Eclectic Lotus

A weekend of girl time! I didn't want to miss this for anything! Anissa is a newly acquired friend from my bestie and she is sweet as pie. I enjoy how she can see a plant or a bug and can tell you exactly what it is. She is the nature enthusiast I would love to be! She has found her man well before I met her last year and is getting married in September. He is a great guy and they seem to work well together. Since I have been inducted into her gang of interesting, eclectic bunch of highly intelligent circle of friends I value it all the same as I have been to ornament parties, games and of course the Dells trip at the end of the summer. This was my second one but more important because it is the last hurrah of her as a single woman. What was included in the weekend was a stay at the Polynesian Resort, Dells Boat Tours, partying the night away at one of the Dells clubs, lounging by the pool and of course eating at the High Rock Cafe which is a popular place to have a nice m...

I love this picture which is why I selected it first. At this point in time, I am missing my mother even more. In essence, I am about 90 miles or so from home. My mother is not physically on this earth to rub my back or hug me or tell me about when she was pregnant with me. I go by memories. I have my husband who this is his first child as well. We have a team of midwives and have registered with the hospital. I think my qualifications apply for me to have a doula but honestly, anyone can ( and may be I am biased but should) have a doula.  First off, what is exactly a Doula ? According to DONA international: "A birth doula is a person trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth." - http://www.dona.org/mothers/faqs_birth.php Many websites boast that doulas assist in reducing births that require- vacuum, forceps, c-sections, epidurals and t...

Disclaimer: stolen questionnaire from Papier Mache blog. How far along?  31 Weeks Total weight gain?  14 lbs total Maternity clothes?  HECK YEAH!! I love my maternity clothes Sleep?    Thoughts racing, me racing to the bathroom. . .some sleep here and there. Best moment this week?  Mila's Birthday Miss Anything?  I do miss running without having to go pee. Movement?  Yes. Baby shifts and kicks. Highly active in the afternoon and early evening hours. Food cravings? Green apple sorbet from Forever Yogurt. Anything make you queasy or sick?  I still get a little too gassy Gender? Still not telling until after September 8th. Symptoms?  Man, do I have to pee! Doing low back adjustments on patient I get the feeling like someone is kicking me in the groin so I have decreased the low back adjustments. I have been pretty active with squats, yoga and walking. I simply love Cat/Cow and my little pelvic r...

Before I was pregnant I used to plan on having this super healthy pregnancy. I was to loose 40 pounds before getting pregnant and then getting pregnant and eating all raw vegetables and fruits. I thought I was going to run still and do yoga daily and have such an ideal and optimal pregnancy. This was a thought I had at 29 years old. Let's fast forward four year to uh, now. I never lost the 40 pounds I intended on but I did run and run and run last year and the beginning of this year. I did hot yoga until I found out I was pregnant because I was getting dizzy and had hot flashes where I had to sit out most of the class. I slowly began to eat meat and during the early half of my pregnancy I ate Popeye's chicken with two buttermilk biscuits. Chips, which I hate, began to be so delish especially the hot ones. The hotter the better. My cravings varied and I gained four pounds within the first couple of weeks of pregnancy. I was terrible! I then went to Louisiana and gorged so much...

When I first found out I was pregnant as I stated before I was in shock. This pregnancy was not planned but it was also the best surprise of this year! I began to day dream about the personality of this child and the way we will be as a family of three and not a family of two. Once heading to work and talking to people outside my husband there was something that I did not think about. . .the fact that this will indeed be a Black and Mexican child. So, to some we are having a biracial baby. Yes, I saw this commercial. Didn't think it applied to me. Funny part is I tell people I AM racist. Sometimes I feel more ignorant than anything because I don't notice these things. I have not even begun to see that I have many couple friends that are interracial marriages and have babies or about to have babies. I just don't notice these things and I honestly can't tell you why. At first, I do because if it is a girlfriend of mine and she is dating someone yeah I am pointing ...

You know how you first find out you are pregnant you have to go crazy at Barnes and Noble? Well, if you didn't I just told on myself. I didn't know what book to get as when you get to that section there are SOOOOOOOO many books to look at, read and take in. So, my first recommendation to you is this one thing. . . NEVER GET YOUR HUSBAND A BOOK!!! I should have took that $12 and got myself a nice outfit at the consignment store because while I am halfway through some pretty lengthy books he is on page 16 of "Your Pregnancy for the Father to Be". If they had a DVD or something that told men what they should be doing and presented it like a Sporting event or like an action movie then I say buy that and put the movie in and let him watch. Although, you may not have a husband like mine so go for getting him a book- I don't really have a recommendation for it though or if your partner is an understanding individual or intuitive like a female partner disregard this ...

Twenty seven weeks- I was heading to a memorial so that is why I am not smiling. I am currently 28 weeks going on 29 weeks but I keep forgetting to take the pictures from this camera and into the computer. That has been happening a lot. . .me forgetting things. I accidentally mispronounced a patient's name and I have to send myself notes through my calendar on my phone to remember to pick up things. So, pregnancy brain is in full effect but nevertheless I am still working but it is becoming painful since I got into the third trimester. New symptoms- pelvic pain ("it feels like someone kicked me in the crotch") dark marks in the belly but not stretch marks (chloasma- dark marks in pregnancy) Also, dark marks in the neck and arms. Fatigue Every weekend, I am heading to something. I think this coming up Sunday I am not truly planning on going anywhere so I might just take a train to Chinatown or go to little Chinatown in Uptown and have some pho. I enjoy times...

The more and more we grow into adulthood the more you have to think about. I think that is why adults think in the future and babies and little kids think in the now. This home is for sale right now. It is in the Galewood neighborhood in Chicago.  Want it? Here is the link below:  http://www.chicagocityhomes.com/Blog/Chicago-City-Homes-For-Sale1922-N-Nordica-Avenue-Chicago-IL-60707 We keep saying that we are going to get a house. All the responsibility of a house. . .we want that! We want to have a home to own and call our own and do fun things with like add a fireplace. (I grew up in a house that had a fireplace and I would LOVE to have one in our home.) I think that is just the way we are as adults. You get married, you have kids and of course you are going to have to have a house for all those dreams of family. Well, apparently the interest rates and prices are rising which is making buyers slightly nervous and willing to buy. I am wondering if we should take th...