Well, at least the little one is! Henry came down with a nasty stomach bug yesterday afternoon, and we’ve been couching it up ever since. Poor kiddo.
Before everything fell apart (and got puked on), we managed to have a fun morning. It’s crazy how fast kids go from perfectly normal to a hot mess, huh? We watched the Husband play soccer – he plays on two intramural leagues, one on Tuesday and one on Sundays. The Sunday one is super challenging.
It was fun, and Kristien played well, but his team lost. Booo.
I had grand plans for productivity today. Did you guys hear about that fire/suicide attempt at a Chicago air traffic control tower on Friday that resulted in 2000 flights getting canceled? The fallout ended up impacting flights all over the Midwest (and probably further!) the entire weekend. I wasn’t even sure I was going to make it home on Saturday – I ended up getting back at 1 AM, nothing but grateful that I was home at all! So clearly, there is a ton of work for me to catch up on, but Henry is obviously staying home today. So now I’m in a bit of survival mode.
Hence:
Almond milk
Peanut butter
Oatmeal (straight up uncooked, trust me)
Chia seeds
Banana
Frozen spinach
Frozen berries
I hope your Monday is going a LOT smoother! <3 Have a good one.
It is absolutely PERFECT in St. Cloud right now. Warm and sunny but just breezy enough… And everyone here is SO nice. I can’t get over how nice people are in Minnesota!
Normally, for Operation Beautiful events, I pop in and out over 24 hours, but I have two events over two days + a travel home day. That meant I had a travel-free day (today!) in the middle, which was so nice. I’m actually staying on campus in the dorms (well, a special ‘guest suite’ that’s more like a private apartment), and it’s been pretty fun to loiter on campus, eat in the dining halls, and hang out in the rec room during my down times. Takes me back!
You know what has drastically improved about dorm life since 2002? The food. So much healthier!
Last night’s event was the big general event. My presentation went well. They served the students bags of popcorn to eat as I talked <— awesome idea!
This morning, I slept late and then woke up and rolled around bed for a good hour, absolutely relishing the free time. Eventually, I got up and got dressed for a walk.
I have not exercised in about a week – no really legit excuses, I’ve just been crunched for time or too tired to make it happen. So my 30 minute stroll felt EXTRA amazing.
For lunch, I went to an Indian restaurant that is rated the #1 restaurant in all of St. Cloud on Trip Advisor. They had a lunch buffet, which was delicious. Indian food never photographs well, does it? But dang – it’s tasty.
I had a fun parenting milestone after lunch – Henry called me on the phone and we had a legit phone conversation. Meaning I asked him questions and he actually responded appropriately. It lasted 5 minutes too (AKA forever in toddler land). Kristien took him to the Day Out With Thomas event this morning (it’s basically a big festival where you can ride a real Thomas train, play with a ton of train tracks, go through a maze and jump on bouncy houses, and meet characters from the show). Henry told me all about it from beginning to end, including the part where he met Mr. Toppen Hatt and it was really scary.
Kristien said that when he saw the man dressed up in a Mr. Toppen Hatt character suit, he started to scream NO NO NO NO and then turned on his heel and ran away – and ended up clotheslining himself on a rope and falling flat on his face! Ahhhh. Poor Henry!
Note to self: Disney would probably not go over well right now…
Thankfully, otherwise he loved the event. I am so sad that I had to miss it! But hearing about it secondhand on the phone was pretty cool, too.
This afternoon, I did a second presentation to Residential Advisors on how to implement Operation Beautiful programming on their floors. This was a special event that I crafted just for St. Cloud – I had a lot of fun going through the hundreds upon hundreds of Operation Beautiful emails from schools who have done their own things and compiling their ideas into one big presentation. People are so creative with what they do!
So – that was my day! I’d say I was beat, but it’s actually been pretty relaxing. Maybe I should go away for work more often… Hah.
This post is sponsored by Musselman’s applesauce.
I was challenged by Musselman’s applesauce to create a healthy back-to-school snack and immediately knew that I wanted to make cookies. Because – let’s be real – kids and adults alike will eat pretty much anything if it comes in cookie form.
These moist cookies are tasty AND good for you! They’re gluten-free and dairy-free, and they don’t include any peanuts, so they’re safe for peanut-free schools (on the topic of allergens, they do contain tree nuts and eggs). There are whole grains and healthy fats packed in. The recipe even includes veggies and fruit, thanks to the carrots and applesauce!
I made this recipe two ways – with icing and without. The icing-free version contains much less sugar, which I know some of you will appreciate. The icing version is probably toeing the ‘healthy’ line but – DANG! It tastes a lot like carrot cake.
30 weeks. Holy hell! I gave birth to Henry in Week 39. Assuming I follow the same pattern, that means that we’re in single digit week countdown mode. <—If you could see my face right now, it’d be an combination of sheer panic and utter joy.
I feel the blog has been rather baby and parenting (and pumpkin recipe) heavy lately – I’m sorry! I know some of you *love* these posts and others would rather have a greater variety. But it’s just way that my writing has worked out lately. Plus – it’s kind of what my life is about at the moment (especially the pumpkin – hah). I promise some variety is forthcoming!
A comparison of then and now:
Week 30 Q&A:
Total Weight Gain: 31 pounds… I think I’m going to end up somewhere around 40. I read the other day that the baby now weighs THREE POUNDS, which sounds so big.
Clothes: NOTHING FITS ME. Because I’m only 4 pounds away from my maximum gain with Henry, and because he was born in the summer instead of the winter, I am pretty much screwed when it comes to winter clothes. I pulled on my favorite jacket this morning, and it was truly comical.
Movement: Tons! I can video it now – the rolls are visible from the outside, which is always a cool milestone. I love the videos I have of Henry in my belly.
Best Moment of the Week: I was laying in bed with Henry and he randomly said, “Mommy, you are NOT going to hold the baby.†My heart started to break because I thought he was being jealous. I said, “Well, Henry, sometimes, I am going to have to hold the baby a lot because little babies can’t sit up or walk yet.†And he goes, “No, mommy, you are NOT going to hold the baby – HENRY going to hold the baby!†Awwww.
Things I Miss: Being fit (i.e. the ability to climb the stairs without dying), not busting out of my clothing, wine, wine, wine, and the ability to sleep more than three hours without having to wake up to pee.
Boy or Girl: I’m back to “I have no clue†mode about the baby’s sex.
Names: Still waffling on boy names. We have two strong options and a third back-up that the Husband really loves but I think is kind of meh. Girl’s name is locked down.
Birth Class: I scheduled a refresher crash course with a Bradley Method instructor. Excited! I still haven’t cracked open my books.
Thoughts on Birth: I’m in denial about the birthing process. Truthfully – I do not want to do it again. I need to get my head around it and gear up, but I feel like I have seen something that cannot be unseen, know what I mean? Hah.
Belly Button: It’s totally flat. Thankfully, this time around, my belly ring holes are not insanely itchy – last time, they KILLED me.
Wedding Rings: Still fit – probably not for long!
Things I’ve Bought: A few really adorable newborn sleepers in baby blue and grey. SO LITTLE. SO CUTE.
Sibling Presents: In the hospital, we’re going to have Little One “bring†a present for Henry (and Henry give one to the baby). I’ve heard this can really help ease the initial shock of seeing Mom holding a new baby – plus, who doesn’t like presents?! Henry will be giving LO a cute elephant lovie, and LO will be giving Henry the Cars DVD (and then I plan for us all to snuggle in the hospital bed and watch it).
Things I Need to Buy: But I have been making a list of things we need to replace or get double of… Thanks for everyone who made suggestions. Here’s our final list!
From top left to bottom right (FYI – affiliate links):
Boppy Newborn Lounger – This was our #1 most used baby item with Henry. We still have our old one, but it’s kind of become a dog bed… Time for a fresh pillow!
Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit – Never tried it with Henry but have heard so many great things about it that we’ll definitely use it with LO.
Bottle Brushes – I pumped a lot in my bedroom, so it’s nice to have a brush/drying rack in the master bath AND the kitchen area.
Diaper Ointment – No experience with this particular brand, but I’ve seen it everywhere on social media and want to give it a try. If you have a newborn coming, DEFINITELY have diaper ointment on hand.
Naturepedic No Compromise Organic Cotton Classic 150 Crib Mattress – Our big splurge item but well worth it (Henry has the same mattress). There is no off-gassing, it’s super comfy, and – frankly – other crib mattress don’t compare. I remember that he started to sleep SO much better when we moved him onto this mattress!
Organic Swaddles – I can’t wait to make baby burritos again!
Ergo 360 and the Newborn Insert – Our second big splurge. Soooo many of you recommended this carrier when I said I wanted one that could be forward- or chest-facing. It certainly isn’t cheap, but I learned with Henry that cheap carriers are really terrible for my back, and I anticipate that this baby will be in the carrier a lot.
If you’re looking for other baby gear recommendations:
Did you know that Domino’s makes gluten-free pizza? I didn’t either! DadHTP ordered a few pies for dinner – my MIL was over, too, so it was fun little pizza party.
Verdict: Pretty good, as far as gluten-free pizzas go. Obviously never going to taste as good as the real thing. But to have pizza DELIVERED TO MY HOUSE again is pretty cool. I like it when dinner rings the doorbell. Hah.
I actually managed to go to bed at a decent hour – lately, I’ve been getting sucked into reruns of Naked and Afraid, which is my new favorite show as I eagerly await the return of Parenthood. I was definitely banking on a good night’s sleep, but I think my body is in full-on newborn prep mode, as I woke up several times and then was wide awake two hours before my normal time. It’s a cruel irony of pregnancy that just when you REALLY, REALLY want to stock up on sleep – you can’t!
But all was well because that gave me a lot of work time. I’m in the process of revamping the Operation Beautiful presentation. It’s almost speaking season again (I travel the country each year speaking to college students about the movement – I’ve been to over 100 schools now… crazy!). I’m trying to squeeze in a bunch of events before I get too nervous to be away from the Husband and the hospital, so I’ll be doing a slew this week and in mid-October.
Breakfast time…
Pumpkin Yogurt is back!
Yes, another pumpkin recipe. What can I say – it’s autumn. You can buy flavored pumpkin yogurt in the store now, but I have long preferred to make my own.
Currently Plotting: My return to triathlons… I spent an hour last night browsing potential races. It’s an addiction, I swear. Oh, and can you tell that I’d love to do a ‘real’ workout instead of a pregnancy waddle down the block? Yup.
