July 18, 2014 by Stephanie

Friday Filter: Book “Fault In Our Stars”

I finished this book about a month ago but just haven’t had time to write my thoughts on it. So here we go.

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Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

I love YA books. I realize that I am almost thirty and should give up the notion of reading young adult fiction. But I run my own life, and I will read what I want. I get wrapped in the drama these books provide. Reading should be what you want not what mainstream says it should be. If you want fun, go for fun. If you want serious, have at it. I won’t judge you. I still read Harry Potter, and I am about to get all up in some Curious George and Clifford the Big Red Dog action here, so you can take your judgy-pants somewhere else. Reading is reading, and I am a self-acclaimed YA fan.

With that said, I really enjoyed this book, which seems to be on everyone’s hit list this summer.

Some may say that the topic of cancer has been overdone (Have you seen the Lifetime channel?).To a certain extent, I can agree that it is a topic that is very prominent in the entertainment industry. There are two new shows revolving around cancer that I can think of right now. So what makes this book stand out with this topic?

What I found to be so refreshing about this book was the dialogue. John Green did a really good job of depicting the agony and sarcasm of teenagers, and didn’t sugar coat those feelings. On the other hand, He didn’t seem to over-sensationalize their experiences and tried to make Hazel and her friends as honest as possible. It was very matter of factly, and not so these poor people. Granted, I have not gone seen cancer first hand in someone so young, so I am not sure that it is that way, but it wasn’t your typical YA dialogue of “woe is me, I am in love, and have a life altering issue” feel. It made you look at how you view things and other people. Are we pittiers? And let’s be honest, there were parts that were just funny with how it was written (Literal Heart of Jesus…just the best)

This book does have the topic of cancer, and there are plot twists pertaining to living a life with a disease. However, I think what makes this stand out is that it is much more than just a couple of kids with cancer. It is about living life to the fullest and with no regrets. It is about loving with your whole heart even if that love may be lost. It’s about taking chances and risks and being there for others.

It’s about taking life seriously but not taking it seriously.

This was a great quick read that makes you feel something. I could go on and on about the book, but I would just keep rambling and going in circles with my accolades.

Just know that it is good. It’s funny. It has love. It has death. It has some teenage pranks. It’s a story worth reading. I highly recommend it.

I have not seen the movie yet, but I have heard that it is just as good. (Surprisingly, people are saying good things about Shailene’s performance, which is good. Her start in Secret Life did not give me much hope…)

Have you read Fault in Our Stars? Are you a YA fan?

July 16, 2014 by Stephanie

Popping in on Baby Shower #1

One of our road trips was to have our first baby shower in my hometown.

Thanks to Pinterest, I have wanted to do a “She’s about to POP” theme since before I was pregnant. My hometown is home to Topsy’s which is a popcorn place that is huge around Christmas, so I knew that having a popcorn bar of sorts was a must. Then everything else was kind of a perk of the party.

My sister-in-law and my two closest girlfriends planned and hosted the shower for us. Now that I have had time to go through the pictures, I see that I have no pictures of Emily (SIL) and I…

Jeannette and Annette are the best gal pals I could ever ask for! I wish we lived closer together. Someday we will all be in the same state.

They did such a great job with everything. The decorations were adorable.

Everything Poppy

These cake pops were delicious. And chocolate!

We had regular popcorn, cheese, cinnamon, and caramel. If you are ever in KC and need a popcorn fixing, look up Topsy’s! And I now regret not taking the left over home with us….

Ring Pops…who doesn’t love these candy treats?

These two were adorable, and so well behaved too.

We got a lot of great gifts! These are some of my more flattering pictures. Sometimes, your best side doesn’t fit with your preggo side…

With a mixture of Tom and I’s bowels, this couldn’t be a truer statement…this just makes me chuckle.

He is going to have no idea what team to root for. We have outfits for Clemson, Royals, Chiefs, and Iowa State. I really need a Central Missouri outfit to round out the collection.

OVERALLS ARE THE CUTEST BABY THING!

I love seeing my Grandma and Grandpa. This is not their first rodeo into the Great-Grandparentdom. They are pros at this!

Tom is such a trooper and comes to these parties with me.

He is so sweet with our niece.

He is going to be such a great dad.

I did not want any games or possibilities of people touching my belly for guessing games. My SIL came up with perfect activities like this one of writing on diapers to amuse Tom and I when we are half asleep with our little pooper. I haven’t looked through them yet. I want to be surprised, but I am sure you will see some late night Instagram posts capturing this here in the future.

There are few people I would let touch my belly…These two are on this short list.

The three of us have always been super close, and this is a must have picture. See when Jeannette was pregs first?

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I just hope that our kids like each other…

We are so fortunate to have family and friends to come out to help welcome George into our family.

July 15, 2014 by Stephanie

Traveling with Fur Children

We have had our fair share of road trips this past year.

We also are not ones to leave the dogs behind. For the most part they are a packaged deal when we leave our house for an extended amount of time, unless they are staying with the grandparents or as was the case in Iowa we had friends and students watch them in our absence. (Man I miss those dog sitters!)

This does complicate things a little bit because we have to be able to problem solve what to do with them. Here are some questions to ask if you are traveling with dogs.

1. Can you have them where you are staying?

2. Do they need to be in a crate when you leave them alone?

3. How often can they be left alone, and how does this fit into your plans?

4. Do they need to meet a certain activity level each day, and is this attainable?

5. Does your dog have any special needs that may be impacted by travel?

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We do not kennel our dogs because we are afraid they (mainly Grace) will revert back to when we first got her with her separation anxiety. Some people swear by kennels and have found really great places to leave their dogs while they travel. This for us is just not a feasible option. You must know your dogs and figure out what is best for their personality.

We have found that even though we do not crate them at home, this is something we have to do while we are traveling. We don’t need anymore dog-shaming for these two. They get into quite a bit of trouble when they are not in their crates when we are out-of-towners. Although our last trip home, Grace did Houdini herself out of her kennel and for the first time ever there was no damage to the room she was in. Dare I say my little girl is maturing?

We also quickly learned that hotels are not Crosby friendly. Since we normal do not leave him in a crate, he barks anytime he hears a noise while in said crate. Unfortunately in a hotel, the noise never really stops. We had to leave a wedding early because the hotel kept calling to complain that our dog was barking. Whoops…

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So you need to know your dogs and figure out the best plan for your trip.

As a side note, if you do stay in a hotel, make sure you look at the hotels policy. Not all hotels are dog friendly or they have restrictions on size and number of pets. If they do allow pets, more than likely there will be a non-refundable pet deposit. You may have to pay this fee for each night AND for each dog separately, so make sure you put that in your budget. This can rack up fast if it is per night.

Our dogs are really good in the car, but I know that many dogs get sick on car rides. If your dog is one of those queasy ones, make sure you plan for stops and medication if needed.

We try to make the ride as comfortable as possible. We have a cargo carrier now that we put most of our luggage on so that the entire backseat is left to their leisure. We put tons of blankets down, although they usually end up all in one spot once they start playing around back there. We make sure they have a few toys so they can be distracted a bit. We also keep a small water bowl out for them as well. If our trip is longer than 5-6 hours, we will plan to have food for them as well.

They have their own luggage too. I pack their walking leashes as well as extendable leads for potty breaks. There are treats and toys a plenty in the bag as well. We also pack tons of carabiners to help secure the kennels. (Our dogs are escape artists…)

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You need to make sure you account for stops and what is the most convenient stop with a dog. If I am by myself, I try to stop at more rest stops because I can get in and out a lot faster and not leave the dogs in the car as long. It is much better when Tom and I are together, and we can take turns which makes the dogs less anxious about being left alone. We also try to get them out as often as possible to stretch their legs, but you also need to be mindful of cars and area of grass. I have stopped at some questionable places with a patch of grass that is the size of my kitchen table. You make it work, and then remember to never stop there again.

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We have been pretty fortunate to have such good travelers. We have had to make adjustments over time to find a perfect rhythm with them in cars and our destinations.

We wouldn’t have it any other way. They are a part of our family.

I mean seriously, why wouldn’t you want to take these faces with you every where you go?

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And of course you get some amusement by bringing the furbabies along, like sitting on your sister’s face.

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Do you travel with your pets? Any other words of wisdom when traveling with the furkids?

July 14, 2014 by Stephanie

Talks with Tom # 26

We had a great weekend at home after weeks of traveling.

We slept in.

We shopped sales racks for Baby George.

We cleaned. (We can actually see the floor of the second bedroom/George’s nursery now.)

We enjoyed a few movies and TV shows.

We cooked instead of going out.

And I listened to Tom make up songs.

We had a real grown up meal last night to which I dedicate this post.

Imagine Tom singing to a catchy poppy tune…

Velveeta Shells and Cheese,

Kielbasa and Peas,

I might cover it in honey that was made by some bees.

It was hysterical when he sang it, which unfortunately does not translate as well in written form. One of these days, I may be able to record it. Most of the time these songs come out of nowhere though. And I am usually distracted by laughing too much to think about grabbing my phone to catch it.

I hope you all had a great weekend because we sure did! Although the dogs aren’t really showing it…

Grace was so stressed the whole day we were cleaning. She thought Tom was leaving again and refused to get off his gear as we organized it.

Crosby follows me around everywhere as my protector. He wouldn’t even budge from his post as I was trying to make our bed.

July 10, 2014 by Stephanie

Bumpdate Week 30

Week 30

How far along: Holy Cow! 30 weeks! I can’t believe we are down to 10 weeks until George’s due date.

Sex of Baby W: We saw his little man parts this week.

Weight gain: I have gained 5 pounds…finally. And this is officially the most I have ever weighed in my entire life, which can be a downer when I see that at first. Then I remember I am growing a human.

Size of Baby W: Yesterday, he weighed in at 3 lbs and 3 oz. He is about the size of a large cabbage.

Maternity clothes: I am really not sure why we wear buttons in the first place. Maternity pants and lots of elastic are the best thing! It will be hard going back to regular pants that have zippers and buttons. Maybe I will start a clothing revolution against fasteners…

Baby items: We had both of our baby showers where George was given lots of love! I was excited to see all the books and clothes we got. Baby things are so adorable!

These are some of my favorite onsies we have gotten so far. We asked for books instead of cards to help build a library for George. It was so fun to see all the books and notes to George! I hope he is as excited about them someday as I am!

We do still have a lot of things we need so we are working to figure out what’s a necessity versus want. It stresses me out to see all the things on our registry, but I know it will all work out before he gets here. Although, Target is having huge baby sale (baby items, not actual babies) this week…

Stretch marks: I haven’t noticed any still. Our prenatal class instructor says that stretch marks can’t be prevented by any lotion. Either you are predisposed to get them or you aren’t. Regardless, I will still be lathering on the lotion morning and night to help with all the itching.

Belly button in or out: It’s just a little indent now. Maybe by the next update it will be flat.

Sleep: Well the nights of good sleep have gone away. I have been super restless, and pains in my legs have been waking me up. I am pretty sure I get charlie horses in my left leg almost every night. Have I mentioned that I HATE laying on my left side exclusively? I am thinking that some of this had to do with all the traveling we were doing too. So hopefully now that I am in our own bed for more than a couple nights a week, it will get a little better.

Best moment the past few weeks: Seeing all the friends and family over the past few weekends. My heart is full. It was also great seeing George again on our ultrasound yesterday. It had been a couple months, and he has grown so much! I will admit though that I didn’t know what half the things we were looking at where until the ultrasound tech explained it. But he and I are measuring exactly where we need to be and everything looks fantastic from what our doctor says. Pretty good news indeed.

Worst moment the past few weeks: The traveling has taken a toll on the Whitener family.

Miss anything: Running. I never thought I would say that.

Cravings: Greasy pizza, which was satisfied by Shakespeare’s Pizza during one of our trips to Columbia, MO.

Movement: I feel like George is trying to break free through my belly button. He is like a solid rock hanging out right there or on my kidney. He kicks and flicks around a lot right after I eat. He doesn’t really do much in the morning, so he takes after his night-owl dad. It’s still fun to feel him move, but he is definitely getting stronger. There are moments now where he is a little painful. It was also really fun to see my 4 year old niece feel him move. Such a fun moment to share with her. Oh and he definitely high-fived Tom on command last week-not even kidding.

Not sure if you can tell, but my belly is lopsided. Where the arrow is pointing, that is George’s rump. My belly button is about an inch and a half to the left of the arrow for reference. He likes to stick his butt up and make his presence known at all times. (Also I was parked in my driveway when I took this picture. I was not driving in case you were concerned.)

Symptoms/how I am feeling: I have had a few bouts of nausea, but generally once I eat something I am fine. I am also getting a lot more exhausted. I can tell it takes a lot more out of me to walk the dogs every day, but I am still hitting the pavement with them. I could also do without the cramps.

Looking forward to: Now that we are not traveling as much anymore, we can actually get things organized and set up. I can’t wait to put everything up! We have a lot to do in ways of creating a space for George. This is his room right now…

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I am glad we are back to seeing the doctor every couple weeks. It is nice to be able to get that check up and make sure that everything is going well. It satisfies this worrying momma!

30 weeks