...on being pregnant

This was my most recent maternity shoot
with Andmade Photography from
Ventura, CA.  She does all of our family
pictures, I absolutely adore her work!

Before we get into my post I would like to announce our giveaway winner.  Our winner is, Heather Cong! Thank you to those that participated, I loved reading about your Superkids.
Please e-mail somuchtime232@gmail.com so that I can redeem your prize.


Warning: The blog you are about to read may contain material that is not suitable for those that are made to feel uncomfortable by TMI.  If you are grossed out easily, some points may be too much for you to handle (I personally don't think they're that bad but I've had people get grossed out when I talk about throwing-up so just wanted to make sure I don't weird anyone out too much).

There are 2 types of people you encounter when you're pregnant.  The first group comes up to you and says, "Oh my gosh, you are huge!" You smile politely, and nod your head while saying something like, "Well I am in my third trimester," but inside you're thinking, my midwife thinks I'm at a healthy weight, I don't eat a lot, oh my gosh am I really that big?  The second group comes up to you and says, "Oh my gosh, you're so tiny! What are you like 23 weeks pregnant?" This being asked when you're around 33 weeks pregnant makes you feel like an Olympic athlete.  You stand up straighter, wind blows through your hair, and you can hear the crowd cheering for you as you receive the most fit pregnant person medal.  Both of these responses help to even you out though, and make you realize that everyone comes to the table with a different perspective.

This is my perspective on being pregnant:

1. I LOVE it! I absolutely love being pregnant, it's almost addicting.  To be pregnant is to truly experience a miracle.  Every time I feel Alice move I love to imagine her tucked inside of me so snug and comfortable. Knowing that she is loved and cared for.  That being said, being pregnant is no walk in the park, so lets get real.
2. I'm exhausted: I always get pregnancy insomnia. Not being able to breathe, move, and having a husband that snores doesn't help much either.  I read a post once that when you get pregnancy insomnia you should stay in bed, relax, and not do anything stimulating.  I've tried doing that and first of all it doesn't help, second of all it's incredibly boring.  So instead I've been catching up on Vampire Diaries, my guiltiest of guilty pleasures.
3. I have to always be prepared for an accident: If you're grossed out easily skip this point please.  When you are pregnant your body releases hormones that loosen your muscles to get ready for labor.  This in turn loosens muscles that you don't usually think about.  On top of that this is my second pregnancy and I was not very loyal to my kegel exercises (get where I'm going with this?)  I always have to have a change of underwear or I am constantly wearing a light days pad.  One unexpected sneeze, cough, or sudden movement and there's no way I'm holding it in. 
4. I can't breathe! I've always struggled with allergies so when I'm pregnant and the pregnancy allergies kick in, I'm not able to breathe out of my nose for about 4 months.  Now that I'm in my 3rd trimester and Alice is quite large she's crowding my lungs and every breath becomes a struggle.  I've actually had a few panic attacks because I get to the point where I feel as if I'm suffocating.
5. Pain:I am always in pain. Either my back hurts, my feet hurt, my joints hurt, or I'm having braxton hicks contractions.  I get to a point where I forget what it feels like to not be in pain, it becomes my new normal.
6. The differences:  Both of my pregnancies have had their fair share of differences so you never can prepare and know what to expect with each one.  With Ethan: I had multiple food aversions, couldn't stop stuffing my face with potatoes, ended up in the hospital because he kicked me in the kidney, and he kicked and moved like crazy! With Alice: Very bad heartburn and indigestion, spotting, cramping, a lot of mucus discharge, and intense braxton hicks contractions.

Jeff took this photo when I was around 8 months pregnant with Ethan.

If you haven't had a baby, my intention is not to scare you into getting your tubes tied, it's to be honest and real about pregnancy.  I started with the fact that I love being pregnant because even after all of the things I've mention (and much more) I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.  When people ask me how I'm doing, for the most part, I say I'm great.  All in all I truly do feel happiest when I'm pregnant and although we're all ready for it to be over by the 9th month, I definitely have a moment where I have to accept that I won't be able to carry my precious child around with me. It's bittersweet, and I'm so thankful that I get to experience it.

Product Tuesday: ChillyKnits Shop

*I was not compensated for this post.  This is a product that I love, have purchased, and wanted to share with my readers.

I am fortunate enough to have friends and family that are incredibly talented.  One of those talented friends has opened up the etsy shop ChillyKnits, with really cute attire and decor for kids.  A month ago she had a giveaway on Instagram for a really cool Superhero Shirt and I was lucky enough to win! I never win anything, the odds were definitely in my favor that day.  Ever since we received the shirt it's become one of Ethan's and my favorite shirts.

Superhero Shirt

 One of the things I really love about the Superhero shirt is that the cape is made from a recycled adult T-shirt. These shirts are adorable and are helping reduce the amount of waste we put out, score! Since ChillyKnits uses recycled materials Katie will post the shirt size and shield/cape colors that she has available.  You are then able to request what you would like on the shield and what design you would like on the cape.

Peace Flags

After the superhero shirt was such a hit in our household I decided to order another item from ChillyKnits.  Katie makes Peace Flags which you can use to decorate a child's room or garden area.  Ethan's room is adventure themed and I thought that the peace flags would fit in perfectly.  The flags are also made from reused adult T-shirts, so Katie put together colors that went with his decor and I asked her to stencil Chumash symbols onto the flags.  Jeff likes to hike, and one of the places he visits has Chumash symbols painted onto the cave walls.  He can't wait until he gets to take Ethan to those caves and talk to him about our area's history, and Jeff liked the idea of introducing the symbols to him on his flags.  The Chumash peace flags were a perfect addition to Ethan's room and he loves looking up at them daily.

Giveaway!
Our giveaway is now closed, winner was announced on the '...on being pregnant' post.  Thank you to all who participated!

As I continue to blog I'm really taken aback by the support and love that I've been receiving from my readers.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment on my posts.  As a thank you from So Much Time, So Little to Do! I am hosting my first giveaway.  One lucky winner will win a superhero kids shirt.  You will be able to choose the child's size, shield and cape stencil.

There are 2 steps to enter, you MUST do both in order to be entered into the giveaway:

1. Comment below telling me who the superkid/s in your life are (if you are having a difficult time leaving a comment please send me an e-mail or a message on facebook).
2. Follow ChillyKnits on Instagram or Faceboook

I will choose a winner at random on Friday, July 17th, and will announce it on my Friday blog post.  Please make sure you check on Friday to see if you won, so that you can claim your prize.  Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor! (Just in case you're wondering, I am completely obsessed with The Hunger Games.)

My Home Birth Plan

Ethan's first day in the hospital.

People love knowing other people's business, it's why we all love reality TV right?  Please don't think that I'm judging, I'll be the first to make a bag of popcorn and binge watch 5 hours of the Kardashians.  For that reason I realized that I never shared my birth plan and that there may be people out there that are curious.  I'm going to start by giving some background info on my last birth plan.

Ethan's Birth

When I was pregnant with Ethan I had a midwife and was planning on having a homebirth.  I also had an OB that I met with in case I had to transfer to the hospital.  I went into labor the day before my due date and everything was textbook. I thought to myself, "Wow I'm going to pop this little guy out in like 10 hours, yes!" Fast forward 16 hours into heavy labor and I was still 2 cm. dilated.  My contractions were every 2 minutes and I was having 2-3 at a time.  I was 100% effaced but I just wasn't dilating.  I was having excruciating back labor and to this day we've wondered if I was just in too much pain to relax and dilate.  At that point my midwife and I decided that I was going to go to the hospital to receive whatever intervention was needed.  At the hospital I had pitocin, epidural, and my water broken.  I know what you're thinking. I went from planning a homebirth to having practically every intervention.  I've always been the kind of person that loves to plan and be prepared, but as I've gotten older I've realized that they are just plans, nothing is set in stone, and I need to be flexible when things don't go the way I expected them to.  That's exactly what I did. I had really wanted a homebirth but that didn't work out, so I was open to the new plan, a vaginal birth in the hospital.

It took 9 more hours before I was fully dilated and then 2.5 hours of pushing.  I was exhausted and running a fever, Ethan's heartbeat became irregular and at that point the doctor told me he really needed to get Ethan out.  My OB knew that as open to change as I was I did not want a C-section as long as it was safe for Ethan and me. So he suggested an episiotomy and vacuum extraction and I said, "YES!"  The NICU was there but Ethan was given a clean bill of health in what felt like 5 seconds and handed to me as quickly as possible.  I had my little miracle, and still couldn't believe he was mine to take home.

The Aftermath

The day after giving birth to Ethan, I have to admit, was a difficult day for me.  I kept asking myself why I knew so many women who were able to give birth at home but I wasn't.  Why was my body 100% effaced but not dilating?  Was I not as strong as other women? Was there something wrong with my body?  I didn't feel regret at having gone to the hospital, or at having received the interventions, because in my heart I knew that that's what I had needed to get through the birth, but I was disappointed in the fact that my body hadn't worked the way millions of other women's bodies worked.  After talking to my midwife and some very supportive friends and family who had had their children both at home and in the hospital, I came to realize that it wasn't my fault, and it wasn't my body's fault.  I was grateful for having the opportunity to labor at home, and I felt that I received wonderful care both at home and at the hospital.

Current Birth Plan

You're probably thinking that after all that I must be planning on having Alice in the hospital.  It's quite the opposite actually.  The care that I received throughout my pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum were so extraordinary that I was more than happy to give homebirth another try.  I really love my midwife and OB and I trust them completely.  I feel that they made all the right calls during my birth and in the end I did get a vaginal birth, which had been my main goal.  Just like last time, I have all of my homebirth supplies ready, but I also have my hospital bag set to go.  I would love to be able to birth Alice at home, but I've been praying that whatever is safest for my baby and myself is what comes to fruition.  I have complete faith that, just like last time, we will be taken care of and although I nervously await the event, I can't wait to meet my little girl.

Product Tuesday: The Jim Gaffigan Show

*Like all of my Product Tuesday posts this post is not sponsored by anyone, especially not the Jim Gaffigan show.  Although it would be a dream of mine to be contacted by the network representing his show I'm sure their advertising team has better places to advertise than on obscure mom blogs.  If his show does advertise on mom blogs then I think it's time to get a new advertisement team Jim.

My favorite comedian is Jim Gaffigan.  If you have not heard of him you need to finish reading my post and then watch the clips I have included, the man is hilarious.  He jokes about being a dad, loving fast food, disliking healthy food, it's like he's reading my mind!  One of my favorite aspects of his stand-up is that he doesn't cuss (yes, I'm one of those old people that thinks there's too much cussing on The MTV), and is the kind of comedian I could watch with my mom, which is a major plus.  I have comedians I enjoy, but none that I relate to as much as him.

For our anniversary Jeff and I are going to be going to his stand-up comedy show in Los Angeles and I can't contain how excited I am to see him in person.  His last stand-up special is on Netflix and is entitled Mr. Universe. If you haven't watched it I highly recommend it. He has also written 2 books, Dad is Fat and Food: A Love Story.  Which I have not read but plan on reading, since I have so much free time on my hands of course.

Even more exciting than all the cool things I've already mentioned is the real reason for this post.  On July 15th The Jim Gaffigan Show will be premiering on TV Land.  I already watched the first 2 episodes on iTunes and they are hysterical.  After Ethan went to bed Jeff and I had a full on laugh fest watching Jim's show, which portrays his life with his wife and 5 children in a 2 bedroom apartment in New York.

For your viewing pleasure I've attached some of my favorite YouTube clips of Jim Gaffigan and I highly recommend that you tune in to his show.


Deep down we all love McDonald's, I know I do...

I often quote Jim when people ask me why I'm having a homebirth.

Eating our Veggies

Ethan is really good at finding Zucchinis.

If you talk to my mom about my childhood she loves telling stories about what a picky eater I was.  She constantly reminded me that if I had children that were picky eaters it was only fair for all the grief I had put her through.  As an adult I wasn't much better, but being married to someone that was once hoping to become a chef doesn't lend itself to being a picky eater.  Ever since we started dating Jeff has worked very hard to break me of my food aversions, and he's done a really good job.  Once we had Ethan we came up with a game plan for how we'd make our son a wonderful eater with a very diverse pallet.  Like all new parents we had no idea what we were talking about.  Ethan was a really good eater at first but once he realized he could say no to things, we literally had meals where all he did was lick the ketchup off of his food.

Now that the summer has started we have found that growing our own vegetables really helps with his eating.  He loves going into the garden, finding the ripe fruits and vegetables, and helping us pick them.  Most of the time they don't even make it inside, he usually eats the cherry tomatoes and green beans right off of the vine.  Which is fine by me, as long as it's getting eaten I don't care when or where it's happening.

Most bloggers would now go into a lengthy description of how to tend a garden but I am well known for my black thumb.  I am very proud of the succulents that I've kept alive for almost a year now.  Before you tell me that succulents are impossible to kill, making my feat unimpressive, you must know that this is my 3rd attempt at growing succulents.  Like all of the things that people find impressive about our home I give Jeff full credit for our garden.

The moral of this post is that if you want your kids to eat more vegetables try growing some and involving them in the process.  If you live in a small apartment or condo no need to worry, I know plenty of people that grow tomatoes and other small fruits and veggies on their balconies or condo porches.  The second moral is don't take any gardening advice from me, but you're in luck. Since the internet was invented we have the world at our fingertips, so you can just Google it!

Peaches

Lemons

Zucchinis

Tomatoes

Raspberries

Sweet Peppers

Green Beans

Unfortunately, these are the tomato vultures, they've eaten more tomatoes than we have.

Product Tuesday: burnish jewelry

The gold nugget necklace that I purchased to
symbolize Ethan's pregnancy.

*I was not compensated for this post.  This is a product that I love, have purchased, and wanted to share with my readers.

One of my most hated activities is buying gifts for people.  I get so stressed out trying to find the perfect gift, worrying that they'll already have it, or won't like it.  For that reason, every Tuesday I'll be posting my favorite products and shops.  Whenever I discover a new shop that allows me to buy those that I love interesting and unique gifts, I quickly take advantage; so I figured my readers would enjoy recommendations as much as I do.

When I was pregnant with Ethan I really wanted to purchase a piece of jewelry that would symbolize my pregnancy.  I found a shop on etsy named burnish jewelry that I am in love with!  The jewelry from burnish is handmade and their business is based in Alaska.  I bought the Rose Gold Nuggets Necklace and it quickly became one of my favorite pieces of jewelry.  Not only is it beautiful, but it's really well made and has withstood a toddler pulling on it with all his force.

Since I love burnish jewelry so much I decided to make it a tradition that every time I was pregnant I would choose a special piece of jewelry from their shop to represent my pregnancy.  For Alice's arrival I chose the Rose Gold Moonstone Necklace and once again was taken aback by it's beauty and craftsmanship.  I ordered it with a 16 in. chain because the Gold Nuggets Necklace has a 17 in. chain, and now I'm able to layer them or wear them separately.

The moonstone necklace I bought to symbolize
Alice's pregnancy.

If you're looking for a special piece of jewelry either for yourself or someone you love I highly recommend visiting burnish jewelry.  The only drawback is every time I visit the site I'm tempted to buy something. Happy shopping!

Do you have any special traditions that you started when you had your little ones?

Home Remedies to Prevent a Cold

The rule in our house is that mom can never get sick
because all of my sick days are reserved for everyone else!

My mom is an RN, and an amazing one at that, but growing up she always took the home remedy/ herbal route before resorting to western medicine.  This all stemmed from growing up in Mexico without much access to a doctor, pharmacy, or hospital.  My grandmother, Eulalia, the queen of home remedies, could cure anything that ailed you with the herbs in her garden.  Over the years I have really appreciated growing up with this knowledge.  Knowing how to use everyday items to help prevent a cold, or soothe a stomach ache, is something that unfortunately has been lost on my generation.  That is one of the reasons that I try really hard to remember all of the remedies that my mom teaches me.

The Garlic Remedy

The remedies that I have used non-stop since leaving home are the ones that help prevent colds.  Since I was six years old my mom has used this cold remedy on me.  Many studies have been done on the medicinal properties of garlic.  It has been found that garlic is an immune booster and has great antibacterial properties as well.  The key to both of the remedies that I will mention in this post is that they are preventative.  If you take this remedy while you are sick, although I'm sure it helps, it will definitely not have the same result.  Once people around you start getting sick you take the garlic remedy even if you are not feeling sick, it's your way of protecting yourself.  Or if no one you know is sick and one day you feel a small tickle in your throat, immediately start the garlic remedy.

So what is the garlic remedy?  It's very simple.

1 lemon wedge
1 clove of garlic
pinch of salt (optional)

1. Cut a lemon wedge.
2. Crush a raw clove of garlic.
3. Put the crushed garlic on the lemon wedge and sprinkle some salt on it (for taste of course, because while the garlic is burning your throat that little bit of salt makes all the difference).
4. You must not take this remedy on an empty stomach or the intensity of the garlic will probably make you throw up.  I like to eat a slice of toast before taking the garlic.
5. After taking the garlic do not drink water for 20 minutes, you'll be stinky but that way you're not washing the garlic out of your mouth and throat.
6. If I already have a tickle in my throat when I start this, then I take the garlic 2-4 times a day, depending on how much I have to interact with people.  If it's a work-night I take it twice in the evening, if it's the weekend then I take it 4 times.  I take the garlic until the sore throat goes away, which depending on how soon I start, can be anywhere from 2-3 days.  If people around me are sick and I'm not showing symptoms then I take it once a day.

The Fear Factor Remedy

Whenever I drink the Fear Factor Remedy I definitely hear
Joe Rogan giving me words of encouragement.

I don't know if this remedy has an actual name but my mom and her friends have named it Fear Factor because it sounds like something Joe Rogan would have made you drink 5 gallons of on the show "Fear Factor". Although this remedy sounds more intense than the garlic remedy I actually prefer it because it doesn't make me smell like garlic.  The same principles apply to this remedy as the garlic remedy, it is preventative so it's best taken when those around you are sick.  For the past 2 weeks Ethan and I have been sick and Jeff has been taking the Fear Factor remedy and hasn't been affected by our germs, thank goodness.  The reason I didn't take it was because I've had terrible heartburn during this pregnancy and although I did take a few doses, my digestive system was not able to handle it.  Looking back I should have put up with the heartburn to have prevented this terrible cold.

Now for the big reveal, The Fear Factor Remedy:

1 piece of ginger (about 5 inches long)
1 piece of raw horse radish (about 5 inches long)
1 head of garlic
12 habanero peppers
1 liter of unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar

1. Shred the ginger and horseradish in a cheese grater into a blender.
2. Peel all of the cloves of garlic and add them to the blender.
3. Take the stems off of the habanero and add it to the blender.
4. Pour as much of the apple cider vinegar as you can into the blender and blend everything together.
5. Pour the mixture into a wide mouthed jar (my mom likes to put saran wrap around the mouth and then close it with the lid to keep it sealed well).
6. Put the jar in a dark, cool place and every day you will swirl the solution well.
7. After two weeks of swirling the solution strain all of the chunks out of the vinegar and the vinegar that is left is your Fear Factor Remedy.
8.  You can put it in smaller jars or keep it all in a large jar, there is not need to refrigerate it but we do keep it in a dark, cool place.
9.  Do not take this on an empty stomach.  If those around you are sick take 1 Tbsp. of the remedy once a day.  If you are feeling a tickle in your throat already take 2-4 Tbsp. a day (not all at the same time though).

If there are any mom's out there that are also doomsday preppers by night we always joke that if the zombies attacked or the governemnt collapsed (whatever scenario you're preparing for), this Fear Factor Remedy would be a great defense against getting sick once the grid goes down, so make sure to store this remedy and it's ingredients in your bomb shelter.

I know this remedy sounds insane but it isn't any worse than eating the raw garlic, I see them on the same level as far as spiciness but I find the Fear Factor to be better at preventing colds.  If you ever find yourself to be the only healthy person in a house full of what looks like the cast of The Walking Dead I highly recommend you give one of these remedies a try.