Taco Bell, you know me too well

Nothing much to report from the Bogart household today, so I figured I'd just share a tiny bit of humor with you all compliments of Taco Bell... Enjoy!

With my overall general love of Mexican food and my increased craving for it with this pregnancy, we've been eating at Taco Bell more frequently as of late. And you know how they have those taco sauce packets there with the funny/clever little sayings on each of them? I love those! And it's pretty much the highlight of the trip for me picking out a handful to put on our food and reading which ones I get while we wait for our food. Well, somehow the past three (yes, three!) times we've been there, I've managed to get exactly one with this saying:

The first time it happened, Ryan and I both had a good chuckle. The second time, it was even more funny. By the time it happened a third time last week, Ryan insisted that I take a picture and post about it on the blog because he thought it was so funny. It might just dumb luck that I keep getting this message and it might be the employees strategically placing it on the top of the pile for me to grab as they watch me waddle up through the parking lot yet again... either way, it's still pretty funny.

I feel your pain, Mr. Hot, I really do.

Remembering to Give Thanks

Recently, and this week in particular, I've found myself grumbling and complaining a lot. But, in my defense, it's hard not to when you're 9 months pregnant... I'm achy, I'm hormonal, and I'm SO ready to meet this baby! But I shouldn't make excuses for it... Really, it's a bad habit to complain all the time. So today I finally decided to stop and give myself a reality check. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving - a day devoted entirely to giving thanks for the all good things in your life that you may take for granted the rest of the year. I realized today that I should spend less time complaining and more time remembering the abundance of things I have to be thankful for. Especially this year. Because I have so many.

So I played this game today. It's called "What I Say vs. What I Mean". Basically, every time I had a complaint throughout my day, I stopped and thought of a good way to say the same thought so I seem more grateful for my multitude of blessings and less like a spoiled brat. It went something like this:

What I say: "Wow, my back hurts again this morning. Imagine that."
What I mean: "Back aches suck, but I'm so thankful that a few aches and pains are all I can complain about when it comes to being pregnant. It could be so much worse."

What I say: "Did these stretch marks grow more over night, or is it just me? Either way, my stomach sure does itch!"
What I mean: "I'm thankful that my son is still inside growing big and strong even if it means getting more "battle scars". I'm so thankful for whoever invented Palmer's Cocoa Butter. It's like heaven on itchy, stretched skin."

What I say: "I really wish Ryan didn't have to be gone all day, everyday with work and school. I get lonely all day at home alone."
What I mean: "I am beyond thankful that I married such a motivated, hard-working man. It's so great that he can go back to school for something he loves and get paid to do it.  It's only because he works so hard that we can afford for me to stay home with the baby after he's born and I'm really looking forward to that."

What I say: "How is it possible that our laundry has piled up so much? I really don't feel like washing, folding, and putting away clothes ALL DAY."
What I mean: "I'm so glad to have a closet full of clothes (even though half of it doesn't fit right now). It's awesome to wake up in the morning and not only have something to wear, but to have a choice about what I want to wear."

What I say: "Bills, bills, and more bills! I hate checking the mail and finding bills almost as much as I hate paying bills."
What I mean: "I live in a heated, lighted apartment that has internet and Netflix and I have enough money in our checking account to pay for all of these luxuries. I am one lucky girl."

What I say: "This child has SO. MUCH. STUFF. It's not even fair. He probably has more things than Ryan and I combined. I'll never have his nursery organized and cleaned before he's born at this rate."
What I mean: "We have been beyond blessed by our amazing friends and family with almost everything we could ever need or want for our baby boy. We'll never be able to fully show our gratitude for their extreme generosity and kindness even if we tried. Our son is already loved and he isn't even born yet. My heart is so full of love for him and our support system that it might burst at the seams right along with his dresser drawers."

You get the idea now? It's a great game. I felt a heck of a lot more upbeat and positive today than I have in a while when I just took a couple minutes to gather my thoughts and get a new perspective. And how could I not? When I just sit back and look at all the things I have to be thankful for this year, it makes me teary-eyed. Yeah, yeah, I know part of that is the hormones talking... but seriously!

Okay, enough with the mushy-gushy talk for one day! It's time for me to pack my bags and prepare for the trip to Walker tomorrow where I'll get to see my amazing family and friends and stuff my face with good food. Oh! I almost forgot! That's another thing that I am thankful for this year! I don't have to restrain myself when eating Thanksgiving dinner for fear of gaining a pound or two... I'm already "fat" and I'm allowed to get "fatter" for the next three weeks until this baby is born! God bless being pregnant over the holidays!

Thankfully Yours,
-Big Mama Bogart

The Week of The Baby

You know how the Chinese calendar has every year represented by an animal? Like "The Year of the Dragon"? Well, I feel like this week in the Bogart family is "The Week of The Baby". It all started last Saturday with another wonderful baby shower thrown at my mother in law's house by Ryan's aunt, Wendy, and my sister in law, Jen. There was delicious food, baby-themed games, and many more presents for little Baby Bogart. Seriously, this kid's stuff is going to overtake our apartment before he finally decides to make his grand entrance. No joke. Who knew such a little person could have so much stuff?!

After our busy weekend in Rogers, it was back up to Duluth for a week jam-packed with baby classes. Last night was the first class of the week: "Bonus Night" aka Infant CPR and Carseat Safety. The class was "free" if you signed up and are taking the Labor & Delivery courses at the hospital. It was super informative and slightly terrifying at the same time. Although I do feel much more informed and better prepared, I'm also terrified that I will be one of the 80% of parents to incorrectly use my car seat or that I will actually have to do CPR on my own child. What? I'm actually going to be responsible for this life that we've created? Holy. Crap.

And as if the class last night wasn't enough to make me sweat a little, this weekend Ryan and I will be taking the actual Labor & Delivery classes as well. It is going to be a long Friday night and all-day Saturday spent in good company with other soon-to-be-parents learning about all the "fun" we'll have sometime within the next month or so. I'm sure that these classes will also make me feel better prepared and more informed, and really I wouldn't want to not take them, but I guess I'm just a little terrified in general of the whole daunting task of delivering a baby. I hear that's normal though, right?

Really though - I guess I'm not even that worried about him actually being here and taking care of him as much as I am worried about me having to get him here. Sure, I'll be exhausted for a while and it will be a major adjustment for our family, but at least I have a little bit of experience with babies. The labor and delivery part? Yeah, not so much. I wish we could just skip that part. Wake me up when he's here, okay? :)

Thankfully, after the fear-instilling classes this weekend I have something else to look forward to. My nerdy and totally awesome chemical engineering friends are throwing a party in honor of Baby Bogart on Saturday night. I guess, technically, they are calling it a baby shower but it's more just an excuse for all of us to get together, eat some food, and play some games. I'm just impressed that they found the time and energy with their crazy school/work schedules to fit in anything besides more sleep this weekend. But I'm so thankful that they fit me into their busy lives because I never get to see them anymore since I'm not in school and that's where they practically live. I can't wait! Hopefully I can stay awake past 8 pm to enjoy it.

So there you have it, folks! The Week of the Baby! So much celebration and preparation for such a little person. Hopefully with all this excitement he'll get antsy and want to come out sooner rather than later to join in on the fun. We can only hope...

35/35 on 11/11/11

Today is a big day Blogger World! I am 35 weeks pregnant today! Which means I only have 35 days left to be pregnant! (35 weeks down / 35 days left! Woot woot!) How super duper exciting is that? Sooo exciting! Here I am this morning being very excited to only have approximately five weeks left before I can finally meet our little boy:

And in honor of me making it this far without any major difficulties (thank The Lord!) and also in honor of my new friends, Stretch and Marks, who decided to rear their ugly heads this week for the first time (bleh! I thought for sure that I would get lucky enough to squeak by without any!)... I wanted to share with you all this beautiful pin that I found on Pinterest:

Granted, my stomach isn't nearly as marked (yet) as the pictured one is. But even if it was it wouldn't matter to me anymore. The caption is so true and it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. And that might just be the hormones, but it is very touching whether you're hormonal or not. There is something truly beautiful about a mother's marked stomach. But I didn't always feel that way... I used to be terrified of getting stretch marks because, well because, I'm still young and I'm selfish and I want to be able to confidently wear a bikini again darnit!  But if a few (or many) stretch marks is the price I have to pay for my baby to be born healthy then so be it!

Well, I'm off to lather on the coco butter! I'll take the stretch marks if I have to, but I won't go down without a fight!

TGIF!
-The Marked Mama

Wittle Baby Hiccups

Hiccups are so weird. What purpose do they serve and why do we get them? And why do some people get them more often and more violently than others? I guess it's something that has always bothered me, but I never bothered to look it up - until today. And so, with the help of the Google machine and WebMD, here are some fun facts about hiccups for your viewing pleasure that may or may not enlighten you:

What are hiccups?

Hiccups occur when a spasm contracts the diaphragm, a large sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. This spasm causes an intake of breath that is suddenly stopped by the closure of the vocal cords. This closure causes the characteristic "hiccup" sound.

What causes hiccups?

A very full stomach can cause bouts of hiccups that go away on their own. A full stomach can be caused by:

• Eating too much food too quickly.
• Drinking too much alcohol.
• Swallowing too much air.
• Smoking
• A sudden change in stomach temperature, such as drinking a hot beverage and then a cold beverage.
• Emotional stress or excitement.

How long do hiccups last?

Hiccups usually stop within a few minutes to a few hours. <--- A few HOURS?! Holy moly! I get annoyed after about five minutes!

Hiccups that last longer than 48 hours are called persistent hiccups. Hiccups that last longer than a month are called intractable hiccups. While very rare, intractable hiccups can cause exhaustion, lack of sleep, and weight loss. Both persistent and intractable hiccups may be a sign of a more serious health problem and must be checked by a doctor. (How do you sleep if you have hiccups for longer than 48 hours? Do you just hiccup in your sleep then? So bizarre.)

How are hiccups treated?

Most bouts of hiccups go away on their own within a few minutes to a few hours and do not require any treatment.

Many home remedies are used to treat hiccups. Most of them involve increasing the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which usually stops hiccups. Some of these remedies include:

• Holding your breath and counting slowly to 10.
• Breathing repeatedly into a paper bag for a limited period of time.
• Quickly drinking a glass of cold water.
• Eating a teaspoon of sugar or honey.
• My personal favorite is taking a drink of water while standing up, holding it in your mouth, putting your head between your legs, and then swallowing the water. You look like a complete idiot doing it, but it works for me about 90% of the time...

Who is affected by hiccups?

Hiccups affect males more often than females. (Haha guys!) Hiccups occur in practically every human being, including babies and older adults.

That's it! See that bolded part up there about hiccups effecting everyone, including babies? Yes, that right there ladies and gentlemen would be the reason for my sudden increased interest in hiccups. You see, little Baby Bogart apparently has a full stomach very often these days because he gets hiccups everyday... multiple times a day. And it is incredibly annoying. It used to be sort of cute, back when he only got them every now and again, but now that it's happening everyday it's starting to grate on my frazzled pregnant nerves. (On a side note, Ryan wants me to mention here that he still thinks they're cute.. and yes, that irritates me even more haha.)

I have read that it's a good sign for babies to get hiccups in utero because it means that their lungs are maturing and it's strengthening their diaphragm in preparation for breathing, and I try really hard to remind myself of this, but it's still incredibly annoying. Plus, I feel bad that he doesn't know any of the "tricks" to get rid of them and he has to suffer through them everyday! I try to tell him to hold his breath and plug is nose, but I don't think he really gets it. I wonder why? Haha ;)

So there is the update from the Bogart household today: Brock gets the hiccups too much and it's driving mommy bonkers.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the gorgeous November weekend and all the deer hunters in Minnesota are having some good luck! My mama and sister are coming to visit tomorrow because my sister has the day of from school Monday and I'm super excited. Now if only those darn bathrooms would clean themselves before they get here...

Showered With Love (aka baby shower numero uno)

This past weekend the women of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church were kind enough to throw myself and another first time mom (who is having a girl and is due exactly three weeks after me) a joint baby shower. It was fantastic! There was an overwhelming abundance of  food, cake, games, and presents and I was truly "showered" with their love and generosity. I feel incredibly blessed to be bringing my son into such a supportive church home...

So here are some of the things Baby Bogart and I received:

A few adorable outfits.

A ton of books (including two children's bibles and a couple biblical stories).

Some more practical baby necessities like diapers, wipes, etc.

A Boppy pillow and a crib mattress cover.

And a couple hand-sewn receiving blankets and bibs. They're SUPER soft and I absolutely adore them.













See what I mean? All of the women were so generous! And on top of all the new things I received, I also inherited two full Rubbermaid Tubs of hand-me-down clothes and a gently used bassinet from one of the women. I am so lucky to be a part of this church...

Well, that's about all I know on this windy Tuesday evening. I better resume my place on the couch and find something to watch on Netflix now.

God Bless!
- The Bogarts

Just a little vent before sunrise

I used to be an incredible sleeper before I was pregnant. I could fall asleep at the drop of a hat, sleep in until noon, and take three hour naps like they were going out of style. No joke, if sleeping/napping were an Olympic event, I would have taken the gold hands-down. It wouldn't have even been a competition. But these days... not so much.

I swear, once I hit my third trimester of this pregnancy it was like little Baby Bogart flipped a switch that immediately made it hard to sleep at night. First, I lay in bed for hours trying to get to sleep in the first place. Then I wake up every hour or two all night long because a) I have to use the bathroom b) I'm incredibly uncomfortable or c) I am incredibly uncomfortable AND I have to use the bathroom. It's really quite unpleasant. Really though, it wouldn't be so bad if I could just sleep in.. but alas, I can't seem to do that these days either. Between the construction down our road starting between 5:30-7:00 a.m. and my tendency to rise before or with the sun it just doesn't happen anymore. And it's not like the reason I can't sleep is because I'm not tired - I'm exhausted! It's just cruel and unusual punishment I tell ya...

My mom has been trying her darnedest to convince me that it's just my body's way of preparing me for when the baby actually comes and I have to be up with him every couple of hours. Which makes sense.. I suppose... kind of... (Not really.) Wouldn't it make more sense that my body would want to rest now while it still can? Shouldn't I cherish these last two months of uninterrupted sleep while I still at least have the opportunity? I guess not.

Really though, this pregnancy has been good to me overall and I have very few reasons to complain. I never had morning sickness, I haven't started swelling too badly or retaining insane amounts of water, and both the baby and I have been healthy enough that I haven't been put on bed rest or any other type of restriction. I know that I am very blessed compared to many others out there. It's just this darn lack of sleep thing! It starts to wear you down after a while... But I just have to keep reminding myself daily about the incredible prize at the end of all this and that, although it feels like it sometimes, I won't be pregnant forever. This too shall pass.

Well, my coffee is finally done! At least I can enjoy a cup of Folgers Half Caff with a bit of delicious Pumpkin Spice Coffee Mate mixed in as I sit here and wait for the sun to come up...

TGIF!

Strike a pose

Yesterday was another absolutely gorgeous fall day up here in the Duluth/Superior area. To celebrate the perfect weather and our growing family, Ryan & I took a drive just outside of Superior to Pattison Park with our friends Al & Kati Reich and took some maternity pictures. Now, if you're like me, you probably didn't even know that this particular Wisconsin State Park even existed... but it does. And let me tell you, it's stunning. Especially with all the fall colors this time of year. As Mr. Al Reich so eloquently phrased it, "Wisconsin is filled with hidden gems". So true.

Anyways, the whole point of this post is to give you all a little peek into the phenomenal work of Kati Reich (not ramble on about the hidden beauty of the cheese state haha). So! Here is a link to her blog post with some of the great shots she captured yesterday:

http://katireich.blogspot.com/2011/10/christina-ryan.html

I LOVE them! She did such a fantastic job! And would you believe that this was her first time doing a maternity shoot? Don't worry, me either. She's just so good at what she does. I'm so thankful to have such talented friends...

On a side note, I am exactly 30 weeks pregnant today and that means that our little boy will hopefully be coming out to play in only 10 weeks. Although, according to my mother, it will be more like 11 weeks... she's convinced that I am going to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the hospital delivering him. I sure do hope she's wrong. Not only would I have to miss out on all the great food and Christmas cookies, but then his birthday would be overshadowed by all the Christmas festivities more than it already will be. Not that sharing a birthday with Jesus Christ isn't totally awesome.. I just think he might regret his choice to come late as he gets older. Oh well, I'll just have to explain it to him when he grows up and remind him that it's his own darn fault for not being born when he was due... haha!

Enjoy the pictures and the rest of your weekend all! TGIF!

-The Bogarts

Fall has it all

I love fall. It's by far my favorite season. I get to celebrate my birthday, witness leaves change colors, bundle up in comfy, warm sweaters, and eat as much delicious fall-like foods as I can stomach. Mmmmm caramel apples, pumpkin bread, homemade soups, apple cider, pumpkin bars, apple pie, pumpkin pie... I love me some apple and pumpkin in the fall!

On top of all that, as if fall couldn't get any better, it has one more thing that makes it the perfect season: Seasonal Coffee-mate flavors! There's just nothing better than enjoying fresh pumpkin baked goods with a hot cup of Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee. (The Peppermint Mocha and Warm Cinnamon Sugar Cookie are also to die for..)

Needless to say, when the grocery store was having a sale this week on Coffee-mate creamers for only $0.99, I stocked up. As much as I possibly could at least. Sadly, the coupon only allowed for a maximum of three... but that was just enough to get one of each my favorite flavors.

I'll be interested to see how much weight I've gained over the last two weeks at my next doctors appointment. Oh well, you know what they say - eat, drink, and be merry... for next year I won't have pregnancy to blame!

With love and lots of pumpkin flavored things,
The Bogarts

There's a good possibility that I may turn into a bird

Nesting. What a silly word. I had heard stories from other moms about how they started "nesting" during their third trimester... cleaning and organizing everything in sight, stocking up on food, and baking all sorts of things. I've been wondering for the past few weeks since entering my third and final trimester of this pregnancy when that instinct would kick in for me. Well, I shall wonder no more! I'm officially nesting. It started slowly this weekend when I had the sudden (and very odd) urge to dust all of the blinds in our apartment, and I do believe that my nesting is in full swing on this lovely October day...

So far today I've:

1. Washed/folded/put away all the laundry
2. Washed the dishes
3. Washed, disinfected, and put away the baby toys my aunt gave to me a couple months back
4. Swept both bathrooms, the entry, and kitchen floors
5. Ate lunch
6. Worked out
7. Made an appointment to get my hair highlighted and trimmed
8. Written this blog post

And it's only the middle of the afternoon! Assuming I don't take a three hour nap again today like I've gotten in the habit of doing, I could accomplish more in this one day than all of last week combined. I must say that I do enjoy having this much energy and ambition... I wish I could just turn into a bird forever. 

And now it's time to scour my cook books for something delicious and entirely unhealthy to bake!

Happy Monday Everyone!

- Mama Bird

Technology: a Pregnant Lady's Best Friend

Technology never ceases to amaze me. Truly, it doesn't. And I think that I appreciate it more than ever now that I'm pregnant... In all honesty, aside from the infinitely more attractive maternity clothes, I'd say the coolest thing about being pregnant in 2011 is all the resources available to me 24 hours a day. Take, for example, my phone. I have an app on it based on the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book; it gives me daily and weekly updates about what my baby and body is doing as well as tips for sleeping better, choosing a childbirth class, exercising safely, and the list just goes on and on. It's SO cool! And that's just the app on my phone! That doesn't even include all of the pregnancy-specific websites on the internet that give moms-to-be a way to educate themselves about pretty much anything and connect with each other. And registering for baby stuff? Beyond easy with today's technology. You can add/remove items from your registry or even complete your entire registry online! This came in handy for us when Ryan and I became entirely overwhelmed in Target by the endless rows of baby products and got tired of maneuvering around other extremely pregnant women. Plus, by looking up online reviews of different things, we were able to get feedback before deciding if that product was something worth registering for or if it was just an expensive piece of junk. 

By the way, in case you're wondering, a lot of baby stuff today really is nothing but expensive junk. Who cares if your burp rags cost $5 a piece and have cute designs on them if the spit-up runs straight down and onto your shirt instead of being absorbed like it should be? And who wants to carry around a baby bouncer from room to room that weighs 25 pounds? Not me! Call me old-fashioned, but I don't care if it has super-sonic vibration something-or-the-other and a giant light-up bar of toys... I just want it to securely hold my baby. Alright- rant over for now. 

Moral of the story is this: technology makes being pregnant a lot easier. And when I'm an exhausted, third trimester mama-to-be, I like easier. Now if only technology would make it easier to paint my toes and put on my shoes... ;)

Today I am exactly 29 weeks pregnant. That means it's only 77 more days until Baby Bogart is due to make his appearance!

Happy Friday - TGIF!

-The Bogarts