Hi, friends!
Thanks for all of your awesome comments on my What to Pack In Your Hospital Bag post. You guys are so smart, and I definitely got a lot of great ideas. Now, I am really itching to pack my bag and meet this baby already!
A little recap from yesterday…
Breakfast
I started my day with a delicious bagel breakfast and a big glass of green juice. I topped my bagel with Chive & Onion Cream Cheese from The Laughing Cow on one half and plain cream cheese and strawberry jelly on the other half. Delicious and carb-tastic!
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After breakfast, I spent a few hours working on blog/freelance stuff and then hit the road to drive to my 36-week appointment. It takes me about an hour to get to my doctor’s office, so I stopped to get a little treat from Marylou’s for the car ride: White Chocolate Chip iced coffee! Mmm… heavenly.
The navigation system in my car randomly wanted to be updated yesterday morning, so I picked βfemale SamanthaβΒ as its her voice. I’ll probably call her βSamβΒ from now on. Every car needs a good name, right?
Everything went well at my doctor’s appointment. I gained 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks, which actually sort of surprised my doc, but she didn’t seem too concerned. I mentioned that I had been snacking a lot lately and she replied: βJust make sure your snacks are healthy. Any weight you gain from this point on is weight that you’ll just have to lose.βΒ I think it was her nice way of saying that I should lay off the Ben & Jerry’s, Loaded Oatmeal Cookies, andΒ Coconut Banana Bread! Haha!
When I got home, I received the warmest pug welcome from Murphy. When Mal and I have been away from home, the pug always grabs βBearβΒ in his mouth and parades him happily around the house while wagging his tail/butt. It’s adorable and one of my favorite things about coming home!
Bear has definitely seen better days. (His nose is long gone!) He’s actually one of Murphy’s oldest toys (he came from the swag atΒ BlogHer back in 2010), but, surprisingly, he’s still kicking. Usually, Murphy destroys his stuffed toys (aka rips them apart and tries to eat the insides out of them), but he just loves Bear to death.
Lunch
After saying hello to Murphy and Bear, I dug into my lunch, which was a big salad from Whole Foods with a little bit of everything in the mix.
After lunch, I whipped up a batch of Almond Joy Chia Pudding (recipe coming soon) for later tonight. I recently noticed that eating some Pumpkin Coconut Chia Pudding in the evening after dinner has really helped with my morning sickness. I guess the chia seeds fill up my stomach and keep me satisfied, so I don’t get that hungry/nausea feeling like I normally do. I can’t believe it took me 9 months to figure this out! Haha!
Snack
A little while after lunch, I snacked on an apple and shared some of it with my favorite dog friend. He loves apples too!
Questions of the Day
Does your car have a name?
How does your dog welcome you home?
76 Comments
Murphy is the cutiest. My car doesn’t have a name but my bike does. I call her Sammie or Sam for short! I wish we could have a dog but my sister has one and it greats me with much excitment and does a little wee on me!! He is only young.
Hey Tina! I just want to commend you for being so honest about your pregnancy weight gain (not that you’ve gain too much, at all!) I admit, I gained a little too much (due to unhealthy snacks!) during my first pregnancy, and part of me felt really ashamed. I think there’s a tendency for women to only want to gain x amount of pounds and to be “so little” during pregnancy or “all belly.” Well, most of the time, we can’t control what happens to our body when we’re growing another human! All we can do it try our best to eat healthy and exercise. I just want you to know how nice to hear you talk so openly about your weight gain…and how it’s not a big deal! From all of us pregnant girls out there….thank you. π
Aww, thanks! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
@tracy: I agree. It is refreshing to read your honesty and focusing on living life and enjoying the pregnancy as much as possible while taking care of you and the baby in a very well balanced way!
@Jenn@ Mark My Miles!: agreed!!
We have a Nissan Leaf and his name is Lenny! It’s just so fitting. We don’t even call him “the car” or anything — we call him Lenny all the time. Weird?
Lenny is a sweet car name!
Ohhh I always order the peanut butter wonderland @ Marylou’s but now I really want that white chocolate chip flavor!!
I named my car ‘Cali’ since I looooove California. π
My car has no name… poor thing! π
36 weeks is exciting! You start going every week now, right? I’m 2 days away from my due date and feeling nothing but good. Hoping for some labor action soon!
So close!!!
I love how much you share and are honest about your pregnancy. It is so refreshing to hear someone talk about all of the ups and downs in a real way. Thank you! As someone who is 19 weeks along, I have enjoyed reading your blog and don’t feel so alone in this very strange and changing time of pregnancy.
It’s definitely a strange time! Haha! Glad you’re enjoying CNC! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
Murphy is just so cute. Looking forward to the almond joy chai pudding recipe!
lovingly rollled my eyes at what your doc said about the weight π
and IM SO SO SO GLAD TO BE BACK TO CARLA THE CRAZY CANINE LADY.
I love his doodle greeting.
xo
I don’t have a “voice” for my car, but her name is Serenity (after my all-time favorite TV show, Firefly).
I don’t have a dog, but my cats run to the door to greet me unless they’re super sleepy. It’s so nice having someone welcome you home, isn’t it?
All of my cars have had names! I like to name inanimate objects, haha. My Rav4 (my car now) is named Tally, as in Tallly HOoo! My first car, a big old 1984 BMW 733i, was named Eli–he looked like a big grey elephant, but Ellie is a girl’s name, and Eli was super masculine. Elmer was our old Town and Country van (it had a shimmy, so it “studdered”); our new van was Zoe–reminded me of the Zoloft blob; and Heidi was my mom’s Audi.
And I will have to look into the Chia seeds in a few years. Bad morning sickness runs in my family…. I am DREADING it already!
I have a red Kia Soul, so his name is “Little Red Toaster” or “LRT” for short. Sometimes he’s (yep, he) called “the Hamster mobile.” It even came with a little stuffed hamster and he sits on my rearview mirror. His name is B-rad (Malibu’s Most Wanted… anyone remember that movie?)
I’d also like to agree with Tracy’s post from earlier about the weight gain. I gained 45 pounds with my pregnancy. The first 30 went away in just a few months (baby weight) but It’s been a struggle with the last 15 and now I’m 5 lbs away (9 months later) but there’s definitely an image struggle (saggy baby belly). Thanks for being open about it!
i’ve never heard of chia seeds helping with morning sickness but glad you found something that worked! i have a mamma chia giveaway going on my blog now!!
Murphy and his bear are so adorable! My boxer, Stella, has a pink pig that she loves. It’s lasted months now. We adopted her eight months ago. Her first stuffed toy, a squirrel, was destroyed immediately. Enter the pig. She doesn’t try to rip it apart. She just loves to carry it around with her.
I prematurely named my car after a character in the “Sword of Truth”(Book)/”Legend of the Seeker” (TV) series. This character is a badass warrior named Cara who wears maroon leather, and my car is maroon with leather seats, but she acts like a temperamental old lady, rather than a warrior. It’s a sedan. I should’ve known better.
I will be patiently waiting for your Almond Joy Chia pudding recipe. My “morning” sickness occurs at night…no matter how good I eat through out the day. My only cure right now is going to sleep early, I feel bad leaving my husband to watch tv alone. (hmmm, wonder if he feels the same? LOL)
And I have to agree with the other commenter’s, reading about your pregnancy has been such a welcome to me as I’m going through my first pregnancy as well (14 weeks, I will definitely be looking back at some of your older posts as I hit those weekly milestones). You look amazing and you are an inspiration to me to keep eating healthy (when possible) and keep exercising! Thank you for including us in your journey. Can’t wait to see Baby H!
That is interesting {and something I did not know} about gaining weight from here on out. I wish I had a car name, most of my friends do and I am jealous!
My car’s name is Betty. Funny story actuallyβΒ¦my best friend had a red 1998 Volkswagen Jetta named Buddy and when I bought my white 2009 Volkswagen Jetta I was trying to come up with a name. We were roommates at the time and I found myself calling my car Betty but thought that was super cheesy because then we’d have Buddy & Betty the Jettas. WellβΒ¦Betty stuck and I couldn’t change her name. We definitely have a picture of the two cars parked one behind the other by our apartment. Totally hilarious or maybe ridiculous. I’ll let you decide. π
My car’s name is Spidey because I got it when I was an undergraduate at the University of Richmond and we are the Spiders (I know, I’m so original!). My first car was named Sandy because my mom and I took it to four beaches in one day and it ended up…covered in sand, inside and out.
My dog is a complete psycho and after she tries to break the door down to get to me, she tears around the house before throwing herself into my lap for hugs and kisses. Always welcome after a long day at work!
And you, pretty lady – I am so excited for you to meet your baby! I have read your blog nearly as long as it’s been around and I hoped you guys would have a kid because you will be great parents! π
Aww, thanks! Γ’Β€ï¸Β
Love this post! I’ve always named my cars – in high school I drove a giant blue car (a Mercury Grand Marque aka “the big blue boat”) whose name was Max, in college I drove a pathfinder whose name was Kermie, and afterwards I drove another pathfinder whose name was Doc. Now am a very happy Zipster/T-person.
My kitty Papi scratches her scratcher when I come home – it’s the cutest. She runs over and scratches away. She does the same when my boyfriend comes home, and when we lay on the couch and be lazy – both of my kitties love it and she scratches away. It reminds me of being little – when I was feeling cozy, safe, secure, and happy, I’d rub my nose in this very weird way – I didn’t realize I did it and sometimes I catch myself still doing it. Don’t tell anyone. π
I wouldn’t worry too much about the weight gain. We are all different. I am 32 weeks along and gained 18 lbs. so far but I would rather be in your position than have spent November through February puking and losing 10 lbs. My mom gained 43 lbs. with me and almost all of it came off just in birth.
I’m not worried. I know my body is doing what it needs to do to produce a healthy baby! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
I didn’t realize that about weight gain in the last few weeks. I had always read that that’s when baby’s body and brain are bulking up. I’ve been meaning to whip up chia pudding for months; I’m glad to know it’s helping ease your morning sickness, especially if that unfortunate symptom rears it’s ugly head in my third trimester.
The chia seeds once soaked are really hydrating so maybe the nausea is linked to being dehydrated as well???
MY co-worker’s dog always welcomes you with a “lizard” – which is whatever stuffed toy she is currently playing with. It never fails, someone comes and she quick runs, picks it up, and delivers it to the person at the door. π
Wow – you have to drive an hour to get to your Dr? When you go into labor, will you be able to go someplace closer?
Unfortunately, my hospital is just as far away… and during rush hour… Forget about it! Just hoping I go into labor in the middle of the night! Haha!
I’m sure you won’t have any trouble at all getting back in shape post-baby π My old car was a Mazda Tribute, and she was named Tibby. Our new car, is a Toyota Camry, and Camilla seems to be sticking at the moment!
I like Camilla!!
I know the doctors mean well but you are so so fit and in shape, just like I was and I lost everything I gained and then some in the months after my son was born. My body went back to normal (took a few months) but everything I ate looking back on it now was worth it! I still don’t even know what the heck I gained then since I never looked at the scale and didn’t let the doctors tell me but I do know it was at least 35 pounds. Each pound was worth it. I guess I feel the need to say this just so you don’t think twice about a snack if you are in the mood for it. Enjoy every bite.
I’ve never heard that about weight gain in the final weeks. My doctor and everything I’ve read says weight gain is 1/2-1 lbs per week in the last trimester due to the baby fattening up. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the calories the baby needs!
Yea, she said the baby doesn’t gain too much in the final weeks… Well, not 5 pounds! Haha!
I have yet to name my car…probably should. It’s a white santa fe, so any ideas haha?
Well, my dogs used to bark and go around in circles when we got home but they aren’t around anymore. I really want a puppy. Miss having dogs. They’re just the best!
I think the way you are eating and being open about it is very healthy and refreshing. Life’s too short to worry so much about how you look (not that you look bad). Being healthy and happy for your child trumps all, good job.
My dog has a monkey that he absolutely loves. I had to throw it away a year or so ago, and I got him a tiger that he seemed to love just as much. A couple weeks ago, though, I was at Petsmart and I came across the same monkey! So I stocked up on them. π The original monkey was a gift from a friend and something I never would have bought for him myself. Who knew? π
I love that you stocked up on them! I’d do the same thing for Murph! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
Our dog runs to the door and “climbs” on us ha.
I drive a Jeep Liberty so I just had to name her Lady Liberty!.
Samantha is a good name π Haha. My car doesn’t have a name because I haven’t found one that fits her well yet.
My dog greets me with kisses, hugs, and a big wagging tail when I come home every day. She makes my day so much better whenever I come home!
Oh yes…. I always name my cars…. I have friends that ask me to help them name theirs too! HA!! π
Right now I’m driving Kippy-Joe the Kia.
Former cars:
Betsy the Bug
Sammy the SantaFe
Caty Camry
George the Geo
Holly Honda
Tessie Toyota
=}
I love that no matter how long I have been gone, my pup is super excited to see me. He bounces up and down and wags his tail. It is so cute!!
My car doesn’t have a name, but I do know that she is a girl. I just never named her.
My car’s name is Beyonce…haha. I absolutely love Beyonce and I fell in love with my car when I bought it (probably because it was my first real “adult” purchase), so the name seemed fitting.
Haha! Love that!
I have a Chevy Tahoe truck and I’m only 5’2″ so I look kinda funny driving it but since I thought it was a tough looking truck I named it “Rocky” like the movie character because that beast does not give up.
I don’t have a pet but my sister’s dog yelps and jumps around whenever we go home π
Murphy is too cute! I just love when my dog runs to get her favorite toy when we come home; her ears pin back, her tail and behind wag so fast, its adorable!
My cars name is Softy-its a crossover SUV-bought brand new and after 3 years, I needed new tires. The service man said that the crossovers tires are softer then regular SUVs and wear down faster. So, Softy is her name.
I cannot wait to see your almond joy chia pudding!!
Those pig pics are super cute! My first car was the purple monster. It was this tiny geo metro bright purple. Everyone knew it was mine!
When I get home, my lab always grabs the nearest ball or stick she can find and does laps around the yard at full speed. I used to let her inside right when I got home, but she would do the same thing in the house and slide all over the tile from running around too fast and I was always afraid she was going to break herself slamming into a wall! I love how excited she gets to see me, makes my day! <3
My dog freaks out when we come home, I love it! I can’t wait for the new pudding recipe!
My first car was an old 1995 Buick Regal and I knew he needed more of an “old timers” name so I ended up calling him Byron! I don’t have him anymore but I know the new owners still call him that so it must have been the right choice:)
Haha! Love Byron for a car name! π
With both my kids the weight gain was steady until the last month and then it ballooned with water weight. I seriously would gain a pound a day in water and almost all the weight I gained in the last month of pregnancy I lost in the first two weeks when I was peeing,… peeing… peeing. It was the weight that took a while to put on in week 6-34 that took a while to come off. But it does!
My doctor mention retaining water, so it could be a little of that too!
My car is Milton. This is the first car that I feel like I have an emotional attachment to, haha. My dachshund loved one old sock put inside the other and then a knot tied at the end. She would be so proud when we’d brag about her bringing it to us at the door <3
Hi Tina – just wondering where you found the blue and white chevron rug in your home? Love it! Thanks π
Thanks! It’s from Wayfair. It’s actually at a really good price point and comes in different colors! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
Haha, no, my car doesn’t have a name. I do love her, though.
It’s not possible that (some of) those 5 pounds are water weight? I would think that at this point in your pregnancy you might be retaining some water. Just some food for thought.
That thing about the chia seeds makes complete sense! Will have to remember that in the future.
My cockapoo Rory always has a stuffed toy her mouth when we come home. She gets excited easily so I guess it helps soothe her!
I have a boxer who does the craziest butt wiggling kidney bean dance whenever one of her “pack” gets home. I think all boxers have a version of it. Might be one of my favorite things ever!
We call my husband’s navigation system “Katherine”, which is my middle name, since she tells him what to do when I’m not there.
Don’t forget that this is the time that your baby gains the most weight! Always good to be healthy, but also a time not to start cutting back on food in general! :). We stress too much about our weight – I did (2 babies!) and both times I found my way back to my normal weight.