Almost halfway there

Today I'm exactly 18 weeks. The baby is the size of a bell pepper and looks like a miniature newborn according to the iphone app that tells me about my growing belly.

I think it's pretty obvious I look pregnant by now but I definitely get that double check and hesitation to ask, as in is she just guzzling a lot of beer or... Second trimester feels better than the first but I'm still tired. Mainly because Collin has decided to wake up before 6am and then on other mornings my brain is just programmed to wake up early. I'm feeling more and more movement which is definitely my favorite part of pregnancy though it's still pretty sporadic at this point.

Keeping up with aerobic type workouts is getting harder. I've been having these fun Braxton-hicks contractions consistently for the past several weeks (practice contractions where your stomach expands as hard as a rock and feels pretty damn uncomfortable) so the doctor said to take it easy. Figure I'll keep running, just shorter distances with spurts of walking. Another fun thing about pregnancy is as I run my stomach pushes down on my bladder and it feels like I'm going to burst after thirty minutes. But I don't want to give up running until I know it doesn't feel good anymore . When you work so hard to get to the point where five miles is a breeze it kind of sucks to have to start over after pregnancy. I'm hoping my body remembers! I'm also trying to find time for a prenatal swim class and do a pilates DVD a couple times a week.

It may sound like I'm obsessing over exercise but if I don't work out I get stir crazy and mean (just ask Mike)! The voracious appetite is also taking over but I'm trying not to overdo it. No heartburn this time. Luckily most of the stuff I crave is pretty healthy--falafel, fruit, hummus, oatmeal, avocado. Ice cream and sweets don't really interest me. And to be stereotypical peanut butter and pickles are go-to snacks (sometimes together--don't judge).

We get the official word boy or girl in a couple weeks though we're pretty sure there was a penis in view at our last ultrasound and since Mike's genes don't seem capable of carrying anything but males we're expecting a little brother for Collin. I'm hoping maybe this baby will be a little calmer and more cautious than our daredevil but not holding my breath.

The realization has also hit that we're going to have to just deal with two kiddos in this house temporarily and wait until next spring to list. The bedrooms will be a little cramped but I know there are families that deal with way smaller living arrangements so we can't complain too much. Mike won't have to kill himself working to finish the house in the next month and we'll have more money in the bank so hopefully we can go for our dream house as opposed to settling. Right now we could most likely afford a brand new house in the burbs. But we're city dwellers at heart and inevitability we'll probably end up sticking around NE Portland but move to a nicer neighborhood with good schools. It's hard to imagine giving up all the restaurants, shops and quirks of inner-city life. We also have parks around every corner and lots of families. The downside of inner-city life is crime and gang violence are not too far away. And finding a brand new house in this area is almost impossible--I am not someone who romanticizes over the character of older homes but the only new houses around here seem to either be way above our price range or skinny infill lots with no yard. Overall, we're happy here. As long as we find an updated home in a neighborhood that Collin and his sib can play outside without me having to be a hawk it'll be all good.

Yo ho, yo ho

Collin's obsession with pirates has not waned. He loves to build pirate ships with his blocks and he's the captain of any play structure. He now has two swords (but sticks also work) which he uses to fight crocodiles, Captain Hook and any other bad guys that get in his way.

So of course we had to take our little matey to the Pirate Festival in St. Helens. The Pirate Festival was complete with grown-ups and families in full pirate regalia. We're talking costumes that looked like they came off a movie set. It was a 90 degree day so the men and women in long sleeves, heavy pants and jackets get props for dedication. Or geekdome...

There were cannons blasting off, games for kids, live music and bounce houses that Collin was immediately drawn to. We found a skull cap with for Collin as well as some more action figures and toys and a Jolly Roger flag to hang up on the new balcony off of Collin's room. He also got to take a picture with "Zombie Pirate." Some kids might be scared by the creepy skeletal face, but not our Collin. He loves creepy crawlies, monsters and all that is morbid.

He sat still for a skull and crossbones to be painted on his face, one that he did not want to wash off for a day. We were ready to go after a few hours of pounding heat and Collin was one worn kiddo who fell asleep promptly in the car. The only thing that would've made the Pirate Festival even better was combining it with the pirate ships we saw earlier this summer. But as Collin still talks about it, I think it was definitely a memorable experience.

Of course stay tuned for Halloween. I think it's pretty obvious what Collin will be dressing up as.

Future cheap labor

Collin loves to peer out his window and watch Mike work hard building a balcony. The plastic tool set is ready in case Mike needs any help. What makes a handy man complete?

Butt crack of course.

13 weeks

And I've already got quite the baby bump. Maternity shopping to follow. Please no monster baby. I have a feeling I'll be waddling before my third trimester hits...

Summer fun

What does Summer mean when you're three? Playing outside everyday, all day if you could, staying up late, grass stained shorts, popsicles that melt down your face, catching bubbles and of course running through the sprinklers.

Ch-ch-changes

By now, it's no secret that I'm expecting a second baby. Currently I'm in week 12, past most of the exhaustion and overall blahness. Luckily I never got sick but did feel queasy and absolutely fatigued. Collin appeased me most of the time by taking naps with me on my non work days.

I'm excited, but it's different than last time. Last time, I obsessively hunted online for any symptom that seemed strange, I researched each stage of the growing baby's development and had mini freak outs about the huge undertaking ahead of us.

This time I'm a little more relaxed about the whole thing. I still revel in the fact that there is a growing human inside of me and that's just cool. But the mystery isn't as prominent and I just don't have the time to obsess about how my life will be different.

I mean, I work three days a week (or more), am mother to a wild three-year old and also try to fit in photography, cooking/baking, cleaning/household crap, and in the back of my mind am also telling myself I need to start writing for myself again.

To top it off, we're trying to fix up (I should say Mike is fixing) our house as fast as possible so we can get it on the market, sell and buy a new one all before the second baby makes an appearance. Our days consist of this: Mike comes home, works on the house until Collin goes to bed, we may have a brief conversation, but dinner together rarely happens. Weekend hikes, exploring, and enjoying the beautiful Pacific NW summer just isn't happening.

And I know it's temporary. That one day, we'll be in a new house, preferably a NEW house, that doesn't have numerous issues that suck our money and time. And can actually enjoy weekends together. And Collin and his sibling can ride their bikes down the street without me feeling like I have to watch every second.

For now, the baby that's growing inside of me is a passing thought that I'm reminded of when I get annoying braxton-hicks contractions, have to pee every half hour and well second time around, my belly is popping out earlier. Buttons and zippers are starting to feel like corsets and the stretchy pants are a must. I also know once I start feeling the flutters and kicks it will seem more real.

And as the time gets closer, freak-outs will happen. Mostly wondering how my life will be different with two kids. How to make sure Collin still feels loved but at the same time doesn't hurt the baby. How my career will be affected. Daycare. Money. But I have until around February to figure things out. Or to just let things fall where they may and hope it makes sense.

Because one thing I've learned in parenthood is nothing can really prepare you for what's to come.

San Diego Adventure

This is only about 1 month late but I'm finally getting around to it!

We decided to explore San Diego for about a week over the fourth of July. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in La Jolla which was nice and roomy (and a good value), complete with a complimentary happy hour every night with unlimited drinks, which I couldn't partake in...and a full made-to-order breakfast. The hotel was definitely targeted for families. Collin loved the Koi fish in the pond and pressing the elevator button. I think he would've been happy doing that all day. He also had fun swimming in the pool and dipping his feet in the hot tub. The downside of the hotel was the location. While we could drive about 15 minutes into town, we were in the middle of a bunch of businesses and there was nothing close we could walk to. We also had to barricade the couch against the door to make sure Collin didn't escape.

La Jolla is beautiful and expensive. We drove around the bluffs and million dollar houses. We had some gut bomb pizza and I got my Mexican fix. We also walked by the ocean though didn't really hang at the beach too much. When you're used to Hawaii beaches where you can actually swim it just doesn't compare.

Tom and Virginia met up with us and we walked around the boardwalk in downtown San Diego and explored the maritime museum complete with submarines, old fashioned sailing ships and a pirate who gave him his own doubloon. We also checked out the USS Midway Museum, the longest-serving Navy aircraft carrier of the 20th century. It was massive and had lots of cool aircraft and sights for Collin to explore.







We got our moneys worth at the San Diego zoo and spent almost the whole day there! It was crazy busy (mental note, don't plan trips around the 4th) but still fun. Collin seemed to enjoy the flamingos and the koalas. The pandas were also out for us to see after waiting in a long line.





That evening, we ended up at a park where we feasted on double double animal style In-N-Out Burgers (plus a milkshake and fries). So not healthy but sometimes you just crave a cheap, good old fashioned burger!



The 4th was a nice change of pace (no crowds, no craziness!) and we met up with Collin's new buddy Saul and my friend Robin. Collin and Saul got along great and chased each other around, swam in the pool and followed Saul's older brother around.



Then that night we saw an awesome fireworks display at Robin's synagogue. The view was amazing with the fireworks coming from over the hill and literally felt like they were spilling down on us. I managed to get a few cool shots.





Finally we made it to Sea World. It was HOT when we got there. Poor Mike, who doesn't take heat well was dripping bowls of sweat while we waited for our first show. It was also crowded but the shows, while cheesy (I don't really need the story lines or music, just show me the animals doing tricks) were definitely worthwhile. We didn't make it to too many exhibits but Mike chased Collin around a giant kids area where he had to hoist Collin up a huge net. We stayed about four hours and then were ready to leave.

One of my favorite parts of our trip was Balboa Park, where the Zoo and a bunch of other museums are. It was really beautiful and we hiked around a palm forest, walked around the gardens and just took in all the sights. We went back there twice and I could've spent another full day there.





Unfortunately the last day of our trip wasn't so fun. Mike, who has seriously bad vacation juju when it comes to getting sick, ended up shivering and running a fever. You know Mike's not well when he wants to wear a hoodie and it's 90 degrees out. I was also feeling pretty crappy as I was hitting those lovely first trimester blahs. And Collin was a tornado running around and trying to kill himself in traffic. The highlight was back at PDX while I was trying to grab a bag and Mike looked like he was about to pass out, Collin ran through the big rotating glass doors. Luckily airport security stopped him. Ah yes, never a dull moment.

We made it home ready to pass out and it turned out Mike had strep throat which luckily Collin and I didn't catch. Besides that last day, our summer vacation was pretty fun, though not what you'd call relaxing with a 3-year old wild-man.