gluten free

Tonight, Matt and I went to Galaxy Cafe w/ some friends.  We got there late, our friends had already ordered, and so Matt was sweet to offer to stand in line by himself to order, while I went back to the table to socialize.

I told Matt I wanted the Gluten Free Veggie Wrap.  Seems easy enough, since they specifically had a gluten free menu. The gluten free wrap is made w/ a rice tortilla, whereas the other, normal veggie wrap is made w/ your choice of flour, corn, or wheat tortilla.

Matt ordered the wrap exactly as it read from the menu, but the girl taking his order confused him.  She said, "So do you want the rice tortilla?"  Obviously he wasn't prepared for this question, so he responded, "As opposed to what?"  At which time she mentioned the flour, corn, and wheat tortillas as viable options, even though he had specifically ordered the gluten-free wrap.  Matt apparently didn't know what actually qualified the veggie wrap to be gluten-free - the rice tortilla.

So obviously he thought a flour tortilla sounded best, and somehow managed to get away with ordering a gluten-free veggie wrap with a flour tortilla.  Ooops.  I thought it was funny enough to share.  And Matt now knows where gluten is found.

And come on Galaxy Cafe! If someone orders a gluten free veggie wrap, please don't offer up a flour or wheat tortilla., for cryin' out loud. :)

20 Months!

Henry is 20 months today. I cannot believe my baby is SO big and old!  My mom's group through church had a little Halloween party yesterday, and Henry got to sport his costume. (Pictures below.)  The party was in the morning, and there was a breeze, so he wasn't too hot.  We are getting a cold front at the end of this week, so it should be the perfect temperature next Monday on Halloween!

He has a new obsession with penguins - made for an easy costume choice.

Mom, what is going on?

We love you, sweet Henry! You are going to be a GREAT big brother!

uh oh, getting weepy

I would apologize that all of my posts are about pregnancy, but I wouldn't really be sorry, so that would be a dumb thing to do.  The short of it is that this is the easiest thing to talk to you about right now, and if I didn't write about easy things, then I probably wouldn't write enough to justify having a blog.  Glad you understand.

Anyway, I went out this weekend and bought these.  I almost started crying when I picked them up at the store.  Then I almost started crying when I showed them to Matt.  Clearly, the hormones are kicking in.  I got weepy at the end of my last pregnancy.  I should just be thankful that I haven't been weepy the whole time.

bling bling

Last pregnancy when my fingers started to swell toward the end, and I could no longer go all day wearing my wedding ring, I went out and bought a cubic zirconia ring in a larger size.  (You know, so I wouldn't feel like a teen mom - not that it would matter, but anyway.)

Well, we are back to that point in this pregnancy, but the thing is that the ring is so obviously fake that it's embarrassing. So I end up telling people (random strangers) that it's fake anyway.  It's actually serving the opposite purpose for which I originally bought it because instead of not feeling like a teen mom, I feel like a teen mom who's trying really hard (or maybe not hard enough) to look married and/or engaged.

Since my camera isn't so great, this picture really doesn't do it justice, but for your viewing pleasure...

For the record, I know that I have man hands. 

One, the "stone" is like kind of big - maybe equal to what a 2-3 karat diamond would look like.  Two, it's "gold" but the "gold" obviously leaves a green ring around my finger.  (And does anyone else besides me remember that Saved By the Bell episode where the class rings did that to them?)  Three, just trust me, if you saw it in person you'd laugh.

ma'am, we're thinking about getting rid of our sprouts

I promised you in my A-Z post a sprouts story.  So, here it is...

Sometime in the last 10 months or so (probably before Henry was walking), Matt, Henry and I took a trip to Jason's Deli. After we ordered, our hands were completely full with Henry, diaper bag, wallet, receipts, the little order number thing you are supposed to put on your table, drink cups, etc... It was at this time that the guy who took our order handed us a piece of paper and asked us if we could please fill out a survey.  Since, like I said, our hands were obviously very full and we were trying to put our money back in the wallet, and just get out of the way and get to our table, I asked the guy if the survey was mandatory.  Or, more accurately, I said, "Do we have to?"

He then, sounding very offended and authoritative said, "Ma'am!  We are thinking about getting rid of our sprouts!"  I wish I could do it justice by repeating it for you so you could understand his tone of voice. (Anyway, this was obviously a very important decision that I needed to be a part of via survey.)

At that point I wanted to say, "Seriously, dude, I could care less what you do with your sprouts."  Instead, practical Matt asked him if we could fill out the survey at the table (you know, after we had put all of our armfuls of junk down), and he said that was fine.

explanation and other updates that I know you're concerned about

Two posts in one day.  It's like the more I talk to you, the more I have to talk to you.

So I told Matt about how in my A-Z post, I said I played the harp and that my job title was priest.  He asked me why, and after I told him, he told me that you guys would just think I was weird.  So I will explain myself here.

First of all, I don't play any instruments - so that's a boring answer.  My thought process when I wrote "harp" was that maybe in Heaven I will get to play an instrument.  Clearly, the harp is the instrument I will play in Heaven. Okay, you are probably thinking I am even weirder now.  Whatever.  I thought it was funnier without the explanation.

Next. Priest.  This is very simple.  Revelation 1:5-6 (ESV) says that "[Jesus] loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom [of] priests to his God and Father..."  So, my job description is priest, although I should not have capitalized it.  The weird goes on.

Also, in case you were wondering, I definitely do plenty of laundry.  If I go one day without doing laundry, I feel like I am falling behind.  Since I wear the same clothes almost every day bc of maternity, especially pants and jeans, I kind of have to do a lot of laundry.  (This makes me feel justified about obsessively changing underwear.  I just assume that I'll have to do laundry anyway.)  This probably makes no sense, but oh well.

I have some updates for you.  One, I caved and ended up BUYING Henry's Halloween costume.  It's definitely going to be warm.  I might have to poke holes in it.  Who was I kidding about making his costume?

That being said, I have (annoyingly) jumped on the pinterest bandwagon (everybody's doing it), and I actually have a few DIY projects that I HOPE to have time to make before Henry's brother comes.

We might have a name.  I know I've said that before, but I'm feeling more confident this time.

Henry is going to be switching to a big boy bed REALLY SOON, like potentially tonight if we aren't too lazy.  I'm not certain how in the world this is going to work, but I will update you.

copycat

I starred this A-Z post a long time ago by my friend/sorority sister, Amanda, who is hilarious and awesome (you're welcome :)).  I knew that it would make for an easy post one day, and since I currently feel as if I could post on about 30 different topics (and am having trouble making any sort of decision), I figured now was the time to steal the idea.

A. Age: 27

B. Bed size: King.  A purchase that I felt was necessary during my first pregnancy.  May not have happened if I had known that my back pain was due to AN ELLIPTICAL MACHINE, not pregnancy or my old and awesome queen sized mattress.

C. Chore that you hate: All of them?  Mainly ironing and cleaning our dark laminate floor.

D. Dogs: Do you know my husband?

E. Essential start to your day: It used to be Bible and coffee.  Now I just roll out of bed when Henry wakes up (or, like this morning, I wake up at 5 because I can't sleep, and instead of doing something valuable, I write and read blog posts).

F. Favorite color: don't have one.

G. Gold or Silver: Gold, obviously.

H. Height: 5'8

I. Instruments you play: the harp.

J. Job title: Priest.

K. Kids: Henry (almost 20 months) and NO NAME BOY (negative seven weeks).

L. Live: Live music capital of the world.  Fitting, since I love live music so much.

M. Mother’s name: Mom. Her friends call her Becky. Her grandkids call her Honey.

N. Nicknames:  From my mom: Leebers, Leebs the Creebs, Weenie Head (yes, she called me that as a child). From my friends: Slim, Lillian, Lily

O. Overnight hospital stays: after I gave birth to Henry, and then staying w/ Henry in the hospital after his surgery.  I don't think the stomach virus of 2011 can be considered an overnight hospital stay.

P. Pet peeves: when Matt tries to read my blog posts before I am finished with them.  oh, and bad drivers.  (Note: I am a bad driver.)

Q. Quote from a movie: “Your mom goes to college!" - Napolean Dynamite.  Sorry, that was just the first quote to come to my head. No lie.

R. Right or left handed: Right.  The best.

S. Siblings: 1 older sister, 1 younger brother, 4 sister in laws, 5 brother in laws.

U. Underwear: Not sure what this question is asking, but I'll give you a little TMI (ooh la la).  I go through about four pairs a day, and that's without working out.  I have an obsessive compulsive thing about feeling like my underwear is clean. Also, if you want more TMI concerning this topic, feel free to read about my bra shopping experience.


V. Vegetable you hate: sprouts.  Which reminds me, I have a story.  I will post it soon.

W. What makes you run late: I hate being late.  However, if I am running late, I can blame it on last minute diaper changes and or having to gather Henry's essentials before leaving the house (ie sippy cup, diaper bag, shoes, snack)... also if I can't find a parking spot.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: teeth, and I think I had one in high school, but I don't remember what it was for...

Y. Yummy food that you make: My mother in law's homemade pizza

Z. Zoo animal: Umm I don't have a favorite, but the last time I went (Houston Zoo) I liked the kangaroos.  I also saw the pandas at the Washington DC zoo a couple of years ago (they aren't there anymore), and they were pretty awesome.  And lions are fabulous too.

non-maternity maternity clothing and 33 weeks!

With the ushering in of the cooler weather this week, I've had to make a bit of a wardrobe change... What I've conveniently discovered is that I have about four non-matertnity cardigans that actually fit my maternity body.  All of them were purchased in the last year or so, between having Henry and getting pregnant again.

So, should I a) be happy that I have stuff to wear in this weather, b) be unhappy that the type of clothes I was purchasing one year post baby were suitable for an 8.5 month pregnant belly, c) get over myself?

Clearly, C is the answer.  Admittedly, A would be a good response.  Not shockingly, B was my initial reaction.

Since I did not post a 28 week or a 32 week pic, I figured why not post a 33 week pic?  I literally took this 20 minutes ago, after having been up since 5:45am.  My laziness beat my vanity today, because what I want to do is blur out my face, but that would take too much effort. The truth is that this is probably how I look about 90% of the time (minus the un-brushed bedhead and tank top).  So be proud, I'm getting over myself - or at least pretending.

 

I did some comparing, and my belly definitely looks bigger this time around than last time.  I don't have a good, post-able picture for comparison, but during the last pregnancy, I looked about that pregnant when I was 36 weeks, so that is lovely.  (In my defense, I'm pretty sure Henry was a lot lower, and this baby is hanging out up top.)  The good news is, assuming I don't gain more weight than I should over the next 7 weeks, I will end up weighing the exact same at the end of pregnancy #2 as I did pregnancy #1... even though I have worked out probably 1/2 as much or less.  The bad news is, after Henry was born, Matt lost a perma 10 pounds, and I will be passing him in that dept. shortly. (Something I was very happy did not happen last time.)

Happy Friday!

it's still hot

I never stop sweating.

I turned the AC down just two measly degrees lower than we normally keep it tonight, and Matt was seriously concerned that we were all going to freeze to death.  (Which, by the way, it was NOT that low.)  I then informed him that I sweat in my sleep every single night.  Have some mercy on the pregnant lady for crying out loud!  He's more concerned that our sweet child is going to be cold.

Back in July, when I told people that the baby was due in December, they'd say, "At least you don't have to be huge in the heat of the summer..."

It's officially mid-October, I am ALMOST 32 weeks into this pregnancy, and I am pretty sure the high has been in the 90s at least twice this week.  Am I glad it's not 112? Absolutely, but it's not exactly cool outside.

This also poses a problem for Halloween Costumes.  Most retailers probably assume that on October 31st it will be cold outside.  So if you do a quick search for toddler and baby costumes, 95% of them are "plush" or made of fleece, or of some material that would make a Texas toddler sweat like a maniac... which Henry does anyway when he's wearing cotton.

So, get excited, I MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE HENRY'S HALLOWEEN COSTUME.  And, for once, I have successfully decided what he is going to be.  Until about 10 minutes ago, I had not decided.  I suppose this is the week for decision making.  Maybe a name for #2 will also be decided upon before the week's end... but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

You might be wondering why in the world I am up at 2 AM.  This is where confession comes in.  After my post about stopping caffeine, I fell off the wagon (is that the correct terminology), and made a very poor decision to get a cup of coffee at 4:30 PM today.  So, even though I am exhausted, I am awake.  I'm about to crash though, so I gotta get outta here. Peace.

gastrointestinal issues

Since I know you're all dying to know about my GI.

No but really, let me start by saying this.  When my stomach growls, it's all on the left side of my abdomen.  I've concluded that the baby is on the right side, and my stomach has somehow been pushed to the left side of my belly.  It is so weird.

Next. I've had some stomach issues this pregnancy.  In addition to the virus heard 'round the world, my stomach has not been able to handle anything too fatty or greasy.  When we were at the beach in August, I woke up in a cold sweat (actually it was more like a hot sweat) with a yucky stomach "bug" that was probably just my body's way of telling me that fried shrimp wasn't the best choice for dinner.  Sunday night it happened again after eating some fatty, greasy, cheesy Italian Fare.  I've never had problems like this before; my body tends to embrace fatty goodness.  I guess I should be thankful that this has been a nice, easy way to regulate my diet.

I'll spare you the details, but I have also had some general digestion problems over the last two to three weeks, and after cutting 1- caffeine and 2- artificial sweetener out of my diet, the GI issues are all resolved!  I find that simply amazing, but that's probably because behind this cool cover up, I am a little bit of a science and anatomy nerd at heart.  I totally chose the wrong degree.

Oh, and you read that right, no coffee or diet coke in this diet anymore - for now.  (And let me defend myself by saying that my doctor approves of less than 300 mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy, or about two caffeinated beverages a day.  Sure, maybe I overdosed a handful of times, but mostly I was in the range. ;) )

TTYL, Alligator.

not to us, not to us...

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!"  Psalm 115:1

That is perhaps one of my most favorite verses in the entire Bible!  It's so easy to make our lives about being a certain type of person.  We long to be great and to do great things.

But there is nothing more freeing than losing my desire to be great and living to exalt the one God who actually is GREAT.  Only then, when we are nothing and Jesus is everything, will we ever be able to truly do anything "great."  And all glory will be His.

hiatus much?

I'm not going to lie, I've tried several times to post over the past week but to no avail.  It's difficult to decide just what to post after not posting for such a long time... though that's clearly not the only decision I've had difficulty making recently (see below).

I suppose I owe it to you all to explain what in the world I've been doing.

First, I took a girls' trip to L.A. with my two best friend's from high school.  

Here we are outside the Chinese Theater.

Santa Monica Pier

Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills - Owned by a "Real Housewife"

 We've been enjoying the last two days where we got to watch this stuff called "RAIN" fall out of the sky.  We felt like modern day Noahs.  Henry for sure felt like Noah, since we realized that he probably has not seen rain since he can consciously remember.  Needless to say, we were soo soo thankful that God gave us some real rainfall this weekend!

 

He was totally fascinated.

We have also been watching some college football (and by "we" I mean Matt). I was so excited for Henry to get to sport this shirt my cousin gave him for his birthday!

It says "genetically confused.  So cute, huh?

Today, we realized that we officially have TWO MONTHS till Baby #2 is due to enter the world.  I like the way Matt put it, "You only have two more months of this [pointing to belly, referring to pregnancy], then you get a break for awhile."  Ha ha.  Gee thanks.  With that said.  Here is a list of the things we have NOT been doing.

1. Choosing a name.
2. Decorating a room.
3. Nesting in any form or fashion.
4. Exercising.  (Matt has been, Leah has not.  Just thought I'd throw that in there.)

Although, I FINALLY think I decided on what to do with the rooms tonight, and so Matt will get to work on that next weekend.  After we made our game plan, I sternly told him, "DO NOT LET ME CHANGE MY MIND."

You see, I have suffered from a complete inability to make up my mind regarding almost everything during this pregnancy.  It's not unlikely that we will be taking our name list (which currently has about 5 or 6 names) to the hospital.

More posts to come soon.  Love!