Cootie Queens & Flapjacked Protein Pancakes!

Silas still has his little rash, but it's getting better and he's eating well again, so that's great.  We're switching over to one nap a day.  Yesterday was wonderful, he slept for nearly 3 hours!  Today, he slept for just over 1.  I was not impressed.  Fortunately we had a play date with a friend who has the same virus and cabin fever so we went to play.  It was awesome.  We always joke about the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff and had a good laugh when the two of them went in the closet and shut the door.  Then they climbed into the laundry basket together.  So cute but, neither one of us had a camera with.  Next time! 

Product review time!  I think I have to put the disclaimer in here.  I have not been compensated to review this product, I wasn't even asked to review this product, I just read about it, bought it and liked it.  So I wanted to write about it!  FlapJacked the company did not say to themselves "Gee, we should really send this lady some pancakes so she can tell her 4 readers about us!"  (Hi Mom!!) 

Have you seen or heard of these?  The company is FlapJacked Protein Pancakes.  And they make protein pancake mixes, obviously.  And they're delicious!  I bought the "All Flavor Sampler Pack" which contains Buttermilk, Banana Hazelnut, and Cinnamon Apple. 

They were all so good.  I always want to make protein pancakes, but mine turn out too dense or weird, or I don't have all the ingredients a recipe might call for.  The nice thing about these mixes is all you have to do is add water.  The Buttermilk was light and tasty, just like a plain pancake and the Banana Hazelnut and Cinnamon Apple were very mild, you could taste the flavors, but they weren't artificial or overpowering.  They don't use any artificial colors or flavors.  And the best thing is there is no added sugar, so you can go crazy with the maple syrup, if that's what you're into.  I don't know anyone like that.  I had visions of adding things like sliced bananas or shredded apples into the mixes but they simply didn't last that long around here.  I did manage to add some blueberries to the Buttermilk batch we ate over the weekend and that was delicious! 

Here's a nice group of Banana Hazelnut on the griddle.  

 

Oh sweet blueberries, butter and honey.  

I will definitely be ordering these again, in a much bigger size.  It's not often I find a packaged "just add water" product I feel good about eating or giving to my son.  With Silas feeling under the weather I was happy to give him these knowing he was getting a healthy dose of whole grains and protein.  He gobbled them up, and well, we all did!  Here's a link to their website so you can order your own and invite me over.  

 

 http://www.flapjacked.com/

 

 I'm going to have to go eat some toast now, I have a craving for butter the past couple days and I'm out of pancakes on which to put butter, so it will have to be toast.  I think I should take a photography class.  Needs improvement. 

 

24 Weeks Update

I'm exhausted.  I've never said this before but, I'm tired of summer.  I'm hot, I can't get comfortable and I'm exhausted.  I'm looking forward to fall and cooler weather.  I miss cooking things that aren't in the crock pot.  In any case, I think we have another month of heat. 

Silas has had a little virus and rash this week, so we haven't been able to get to any play dates or the gym because I don't want to be infecting anyone.  I could tell something was wrong because he wasn't eating well.  The day we were supposed to go to the gym and meet some friends at the library I noticed a bit of a rash on his feet and ankles, so we went to the pediatrician instead and she confirmed it.  So we've been stuck at home this week.  

Enough whining!  Onward to the 24 week update! 

How far along?  24 weeks.

Size of Baby:  Baby Eggplant, 12 inches long and about one and a third pounds.

Gender:  Still a BOY!

Weight Gain:  Right about 10 pounds, but I haven't gotten on the scale since my last appointment. 

Maternity Clothes:  Oh yes.

Nursery:  I finally decided a couple days ago that baby boy number 2 will go into a room upstairs.  For the first few months I will have him sleeping in the co-sleeper next to me, most likely upstairs, so we can wake up and do our thing with out bothering the rest of the house.  Silas might do like other kids and start breaking out of his crib and then moving to a toddler bed, so I'd rather him be on the main floor when he does that and not upstairs by himself with a flight of stairs to contend with. 

Movement:  Yes, a lot now.  I can even feel him moving when I am and see movement through my belly. 

Symptoms:  Heartburn forever!  I'm emotional, frequently crabby and occasionally weepy.   

Cravings:  I had a craving for Pop-Tarts this week and indulged it with some from the health food store.  They aren't healthy by any means, but they were tasty, satisfying, and marginally better than the real thing.  They're all gone now.  Right now I'm wanting a burger and my husband is going to get me one.  Bless him. 

What I miss:  Had a real hard time buckling my sandal this week.  It feels a little too early for that but here we are.

Looking forward to:  Getting back to the gym soon!  

This week I'm hoping to post a product review, not because anyone asked me to, just because I can.  So look out for that this week!  OK!  I think I heard my burger just pull into my drive, I mean, my husband... So I'm off!

Did you have pregnancy cravings that you would like to share in the comments?  Please do!  I find that stuff fascinating. 

Very Nearly 23 Weeks

I want to write a quick update today.  I'm almost 23 weeks along, Saturday will officially be 23.  I saw my lovely midwife today and we both agreed that this pregnancy is flying by!  We heard the baby's heart beat, Silas's eyes got so wide when he heard it!  He looked very uncertain.  So cute.  Later when the midwife asked if we want the new baby circumcised Silas shouted "NO!"  That gave us a good laugh.

OK!  So I think people do these weekly, so I'm going to try and start doing that.  Maybe every Thursday night. 

How far along?  Let's just call it 23 weeks.

Size of Baby:  Cob of Corn, 11 inches long and just over a pound.

Gender:  Still a BOY!

Weight Gain:  Right about 10 pounds.

Maternity Clothes:  Oh yes.

Nursery:  I should really get on that. 

Movement:  Yes, mostly when I'm laying still.

Symptons:  Heartburn, frequent trips to the bathroom, you know, the usual.  I can't get through my workouts with out going at least once. 

Cravings:  Steak and milk.  Oh and salmon.  The hubby had to run out and get me a piece of salmon from the Outback Steakhouse on Saturday night.

What I miss:  Is it bad if I say wine every week?  Yes.  OK, laying on my back.

Looking forward to:  Right now I'm looking forward to going to bed!  

The Riverfest is in our town this weekend and I walked down there real quick with my neighbor.  I ate an ear of corn, and I was trying to describe this funny picture to her.  And since the baby is the size of a corn cob, I'm going to close with said picture.  Thanks for reading. 

They're starting to give me funny looks at the gym.

Before I continue, I would like to make a disclaimer.  I am not a doctor, nutritionist, personal trainer, lawyer or expert in anything.  My midwife is aware of the exercise I am doing and she is fine with it.  I am still lifting weights, I have been lifting on and off, haha, since high school.  It is not usually advised to start a new exercise routine while pregnant, do intense cardio, or lift very heavy weights.  It is important to listen to your body, if you are feel faint or sick or "off" in any way, quit what you are doing.  Now is not the time to be "making gains," beating personal records, or losing weight.  We are trying to grow a healthy baby, and that's what's important!  Also, I know there are runners who continue to run, lifters who continue to lift, etc.  I'm just a mom with a weight lifting routine I enjoy, doing what I like to do, doing what makes me feel good, keeps me healthy and somewhat sane, and sharing that with you fine people (HI MOM!!!).  I have done some research and I'm comfortable with what I am doing.  All that being said, let's get on with it!!! 

So I think my "disclaimer" is going to be longer than my jibber-jabber about working out.  I have been trying to get to the gym at least twice a week.  If I make it three times, that's great, but if not I don't sweat it, no pun intended.  Silas's nap schedule has been less predictable, I think he's starting to transition to one nap a day.  So sometimes we make it and sometimes we don't.  I am still following the workouts in The New Rules of Lifting for Women but I have had to modify them heavily.  There are workouts in the book that call for heavy weights and few repetitions, I have modified to do usually 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps with a much lighter weight.  Now that I've passed 20 weeks I'm not doing any exercises on my back.  I'm also no longer doing any HIIT.  I really like the workouts in the book.  They are full body and concise.  Now when I make it to the gym I drop Silas off at the day care, do a quick warm up and head straight to the weight room.  I think if you know I'm pregnant or wearing an outfit that really accentuates the bump, it's obvious.  With baggy workout gear, it's less obvious.  I've seen some expressions on people that seem to say "Not sure if she's pregnant or if she REALLY needs to work on her core."  No one has said anything yet, not sure if that's coming or not.  I haven't encountered too many strangers who have said negative things to me, either about what I was doing with Silas or while I've been pregnant.  I'm grateful for that because I've heard about people saying really rude, hurtful or thoughtless things.  In any case, I plan to keep at it until the end or as close to it as possible.  I also have a great prenatal yoga DVD that I forget to do, but it is really nice.  I should do that first thing in the morning, since I can do that with Silas in the room.  He does the cutest Down Dog you have ever seen. 

That's kind of like it.  Silly boy. 

We also recently bought a Total Gym.  Yeah, this one!  

 We got it off craigslist, so I'm still playing around with it and learning about it.  It didn't come with any DVDs or a very good booklet.  If anyone has any tried and true links, I'd love them.  I've looked around a bit myself but I could use more. 

I'm still walking every day, with my fitbit I'm trying to make sure I get in 10,000 steps a day.  You know, when I thought about writing this post I feel like I had more to say, but I guess I don't.  Exercise is good for you, people!  You and your babies. 

That's all for tonight!  It's a full moon tonight.  I'm making moon tea.  It's like sun tea, but more awesome because it's brewed at night!  Spooky!! 

Weekend Recap

We did a lot this weekend.  Well, a lot for us.  Saturday was an adventure in frustration.  After Silas got up from his morning nap we went to the flea market.  It's only open once a month and I love to go walk around.  We stopped by a garage sale on the way and I got Silas a cute pair of soft leather shoes and BBS#2 (Baby Boy Sunshine Number 2) a couple of onesies.  All for a dollar!  Gotta love a deal.  Then we had to stop for gas, and I slathered Silas with sunscreen while we filled up.  Finally we get to the flea market.  It's 11 am.  They do not open until 12.  There is no way I can stand out in the hot sun, pay $5 to get in, only to have to leave because someone needs a nap at 1.  Lesson I will hopefully learn one of these days: check the hours before driving 25+ minutes somewhere.  So we left.  I had been craving a Reuben sandwich so I decided we would just have an early lunch date instead.  The night before I had googled where to find a good Reuben and headed over to a restaurant on the other side of town.  Technically it's 2 towns over, but whatever.  Silas was not happy to be in the car.  So this is already frustrating and not fun.  We arrive.  The place is packed.  We leave.  Without a sandwich.  It's hot, the baby is crying, I want to cry.  So home it is.  We have spent 2 hours in the car.  We fill up the water table and eat cheese and blueberries.  And finally it is time for a nap.  We both nap.  At about 2 o'clock I hear the sliding glass door open.  It's my husband, with a Reuben.  God, I love that man.  It is the best Reuben of my life and I get to enjoy it while the baby is still sleeping.  Is there a greater joy for a mother of young children than the nap time snack? I don't think so.  The rest of the day was uneventful.  Thank goodness.  

Sunday was the World of Faeries Festival at the park near the house.  We went last year and Silas slept the whole time in the K'tan.  Love that thing.  This year I wore him again in our Maya wrap.  Naturally, I forgot my camera and my phone.  So no pictures of the Faerie Fest.  Le sigh.

The rest of the afternoon, after our naps, we played in the yard.

 He found a mud puddle and promptly sat in it.

This morning on our walk I found this shopping cart on the curb.  It was in a pile of other stuff marked "Free."  So I grabbed it.  The price is right and he kind of loves pushing it around.  

 

Then this afternoon I made this zucchini-tomato-mozzarella bake.  I'm going to make it again and this time I'm going to measure everything so I can share it here. 

That's all I've got.  I'm going to try to post this week about my workouts and what I've been doing throughout the pregnancy.  If you have any zucchini recipes to share please do, I'm up to my wazoo in zucchini. 

 

It's been a long time.

I think I start every blog post the same.  "I haven't been here in a while, I want to post more, yadda yadda..."  And here we are again.  It's been almost 4 months since my last post.  Even my mom stopped asking if I was blogging.  I'm going to try and get us all caught up, in as few words as possible.  There have been some major happenings at the Bee's Knees House (Beehive? I'm going to think about that).  In any case, I'm pregnant!  I am 21 weeks pregnant with our 2nd baby BOY!  I've been wanting to get back here and update the blog, but there have been so many things going on I haven't been able to.  Well now that we've made our way through that, we couldn't be more excited!  We've had the usual roller coaster of emotions through the first few months of pregnancy, so many tests and waiting and ultrasounds, I'm hoping the rest of my pregnancy will go smoothly.  I have felt different this time around, more nauseous, more tired, but every pregnancy is different and my life is different this time around.  With Silas I was going to work everyday. Now I'm catering to a toddler's whims as well as my own.  And I love it.  Speaking of BIG BROTHER, Silas turned 1 on June 6th.  We had a fantastic BBQ with friends and family.  It was better than I could have imagined it.  So many people came and showered us with love and that was the time we revealed to most of our friends that we are expecting another little one.  My official due date is 12/13/14.  How awesome is that?  If only #2 would come on that day!  

Here's Silas playing with his toys a few days after his birthday. 

I saw this little questionnaire on a great blog I follow: http://lifealaskanstyle.blogspot.com/ and when I saw it I knew I had to start incorporating it on my blog.  So here we go!!   

How Far Along?  21 weeks. 

Size of Baby:  Belgian Endive, 3/4 of a pound and 10 inches long! 

Gender:  BOY!!

Weight Gain:  Right about 10 pounds.   

Maternity Clothes:  Yes.  Honestly, I got my maternity jeans out right away because I was tired of trying to squeeze into my pre-maternity jeans.  (I'll post more about that later.)

Nursery:  We talked about the nursery.  We only have 2 bedrooms on the main floor, so we are going to wait and see how we feel about who gets to move upstairs.  For the first few months though, #2 will be sleeping next to me in the co-sleeper bassinet like Silas did. 

Movement:  Oh yes.  I love feeling my little guy move.  Puts a smile on my face every time. 

Symptoms:  I've had some heartburn, like I had with Silas.  I'm waking up at least once a night to use the bathroom. 

Cravings:  Comfort food.  And tacos.  And today I was wanting a gooey, melty, caramel.  Preferably over ice cream. 

What I Miss:  Not even going to lie: WINE. 

Best Moment This Week:  Hmm, this week?  Oh Wednesday!  I had an ultrasound, got to see baby boy again and my mom came over to hang out and watch Silas.  And I conned the poor woman into staying kinda late, it's a long drive through traffic for her.    

Looking Forward to:  The World of Faeries Festival this weekend!  I'll be sure to blog about that. 

Okay, I think that's enough for now.  I will be posting more regularly.  I want to talk about my health goals this time around, my work outs, what we've been doing this summer and all kinds of other good things!