Oil Me Up!

Baby J doesn’t get diaper rash very often, but when he does I turn to my jar of coconut oil.  The other night I slathered some on his cute lil’ bum, we went to bed, and in the morning I was amazed to see the diaper rash was virtually gone!  Diaper rash isn’t all coconut oil is good for…

*great for baking, stir-frys, or a butter replacement

*coffee creamer

*skin lotion

*homemade deodorant

*eye-makeup remover

*prevent stretch marks during pregnancy

*rid baby of cradle cap

*boosts metabolism

*rids hair of frizz

*helps skin heal faster after injury or infection

*fights athlete’s foot and toe fungus

*use as nipple cream to soothe from breastfeeding

*a natural treatment for lice when combined with apple cider vinegar

*can improve insulin levels

*reduce appearance of varicose veins

*lessens arthritis with its anti-inflammatory properties

*reduces the itch of mosquito bites

*resolve acne

*when consumed daily, it can speed up weight loss

*soothes the itch from chicken pox or poison ivy

*on cuticles to help nails grow

*clears up cold sores

*makes a great tanning lotion, and also helps to heal sunburns

 Coconut oil is also great for diabetes, heart disease, fatigue, Chron’s, IBS, Alzheimer’s, thyroid conditions, boosting the immune system, and lower cholesterol.  There are many, many more uses for coconut oil, but I honestly didn’t feel like typing them all out.  I will say that I’ll be using it in my morning coffee to hopefully get a little weight loss boost!

 

Sources:

http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1092-COCONUT%20OIL.aspx?activeIngredientId=1092&activeIngredientName=COCONUT%20OIL

Guess Who's Back.

It’s been a year since my last blog post; I was 6 months pregnant, and as you can imagine, things have changed drastically since then.  So, let me bring you up to speed, kinda…

After 16 hours of labor, getting his head stuck, and having his umbilical cord wrapped around him, J was born on April 10, 2012.  It was quite the experience having a purple, slimy, screaming baby flopped onto my chest as he peed and pooped and cried and cried and….but nevertheless, he made it, and he is my everything.  He was a small 7 lbs 7 oz, and has since then grown to a massive 27.5 lbs at only 9.5 months.  Hubby recently asked if it’s normal for babies to be his size at his age… ummm, no.  Honestly,  the only other ‘big’ baby I know is his cousin, M, who is 4 months older. 

Having a baby is life changing.  Whether you’re giving birth, the partner, family, or whoever…you’re life will be changed.  At first, it seemed like a daunting task…I had no knowledge of how to change a diaper, how to feed a baby, how to bathe a baby… I knew nothing!  Well, have you heard of motherly instincts??  Yeah, those kicked in and next thing I know I’m a baby wranglin’, diaper changin’ pro…and I’m not afraid of poo.  

Having a baby isn’t the only thing that’s changed my life recently.  I’ve lost friends, gained new ones, lost communication with important family members, gained communication with others, and learned a lot about myself.  I’ve also been on a learning spree…I love to learn about new things, acquire new skills, and share them with others.  After receiving my late step-mother’s entire sewing room; machines, tools, fabrics, you name it, I’ve been on a mission to learn how to do it all.  Knitting, crochet, quilting, sergers, sewing machines, all things crafty have become my obsession. 

I know this is a short reintroduction, but I don’t want to put it all on the table from the get-go.  You’ll just have to read my future posts…and hopefully there will be some tutorials of crafty stuff.

6 months

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged anything lately….honestly, I haven’t been in a bloggy mood, and not very much has changed- other than the size of my stomach.  I think today’s post might be a bit of a word vomit-fest (thank you Toni for that lovely term) since pregnancy brain has rendered my thinking skills completely useless!! So bear with me…

Lately I’ve been dealing with back and hip pain, along with the inability to sleep very well.  I went to the chiropractor who readjusted me the best she could, informed me that my right leg is shorter than my left, and that my bump is pretty big for only 6 months.  Uhhh…ok, thanks lady- I already feel like a fat cow, no need to remind me.  On that note, I think I might invest in some yoga pants since I’m constantly pulling up my maternity pants and it’s not like I can wear a belt –that would just look silly, not to mention uncomfortable as heck.   Speaking of investments, our new memory foam mattress pad should be arriving today and I’m REALLY hoping it gives me some much needed comfort and relief. 

Now, as far as being pregnant in the latter months, I’ve come to realize it’s easier to get away with certain things.  (And no, I’m not taking advantage of it or using it as an excuse to be lazy.)  I haven’t figured out if A.) people just want to be nice to us preggos,  B.) they’re scared of the wrath that may follow if they were to not comply, or C.)  they just simply prefer not to see us struggle.  Eh…who cares.  I don’t have to get in and out of the car as much anymore as long as hubby is driving, I don’t have to lift heavy things anymore, I get to take pillows into the movie theater with me, I get to take naps whenever I dang well please, and I’m sure there’s plenty of other things- I just can’t remember right now.

Anyways, lil’ man seems to be doing just fine –he’s quite the mover lately.  If I get up in the middle of the night he gives me a few jabs and then goes back to sleep.  He seems to be developing his own little routine and personality already.  At the last check up, the Dr tried to check for his heartbeat but he decided otherwise and started kicking the sonogram wand.  Ha!  98 days ‘till we get to meet him….

TIP:  Watch what you say to a woman, pregnant or not, she may be highly offended.  Especially if you comment on her ever-growing size, if you criticize the baby names, criticize what she eats, rub her belly without consent, invite yourself to the delivery of her child, or try to invoke your parenting practices on her.

'Tis the Season...

For emotional breakdowns, depression, baking, over-eating, and family; or at least that’s my point of view right now.  Next weekend is Christmas, and lately it hasn’t felt like it at all- no decorations, no shopping, not really any baking, and no tree.  But I suppose that’s all of the materialistic characteristics of Christmas, so they don’t really matter.  Or do they?  Being broke for the holidays definitely puts things in perspective, and adds a smidgen of depression to the season.  But I should still be thankful for my family, my husband, and my lil’ man, right?- of course I am. 

However, I’ve been doing a lot of praying lately, mainly because I have no idea what else to do, but also because I’m tired of being depressed.  I know there are families out there that are having a harder time than we are- families that can’t even afford a place to live, they can’t afford groceries, and they can’t afford gifts for one another.  But somehow, some still find joy in the Christmas season.  So why can’t I?  Well, there’s absolutely NOTHING that I can personally do to fix our situation- so I gave it to Him.  I will let Him fix it; just please give me my happiness back.  Well, I have some of my happiness back- the Christmas tree got decorated (I supervised while sitting in the massage chair), and I’ve decided to unleash my small stash of handmade items as gifts this year.  I won’t be able to give to everyone, but I’ll still be able to give.  And He’s fixing it….my hubby finishes a job this next week, and will be getting a contract for a large job tomorrow.  Thank you Lord!!!

Now if only He can do something about this back pain of mine…

21 wks 2 days

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted any updates, but honestly- being pregnant is hard, and with everything else going on in my life a blog is just not a high priority right now.  I have more important things to cry about.

So here’s what you missed…

November 29^th we had our second ultrasound- which was amazing!  I can’t believe how much our baby has grown already; from peanut-sized at 10 weeks to the size of a soda can at 20 weeks!  And yes, we found out we’re having a BOY!!  At first, I was sliiiiightly disappointed because I REALLY wanted a little girl since I first found out I was knocked up.  But, over time I gave up my theory that I was having a girl and gave in to the possibility of it being a boy.  So, here we are…it’s a boy.

Now I need a name for this child.  Who knew that figuring out a name would be so difficult- especially finding a name that we both like.  If my husband had his way our child’s name would be Marc Anthony or Harrison Ford.  I really like the name Henry, but our cat’s name is Henry so that won’t work.  At least we have 19 more weeks to figure it out….

In the meantime, lil’ man is practicing his Kung Fu moves and I think last night he kicked me in the colon.  His little movements and activities make all the crap I’ve been going through worth it.  I had a friend comment on how everything I’m going through makes her feel sorry for preggos…so let’s recap:  my entire 1^st trimester was plagued with non-stop nausea, daily vomiting, serious food and smell aversions, and constant fatigue.  Now that I’ve made it halfway through my pregnancy, I’ve gotten past all of those issues…only now I get to deal with back pain, hip pain, can’t get comfortable at night, I pee constantly, indigestion has reared its ugly head, and now the doctor tells me I’m anemic.  Great.  So, I get to take iron supplements which I fear will give me constipation- which up until this point I haven’t had to deal with.  It’s a never-ending battle with my own body.  But like I said- it’s all worth it for this lil’ man, and I can’t wait to meet him!

Give thanks...

Every year we all celebrate Thanksgiving…a time when we can sit back, enjoy good company, good food, and be thankful for everything and everyone we have in our lives.

This year my husband and I seem to be in a tight spot with several issues going on in our lives and I am struggling with everything even more now that my hormones and emotions are raging from being pregnant.  Regardless of all the things that have happened in the last few years and the struggles we currently face, I am still thankful for everything I have been blessed with.

I have a husband who loves me with every bone in his body and will work himself to exhaustion to make sure that there’s food on our table, that the bills are paid, and that our little world continues to go ‘round.

Despite the loss of my step-mother a year-and-half ago, and then my dad recently moving to California, I am still thankful I continue to be surrounded by family and those who love me.

I am 19 weeks pregnant with our first little one, and even though we have no health insurance to cover the bills we continue to move forward knowing that whatever we need will be provided by Him.

Even though we have a very small living space, I am thankful that I have a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in, and a place to call home.

I am truly thankful for everything in my life, everything that has happened in the past, despite whether it is good or not.  I am thankful that I can continue to have faith that everything will turn out for the better, even though some days I struggle.  I could go on and on about the things I am thankful for, but my point is that no matter how hard your struggles may be, or what adversities are handed to you- you should be thankful that you are human, that you have the ability to overcome, the ability to have faith, and the ability to live.  Do not forget what you are thankful for, and do not forget that He will never give you more than you can handle.

Tick Tock...

Have you ever had to wait for something really cool to happen, and it seems like time slows down to the point where you’re constantly annoyed that things are taking FOREVER!??!  That describes pretty much every day for me.   I’ll be starting my 18^th week tomorrow and I have yet to feel the baby move.  I’ve felt some weird things, but since this is my first I’m not really sure what I should be expecting.  People have described the movements as flutters or butterfly wings- but I’m not exactly sure what that would feel like inside my frickin uterus!!  Oh well… I guess I’ll know for sure when the baby kicks me in my bladder or somewhere else inconvenient.

Another thing we’re still waiting for is to find out the sex.  Our baby’s big debut will be November 29^th and he/she better be ready and willing to show off its junk because I’m dying of anticipation!! I started out hoping/convinced/’knowing’ that it was a girl…but now I’m not so sure.  And at first I felt I would be disappointed if it wasn’t a girl- but, I’ve had a lot of time to myself to think about things and I would be happy either way.  At least we’ll know for sure in 3 weeks J

As time moves forward, ever so slowly, my belly continues to grow…and my wardrobe continues to shrink.  I’ve lost the ability to wear a lot of my shirts since most of them were ‘snug’ in the first place, yet I’m still clinging to my pre-pregnancy pants.  For a while I was trying to wear a belt thinking that it would help keep my pants in place- but noooo….I was constantly struggling with my pants ALL day and I’m not ready to give in to maternity pants yet.  So, I bought a belly band.  I’ve read about them but never really understood how they could be effective at keeping your pants up while an expanding belly makes things difficult.  Well, it works.  The elastic is just strong enough to keep my pants up, even if I decide to wear them unbuttoned, and at the same time is comfortable to wear all day.  Problem solved –for now.

And since we’re talking about clothes, I’m pretty surprised that some one-stop shopping stores either carry a small section of maternity clothes or nothing at all.  Pretty annoying.  I guess at some point I’ll have to force myself to venture out and make the 30 minute drive to the closest shopping center that actually sells a variety of maternity clothes.  Now, I’d like you to understand that yes, I know 30 minutes is really not that bad- but I HATE clothes shopping in the first place, and since I’m pregnant driving can make me really tired and/or nauseous.  So a 30 minute one-way drive is quite a daunting task for me these days. 

TIP:  Never be over-confident in your bladder’s ability to ‘hold it’ for an extended period of time…it may give up when you least expect it.