We're in the six month, folks! I can't believe it!
source
The Bean is moving and throwing punches quite regularly. The other night the Bean kicked so hard that it woke me from my sleep! Ask Phil or any of my family members... I do not wake easily. Good job, Beansie! You're getting so strong!!
I have been putting lotion on my tummy and drinking copious amounts of water to see if it helps with preventing stretch marks. I realize there is not much you can do to stop them, but I feel like I have to try! So far so good, but I'm pretty sure that I will get them. At the end of the day, it's okay. They will be battle scars!
Earlier I mentioned that I was on a sort of bed rest so I thought I should explain. I had been having intense lower back pain and limited movement in my hips. When I walked or moved my legs they would click and pop at the pelvic joints. It's extremely painful, but I thought that it was just normal pregnancy back pain and decided to try and power through it.
It got worse and I couldn't walk very well. I shuffled sort of like an old lady, so I mentioned it to my midwife and she diagnosed me with having SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction). When you are pregnant your body produces this hormone called 'relaxin' which does exactly what it sounds like. It relaxes the ligaments to prepare your body for birth, which is a good thing! However, in my case it relaxed things too much and I have extra space in my pelvis which is causing everything to grind, and click, and pop together. It hurts. Because of this I am not allowed to do excessive walking or carry heavy things, or even push a shopping cart. I have to sit up straight like a lady and I can't cross my legs.
I've learned a lot about pain management, posture, and proper movements and it has definitely helped! I've seen an improvement in my mobility but I still have to take it easy as it will be a lingering thing throughout the rest of the pregnancy. Phil sent me to go get a pregnancy massage and it was amaaaaaaaazing! It helped so so much and I immediately gained more mobility after that. I also learned a few tricks where to apply pressure to relieve the tension. It was awesome.
So! The good news is that I'm feeling a lot better and I am not shuffling like an old lady! I'm also off pain medication for now. I still waddle like a duck and I'm pretty slow, but things are definitely better! For those of you that I had talked to about this, thank you for your prayers! They are really appreciated.
So, I've started the countdown to meet this little Bean. I can't wait to hold and snuggle the baby. I can't wait to see if it is a boy or a girl! I can't wait to announce the name.
I can't wait to be at the finish line with the prize of a sweet baby.
xoxo
Talia Christine
Look, Ma! I did it myself!
Okay, so I've been cutting my own hair since I was 14, but it still makes me nervous. I just feel like if a hairdresser can mess it up, so can I! And I'm saving a lot of money. Like, enough money to pay for the pregnancy massage that I just had. The massage changed my life.
This was taken the next day because by the time I finished my hair cut it was dark. I didn't feel like washing it again. Sorry. (Kinda - I hate washing my hair)
I cut off 2-5 inches and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out! I was sad to see my long locks go, but I desperately needed a cut with all the split ends that I had. I still plan on growing it a bit longer, but until then, I'll keep up with little trims along the way.
xoxo
Talia Christine
... and from all homemade ingredients!
For dinner tonight we had chicken spaghetti made with homemade tomato sauce and homemade fresh pasta, garlic toast from bread I baked today, and a tomato cucumber salad from the veggies in our garden!
SO EXCITED!! I just had to share.
I'm going to go pass out now. I'm very tired. And full from a delicious dinner.
xoxo
Talia Christine
Also, Phil did the dishes. Best husband ever.
Maybe it's because I'm pregnant or it's because I've never been to Italy,
or maybe it's because I'm insanely hungry and never sampled homemade tomato sauce before...
but
this is the best tomato sauce I've had in a very long time.
Yesterday I got the wild idea to make my own sauce from scratch. All the tomatoes in the garden seemed to be ready at once and I'd already made giant batch of salsa (which I will be having with dinner tonight).
I had to try making own sauce. I'd never done it before.
With a quick bit of googling and research (and some help from Phil gathering the tomatoes) I was on my way. I blanched and peeled and seeded the tomatoes then cooked them for 45 minutes with garlic, olive oil, and onion then a few sprigs of basil from the garden.
Heavenly.
I cannot wait for pasta night or for pizza night.
It will really just be excuse to eat this tomato sauce.
Here's how I did it:
3 1/2 lbs of tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 medium onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt (or salt to taste)
Blanch the tomatoes to remove the skins. You can do this by boiling the tomatoes for around 15 seconds and putting them immediately into ice water or cold water. The skins should come right off, but if they happen to give you trouble you can throw them into the boiling water again.
Once the skins are removed, cut and deseed the tomatoes over a strainer. Save the tomato juice that's free of seeds for later. This may seem like a silly and time-consuming step, but all the experts say that the seeds impart a bitter taste to the sauce. I'm going to take their word on that one. I don't have time to mess with bitter sauce.
Finely chop the onion and garlic and cook them for 10 minutes in the olive oil until they are translucent and slightly golden in color. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 45 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much in the process simply add in the extra tomato juice that was saved. Add salt and enjoooooy.
Seriously, I really enjoyed this.
xoxo
Talia Christine
It's starting to hit me in a big way: nesting.
All of a sudden I need to get my house in order and decorated. It's the weirdest thing. And honestly, we still aren't totally unpacked from when we moved into our house aaaannd some of my clothes might still be in suitcases. Kind of embarassing. I know.
I have a list a mile long of things I want to do. I'm dying to repaint the craft room and get some art up on the walls! I need to separate my winter and summer and pre-pregnancy clothes. I want to cook a bunch of frozen meals in preparation for the Bean's arrival. I want to set up little nooks around the house with our little personal touches.
I want our house to look awesome.
Unfortunately, I'm (sorta) on rest at the moment and I'm not supposed to be walking around a lot so it has slowed my nesting progress quite a bit. BUT that doesn't mean that ideas are whirling around in my head! I've started decorating bits here and there and, though the progress is slow, I am loving it.
My vision involves decorating on the cheap and using vintage and up-cycled items. It is totally changing my way of looking at things and seeing how I could potentially use them to decorate our home or make them into something new. The Mister is also very good at this and has great vision for old things. My goodness, I love that man.
What are some ways that you've decorated your living space?
xoxo
Talia Christine
Last weekend the Mister and I went garage saleing around Hamilton. We were pretty late to the game because we felt like sleeping in. That's pretty much bad news when it comes to garage sales, but this time we struck gold!
I found these pretty matching vintage flat sheets that are in EXCELLENT condition. I plan on using the fabric to make something pretty, but I can't decide what I'll use it for just yet.
I love using vintage sheets for making quilts and dresses. We'll just have to see what the sheet wants to be made into!
... AND THEN ...
We got these little beauties.
A little fact for you: The first thing I do when I'm at a garage sale is run to see if they have any little vintage trinkets or figurines. I'm obsessed with little owls, deer, and cats. Unfortunately, I can never find them.
When we got to this particular sale I, like always, ran to the trinkets area. There were figurines... but no deer. No owls. I sort of forgot my manners and made a sad face stating that I was looking for deer or owls. "Deer or owls you say?" the little British lady (who was having the garage sale) said, "Hold on". And then she ran inside her house! She came out a minute later, panting for breath and handed me the deer and the littler owl. She said she didn't need them. They were just sitting ona shelf collecting dust. I almost died right there! She sold us the figurines and some sort of wrench or tool for Phil (Sorry, Phil, I forgot what it is called) for 4 dollars. SO STOKED!!!
The larger owl figurine was a present from Phil while I was in the States. He found it at a market. I love it so much! It's actually a salt shaker.
Best. Salt shaker. Ever. (Best husband ever)
Sigh. Garage sale happiness.
xoxo
Talia Christine
source
We're in month 5 and we're officially past the halfway point! My belly feels GIGANTIC and I am nervous to only be halfway. Seriously, I'm nervous. How big can this belly get???
I can feel the Bean kick and move all day now. It is an amazing feeling. It's also a really weird feeling. I'm almost never ready for it and it almost always takes me by surprise. Sometimes I feel a little flutter and sometimes I feel a legit kick or a punch. Not to take away from the beauty of it or anything, but it feels like I ate a bean burrito and that burrito is kicking me from the inside. Yeah I know, it's pretty awesome.
We went for a ultrasound yesterday which was sooo incredible! We saw the little Bean's face, hands and fingers and toes, legs and arms, heart and head. Everything is going really well and I feel really seriously blessed. I can't wait to meet this little Bean! We opted not to find out if it is a boy or a girl, which I find so exciting! OF COURSE I want to know if it's a little he or a little she but that is part of the beauty and mystery of having a baby.
If I'm honest, I really really love being pregnant but it also is almost nothing like I pictured. Growing up, my mental image of pregnant-me was almost like a mythical creature. I glowed and wore long flowing dresses. I somehow became more graceful (a gift I've never ever possessed) and my voice probably sweeter. I'm nothing like that. And that's okay. My back aches like you wouldn't believe and I've developed quite the little waddle. My posture has changed and I'm pretty sure my butt sticks out in a way that it didn't before. I am having more and more trouble sleeping at night and finding a comfortable position. I'm permanently tired. Not to mention that I cannot regularly go to the bathroom or pass gas when I need to. Sorry, but it's true. I am not the picture of grace. I'm a mom to be and my body is busy baking this little Bean and I love my job of being a vessel for this little person. It's very special to me.
What I'm craving:
Anything spicy. Yes it gives me heartburn. Yes it is so so so worth it.
What Mama's wearing:
Dresses! It's so hot here I can't bring myself to even try on my jeans to see if I can wear them. While I visited my fam in Texas (where it is currently Winter) I wore a lot of leggings (bless them), tunics, and dresses. I am finding it easier to find things to wear now that I have a full-on baby bump. It is easier to accentuate the little bump now that I've got one and I love showing it off.
xoxo
Talia Christine
P.S. - Sorry I skipped a few weeks. I'll make it up to you by posting some baby bump pictures soon! Cross my heart.
Just a quick note to say hello! I am back home in New Zealand safe and sound. I had no problems with immigration and I am so glad to be home with my husband. I had an amazing time with my family, but three weeks is a heck of a long time to be away from your love. That's what I think anyway. I'll never leave that long again without taking him with me.
On my little vacation I took a break from the blogging world to soak up time with my family but I have so much to tell you!! I'll be back very soon with some updates and some funny photos.
xoxo
Talia Christine
Seriously though, did I mention how ridiculously happy I am to be back home??
