strained abs + snotty nose

I sat here a week ago, hoping to update the blog, but the only words that would come out were rambling on about all our "misfortunes." 

My child had an epic long running snotty nose the past two (almost three) weeks. I had to cancel plans, rearrange my "schedule," I locked keys in the house, I broke my phone, and on an on. It all just sounded really down and out and I feel that has been my story most of the winter. Feeling down and whining about it. 

Then things started to look up. Last Friday I attended a women's retreat in Estes Park with the church we recently started attending. I met fellow moms that live blocks away, I met single women, older women, all sorts of neat people. They even remembered me on Sunday and said, "hi." I then attended a ladies night with some of the women where we just ate dessert on Tuesday. I felt like I was finally making a break through towards meeting people and feeling  apart of a community here.

Yet, during all of this new socializing I was doing, my hip pain transferred to strained lower ab pain. So I have been fighting hard this week to regain my independence and declare my body my own. I have not fully rested like I should. Who will vacuum and pick up my daughter if I don't? I still went to the gym a few times and went on several long walks because the sun finally decided to shine. All this to say, I am stubborn. 

I am not sure what points I am trying to make through this except I am realizing more and more how I attempt to make this life my own. I try to make it as comfortable as possible and I try to control as many aspects of it as I can. So when things just were not going my way the past two weeks and when my body keeps acting in a way I can not control, I freak out. 

This all ties into the message last Sunday at church. The pastor spoke about how the message of Christ dying for us was not just a sweet story about a good man or saint that died. It is a message of God's people continually refusing to worship him and declaring this earth as their own. We took and continually take the life God has given us and claim it as our own. So God's message through sending his final messenger, his son, was that we would either worship him or deny him, there is no in between. Christ was not simply a man who lived a good life, he was our final hope, our final chance of living a life that will outlast this world. Our God is will eventually come to reclaim everything that is His. 

So I have been working through all my many issues and being reminded of this truth. My life is His. To spend my time upset because my child's nose won't stop running and I keep injuring myself, is rather ridiculous. I try to regain control over my life in so many ways, to do it all on my own, to deny my need for a Savior. But I pray that this weekend, I can be reminded again how much I am in actual need of a Savior, the Savior that died on the cross and rose again for people that deny him over and over again. 

Even though I have been in a funk this past winter, I am thankful for the way in which God is providing me ways out of it. I have started seeing a wonderful Christian counselor. We found a church with potential for me to talk my junk out with other women. I am learning tools to better control my emotions. Its almost summer. We are having a lot of family visit us soon. Will might finally be done with his life-sucking project at work. We even have a date tonight! 

Happy Easter, I pray it is more than just colorful eggs and candy. 

end of week ramblings

This week started off with me being a grumpy pants. I thrive off of routine and when I could not make it to the gym because of my hip, I was in a mood. To top off the no gym thing, we had another unexpected snow. I pouted all day Monday and Tuesday. 

Then on Wednesday, we met up with a friend from Bozeman at the aquarium. Visiting the actual aquarium was a disaster, but it was a beautiful sunny day. The aquarium is more for older children, I think. Or for other children other than mine. There was a mass field trip taking place and Madison insisted on just running through the entire place. I thought surely this would be a scene from a crime show where I am screaming, "she's gone, but she was just right there, now she is vanished!" It was a bit too stressful for me. 

Then yesterday Will adjusted his schedule and we went to the zoo. It was incredibly warm and great to be outside all day. Madison ran around like a crazy person, but with Will's help, I could manage it. She was wiped out afterwards. She especially loved the, "kitttys, kittys..." (the humungous lions)

  

Then today, I made it to the gym. I still took it easy, but it was nice to move a bit. I then headed to the grocery store to get our weekly groceries, only to discover I had left my wallet at home. They refused my check and would not take my credit card manually. So I double backed and got my wallet. At least the fiasco wore Madison out because she is still down for a nap. 

Earlier in the week when we were snowed in, I did more potty training prep with Madison. Meaning, she runs around pant less and pees all over the house. The progress I will report is that now she knows when she pees and you know the other thing. She comes running to me and tells me. The non-progress is that she has yet to make it in the potty. Oh well, what else did I have to do on our snow days besides wipe up my child's messes. 

She decided to put on Will's boots after work during our potty training days. So excuse the little baby bottom. 

I managed to take another picture of my bump. Non of these photos are consistent or very high quality, but I feel I must make some effort to show this next babe I am thinking of it.  This is me at almost 27 weeks. I was very thankful I could wear a skirt because none of my pants fit, I may have had my first breakdown this week over my expanding body (it probably had to do with me not being able to work out...).

It is another beautiful day. When Madison wakes up we will likely sit outside the rest of it. We are also hosting a potluck for a couple of our parent friends tomorrow. It should be a good weekend.

lately

25ish weeks

26 weeks

 1. Pregnancy: I am now 26 weeks pregnant. Just about three months away from welcoming another little peanut. If you had asked me on Friday, I would have told you I never felt better. I had been working out one hour a day for six days a week and feeling awesome. I discovered the stair climber at the gym and was loving the work out it gave me. Well, on Saturday I started to have hip pain. I went to yoga on Sunday and it has only gotten worse since then. I know I need to take it easy, but working out was my only real source of sanity. I am giving it a few more days, but I might go crazy! I guess this baby is finally making its presence known and telling me they need some chill out time. This is hard when it hurts to lift Madison or really do anything that requires movement. Lets just hope it is temporary because being immobile with a toddler is impossible.

2. Speaking of the toddler: Madison's new favorite words are, "No, Mine, and Why." I feel this pretty much sums up toddlerhood.

3. Speaking of possibly needing help if I don't feel better soon: I re-did our guest room, again. I just had a nagging sensation every time we had visitors about making them stay on a futon. I have always desired to host people well and a futon that flips over if you roll on one side was not cutting it. So with a few good finds and selling the futon, we were able to purchase a brand new bed for $40 out of our pocket. The room is a tight squeeze, but hopefully now our guests won't want to leave. (ahem, mom!)

4. Nesting: On Saturday, I went through all of Madison's clothes in an attempt to find some gender neutral pieces. I found about three items, all white onesies, ha. But Madison was a great helper and decided she wanted to wear a set of old pajamas as a cape. So on Sunday morning Will dressed her up. She actually kept the headband on and kept saying, "pwetty, pwetty."

 

5. Graduate school: I started a new grad class last Thursday. It is called career counseling and seems to be rather uninteresting. I am just thankful I am getting it out of the way. It is hard to sit through a four hour class if the material is not at all stimulating, but I just keep telling myself its one step closer.

6. Where is the sun: The week started off with a forecast of sunny skies. A sudden snow storm rolled in last night and we are snowed in. Will took the car because the roads are un-bikeable, so we are stuck inside.  I am really ready for warmth.

the makings of a great birthday

Yesterday I turned 26! 

I really liked 25. But because Will knows me so well, he wrote me the sweetest card, reassuring me that with each passing year we are storing up wonderful memories and how excited he is for this next year. He is right, every year seems to get a little better than the last. 

This birthday felt really special to me because of how well-loved I felt. Several of my friends remembered it was my birthday. My sweet neighbor treated me to lunch. My family gifted me with items that speak to exactly who I am (gift cards to running stores for shoes when I am finished with growing humans, the dryer from my mom, some spending money.) A husband who made me breakfast (ok, he makes me breakfast every morning!). He gave me a new watch and a gift card to get some snazzy work out clothes once I am back in shape. He also let me buy an ice cream cake with out judgement. Of course, I can't forget my little tag alongs. The one growing in my belly and the one who never leaves my side.

I felt really blessed and loved yesterday. The best kind of feeling. We even have plans to have a breakfast date on Saturday. I enjoy extended birthday celebrations. 

I am a little bummed it is still only Thursday, but it should be sunny today before another big snow storm blows in. 

past two weeks + 24 weeks pregnant

I am still not as dedicated to my little ipod as I would have hoped I would be. But I have been bringing it out a bit more these past two weeks. This are pretty much all repeat pictures, but they are all I got. 

Even though all these pictures are taken inside our home, we have actually left quite a bit this week. We had a couple of playgroups, doctor appointments, and a mid-week church service at a new church we are trying out. So I actually got dressed everyday. 

The snow seems to have cleared for a bit and we are looking at sunny skies for the weekend, I am excited. Tomorrow we are headed to the Railroad Museum for free admission day and eating at some local food trucks. I mostly excited about the food trucks. 

It is officially March, that means spring right??? I am thankful time is passing by quickly because I am anxious for sunshine, but at the same time, time passing quickly means well, time is passing quickly.

Here is the bump update. I can only manage to take them myself because by the time Will gets home I am usually in something with an elastic waist band. 

So here is 24 weeks pregnant in all its glory, I guess I liked the color yellow this week and my new scarf from wal-mart...

 

I had another appointment this week and baby is measuring exactly on track. It is really easy to take a healthy pregnancy for granted, but I was hit with a lot of gratitude for my body yesterday for what it is capable of doing.

I am slowly having a few moments where I am a teeny bit anxious to meet this baby, but I am still fine with waiting. I am starting to feel pregnant a bit earlier this time. As in, my insides feel squished and I have shortness of breathe from doing nothing, but those are my only real complaints. I really do forget I am pregnant most of the time.

Now I have got to go lay down the law with my child who has not yet napped today, rarr!