My baby bump journey..

I MADE IT! Well...almost! I'm soooooo happy and anxious and excited and every feeling in between about meeting the newest love of my life! We really can't wait to meet our baby girl and to see what our life will become once she's here. So being that I'm so close to the end...17 DAYS AWAY TO BE EXACT..I thought I'd share some stuff about what this pregnancy has been like. I came up with some questions that I thought would be interesting to answer..So here it is! 

My baby bump journey thus far..

What is the most surprising thing about this pregnancy?

How easy it was (compared to my first pregnancy). I ate pretty healthy and stayed active for the most part. Which was key to me being able to work until now. With Giuliana I exercised all throughout my pregnancy, but I ate horribly! Causing me to gain a unhealthy amount of weight and it was so hard for me for the last three months.

What has been the hardest thing about this pregnancy?

My sciatica. Ohhh that sciatic nerve! I've always had back/spinal problems causing my sciatic nerve to act out. In most pregnancies this is a common side effect, but for me, it's my major problem. Especially at night! Full bladder and a shooting pain down BOTH legs just doesn't go well.

Weirdest craving?

STRAWBERRIES. In my first trimester, all I ever wanted were strawberries. I just couldn't think of anything else lol. Now, I crave chocolate A LOT. Which is very weird cause I'm not a chocolate kind of person.

How did you come up with a name?

All of the girls in our family have "Ana" in their name (Briana, Analeigh, Ariana, Giuliana) so I kept trying to make up a name, because all the ones I came across we're too similar or i didn't really like. So one day my mom mentioned the name and it just stuck. I then asked G about it and she refused to call her anything else! So HANNAH it was!

How much weight have you gained?

Average. Again, I was a lot more conscious about what I ate during this pregnancy. Not that I don't indulge in a the good stuff, I just know how to ignore some of the ridiculous cravings (like pb&j's at 4am). I really didn't start showing until I was about 6 months, by that time I had barely gained like 10lbs.

How does Giuliana feel about the whole thing?

She loves it! She can't wait to have the baby around, or so she says!

What do you think she'll look/be like?

Either exactly like Giuliana (just being reborn again) or nothing like her.

Essentials for this baby?

A baby carrier, so I can get in and out of stores, dr's appointments, etc. with one girl in hand and the other strapped right on. A crib. With Giuliana we weren't in a situation to have the luxury of a nursery so we co-slept. I still plan on co-sleeping with the baby, but also using the crib for daytime and eventually having her sleep in her own bed. Baby proofing the house. Again, we didn't have the luxury of owning our own home. Now that we do I plan on making it as safe as possible.

What WOULDN'T you buy or do?

Although we LOVED co-sleeping with Giuliana, I think we could have encouraged her to sleep on her own a lot earlier than we did. She's finally sleeping on her own, but it definitely wasn't easy! So, with this baby we'll co-sleep, but definitely introduce her to her own bed a lot earlier on. I'm also going to really try to breast feed. It was such a challenge the first time around and I was very misinformed. I'm hoping this time is a lot different and that it will be successful this time! I will NOT (maybe, though) buy too much clothes, but baby girl clothes is just too cute to handle!

Best memory?

Being able to share this experience with Giuliana. I feel like she really understands it. She talks about being a big sister and what she's going to teach her little sister. She mentions her all the time. My favorite thing she says is "Let's see what my sister is big as" referring to the app that shows the comparison of a fruit or veggie to the weight of the baby.

What is different?

I feel more connected to this baby than I did with Giuliana in my belly. That's because OF Giuliana that I feel that way.

I think of how much I love her and I can't wait to fall in love with my child all over again. That feeling is like no other! My heart is just going to grow so much for the two of them. Loving them and being their mom is one of the best feelings in the world.

Best advice for moms?

TAKE IT EASY! Watch what you eat and try to stay active. Don't take it as a free pass to let yourself go. Believe me I KNOW it's hard to get energy going when all you want to do is sleep, but remember this is still your body! You can control it! Don't let the hermit crab take over the shell, because it's only a temporary home. You'll still have to deal with the shell it leaves behind. I have to say, I feel so beautiful being pregnant so I choose to embrace the changes and hardships. It's all of those things that help me remember that a new life is growing inside of me. It can be the most rewarding part of being a woman, if you let it be.

What is your current state?

I'm still working full time...for another SEVEN DAYS! I seriously can't wait to be off work, but I also know that I have to keep myself busy so the next few weeks fly by. My c-section is scheduled for the 18th of November. Although she's lodged into my pelvis and is head down, there's in no progress or sign of labor any time soon. My feet get so swollen at night, it doesn't help that I'm on them all day! I'm also eating less and haven't really gained weight in the past few weeks, which is nice. I'm very happy about this whole experience (besides the backaches) It's been a pretty smooth ride and I just can't wait to move on to the next chapter in our lives. Baby Hannah will be here in no time! 

I highly encourage happy, positive vibes my way! With the help of God and my family I hope to be blessed with another healthy baby girl and I hope everything goes as planned. I can't help but feel really lucky to be chosen to live this life. I'm more than grateful to God for allowing me be this happy.

Thanks for reading! 

Flexitarian? [update]

   Hey there! Seems like I haven't been here in a while...I had the time and urge to blog today so here I am...I really wanted to put some info out there that has helped us transition our eating habits a bit. With the new baby coming and all you might see a few more blogs or updates of what's going on in this crazy life of mine. Also, this new journey into being "flexitarians" or "semi-vegetarian."

   At the beginning of this new pregnancy I really couldn't eat meat. The thought and taste of it made me nauseous. I would only crave tuna, which later I found out wasn't very good for me. So that was out the window! I then looked for advice from my co-worker who happens to be vegetarian. I then started to use my own knowledge and experience and research to adapt our eating habits. It really was pretty simple, just substitute a little bit of this for a little of that..and voila! we were hooked...okay, okay..maybe not that easy, but we're really liking it. There are so many more options out there than there were before. So it makes it easier for people like us who are barely starting this lifestyle.

   Now, before I keep going I have to say that in no way are we completely trying to go vegetarian. At this point, we're still eating more meat than not. I'd say about 70% of our diet still includes meat and I honestly don't know that it will ever change, but for the most part we're just trying to give our body and the earth a break now and then. I also should add that Giuliana plays a big part in our decision to eat this way. Sometimes, she even opts out of the "fake meat" and just eats her veggies. Her diet is probably 50/50 right now and we're perfectly fine with that. The baby is also liking this diet, that means a happy momma as well!

   Let's break it down a bit, on days we decide we don't want to eat meat, we make sure we get enough protein, fiber, vitamins, and good fats from our meal. Now, that's not always the case, but at least we're aware of what we're putting into our body. We still do dairy as well. Although there are controversial studies out there about how good dairies really are good/bad for you, we still love our cookies with milk and our cheese sprinkled on top. It's definitely an enjoyable learning process for us and I'd like to share more of this in the future. I'll start by sharing a meal I made today. Like I said before, there are lots of options out there that make it easier to eat less meat. For one, frozen vegetarian foods have been really helpful for us, keeping in mind the amount of sodium they have. For this meal I used Morning Star Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger. They have 10g of protein, 4g of fiber, and are only 110 calories per serving. Not to mention suuuuper delicious! Topped it off with some fresh avocado, chipotle mayo, and a homemade slaw, between two hearty whole grain buns. The slaw really made it for me! Seriously you won't even miss the meat. Here are more details below:

Spicy Black Bean Burger

1 MS Black Bean Burger

Avocado

Chipotle Mayo (1 part mayo to 3 parts chipotle dressing)

Whole grain buns

Country Slaw(my own recipe):

• 1 part lettuce
• 1 part cabbage
• shredded carrots
• One very small red onion
• The juice of one lime
• Salt & Pepper
• Paprika (secret ingredient :))

...and that is it! Let me know if you try this or any other recipes you'd like to share. I'm always looking for new ideas to put on the table. Also, share your thoughts, comments or questions! Hope you guys enjoyed seeing me around the blog world again! 

-mari:)

A little more personal...

So seriously the weather in Arizona could not be anymore perfect! I love these hot days then stormy nights. Which leads to beeeeeautiful sunsets! So before I go on to sharing these awesome pictures I took, thought I'd share some exciting news! (For me atleast!)

So we will be going on vacation to Washington the beginning of next month for my parents' 30th Anniversary/Vow renewals...is that even how you say it?...lol. Anyway, a fellow blogger (the awesome and very interesting alittleblueberry.com) went on a trip a few weeks ago and blogged the whole thing! This got me thinking because this trip will be the first time my whole immediate family will all be together...EVER! This will be such a special trip for me (God willing) and I plan to capture every moment to be able to look back and remember everything about it! I will try to blog everyday if not at least every other day! Even if not much is going on, but we plan on going to Seattle and the wedding will be like a reunion so there will definitely be much to talk about, I hope. 

STAY TUNED!!!

I love love love this picture of my beautiful girl! She's the best thing to ever be mine :)

I think this is my signature photo. This is my favorite way to take a picture...I have no idea why, but I think it speaks for itself!

The Lion King....anyone?

Fire &Ice: I feel like this is where our life is right now. We're in the grey area. We know what direction we want to go it just seems like we're not really getting there. We've been working hard and I know it will eventually pay off and it will feel soooo damn good when we do! I like to think "glass half full" kind of perspective, but it does get hard. I saw a quote today that made me realize that everything WILL be okay...

"On particularly rough days 

when I'm sure I can't possibly endure, 

I like to remind myself that my 

track record for getting through bad days 

so far is 100% and that's pretty good"

I leave you with that my friends :)

-mari

What the world around me has been up to!

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...this is what's been going on!

 The night of the SUPER MOON...OooOoo! Lol There was a haze over it so we couldn't really see it. Thankfully, I had my camera handy to capture these eerie shots!

 This is one of my favorites of D&G! The lighting was weird and the [automatic] garage light kept coming on. I think it kind of confused my camera and caused it to shoot as if it were daylight, if that makes sense or if that's even possible! HA! Anyway, check out the pic after this one.

These next ones are from Fourth of July. The kids playing with the sparklers (In their undies, because they were swimming right before this..or maybe we let them run around like this screaming like crazy banshees, hahah) Not the clearest of images, but suuuuper cool effects. That I have NO IDEA how they happened, but I just know they are awesome! I had never experienced fireworks in this way. So much fun seeing them for what they really are...lol?...but really these pictures are pretty intense! :)

 We decided that this one below looks like a character from Monsters Inc...the salamander or something? I don't remember what kind of firework it was though..

Arizona has some crazy weather. Yes, it may all be desert, but that makes for some interesting days. Especially during monsoon season! The clouds have been insane lately, and perfect for taking pictures.

Thanks for stopping by! Again, none of these are edited. My next post will include some of these edited, just so you guys can see the difference between the two and I'll do some fun things with the pictures.

-mari