Back in Action

As stated last Friday, PJ and I finally have the internet. (*Fist Pump*) So, when I do get a chance, I will be able to update my blog. And, at the moment, my little angel is fast asleep for an indeterminate amount of time so I will see how far I get.

Many of my blog followers know that I have been working toward a goal since the beginning of 2012. But, with the surprise pregnancy in early 2013, the idea of losing weight did not become a focus for me…and neither did staying in shape, apparently. The week of my missed period was the week that I pretty much stopped working out. (That was February 6th of 2013.) I assumed that since I couldn’t keep up with one workout, all workouts were going to end with the same result: me panting like a dog while guzzling liters of water. Of course, that first trimester wouldn’t have proved very beneficial for working out because I was almost in a constant state of dizziness. The dizziness worsened if I was on my feet. So, you see the issue. 

Regardless of what happened, I can’t change it now. (Though I wish I could.) I should have stayed active, or at least as active as possible so that my progress wouldn’t have been completely shot. I gained every pound that I had lost plus about 10. I was at 170 when I found out I was pregnant and then I ballooned to 240. My baby was only 6 pounds and 7 ounces and though I had this amazing little girl, I was left pretty fat and pretty unhappy with the choices I had made. All in all, 8 months of not working out is not worth it. 

Now, I must work my butt off, again, to get on track. My goal is still to get to 130 pounds but if I get to a point where I am satisfied with myself and healthy (health is key), I will work at maintaining that weight. I don’t know what 130 looks or feels like (except maybe when I was in 4th or 5th grade) so we shall see. 

While I was pregnant, I told myself that I was going to start P90X again come the first of the year. That would give my body a few months to recuperate. I wasn’t able to start exactly at the first of the year because I was in Paducah and I didn’t have my equipment. In fact, I wasn’t able to start until the 12th of January because of snow/ice threat that didn’t really pan out, causing me to be in Paducah an extra week.

We got home late on Monday the 11th so I did my first workout on the 12th.and it has been almost 3 weeks. In addition to my morning workouts, I have recently incorporated a Tae Kwon Do class at least twice a week and then a 30-minute workout every night after I put Paisley to bed. Because I am nursing, my calorie count is 2200; nursing alone burns about 500 calories a day. They say that nursing helps you lose weight but I’m not convinced. :/

As far as my current weight is concerned, I am trying not to weigh myself too often. The last two weeks, I’ve done it daily and was either joyous or saddened to see the number because it fluctuates a lot! I chalk that up to the fact that I am constantly producing milk for my child and the weight of my milk at certain parts of the day can vary dramatically. (I swear, some days it feels like I have gallons!!) I was recently told to wait about 2 weeks before I weigh again so that is what I will be doing. I really hope I’m not disappointed.

By the way, last night, I did Cardio Axe from my Brazil Butt Lift program (I was feeling that this morning!) and I just finished Legs and Back about an hour ago. Tonight, I hope to go to another Tae Kwon Do class and then do Killer Abs with Jillian Michaels. 

Let me know if you are doing something or eating differently to lose weight or get in shape, etc. I would like to know and would love to help support you as you go through your journey.

Until Next Time, 
Momma Sherri

P.S. The bottom right picture is Paisley shortly after she was born. And the bottom left was taken a few days ago. She is 15 weeks old today.

Paisley Ann Pate
October 18, 2013 3:41 PM
6 pounds 7 ounces 20 inches long

I'm Back!

It's feel pretty good to finally have the internet again. We didn't have a stable connection at my mother-in-law's house while we lived there and didn't have one at our apartment either...until today. Thankfully, the internet is only costing us about $22 with the modem price and installation was free! So, now that we are officially connected to the outside world, it's time for me to start blogging again! Woohoo!!

Though, I probably won't be as much as I was last time because this time, it's a little different. I has a baby!! And...she's getting a little fussy at the moment so I'm gonna go ahead and end this.

But, celebrate with me in the fact that we finally have internet!!!

Until Next Time, 
Sherri Pate

Trying to Cover Everything...

Currently, I am sitting on my couch listening to Glee tunes as a tribute to Cory Monteith. These hormones along with my obvious choice to listen to his solo songs makes for a really emotional combination. I’m keeping it together though. 

For those who don’t know…Cory Monteith played my favorite character on Glee. I even tried to persuade PJ to call our baby Finn Hudson Pate if we were having a boy. He didn’t go for it, but you see that I was a fan. He passed away Saturday due to a combination of alcohol and heroin, which is both tragic and stupid, in my opinion. But, then again, normal people like me only get to see the on-screen person and not all the things they may be doing in the background. It’s a horrible way to die and it’s sad to think that he wasn’t able to get a hold of his drug addiction after so many interventions and trips to a rehab center. Regardless, he was 31, didn’t even get to live out a full life and it’s still very sad.

On the subject of heroin. I’ve been seeing signs around Marion that say “Heroin is Marion’s Economy.” When I first saw this sign (displayed outside the window of someone’s house), it shocked me. First of all, why would anyone not tied to that drug in some way have that sign so visible to the general public? And, if they aren’t tied in some way, that sign means something even deeper: that those people have pretty much given up on the good of humanity. Second, placing a sign anywhere in your yard means that you agree, to some degree or another, with what is being “said.” Third, even if that were true, why display it proudly? Why not try to do something about it, why just take it? 

Since that first sighting, I’ve seen more signs. Thankfully, I am not involved with people who are into that junk, at least not that I know it, but it is still unsettling that people in this community have such low hope. All I can do is pray.

I realize that I started this post off a little heavy. The light hearted things are coming…IN BABY NEWS!!

I go to the doctor’s tomorrow to take my glucose test. I’m actually kind of excited even though I’ve heard many bad things about it. Most of the bad things really only have to do with the taste of the liquid that I’ll be having to drink. If I can snap a picture of this “horrible goo,” I will. I also get to hear Paisley’s heartbeat again!! I love that sound!


I  might also have to get a flu shot, which I am in no way excited for! I spoke to someone through my insurance company and she said it’s a good idea and recommended that pregnant women get the shot so she’d try to set me up with one through my doctor. Yippee! I’m hoping though that I’ve gotten so used to getting poked that it won’t be a big deal. (I still get nervous when it comes to needles whether or not I’ve gotten used to them though.) PJ is coming with me too, so maybe he’ll let me hold his hand. J 

I went to the dentist yesterday. (This has something to do with baby because it’s also recommended that pregnant women see the dentist at least once throughout their pregnancy…which makes sense since you’re really actually supposed to see them every 6 months. Duh!) It was for a cleaning. I sat in the very “cold” waiting room for about an hour listening to some other patient get worked on. (I don’t advise building a dentist’s office in which waiting patients can hear what other’s are going through. All the dentist‘s offices I‘ve been to had a little bit of walk from the waiting room to the chair. Maybe it‘s a Marion thing.) I remember hearing one of the hygienists say “Believe me, I’ve seen teeth a lot worse than yours.” 

When I did get seen (the hygienist didn’t see me on her list until the receptionist went back and told her that I’d been waiting) we mostly chatted about Miss Paisley. I have no problem with this because Paisley is a lot more interesting to talk about than I am! I don’t like talking about myself anyway. I’m not much of an attention hog, never have been. Anyway, she took one look at my mouth and said “You have some gingivitis, which is common in pregnant women, but this isn’t bad at all.” She then proceeded to scrape out every bit that she could with those little hooked tools, which hurt like you don’t even know what. It wasn’t horrible, but it was very painful. Thankfully though, she didn’t SHOVE the floss in between my teeth like Dr. Smith did in Paducah. (He’s located on Broadway, btw.) The entire experience was as gentle as it could have possibly been. I did walk away with a very sore mouth though. Oh yeah, and the dentist, who looked at my teeth for less than 5 minutes, said I didn’t have any cavities. :D (I’m very thankful for a nice smile, healthy teeth and that I didn’t have to get an extraction like the guy in front of me did :/ )

For the rest of the day after I got out of the dentist, I was wiped out. I hadn’t gotten ANY sleep the night before and of course, my mouth hurt. I decided to neglect the errands I was planning to do, came home, crashed for about 20 minutes and then dragged myself out of bed to go pick PJ up from work. He hadn’t been feeling well either. (We think he has a cold due to going back and forth from AC to outside at work. He’s been all sniffly, sneezy and slow lately. ) 

When we got home, I ate a bowl of soup (failed at trying to eat some soup-soaked bread), a cup of banana pudding, and a cup of Trix yogurt. After that, I crashed again for a few hours and even drooled on my pillow!! (I find this alarming because I haven’t done that in YEARS!!) The rest of the day involved me drinking water, eating the rest of the banana pudding, gnawing at some watermelon and swallowing rice. I did sleep well though. PJ and I went to bed at 11pm and I woke up around 10:30am.

I feel much better today and was able to eat my Peanut Butter Crunch cereal this morning with no problem!

In more baby news, Miss Paisley gets to unofficially meet her grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousins, and friends in Paducah here shortly. (Before we left for Ohio, Pais wasn’t kicking and now that she is…a lot…I’m excited for them to feel her little dancing feet!) Her and I are planning a trip in early August for a week so that I can see my family before I can no longer travel far distances. I am super stoked, especially since I’ll get to play with my nephew and new niece!! We are also having a Batman-themed baby shower with my Paducah friends and church family. Boy, do I miss them! Words really can’t express how excited I am to see everyone!! 

Another thing about this trip that excites me is that I get to attend 2 FREE baby classes at the hospital that would otherwise cost me $60 a piece here in Marion. (I also get to swim in my mom’s swimming pool!!)

Well, I’m almost tapped out for information. The only thing I can think of to say is that I called the apartment complex that we’re waiting for and last week, they said we are 21 on the list, which could be a 2-month wait. Please be praying with me that we get in sooner because that will put us in the middle of September, putting me at about 37 weeks. We need time to set up for Paisley!!

Until next time, 
Mama Sherri

A Little Bit of An Update

This one will be short; I have a few errands to run before I pick PJ up from work. I’ll try to cover the most relevant things that have happened in the last few weeks.

To begin, I went to my first breastfeeding class today. For me, it’s never really been a thought in my mind to use formula simply because my body is designed to make food for my baby, so why not use what God gave me? I didn’t know about all the benefits though before becoming pregnant and now I see and continue to see how breastfeeding will be beneficial for both of us. I’m all for it!

The class was very informative. I learned the basics and I’m a lot more comfortable with the idea especially since I wasn’t sure how to go about it when we were found out we were pregnant. I’m excited to have this bonding time with Miss Paisley and I’m also very thrilled that breastfeeding helps mommy lose weight faster. :D

Another recent development has to deal with PJ. He was helping his brother cut down trees about a week and a half ago and stumbled upon some poison ivy. His first symptom was a swollen eye which got worse the next day. We took him to the ER, where he got a shot of steroids plus a prescription for more steroids. Since taking those, the rash spread and got bigger. He’s still dealing with the itchy red bumps today but we’ve been using calamine lotion to help him out a bit. I’m not exactly sure how that has been helping but he seems to be a lot less itchy. At the moment, he feels like it will never go away. I keep telling him that this is not permanent, it will go away and that he is not going back to where he was when he got it. He agrees.

The other day, we filled out an application for income based housing. The lady said we should hear something back within 3-6 months. PJ and I are hoping it’s more towards the shorter end of things so that we might have a week or 2 (or none at all) to prepare for Paisley before she gets here. I will definitely be asking for some help because I am going to be much bigger, slower and I’m not going to want to unpack things and prepare the nursery. So, I’m not afraid to ask for help.

That’s all that I can think of right now. My mind has been temporarily fogged out – no pun intended- by the fact that someone with bad body odor just sat next to me. (I am at the library). It’s literally giving me a headache and I’d rather not have to suffer through the rest of my errands.

Until next time,

Momma Sherri

Be Nice to Everyone...

As promised in my last post, I am updating a lot sooner. Things have been going well, Paisley is a lot more active and I get to hear her sweet heartbeat on Monday. I am very excited to see how my little one is doing.

She is getting so big. I remember a few weeks ago when I would touch my tummy and I couldn’t feel much except what was already there before becoming pregnant. Now, there is a hard lump (my lovely lady “lump,” Paisley) and she likes to move around a lot! I feel her kick or move around at least every hour or two and then she tends to get really active when I want to go to sleep. Her kicks seem to be a lot more powerful when I want to settle down. Just last night, she went on a kicking rampage for a good while. Ya know, those kicks that make your tummy bulge out really quickly and then they are gone almost as soon as they happened. It’s amazing and I am so blessed to get to be this sweet little girl’s mommy. Both PJ and I are very excited to see what she will look like, as any excited expectant parents are, I’m sure.

Other times, she’s not as active as described above, but I can still feel her moving around. Those types of movements are really cool too especially since I’m trying to visualize what’s going on in there. The other day, she was moving around and I got this image of how it must be like for her. The image I got isn’t exactly plausible though, as PJ told me. LOL.

I imagine it to be like being placed in the middle of a big blanket that has been sewn up and filled with water. Obviously, to the average person who hasn’t spent their life in water, it’d be hard to do. Regardless, your space keeps getting smaller and smaller and you might not find one position to be the most comfortable…so, you move around causing almost every part of your body to the touch the blanket in some way, making it pooch out and in. I couldn’t and wouldn’t want to do this especially since I can’t even be in a bed with the bottom part of the blanket tucked in. But, since this is all Paisley knows, I can’t see that she minds it all that much.

In other news, PJ got a new job as a security guard for Whirlpool. Instead of having to do the laborious factory work that he dreaded, he gets to secure it. This is no doubt something that he wants to do and is therefore happy about. I’m happy for him as well because I know what working at a place you dread feels like. His first training day was today and he seemed to come home in good spirits about it. The other bonus about this job is that he will be able to attend Tae Kwon Do classes. He’s been talking about these for a while, even in Paducah, and I’m glad he is able to get a schedule that accompanies something he likes doing. (I also like the fact that he will be exercising. He doesn’t much care for monotonous workout routines, which I prefer, but would rather be doing something good for his body while having fun. A sedentary life is not fun either so I’m glad he will be able to do something specifically for him that he likes and can benefit from in more ways than one.)

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On another topic, I have recently found out that people are very tactless when it comes to a pregnant lady. I’ve gotten hit with a few “word jabs” from people that don’t even know my situation. It’s almost ridiculous! It’s crazy how people think they have the right to give you advice when you are expecting (and working hard to create a human life.) Granted, some advice is necessary and very helpful, but when it attacks you in a personal way, it hurts. For instance, I was having a MAD craving the other day for thick, creamy soup with a bread bowl (or some type of breaded thing.) And, I couldn’t seem to shake it. It’s all I thought about and I was driving myself crazy because I was so hungry and torn between this craving and whether or not to have a third banana for the day. I decided that I was going to do whatever possible to satisfy this craving. So, I made some potato soup and cheddar drop biscuits. It took so long to make, the onions were burning my eyes and I almost had to close up shop because I got real dizzy in the process of cutting the potatoes. I forged on after taking a water break and then brought my chair into the kitchen just in case I needed to sit again. (For some reason, this is how I’ve had to cook while being pregnant. Perhaps the smell of food plus being on my feet makes me dizzy…I’m not sure.)

Anyway, this entire thing took a while but boy was it worth it! I sat down to my soup and biscuits and it was like heaven opened up. It was exactly what Paisley ordered and I think she loved it as much as I did. (She started bouncing around shortly after taking the first bite.)

I said all that to say that someone had the nerve to criticize what I was eating. How rude! Just because I ate unhealthy that time doesn’t mean that everything I put into my body is like that. I’m actually really good with what I eat. I start every day with two slices of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, fresh fruit of some sort (bananas, apples, or strawberries) and a big glass of milk, which totals to about 2/3 servings of dairy that I was told I needed. Later on in the day, I snack on probiotic yogurt, more fruit, vegetables and then usually close out the day with another whole wheat product of some sort. I drink at least 60-100 ounces of water and I sometimes treat myself to a glass of 100% fruit juice or a glass of chocolate milk. All in all, I’d say that I am much more conscious of what goes in my body than most people are and therefore, don’t deserve to have my diet scrutinized by anyone. Yes, there are days where the above doesn’t happen, but that’s no reason to put me under a microscope either. (I do get at least 60 ounces of water a day though, that’s something I do not miss.)

Another thing that I and I’m sure most pregnant women get advice about is exercise. For one thing, I had a feeling I was pregnant when I couldn’t exercise to my full capacity on February 6, 2013 . I was huffing and puffing for air and severely confused because I had been working out almost on a daily basis since January 2012. Why in the world would I not be able to finish that workout? Hmm…pregnant! I was basically told that I needed to work out by someone who needed to work out more than I did. It might have been different if the person who told me was pregnant also, in good shape and cared about what she ate…but that wasn’t the case AT ALL. I think people shouldn’t give work out advice unless they know something about it or have been working at losing weight/becoming healthier for a while. That being said, I know that I need to be doing something. I haven’t been doing much because of the fact that even walking up stairs takes my breath away for several minutes but I do need to incorporate something, whether it be lifting weights or taking leisurely strolls with PJ. ( I hate strolls…I really do…) [If anyone has any good and nice advice for how to incorporate more activity into my pregnant life, please let me know.]

Regardless, there are ways to say something to a pregnant lady (and any one, really) that don’t have to sound so hurtful. Why criticize or rudely instruct a person who is working day and night to create life anyway? If you’re hell bent on giving unwanted, rude, advice, do it to someone else. Chances are they aren’t in as an emotional state as a pregnant lady.

Bottom line, be nice and think about what you say…to pregnant ladies and to everyone.

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Alright, well my library computer-internet time is dwindling and I really have to go to the bathroom. Paisley has been consistently jabbing at my bladder and I’m running out of “just a few more minutes and I’ll go,” time.

Until next time,

Momma Sherri

P.S. Remember, be nice to everyone!! (and, I would have added pictures, but facebook was acting dumb when I needed it not to be...the picture of the fantastic soup is on my facebook if you want to see how amazing it was :)

An Interesting Couple of Weeks

Things have certainly been…interesting…these last few weeks.

On the good side of things, I started to feel Paisley’s little kicks; they are awesome even if some are ill timed (like when it’s way past my bed time…which happened last night or when she‘s positioned close to my bladder…which was probably just emptied. She‘s either lying on it or kicking it making me have to go again.) PJ has been able to feel them too. His first reaction was “That’s depressing…she’s growing up too fast.” (I think he was secretly shocked. How many times do you feel something in your wife’s tummy kick you?) His second reaction was a little different and much more welcomed by me (Afterall, who wants to hear “that’s depressing” when you think it’s one of the greatest things ever?) Paisley kicked him really hard last night and his “That’s crazy,” response made me laugh. I’m glad PJ can now get in on some of the action that I’ve been feeling for about a week now. I’m just so relieved to finally feel it. A lot of people who I know that are pregnant said that they felt the flutter of their babies at around week 18-19. Here I am in week 21 and just now feeling her kick. It was hard waiting but I’m finally glad that she had made herself known.

So far, the only ones who have experienced these little joys are PJ, his cousin Katie, and myself. I’m not sure I’m completely comfortable with many people touching my tummy. Katie is an exception because I feel comfortable around her and I thought she might enjoy feeling those little flutters that make me smile all the time. Feeling those kicks makes it even more real though I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that PJ and I are gonna have a baby.

On the not so good side of things, I still haven’t made that mental transition from living in Paducah to living in Marion. It doesn’t much feel like a homey atmosphere. Hopefully that will change when we find a place to call our own. We’ve lived with my parents before and it was hard then to establish some independence even though we felt more comfortable to roam around the house. Here, we are living with PJ’s parents and I don’t feel as comfortable. Grown men and women who are married are not meant to live with either set of parents. Period. 
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As far as church is concerned. We have been going to a church called Genesis for the past 5-6 Sundays. They don’t have a Wednesday service, which is kind of sad for me since I’m used to and fond of them. I don’t have a solid internet connection either to catch the service from Paducah. The Sunday services are good though, I’ve been learning quite a bit. We haven’t really met anyone yet. I’m trying to get over my shyness of meeting new people and PJ’s not too fond of meeting new people either. But, we need to get over it. It seems a lot easier when your parents introduce you to people (like it was when my family started going to Grace Church International. You automatically form friendships with the people they hang out with, especially as you get older.) Hopefully we will meet people over these next few weeks. The church has a lot of fellowship opportunities and I’m hoping that PJ is as eager to try to make friends as I am. I’ll keep you updated.

I did go out of my comfort zone this past Tuesday. There was a Ladies Night with ladies from the church and I figured I would try to get connected with some. It didn’t exactly work because it was more of a Pampered Chef party except with different product and for the most part, no one talked to anyone else. I was rubbing my belly right before we began eating and a lady came up to me and asked me if I was feeling okay. Lol! I told her that I was pregnant and we talked a little bit about that. The conversation then ended and that was about the extent of conversation I had the rest of the evening. It was a bit saddening but I’m not giving up. I literally need to meet new people with the same kinds of viewpoints as me or I will burst. So, with that in mind, I’m willing to put myself through more awkward moments to find one that isn’t so awkward. 
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Onto a different subject matter. I’ve been sort of a recluse lately (to the room that is ours) and I’ve used my time to do a variety of different things. Some of which include watching informational movies or movies that are “need to see. I was watching this one last night called “The Miracle of Life,” and they got a lot of inside footage of the female and male reproductive systems. When I mean inside footage, I mean the entire enchilada! I got to see the DETAILED details of an actual ovary, egg, testicle, sperm cell and the entire (and laborious) journey a sperm cell takes to get to the egg. All the detailedness made me think I was looking at a bunch of under the sea life. If I was a sperm cell, I don’t know if I’d have the energy to go through all of that to fertilize an egg the size of a grain of sand. But, then again, God created sperm to have a certain task and they don’t have a mind of their own (like I do). After watching that movie, all I can say is “Wow!” I already knew God was awesome, but seeing that video makes me know he is even more awesome. There were so many things that I was trying to wrap my head around especially seeing the process with the great amount of detail that it had. But, to think that God created us knowing precisely the function our many cells accomplish is beyond my comprehension!! And, us humans do a lot more than reproduce!! It’s mind boggling and amazing at the same time!!

Today, as I was laundering our clothes and cleaning up the room, I was also watching “Bully,” a documentary of children who have been bullied at school or on the school bus just because they look or act different or have a different sexual orientation. (I’m not for homosexuality, but picking on someone for a choice they made is wrong no matter what. They are humans too!) I would recommend this movie to anyone, especially school aged children. 

My overall response to this movie is that bullying is mostly a result of bad parenting. (Just my opinion though I do feel that children inwardly know the difference between right and wrong and are therefore wrong too.) But, if parents actually did their job as parents, the children wouldn’t think it’s ok to pick on someone because they are different in some way. Being a parent is a big responsibility and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Some parents don’t need children.

Upon watching this movie, I’ve done a lot of thinking about how and what to teach Paisley. I want her to know that just because someone is different doesn’t mean that they aren’t important. God created us equal and we shouldn’t be using the differences God gave us as a focal point to torment someone. I’ve been bullied before and it’s not fun. It wasn’t necessarily to the point of harming myself but it doesn’t feel good regardless. I’ve been made fun of for being fat, someone actually sat on me and put their hands around my neck in the back of the bus, and a lot of the “more fortunate” kids in high school would break and steal my things just because they thought they had the right to. It never got horrible but it shouldn’t have happened at all. 

I guess I will sail this ship. I’m hoping to submit my next post sooner than it took me to post this one. (With the lack of internet, it’s hard to update my blog as much as I’d like too.) Everyone, be blessed and have a fantastic weekend. 

 

Momma Pate

It's a GIRL!!!

A lot has happened since I last posted an update. But, no doubt the most exciting is that I got to see our baby!!

We went to the doctor on Tuesday, May 14th so that we could find out the sex. And, as most of you already know, we are having a Ms. Paisley Ann Pate!! Yep! We are having a precious baby girl!!!! The most exciting thing I think I witnessed during the ultrasound was that she was lying on her back and opening and shutting her mouth like she was a little fishy. We got to see her spine and apparently her kidneys, bladder and some other things that I seriously couldn’t make out. The ultrasound tech could though, so I guess that’s what matters. My eyes are trained to see that kind of stuff. We also saw her heart; the tech saw four chambers, which is a good sign. Paisley was checked for brain matter as well as head size, femur length and tummy diameter. (I think that is what the tech did with her tummy.) She didn’t say anything that would suggest abnormal growth or slowed growth, so Paisley is doing well, healthy, happy, and I’m sure she’s absolutely gorgeous!!

Later that day, PJ’s aunt and I went to the store to get some things for PJ to announce that we are having a girl. PJ was working at the time of the ultrasound and wasn’t able to get off for it. So, Trish (aunt) and I bought some pink baby clothes, a little door hanger that says “Daddy’s little princess,” a package of “It’s a Girl!” mints, a stuffed bunny, some Extra bubblegum, and a few other things. 

PJ wanted a boy and has wanted a boy ever since we found out we were pregnant. I initially wanted a boy too because I always thought that having a boy to protect our baby girl (2nd child) would be perfect. Inwardly, I knew it was a girl though. It was a gut feeling even though I kept calling it a boy. (I was doing this because PJ wanted a boy and it would kind of irritate him anytime I said we might be having a girl.)

Needless to say, PJ was surprised! He saw the pink and thought we were joking. He was a bit shocked and still kind of is to this day. He’s still trying to let it sink in because he was so sure we were having a boy. He said he had planned to do so many things with our little boy. I told him that he could still do those things with a little girl. He’s still getting used to it. 

We’ve had a pretty busy week this week and it will continue to be busy.

PJ started his job on Monday. Tuesday was baby reveal day. Wednesday, I went to a birthday party with my cousins, JJ, Katie, Devon and their friend (cousin in a sense) Kalene. We had a nice time, got some sun exposure, and ate some food. Thursday, I chilled at the house while PJ worked. Today, I’ll be helping JJ prepare for his graduation party. Tomorrow is the graduation party, which lasts from 11-8pm. PJ and I are helping with it so we will be there almost all day.

So, yes, busy week for us. AND…AND…AND…I think I’m starting to feel Paisley’s kicks. They come at random moments and my tummy feels weird all of a sudden. Weird as in I could feel out of breath all of a sudden, or sick, even though it doesn’t last long, or just like the only sensation I can feel is in my tummy. They are starting to get stronger though, I think. I’m still not sure of what to expect.

Before I end this post, I must say that my weight has increased since moving to Marion. PJ and I aren’t used to having people to hang out with and eat with and have therefore gained weight because of it. So, I decided that I was going to be more conscious about what I eat and drink. I’ve been making good decisions. If it was the choice between an orange and a poptart, I’ll choose an orange even though I really want that poptart. Or, I’ll choose water even though I really want a soda. It’s definitely helping me and I have a lot more will power especially since I am thinking more and more about Paisley.

It’s all a matter of will power. And, I’m actually quite hungry right now. I think I’ll go get a yogurt (with active cultures ;)