Ready for the 4th of July?

I guess we are ready for the 4th, with so much else going on we aren't really doing much this holiday, maybe a BBQ and sitting out front in the driveway popping legal fireworks while we watch illegal fireworks go off around us in the neighborhood. We did make a project together for the holiday with red and blue paint and our hands and feet - well Summer's hand and foot! I also started taking pictures again of my beautiful little girl, two nights this week, I am on a roll!



and I have been making hair bows, this one is for the holiday, wouldn't you say?

I hope everyone else has a wonderful 4th of July!

19 Week Comparison Belly Picture

The picture above was taken with a sidekick 3 while pregnant with Summer at 19 weeks. The picture below was taken with an iPhone 3 while pregnant with ... well we aren't sure with who yet but also at 19 weeks. I think I look about the same. I did start this pregnancy 10 pounds lighter, however I think by this point I have gained more weight, maybe just a pound or two. Both photos were taken in a bathroom mirror, I found the same shirt, my hair is similar, not quite as curly and I am debating re-perming it.

Technology, you got to love it. No sense of style and having the same shirt almost 4 years later ... lucky I guess. I don't have any of the other shirts from my prior pregnancy because they were all maternity and I got rid of all those - oh well.

You are pregnant?

I guess I don't look as pregnant as I feel. Several people (who don't know me well) have told me they didn't realize I am pregnant. Of course I feel huge but apparently I am not. What do you think, here is my 19 week belly picture taken yesterday. Of course without a shirt covering it does look a big bigger.

I have a doctor appointment on Thursday, just a normal I haven't seen you in 5 or 6 weeks appointment and I am hoping to get a quick ultrasound to make sure everything is ok, and to see between the legs. If not Thursday then maybe Tuesday when I have my big 20 week ultrasound. We actually picked out a boys name two nights ago too, first and middle, but have yet to find a good girls name. I am not going to tell anyone the name because when I told my mom she didn't like it much, not that it matters but I don't think many people will like it, so for now the name will be secret.

Besides being pregnant I have also been busy with Summer. Her dance recital is over, she did wonderful, we are on dance break for two weeks, at least with her dancing, I am still teaching at Oive Crest at Mondays and Summer always comes to help there. Here is a picture I took yesterday, the kids were passing the beanbag.

See that pink bow in Summer's hair - I made that! Luckily she is still wearing bows I guess. We also went to a furniture store yesterday and bought Summer a big girl princess bed. We ended up getting her a full or double that way mommy can sleep with her sometimes. Or maybe grandma, or whoever comes to visit. It is a really nice bed and will be delivered on the 11th of July, two days before her birthday. The bed was expensive enough, I am hoping maybe Papa will want to get the bedding for it :o)

So much going on in July, I am looking forward to birthday parties, the 4th of July, doctor visits, a gender reveal pool party, our 11 year anniversary, Summer's birthday, and all that the first half of the month. Then we are headed to the beach and I am having another party. Not sure what else I can fit in there but I bet I find a way.

Another Pregnant Post

I am not a role model pregnant woman. I do not do pregnant well at all. I complain. A lot. Being pregnant is not really my thing, I am not good at it. I do like some parts of course but overall it is a very stressful time and I usually feel sick or not like myself.

Worry - this week I have worried about being too small and being able to feel this baby too much. Can you believe I would worry about that? It seems like this baby is moving 10 times more than Summer ever moved, not to mention I felt this baby 3 weeks sooner. This baby moves so much I wonder if I am squishing it. If I don't feel the baby I can press my stomach in and I guess it wakes the baby up because it will start moving. No one has felt the baby move on the outside but not because it isn't possible, because no one has patience around here! Well plus I don't think Summer gets it either.

Weight - I have only gained 8 pounds. Or, I have already gained 8 pounds. I would love to tell you that it is all in my stomach but I will be honest with myself - it is also on my sides and probably on my hips. If I had gained all 8 pounds in my stomach then maybe I wouldn't worry about the above mentioned. I see the doctor next week so hopefully he can smack some sense into me.

Working Out - Unfortunately I have not been working out. I still don't feel that great, it makes me worry, I am a baby and I have been super busy. Good excuses yes?

Nutrition - Every single time I eat something sweet, like candy, or ice cream, or cookies, the things I should not be eating anyway, this baby wakes up and kicks me a few times. This happens quite a few times during the day (see my worry post above) and makes me wonder what I am really doing to this little thing. I did buy some vegetables today and I have been munching on carrots but I just can't give up the sweets!

Leg Cramps - For over a week I woke around 4 or 5 AM to horrible leg, foot, and toe cramps. Everything I read said it was common and nothing would prevent it - not even bananas. They really don't know what causes these annoying "charlie horses" but I did find that drinking 80 FL OZ of water ceased the cramps at least this morning. I hope it continues to work, I am trying to drink a bunch of water.

That is all I can think of right now, more complaints another day ...

My Little Super Star in Video

Before the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf5dX3jRmok
Tapping to Panda Bear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFetnJ44Q6Q
Petite Ballet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGRVvFDiWT4
Single Ladies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMtvoL9OkRE

Dermatologist

Since having two cancerous moles removed from the back of my neck I take weird spots on my skin seriously, almost as serious as I take using sun screen protection. Sun screen does not kill you but cancer does, and will. I went to the dermatologist today because I had this spot on my forehead, that is not really visible, but it constantly flakes and hasn't healed in quite a few months. It turns out that it is damaged skin that needed to be treated, and watched. The doctor froze it with liquid nitrogen, which only stung and really not that bad. He also found two more "dry looking" spots on my arms that were also caused by sun damage that he froze for me. Now I have three nice red spots, one on my forehead (that really isn't that red) and one on each arm.

The dermatologist said I have type 1 skin, type 1 being the lightest most sensitive and the kind most likely to have issues. Besides the fact that I can remember several severe sunburns growing up I also used a tanning bed before I got married for at least several months. I wish I hadn't done that but at the time I wanted to be dark. Now I am happy with my "whiteness" and would never subject my skin, the largest organ on the body, to that kind of brutal damage! They make tanning lotions and they have spray on tans, there is just no need. You can get skin cancer from one single sun burn.

Did you know that most moles are simply the result of a harmless proliferation of the pigment cells within the deeper layer of the skin. A few of these moles, called congenital melanonaevi, are usually present at birth. But most develop spontaneously or are caused by exposure to sunlight and tend to appear on those areas of the skin that catch the most sunlight? I have a ton of moles, I am very moley, not something I like but it is who I am and I figure most of them were probably caused by the sun.

I make sure that Summer has on sunscreen whenever we are outside. She hasn't been burnt yet but she has gotten a little red and I felt so guilty. Luckily she doesn't have my skin but that doesn't mean she won't burn because she will if I am not careful.

Protect yourself and your skin, because I can testify to how painful and annoying it is to have moles removed.

I am still pregnant

Can you believe I am pregnant, because honestly most of the time I can't. I don't know why I am still in denial, I am 18 weeks for goodness sakes! And the best news yet, I didn't even realize it but yesterday, and maybe the day before, I didn't even feel sick! I still don't have as much energy as I normally would but I went the entire day and didn't feel ill. 18 weeks, almost half way and I can't believe, even with all the kicking inside me, that I might actually have a baby in a few months. Of course I still have quite a while until November but wow, look at me now!

I have been feeling so much better and I hope it lasts. I really have no complains, I can eat more than I could, I am sleeping great (considering I get up and go pee several times during the night) and I am feeling this little one kick all throughout the day, which just seems crazy because I only started to feel flutters with Summer at 17 weeks. I don't have another appointment until the 30th and then I should find out the sex on the 5th of July. July is going to be a super fun filled month. Our 11 year anniversary on the 8th, Summer has a wedding on the 10th, she will be a cute flower girl I guess, her birthday on the 13th, oh and the 4th of July too!

Overall things are just going good, it is starting to really heat up in Las Vegas (finally) and my garden is giving me lots of juicy tomatoes, Ben & Jerry's made a new ice cream, german chocolate cake - and while I have yet to eat it no doubt it will be delicious. I have been busy, happily, painting shirts and making bows, Summer is getting so big and is still super cute! She has been swimming like crazy and is improving so much, she can now go under water and swim across her little pool!



I love the summer time - I think the sun is good for my mood :o)