Bachelor in Paradise?

Last night was the premier of my new favorite weekly train wreck, Bachelor in Paradise.  I told my friends that I would take a shot of ginger ale every time Clare cried.

It only happened once, so thus far Crazy Crying Clare has exceeded my expectations, but only kind of because she cried and poured her heart out to an audience of a FREAKING RACCOON.  I kid you not.  And the raccoon was all like:

Clare was crying because AshLee got upset when she asked Graham (some dude I don't remember) on a date.  Apparently, Crazy AshLee Frazier had claimed him as her property.  Remember this?

Well, you'll be relieved to hear that AshLee is still completely batty.  AshLee came on the show only because she hoped some dude I've never heard of, named Graham, would be there.  AshLee arrived with the preconceived notion that Graham and her were, in fact, married already.  Or something like that.  All I know is that when Graham accepted Clare's date invitation, AshLee ran to her bedroom crying and proceeded to talk to herself.  If not forClare's heart-to-heart with the raccoon, AshLee would've been my number one cray.

HOWEVER, there is a third crazy girl.  Elise Mosca, from Juan Pablo's season is making a concerted effort to equal Clare and AshLee on the crazy scale.  This was our introduction to Elise on the show:

Then she proclaimed that she was experiencing "connections" with Dylan...as in love at first sight.  I'm telling you, her brand of crazy is one to watch out for in the coming weeks.  I'm predicting a steady rise in intensity.

As far as the guys and crazy, all the mans went crazy over some girl named Lacy who didn't even make it through the first rose ceremony on Juan Pablo's season.  I'm wondering why she was even cast and why the guys were so crazy about her?

I haven't the slightest idea.

And let's talk about Marcus.  Why does everyone love Marcus?  Apparently he's good looking, but when I look at him all I see is a stalker/murderer who probably has a collection of women in his basement.  Why the attraction?  I just don't see it.  Plus also, in one sentence he's talking about how he's still not over Andi and with the next breath he's plotting to kidnap Lacy for ransom in love with Lacy.

Call.the.police.

What do you think?  Do you like Marcus?  Explain it to me.

Pregnancy: Week 16 Recap

This was written a very long, long time ago.  I really don't even know when week sixteen was...maybe late April?  I wasn't going to post it...but why not?

It feels a little late to start documenting the weeks of my pregnancy and I get an even bigger feeling that people don't really care but:  I do.  I may be one of the only people who enjoys reading weekly updates on other people's blogs...maybe you do too?  I hope you stay but you can always click away...

I never documented my pregnancy with Max in written form or even in pictures.  I was so wary throughout my pregnancy with him because it took us a long time to conceive and my first trimester was somewhat dramatic.  I was afraid excited documentation would jinx me.  I'm a lot more relaxed this time around so here we go...

Pregnancy symptoms:
-round ligament pain

-increased hunger

Cravings:

-hamburger and fries from Backyard Burger

(On a side note, I always always indulge my cravings.  I've found that if I don't I eat lots of other stuff that "aren't it" to try to satisfy an unhealthy craving, only to eventually cave and eat what I wanted all along.  To me, it's better to just have the hamburger and fries once than to eat 3,000 calories that you aren't craving and THEN the hamburger and fries).

Aversions:

-broccoli

Movement:I felt a few flutters!  It's funny, because 16 weeks was when I felt Max move for the first time.  His movements felt like bubbles popping.  This baby feels like a butterfly flapping it's wings.

Gender: I'm not sure, but this pregnancy has been really different, so I'm going to say girl.

Best moment of the week: Having an extra morning to myself to take a Preparing for (Another) Baby class.  

Looking forward to: Our ultrasound in 2 weeks!  And strawberry picking sometime soon!

Max's First Easter Egg Hunt

Around Easter the babysitting co-op at our church held their annual Easter egg hunt.  This was Max's first experience hunting eggs.  He started out a little confused, but quickly got the hang of it.

Of course, the best part of any Easter egg hunt is a visit from the Easter bunny!  Max tends to be timid and cautious in new situations, with the exception of characters!  Santa Claus, Smoky the Bear, the Easter bunny...he loves them!

Look at my sweet boy!  He noticed that the Easter bunny didn't have a basket, so he ran to get his and placed it in the Easter bunny's paw.  So sweet!

Five Favorites: Bachelorette

I am linking up with Five Favorites again this week.  I had planned to do some hair/makeup products but the lovely host done stole my first favorite.  Seriously, Not Your Mother's Sea Salt Spray is fantastic.  Buy some and fall in love.  And speaking of loooove...(haha, see what I did there??)

This season of the Bachelorette has been pretty good.  Definitely better than JPs season, but really there was no where to go but up.  My favorite season ever was Sean's because, you know, Sean.  Plus also Tierra.  That was good TV.   Here are my five favorites from this better than mediocre season:

1. Farmer Chris Soules

Hey Chris.  I'm married with one kid out and one in utero. Call me.

2.  The way Andi awkwardly holds the roses:

Maybe it's just me?  She is always holding them way too high and too far out from her body.   Is she doing a smell check?

Let's contrast her to Bachelorette Perfection:

See?  Up by chin vs. down by chest.  Arms extended vs. arms relaxed.  What?  Ok.  It's just me.

3.  Staaap it

I keep waiting for one of the guys to get angry and call Andi out on her catch phrase, a la "esss ok."  But no one has, because no one scorches the earth over linguistics like Andi Dorfman.  (Esss ok and "I swear if you say acting one more time").

4.  This tweet from Jennifer Weiner:

"Chris is not here.  Because, honestly, after two Fantasy Suites and a horseback ride in shorts, I just could not even."

5.  You know that article thingy circulating around facebook feeds about resting bitch face?  Seriously, one of my favorites this season has been watching Andi have it:

Andi probably never realized (until now) that she made that face so often.  And to be honest, I have no idea what my resting face really looks like.  But I hope it's not that.

To see other favorites:  GO HERE..

My First Experience with Chiropractic

 This pregnancy has been the polar opposite of my first.  Overall, that is a positive thing except for one issue.  Throughout pregnancy, I have been having recurrent UTIs.  I'm up to number 5 so far, despite being on a daily antibiotic as well as taking almost every other preventive measure I could find on google.  Other than being extremely frustrating, they haven't caused any major problems (ok, except for one night spent in the emergency room with horrible back pain and frequent Braxton Hicks contractions)...but there was one measure that I had been afraid to try.  Chiropractic care.

 I wasn't sure how I felt about someone moving "subluxations" in my spine, twisting my neck...an online search will prove that chiropractic care can be somewhat controversial.  However, my frustration reached a level where I was willing to try ANYTHING.  I found a local chiropractor, Dr. Alisha Davis, who has special training in working with pregnant women.  I also knew from my Ob/Gyn that chiropractic care is considered safe in pregnancy.  When calling her office I discovered that since chiropractors are considered to be the "first point of care" my insurance would cover appointments.  This put my husband on board.

I was equal parts nervous and excited about my first appointment.  It started out like any other appointment--filling out forms, a vitals check, and going over my issues with the doctor.   I had a chance to ask questions--I appreciated Dr. Davis's honesty in her responses.  She told me that since UTIs are bacterial, she couldn't promise that I would experience relief.  However, she said that some people do experience a decrease in symptoms when their bodies are properly aligned, allowing them to heal from the inside out.
Next, she assessed me for range of motion and pain and the like.  Dr. Davis is a Gonstead chiropractor, which means she normally uses x-rays when assessing a patient, but that was obviously out of the question.  She did use a tool called a Nervoscope, which made me feel like I was at Hogwarts being seen by Madam Pomfrey.  Finally came the adjustments--she adjusted my hips, 2 places on my back, my neck, and used the Webster Technique on my round ligaments.

 So, what were the results?
Oh my goodness, I am in love!  I didn't think I was in that much pain before!  I had no idea how uncomfortable I really was until I felt "normal" again!  My body "waddled" into her office and it "walked" out.  There was also a dramatic difference in my lower ab/round ligament pain, which I noticed immediately.  My neck has always "naturally" gone to the left when I lay down...now it feels just as comfortable to move it to the right.  It sounds so minor, but I feel amazing!  My FAVORITE difference is the decrease in Braxton Hicks contractions.  Seriously, I had so many...I was always wondering if they warranted a call to the doctor.  Now I still get them, but only a few a day.

 The plan is to start out going twice a week and then decrease appointments as my body heals and holds the adjustments longer.  After only one appointment, I would recommend chiropractic care to anyone, especially pregnant women, experiencing aches and pains.  It is definitely worth it!

Pointless Pudding & Pictures and (not pointless) Answer Me This

Happy Sunday!  

Ya'll.  I went to the grocery store to get the Sunday paper (for the coupons) and it was one of those if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie moments.  If you send a pregnant woman to the grocery store for the paper, she'll get thirsty and buy some coconut water.  On the way to check out with the coconut water, she'll pass the snack aisle and see...PUDDING!

Have you ever seen anything so beautiful? 

 The pudding bug hit me a little late this pregnancy, at 27 weeks.  With Max I was like EAT.ALL.THE.PUDDING. in my first trimester.  In fact, the evening before my c-section I told Andres that we had to go to Harris Teeter rightnow because my parents were coming into town and they might want pudding.  So, on our last night as "just a couple" we were in the grocery store at 9:30 buying a basket full of pudding.  I don't even think I was allowed to eat anything at that point, but...we desperately needed pudding.  Your lives are enriched by my telling that story. De nada.

To enrich your lives further, I will share that I finally made a staircase gallery wall.  You are probably thinking I'm all pinterest-y right now.  My gallery wall is far from a pinterest-fail, but I wouldn't call it a smashing success either.  It's more along the lines of a pinterest-oh-look-how-cute-it-is-that-she-tried.  Bless her.
Anyways, I love it because every time I go up and down the stairs I get to look at my people:

Photo credit:  BC Photos

If you are thinking about adding a gallery wall to your home, here are my biggest tips:

1.  Trace the frames on paper and cut them out.  This way you can tape your design to the wall to test it out before you start.

2.  Use painters tape to measure the distance between photos.  

Once again, de nada.

I recently discovered a blog written by Kendra, a lovely mom of 7, called Catholic All Year.  She hosts a link-up called Answer Me This, where other bloggers answer a variety of questions. Sort of like blogger small-talk, which I completely stink at in person.  Well, I saw the first question and knew I had to participate.  The story of how I got my name is a pretty interesting, "it's-a-small-world" story, and it's one I like to share (when the opportunity arises).  Here we go...

1. How did you get your name?

When my mom was pregnant with me she taught second grade at a small, private Christian school.  One day during show and tell her student, Danielle, shared about her new cousin named Heather Lynn.  Heather Lynn?  Hmmm...Heather Lynn...I really like that.  It sounds Scottish, fits with our last name...and when will I ever meet the first Heather Lynn or interact with this family again? thought my mom.  My dad loved it too and six months later I was born and named Heather Lynn.

Eleven years later, my father passed away.  (Don't be sad or sorry.  It's ok!  You can read why  right here.)   One year after that, my mom began dating a man named David, who is now my stepfather.  One evening, David was showing my mom pictures of his family.  My mom stopped at one picture and said, "Oh wow! That looks a lot like a girl I used to teach named Danielle.  In fact, we got the name Heather Lynn from her sharing about her cousin with the same name."  Well, David told my mom that the girl's name was in fact Danielle and then showed her a picture of his other niece who just so happened to be named...Heather Lynn.

So, yes, I was named after a baby who became my step cousin 12 years later.  What a crazy, small world!

2. Do you have a set time for prayer in your day?

Yes and no.  No, in the sense that I don't have a time to personally and privately pray for any intentions.  Yes, because I always pray with Max before he goes to sleep.  We have a little prayer list that we run through:  First, we pray for a good night's sleep.  Then we do an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.  After that, we thank God for all the wonderful, fun things that happened during the day.  Our routine ends with me singing 5 or so hymns, usually ending with How Great Thou Art.  So, yes, I guess the answer is I do have a set time for prayer every day.  

3. Did your mom work or stay home (or both)?

She stayed home until my sister entered kindergarten.  Then, she took a job directing the Mom's Morning Out program at our church, which enabled her to be home when we left for school and when we got home.

4. Do you vote?

Yes, but only in the presidential election...um, should I admit that?  I really need to start paying more attention to local politics.

5. What's your favorite drink?

I would love to say margaritas, Bloody Mary's, and coke...but my body gets mad at me if I have anything other than water.  So water.  Sometimes I indulge, but it's never really worth it.  Just water.

6. How are your photography skills?

Well, ummm...poke around my blog and make your own conclusion.  If grainy iphone photos copied and pasted from facebook is a skill...then I rock it.

Pregnancy happenings

I had originally thought that I was going to do weekly pregnancy updates.  I only have maybe 5 photos from when I was pregnant with Max and  I wish I had more.  However, it turns out that I'm just not a weekly-pregnancy-update kind of person.  I do have some, and you are in major luck, because I'm going to share them here!  With YOU!  Are you excited?  Me too!  Let's get started!

This is was taken during week 19, on the morning of our big anatomy scan.  I was so excited to see the baby and anxious to find out if everything was developing as it should.  (It is!)  We did not find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.  We were surprised with Max too.  It is so much fun for us to be surprised and for those wondering, no, it's actually not hard for us to wait.  Just fun.

The next day was my friend, Robin's, wedding!   I have known Robin since we met at Centrifuge (church camp) in the 11th grade.  We ended up at the same college, then the same church, and then the same Bible study group.  She has always had a desire to get married and has watched many friends walk down the aisle.  I was so thrilled to watch her take her turn that I could barely control myself!  I was dancing in my seat and had the goofiest grin on my face the whole time!  Above is a photo of Andres and I at her awesome BBQ reception.  Robin did a wonderful job with the reception decorations--she was on a tight budget and it did not show at all!  She made her centerpieces out of cupcake wrappers (they looked like flowers), had beautiful Japanese lanterns and Christmas lights, and dozens upon dozens of candles.  It looked magical and she did a phenomenal job!

After all the excitement  of week 19, things slowed down in week 20:

Barefoot and....yeah.
We did go see Sesame Street Live, which was everything you can imagine it to be.

And then, suddenly, it was week 22.  My parents were in town and we took advantage of the opportunity to go to dinner at Maggianos.  I love their stuffed mushrooms and I also love not cooking.  And time with my husband.  I got a few pictures of the belleh before we left.  Yes, this is week 22.  Not 32.

I am aware of the belly situation.  I got really huge, really fast with Max too.  People are starting to ask when I'm due, and I can tell they are confident that I will answer with July or August.  When I say October, it always takes them a minute to recover.  Then we have to have a conversation about how "I have a long way to go,"  it's important to "stay hydrated, honey," and "you are all belly because you are so tiny."   That exact conversation.  All the time.  Whenever we go out.  I'm going to start to say I'm due in September because ain't nobody got time fo dat.