Meet Zaxari Linden Wright born on October 11th, 2011.  It has taken me a while to get some sense of normalcy back and feel a little more human again.  But now that he is almost 2 months old things are starting to even out a little with more sleep and a bit of a routine developing.

So now I am going to get myself back on track and back to my pre-baby self.  It is time to get my butt in gear and get myself moving.  I went for my 6 week post partum check up and have been given the green light to resume all my normal activities so exercise is back in my life once again!

I am starting out by joining a little challenge on a site that I belong to called Fit Yummy Mummy.  I love the workouts and the community.  So I thought that the Holiday Hottie Challenge would be a good starting point for me and a good way to hold myself accountable since the holidays are always a bad time for over indulgences!

This challenge is only for 21 days but it will be a good jump start for me and get me back into the groove.  Plus it gives me some short term goals to work towards.  Like loosing a few pounds and being mindful of what I am eating.

So without further ado I will post my before pictures….here goes nothing!

Front:

Side:

Back:

Starting stats:

Weight: 137.4

Height: 5’ 4 1/2”

Hips: 36”

Waist: 30”

Chest: 35”

L Thigh: 20”

R Thigh: 21”

L Arm: TBA (need help with this one)

R Arm: TBA

Mmmm…those measurements are not all that bad I guess…something to work on.

My goals are to jump start myself back into a routine of exercise and healthy eating once again.  I am hoping to maybe loose a few pounds with this challenge and tone up a little.  But I really need to loose about 10lbs to get back to my pre-baby weight.  That will be a longer goal to tackle.

As you know I love running so I have also incorporated that back into my life as well.  I am starting out slow and low miles.  On Saturday I managed to do about a 1 mile on my treadmill.  No running outside right now as we have quite a bit of snow on the ground..blah!

Ok so there you have it…my flabby pictures for the world to see and a few goals to try and attain of the next little while.

Wish me luck!

But you do what you have to do……

So the hubs really stepped up and starting taking care of J for the most part since they only want me to do things for short periods of time.  The worst part is I am not supposed to drive…which to me is like cutting my arm off!  Seriously…I am a person who is used to being so very independent and it kills me to have to rely on other people for help.  But I have been really trying hard to step back and take the help.

I had a doctors appointment the other day…and we went over everything.  They then decided that it would be best to move up my c-section date to October 11th!!!  I will be 37 weeks and consider full-term so the babe should do just fine.  They do not want me to go really any longer with my blood pressure the way it is.

I am kind of glad actually because the last week and half has really been tough trying to just sit around and rest!  So after this weekend it will all be over and the new little man will be in the world.

I had one last ultrasound today and everything is aok!  So it will be a go on Tuesday.  I have plans to have Thanksgiving dinner at my parents place on Sunday and then bright and early Tuesday morning to the hospital I go and have my next little boy!  EEEK!

Despite the high blood pressure I really feel just fine.  Uncomfortable and big but really fine.  No swelling, vision problems or headaches which can happen when your blood pressure gets high during pregnancy.

The little man  has been pretty active during the afternoon hours when I am sitting trying to rest and some of his movements can be pretty ouch..ouch!!  It is more rolls and stretching now than kicks or punches.  Plus his head is now really…really low and any pressure down there sends me to the washroom!  I visit the bathroom 20 times a day it feels like. 

At my ultrasound they predicted that he weighs about 6lbs 7 ounces right now.  But they are never very accurate give or take a pound.  But he is definitely going to be bigger than J was when he was born.

So this weekend I am going to finish getting my bags packed not much left to really do there now as I pretty much had most of it done anyway.  Just need to add a few things.  Also we have to install the car seat and that is about it really.  Everything else is ready to go!

Right now I am anxious, excited and nervous and also can’t wait to get it over with!  In a few days I will be a mother of TWO!  ACK! 

Also this weekend I plan on pampering myself a little I have an appointment to get a pedicure done…..this girl needs pretty feet before the big day! HA!  Plus it relaxes me which is what I am supposed to be doing..right?

Soooo….the next update will probably be a birth story!  Now time to get off the computer and put my feet up.

So the little guy’s evacuation date is OCTOBER 26TH!!   Six more weeks the countdown is on!

I will be getting up extra early and heading to the hospital to have my 2nd child…ack!  However, that is if he does not decide to grace us with his presence sooner.

I have nothing huge to report..but I will fill you in anyway.  The belly of course is growing and bending over is becoming very difficult and uncomfortable now.  By the end of the day my hands and feet and feeling and looking a little swollen now as well.

I also think that my face is looking a little plump as well.  Plus I am looking pretty darn tired these days!  Ugh…sleeping is getting harder because it is getting way harder to get comfortable despite my favourite body pillow!  My biggest problem is my hips really ache after awhile and then laying on my side is not great.  Plus getting up to pee every couple of hours sucks too.

The kiddo is moving around A LOT these days!!  Sometimes I will him to just sit still!  Usually when I am walking around he is pretty quiet but as soon as I sit down the action starts!  Don’t get me wrong I love knowing that he is happy and growing in there but sometimes his kicks and rolls….OUCH!  Plus he gets the hiccups a couple of times a day and sometimes at night when I get into bed.  I don’t mind the feeling of them but his head is so low now that I feel them way down in my crotch!  Sorry if that is too much info but it is the truth!  It gets a little uncomfortable.

I think my cravings have pretty much subsided for the most part.  I still however really enjoy my milk!  I do sometimes get hungry and stay hungry for awhile.  Then I start to snack away.  I try and make sure it is on fruit, yogurt or cheese and crackers something healthy.  Which reminds me my weight is ok I guess I don’t feel like I have gained a lot but as of my appointment today I have gained 30 lbs. since the pregnancy started.  But I know that I am carrying water weight right now because of my hands and feet are feeling swollen, I now get cankles!  If that is an excuse I am sticking to it! HA!

Getting ready for baby

Well the nursery is finally pretty much done.  If he were to show up early I would be dare I say it?……ready!

I went to Babies R Us a few times last week and got the rest of what I needed and finished pulling the room together.  They were having their HUGE baby sale and it could not have been at a better time.  Plus they take Airmiles now so we cashed in big time and saved some money too on the things that I needed wanted.

In this picture is:

Baby swing ~  a nice compact one that is not huge.  I need to conserve space since J’s toys and other stuff inhabits most of my house as it is!)

Baby bouncer chair ~ need somewhere to contain the little guy while I shower or need to be hands free.

2 Crib Organic cotton crib mattress pads ~ these were on sale for a steal!

Bottle/food warmer ~ I needed a new one since J’s was pretty basic and this one does everything which is nice.  Plus it was on sale.

Mirror for the car ~ need to be able to see baby while I am driving!  I am going to need eye’s in the back of my head to keep and eye on J since he will be behind the driver’s seat.  Should be interesting!

Shop & Play grocery cart cover ~ this purchase maybe a little early but it was on sale for 20 bucks and I could not pass it up.  I always wish I had got one for J since I think grocery carts are gross!  Plus it also turns into a little play mat which would be good for traveling.

Head support ~ we did not have this for J when he was born and had to stuff wash cloths and rolled up blankets around his head in his car seat.  This time I wanted to be prepared!

Swaddle Me blanket ~ Love these little blankets these are a no brainer way to swaddle the baby.  I got it on sale for 9 bucks!  I had one for J too so now I have two.

So now some pictures of the nursery!  Looking in from the door way.

The room is small but I think I managed to use the space well.  It is cozy and I like the feel of it.

Looking from the closet side.  I put J’s chair in the room which is a rocker/glider with a footstool.  The chair fits fine but with the footstool it does not really work.  I will have to see when the time comes if I really need the footstool or not.  The one thing left to do is put his name above his crib.  We purchased wooden letters to hang on the wall.  We have not done that yet as we don’t want to reveal the name we have chosen.

Here is the changing station.  We purchased a change table/dresser combo to keep with utilizing the space as much as possible.  I really like it and it should work out great.

I got these cute little black and white animal art cards from Wee Gallery to hang above the change table so the baby would have something fun to look at since you spend A LOT of time in this spot in the beginning!

Above the change table we hung a few shelves that I got from Ikea.

I thought they would be good for little knick knacks and some supplies to be within easy reach for me.

I am posting another picture of the prints that I got framed because I love them so darn much!  They turned out great and go with the polka dot theme of the bedding.

I love the bedding it is so cute.  However, the bumper pads will come off once he starts to sleep in his crib.  I just put them on to take some pictures.  The first few months he will be sleeping with us in our room in a bassinet like we did with J.

I also purchased a bookcase from Ikea for more storage.  In the white boxes I put some blankets and bedding.  Plus I put a basket of bibs there for now as well as I won’t need those right away.  On the top is the baby monitor and the iPod docking station to play soothing music for baby.  I really like this bookcase it works well for what I need and can be used later to store toys and books when he gets older.

So there you have it…the mostly finished nursery.  I am not a interior designer or anything but I think it turned out pretty good.

Now I think I am going to have myself a glass of milk before it is time for bed!

I had another OB appointment last week and everything is looking good.  My blood pressure was fine and so was baby’s heartbeat.  My weight gain is also fine and I am probably on track to gain about 30lbs with this pregnancy.   I also have my first appointment with the doctors that will be doing my c-section on September 14th so I will find out then when this little guy will be given his evacuation orders if he does not come before!

We also had another ultrasound at 32 weeks.  Because of my age it is standard to have ultrasounds at 32 and 36 weeks to check and make sure the baby’s growth is good and that everything else is going on alright in there.  It was cool to see him again or what we could see of him.  Since he is so big now it is more just body parts than a real picture.  But everything checked out good and he is growing well.  Of course his head is on the big side!  So was J’s actually that is all Daddy’s fault.  I think this little man is going to be looking like Daddy too more than likely!

This week the baby is about the size of 4 navel oranges or about 4lbs and boy does it feel like it!  My ever expanding belly…

How I am feeling

My biggest and really only problem right now is lack of SLEEP!  I am up multiple times a night having to pee or I am just plain uncomfortable.  My hips ache a lot at night and I get pretty stiff.  Having my body pillow has helped but not enough unfortunately.  My pregnancy induced congestion is also back with a vengeance so I am pretty stuffed up at night which makes me sleep with my mouth open…not a pretty picture I am sure!  It also causes my mouth and throat to be drier than a dessert which makes me chug water in the middle of the night and then I have to PEE…ugh…never ending I tell ya!

I have found some relief by using an all natural nasal spray recommend by my doctor.  I use it before I go to bed an it keeps me pretty clear for most of the night.  Hallelujah!

Also the little guy moves around A LOT and sometimes he wakes me up and then I have a tough time falling back to sleep as my mind starts to think about all the stuff that I have left to do!  So I am looking a little tired in these pictures today!

But other than the lack of sleep I really don’t have that much to complain about really…so I consider myself lucky at this point.  I am however, feeling a little more puffy lately and it shows in my face, hands and feet by the end of the day.  We also have suddenly gotten a huge surge of summer weather and we have been almost 30 degrees everyday for the last 5 or 6 days straight and it is going to continue that way until the middle of next week.  Thank goodness we have air conditioning!

Getting ready for Baby

The nursery is pretty much all put together, at least most of the big stuff anyway.  I have been puttering around and getting all the little things done now as well.  I will post some pictures of the nursery when I have it more completed.

I have been slowly doing laundry and there is a lot!  I have also gone out and picked up odds and ends as I remember them.  Since this is my second pregnancy I know better this time what I need and what works so I am making sure I have everything.  Also since this is my second child I am not having a baby shower this time so I am not relying on getting what I will need from anybody.

We still need to purchase the crib mattress and a swing before the end of this month.  That will be it for the big purchases.

I also have been gathering all the stuff I will need as well like nursing supplies and hospital bag stuff so I am prepared for when this little guy comes.  Since I will be having a c-section I will be in the hospital for about 4 days and want to make sure I have everything.  Last time we were not prepared and the hubby had to run out and get me everything I needed which was fine but not ideal.

Something else I have been doing is preparing some freezer meals to have on hand when the babe arrives that way it will be a no brainer to fix fast and healthy meals.  I will do another post on what I have put in my freezer thus far later.  I have plans this weekend to add some more to my stash.

Speaking of food I was hankering for some pulled pork since my Birthday party and over the Labour day long weekend the hubs delivered!

He made the best pulled pork!  So darn delish!

This may look like a big black piece of charred meat but I assure you it was not!  That char on the outside is the “bark” and it is so darn tasty!  We fight over it actually! HA!

The meat after he pulled it apart.  The pork shoulder was about 9 lbs so it made a lot.  So the rest went into freezer bags and into the freezer as part of our baby stash!  YUM!

The traditional way to eat it is with a tangy coleslaw on top.  So I whipped up a batch!  It tastes so good with the cool crisp coleslaw on top plus a little BBQ sauce was also on there.  I enjoyed every single bite!  The meat was so tender and cooked perfectly. 

Thanks honey for fulfilling a pregnant woman’s cravings!

Well speaking of the sleep I most desperately need it is time for bed!

Night.

Since I lasted posted I turned 40!, we did some good progress on the nursery, my new stroller came, I had my first OB appointment and the summer is whizzing by!  J starts pre-school again next week…so I have been getting prepared for that as well.

Never did I think that I would be celebrating my 40th birthday pregnant but I did!

My birthday cake was an original!  A friend of ours made it and it turned out great!

It was shaped as a Coach bag…too cute!  My husband knows me too well!  It also tasted phenomenal!  It was vanilla and chocolate cake with a raspberry cream cheese filing…YUM!  We had a TON of cake leftover so for the next week or so we OD’d on cake!

The hubs also worked extra hard at BBQing and smoking the meat for our get together.

He made a brisket and a pork shoulder.  The pork was shredded and used for pulled pork sandwiches.  Both meats turned out awesome and we barley had any leftovers.

There are hardly any words for how good this meat turned out.  For his first try on his new BBQ he did a perfect job!  Everyone loved the food.  We also had a few appetizers and some salads to have with the main course.

It turned out to be a great Birthday celebration and just how I wanted to spend it.  It was a sunny warm day out in our backyard with family and friends.  I also got showered with lovely cards and gifts from everyone…so generous!

I am now 30 weeks and into the last leg of my pregnancy.  I can’t believe that I only have maybe 8 more weeks left.  I had my first OB appointment last Friday and found out that I will be having a c-section.  I had a c-section with J so I was expecting that it would go this way actually.  I am fine with it.  I healed fine last time and had no problems what so ever.  Also because of my “advanced” age they don’t like the pregnancy to go past the due date.  I also get to have two more ultrasounds because of my age just to make sure that the little guy is doing fine and growing properly. 

For the most part I am feeling pretty good.  But now by the afternoon I am pretty tired and just like to try and take it easy and put my feet up.  Sleeping is pretty darn uncomfortable now too and by the morning my hips are killing me!  So I usually just get up which is usually around 7am or earlier.

The tummy of course is getting bigger and I am measuring right on target.  I have gained a total of 21 pounds so far so I am pretty happy with that.  I am hoping that it will come off easily when the pregnancy is over.  I know that it will probably take a little time but I know what to do to get myself back in tip top shape and when I get the ok from the doctor it will be project get my body back in motion!

The little man is pretty active now and I feel him a lot.  Yesterday he hardly sat still all day.  But today he is a little quieter…must be tried from yesterday!  I have had no real cravings for anything as such.  I have found that I am pretty indecisive when it comes to what I am going to eat lately though…I hum and hah over stuff forever!  I am still chowing down on the salads at lunchtime though.  I am really like putting fruit in my salads like strawberries or mango.  I find it so refreshing. 

In other news the nursery is coming along and almost completed!  It is looking pretty cute.

The one wall is painted a fun red.  We hung some shelves and I purchased the cutest prints on Esty from a shop called Little Monkey Doodles and had them framed.

I love them and think they turned out great!

I also hung some cute little art cards from WeeGallery just above the change table for baby to look at.  I thought they were super cute.

I really like how the room has come together so far.  Don’t let these pictures fool you it is a small space!  So I am trying my hardest to make storage a priority.  Like the closet.

I had California Closets come in and put in an organizer.  I did this with J’s closet too and LOVE it.  It makes such a difference with a small space.  Plus this closet is half the size of J’s.

I will post more pictures when the room is actually finished.  I still have to put my glider chair from J’s room in the corner and get a crib mattress and put on the bedding.  Plus I have a TON of laundry to do as well!  It helps that I have this compulsive need to get ready and organizer right now..nesting is in full swing that is for sure!  I had J early at 35 weeks so I am going to be prepared by then.  So 5 more weeks!  Eeek!

I also got my new stroller yesterday!

In those boxes are the infant car seat, stroller and car seat adapter for the stroller.

I decided on the Britax B-Ready system.  It also helped that Babies R Us was selling the stroller with the car seat for free!  That was a $300.00 dollar savings!  Plus I really think the stroller is great for two kids since you can use it tandem.

Toddler seat in front for J and infant car seat on the bottom back for the new little man.

I love the features of this stroller.  It has a huge storage basket on the bottom, lots of room in the seat and it strolls like a dream.  Very smooth and no problem even one handed.

So another major purchase has been marked off the list. Check!

Things left to do before baby:

• Get a crib mattress and mattress pads
• Purchase Swing and bouncy chair
• Do a mountain of baby laundry
• Put the finishing touches on the nursery
• Stock up on nursing supplies (bras, tanks, nursing pads, pump…etc.)
• Pack a hospital bag
• Prepare made ahead freezer meals
• Install the new car seat in the car
• Buy nursery essentials (newborn diapers, bum cream, baby shampoo/body wash..etc.)
• Clean up J’s old bassinet and get it ready
• Install a dimmer switch in the nursery
• Clean up Pack and Play and install the bassinet for the main floor sleeping/changing station.

I am sure there is probably more…but my baby brain can’t think of anything else right now..Ha!

We got a lovely BIG patio umbrella!  This thing is the bomb and fits the deck perfectly.  It took a little work to get the base set up though.

Seven bags of sand

and a very large funnel

To fill four plastic base containers that hold 100 lbs each.  We only filled ours to be about 380 lbs in total.   Plus the metal base is 60 lbs so that is one HEAVY base.  This umbrella is going no where!

The base intact and ready for the big shady umbrella.

I love the umbrella and it fits the deck perfect.  It is 13 feet in diameter so it almost covers the whole deck.

It will be so nice to sit outside now that the sun will not be beating down on us.  The umbrella also tilts left and right and swings 360 degrees.

We can swing it over out past the deck and can shade the grass area.  So this will be nice if J is playing on the grass or splashing around in is his pool.

When it is not in use it has a great cover to protect it and sits compact in the corner of our deck.

This umbrella was a bit of an investment but totally worth it.

This whole week is supposed to be sunny and hot so I will be taking advantage of the nice weather and enjoying my backyard a little more now that we have lots of shade!

When he said he wanted to try a recipe he found for cabbage rolls I was game.  I love cabbage rolls.  So far everything we have tried on the grill has turned out wonderful and this recipe was a good one too.

I picked up a few things that we needed from the farmers market and grocery store and the hubby pretty much did the rest but I did help a little.

First up was mixing together the meat filling.  This filling has a lot of flavour.  Traditionally cabbage roll filling is pretty bland and you cook them with a flavourful tomato sauce to give them some great taste and moisture.  But since this is done on the BBQ without a sauce the meat mixture is full of flavour.

• 1 lb of organic beef/pork mixture (having the pork with the beef adds some moisture)
• 3/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp Marjoram
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper
• 1/4 tsp of mustard seed
• Scant 1/8 tsp of Granulated Garlic
• 1/8 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg or Allspice (we used Nutmeg)
• 1/8 cup ice water

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and let rest in the refrigerator for about an hour.

In the mean time I worked on the cabbage.  I blanched a whole head of cabbage in hot water for about 3-5 minutes to separate the leaves.

Once I had that completed it was time to add a few more ingredients to the meat filling and start stuffing the cabbage leaves.

To the meat mixture we added:

• 4 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 cup of cooked rice

Then we stuffed.  This recipe makes 12 rolls.  We however got eleven out of it.  Some of the cabbage leaves are bigger and got more filling.

The rolls all cozy in the baking dish, smeared in a little butter and sprinkled with cracked black pepper.

They needed to cook for an hour.

While they cooked Daddy and J played a little game of TIM-BERRRRR on the couch!

Hubs lifts J up and he touches the ceiling…

Then he comes crashing down….

with a BIG HUGE smile on his face….so funny!

Bracing for impact!

He just LOVES it when the hubs plays with him like this.  J could go all night but we needed to eat supper.

Time to eat…hot off the grill.

I started with one big roll and topped it with a little spicy salsa.

They turned out moist and so delicious!  I loved them and ended up having one more plus one small one for a total of three.  So darn good…I would make them again for sure.  I think a small dollop of sour cream would have been good on these as well.  But we did not have any.

Plans for tomorrow are to get out in our backyard and do some much needed clean up.  We want to spruce up the yard for my Birthday party next weekend.  We made a special purchase today for the backyard as well which we pick up tomorrow.  I will blog about that tomorrow.

I think I will go and do a little reading right now…I am reading The Help and so far it is a good read!

But finally things are starting to look up in our household and my men seem to be on the mend now.  J is pretty much back to himself and the hubs is just about there.  But through all the germs and yucky bugs running rapid in my house I managed to stay healthy.  Thank goodness because being sick and pregnant is not my first choice!

Since my last post my belly has done some growing!

How Big is the Baby?

Little man is about the size of a cauliflower now weighing about 2lbs and approximately 15 inches long.  It feels like it too!  He is pretty active now and moves around a lot.  I feel rolls, kicks and punches and sometimes they hurt!

How I’m Changing

Well the belly is much bigger.  I also think my boobs got just a little bigger as well..ugh!  I feel pressure down low sometimes during the day and need to sit down and relax.  I am carrying pretty darn low this time.  I pee A LOT now….when he moves a certain way I also find that I need to make a quick trip to the washroom.  He must use my bladder as a pillow or punching bag or something!!  I am up at least 3 times a night to visit the washroom…it is exhausting!

How I’m Feeling

Actually I am feeling pretty darn good.  I still get tired from time to time.  But really this pregnancy has been really good so far.  I passed my Gestational Diabetes test just fine and at my last check up I was measuring on target and his heartbeat was good and strong.  My weight gain has not been dramatic but it is up there a little so far I have gained 19 pounds.  My doc was not worried about it at all and really neither am I to tell you the truth. 

I am trying hard to eat as healthy as possible.  I have been juicing every morning and have had no real cravings lately.  However, my sweet tooth can still get the best of me at times.  Like right now I am sitting here munching on Kernels Caramel Popcorn as I type this post   Oh however, I am still loving Organic Skim Milk big time.  I usually have two big glasses every day.

Odds and Ends

We have now painted the accent wall in the nursery and we are slowly but surely getting it going.  I have purchased a bookcase and some curtains so that is the next thing to assemble and put up.  I have also ordered the closet organizer and it gets installed next week.  After that we just need to set up the crib and just put the room together.  I will post pictures once it starts to look more like a nursery.  Right now it is just a mess!

Also I turn 40 next week!  We have a Birthday BBQ planned for next weekend with some close friends and family…..I can’t wait.

We sat on our butts, relaxed, read, played games, ATE lots! and just plain enjoyed ourselves.  We took J to the water slide park for the first time and he LOVED it!  So much we took him twice!  It was the highlight of my vacation watching him have so much fun!

Here are some of my favourite photos from the trip….

It was delightful!

For the burgers tonight he selected the Black Walnut pellets.  These pellets produce a little more stronger and intense smoke flavour and are perfect for beef or in this case bison.

We started first by cooking some fresh mushrooms and onions on the grill for the burger toppings.

My new cast iron skillet came in handy for that.

The Bison burgers went on a little while later for a pre-smoke and then grilling.

I was on french fry detail.  I cooked some potato wedges in the oven.  Thank heavens for air conditioning.

This was a bit of a cheat!  I bought a bag of Alexia Oven Reds seasoned with Olive Oil, Parmesan and Roasted Garlic from the Organic Market.  I decided to try then since they were on sale. 

Before the burgers were done we added some aged cheddar on top.  Perfectly melty!

My scrumptious dinner all ready to eat.  I also topped my burger with tomatoes, spinach along with the onion and mushroom mixture.  The potato wedges were so tasty and perfectly crisp but still soft inside.

The hubby’s burger…he gave his a little dollop of BBQ sauce.

My supper was beyond delicious!  The new grill made the burgers taste unbelievable!  They were lightly smoked but not at all overpowering.  It tasted like I got a professionally flamed broiled burger!

Mmmmm…so good!  I can’t wait to grill some again soon.