Life Marches On...

The biggest news in my life at the moment is that we are finally expecting baby #2! It's been a long time coming, for many different reasons. But the new addition should be here by Christmas Eve. And feeling this little life squirming inside my belly makes me remember being preggo with Connor, and how much I both loved and hated it.

We'll start with the "loved" part. The thing I love the most about being pregnant is feeling the life growing inside of you. This time around, I was majorly impatient to finally feel movement - which I did, around 16 weeks or so, because this time I knew what I was feeling. I loved dreaming of my baby, and what he would look like... what he would sound like... I couldn't wait to meet him. I loved the extra bond that my husband and I suddenly shared. And I loved that I was finally going to be part of the "club."

The rest? I hated it. I had Connor in September, so I was hot, swollen, tired and perpetually uncomfortable. I'm a stomach sleeper, so once I couldn't do that, anymore, sleeping became almost impossible. Even if I didn't have to get up every 5 minutes to pee. Needless to say, I was not a very good pregnant person.

I vowed that would be different this time. Silly me, I always forget that God has a sense of humor! Although I had a very boring pregnancy with Connor - no morning sickness, no constipation, no excess gas, no heartburn to speak of, etc. - I am having quite an exciting one with this Peanut. I have had all of the above at varying degrees. Yes, God is testing my resolve to be a good pregnant person. But I'm still trying! I'm pretty darn sure this is our last hurrah (my husband is 150% sure), so I want to enjoy it. I try not to be impatient, irritated, moody... but it's all in the hormones, I think. But I am enjoying the whole pregnancy experience more, I think.

We get to find out the sex in 2 weeks, something I didn't want to do the first time until my husband convinced me. I'm glad we did, and I'm excited about doing it this time. More decorating and buying! =D There's so much to look forward to, and in all the determinedness not to rush, it's starting to seem like it's flying by. December will be here before I know it, and so will our new bundle of joy. So, stay tuned.... it's bound to be an exciting ride...

Silliness

In the world today, out in public, what are the two most controversial subjects you can touch upon? The ones that normally incite all sorts of rage and horrible behavior? You got it - politics and religion. Now, I am a raging conservative and practicing Catholic - not that those two necessarily go hand-in-hand - and proud of it. I believe in God, country and family, and that you should take care of your own. I believe we live in the greatest country in the world, and if you have issues with it, you should work for change, move or shut up. I believe that actually working for a living is not optional, and that stay-at-homes Mom's (a HUGE job, by the way) are a gift from God. Although I believe that women are equal in every way to men, I would never call myself a "feminist". I believe that Dr. Laura has it right when she calls N.O.W. the National Organization of I-don't-know-what-kind-of-Women. I have such an immense respect for my military men and women that their dedication and sacrifices for my freedom and yours brings a tear to my eye. I believe that God is my guide in this world He created. I believe he has a hand in all that happens to us. I believe He can be anyone's savior - if He is allowed. I could go on forever. Yes, I am a raging conservative.

I just as strongly believe in one of the founding beliefs of our country - freedom of speech. Do I think some people should refrain from speaking so as not to showcase their lack of IQ for the world to see? Of course! Don't we all? Isn't that the beauty of this country, though? That we can speak what we believe, no matter our race, creed, color or gender? I do not begrudge anyone their ideas and beliefs, regardless of whether or not I agree. I have had many wonderful, insightful and stimulating conversations with people on the opposite side of my fence. But I never get angry. Because there is no point to it. Anger should be reserved true injustices, not for people who simply think differently.

What is not okay is this silliness that goes on in our government, news and even everyday life. Mudslinging at any level is classless and tasteless. It makes the person slinging look bad, not the opposition. Getting in someones face and yelling solves nothing. Looking like a raving lunatic solves nothing. And if you look around... there is no party, organization or religion that is guiltless of those types of actions. And it's asinine.

Passion for what you believe in is a wonderful thing. But be careful you don't cross the line into the silliness that is so prevalent these days. If your argument truly has meat, you wouldn't have to resort to Kindergarten tactics. My Kindergartner crosses his arms, stomps his feet, pouts and yells when he doesn't get his way. At which point, by the way, my conservative self tells him to take his attitude to his room, because it's not acceptable in public. And, guess what? It doesn't happen very often. So, if you're going to act like a Kindergartner, maybe you should be treated like one. I think that many of our leaders would do well with some time in their rooms, or perhaps a spanking or two. Actually, scratch that last idea... some of them might like it too much.

The point? I really don't care what you believe. I care whether or not you're a decent human being, and whether or not you treat the people around you - ALL OF THEM, kids, adults, elderly, from trash collectors to CEO's - with dignity and respect. If you discover that my beliefs differ from yours, you are more than welcome to have an intelligent, grown-up conversation with me about them. I will not call your beliefs and ideas stupid, and I expect the same respect in return. The minute those guidelines are deviated from... our conversation would be over. And I strongly encourage everyone to adopt the same attitude. It's much more effective than the alternatives.

It Starts...

So, I blogged a while ago about my struggles with my weight, and my internal efforts to fix ma-self. Along with some external things to help. Well, here's an update.

The short of it? I've lost 17 pounds in the past 2 months! Woot! I have pants that aren't fitting anymore (even though I wear them anyway, 'cause it makes me grin when I have to pull them up. So what if I have droopy drawers for a while?). And, more importantly, I have pants that are fitting again! I've lost an overall 5+ inches. I just wish that more of the 5 had been in my boobs, but oh, well... I guess that will follow. Or, at least, I hope it will. As a typical example of "the grass is always greener", I wish my boobs were smaller. My husband does not share my opinion, shockingly enough.

Anyway... all this is because of an amazing woman I met in December, at a random direct marketing event. You know the type - a home party thingy, but this one had 5 or 6 distributors. (My favorite was the chocolate lady!) So, this lady is a nutritionist and personal trainer, and she came up with an amazing program that doesn't just focus on one or 2 aspects of health, but ALL of them. I'd tell you more, but the program is in it's pilot state, and I promised I wouldn't let the cat out of the bag. What I will tell you is that this is like nothing I have ever done. I have an understanding of myself and my body and it's needs that I've never had before. For the first time in my recent memory... I know to the core of my being that this is no longer a big deal, and I can do this.

So, by this summer, I should be able to go to the pool with my kiddo without feeling so self-conscious! Yay! Stay tuned... I might even give you my weight one of these days. Well, ok... maybe not. :) But I will eventually give you pictures, and you can feel free to guess at it. ;)