of our Christmas festivities were over.  The Saturday before Christmas was the annual Dumm family Christmas party, and Lucy and I were both at critical mass with our colds.  Sunday we did nothing!  But then Monday we were at his mom's place, Tuesday his dad's, Christmas was in Vacaville with my grandparents and family, and Thursday we went to Lodi to have lunch with my stepmom, sister and her husband since my sister was in town from Arizona. 

 

Friday it was back to normal.  I had my infusion that day, but luckily Andy was off and he was able to watch Lucy.  Which was all good until he texted me about an hour before my infusion was done, letting me know he thought he had the stomach flu.

Poor guy was down for the count by the time I got home, but Lucy seemed normal.  Or so I thought.  We were snuggling on the couch together while Andy was resting in the other room, and I had just given Lucy a banana to snack on not half hour before.  She coughed a little bit (normal, since she was at the tail end of a cold), and then proceeded to puke all over my shirt.  Luckily it all ended up on me and not a drop of it ended up on the couch!   I thought it was related to her cough, and thought it was a one-off.  She and I had chicken pot pie for dinner, Andy had nothing, and seriously 30 minutes after dinner I saw her dinner again (and the couch was not so lucky this time).

I had been feeling smug the week before that my child had never vomited on me before after talking to my sister-in-law about her kids having the stomach flu.  Guess that's what I get!  After some Pedialyte for Lucy, Gatorade for Andy and a bland diet for the both of them, they were both fully recovered by Sunday.

She slept with me Friday night and rolled off our bed, making it a week full of firsts!  Poor kid was so tired on Saturday she passed out watching Cake Boss on the couch.  That almost never happens!