My Pre-Birthday Meldown

Thursday, I turned 25! I remember as a little girl my mom used to tuck me in and we'd read and talk a little before bed; I distinctly remember one particular conversation that went a little like this... "When I'm 25 Mom I want to be married, have a good job, a big house and one baby."  Oh, that beautiful child like dreaming. If you would have asked me 3 years ago I would have never thought I'd be on track  to accomplish anything on that list but here I am 25 married, with child and we're saving up to get our dream house. Although I may not have my dream job yet, I still have 11 months to work on it! I'm extremely blessed and I know it but that didn't stop me from throwing a little pity party the night before my birthday. I'm talking full-on water works with deep sighing and in between snorting as I watched my husband sit next to me with a sympathetic yet "What the Hell is going on?!" face. It was no joke, call it hormones, call it ego , whatever it was I felt silly afterwards. My Birthday ,since I've moved to California, has always landed on a moving week for us, not only a moving week but just a stressful time in general. We've never really been able to celebrate it, in between the packing, the cleaning and not to mention all of the expenses that come with it, my birthday is put on the back burner.  I know what you're thinking, "What a brat!" I  know because as I said how I felt to my dumbfounded husband I knew I was letting my ego take the wheel. It's also not like we don't do anything, my husband takes me to dinner, wakes me up with a birthday song and buys me flowers galore. This year he baked me a yummy chocolate cake after coming home from a grueling 8 hours in the sun. I'm a jerk! I'm not quite sure what led to my pre-birthday meltdown but it did help me realize how blessed I truly am. I made mental lists all day of the things I was grateful for, I did a little self-pampering and shopping. All in all my 25th birthday was a success and though it's much different from any other birthdays I've celebrated, I'm nothing but thankful. I have a wonderful husband, a baby on the way, a ton of amazing family members, love from every direction and everything that my 7 year old self could ever dreamed of having. So here is to my not so graceful 24
exit and my humble bow to 25.

1st Trimester Life Savers

I am so sorry it's taken me this long to write up a new post! It's been a crazy couple of days and I haven't found the time. A brief update on my everyday life; my husband and I are moving this week 30 minutes up the coast, my 25th birthday is right around the corner, I survived another weekend camping trip by the beach and I've officially put on my first couple of pounds of baby weight which is HUGE because I'm a freak of nature and haven't gained weight since high school. Another first in Karol history, I was stung by a bee this past weekend and I had a slight allergic reaction to it! Note to self: always call the Nurses hotline before taking ANY medications while pregnant. In the panic of a burning, stinging, swelling arm I took a dosage of Benadryl which is apparently a huge no-no, they wouldn't even let me put any topical ointments on my sting and recommended ice to stop the pain.Oh the joys of pregnancy!  As promised here are some of the products I've been using on a daily basis that have made my day to
day life so much easier.

#1. SimpleOne Prenatal and Spectrum Prenatal DHA

Like I mentioned in my last post (here) my morning sickness has been pretty much non-existent since my 6th week. SimplyOne PreNatal is supposed to help ease nausea and be gentle on the stomach, not to mention it's packed with almost everything that you need. I say almost because I did notice it's on the lower side of calcium but I eat at least two yogurts plus a ton of cheese a day so I think I'm OK in that department. My other complaint would be the size of the pill, they're pretty  big but definitely well worth it. I do add in the DHA pill just because I'm not much of a fish eater, never have been. I really liked these because it's nothing like taking an Omega 3 pill, you don't get nasty fish burps and it's supposed to help with the babies brain development. I found both of these items at Sprouts but I've also seen them online, they are on the more expensive side($15 prenatal and $10 DHA) but I've liked the results so far. 

#2. Ello Glass Water Bottle

This water bottle is bottle is basically my ride-or-die chick. No, but seriously it comes with me everywhere. I'm a huge fan of glass especially now with all of my heightened senses, my plastic water bottles were just not cutting it. I've had it a little over 2 months and it still has that new water bottle taste, which I LOVE! I've added lemons, strawberries, blueberries to my water and it has yet to absorb any of the flavors. It is only a 20oz water bottle which can be a problem but I have yet to find a bigger glass bottle. I purchased my water bottle at Target for $12! Woop, what a bargain!

#3. Hansen's Ginger Ale

During my 4th and 5th week I was nauseous, not all day but when it happen this stuff would stop it right in it's tracks. Like I've said before I'm not much of a soda or juice drinker to begin with but when the occasional upset stomach or indigestion happens I love this stuff. I like that it's all natural, no preservatives, no caffeine and it tastes pretty good too.  I usually buy the tiny cans because I can never finish a full can of soda and I make sure to always have some in my fridge.

#4. Fruit!!!

Need I say more, this has been my go-to snack since I found out I was pregnant. A little heads up my husband and I are pretty healthy eaters and we've been working on making good eating habits since we moved in together. We pretty much live off of turkey, chicken, whole grain bread, brown rice, vegetables, fruits and we try to limit ourselves on processed foods. I'm not saying we don't ever pig out on pizza (a-hem my downfall) and eat the occasional doughnut but about 80% of the time we try to make good choices on food. Saying that, fruit has been my everything! I wake up in the middle of the night hungry ,I grab a banana. I have the munchies I reach for an apple or nectarine. Apples and peanut butter, grapes, pineapples, cuties, OMG my mouth is watering just writing this down. I think the best part of fruit is you can carry it with you wherever you go!

#5. Sports Bra

I'm not sure if you noticed me covering all my boobage in my title picture, my boobs are no joke at the moment. I went from a 32D to 32DD in under 3 months! I took a short trip to Walmart and purchased a couple of $8 sports bras. Yes, I'm cheap like that I'd much rather buy 4 bras than 1 at Victoria's Secret. I'll tell you what, they do the job and they keep the girls nice and safe. I did look at the maternity bras but I was not impressed with the support and the lack of nipple coverage. It's all about preferences I guess.

#6. Ovia Pregnancy APP

Before I was pregnant I used Ovia's Fertility tracker. I was so excited when I learned they had a Pregnancy App. I love their updates and the things  you can keep track of, I basically use it at least 4 times a day. You can check out their articles and they have a ton of information on every developmental stage.You can personalize the app and follow your babies development.The best part about the app is that it's FREE! Another I enjoyed was Glow Pregnancy which was pretty similar but I changed phones and can't log in for the life of me. You should definitely check them both out!

7 Thing I wish I would have known about the first Trimester

7 Thing I wish I would have known about the first Trimester

1. I wish someone would have told me how EXHAUSTED I would feel.
Before even knowing I was pregnant one of my first signs was exhaustion, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I would get home from work and literally fall asleep as soon as I walked in. I'm usually tired but this was different I had no control over my eyelids!! No matter how much rest I had the night before I was tired by 10 am and ready for a nap. At 8 weeks it seems to have been getting better but I still need a ton of rest, I mean I dozed off on the couch the other day with no warning and woke up like "what the heck?!".
2. I wish someone would have told me about all the DISCOMFORT down there!!
I'm just being honest, I hope someone reading this is like "YESS! Exactly!!". With all of the changes going on with my body the last place I thought I would feel it was down there, especially so soon. The discomfort isn't too bad but it almost feels like a mini 2 pound weight is strapped to my vagina at all times. TMI, I know but I hope at least one first time mommy gets this warning, it happens, it's OK.
3. I wish someone would have told me about how much you would MISS YOUR MOM
This may just be me and it may be completely different for everyone but MAN I MISS MY MOM! I've been away from home for over 2 years now and although I have my usual bouts of homesickness, it's been worse lately. I'm guessing it's the hormones or maybe the lack of close women in my proximity but I feel sad almost, that my mom isn't closer. We've always had a great relationship and I call her 3 times a day at least but I want her here to help me, guide me, to make my meals and spoil me a little bit. Don't get me wrong my husband is doing a wonderful job of spoiling me but there is nothing like a mothers bond to help you get through that rough first trimester.
4.I wish someone would have told me about MORNING SICKNESS or lack there of...
Every pregnancy is different, every body responds differently to pregnancy as well. I had mild nausea my 4th-5th week, it wasn't awful. I threw up once my 5th week and I got so scared that it was going to continue on my whole first trimester. I got lucky, really lucky after my 6th week all my nausea went away and I could have sworn something was wrong. I was on Google all night long looking up loss of pregnancy symptoms determined that a miscarriage would soon follow and guess what I'm fine! I saw my OB soon there after we heard the babies heart beat and his exact words were "You are just lucky!". All of that worrying for nothing, stupid Google.
5.I wish someone would have told me how THIRSTY I would be
This may also be one of those things that just apply to me but what the heck... I'm so thirsty all of the TIME! I carry a 32 Oz water bottle with me at all times but I can never get enough water. I dropped soda and juices about 3 or 4 years ago so I haven't really had any sugary drink cravings the only thing I want is WATER. I mix it up and add slices of fruit in it, add lemon, strawberries but I guess it's just what my body and baby needs right now. The only downside to my insatiable thirst is I have to pee all of the time!
6.I wish someone would have told me how QUICKLY your body changes
It's almost like your body is on auto pilot from the exact moment of conception. My boobs are so WEIRD not even ginormous like everyone says, although I'm sure I've gone up a cup size, they have a plan of their own. My nipples are different, the way that they sit is different, they're ready for milk and soon! I've also been bloating like crazy, it's almost like I'm getting a glimpse of what I might look like once baby gets bigger. My skin is a MESS, all of those hormones going through my body has caused my face to look like a bumpy road. I can't wait to see what is next!
 7. I wish someone would have told me how much LOVE I would feel
The happiest day of my life, my husbands proposal, sounds cliche' I know but I will never forget that moment of pure elation. Finding out I was pregnant was that times two million, I felt the love flowing through me the second I knew. I don't want to just talk about the love from my husband and my family which was amazing but the love I felt from co-workers and acquaintances that was mind blowing and unexpected. It's almost like every mother,  new or old, knows what it's like to be with child and they send you these immaculate vibrations of love that flow through you and carry you through all the tough patches. Not having any family or many friends here, having that love and support from my co-workers and acquaintances meant everything. I haven't even mentioned the love you feel for the creation you and your partner have made and all of the hopes and dreams that come along with it. Life is nothing short of a miracle.

I'm no doctor and I want to remind you I'm writing purely from experience, this list might grow seeing that I'm not even through the first trimester yet but I wanted to share, especially because everything is so fresh. I can't wait to hear from you!

Count your Blessings

Whoa, It's happened!! We got the news a couple of weeks ago we're going to be parents and we couldn't be more thrilled. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to share the news so soon since we aren't out of the first trimester yet but I just couldn't wait! I wanted to start writing as soon as possible and document my feelings and dreams and experiences, this is all so new but so BEAUTIFUL. I just can't help but want to reach out and connect with new mommies or old mommies or hopeful mommies. Hopefully, I can document each week where I'm at, how I'm feeling, thoughts on the future, to-do lists, baby products and maybe hear from you and your expertise.

A Heartfelt Welcoming

This would be my second blog this year, I'm not much of a writer but I have so many experiences I want to share. Let me start off with a brief introduction; My name is Karolyn, I live in Southern California and I'm a newlywed. My husband Chris and I met about 3 years ago and we've been inseparable since. We were married through the court last December and we are planning an intimate seaside wedding for this November. Life has been such a dream these past two years; after dating long distance for a year my now husband and I decided it was time I move closer to him. I made a quick move from Arizona to California summer of 2013 and we've been living the California Dream ever since. I've never been one for adventure, I've always been a momma's girl and love the comfort of home and family. Moving to California was a huge adjustment, with no family or friends I wasn't quite sure I'd survive. Not only did I survive but I thrived!! I feel like together, Chris and I, we've learned so much about each other and working together it's been the most amazing Journey. I also forgot to mention we have a lovely pooch who is currently the center of our devotion, Lola.

Lola Hiking

Last years flowers

Lola's mean mugging

The Love of my life & I in Hawaii