The "Bumpy" Mom

Alright, so I'm four months pregnant, so I suppose it's time to post some "bump" pics. And while I'm gaining weight at a slower rate than I did with Collin (trying to pace myself a bit this time!), I somehow still look larger! Oh well, what can you do? I will post side by side shots so you can compare Collin to Baby #2.

First up, this is me 4 months pregnant with Collin:


Besides the portruding tummy, I look downright skinny in that photo! What happened?! ;)

And here is me 4 months pregnant with Baby #2:


Try to ignore the twitching eye in that photo...must be all that sugar I've been consuming!

And no, I'm just having one...there are no twins in there...just making a good, quality, roomy home for the kid I guess. I know some people think these bumps are cute and whatnot, but I really only think they are cute on other people!:)

Oh well, at least the end result is worth it!

The "Jealous" Mom

That's right, I'm jealous. Not of some insanely gorgeous woman, not of some fantastically rich celebrity, but I'm jealous of my own husband and here's why...

So, I'm pregnant! Yeah! After our miscarriage in May, I am happy to report that I about 14 weeks and things are looking good, despite some early bumps in the road. I'm super excited.

You know what's great about being pregnant? Eating! I am super lucky to not really get sick while I'm pregnant and truth be told I use being pregnant as a sort of free pass to eat without guilt. Oh I know you're not supposed to, but really, this is my last kid and I'm going out with a bang.

When I was pregnant with Collin, my husband was super supportive of my need to eat. He gained about 20 pounds while I put on my 50 and all was well with the world. Here's a shot of myself dangerously close to morbid obesity if I wasn't carrying a child:


But this time???!! Oh no, he's on a get in shape kick. He's eating better, he's exercising multiple times a week and I have to say I'm jealous, even a bit perturbed!

I mean really, can't he wait another six months and then we can both be on the get in shape bandwagon? It is truly no fun to be gaining at least a pound a week while your husband is losing it. Sheesh!

So, while I usually love my hubby, this whole working out thing needs to take a six month hiatus. Ok, I gotta go eat a piece of cake now. I've worked up an appetite typing this.

A "Secretive" Mom

Don't get me wrong...I absolutely love my life.

I have a hottie hubby who has an awesome job that allows me to stay home and live pretty comfortably:


I have the most adorable kid:


I really like my house and the town in which I live.

I've made some pretty awesome girlfriends who share my love of thai food.

On the surface my life looks pretty awesome, and for the most part it is. But there are feelings that I keep hidden. Things that bother me, dreams I have yet to accomplish that sometimes seem unattainable, emotions that seem unbearable at times...and today I found myself thinking I bet we all have these "secrets" that we tell no one. Not even our beloved hubbies for fear they won't really understand.

Maybe I'm too introspective, but sometimes I get lost in these feelings and have to pull myself out of the funk. Oh I'm not depressed or anything like that...I usually get lost in my "secrets" following some sort of event that bums me out or makes me start thinking that even the most "perfect" lives have tragedy and heartbreak. I guess it makes us stronger, more well-rounded people in the long run, but when you're in the moment of it, it just sucks. Sometimes I question God. Sometimes I wonder if God and I can have a "come to Jesus" meeting, but that seems a bit ironic, right?

So, "that mom" fans (all six of you!), do you have secrets too?

A "Hot" Mom

Not that I ever fancied myself as a "hot" woman, but after having a child I definitely felt my "hot" factor go down a few notches. You know how it is moms... Once you have a child the effort that it takes to actually put on makeup, cute clothes, let alone shower, stands a very distant second to sleep, wearing a hat, and schleping on some sweats. Oh I know there are some "hot moms" out there that seem to have an unfaltering sense of style, the trendiest in clothes, perfectly coifed hair, all the while toting their adorably dressed toddler and matching Gucci diaper bag.

WHATEVER!

Anyway, I found myself in a situation where I definitely needed an updated self image. My hubby won a trip through his job that was taking us to Sunny Southern California, the land of "hotness." We had to do activities with actual "hot moms/wives" that included going to a bar and some schmancy dinners, etc. I definitely need a "refresh" for such an outing.

It's amazing what a little money (I allowed myself a bit of a frivolous shopping spree) and effort can accomplish. And I have to say, I felt really good about myself when I was all put together. I got a little bit of my mojo back! See a few pics below:





And those "hot wives" I was so worried about...well, I got drunk and made friends with them and I fit right in! ;)





The moral of this story? I'm vowing to put a little more effort into my appearance on at least a weekly basis. (Lord knows I can't keep this up every day!)...but if I have one good day a week, the boost in my self image is priceless!

The "Not Just A Mom" Mom

Today I remembered that I am not just a mom, but also a wife. I don't know about you other moms out there, but sometimes I really feel like I take my hubby for granted. He's such a good guy that he puts up with my moodiness and general shenanigans, so it's really easy for me to just put him on the back burner. We've had a rough few months. Most of you know I suffered a miscarriage in May, and I have to say it's thrown me for a loop. I just haven't been "myself."

Then out of the blue, I get a "ding dong" at the door and a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a really sweet note from my hubby. If that doesn't jolt me back into our relationship, I don't know what could!

So today I am vowing to put our relationship first. If you're like me, it's really easy to let taking care of your child (children) take over your life. And don't get me wrong, I love my little munchkin to pieces (even if he doesn't eat), but if mom and dad aren't solid, then he's not as well taken care of as he should be.

So, thank you sweet hubby! I'm glad you sent me flowers and more importantly I'm glad that you reminded me how much I love you and why I love you. You always seem to take care of our relationship and for that I am grateful. So grateful, in fact, that you may just get lucky tonight. ;)

A "Crafty" Mom

Ok, so I'm totally not crafty like my friend Ashleigh, who's Bee in our Bonnet blog blows my mind! Or like my friend Katie, who throws the world's most awesome toddler birthday party. But I do try to be cute and crafty at times to let my little munchkin know that I care. I was quite impressed by own efforts at embellishing this shirt for a charity bowling tournament we attended with my husband for his employer, Farmers Insurance. I bascially bought a white button down shirt at Old Navy, added some bowling buttons and iron lettering and viola! My son looked like a league bowler! In case you are wondering, 31 is my husband's district number.

The "This Kid's Gonna Eat if it Kills Me" Mom

Ok, so I know a lot of my postings on facebook and on my blog are about the weird situation of Collin's lack of interest in food. I truly don't understand it. I love food. I love to eat. I'm not even really picky about what I consume. Husband loves food. Husband loves to eat. Again, husband not picky about what he eats either. I've finally had enough so I'm on a mission to change my child's ways...

The Background: Collin mostly eats baby food and he's a little over two years old. He still loves baby food fruit and veggies and rice cereal. He will eat other "normal" cereal and carbs and an occassional chicken nugget or french fry. He will also eat turkey, but only if he's in the cart at the grocery store. Very weird. Can a 2 year old be diagnosed with OCD? Because really I think this whole food debaucle boils down to him HATING change with a passion. (Totally gets that from dad by the way).

The Plan: I've decided to cut out his "baby food" dinner meal and make him eat dinner with us as a family. (I used to feed him about an hour earlier with oatmeal and applesauce...yes, that's all he would eat). Yesterday I put a small portion of tri tip, baked potato, and a strawberry on his plate. He cried. He asked us to "move the food." Yes, this is what he does...he doesn't even want to look at the food. OCD, OCD. Well, he didn't eat anything, but it was a small victory in that he sat at the table with us the whole time while we ate, and finally stopped crying and let us keep the plate of food in front of him. The next day at lunch, I gave him real peas, a strawberry, and a mini turkey sandwich. Again, cried, didn't eat, but pushed around the peas on the plate. It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.

Moms out there: I'm really open to opinions/ideas on how to help my child find a love for food. I'm at my wits end. Oh yeah, he can't use utensils either. He refuses and says, "mama do it." Grr....

PS. That picture is not our dinner...I googled a tri tip picture. ;)