Holy Hiatus, Batman!

You know when you have every good intention in the world, and then the world gets in the way? Yeah. That's the story of my life.  I had so many great blog posts lined up from registering and our baby shower, to decorating our nursery and final preparations.  Then life happened and all of that went out the window.  My husband is a basketball coach and from November - March he's at work from 8-4:30 and then at practice until 9-10 p.m. some nights, with games on Tuesdays and Fridays that I have to attend, no matter how far.  Add in a dog that needs heart medication two times a day, my own 9-5 with a half hour commute each way, and a pregnancy during the holidays...all of my great intentions fell to the wayside quite quickly.  Through being pregnant, having this baby, and keeping everyone around me alive for the last two months, I've learned to not put any extra pressure on myself.  I want to continue sharing my story, which has turned into our story.  I may not be able to get a post out every Monday, or every week.  I can barely shower more than once a week right now.  However, I'm going to vow to do my best and write when I can.  My days are filled with a two-month old who has reflux and a milk allergy, who will either take a 20-minute nap or a 3-hour one.  I still have a dog who needs medication twice a day and extra love now that his naps are interrupted by a crying baby.  I have a husband who's working, planning his summer basketball schedule, and enjoying a little golf when he can.  And I have a house that is never going to be clean again.

So I ask that you bear with me as I try to navigate this whole parenting thing one day at a time.  It will be entertaining, at the very least.

It's a....

So I went back and forth for about 30 seconds on whether to post this...this blog is all about being unapologetic, right?  People are going to have their opinions no matter what I post or don't post.  I might as well keep it real.

If you recall from this post, we opted to go with the non-invasive prenatal testing to scan for genetic defects.  One of the added bonuses is that you can find out the gender when you get your results.  We knew we were going to find out gender - it was never a question with us - so finding out earlier than the 20 week anatomy scan was a plus.

The Announcement

I don't like being the center of attention.  In fact, I hate it.  I like to fly under the radar and just do my thing.  My motto is "leave me alone."  You know what happens when you get knocked up?  You cannot escape attention.  It's quite literally my nightmare.

Testing...Testing....

Congratulations, you're pregnant.  Now here's 3,000 brochures about all of the different diseases/abnormalities/issues that can come up with your tiny helpless fetus.  You must now decide what you want to be tested for.  Ready...go!

Shit can stop getting real now

So when you find out that you're pregnant you immediately start to think about the next steps.  1) I have to tell my husband...he'll probably want to know, right?  2) I need to schedule an appointment with the doctor.  3) I assume it's reasonable to wait until I'm clearly showing to tell everyone else around me.  4) Oh shit this is really happening.

Shit just got real...

I thought that the two week wait between when you can get pregnant and when you can take the test would feel like forever.  That's no match to how long it feels waiting the minutes after you pee on a stick to see what it's going to say.  It's amazing how much anxiety one little stick can give you.  What if it says no?  What if it says yes?!

Month One

You know what's fun about trying to track your fertility?  Nothing.  Nothing is fun.  You get to go into an app every day and tell it how you're feeling.  It wants to know how much water and caffeine you've drank, did you have sex, are you on your period, do you have any aches/pains/bloating/nausea/heartburn/fatigue/blah blah blah.  It wants to know whether you took an ovulation test, what your basal temperature is, what your cervical mucus is like.  It wants to know what your mood is.  I don't know why people go to doctors or therapists when they can just download a fertility app.  Do you know what the difference between cramps and pelvic pain is?  Listen app, it just feels like someone stabbed me in the uterus with a dull knife and now it's just chilling there.  Where's that option??

Shit's getting real

I like knowing things.  I like researching and finding the answers to all of the questions that I have about any particular topic.  When we started the discussion of this potential kid, I googled every question I had about pregnancy and parenthood.  Listen, I realize that parenting is 5% what you know and 95% of expecting the unexpected.  I just like being prepared. I tend to lean toward the Type A end of the spectrum, in case you were wondering.

So I guess this is growing up....

When I was little, I remember telling people that I was going to be a young mom and that I was going to have 2 kids - 2 girls to be exact.  Keep in mind that this was the early 90's and pre-"Teen Mom" and the MTV that exists today.  "Young" to small Kristen meant 25.  When I was growing up, teen pregnancy was reserved for after-school specials...not glamorized as a way to become a reality "star." To me, the perfect age of 25 meant that I would be young enough relate to my kids and be the "cool mom" (insert gif of Amy Poehler in a Juicy track suit here), but still old enough to be an "adult."

Well, as you grow up, a funny thing happens - you realize that the things you want when you're actually an adult sometimes aren't the same things you wanted when you dreamed about being an adult.  Somewhere along the line I decided that instead of wanting kids at 25...I may not want kids at all.

that was me...then

You want to know what my biggest problem is?  Sticking with things.  I have a tendency of getting real excited about something and then getting bored or busy with life and letting said thing fall of the map.  I love sharing my voice.  I love makeup.  Blogging and instagramming should be second nature to me.  But, alas, life happens.  I'm excited though.  I've done a re-brand and I'm so happy with the directions that this new brand can evolve into.  Instead of focusing on makeup, which is a fleeting hobby for me, I've decided to focus on Kristen.  I hope you'll join me on this new journey and bear with me as I find my way.

xoxo,

kristen