God Bless the Exercise Ball!

Oh, the joys of pregnancy! Throughout my pregnancy I've had a lot of hip pain at night. As if it's not hard enough to sleep anyways when you have to get up and use the bathroom all the time, but having to switch sides every hour or so only adds to my lack of sleep. Needless to say, the further along in my pregnancy I am the harder sleep is to come by. Don't get me wrong, I know this will all be worth it when I'm holding little Liam in my arms, but right now when I'm exhausted and up most of the night. It's frustrating! On the plus side, I should be VERY well prepared for getting up with a newborn at this point with how little sleep I'm functioning on.

However, this doesn't mean I don't seek out things to help me sleep a little sounder at night. After all, I need to enjoy sleep while I can! Only five-ish more weeks until the little man joins us so I'll try almost anything! Fortunately two things have helped me sleep better at night.

First is the Boppy Pregnancy Wedge.



What a lifesaver for helping balance out the belly! Once I really started to get big out in front I couldn't live without this. A regular pillow was too big and I didn't want a whole body pillow as I don't like things across my face. This supported my growing baby belly without being a third person in the bed! If you're pregnant, I highly recommend it! And if you're thinking of getting pregnant, bookmark this item! It's a must have!

The other savior has been our exercise ball!



Someone recommended this to me to help cure the hip pain that's been keeping me up and night and I must say, it's helped so far! We'll see how it works for numerous nights in a row, but so far, so good! I've been sitting on mine instead of a chair at the computer and find that it's comfortable. I roll side to side and back and forth on it and bounce up and down. And last night, my hips didn't ache and I got more sleep than the past couple of nights. Seeing how as they're affordable and many of us have them in our homes already I think they're a great tool for us preggos!

Now mind you, there is nothing I can do about the bathroom breaks, but at least the sleep I'm getting is more solid. I know it will probably be a long while before I get to sleep through the night again, but at least with a few helpful tools I'm getting as much sleep as possible before my days as a mom of a newborn begin!

World Cup Fever

That's right, our house has been hit by a serious case of World Cup fever! We just can't get enough of it in our household! Needless to say we were very excited about Sunday's England v. USA match! The only problem is we were torn on who to cheer for. See, the World Cup holds a special place in our hearts. Four years ago we traveled to Berlin with my dad and brother for a little World Cup action and some sight seeing. Den was a brave man to travel with the two other men in my life! ;) And he used that trip to ask my father for my hand in marriage. (There were Cuban cigars, cognac, wine and a REALLY long conversation involved.) In the end I think all turned out pretty well!

We loved Berlin! It's an amazing city with so much history and things to see. We traveled around easily to see WWII sites, Den's favorite! And we got to take in a live World Cup match! Mind you, we'd tried to get tickets to US or England matches, but ended up with Tunisia and someone who slips my mind at the moment. None of that mattered though inside the stadium. We watched the match at the Olympiad Stadium in Berlin were Hitler had watched the Olympics. (Most notably Jesse Owens winning gold!) It was truly an amazing experience. The history and the energy of the game could not be matched!



I've always followed English soccer so we spent a lot of our time cheering for England as they never played the US. We had English flags, hats, you name it! I knew all the players names, which sadly I couldn't say the same for the US team. Guess I'd better think twice now that I'm a military wife!

Needless to say, watching the game on Sunday was bittersweet. I found myself cheering for both sides, which probably drove the hubby nuts! We got a good kick out of the fact that we might be the only people on base cheering for England. And in the end, the result was a draw so I guess both our teams came out ok. It will be nice going forward to be able to cheer for both teams without them competing against each other. If they both win, then they'll both move on to the next round, but chances are only one of them might. I guess only time will tell. Until then, we have the DVR set for random matches so Den doesn't miss anything while he's at work and I watch the Cup about three times a day! (Unless we're recording it since I know it will be played again!) Yes, we are crazy Americans obsessed with football! (The kind you play with your foot! ;) ) Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way!

My Love Affair...

Yes, that is right, I am having an affair...with air conditioning! The heat has definitely taken over the south and this So Cal girl doesn't know what to do with herself! I have tried throughout this pregnancy to stay healthy, both in diet and exercise, but that is getting harder to do as I get further along. The last thing I want to do is go outside for a walk. (And the first thing I want is some nice, cold ice cream!) I know, I know, they say it helps to be in shape for labor, but I need to make it to labor, not die of heat stroke first! So maybe I'm being a little melodramatic here, but the heat and humidity are not my friends! Oh how I wish I was back home walking in June gloom right now! At least it sounds much more appealing! But the grass is always greener on the other side isn't it? I guess from now on I either suck it up or walk on a treadmill at the gym? I am sure either will provide me with the benefits I need. And at least one option includes my new best friend, air conditioning!

Everyone keeps telling me it's going to be a long, hot summer for me. What they don't understand is that I already know this! Summer in the south would be my least favorite thing about living here to begin with. The hair doesn't do what it's supposed to, you're gross as soon as you walk out the door and it seems to last forever. But to top it off with my body temperature being out of whack makes it even more unbearable! I try to encourage myself by saying at least I'm due at the beginning of August so I miss out on a lot of our North Carolina summer. (Which goes through October for the most part!) While this is true, it's little consolation while I'm out walking.

They say you forget the pain of labor as soon as you see your little one, and this is why people have multiple children. But I wonder if you forget how uncomfortable you are during the last couple of months, especially when those last few months are over the summer? Here's my theory: whether or not Cody and Liam have a little sibling could fully depend on my memory recall. (And a little planning so I'm not hugely pregnant over the summer???) Hopefully my friend air conditioning will make these last few weeks as pleasant as possible so my memory isn't tainted! In the end, when I'm holding little Liam I'm sure it will all be worth it!

Itzbeen Baby Care Timer

I SOOOOO want one of these for when Liam comes. They track feedings, sleep, etc. Most importantly, it looks like it would help someone absent minded like me! Well, Victoria, over at "Life with Jake" is giving one away. (In conjunction with the company of course!) So go check her blog out: http://ourlifewithjake.blogspot.com/ and you can sign up to win!

Need to Know Basis

Everything I post here is on a need to know basis. Sure, you probably don't "need" to know any of it, but I need someone to share it with. Sure beats talking to myself or the pups! So I've jumped on the blogging bandwagon.

See, I am a stay at home wife and mom. I wasn't always one, and I sometimes find myself missing the old days when I had a story to tell and a captive audience to tell it to! Once upon a time I was a career woman. I traveled the world every chance I got and spent most of my paycheck on shoes. Then, along came this guy...and oh how life changed. I never thought I would marry someone in the military, but I did. I never thought I'd be a stepparent, but I am. And honestly, my shoe collection is suffering. But I wouldn't change this life for the world.

And so life goes on. I find my days are filled with laundry, volunteering at the school, cooking and cleaning. Gone are the days of press releases, business lunches and party planning. And each day presents new challenges as we live out our little slice of the American dream. Because life isn't about how much money I make, what trips I went on lately, or even the latest pair of heels. It's about the man that loves me unconditionally, a little boy who challenges us and brings us joy and our two furbabies, who might be more spoiled then our actual child!

Now we await the newest member of our family. Our next little man should join us in early August. We are all beyond thrilled. I loved doing mommyhood from school-age on (who wouldn't appreciate not having to change a diaper!), but I am equally as excited to have a little person that is part me to raise from day one.

So sit back and enjoy the ride. And remember, information is on a need to know, or need to share basis. If you need to know ask. And you can bet that I will share when I need to, and probably sometimes when I just want to!