The Pink Stuff

When you're pregnant, 37 weeks or so, you sleep so peacefully just like when you aren't pregnant. EXCEPT for those few times every night when your acid reflux is so strong that you wake-up nearly vomiting from the acid burning a trail up your throat.

You start coughing and gagging. You run downstairs with your husband in hot pursuit trying to help in someway. Your first thought is, "I'm going to die" or "This burns so badly maybe I could just pass out until it goes away." You grab for a glass of water which does absolutely nothing. You grab for a glass of milk--calcium--there's the answer! No luck, you grab a Jolly Rancher thinking that sucking on a hard candy will coat your throat. Nothing. You make some hot chocolate. Hot chocolate--when it's still 90 degrees outside at night where you live; this is how dire the situation is.

Finally, you remember that this has happened before. Your last pregnancy, about the same time frame. What did you do that night???? OH yeah, you rushed to Wal-Mart and bought a bottle of Pepto Bismol hoping to have anything that would coat your throat and stop the burning. You run to your closet full of medication and find the bottle. Hmmm...apparently you drank a little bit more of this stuff than you remembered last time; there's only about four tablespoons or so left. You're estimating that's about how much is left; you're certainly not going to measure it. You're opting to chug it.

You open the lid and the sweet, sweet, neon pink potion coats your throat and finally brings some relief. You can finally stop coughing and gagging. This is the pregnant woman's best friend. Prilosec--how dare you let me down when I need you most!

Baby, let's call a truce. I gave up tomatoes a couple of weeks ago. Tomatoes--pizza, spaghetti, salsa, the list goes on and on. I realize there's not enough room for you and my internal organs, but we've still got a few weeks to share this body.

I commit to not only sleep on my left side like I've been doing for how many months now? I now commit to sleeping with two pillows, so that even when I do wake-up with acid in my throat--like I did again last night--all I can do is taste the vile stuff and not have it actually burn a hole out of my neck like it felt it might do.

Someone tell me again how cute a pregnant woman is?

Things Are Shaping Up!

I had Derek take some shots of me today to compare how I look in this pregnancy vs. how I looked at about the same time with Owen. The shots from today are actually about two weeks earlier in this pregnancy than Owen's, but you get the general idea. I am even wearing the same shirt!

Pregnant with Owen.

Pregnant with Eli.

Owen's Ka-Choo Book

About three weeks ago Owen asked me to read this favorite story of his called, Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! I thought it would be fun to read little parts of the sentences to him and leave out missing words just to see if he would remember them. I was shocked!!! He kept filling in word after word. Finally, we decided to capture it on camera. Here it is for you to view (you'll need to go to the bottom of the blog and stop the music first!). You'll notice he still has a ball in his hands even while reading.

Watch Me Be Famous!

Click here.

I bet you didn't know I was a star on ABC huh?

You thought I was just a pregnant, stay at home mom.

I'm so much more. I'm famous now.

Guess what, the designer is my sister-in-law.

She may just name her first child after me now.

If you want to order some of these awesome products for yourself, go to her website here.

2 Tags for the Price of 1

8 Things I am passionate about:

1. My family/friendships
2. Family history research
3. Setting goals/to do lists
4. Reading
5. Blogging
6. Exercise
7. Organization
8. Chocolate

8 Words or phrases that I say often:
1. I love you.
2. Are you stinky-dinky? (I hope you know this only applies to Owen.)
3. Get off the table!
4. 1, 2, 3, Jump! (trying to lift Owen in or out of the car or a shopping cart)
5. It's time to practice your violin.
6. Good job!
7. Let's go, Joe.
8. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine! You make me happy when skies are gray...

8 Things I want to do before I die:
1. Find happiness with my own body.
2. Be debt free!
3. See my children married in the temple.
4. Complete this stupid bathroom.
5. Become more naturally charitable.
6. See my children graduate from college.
7. Make some homemade cinnamon rolls (I think this falls into things I want to do before this week ends.)
8. Organize, scrapbook or somehow compile all of my photos in a chronological system with all the necessary information.

8 Things I have learned
1. My belly button will never look like it did when I was in high school. (amen!)
2. Growing up as an only child is not the best way to grow up.
3. Some people will hurt you over and over again.
4. There is no shortcut for having a healthy, toned body. (Maybe they'll invent that before I die?)
5. I will probably always feel inadequate as a parent no matter how much I do.
6. Dreams can be so vivid that you sometimes can't tell if they happened in reality or not.
7. If you feel prompted to do something kind for someone, you should act on it.
8. The water in Arizona will probably kill you if you don't filter it in some format.

8 Places I would love to go or see:
1. Australia
2. Hawaii
3. Jamaica
4. Maine in the early fall (before the snow comes).
5. Spain (again)
6. Japan
7. somewhere where I can get a massage
8. heaven (just for a visit, not meaning I want to die, just get a glimpse)

8 Things I currently need or want:
1. A sectional
2. My bathroom to be finished
3. My stomach to somehow magically bounce back to my pre-pregnancy look when this baby is born.
4. Someone to weed my lawn/landscape.
5. Chocolate...
6. My husband to try and buy my love
7. Braces--I was naughty and didn't wear my retainer and they're starting to shift.
8. A new carseat for the baby with a sit and stand stroller.

8 People I tag:
1. Kim--hurry before the baby comes!
2. Rhea
3. Stephanie
4. Brittany
5. Steve
6. Lolly
7. Heather
8. Julie

alphabet tag...
A. Attached or single? Attached
B. Best friend? If I don't say my husband, how does that look?
C. Cake or pie? cake
D. Day of choice? I love Friday night through Saturday night, Sunday reminds me Monday is coming again...
E. Essential item? Chocolate, air conditioning (pregnant in AZ heat)
F. Favorite color? blue or green
G. Gummy bears or worms? Bears (cinnamon bears although my very favorite are cinnamon lips if we're talking gummy treats).
H. Hometown? Montrose, Colorado
I. Indulgence? Having my husband rub my back, reading in a long, hot bath, eating out, my new van (!)
J. January or July? In Arizona I pick January--well stated.
K. Kids? 2 and 3/4.
L. Life isn’t complete without? Goals
M. Marriage date? August 2001
N. Number of brothers & sisters? 2 step-brothers, 3 half brothers, 1 half sister and 1 step-sister
O. Oranges or apples? I used to really hate oranges because of the pith, but since I discovered you can slice them in rings and we get fresh citrus from the trees, it has to be oranges.
P. Phobias? the bottom of the ocean--what the heck is down there and how far is it till I get there?
Q. Quotes? "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye. Then, it's just a game, find the eye." (This sounds like something my dad would say.)
R. Reasons to smile? my children, chocolate, Friday evening, good memories, funny jokes, to brighten someone's day
S. Season of choice? I think it would have to be winter because I love the feelings that come with Christmas.
T. Tag some peeps! Whoever wants to...
U. Unknown fact about me? I never get headaches. I think I've had two, maybe three in my entire life.
V. Vegetable? Anything from my grandma's garden, she treats her plants like her children and you can taste the love in every bite.
W. Worst habits? Not being able to sleep from my mind thinking about too many to-dos, not being patient enough with my kids
X. X-ray or ultrasound? ultrasound
Y. Your favorite food? It really depends on my mood, but it would have to be something with chocolate.
Z. Zodiac sign? Leo

Sarah Palin--what do you think?

So, I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on her...

Was she a good pick?

I read today that one candidate McCain had wanted was Lieberman, but when people got word that Lieberman may be the pick there was a lot of outrage due to his more liberal stances on various issues. McCain is already a maverick within his party, so he needed someone more in line with his party's stance.

Did he really know Palin's daughter was pregnant? Should that even matter?

Apparently the rumor is that by keeping his vp pick such a big secret, he may not have done all of his research on this candidate. However, there's also the idea that maybe she's a better candidate because she's not squeaky clean like Romney is.

I know that I'm trying my best to teach my daughter morals and values, but I also know she is going to make choices along the way that I won't agree with. Should I be held accountable for her actions? To some degree yes, but where do you draw the line? Bill Clinton had an affair while serving as President, I find that completely unscrupulous because he acted in his own behalf. This is Sarah Palin's daughter who did this...how much is it a reflection on her?

There's also that investigation into her conduct regarding the attempted firing of her former brother-in-law...

He never was fired, but his boss was fired. Of course his boss says he was fired because of this issue, but how much do we know about this boss guy? I saw a quote from Palin where she encouraged an investigation into the scandal. That's promising, but what does it mean?

Do you think McCain picked her only because she's a woman and he's trying to grab those voters who wanted Hillary?

Well, I'm wondering what you think?