Tenative Plan of Attack for the rest of the summer

July 8-10th weekend - friends over for dinner Saturday, but otherwise low key weekend
July 15-17 weekend - camping Lower Lakes Campground in Kananaskis with my inlaws
July 22-26th weekend (plus a few days) - Magrath days celebration and day trip to Waterton
July 29-Aug 1 (long weekend) - Maternity photoshoot/family pictures, Logan's friend Jack's birthday party, teaching YW on Sunday.

As of July 31st I will be 36 weeks pregnant.

Other week day activities include:
-day trip(s) to Glenmore resevoir splashpark
-many many many park trips (in fact multiple times a day lol) and play dates
-Airdrie Splashpark trip
-Possible repeat beach trip to Aspen Beach first weekend or second weekend of August (depending on how I am feeling)
-walking and bike rides
-an early Anniversary celebration (actual date: Aug 18th - so we plan to see a movie in lieu of a little earlier than that)
-tentative birthday celebrations

If I actually had the power to choose, baby would be born on either August 14th, or August 25th. (14th because i'm oct 14, my brother is mar 14, and my mom is sept 14....the 25th because Logan is May 25th). Actual due date the 28th so both dates are up for grabs as safely acceptable! Wish me luck ;) lol

Wedding Cake

So this is my first wedding cake i've ever made! Details: 3 tiers, bottom tier is chocolate cake, top two are white cake, buttercream covered, fake decorations.

(Jade if you're reading this I am not complaining, I am just sharing the details of all the work - I would do it all over again!)

Wedding cakes are ALOT of work! Holy smokes! Michael build the oil derrick cake topper for me - he probably alone spent 4-6 hours over the past couple months working on it. Then I spent a couple hours brainstorming and collecting supplies. To bake the actual cakes took about 4-5 hours, and then to decorate them (icing specificially as we used buttercream and to get buttercream that smooth looking is alot of work) we spent (my mom and I) about 2-3 hours. I can absolutely see why people charge what they do to make cakes because aside from the supplies alone, the time it takes really does add up!

BUT, I had a reeeeally good time doing it! I'm proud of my end result for sure. It was just a longer process then I ever -really- imagined. I probably wouldn't make a wedding cake again though unless a really good friend asked me to for them. There is too much stress on the perfection side of things for my liking! Also I want it to be extravagent and big and I just don't have the training or skills to do that.. I can't expect my mom to help me -EVERY- time lol.

so yes, that's that! The bride seemed pleased so that's all that matters :)

Latest updates

So Logan had a reaction to some bug bite yesterday (or day before). Broke out in hives on his arms, neck and face. He also has a very swollen eye which is where the doctor suspects the reactive bug bite originated. I suspect it was a red ant or a bee or something other than a mosquito but of course i'll never know! We just have been told to give him benadryl if he seems bothered (itchy) by the hives. He's fine otherwise - no other symptoms!

For me, my tests came back (well the one came back - the lab may have lost yet another one which would reeeeally irritate me if that's actually what happened) negative! Negative for yeast, so my suspicioun is that I -had- yeast and all the things I did and tried worked but I had a skin irritation that would not heal either due to the Strep B bacteria not allowing me to heal (I tested positive for it in the swab he did) or even just hormones and pregnancy sensativities not allowing me to heal. (yup i'm self diagnosing as I never get a straight answer from doctors lol). Anyways, he prescribed me yet ANOTHER cream (on top of the 2 that he gave me last week) - I called my midwives and asked them what they thought about it and they said that if the first two are working they aren't really sure why he prescribed the other, specifically the one he did prescribe. So i'm going to just let it slide for now and stick with what i've been doing as I have had positive results from using it.

Either way i'm just really excited to have some sort of definite answer one way or another. (not that it's 100% a great answer lol). My midwives also informed me that they will test again at 36-37 weeks to see if it's cleared because of course those moms who read this blog know that if you're strep b+ you have to have an antibiotic during labor.

Otherwise we're just hanging in per usual! Enjoying the sunshine! i've been bike riding with Logan and exercising best I can (walking/biking mostly). I had Michael give me a priesthood blessing to assist me in gaining control over my eating habits as I felt realy out of control the past couple weeks and since Ihave been able to avoid sweets :) (I allow myself chips or popcorn in moderation if they are being served but that's it) - my weight has even come down a few lbs as an added bonus!

Yup, 31.5 weeks along and counting!

OH! Other exciting news: We have decided (well 'decided' -it's dependant on a few factors at this point) to go to Disneyland in February or early March for 5-6 days! The dependant factors: 1. seeing what kind of baby we have, 2. michael's tax return audit results, 3. getting my credit card back down to normal - a few more than I wanted of my Bowen classes got put on it. A few reasons why we're choosing to go: 1. being we plan on 3-4 kids, if we wait until the youngest is 'old enough' then Logan will miss out on some of those travel opportunities, 2. Michael happens to have a bonus that will cover the cost, 3. we just LOVE to travel, 4. we will be taking a 3rd adult with us and thus can rotate between the three of us in the evenings staying at the hotel during bedtime.

Anyways, that's it! :)

Too much info blog so read at your own discretion :)

So I went back and looked at my journal entries when I was pregnant with Logan during that last trimester and I wanted to punch myself in the face LOL. Why do you ask? The entries were all like this: "wow I can't believe the energy I have!" and "I feel so good - occasionally I have a little pain in my hips or if I'm up to long I swell up but otherwise this pregnancy is a piece of cake" and of course I weighed/measured myself Logan's entire pregnancy and my end results with Logan was 40" waist and 170lbs when he was born. (as of today i'm 163 and 38" so it's likely i'll surpass that in the 9 weeks I have left to go)

Yup, lol good times right? And you may be sick of hearing me complain, but frankly.. this is my blog and it's the only place I can (other than my journal) and not feel bad about it :)

On a potentially positive note: I went to the doctor (medical) about my yeast infection issue and for a couple months now I've been curious if I even have one anymore and it's just the itching symptom that won't clear up. So they did 2 swabs (so incredibly uncomfortable and painful for me - yes it was just a surface swab and it hurt.. people really don't understand how painful 'down there' is and I hate it when doctors are like 'oh no one likes having these done' - well I understand that but it reeeeally hurts me!) Anyways next week will be the results appointment, but in the meantime he gave me some creams that will numb the area and help it heal which has been wonderful! I actually haven't been so itchy and it's only day 3! Here's hoping this clears it up and here's hoping the tests come back negative. :)

Lastly: Logan has been waking up at 6:30/7:00 the past week...not a fan. -_- lol - i'm okay with 7:00 and later, anything before is too early. I find i'm letting him watch -more- TV in the morning to get us through until 8:00 which for me personally is frusterating as i'm not a TV advocate - especially if it means more than his 1.5-2 hours a day he already was watching. I'll just have to get creative and ambitious enough to put together my home-education/preschool program I am planning for Logan.

Anyways, that's all for now! :D

Let it be known!

1. I bought groceries at Superstore and hit the $250 limit which qualifies me for the coupon free gift - this month it was 25 CENTS per litre off gas (woohoo right??) - well I readily went home and got myself unloaded and what not and when Michael got home before I left to a baby shower I told him about it and said I was going to go fill up before the party (conveniently the van was empty). So I get to the gas bar at Extra Foods and they inform me that in fact the coupon is only valid at Superstore gas bars. -_- How sad! In the moment my mind flashed to 'Kyla it's your choice to be angry or just let it go, either way you need to fill up' so I just let it go! HOLY! What a great experience! Yes it was annoying and yes I had an urge to argue and fight it, but frankly, what good would it have done? Nothing - the rules are there for a reason and I didn't clarify it before I left the city. (Side Note: Superstore is in Calgary, a 30 min drive away almost to the minute from my house). Sadly the coupon expiry date was for yesterday so I was just not able to make it work out to go back in.

2. Camping this weekend. I will be completely honest, I am not all that keen on going. It's going to be wet, it's going to be cold, and it's going to be a lot of work and alot of discomfort (pregnancy wise). BUT.. Michael is dead set on it and I love him enough to make the sacrifice. He agreed that if its miserable (weather and mood) we can come home Saturday instead of Sunday, so I figure we'll just hope for the best and see what happens! Wish us luck! I do love camping - I just want perfect camping conditions as does everyone i'm sure! I hopefully have enough distractions for Logan when we have to be tent-trailer bound. That's really the part that gives me the most anguish to think about is that it will definetly be a challenge for me to keep my cool - Michael isn't the best communicator and I allow myself to become frusterated (or have in the past) when I am not getting my fix of communication that I need/require...put that into a small confined space with a potentially just as frusterated 2 year old and we'll see how I can manage! lol I'm committing to keep my anger goals the entire weekend...wish me luck!

3. I hit 30 weeks in less than 48 hours from this blog and to me that is a hugely big deal because the end truly feels like it's in sight! I've said it before and I'll say it again - pregnancy is NOT my forte, but babies most definetly are a huge delight and beautiful part of my spirit and physical being. I just love children and I still want 3-4 of them despite the awfulness and horrificness of being pregnant. :) BUT that was just a tiny rant and not the purpose of my post - I just wanted to celebrate week 30! Hopefully this baby graces us early with his/her presence early like Logan (38 weeks) as opposed to ontime or late! hehe (no peanut gallery comments please on how the baby will 'come when it comes' and junk like that, just let me have my dreams)

4. I can't believe July is almost here! Holy smokes June just whipped on by...Summer is an extremely busy time of year and all our weekends (except for July 8th weekend) are booked right up! I love having a busy schedule - it just makes the days go by so nicely.

5. That leads me into one more comment I wanted to make - when I home with 'nothing to do' (I say that lightly) I find myself constantly thinking about food. I just want to eat eat eat. This is my entire life and despite the fact that i have learned to conquer it in the past I have found that being a stay at home mom definetly adds to the hardship. I need to relearn how to conquer it while I feed my kid(s) snacks and I need to relearn to conquer it when I'm baking things for kids, husband or friends, etc. It's something I am not going to add to my plate right now (ha ha i'm punny) but as soon as this pregnancy is over and it's safe to really 'play with my food choices' I plan to really buckle down again. Side note: I'm not doing so horendously that I am over eating significantly but i'm definetly not in a place that make sme feel awesome like I have in the past. Stupid food just consumes my brain and I think that's just a challenge I will always have, which is fine by me - I just need to get a hold of the reins 100% instead of 75%.

It has come to my attention

It has come to my attention that Logan+sleep is -never- going to be something easy for us. As of the last few week we have had serious digression with him. Okay, digression isn't the best word so lets say serious problems? He no longer wants to go to bed and wakes up 1-2 times in the night (which has always been the case since the training - he'd wake up at least once but sometimes he wouldn't wake at all). Anyways, going to bed is so hard because he has decided that he can just jump out of his crib now - why stay in right when you can get out?

We're just frusterated and that is really making me upset because i'm trying so hard to keep that out of my life (anger/frusteration). We figure we will just transition him to his big boy bed since we have to put him back to bed a gazillion times anyways. Also we're just not sure why bedtime turned sour for him? During/after the training until recently he would go down without crying, or would fuss for 20-30 seconds then go to sleep - now he screams and cries and fusses for up to an hour! The most frusterating thing is we haven't changed our schedule at all or done anything to 'mess with' the schedule - no travelling, no late night company, etc.

Anyways, as I said, looks like Logan is just our little blessing..

At least I still have nap time! (which btw, I do NOT let him sleep longer than his 2 hours because I don't think he deserves to stay up late fussing and get up early and then sleep the entire afternoon away - I'd wake up him after just an hour but selfishly I need the time to study and relax!)

PS. other frusteration - in the mornings he has gotten into this habit of reaching into his diaper and pointing his you-know-what upwards, thus when he pees it leaks out, soaking his clothes and bedding - I have done more laundry then i'd care to admit the last week! What a little stinker eh?? How do you change that behaviour? If I see him doing it taking his hand out just makes him try harder to do it - so today I just opened one side of his diaper after he was finished and pointed back down - but i'm not always there to catch it. Boo. -_- Hopefully this habit doesn't last long! In about 3-5 months I have decided to potty train day/night at the same time so hopefully that will make a difference! (Blog to come about that)

Moms vs Dads

As of recently I have been thinking alot about 'me time'. There seems to be such a push to give women 'breaks' often. Don't get me wrong, every women deserves them! I just sometimes think that men are short-changed on this a bit. They deserve breaks too! Where are their retreats and their 'me time' events?

For example: In my life Michael will come home and take care of Logan to 'give me a break' which I appreciate of course but frankly he has worked all day too and deserves just as much of a break.

Also, with the church we have monthly Relief Society activities where it's just for women and the men are left with the household, and in our ward specifically we have a ladies night once a month so we can all 'have a break', and then there's always events for women: as of last weekend there was the Relief Society retreat, and then there's Time Out For Women every year, and the list goes on!

It's not that I don't appreciate it because I most definetly do. I guess I wish there was more focus on how much we also appreciate them - which is something I suppose I need to step up to the plate on. Maybe that's what this blog is about - to state how much I appreciate Michael and the work he does outside of the home and inside of the home at the end of the day. In the end I want us to be equal and I want him to know that he doesn't have to come home and 'relieve' me of my duties - I would love more of a partnership and togetherness as a family in the evenings instead.

Yes, the whole purpose of my blog changed as I started typing, so now I am going to start brainstorming ways we can bring our family more together at the end of the day as a unit as opposed to always having that 'who deserves the break tonight' mentality that society seems to have created.