Currently Craving

Gummy woooooooooooorms!

I find they can be quite uplifting in the middle or at end of the day.

It's a Boy!

Olivia's getting a little brother. It's a boy!

I tell yah---there is something to that Lunar Calendar for predicting gender. We are two-for-two.

How blessed are we? This takes off considerable pressure for baby number three---as I know would have been the case for Charm City Daddy. Ahem--let's be real.

Now, if we could just agree on a name. All in good time.

A healthy pregnancy is our number one priority right now. The name will come.

I felt pretty.

For a moment in time, last weekend, I stepped out of my mom uniform (sweats/leggings/jeans), and I felt pretty.

I was invited to sing the national anthem for a pageant in DC on Saturday and Charm City Grandma agreed to babysit Olivia since Charm City Daddy was out of town.  In order to get to DC on time Saturday I had to escape the city on Friday night before the big Baltimore marathon (aka Under Armour Running Festival) which runs all day Saturday and holds every city resident hostage for the day because of the street closures. It's great fun to watch though and Charm City Daddy ran it a couple of times when we were dating. Anyway...

The pageant was FABULOUS but more important--it was for a great cause, breast cancer.

I hardly ever agree to do pageant stuff much any more so it was also the first time in years that I've been all dolled up by make-up, hair, and wardrobe pros.  It was a complete transformation too. I mean I showed up in mom jeans, a flannel shirt soiled with nasty little finger prints, stains, snot and whatever else that gets wiped on me during the course of the day.

When the hair and make-up artists asked me what kind of look I wanted, I replied "Dramatic! Over the top! I never get to do this kind of stuff anymore." And you know what? I'm so glad I did! It was FUN to play dress up for a few hours and I felt good....pregnant but goooood. This is the iphone pic I sent to Charm City Daddy after the makeover.

The fabulous Robin Fleming of La Casa Hermosa (she's in the background there) loaned me a beautiful, flowing, classic gown that accommodated my baby bump.

Current queen: requisite hand on hip. Former queen: requisite hand on baby gut.

Charm City Daddy flew in that night and met me back at grandma's house where Olivia was already sleeping, so we decided to stay at grandma's another night. As soon as he saw me, he begged me to "take that makeup off!" Apparently he loved the picture, but not the up close and personal. Typical. Fantasy over.

Why One Is FUN!

I can't get over how much F-U-N Olivia is right now. The language, the facial expressions, the inflections in her voice, the overall development is just so entertaining.

-The false satisfaction of teaching her that any pretty brown supermodel in the fashion magazines is "mommy" (although it backfires when she points to Michelle Obama on TV and says "mommy, mommy!"
-Grunting to lift her leg (and making a strained face) to climb onto the couch or up the ladder to the slide
-Singing her heart out and dancing when she hears music.
-Captivated and frozen for a full one-hour stretch of Princess and the Frog
-She understands what we are saying and can verbalize back (and we understand it most of the time)
-Animals are identified by the sound they make, woof-woof =dog,  caw!caw!= bird, etc.
-Babbling then sighing and clearly saying "Ohhhh shit" while looking out the window in the car ride.

....and so much more.

Well-Heeled Desire

Dear Tory Burch Booties,

I. love. you. Not more than God and my family--but yeah, for a petty material thing---you're up there, friend. And to your creator---TB, why must you always come up with your BEST stuff when I'm preggo and I'm forced to find ways to cram myself into your wonderful fashions? (sigh) These booties are no exception! Just stop it, would you? Get OUT of my head and into my closet!

I know you are well-meaning, bootie. Just look at you. You should be illegal, because I always get in trouble with your kind. First, I buy you, and then I get grand illusions that I can wear you running through airports and grocery stores because I love and want to wear you so much--but let's face--we have nowhere to go together, bootie.  This mama needs to get more of a social life, so we can spend more time together. I'm going to work on that--and you sit tight---maybe even go on sale in the meantime. Hey Bootie! If you go on sale soon, I promise to wear you around the house cleaning and maybe even to the hospital to deliver my second child---okay, okay maybe that's a stretch. But hey--at least we had this little moment.

With Admiration,

Charm City Mama

How the Second Pregnancy is Different than the First

This topic is at the forefront of every new mom's mind and by far, the most asked question of second-time moms. I even googled the topic myself, when I found out I was expecting number two.

Obviously the answer is different for every woman considering her age, previous pregnancy, occupation, age of first child, genetics, health & diet, fitness, worldview, fate, luck, GOD! You get my point.

Here's my experience in the order of what's most notably different this time around:

1. GROUCHIER. I've been called "cranky" and snappy--and that's just at the office. My husband has also fallen victim. Last time I was accused of smiling all the time. I must work on this.
2. Mind-blowing migraines. Holy cow, a few sent me to bed early in the first trimester.
3. Chronic Fatigue. Not just first trimester fatigue this time--its week 16 and I'm still tired. I love sleep. I get evil about at bedtime too.
4. Ferocious, bottomless pit first trimester appetite, but back to normal second trimester.
5. At 16 weeks, zero weight gain to date. Before, I was up 5 lbs at least by now and I started off a tad slimmer this time.
6. Tummy popped out faster--at 14 weeks--BAM there it was--and yes my navel is once again an "outtie."
7. Less diligent about the tummy butter and belly lubrication--a tad risky considering #5. Last time I exfoliated every other day and lathered on the oils and butters twice a day. This time, I skip a day or sometimes just use regular lotion.
8. Less diligent with prenatal vitamins. I've skipped at least a day or two every now and then.
9. Less concerned with preparing nursery and baby gear--but that could change when we find out gender. Also I have not picked up a single pregnancy book. I'm most interested in balancing two kids under age two, so I've read some parenting articles. Most offer common sense.
10. Cravings: still love pickles, vinegar, fresh cucumbers, etc--not addicted to smoked turkey sausage and mustard in a roll every morning for breakfast like the first pregnancy although I did eat spaghetti one recent morning.
11. Last but not least, I now and offered and take SIPS of Charm City Daddy's  wine with less guilt thanks to this recent study---which published just in time for a nice sip of Cabernet to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary last week. Too bad I'll be knocked up for my 30th birthday in February too!

Most noticeably different is how poorly I am keeping track of my weeks and how quickly time is flying. My older sister is pregnant with number two as well (as you may remember from our beach pic). She is due in 3-4 weeks and she said things are flying by for her too! 

In fact my doctor chuckled on Tuesday when I asked her how far along am I, again?

Halloween Costume Update

After much internet searching (and let's face it my search stops there, I am not one to go shopping all over town), we have settled upon a Halloween costume for Olivia. She's is going to be what she calls a "Bzzzzzz" Bumble bee!

Thanks to Old Navy, this warm, cozy, and well-made outfit has arrived and only costs $10! See how easy that decision was to abandon the cheap banana and the lion costume? TEN BUCKS! We're all lined up for the neighborhood kiddie costume parade too. Should be fun.

First Halloween costume? Check! Now how do I deal with candy?

New Obsession: Baby Gap

Mamas of the world,when it comes to dressing your little one--do you feel styling-impaired? I do. I always feel like I'm dressing poor Olivia so basic and sometimes a tad boyish.

I was so relieved when I heard Katherine Heigl mention in a TV interview last week that she struggled with styling her daughter in cute outfits and how she heavily relies on babyGap.com which puts the looks together for you. And THAT, my friends, is how I landed at babyGap on Saturday.

babyGap: Bleecker Collection "SoHo Style"

babyGap: Sun Valley "Warm & Fuzzy"

Who knew baby Gap was so cute? I didn't.  LOVE that Bleecker Collection.

I set foot in there exactly once when Olivia was 2 months old with a gift card  and nearly died from sticker shock. I couldn't see past $30 for a hooded romper! As Chris Rock used to say "Good Lawd!"

Armed with another babyGap gift card, this time the entire family Daddy, baby, and I went to babyGap this weekend to grab a few much needed cool weather essentials for Olivia.  Whoah, it was a zoo in there! There was a big sale going on--everything was on sale--and with coupons too.

I couldn't even benefit from having the baby with me to size things on her b/c Daddy had to keep her happy and busy moving around the store, while I shopped in hurried frenzy. Can we talk about that for a second? I'm so terrible at shopping with others, because I always feel like I'm holding them up and I can't concentrate on what I am supposed to be focused on.  That was the case on Saturday too. I was mess. I had picked out some cute stuff online but couldn't find it and was second guessing my selections and the sizing and couldn't picture the outfits the way they were perfectly styled online. UGH, the pressure! But we survived. And I managed some cute outfits for Olivia. She still needs shoes! Maybe these homegrown shoes which come highly recommended by our pediatrician.

Btw, I hardly ever go to the mall. Ever.  I hate the crowds and it's a full time job to keep up with all of the coupons. I realized this little factoid about babyGap though----things were on sale in the store that weren't marked down or on sale online. Gasp! They almost GOT me.

Pumpkin Pickin'

We had a gorgeous weekend after hurricane force wind and rain last week.  Olivia and I met up with a friend at a nearby farm for pumpkin pickin', hay mazes, corn husk tee pees, hay rides, and farm animals!

Turns out those pumpkin vines are tricky and trip up little walking toddlers quite often. When Olivia finally found one she could pick up (dramatically grunting of course--where does she get this?), I asked her,  "what is that? what you got there?" Her response...."Nana!" Of course. EVERYTHING consumable is a banana and there is no convincing her otherwise.

Trouble deciding which "nana" to keep.