Hike to Rainbow Lake II

Daniel is currently working long hours. He is at the end of a large project and it looks like things could be hectic for the next 6 months. We are trying our best to carve out family time whenever possible. Right now that means taking advantage of my OB appointment days.

This past Saturday Daniel left work early to get the tires rotated on one of our vehicles. This meant he was home by 5pm (which is pretty early for him). We had an hour before sunset, so we decided to do a quick hike down to Rainbow Lake.

The round trip hike to Rainbow Lake is 2 miles. Going down there are some steep switchbacks, but it is doable with our Bob Revolution Stroller (which is basically the equivalent of a mountain bike for small children). Jack walked at the very beginning, but it was cold and he hadn't napped, so it wasn't long until he was ready to ride.

On the way down, Daniel handled Sophie and I pushed the stroller. We passed several people coming back up. One lady (on the steepest section) asked if I had done this before. The implication being: do you know what you are getting into? I have hiked it before with the stroller, and I had every intention of making Daniel push the stroller back up to the top.

The temps were brisk, but it was nice for all of us to get out together as a family. At the lake, Jack insisted on walking down the steep, rocky trail by himself. I offered my hand, but he kept telling me, "I can do it myself."

The poor guy was freezing, so I gave him my vest. On the way back, we covered him up with an extra coat and he conked out. We could hear him snoring as we walked back up.

This was our first hike in almost a year, hopefully we will be finding time to get out on the trails more often (especially once Daniel's big project winds down). Until then, short hikes here or there are to be savored.

Jack was so little the last time that we went to Rainbow Lake!

2015 Book 2: David and Goliath

David and Goliath #mohausreading2015

A photo posted by Cheree Moore (@mo_haus) on Jan 14, 2015 at 12:19pm PST

 
Book two for this year is by one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell. David and Goliath - Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants looks at how the little man (or weaker adversary) beats the expected winner in unexpected ways.

Gladwell offers that often the perceived weaker opponent can win whatever challenge they are facing by playing by a different set of rules. The premise being that David was a shepherd, used to fighting large animals with a sling, and not a soldier used to hand-to-hand combat like Goliath. He played by a different set of rules and ultimately defeated the giant.

The book is full of great examples from an unlikely girls basketball coach who utilized the full-court press to its full potential to tactics employed by Martin Luther King's inner circle to bring focus to the inequality in America.

As always, I enjoyed Gladwell's writing. Though toward the end of the book I felt like there was a lack of focus, but overall a good read.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Baby #2: Second Trimester

It's hard to believe that this trimester is drawing to a close. Other than feeling huge, I haven't really wrapped my mind around the fact that I'm pregnant and that a baby will be here in 3 months. We have barely talked about names, have made zero attempt to do any nursery-related projects and I had a dream recently that the baby arrived and I hadn't even unpacked the baby clothes we already have. I guess it's time to focus on getting ready for this baby!

Here's my recap of my second trimester:

Week 13: Morning Sickness. 
The last couple of weeks I have had a late onset of (mild) morning sickness… not sure if it is normal to show up in second trimester. To those of you who deal with this through the entire first trimester (or your whole pregnancy), I have some serious empathy. It is not fun.

Week 14: Emotional. 
I have been feeling a lot more emotional lately (very different than I was with Jack). The good news is that most of my icky symptoms have subsided.

 

Week 15: Bloated. 
I can barely eat a few bites before I am bloated and miserable. I am not even big yet. I don’t remember feeling like this with Jack. It is a terrible feeling.

Week 16: Good. 
I am feeling good this week. I have been doing between 80 and 100 real pushups in BootCamp each week, which makes me proud of myself. I am finally looking a little bit pregnant.

Week 17: Sick. Sick. Sick. 
I started the week with a migraine that lasted two days. Then proceeded to get a sore throat and chest cold. I don’t remember being this sick and miserable when I was pregnant with Jack. I guess that is because it wasn’t wintertime. Also feeling a lot of irrational anxiety about the possibility of blood clots this week. I give myself daily injections of blood thinners as a precaution, but I have felt really nervous lately.

Week 18: Showing. 
I still haven’t gained any weight, but I finally really feel like I started to show. There is no questioning I am pregnant. There have been a few times I thought I have felt the baby moving, but not sure. It will probably be soon. Also my cold has now lingered for a full week. My voice sounds like a frog. I wake every morning at 3am, coughing. It appears that being pregnant during the winter months has a different kind of misery than being pregnant during the summer months.

Week 19: Kicks. 
I started feeling flutters last week and then they began to feel stronger in the days to follow. By Thanksgiving I was definitely feeling distinctive kicks. This baby is a lot different than Jack was in the kicking department.
 

Week 20: Heartburn. 
The heartburn really kicked it up a notch this week. I finally made the move to Nexium and my days are much better now. Kicking from the baby is also holding pretty steady. When I go to sleep and mid morning seem to be the busiest time for this baby’s kicks.

Week 21: Strong. 
I am over my chest cold and generally feeling great. I am able to do quite a bit in my workouts. I love to feel strong. I am definitely looking pregnant now and have even had strangers ask me about my pregnancy. My funniest experience was a lady at the mall who told me that I was tiny. It sort of made me want to giggle because I have never been tiny in my life. I have always had a more muscular build and the word “tiny” has never felt like it applied to my body shape. Anyways, it was a nice unexpected compliment.

Week 22: A Blur.
This pregnancy feels like a bit of a blur. With Jack I tracked every week and experience. This time everything is flying by too quickly to really analyze. I finally gained a couple of pounds, but can still wear most of my own clothes.

Week 23: Braxton Hicks. 
This was a surprise. I had some BH with Jack in the last trimester, but these seem early and strong. A weird side effect is that I sometimes get lightheaded when I have these contractions. I read online that this can be because there is extra blood in your system to support the pregnancy and when your body contracts, the blood flow stops temporarily, causing a bit of a head rush. Thus the light-headed feeling. It is very strange. I feel the need to lie down more and have been trying to drink more water to ward off the Braxton Hicks.

Week 24: Large. 
We have been busy celebrating Christmas with family. All of a sudden, I feel exceptionally large and it shows. In some photos, I feel like I look ginormous; in others, not so much. I guess it depends on the day, how much I have ate and what I am wearing. I have gained just over 5 pounds. Also, my belly button has popped out.

Week 25: Exhausted. 
After 10 days of visiting family and celebrating the holidays, I am beat. Back pain is becoming a normal thing. Thank goodness for ice packs. I haven’t worked out in almost 2 weeks and I am nervous about starting back up. Just hoping I don’t hurt myself! I tried to wear maternity pants this week because my normal jeans are getting uncomfortable when buttoned… the maternity jeans just fell off of me. Time to get a belly band!
 

Week 26: Pain. 
After 7 days with a severe head cold, I started having chest pain when I coughed. After 2 days, it became a constant pain that radiated from my chest and back. It was excruciating. The on-call doctor at my OB told me to get checked for pneumonia at a walk-in clinic. The walk-in clinic refused to do an x-ray (which I was fine with). After some discussion, we both agreed that the pain was muscular. The doctor cheekily told me to stop coughing and the pain would stop! He also prescribed me Amoxicillin to help me get over the sinus trouble. It’s been a rough week, but hopefully I will be on the mend soon. 

Week 27: Ahead of Schedule. 
This morning I had my Glucose test and OB visit. As to be expected, the glucose test was gross and I was starving by the time I was done. My OB said the fundal height of the baby was measuring 30 weeks instead of 27, so she wants me to get an ultrasound in 2 weeks to see what is going on. I have been feeling huge, but thought maybe it was all in my head (though I have gained about 12 pounds over the last month). This measurement confirms that I am measuring bigger. Also, I haven't had a specific diagnosis, but my OB seems to think I may have pleurisy from my cold (the one that has lingered for 2 weeks). She prescribed some stronger pain medicine to help take the edge off. It really has been 7 days of the worst pain I have ever experienced.

That pretty much wraps up the second trimester. Three months to go and Baby #2 will be home with us. 

Baby #2 First Trimester

2015 Book 1: Think Like a Freak

Think Like a Freak #mohausreading2015

A photo posted by Cheree Moore (@mo_haus) on Jan 3, 2015 at 12:30pm PST

I read Freakonomics back in 2008 (and then again in 2013) and remember enjoying the perspective of the world that authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner offered. The ideas were fresh and exciting. I have not read their second book, Superfreakonomics, but I'm guessing it is more of the same as book 1.

I was eager to read their third book, Think Like a Freak, when I saw it at the library. I thought it was a good way to kick off my reading for 2015. The book was an easy read, but the perspective no longer felt fresh. It was more same-old, same-old. I think the authors have a very unique way of looking at the world and I would like to see that perspective applied to something new. Their last chapter talks about quitting, maybe they are aware that it is time to make a change...

I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Thankful

You could say that the last couple of days have not exactly brought things to be thankful for. There were the freezing temps, frozen pipes, and a lingering sickness that has progressed to chest pain. But there really is plenty to be thankful for.

When I mentioned, on Facebook, that we had no water due to frozen pipes, we had many offers to come take showers. Then a friend put me in contact with her sister and brother-in-law. They texted me to make sure we were okay AND had their plumber call me directly at 9pm at night. Thankfully by that time, Daniel had managed to thaw the pipe that was frozen in our slab basement floor.

When the water came on, Jack came running into the living room and told me something was wrong with the water because it was pouring out brown into the bathtub. We flushed every faucet and have clean, running water again. Daniel had a lot of clean up to do in the mechanical room, and the sinks and tubs all need to be cleaned, but we have water and no pipes busted in the process!

I am thankful for that clean, running water and for friends and strangers who had suggestions and were willing to lend a hand or open their homes to us. I'm also thankful that Daniel was able to come home early and get the problem fixed – even if it meant staying up late.

I have had a head cold for the last 7 days and it progressed to severe chest pain yesterday. I called the on-call doctor late last night and they told me to go to a walk-in clinic to make sure I didn't have pneumonia. Thankfully, it appears that I just pulled muscle in my chest and back from coughing too hard. The doctor (cheekily) told me to stop coughing and the chest pain would stop. I am now on antibiotics and a heating pad and Tylenol for the pain. The pain is "yell out loud" intense when I cough, but thankfully it's not pneumonia.

Yesterday in the midst of not having water, and feeling progressively worse, Jack took the opportunity to dance and sing a made up song. He danced in the sunlight by the back door for a good 10 minutes. I love to see the joy my child finds in little things. He had no idea that we didn't have water or that mommy didn't feel well. He just wanted to dance in the sunshine, and for that I am thankful.

I am thankful that Daniel was able to take the day off work to take me to the doctor and to spend time with Jack while I try to get better. He is back on mandatory 6 day work weeks (starting this week), but was able to make me a priority. It will be hard for all of us in the coming weeks when he has to work long hours, but for today, I'm thankful that he is home and that Jack didn't have to be cooped up, sitting on the couch with his sick mama.

I am trying hard to focus on peace this year and to find the things to be thankful about, even during the days that feel hard.

What I Wore Wednesday, Baby Edition Week 24/25

I am linking up again with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday. I'm looking more and more pregnant, which means more people stop and ask about the pregnancy. I welcome the chance to talk about being pregnant since I had very few people ask when I was pregnant with Jack. I like sharing my news. 

I busted out the maternity jeans last week, thinking it was time, but they just fell off of me. I guess I need to get a belly band for this transitional period. I can still button up my normal jeans, but it's getting to be too uncomfortable. This post covers a 2-week period from Christmas Eve to the week of New Years.

Christmas Eve.

This was the first time I saw a picture of myself and thought, "Oh my word, I'm huge!"

Sweater is old. Striped shirt is Target Maternity, Jeans are Old Navy. Red Tennis shoes are old.

Photo taken in the evening.

Christmas Day.

My belly button has officially popped out.

Shirt is Target Maternity, Vest and Jeans are Old Navy. Chaco sandals are old.  

Photo taken in the mid afternoon.  

Running errands and cleaning my house, waiting on my family to arrive.

Plaid shirt and Jeans from Old Navy. 

Photo taken in the morning. 

Saturday after Christmas. I did a lot of cooking for our family Christmas celebration.

T-shirt is Target Maternity, Jeans are Old Navy.

Photo taken in the morning.  

New Year's Eve. Came down with a cold.
Buttoned up shirt and Jeans from Old Navy.

Photo taken in the mid afternoon. 

 

New Year's Day.

This maternity sweater was given to me. Jeans are Old Navy.
Photo taken in the morning.

Girl's Night Out on the Friday after New Years.

Sweater is old, Maternity shirt was given to me, Jeans are Old Navy.

Photo taken in the evening. 

Chats with Jack ⎮ November, 2014-January, 2015

Listening to a child talk about the world around them is fascinating. I am continuing to record the conversations that we have with Jack and will be including them on my blog from time to time. Here are some of the things Jack was telling us in the months of November and December of 2014...

"Daddy, you're a grown up. I'm a big kid and mommy is a little kid."

"I'm pretending to be a mommy and the baby is in my mommy tummy."

I asked Jack what he wanted to do today for his birthday. He said "Go to the Y, go to church and go to a big restaurant for a burrito."

 
Told me we needed to order a belt so that UPS could bring us a order (package). And daddy would give him a real knife to keep on his belt and he could open his order with his knife like daddy.

D: Jack are you a man?
J: No, not yet.
D: When will you be a man?
J: When I get taller enough, I'll be a man.

"Pooping is hard work."

"I practiced and practiced." (Said while jumping off the couch onto his bean bag).

"When I grow up, I can have the yucky orange medicine (cough drops) like you. That's my favorite."

"Is that the sparkle medicine? It's yucky and it's my favorite."

Uses the words "cool" and "awesome" when excited about something.

Tore down all of the streamers (a week after his birthday party) and matter-of-factly said, "The party is over."

"I need the big soy sauce (syrup) for my pancakes."

"Mommy, I can't hear so much. My ear has a plug in it." (In regard to stuffed up ears when driving up the mountain to our house).

We couldn't figure out who was turning off Jack's humidifier in the morning. Jack said, "I turned off the humidifier. It was out of water."

According to Jack the reason Sophie was sitting on the couch: "Sophie's in time out. She wasn't listening."

"Daddy can go dig dinosaurs with me and then he can go do something else. Does that sound like a good plan?"

    

J: What kind of baby is in your tummy?
Me: do you thinks it's a boy or a girl?
J: A boy.

 

"I don't feel good, boiled custard makes me feel better."
 

 "My belly burped."

Super "cave" instead of "cape."
"Hook" instead of "hood."

Still calls applesauce "apple boss."

"Daddy is my great helper."

 

"It has to get new "babberies" (batteries) so it will work."
 

 "Your tummy is getting bigger and then the baby is going to pop out."

 

Daniel wouldn't share his hat with Jack because his head was cold. He explained that Jack had hair to keep him warm and Jack said, "My hair is awesome."

 

"I have a baby in my tummy... it's in my penis."

A baby was crying at the aquarium and Jack and I had the following discussion:
Jack: "Why is that baby crying?"
Me: "All babies cry like that sometimes."
Jack: "Is our baby going to cry like that?"
Me: "Yes, sometimes our baby will cry like that."
Jack: "Oh." He held my hand and was quiet after that.
 

Daniel was playing trucks with Jack outside and he started quoting lines about getting stuck in the mud from the book, "Little Blue Truck." Jack looked at him and said, "There's no mud here. It's just a book. It has big important things to do."