Weekend Getaway - Chicago

Jon and I decided to take a last minute trip to Chicago this weekend and I learned a few new things about the city during our stay. First off, snow has a way of magically disappearing in Chicago, second, everything takes longer than expected, and last, getting around town with two kids, a toddler, and a very pregnant woman is...well...interesting.

We began our adventure early Friday evening, cramming luggage and kids into the car, and loading up on every type of junk food imaginable. I was a little hesitant to make the trip with a car full of precious cargo considering that our friends up north had just spent the past 24 hours enduring the “Saskatchewan Screamer” which, according to every news channel, had blanketed the city in up to six inches of snow and ice. I’m glad we didn’t cancel our trip. There was not a TRACE of snow anywhere. I know the northern suburbs took the brunt of the storm and I’m assuming the heat of the city just instantly melts the snow away or something, but it was a little weird. I mean, the ground wasn’t even wet! Whatever the case, it was a big relief not to have to worry about the road conditions after all.

We got settled in at our hotel and then headed out for dinner at a sushi place a few blocks away. I have to say that the staff at this restaurant (and actually all of the restaurants that we went to) were SO great with Sydney. I was really surprised by how child-friendly the restaurants were (keeping in mind that we didn’t go anywhere really high-end). After dinner we went back to the hotel and Sydney and I settled in for the night while the boys headed out to Dave and Buster's for a while.

The next day we took our time with a leisurely start to the day. Sydney slept in the room with me an Jon but she couldn't wait to run out each morning and see "the boys".

Once we were ready, we geared up and headed out to explore the city! The morning was cold, but the sun was shinning, the streets were uncrowded, and it was a beautiful start to the day.  

We met up with uncle Jeff who spent the day with us while we took in the view from the Sky Deck, ate lunch at a pizzeria, went to Navy Pier, and did a LOT of walking. I think we were all exhausted by the end of the day. What do people with young kids in the city do anyway? Do you take them in taxis? Is that even legal? The Sky Deck was really neat; I think the boys enjoyed it, but man! I didn't realize it was such a tourist trap! What I thought would be a quick activity, turned into a three hour event with long, long, lines! Oh well, it's all about building memories anyway, so I think it was still worth it.

Our extended stay at the Sky Deck, delayed our trip to Navy Pier, so by the time we got there the children's museum was closed, but we made lemonade and enjoyed what we could at the Pier.

When we got back to the hotel, the kids and I went swimming, while Jon and Jeff went to get us the most awesome churros and soft serve. YUM! Sydney had gone all day without a nap so, once again, we called it a night while the boys headed back out to do some bowling.

We spent our last day in Chicago at the aquarium which, aside from the swimming, was Sydney’s favorite part of the trip I believe.

We had a great time, but the weekend was exhausting. I'm just glad that Jon, Jeff, and the boys were there to help out with Sydney and act as my pack-mule, so that this pregnant mama could waddle miles around the city all weekend. 

The kids all fell asleep about 15 minutes into our drive and slept the entire way home. Believe me it's what Jon and i wanted to do too!

I love visiting the city, it's alive and inspiring, and there's always something new to be experienced or discovered; but there's something about coming home to the peace and quiet of our small town that allows my shoulders to settle a little, my lungs to breath a little deeper, and my mind to relax back into the rhythm of routine. It's good to be home. 

Until we meet again Chicago!

Bumpdate: Week 33

Week 33 according to thebump.com:


How big is baby?:
Your baby's the size of a honeydew! She weighs about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. And she may grow up to a full inch this week -- amazing.

Your baby at 33 weeks:

She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. She’s keeping her eyes open while awake and she's also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. 

We’d tell you to take a deep breath and relax, but it’s probably tough to do either of those at 33 weeks. It’s probably tough to be comfortable at all, since you might be feeling overheated on top of your other symptoms, too. As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.

Week 33 according to me:

Symptoms: Heartburn, hot flashes (actually more like hot all the time), and just generally getting more uncomfortable.

Maternity clothes?: Yes, but I've been trying to get non-maternity clothes that could work when I'm no longer pregnant.

Sleep?: I'm not sleeping so good at all these days. With all of the heartburn, sore hips, trips to the bathroom, strong baby movements, and other aches and pains, I basically toss and turn and get up and down all night.

Movement?: Yes, a lot and it's getting pretty uncomfortable at times now (this girl is strong!).

Food cravings?: None in particular.

Food aversions?: Nope.

What’s different this time?: I feel like there's not much to do this time to get ready for the baby's arrival. No classes to attend, nothing to get done, nothing to buy (or at least not much), just waiting for her to get here!

Labor signs?: No.

I am loving: Having an easy, healthy pregnancy so far. Watching Sydney's vocabulary explode. I swear she picks up several new words a day! Eating the chocolate mouse that Jon made me on Valentine's day with whip cream and strawberries. Yum.


What I miss: A good night's sleep. Not going to have that again for a while though!


What I’m looking forward to: Time off with my girls.


What I’m freaking out about: Weight gain. I don't know exactly what my starting weight was (and the hospital conveniently switched to a new charting system in the middle of my pregnancy, so they don't either) but I think I've gained around 30 pounds so far. Still within a normal range, but I've still got two months to go and I had by biggest weight gain so far at my last appointment (five pounds in two weeks!). Better ease off the sweets!

The Magically Mundandane: Valentine's Day Edition

Simple things we've been enjoying lately.

A Valentine's Day gift from daddy.

Pulling out last year's decorations. (You don't want to know how long I spent untangling those blessed hearts.)

This super sweet, pinterest inspired, hairdo that my sister did for Sydney.

Last, but not least, festive cupcakes.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Give someone you love a hug!

Project 52 - Week 6: Drink Up!

Sydney's current favorite pastime is drinking out of her little tea cups. I thought it fit nicely with this week's theme.

"Dis Sydney's tup!"

Of course she always happens to "accidentally" spill some so that she can clean it up...which is her second favorite pastime at the moment.

Getting Ready For Baby

For me, getting ready for baby means getting ready at home and at work. I’ll be taking my leave during a busy time at work so I’ve been trying to get as much done as possible ahead of time. I feel like I’m barely keeping my head above water these days. I’m sure you’ve all been there…you work on getting 20 or so things accomplished during the day and in the mean time 50 new emails roll in and 30 new tasks crop up. One step forward, three steps back. I’m getting there, just slowly.

Being busy at work has a tendency to carryover at home for me too. Usually, as a typical work day begins to wind down, I can spare a few minutes to at least contemplate what I want to make for dinner and if I need to run by the grocery store on the way home. No time for that lately, so instead I find myself arriving at home, opening the fridge, and staring blankly while I ponder what I can throw together in 15 minutes with cottage cheese, leftover hotdogs, and pomegranates.

Thankfully, Jon has stepped up to the plate big time. He’s made dinner far more than I have lately and there have been several occasions where I’ve come home to a thoroughly cleaned house, dinner ready, and laundry going. Basically, I’m married to a superman.

The flip side to this coin is that, while I've been busy preparing for this baby's arrival at work, I’ve hardly done anything to prepare for the baby at home. We’ve been busy, don’t get me wrong…cleaning out closets, rearranging the attic to make more room, getting Sydney’s big girl room ready to free up the nursery, and so on, but I’ve really done next to nothing to actually get ready for the baby specifically.

Before we had Sydney, I had HUGE lists of things to buy, to do, and to get ready before the baby arrived. The only purchase I’ve really made for the baby so far is an awesome double stroller that I found on craigslist. (It was my first craigslist purchase by the way and I didn’t even get mugged or murdered. Total bonus!)

Here's a list of the few things that are done:

• We are good on car seats for now (going to use Sydney’s old travel system).
• Got the sweet craigslist double stroller!
• Nursery is ready and waiting now that Sydney is out.
• Sorted through Sydney’s old clothes and pulled out the ones that will work.

Here's a list of the few things that we still need to do:

• Buy diapers, bottles, nursing supplies, and a few other small things.
• I’m going to attempt to do my own newborn photos this time, so there are still a few things I need to get ready for that.
• Get someone lined up to watch Sydney when we go to the hospital. (Mom and dad are you reading this? Expect a phone call from me soon!)
• Pack my hospital bags

That’s it! I feel like, short of popping prenatal vitamins, I’m not doing much of anything to get ready for this baby! Second time mom and dad’s out there…what am I forgetting?!

Project 52 - Week 5: Shadows

My first thought for this theme was to do a cute shot of Sydney outside with her shadow, but the weekend flew by without time and I don't get home during the week until the sun is already down, so that idea went out the window. Instead you get me playing with some over-the-top eye makeup! I have to say, it was kind of fun!

Dog allergies, fun for one and all.

Did you know that Labradors are prone to skin allergies? Yeah, I didn't either. Until I got a Lab that is. Crap. Can I get a refund? I'll even pay the restocking fee.

Don't worry, I'm only kidding. I think.

This money-sucking trait didn't manifest right away. It waited about a year or so to make it's debut, giving you just enough time to become significantly attached to it's carrier, therefore insuring that you will cram hundreds of dollars of non-discretionary income down your pup's throat each year in its name.

In our case, I've been shoving four antibiotic pills down Sawyer's throat every day, three weeks a month, for the past three to four years. It's a blast. Really, you should try it sometime. For giggles.

This wasn't my first choice, but my cunning canine, quickly caught on and could spot a smelly antibiotic pill from a mile away. No matter what tasty morsel I used in a vain attempt to hide the pill, he would find it and spit it out like a bad piece of tuna.

I finally decided I'd had enough dog slobber and chew marks on my hands for one lifetime, so we decided to head down the even more expensive road of allergy shots. I was basically ready to try anything at this point to save my delicate lady hands and my sanity.

So, nearly $200 and a few weeks later, we anxiously awaited the results of his blood test to once and for all find out exactly what this pooch is allergic to and pay some pharmaceutical goonie to work up a sanity-saving-shot for us.

They tested for everything; grasses, weeds, dust mites, mold, on, and on...) You know what the results came back showing he was allergic to?

Nothing.

Say WHAT?! How is that possible?

Apparently this means one thing. A food allergy. (We were warned of this possibility before we shelled out the cash, but I barely considered it an option. I thought for sure this test was going to come back with a giant YES next to every allergen known to man. Errrr....dog.) Conveniently, there are no easy blood tests to narrow down a food allergy. You have to do a food trial. Which means that your dog is on a STRICT food diet with ABSOLUTELY no table food.

....blank stare...

Did you know I have a two year old?

....blank stare...

Absolutely no table food? You might as well have just asked me to walk on water.

Our vet completely understood the dilemma, but sadly, that means our only option is to continue to merely treat the symptoms with pills.

Goodbye sanity. Goodbye lady hands.

Sawyer if you are reading this, you owe me. BIG. At a bare minimum, you could consider letting me rest my feet on your back every now and then, giving me back a meager six inches of my king size bed, or perhaps you'd consider passing a bit less gas.

For those of you out there considering adding a lovable Labrador to your family pack, let me offer a few suggestions: Pet health insurance for instance. I used to think this existed solely for crazy people, that's probably still the case, but I wouldn't brush it off so quickly if I were you. Or, perhaps opt for a nice gold fish instead. I hear their vet bills are a lot more manageable. Plus, there's the added bonus of not having to deal with a 70 pound "lap"dog, neon-yellow-carpet-staining-puke, an uninvited bed guest, or a multitude of foul smelling odors.

To add insult to injury, we're 99% sure he now has an ear infection. I wonder if you can open a tab at the Vet clinic?