Excuses, Excuses....

Before Paige names me on her blog as someone who has not blogged in weeks, I figured a new post was due. I am sure that no one wants to hear my long list of excuses as to why this website has been neglected lately or why I only post about once a week (if lucky) anymore. How about just one little excuse as to the lack of blogging.................

Phillips' Baby #2 is on the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, you read that correctly. Tobe and I are expecting our second child in May. Yes, my children will be 21 months apart (that is the second thing people have told me after saying "Congratulations" as if we had not done the math already). Although Baby #2 is a little bit of a surprise and will arrive a few months before originally planned, we could not be more thrilled. It took us a while to get pregnant with Isaac and we were considering our fertility treatment options when it finally happened. What a blessing to not have to go through that struggle with this new little one!

So far, everything looks good with this pregnancy. I am almost 11 weeks along and am hoping all sickness and migraines end when I hit that second trimester mark. Because my body was just pregnant a year and 1/2 ago, the tummy has popped out a bit sooner this time. However, I simply look dumpy rather than glowing and pregnant. So you friends that have seen me in recent weeks and thought to yourself, "Lynley needs to lay off the oreos." please know there is a baby growing inside that stomach somewhere. Lately when Isaac is sitting in my lap to read a book or watch a movie, he squirms his body down a bit lower and makes himself nice and comfy on mama's new figure.

Because today is Thursday and because I attempt to post a Thursday 13 sometimes, here are 13 things I am going to do differently with this pregnancy:

1. I am hiring a personal trainer the day this baby pops out. Although I lost all baby weight I had gained with Isaac, the ol body didn't quite go back to its normal self. I have already informed Tobe of my plan to hire a personal trainer--in fact I might hire her before the baby arrives. Those of you with two or more children, please don't call me and tell me there will never be time to go to the gym again. I will work out at 4:30 am if I have to while feeding a baby if necessary. There will be no messing around with the weight this time.

2. I plan on completing three 5ks while pregnant with this one. I only did one when pregnant with Isaac, so I figured I should up the stakes. Besides I have already completed one during this pregnancy, so technically I only have to do two more. Anyone want to waddle beside me in the Spring?

3. I am purchasing a bella band. Maternity clothes never fit me correctly, especially the pants. I carried Isaac so low that the pants would not stay up on my hips. Also, I cannot do over the belly panel maternity clothes due to their itchiness and scariness factor. The bella band seems like it will let me wear my regular pants longer and eventually hold up those ever-so-attractive maternity pants (By the way, I detest maternity clothes. I know people who had babies ten years ago consider us new moms so lucky with all the choices stores have now. However, I still stand by the notion that all maternity clothes look like tents.)

4. I am not wearing a maternity swimsuit this time (simply because weather will not permit and because my maternity swimsuit has enough material to make seven regular bathing suits.)

5.I am not going to develop random pregnancy illnesses (While pregnant with Isaac, I had a variety of odd things happen to me. One day at school my hands and feet turned blue--smurf blue. Apparently all the blood was going to my tummy. The doctors just told me to lay down if I felt dizzy. Also, my blood pressure would get pretty low. At one doctor's visit, my OB asked if I felt okay and if I need to lay down due to it being so low. I felt fine. I became very dehydrated one day at work and started having contractions--didn't know what they were at the time--despite the fact that I was drinking large amounts water. Finally, a suspicious mole popped up out of no where. I had to have it removed and sent off to determine if it was cancerous because it looked so strange. It was not and I was again fine.)

6.I am not going to obesses over every little pregnancy related thing. With a 14 month old, there isn't much time to pour over "What to Expect..." every night and worry my self to death.

7. I am not going to have to take the second glucose test (I had to with Isaac because my first test was right on the borderline, due to my thyroid. I am going to will myself from failing the glucose test with this baby becasue I cannot drink all of that goop again)

8.I will not go on a three mile hike after my water breaks

9. I will eat more than a measely chicken sandwich before going to the hospital when in labor

10. I will not make a belly cast of my stomach while in my ninth month of pregnancy (I did not do this with Isaac either, but am still mystified by this process. What do you do with the cast after it is made? Do you display it for years to come or do you realize that it just takes up space and stinks when the baby is about two years old?)

11. No Lasagna. Ever. (My worst morning sickness moment last pregnancy involved lasagna and the movie Napoleon Dynamite.)

12. I will not get a special pregnancy massage. (I did this with Isaac and my stomach was not big enough to fill the hole that is made for pregnant women's tummies. It was very uncomfortable and not relaxing at all)

13. I will blog every tiny detail of this pregnancy to spare my poor husband from having to hear me recount them at bedtime each night.

Finally, here is the new big brother to-be. My parents were in town this past week and my mom kept looking at Isaac saying, "You don't look big enough to be a big brother." Well, he has a few months to grow into his new title. I think it fits him beautifully.

There were several attempts to take Isaac's picture with this sign. For some reason, he detested it and would throw it down whenever it was handed to him. Our solution? Distract him with a book and tape it behind his head. Attractive, no?

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

(Isaac is in a phase of being too cool to smile for Mama's camera)

Isaac's new hangoutFun times at the Apple OrchardChillin' while watching a little Baby Einstein