Maternity clothes that rock!

I'm finding out that in my third pregnancy, some things are just not as easy as they were the first two times around...maybe it's because I'm older. Maybe my abs have lost all strength. Or maybe my body was not prepared to endure more than two years of being pregnant.

I say this because my belly button has already popped out, and I"m only just beginning my second trimester. What's the deal with that??!?!! I haven't gained more than 3 or 4 pounds...so it's not like my belly is bursting. But I suspect that this may be the child that gives me stretch marks, which I always thought I was soooo clever in avoiding. With the idea from my sister in law, I devotedly smeared "Bag Balm" all over my stomach, lower back, and upper thighs every night during my second and third trimester. What, you ask, is Bag Balm? My OB had the same question a few years back, upon lifting my shirt to measure my fundus and seeing a very odd "sheen" not unlike the reflection a bald man has on his head. First, don't laugh...because it's worked so far. And for someone tiny who had two good sized babies (8 11 and 7 11), I think I had more than luck on my side (and belly and back.)

Bag Balm is this ointment created to keep cow udders from getting chapped in the winter weather. I told you not to laugh! Someone from Vermont or some other really cold place invented it. It comes in a green tin, and it feels exactly like Vaseline...maybe that's what it is. The most embarrassing part of it is that you can find this product in the "pet" section of Walmart. I had always bought it at CVS.com but came across it accidentally one time looking for a pet bed or Greenies or something. However ridiculous it sounds, this goo saved my body from permanently stretching as these babies were distorting my waist. So, I bought another tin last week. Ooo, BTW, it's also great for diaper rashes- Caroline has THE most sensitive skin, I've tried every diaper rash cream on the market and this is the only one that works and doesn't irritate her skin.

So now that I"ve disclosed something a bit humiliating, I'll share the link to a wonderful line of maternity clothes- sophisticated, sexy, and comfy! Many of the styles are wrapped and fitted, which is really the only way a pregnant body can manage to still pass for a version of its original prepregnancy form. Isabella Oliver Maternity:
http://www.isabellaoliver.com/maternity-clothes

Fight on Trojans and yeah me!

This weekend was a sleeper, but I do have two exciting bits of news to report.

1. Lazy pregnant girl did the 5K with the marines! Shhh! I know, a 5K is only 3 miles. But this was a doozie, as it was either uphill or downhill the entire run (mostly uphill.) Also, I'm pretty out of shape, running wise. However, I really couldn't complain because PR was pushing the kids in the double jogger, which pretty much weighs 70 lbs....and the little lima bean in me weighs what, 2 oz??! Needless to say, I did finish and I only needed a three hour nap that afternoon to recover.

2. Second piece of news. I was able to sit through an entire USC football game without interruption! For the most part, it's tough being on the east coast when your team plays on west coast time (if you're an early to bed girl like the preggie version of me OR if you'd like to watch the game with friends but can't because it's past the kiddos bedtime and who wants to pay a sitter when you're two doors down and they're fast asleep??)

My last attempt at watching the game was over Labor Day weekend, when we were in a house FULL of people. I'm talking the four of us plus PR's Aunt and Uncle plus a cousin plus PR's brother and sister-in-law and their six kids....BTW, this is a three bedroom A frame. (Fun times, but it definitely takes a week to recover.) So, I completely got outnumbered when it came to which game we watched. It didn't help that SC was kicking booty and we had a few Virginie fans(Virginia didn't have a chance) but also there were quite a few other games that we "had to" shuffle back and forth watching, which drove me nuts.

So, Saturday I was determined to watch and enjoy. And I did. It was actually almost painful, as in the beginning Ohio had a tough time completing anything, and there were so many penalties called. Our neighbors are Buckeyes and challenged the greatness of SC earlier in the day, don't you just love competition?! I resisted calling them at half time.

Today (Monday) was actually pretty great. I'm finally starting to feel better, got up and went to the gym, and even returned home in time to jog to Owen's school to pick him up...this is all part of my "no waddle" plan for pregnancy. I absolutely refuse to gain 70 lbs and waddle like a duck. Plus, I'm already starting to feel the tightness of my shorts at the waist and this little one growing inside me is only the size of a lima bean. Not off to a good start, missy!