Sage: 21 Months Old (A Letter)

Hello!

I sort of intended on Sage’s 18 month update being the last one I wrote for the blog, but here we are at 21 months and I feel like he’s grown and developed so much in the last three months.  I want to remember what this age is like and it is so nice to look back at these updates.  I hope you enjoy reading them too!  I’m going to do this update in the format of a letter because I really enjoy writing it.

Dear Sage,

You are just bursting with personality these days.  You’re so funny and such a loving little boy.  You’re lively and wake up each morning with a smile on your face and ready to take on the day.  These days you go to bed around 7:30 and get up between 6:30 and 7:30.  During the week, daddy and I are getting ready for work when you wake up and we hear you in your crib having a fabulous time chatting away to yourself.  You are very content to hangout in your crib for while in the morning before we come in to get you.  Most days we come in at 7 o’clock and you’re either relaxing with your blankie and stuffed animals or chatting away pointing out the animals on your wall and toys on your floor.  “Pooh!  Bear!  Dog!  Owl!  Ball!  Book!”  Your voice is the best sound in the world.  Your daddy and I love greeting you each morning.  It is definitely one of the very best moments of the workdays.  We soak up every second we get with you before it’s time for us to go to work and you to your sitter’s house.  You know the drill though and you happily get ready.  The very best mornings are when we have time to read books and play a little before it is time to go.

You fractured your elbow while at the playground about two months ago.  You wore a cast for three weeks and it didn’t slow you down a bit.  Your cast came off last month and you haven’t missed a beat.  You’re still our little climber.  You love the outdoors.  Playing in the sandbox, pushing around your car, pushing the wagon, pushing your bike, pushing your stroller.  Yes, you like to push everything and would much rather be pushing things than riding in them.  Although once in a while you’ll happily sit in your stroller or wagon and let us push you around.

Every morning you ask about Jax, our dog.  You are still his biggest fan and he’s warmed up to you a bit.  You give him big hugs and it’s so sweet to watch.  Jax puts up with the hugs, but he mostly just appreciates when you throw your food to him.  You have become much more independent and insist on things going your way more than you used to.  You’re learning to cope when everything doesn’t go your way and mommy and daddy are learning how to help you in the process.  Your best buddy lives across the street and you guys have gotten so much better at playing with each other.  You love to interact with one another as much as you love to take toys from one another.  We’re working on sharing.  Some days you do great with this and on others days you don’t want to share anything.  You’re learning though and we’re so proud of you for making small strides in this department.

You know so many words now that I have completely lost count.  You know a lot more than you say too.  I think you know every animal sound that I can think of.  My favorite will always be when we ask you what a bunny says and you wriggle your nose.  You got to meet a bunny earlier this month and you were in awe.  Every time you say “mommy” my heart bursts with joy.  You adore your parents attention and you’ll make yourself known when you want it by saying, “mommy!  daddy!”.  Your new favorite activity is coloring.  Daddy got you coloring books for the first time about a month ago and you now want to color every day.  We found you a wonderful desk at a garage sale recently and you have been so happy having a space of your own.  You also like to tell us which crayon we’re allowed to color with.  We’re working on colors and blue is definitely your favorite right now.  Coloring with chalk in the driveway is also great fun.

You’re making progess with counting and the alphabet.  Daddy and I will be saying the alphabet and suddenly you’ll say “p” or another letter in the correct order.  You constantly are surprising us with what you’re learning.  At night before bed when daddy is putting you to sleep I hear the two of you laughing together and that really is the best sound.  If I greet you in the morning, you immediately want to know where daddy is, but daddy tells me you’re the same way with asking for mommy when you’re with him.  Sometimes you favor one of us over the other and we joke that we’re then “the chosen one”.

Your favorite foods are yogurt, chia seed pudding, any kind of berry, pesto pasta, beans and rice with guacamole, spaghetti, toast with earth balance butter, veggie/fruit pouches, apples, grapes, mac and cheese with peas, pancakes, and egg sandwiches.  You keep us on our toes with eating.  Some days you put down more food than I can and others you take a bite for dinner.  You’re always ready for breakfast and lunch though.  You still drink plant-based milk before bed.  Your favorite is oat milk which makes mommy really happy because there is lots of nutritious goodness in it for you.

There are some changes around the corner for you, but daddy and I will be there every step of the way.  Summer will be here soon along with your baby brother.  We can’t wait to see you in that role.  We know it will be an adjustment, but you’re so full of love and you’re little brother is so lucky to have you.  Next fall you’ll be going to a new daycare, but we’ll tackle that when the time comes.  You’re changing so fast these days that I can’t even imagine what you’ll be like at two.

Thank you for giving me the best gift in the world, buddy.  We love you more than we can even express to you!

Love, Mommy

Pregnancy #2: 31 Weeks Update

Hey hey!

Another week flew by.  I probably start every post with that line, but it is absolutely the truth.  It was an eventful weekend.  Our neighborhood puts on a huge garage sale every year and we scored some pretty great stuff.  We found a really nice baby jumper for $20.  I remember that thing being such a lifesaver with Sage when I was trying to get anything done.  I’d put him in the jumper by the kitchen and get food going and he’d have a blast.  We also found Sage a desk which we were not looking for but it has turned out to be such a hit.  Sage just started coloring and he loves having a place to put his crayons and color.  It will go to good use for years.  I also found really cute work sandals at $3/pair.  Man you can’t go wrong with that deal.  I love deals like that because then I don’t care if something happens to the shoes or they get beat up.  

Saturday night was spent outdoors with our neighbors while Sage and his buddy who is the same age played until bed time.  None of us wanted to go in for dinner because the boys were doing so well playing together.  We all ended up eating in intervals in our driveway.  Sage slept well that night!  On Sunday we traveled to visit my mom and mother-in-law for Mother’s Day.  It was really nice to see family and Sage had a blast.  We only got a 30 minute nap out of him in the car, but luckily he was a happy guy the whole time.  He loved watching the big trucks pass by from his car seat.  Every time we’d pass a truck we’d hear “Truck!  Truck!” from the backseat.  Totally made his day.

I’m going to keep this update organized.  I had an appointment on Friday so I actually know my stats.  My appointments are bi-weekly now and I get to have my next sonogram in about a month.  Yay!

Weeks:  31 weeks

Weight Gained:  22 pounds

Body:  I’m feeling very good.  Definitely feeling the extra weight though.  I’ve been very inspired to get things in order around the house lately so quite often I find myself bouncing around the house with ease.  I’m not working out aside from playing with Sage and going on walks with the family and that feels just right for me.

Sleep:  I am sooo ready for sleep at night!  I have been falling asleep fast.  I also have been waking up 1-2 times to pee.  Luckily this week I fell back asleep quite quickly each time.  Sage slept in until 7:30 on Saturday and I haven’t stayed in bed that late in a really long time.  It was wonderful as I needed the extra rest.

Food:  I feel like food is just different this pregnancy.  I rarely wake up and eat anything immediately.  I still like to start each workday with either toast or a bagel.  I was on a smoothie kick (Shakeology, almond milk, almond butter, spinach, banana and ice) for most of last week.  We had a Blue Apron delivery and did so well with dinners last week.  Such an improvement for us!  I had another box delivered on Saturday.  Saturday night I made the udon noodle stir fry and we’ve got pizza and tostados for later this week.  Food all sounds quite delicious lately.  I haven’t had hardly any tofu this pregnancy though because it has not been appetizing to me.

Clothes:  All maternity clothes, every day.  I’m enjoying them.  Getting dressed is so much easier this pregnancy because my work allows casual dress.  I still like to look nice, but I definitely have been rocking a lot of maternity jeans.

Goals:  Continue to Spring clean the house.  More importantly though, just enjoy the time with Sage and my husband!  Sunday night I was working on getting everything ready for Monday and my husband told me take a pause and come hangout with Sage and him because they were painting with watercolors.  I’m so grateful for that reminder because it was such a special moment watching Sage paint for the first time.  Moments like that are the important stuff after all.

Cloth Diapering: 21 Months Later

Hi there!

I've been meaning to write this post (among many others) for a while now.  We've been cloth diapering our boy since he was two weeks old and now he's almost 21 months old.  I'm no expert, but I can confidently talk about and offer my advice on cloth diapering.  For starters, I think cloth diapering is awesome for a number of reasons.  I definitely do not think it is a perfect system, but for my family, it's well worth it with the pros and (minor) cons.  Please also know that I absolutely understand that cloth diapering is not for everyone - judgment free zone here :)

I think that cloth diapering can seem like a way bigger deal than it is.  It may sound like a lot of work.  I can tell you as a full-time working mom that it is the least of my worries on a day-to-day basis.  It's just doing another load of laundry and we're at the point now with Sage that I really only need to wash diapers every two to three days.  Yes, when he was a newborn, I was definitely washing diapers daily.  When I went back to work after maternity leave, my husband or I had to make a point to wash diapers each night so they would be ready for the sitter the next day.  Put the diapers in the wash at night, then the inserts in the dryer, and hang the diapers to dry overnight.  Stuff the inserts into the cloth diapers in the morning and we were set.  I promise, no big deal. 

If you haven't read my first post, I encourage you to do so because I talk about the type of diapers we use (Bum Genius 4.0) and basically our system.  It has evolved a bit over time, but the basics are the same.  I still love Bum Genius cloth diapers and recommend them to others.  

Things I love about cloth diapering:

Cost savings = More $$$ for other stuff

Better for the environment = Hurray!

Better for the baby's bum = Happiness

I mentioned that we've made some changes in our system since my first post.  The major one being that we now use disposable diapers (I like Seventh Generation and Earth's Best) for the night and nap time.  We made this change because Sage was having some leaks in the night and during nap time.  Maybe it was just the way he was sleeping at certain times that caused a leak, but we started using disposables during the night and haven't looked back.  I've also heard of moms saying how much better cloth diapers work in the night than disposables so it's totally a matter of opinion and your experience.

Cloth diapering was a little easier when I was just breastfeeding.  All we had to do was throw the whole diaper in the wash and not worry about cleaning out any poop.  Sage has been eating solids for the last year so with the addition of solids, that changed our method once again.  Now when he has a poop diaper, the poop goes into the toilet, and then the diaper goes into the wash.  A quick extra step.  That being said, there are messy diapers that are really no fun to clean out, but I've become immune.  All part of the cloth diaper experience I suppose.  I wouldn't give up cloth diapering just for that reason.

We're starting to enter a time when potty training might be around the corner.  Not sure how close that corner is, but we'll see.  I plan to follow the same cloth diapering system with our next boy.  Right now we have 20 or so cloth diapers and I'll probably accumulate a few more for the new baby.  My plan is to use disposables for the first month with the baby and then take it from there with cloth.  That was the plan with Sage though and we ran out of disposables at two weeks so we started the cloth.  We'll go with the flow.

Let me know if you have any questions about cloth diapering!

What are your thoughts on cloth diapering?

Pregnancy #2: The BIG 3-0!

Hello!

The BIG 3-0!  It’s totally game time now that I’m in my thirtieth week of pregnancy.  While I’m hoping I still have at least another two months of pregnancy, I also want to be prepared just in case baby boy arrives a little early.  

This weekend we made progress in that I packed up all of Sage’s 18 month clothes and my husband put them in our storage space.  I moved some of the twelve month clothes over to the baby’s room because I know how quickly we’ll be using those.  We also brought out all of Sage’s summer clothes and that makes me happy that he’s all set there.  He’s growing so fast and I swear he’s taller by the day.  We are passing hand-me-downs back and forth with my sister-in-law so I’m still waiting on the newborn clothes because they just had a baby in March.  I remember there being an abundance of newborn clothes though.

The last week was really wonderful because my husband was off from work on Spring Break and the boys spent the week together.  I was able to go into work early and leave early.  One day they visited me for lunch at work which was the best thing ever.  Sage was really shy around my coworkers, but he liked sitting in my chair and being spun around.  The weekend passed too quickly.  Saturday was bright and sunny.  In the morning we went to the farmers market and then spent the rest of the day outside playing until nap time.  My husband and I actually napped during Sage’s nap time as well.  We all were tired.  Sunday was rainy so we went to Barnes and Noble in the morning, stopped at the grocery store, and then played inside.  Sage’s grandma got him a new wagon that my husband put together while Sage and I read lots of books.  Also, my Blue Apron box arrived (we do the vegetarian option) and I made one of the meals on Sunday.  I’ll definitely report back how it goes with using Blue Apron.  My initial take is that the ingredients all look fresh and tasty and the meals are delicious.  I like that I don’t have to figure out what ingredients to buy and the recipes are straightforward.  There still is about 30-40 minutes of prep/cooking time, but that is ok if the meals are all worth it.  I’m ordering another box next week and we’re going to see how it helps our dinner situation during the workweek.

I finished reading Moms on Call Basic Baby Care and now I’m onto reading Moms on Call Toddler Book.  A really handy schedule is provided to balance a toddler and a baby.  Just in glancing at the schedule it is spot on with Sage’s typical day right now and I like previewing what it looks like to add a baby into the mix.  I know that no schedule is perfect, but it gives a good idea.  Also, reading about parenting a toddler is proving to be super interesting.  The book goes into the inner workings of a toddler's mind and it just makes so much sense.  Sage has really started to demonstrate his free will lately and while it is magical to watch, it also can be challenging.  This book doesn't tell you how to parent, but rather gives you the best mindset when doing so.  In other news, my Amazon cart is out of control.  I basically add anything that I think we might want to buy over the next few months including cloth diapers, disposable diapers, bottles, nursing cover, sling carrier, pump bags, bottle brushes, training pants, cute outfit for the boys to match... I don’t plan to buy it all at once, but I figure if I keep it in my cart it makes it really easy to press purchase when the time is right.

My next appointment is Friday.  I’m guessing I’m up between 20-25 pounds.  I gained around 30 pounds with Sage.  I started out thinner this time (due to breastfeeding) so I won’t be surprised if I gain a few extra.  All for baby boy!  I’m making a point to eat more veggies every day, but also coconut milk ice cream.  That’s a happy balance if you ask me.  On Sunday night we were sort of working on potty training with Sage.  He wanted to take a bath and then he was communicating he had to go potty so we left him naked for the next hour and kept reinforcing to go on his potty if he needed to.  We told him that he could have a bite of coconut milk ice cream if he did, but he was much more interested in getting a sticker.

Overall I’m feeling very good.  I have gone to bed early and napped both days over the weekend.  My exercise is playing with Sage and pushing him around on his tricycle.  Emptying the dishwasher and putting away laundry often feels like a workout these days as my belly grows.  Just taking it one day at a time and trying to enjoy this final phase of pregnancy!

Preparing for Baby Boy #2

Hi there!

I woke up at 5:30 this morning ready to start the day.  That never happens.  The big cozy chair that takes up half the nursery arrived this week.  I decided to test it out so I'm relaxing in the chair and thinking about baby boy that will be here come summer.  Also, I don't want to wake up my husband this early and if my dog knows I'm up and about he'll want to get outside.

Preparing for baby #2 is an entirely different experience.  There is less and more to think about at the same time.  For example, I feel much more prepared in the “stuff” department.  We know what the basics are that we need.  There are a few items I want to purchase this time around (or already have) either because we need a new version of that something or I want to try a new product.  I want to buy a baby sling because while I do really like the baby carriers we own, I’m anticipating needing something like a sling for the first few months.  In another way I have more to think about because Sage is in the picture.  He’s still my baby and the family dynamic will certainly be changing.  We are so excited for the change, but nevertheless it is still a change.

My brain is focused on being able to manage a toddler and a baby this time around and quite frankly that changes my entire mindset.  I’m not sure I left our couch much at all the first month with Sage.  I’d feed him, he’d nap in my arms, and we’d do it all again.  I know I ate and showered so I suppose I did get up sometimes.  Sage had reflux and feeding him was a process in the beginning.  He had to be held upright for 30 minutes after every feeding and for the first two weeks feedings were every two hours.  I know with Sage in the picture that I will not (and cannot) be glued to the couch with baby boy.  My husband will be around to help, but I know I’ll want to be there for Sage as well.  I’m not sure what the balance will look like, but it is certainly on my mind.

I still want to buy a few new bottles to start fresh, I’m wondering if I need any new pump parts, and we still need to stock up on baby essentials (disposable diapers for the first month, wipes, soap for bath time, etc.).  From there I think we may need a few more cloth diapers as well as I’m not sure when potty training is going to happen for Sage.  He’ll be almost two when baby boy #2 arrives so I’m planning on some time when both are in diapers.  Even though I’ve done the whole baby thing, and not that long ago, it still feels like a while ago in some ways.  It’s amazing how quickly they go from baby to toddler.  Life with Sage at 21 months old is so different than the baby days.  We have got bedtime down to a science and then we greet him come morning around 7 o’clock.  Basically by 8 o’clock each night my husband and I have the night to ourselves.  I know this will be something that most certainly changes at least in the early days with baby boy.

Because I like to feel like I’m being productive, I’m reading Moms on Call Guide to Basic Baby Care.  I never came across this book when Sage was a baby, but I’m so happy to have found it now.  A lot of the information is a complete refresher at this point, but it is a great resource.  The authors are moms who are also pediatric nurses.  The book cost $10 on my Kindle app on my phone and I’m really enjoying making my way through it.  I know I’ll refer back to it numerous times in the first six months with baby boy.

I’m relaxed right now, but I’m definitely entering nesting mode.  Every week we get a few more things in order making me feel more and more ready for baby boy.

One thing is for sure though, we already love you so much baby boy and can’t wait to meet you! 

Pregnancy #2: 29 Weeks Update + Spring Cleaning

Hey hey hey!

Something I’ have noticed about pregnancy #2 is that I forget how many weeks I am.  People ask me and I have to think about it or refer to the Bump app on my phone to double check my progress.  Time is flying by and slowing down at the same time right now.  I have it in my mind that I need to prepare for my due date to be two weeks early.  I know I won’t necessarily go early, but in talking with other ladies it seems like it could definitely be a possibility so I’d rather have that in my head now.  With that mindset, my due date could be the very beginning of July.

Over the weekend we picked out the chair for baby boy’s room.  We are keeping Sage’s chair in his new room and consequently needed a new one for the baby.  I love it!  It is a big and cozy recliner that will take up half the nursery, but I know now how much time I’ll spend in that chair so it is exactly what we wanted.  We figure eventually we’ll move it out to the family room or into Sage’s room (which is much bigger than the baby’s room).  The crib is setup and baby boy's room is almost set.  The drawers aren't filled with clothes yet except for this cute outfit.  I also cleaned out my car over the weekend which is a relief.  It took all of 15 minutes.  Just had to throw out the junk that somehow accumulates.  Spring cleaning is happening little by little.  

Also, in the spirit of Spring, I chopped off all my hair.  It’s light and fresh and will take some getting used to, but I’m really happy about it.  It’s just fun to try something new.  I haven’t had my hair this short in years.  It was around this length when I met my husband and that was six years ago, so it has certainly been a while.  The hairdresser was like “there’s no going back…” and I told her “go for it!”.  I figure by the time baby boy #2 is a year it will be long again and maybe then I’ll want to take the time to style it.

I’ve had a cold the last week.  Thankfully nothing too horrible that it took me out of work, but it is still lingering.  I’ve just been super congested and have a little cough.  My husband has been dealing with the same cold and Sage has had the sniffles so we’re all fighting something.  It actually feels better to be up and moving around though opposed to just lying around.

I found out at my last appointment that I’m anemic and need to start taking an iron supplement.  This did not surprise me as my iron levels dropped during my pregnancy with Sage at this point.  I’ve also brought Green Monster smoothies back into my life in the hopes of also getting a solid kick of iron that way.  My cravings for nutritious food have also increased.  Vegetables are making much more of an appearance.  Sage was even loving the green beans I had the other night which made this mama so happy.  He was actually choosing to eat green beans over his pasta which shocked me!  It’s all about the little things, right?

In case you missed it, Love A Latte is going to be getting a renovation soon.  Watch out for that!

Do you have long or short hair?  Which do you like better?

Making the Most of Each Day as a Full-time Working Mom

Hello!

A big part of the reason I have made much less of an appearance on the blog since becoming a mom is because I also work full-time.  When I get home from work, I rarely spend any time on my phone until my toddler is in bed for the night.  Most evenings there are still things that need to be accomplished once he goes to bed and I want to spend the remainder of the night hanging out with my husband.  These days I’m ready for bed by 9 or 10, so the weeknights fly.

Life is different now than it was when Sage was a baby.  When he was a baby, I’d bring him inside and he’d happily play on his mat (before he was mobile), sit in his vibrating chair and swat at the hanging toys, or I’d have him right in the kitchen with me in his rock n’ play while I cooked dinner.  These days as my baby approaches two (ok, not for four months but still!), he’s got much more of a say in how the night goes.  Now that the weather is nice the last thing he wants to do when we get home is go inside.  He wants to play outside basically until bedtime and my getting dinner on the table is much more of a challenge.  Luckily most nights my husband and Sage play outside while I work on the things that need to happen inside the house, but then I’m torn between wanting to make a nice dinner (something I do take pride in and also enjoy) and being outside.  Also, I want my house to be clean, but I don’t want to spend the night after a long workday cleaning.  Do you see what I mean?  It’s about making choices.  Here are few things that I focus on to make the most of the work days:

I try to have at least a few meals planned for the week.  I never have five weekday meals planned.  On the weekend we grocery shop and stock the house with food so that for a few meals during the week we are set.  I expect to get takeout or go out 1-2 times a week.  It just simplifies dinner.  There will be a pizza or Mexican food night, or something of the sort, and I’m totally ok with that.  We’ll probably do quesadillas one night, Italian one night, and breakfast for dinner another.  I’m so happy that it has become grill weather because that simplifies dinner a ton and there are so many more options with grilling.  I also just placed by first Blue Apron order for next weekend and I'm really excited about that!  It's supposed to be three meals that will feed my husband and I, and I'm hoping Sage too.  I'll definitely keep you posted on how the Blue Apron meals go.

My house will never be super clean…like ever.  Some days it will probably look like a disaster.  My husband and I will catch up on laundry and get the kitchen in order and then it might look a little better.  I don’t (and truly cannot) sweat this.  If I worried about how clean my house was it would take up so much unnecessary space in my mind.  It’s just not worth it.  My family will be well fed and we’ll enjoy each other’s company and have fun, but we’ll do so with dog fur that needs to be vacuumed on of the rug, dishes that are never ending, and piles of laundry that never seem to go away. 

I pack my son’s bag for the sitter the night BEFORE.  Oh my gosh does this make a big difference in the morning!  I always get mad at myself in the morning when I haven’t taken care of Sage’s diaper bag.  We cloth diaper and that requires a little extra effort to make sure diapers are clean.  At this point I’m washing diapers every 2-3 days which is no big deal (but I know that will be changing soon with baby boy #2 on the way).  I pack breakfast, lunch and snacks for my son each day so making his meals the night before takes so much pressure off my morning.  It just takes a little thought and it is so worth it.  Otherwise in the morning I’m rummaging through the cupboards and refrigerator trying to pull something together for him and it just doesn’t make me feel good. 

I read something a while ago when I was going back to work when Sage was 4.5 months old.  (It was hard at first and I wondered how I’d make it all work).  I read that it’s not necessarily the amount of time you spend with your child, but the quality of the time together.  I think of that every single day.  When my husband and I get Sage out of bed in the morning, even though we often don’t get more than 20 minutes with him before it is time to go, we make that time count.  We greet him in bed together and give him lots of hugs and kisses.  We get him dressed for the day and offer him a little breakfast.  Sometimes there is time to read him a book or play.  It’s an important moment each workday.  After work we devote our attention to him.  It might not be both of us exclusively focusing on him, but we give Sage as much love and attention as we can.  Following his bedtime routine is also very important to us.  We do bath every other night and then we follow the rest of our routine.  We end the night with book time, cuddles in his rocking chair, and he gets a sippy cup of milk in his rocking chair while sitting with either my husband or I.  We talk and joke with him before he goes to bed.  This is another special time each day. 

I’m not hard on myself, or I try not to be.  I think as a parent you sort of have to lower your standards for certain things.  I don't mean that in a bad way by any means.  I just mean that we aren't all superheroes and getting everything accomplished is tough.  I just try to focus on the important stuff - my family.  There are never enough hours in the day to get everything I could possibly want to get done, so I’m not going to try.  I’ll just do my very best.  I also try not to make comparisons between myself and other moms because that’s not fair to me (or them) either.  By being kind to myself, I’m a better mom. 

What are some of your tricks for getting through the workweek? 

Love A Latte is Getting a Makeover

Hey hey hey!

I wanted to keep you in the loop on my upcoming plans for this little space of mine because Love A Latte is getting a makeover!  

I created this blog over three years ago and I love what it has become, but there are things I want to change too.  I’m not in love with the look anymore, but I still want something that is happy and inviting.  I want my site to be more user friendly as well.  Maybe you’re just looking for posts on motherhood, pregnancy, plant-based breakfast, etc., and I want it to be simple for you to find what you’re looking for.  Also, I’ve grown a lot as person over the last three years.  I started this blog as a newlywed who spent tons of time running.  Do you remember all my running posts?  Well, I still love to run, but that part of my life is on the back burner right now as my husband and I focus on parenthood.  I’ll get back in the running groove eventually.  My point is that a lot of life happens in three years and I think it is about time I bring Love A Latte into the present.

I plan to post more on my experiences in motherhood, plant-based eating, and getting back into running.  I’m a full-time working mama and I want to do more posts on how the day-to-day of that goes.  I want to connect more with all of you who are still here reading (thank you for sticking around!) and with new readers.    The first step is going to be the renovation of this space.  That will be taking place over the next month or so, but hopefully by summer the new site will be up and running (same website address by the way).  If there are days where the site seems to be under construction, I apologize in advance.

In the meantime, let’s stay in touch!  Also, let me know if there are topics you’d like me to touch on more going forward.  I’m so exciting for this new beginning for Love A Latte and can’t wait to share it with you.

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Pregnancy #2: 28 Weeks Update

Hey hey hey!

I’m running on very minimal sleep and pregnancy is totally not to blame.  Apparently we lost power last night very briefly, only I didn’t know that is what happened.  Just before midnight I woke up to Sage’s white noise machine blaring the heartbeat sound option.  We always keep it on the white noise option for him and I typically can’t hear it in our bedroom.  However, when it switched to the heartbeat option it was super loud and it woke me up out of a sound sleep.  I was out of it from just being asleep and then my anxiety rose as I tried to figure out what had happened.  My first instinct was of course to go check on Sage.  He was sound asleep and apparently the noise maker had no impact on his sleep.  I woke up my husband because I just had to.  He walked around the house just to make sure everything was in order and then we went back to bed, but I couldn’t sleep because I just couldn’t comprehend what had made Sage’s noise maker do that and by this point I felt wired.  Long story short (or six hours later and me attempting to sleep, but really just resting in bed and reading a book on my iPhone) and I discovered what had happened.

I went to set a timer to drink the glucose drink for my doctor's appointment (this morning was my test for that) and I noticed that the clock on the microwave was blank.  Power outage!  Duh!  My sitter later confirmed that she too had lost power in the night right when we had.  So, I’ve been in a sleep-deprived daze all day.

Let me back up to the weekend though and then I’ll get on with my 28 week update.  The weekend was spent relaxing with family, grilling out, playing outside, and even a trip to the zoo.  On Sunday afternoon while the boys napped, I began to organize baby boy's room.  Oh my gosh I forgot how precious newborn clothes are!  I came across a newborn onesie and extra diaper and they are so tiny.  My heart melted.  The crib isn't put together yet, but soon it will be.  I feel more accomplished knowing that the rest of the room is in pretty good shape.  

This morning I learned that my appointments will now be every two weeks which makes me happy.  I like getting to hear baby boy as much as possible.  

Weight:  Gained 20 pounds (few more than I had with Sage)

Body:  Heartburn is the worst symptom.  It was raging all last night.  On a happy note, I felt baby boy kicking all through the night so he was my company.

Cravings:  Nothing in particular, but I've had a few tasty veggie burgers lately.  I definitely fill up quicker these days.

Sleep:  Aside from last night, sleep has been very good.  I typically get 7-8 hours.  I'm tossing and turning to stay comfortable and laying on my back is definitely not an option as it makes me feel sick.

Best Moments:  Lots of time spent with family!  Sage also got to play with his best buddy that lives across the street a bunch.  We've observed that sharing is his biggest struggle right now.  Hard to reason with a 20 month old on this topic, but we're working on it.

Tell me you've had a nighttime fiasco like mine!

Hi There, Third Trimester!

Hello!

Well, today I had tacos for lunch and then a few hours later a tempeh BLT sandwich.  That definitely screams third trimester hunger.

It wasn’t so bad getting out of bed Monday morning, but it was hard saying goodbye to Sage when I dropped him off at the sitter.  He came down with an ear infection on Sunday and still wasn’t 100% back to himself.  He did sleep through the night and wake up his happy self, but I could tell it was hard for him to let go of the weekend.  It was a weekend of fun.  We celebrated my dad’s birthday on Saturday.  Sage got to ride the carousel and run around the mall.  We ordered Chinese for lunch and my husband and I brought the lemon raspberry cake.  Sage even slept the whole car ride home which is always a plus.  My husband and I got to listen to a podcast and relax.

Out of the blue on Sunday morning Sage started crying hysterically and pulling on his ear.  Luckily our pediatrician is open on Sundays and we were able to take him that day.  He spent the morning cuddling on the couch with us which just about never happens.  My husband and I kept looking at each other like, “is he really just sitting here with us?”.  As much as we love to snuggle with Sage, we also knew it must mean he wasn’t feeling right because he normally is all play.  Nap time was tough because Sage just couldn’t get comfortable with his ear hurting him.  I was happy to let him nap on me for an hour and a half though.  We just rocked in his chair as I attempted to hold him like a baby even though his legs were hanging off the chair and my baby belly was in the way.  I still cherished every second of it.

On Monday, Sage slept in and I focused on getting his lunch ready.  Overnight chia oats for breakfast and black bean noodles with tomato sauce and cheese for lunch.  Veggie pouch, banana, and fruit strip for snacks.  Got to make sure he doesn’t go hungry!  My husband had leftovers from the weekend and I totally dropped the ball and didn’t bring anything for myself.  Luckily my work has a café with a salad bar, so I’m never without food.

Today, Sage got to spend the day with my dad!  Sage was saying "papa" early in the morning when I told him grandpa was visiting and was very happy to see him walk through the door.  Normally Sage goes to his sitter's house so this was a special treat.  It was a treat for me too because I went into work a little late.  I started the day with blueberry pancakes.  I'd say that's a wonderful way to start a Tuesday as well as the fact that I'm officially in the third trimester with this pregnancy!!

It has been another good week.  I’ve gotten solid leep, I’ve eaten lots of delicious food and I’m feeling well.  I’m tired though.  I suppose that is certainly to be expected.  We have plans to set up baby boy’s room this weekend.  I can’t wait to organize and make it all ready for him.  There really isn’t that much to do, but just making a little progress here and there makes me feel good.  My sister-in-law just had a sweet baby girl so it will be a little while before we get any of the hand-me-down clothes back, but I’d like to at least have the room setup and ready for him.  We have a rock n’ play that Sage slept in for the first few months because of his reflux, but I’m wondering if I should get a bassinet this time.  I foresee using the rock n’ play all around the house during the day like we did with Sage, but maybe it would be nice to have a bassinet next to our bed in the beginning.  There is a huge neighborhood sale in May and I’m hoping I can find something then.

I just said goodbye to my dad who had a wonderful day with Sage, and P.B. & Cookies Ben & Jerry's is calling my name...and Sage is still napping.  I think I better take a few minutes and just sit on the couch with my dog and my ice cream.

What's new in your world?