Some jabbertalkie...

Sooo...I am not sure I will make my blog private afterall. I seriously am getting pages and pages of emails and I am not sure how many a person is allowed to invite!! Anyone know? Yeah...so much for big talk...

The kids are growing, whining, laughing, throwing fits, swinging, racing, doing crazy flip-cartwheels on the trampoline, drawing a lot, yelling, even when you are two inches from them, using manners and sometimes needing to be reminded...alot sometimes, watching Tom and Jerry and enjoying it with mom, eating too many cashews and sneaking drinks onto mom and dad's bed and spilling the drinks and staining the new mattress...gah!!! pooping in underwear, peeing on the floor, sometimes making it to the toilet, sometimes being forced to the toilet, threatened that the "pinchie bugs" will pinch a certain bum bum in he doesn't hurry, napping and often not nowadays, not liking anything cooked for dinner and wanting Rice Crispies, bananas, "candy bars" which are actually granola bars, ice cream, popcicles, fruit snacks, or chocolate instead, being copy cats, teasing and being teased and so forth...

Yeah...you could say life has been very interesting around here!

I am now 18 weeks along and two weeks away from my first ultrasound! Yay! I have been having some wierd symptoms lately in the mornings. Feeling faint, light-headed, tingling in my legs, easily out of breath and heart racing, little energy, and lower blood pressure than normal. I made some calls, and did my own research online (cuz I research about EVERYTHING!) and started making some changes to my diet. The "episides" kept happening, so I did some more research, made some more calls. Low blood pressure can be caused by dehydration. So, I started guzzling all day long and even before bed, and then first thing in the morning. No "episodes" so far and blood pressure back to normal. I was drinking fluids all throughout the day, but obviously not enough water! Crazy how a simple thing can cause such problems with a pregnant body!

I am very grateful for Google. And for smart family members, as well as awesome staff working at the good ol Doc's office.

Anna under the "wishing tree"

I am making baked salmon and corn on the cob for dinner tonight and can't be more excited about it! I have been making better efforts to eat healthier, choosing fresh fruits and veggies over highly processed and non-perishable food items. I am trying to choose better snacks for my kids to eat rather than fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, and stuff packed with refined sugar and no nutritional value. I feel a greater responsibility for what goes into my kids bodies and my own, and I know that in the long run, we will all be much better off by staying away from fast food, junk food, sugary drinks and pop, candies and such. I feel good about making healthier eating habits...especially knowing that it will help me and my children live longer and be happier.

Love those apple blossoms! See the ladybug?

Try some of these:

Blueberry pancakes for dinner using fresh or frozen blueberries. So yummy!

Snack on whole wheat crackers with cheddar chesse.

Add fresh fruit to your cereal like strawberries or bananas and opt out on the sugary cereals.

My kids love to snack on nuts, yogurt drinks, and craisens.

Grilled cheese sandwiches on whole wheat bread instead of white bread.

Try choosing fish over red meat. My kids like salmon because it is soft and easy to chew.

Choose new foods, even if your kids don't like them at first, the more you introduce new foods and flavors, the better eaters they will grow up to be.

Have dessert occasionally. It doesn't have to be after every dinner.

Go to bed earlier, then you won't be tempted to eat late at night.

I am a stress eater. When I get too stressed, I find myself more in the kitchen. I am trying to find other outlets for stress, and if I do snack, I make sure I have fruits and veggies in the fridge and have a few instead of chips or cookies or ice cream.

Get outside! Food isn't so accessable there...you know?

My cute bubba...ignore my lack of make-up please...

Anyhoo...

We are by far perfect, and there is a pack of oreo cookies in the cupboard at this very moment. I am sure I will have some with milk. We probably watch too much television and I still haven't found the extra umph to exercise in the mornings. But I know I am making better choices with a lot of things and that's a start. One good choice eventually leads to another, habits are formed, and lifestyles are changed...little by little.

Cute....I mean...seriously....