Chit Chat Thread 5/27 through 6/2 « Back to Group Discussions

[Sheri R]

Okay Mamas... post away. Positives and Negatives and anything else happening in your world this week:)

[sere234]

Sitting here at 4:00 am eating a snack. Really need to remember to start taking my cal/mag/citrate vitamins since I'm getting all wiggly and RLS-ey at night now. 

Anyone remember last trimester when taking a "break" from sleeping was something you needed to do each night? When bed became too uncomfortable to stay in and you had to move to the couch or eat a snack? Or maybe it was just me!

Tomorrow (or really today!) we're going to my sister's for a Memorial Day get together. Swimming, good food, checking out her farm, and visiting all her animals! Should be fun! There is a baby cow and puppies! And fresh raw milk again now that the cow has given birth! Plus I get to see my lovely family. 

Hope you all have a good day off from normal life!

[abouttobe5]

Grateful I'm working today as the weather in Ontario is hot hot HOT.  And stiflingly muggy.  Good reminder that this summer will be....uh....uncomfortable at best.  Tip though from a fireman I adjust, he says when really hot dunk your arms up to your elbows in cold water and it affects your whole body.  :)

Other than that had a GREAT workout at CrossFit this morning - max weights for shoulder press, dead lifts and back squats.  For first time in over 15 weeks, I felt like a normal human being again.  And pleased to see that my PRs were REALLY quite close to where I was pre-HG.  

Enjoy your week, all!

[Bmorefarmgirl]

It is positively GROSS in Baltimore and has been for days. It is going to be a long summer. Hopefully it'll be a mild October. Lol.

Ugh, just got back from a horribly stressful picnic at the in-laws. Raging Hormones? Check. Exhaustion? Check. Stifling heat? Check. Of course the hubby had to cook on the grill the whole time and everyone else was too hot to run after a toddler, so that was left to mama. All that plus now great grandma decided its time to potty train my 2yo and forced a pack of pull-ups on me. Neat.

Holidays suck.

[Thyme Mama]

Originally Posted by sere234 

Anyone remember last trimester when taking a "break" from sleeping was something you needed to do each night? When bed became too uncomfortable to stay in and you had to move to the couch or eat a snack? Or maybe it was just me!

Tomorrow (or really today!) we're going to my sister's for a Memorial Day get together. Swimming, good food, checking out her farm, and visiting all her animals! Should be fun! There is a baby cow and puppies! And fresh raw milk again now that the cow has given birth! Plus I get to see my lovely family. 

Ugh! I don't even want to think about the last trimester now!

Hooray for fresh, raw milk!!! I hope you get to drink some and maybe even bring some home.

Originally Posted by abouttobe5 

Grateful I'm working today as the weather in Ontario is hot hot HOT.  And stiflingly muggy.  Good reminder that this summer will be....uh....uncomfortable at best.  Tip though from a fireman I adjust, he says when really hot dunk your arms up to your elbows in cold water and it affects your whole body.  :)

Other than that had a GREAT workout at CrossFit this morning - max weights for shoulder press, dead lifts and back squats.  For first time in over 15 weeks, I felt like a normal human being again.  And pleased to see that my PRs were REALLY quite close to where I was pre-HG.  

Enjoy your week, all!

The weather here in Northern California has been weird! Windy, cold and rainy. Though it seems that every Memorial Day weekend for the past few years has been like this. 

Great tip!

What is the school of thought on starting CrossFit whilst pregnant? I am getting sooooo out of shape.

Originally Posted by Bmorefarmgirl 

It is positively GROSS in Baltimore and has been for days. It is going to be a long summer. Hopefully it'll be a mild October. Lol.
Ugh, just got back from a horribly stressful picnic at the in-laws. Raging Hormones? Check. Exhaustion? Check. Stifling heat? Check. Of course the hubby had to cook on the grill the whole time and everyone else was too hot to run after a toddler, so that was left to mama. All that plus now great grandma decided its time to potty train my 2yo and forced a pack of pull-ups on me. Neat.
Holidays suck.

Sorry mama! Family can be just awful. I hope things are better for you today.

This week we are trying to get back into our homeschool rhythm and still working on getting our gargantuan garden set up. I am already starting to nest and have been tossing stuff out and reorganizing and cleaning like the baby will be here tomorrow.   I have a pot rack I need to put up but first I have to rip out an upper cabinet. Planning to do that today.

Hopefully DH will finish taping, mudding and texturing the boys room this next week and that will open up a whole new world of fun projects that I have just been itching to get started on.

I think I might be able to start sewing my sofa slipcovers this week too. They were my Nana's and she loved the Jazz Age. She wore this ostentatious real fur coat and loved cocktails and glamour. At wedding or events she looked like a flapper, with the feather headband, beaded dress, dark lipstick and cocktail in hand. The whole shebang. The sofas have 20/30's lines and I picked out a soft gray duck canvas to cover them. I think the color and fabric will complement the lines of the sofas.  The chair I picked up off Craigslist the other day has similar lines (though decidedly more cushy) and I will be covering that chair with the gray canvas too. I'll try and post pics when it's all done.

Have a beautiful week everyone! I'm looking forward to some more chat!

[Bmorefarmgirl]

Feeling better after I got to whine to my mom on the phone this morning. Going swimming at a local state park tomorrow. Hopefully we will get to spend a lot of time in the water this summer!

[franjapany]

great to hear some more bits and pieces from out of your lives :)

I honestly can't vomplain about the weather: I love the heat! Summer around here never is long enough for me. I had my first child in Thailand and even though the heat there was rather extreme I loved being pregnant and only having to wear super-light cotten dresse every day and sleeping naked at night. I coudln't stand being in my last trimester in winter. Ugh, all the extra clothes you'd need. And putting on boots. and socks. no, I'm a summer pregnancy girl :)

we just had our second meeting with our new landlord and looked at the flat again and I am sooo thrilled to be moving there! Still, not so thrilled about the timing, but we'll make it work somehow. the location is just awesome and the rent is more than reasonable and the view is great :) The only not so cool part are the current tenants who are not exactly forthcoming in their attitude. we asked them if they could possibly think about moving a couple of week earlier (they have their old and new place three months parallell!) since our due date was nov.6th and they are all... complicated about it. very focused on money and their frustration about having to move into a smaller place (well, they are two and we will be five - so what!). They want to sell us their 17 years old kitchen stuff (fridge/freezer, oven/cooker, dishwasher) for a ridiculous amount of money. Anyways, we won't have to deal with them once we're in there and they are out. The landlord and his wife are lovely and everything else feels just right. yay!

Now I really have to use they remaining five months in the best possible way to prepare everything and pack ahead and get rid of stuff and downsize our enormous pile of junk we have accumulated in the last three years (at least that's what it feels like to me - I have SUCH a desire to simplify). And repeat my mantras: All will be good. Everything will work out fine. This baby won't come early. This birth will be the healing experience I need to be at peace with my previous births. etc. ;)

I am currently on an energy high which I write down to being in the second trimester, so I'll need to make use of this as good as I can. May the pre-packing and organising begin. (insert busy smiley here)

oh, and Thyme Mama, just wanted to say I *like* to read all your posts - feels a bit like the old MDC when there actually ws a sense of communicating.
 

[Sheri R]

So, just had a fun playdate with a mama that I went through my first pregnancy with (so our little girls are about a month apart).  They're both 2 now and sometimes play together, mostly grab toys from each other, but now and then they actually interact!!  So my friend saw my sage bush going crazy and asked if she could have some - she snipped away and then made us sage, lime and honey tea.  Delicious..... wasn't sure if it was safe in pregnancy, so I only drank part of mine and looked it up when she was gone.....  apparently not safe.  ooops! can bring on menstruation leading to miscarriage, but possibly only certain types of sage... ah! I don't know what kind I have, I planted it forever ago.....

Just hoping I barely had enough to have any effect.....

Ladies, I love hearing about your lives!  Thyme Mama - that garden sounds AMAZING.   Wish you were my neighbor:)  Franziska - I, too, am already in the purging, organizing mode, even though we're not moving... I do wish you the best!  I am looking forward to having a summer pregnancy, my last was mostly in the winter with baby born in mid-march.  I most of all want to sun my belly (which here in Seattle might be a bit much to ask for.... maybe in August??) and wade/swim in cold creeks and lakes:)

[Thyme Mama]

Originally Posted by Bmorefarmgirl 

Feeling better after I got to whine to my mom on the phone this morning. Going swimming at a local state park tomorrow. Hopefully we will get to spend a lot of time in the water this summer!

Good! There is nothing like a good whine with mom sometimes!

Ooooooooo! Have fun tomorrow! Swimming in nature while pregnant is one of my favorite experiences in life. Truly it is wonderful. I just feel so........connected with everything. Earth mother and all.

Originally Posted by franjapany 

great to hear some more bits and pieces from out of your lives :)

I honestly can't vomplain about the weather: I love the heat! Summer around here never is long enough for me. I had my first child in Thailand and even though the heat there was rather extreme I loved being pregnant and only having to wear super-light cotten dresse every day and sleeping naked at night. I coudln't stand being in my last trimester in winter. Ugh, all the extra clothes you'd need. And putting on boots. and socks. no, I'm a summer pregnancy girl :)

we just had our second meeting with our new landlord and looked at the flat again and I am sooo thrilled to be moving there! Still, not so thrilled about the timing, but we'll make it work somehow. the location is just awesome and the rent is more than reasonable and the view is great :) The only not so cool part are the current tenants who are not exactly forthcoming in their attitude. we asked them if they could possibly think about moving a couple of week earlier (they have their old and new place three months parallell!) since our due date was nov.6th and they are all... complicated about it. very focused on money and their frustration about having to move into a smaller place (well, they are two and we will be five - so what!). They want to sell us their 17 years old kitchen stuff (fridge/freezer, oven/cooker, dishwasher) for a ridiculous amount of money. Anyways, we won't have to deal with them once we're in there and they are out. The landlord and his wife are lovely and everything else feels just right. yay!

Now I really have to use they remaining five months in the best possible way to prepare everything and pack ahead and get rid of stuff and downsize our enormous pile of junk we have accumulated in the last three years (at least that's what it feels like to me - I have SUCH a desire to simplify). And repeat my mantras: All will be good. Everything will work out fine. This baby won't come early. This birth will be the healing experience I need to be at peace with my previous births. etc. ;)

I am currently on an energy high which I write down to being in the second trimester, so I'll need to make use of this as good as I can. May the pre-packing and organising begin. (insert busy smiley here)

oh, and Thyme Mama, just wanted to say I *like* to read all your posts - feels a bit like the old MDC when there actually ws a sense of communicating.
 

Warm weather is my favorite too because of the dresses. And the night-time nakedness. It's just GOOD!

Wow, living in Thailand! That must have been a really amazing experience. I would love to hear more! (mostly about the food, please)

Congrats on the new flat! Moving is the pits, the feeling of a fresh, new space is great. Hopefully the current tenants will be reasonable and move out a little early. One part that is good about moving is that it makes it easier to get rid of some stuff we may have kept holding onto otherwise. Thank goodness for the second trimester wind!!!

I don't know about your previous births, but I too hope you find the healing and peace you need this time around. And thank you so much for your comment - it made my day!

Originally Posted by Sheri R 

So, just had a fun playdate with a mama that I went through my first pregnancy with (so our little girls are about a month apart).  They're both 2 now and sometimes play together, mostly grab toys from each other, but now and then they actually interact!!  So my friend saw my sage bush going crazy and asked if she could have some - she snipped away and then made us sage, lime and honey tea.  Delicious..... wasn't sure if it was safe in pregnancy, so I only drank part of mine and looked it up when she was gone.....  apparently not safe.  ooops! can bring on menstruation leading to miscarriage, but possibly only certain types of sage... ah! I don't know what kind I have, I planted it forever ago.....

Just hoping I barely had enough to have any effect.....

Ladies, I love hearing about your lives!  Thyme Mama - that garden sounds AMAZING.   Wish you were my neighbor:)  Franziska - I, too, am already in the purging, organizing mode, even though we're not moving... I do wish you the best!  I am looking forward to having a summer pregnancy, my last was mostly in the winter with baby born in mid-march.  I most of all want to sun my belly (which here in Seattle might be a bit much to ask for.... maybe in August??) and wade/swim in cold creeks and lakes:)

Awww, the playdate sounds like fun! Except for the sage part! I am sure you'll be okay, but keep us updated. If you were my neighbor I would keep you in pregnancy safe herbal teas and melons.

I have had two winter babies and one summer baby. I much preferred the summer baby experience. Swimming in the river and sunning for months on end. Can't do that with a big belly in winter!

[sere234]

Random bits of thoughts coming your way!

So today I noticed my 21 mo scratching and rubbing his head a few times. Then it occurred to me we hadn't washed his hair in, oh, maybe 1-2 weeks? He takes a bath every 1-2 nights but we don't always use soap so, yeah. We're awesome parents! Bet baby #2 can't wait to join the family! 

Thyme Mama- isn't it crazy how challenging it can be to actually get the garden in on time? Seems to take longer and longer each year! Of course, I think our garden gets bigger each year too. Plus we're adding kids so. Maybe that's why? 

Today I spent 1 hour during DS's nap pitting 4.5 pounds of cherries by hand. And that's the weight after the pitting was done. So nice to have bought a house with lots of mature fruit trees! Now if only we would have time to prune them to a smaller, healthier size. Hopefully that will happen next spring. 

So I'm sitting here eating a brownie and Greek yogurt, leaning toward the table and this baby keeps kicking and wiggling. DS used to do the same thing. I might smoosh this baby more often now that I know it dislikes it and will move to get ME to move. I love feeling and KNOWING there is really a tiny person in there. 

Dh is putting DS to bed, think I'll go watch something on Netflix and relax! 

[MrsKoehn]

Originally Posted by Bmorefarmgirl 

It is positively GROSS in Baltimore and has been for days. It is going to be a long summer. Hopefully it'll be a mild October. Lol.
Ugh, just got back from a horribly stressful picnic at the in-laws. Raging Hormones? Check. Exhaustion? Check. Stifling heat? Check. Of course the hubby had to cook on the grill the whole time and everyone else was too hot to run after a toddler, so that was left to mama. All that plus now great grandma decided its time to potty train my 2yo and forced a pack of pull-ups on me. Neat.
Holidays suck.

We had the stressful holiday here. I'm the planner in the family, I totally married into a group of spontaneous people. It takes me a week to be spontaneous! Very long story short, last minute ended up having the family over here, didn't have food for them so had to wait on the in-laws to bring it while my coals slowly died down. In between, I was texting my one SIL who was supposed to be coming over and she admitted that she "let the cat out of the bag" and told the main cousin we WERE NOT telling we're pregnant that we are. I was really infuriated with her. Feel better today but the stress from yesterday was miserable.

Today I mostly have taken it easy. Cleaned up what remained of yesterday's fun times () and started summer tutoring for my SIL 11yrs old. That actually turned out nice bc I had ordered a game called Muggins. It's a really clever math game and quite well made. We ended up playing a round of that instead of Uno cards doubling as Flashcards. We'll do that next time. Then we read some, and thankfully she's not lost anything in the couple weeks they've been out. She's very dyslexic and quite the challenge but she's coming along and for that I'm grateful! :)

[tekcez]

I admire all you gardening mamas.  I really have a black thumb.  I have murdered so many innocent house plants.  I know if I had a garden, I would not have the discipline to keep it alive.  Plus it is so freaking hot here in Austin.  Last summer we had a severe drought statewide (the current state of things is only slightly better than this time last summer) and a ridiculous number of days over 100 degrees.  I'm NOT a summer person.  But I'd rather be pg during the summer than give birth right at the beginning of the summer.  Last summer with DS was miserable. I felt like a shut in because I couldn't get a newborn out in the oppressive heat.  

Bmorefarmgirl and MrsKohen: our holiday was also stressful.  We are house sitting for the summer since our house in under contract and will hopefully be officially sold by mid June (that's a whole other story).  My parents came to stay with us to attend a wedding on Saturday.  My brother calls and says he, his wife, and his 3 children (3, 2, and 12 weeks) are also coming into town.  Luckily they rented an apartment off airbnb.  BUT they did spend a significant amount of time here, and the 3 year old spilled her daddy's beer on the beautiful, expensive wool rug just after the 2 year old peed on it, so...a little stressful.  It doesn't help that DH just complains about them the whole time.  I do love seeing them, though, just wish there was a little more attention on the parents' parts.  DS loved swimming with his cousins even though the 3 year old kept trying to "pick him up" by the neck.  I foolishly thought I would have a long weekend to wrap up loose ends before my last week of work.  Not a moment's rest was had.  

Franjapany: we are also moving soonish, but everything still seems so up in the air.  We found out today that the offer we made on a house on Saturday was accepted!!!  I really can't believe it.  The market here is a bit nuts with houses receiving multiple offers before even officially going on the market, bidding wars, etc.  I thought we would at least have to come back at them with more money, but no.  The house is in a great location with good schools, a couple of neighborhood pools and access to greenbelt trails.  It's safe and beautiful, and I am now able to envision where my kids will grow up.  Really exciting and really stressful at the same time.  I have a running mantra in my head, too.  It goes something like this: Everything will work out for the best.  You will not be given more than you can handle.  This baby is a blessing.  You will know better how to take care of yourself after this baby is born.  You will remain sane and calm.  You have support and love.  

[Sheri R]

Originally Posted by Thyme Mama 

Good! There is nothing like a good whine with mom sometimes!

Ooooooooo! Have fun tomorrow! Swimming in nature while pregnant is one of my favorite experiences in life. Truly it is wonderful. I just feel so........connected with everything. Earth mother and all.

Warm weather is my favorite too because of the dresses. And the night-time nakedness. It's just GOOD!

Wow, living in Thailand! That must have been a really amazing experience. I would love to hear more! (mostly about the food, please)

Congrats on the new flat! Moving is the pits, the feeling of a fresh, new space is great. Hopefully the current tenants will be reasonable and move out a little early. One part that is good about moving is that it makes it easier to get rid of some stuff we may have kept holding onto otherwise. Thank goodness for the second trimester wind!!!

I don't know about your previous births, but I too hope you find the healing and peace you need this time around. And thank you so much for your comment - it made my day!

Awww, the playdate sounds like fun! Except for the sage part! I am sure you'll be okay, but keep us updated. If you were my neighbor I would keep you in pregnancy safe herbal teas and melons.

I have had two winter babies and one summer baby. I much preferred the summer baby experience. Swimming in the river and sunning for months on end. Can't do that with a big belly in winter!

I am feeling fine, despite the sage tea:)  It is so funny to me that you even mention melons... because that is what I have been craving and craving and eating and eating, I have a cantaloupe granita in the freezer as I write. awesome!!

[Simonsez2u]

We are having record temperatures here in Louisiana and it is not even as hot as it is gonna get!  It's the humidity that is stifling and just seems to cling to you.  It actually is not THAT bad just yet.

We are just starting to harvest from our small little garden.  It's amazing how many squash four little plants can produce!  We are anxiously waiting on the tomatoes, it should be any day now.  I thought we may have had a Hornworm problem but I think the Mocking bird that stands guard over the garden had a little snack because the caterpillar damage stopped as soon as it started.  It's a relief because those little buggers can decimate a plant over night. I am also experimenting with trellising cantaloupe because of the space restrictions.  Anyone have any experience with this.  Do they produce more and what is the best way to suspend the fruit?

On the pregnancy front I think I finally have got the second trimester energy and thank goodness.  I've been feeling great.  I had a little gestational diabetes scare at 13 weeks and had to take a 1 hour glucose test (that early!) but I passed.  It did scare me though and I have really been watching my diet.  As a result my weight has been holding steady at 150lbs.  I had already gained 10 lbs so I am okay with it holding steady for now.  I did not have this with my other two so I am hoping that with this last pregnancy I can avoid it as well.  I guess we will see.

[sere234]

SheriR- Glad the tea didn't hurt/bother you! 

Simonsez2u- Squash already?! Wow! We only planted here about 3 weeks ago so all we're harvesting is lettuce, radishes, strawberries, and cherries. I'd be interested if you learn more about suspending spreading plants. I was thinking about doing this with our squash since we haven't mulched the area they are in at all. It'll be foot high grass under them all summer and fall when they start spreading! 

Speaking of 2nd trimester energy, I had a rush of happiness this morning at being nausea free all week! It's sooooo nice to not feel gross all day and night! After 16 weeks or so with DS, I loved being pregnant. Glad I'm out of the icky trimester at last, looking forward to the rest of this pregnancy!

[abouttobe5]

Originally Posted by Thyme Mama 

What is the school of thought on starting CrossFit whilst pregnant? I am getting sooooo out of shape.

I posted on the "healthy" thread about this.  CrossFit is awesome but it is pretty intense.  Message me if you have any specific questions.  I can honestly tell you that whenever you start, it is ADDICTIVE.  I love how I feel coming out of each workout and for a couple of days after.  I go 3x/week and I'm on a high afterwards.  There is something about feeling so strong and capable...maybe it's a girl thing...I just love how I feel after a training session!  

[Bmorefarmgirl]

[quote name="Simonsez2u" url="/community/t/1354271/chit-chat-thread-5-27-through-6-2#post_16996095  Anyone have any experience with this.  Do they produce more and what is the best way to suspend the fruit?.
[/quote]

We trained our cantaloupe across the chain link fence in our backyard. My husband made a little sling out of cut up t-shirts to hold the melons up so they wouldn't break off the vine. Most of the fruit rotted though. Not sure if it was too wet or what. We haven't had much luck with cantaloupe here.

We've had volunteer pumpkins grow up the chain link fence and we didn't do anything but let them grow. They were small pumpkins, and they didn't have any problems hanging on the vine the,selves. We always have to pick them early because of powdery mildew anyway, so they don't get too huge.

We've got snow peas, lettuce, and spinach ready to eat. We already ate all the radishes. We need to plant more of those. My toddler loves them! It's so funny. I thought They'd be too spicy for him.

[abouttobe5]

Originally Posted by sere234 

Random bits of thoughts coming your way!

So today I noticed my 21 mo scratching and rubbing his head a few times. Then it occurred to me we hadn't washed his hair in, oh, maybe 1-2 weeks? He takes a bath every 1-2 nights but we don't always use soap so, yeah. We're awesome parents! Bet baby #2 can't wait to join the family! 

  ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.  Glad I'm not the only one!!!  LOL.  I often give myself the "Mother of the Year" award after things like that.  I see I have a contender for the category...I'll let you know I'm highly competitive!  

@Thymemama - I'm a big gardener too.  Veggies in for the year and now just working on building up my perennial gardens.  I have 15 in total!  Lots of hostas and other shade plants that require minimal work, thank goodness, but two very hot & sunny gardens that are my arch nemesis.  I think and hope it will give me peace come mid-summer!  I love taking off my shoes, squishing toes into the dirt, and digging!

[Simonsez2u]

Originally Posted by sere234 

Simonsez2u- Squash already?!

Sere234 we planted back in March.  We don't have much of a winter here in Louisiana.  It's good and bad because you can have a great garden most of the year except in the dead heat of summer when everything just kind of melts.  I'm excited to see what the cantaloupe does trellised.  I just found out you could do it this season.  Some say to suspend the fruit with panty hose but I was wondering if there was a better way.  I can't wait to bite into a piece of fresh, out of the garden, juices rolling off your chin cantaloupe.  Especially after reading some of the other post, yum!