…auf weidersehen, good-bye…Song of Music, anyone?? This will be my last post for this week, but I will be back for a few posts at the beginning of next week before heading out for trip #2. So, please…don’t cry for me Argentina bloggie readers, the truth is I never left won’t leave you. Okay, okay. I’m done with the musical lyrics. Be thankful you can’t hear me sing them. That would assure you would never come back here ever again and I don’t want that because…

Now, I’m really done! If you can’t already tell, I’m feeling a bit better today. I don’t know what is up, but the past couple of days I have been feeling way more energetic in the morning. Normally I wake up already fatigued, but this week that has not been the case. I think it may be because I am succumbing to naps and getting more hours of sleep at night. If it allows me to feel like my normal self until lunchtime I will be certain to get that extra sleep! I do still feel like crap by 3 pm and still have taste-buds that are all sorts of wonky, so it’s all relative.

Just because I am not at my best, however, doesn’t mean I can’t still always do my best under the current circumstances. It would appear that since being pregnant I have just succumbed to the “eat whatever I want and not give a tiny rat’s @$$” mentality. Well, I guess that would be partially true, because I do always eat what I want and what I enjoy over what I “should” anyways. Now, the things I want (or to clarify, anything that isn’t on the “I simply CANNOT eat that right now” list) aren’t always as wholesome and nutritious as I like. So, what’s a gal to do? Recognize that it’s okay and still choose the best options of those that appeal to me as often as possible. I never believe in force feeding yourself something for any reason, pregnant or not.

Since the “I simply CANNOT eat that right now” list I mentioned above is fairly limited, I have been eating pretty much the same things day in and day out for the past few weeks. And there is some sort of semblance of healthy living in the meals, so I go with it. It helps balance out the Mexican & DQ so I’m not in maternity clothes at only 2 months pregnant.

Although, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. They may not be the most attractive, but those stretchy waistbands are heaven! Moving on now…

A typical day for me goes something along the lines of waking up at 6:00 hahaahaha 7:00 and reading my Bible/praying before rolling out of bed in time to get Makenzie up. Then we quickly get dressed and eat breakfast. My breakfast of choice lately? A honey wheat bagel with cream cheese and some homemade local grown strawberry jelly…thanks to the sis-in-law. Oh, and the requisite prenatal vitamin on the side.

After breakfast, I determine if the gym is a go. I always get dressed in my gym clothes so that way it is easy to head out to the gym if I am feeling up for it. Since my get-more-sleep revelation, I have been making it to the gym per my normal schedule. Yesterday I did spin, today I did Power, and tomorrow I am hoping to get in some Kick. After the gym, I come home and refuel with a big banana.

Bananas are typically one of my least-favorite fruits, but not now. I HAVE to have one a day. Mmmm, bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S! I couldn’t help myself!!!

I spend Makenzie’s morning nap getting my blog post organized for the day and doing other little household chores. Then, once she wakes up it is time for some lunch. My lunch adoration these days? Grilled cheese and soup.

Yes, it is crazy hot outside in Georgia most days right now, but I still want soup. I am in L-O-L-O-L-O-L-O-V-E with soup. They may not be homemade (I may be crazy to eat it, but I’m not stupid enough to be slaving over a hot soup pot in Georgia heat people!), but they will do for now. In all their sodium-laden glory. And it is a way to get some semblance of veggies in there. While we’re at it, I even get some veggies in with my one daily handful of these babies.

I kid. I kid. I know potato chips aren’t a veggie! They still are good though. And salt + vinegar chips speak to me these days. I don’t feel bad. One handful won’t kill me. Just like one bowl of cereal a day for my afternoon snack won’t kill me either.

Mom’s Best Naturals Cinnamon Squares is the cereal of choice right now. I don’t know why, but kiddy style cereal is a nonstop craving of mine during pregnancy. I don’t foresee this bowl going anywhere anytime soon.

Amidst eating all of this, M & I do lots of playing before the 3:00 slump rolls around. Then we resign to the couch with piles of books and 20 minutes of Elmo’s World. I am so proud of her. She knows over half of her letters now. A, B, C, D, F, H, I, J, L, M, O, P, Q, S, T, W, X, Y, and Z! I guess pregnancy sickness does have it’s benefits because she just soaks up time with her mommy and her favorite alphabet book. All I have to do is answer her on each page when she asks “Whassat?” and she gets it so fast. I love my little bookworm!

After all that fun, and the occasional torture of reading Panda Bear, Panda Bear What do you See? a thousand times in a row (the most repetitive, dull book EVER but she loves it), it is time for dinner. Last night we opted for lasagna and I snuck in one of the 3 or 4 veggies I actually like right now -- sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes (OH TOMATOES!!!), and peas.

Not too long after dinner, I chill on the couch and then go crash in bed. There you have it! It may not be perfect and I know there are better foods and options for things, but I’m giving my best effort and feel good with it. Now, it is time to say goodbye since I will be packing all day tomorrow and heading to bed early for our early start to Indy. Have wonderful weeks and I will see you all next Monday! 🙂

• Can you eat soups or traditional cold-weather foods during warmer months? Or what about eating icecream in winter?
• What is your favorite flavor of potato chip and your favorite kiddy cereal?

I’m glad most of you seemed to appreciate my honesty related to pregnancy and the experiences that encompass the first trimester. It was interesting to read the comments of both those that have and have not been through a pregnancy. I hope I didn’t put off too many of you who haven’t yet. 😉 Those of you who have, I loved reading how your experiences were all so different. It actually made me consider the fact that so far this pregnancy is exactly like my first one with Makenzie. Hmmmm….does it mean anything? Probably not. Especially since my gut already tells me this one is a boy.

I also want to reiterate that as much of a pain it can be sometimes, I know it doesn’t last long (I should be feeling on top of the world around July 4th) and it really is an amazing thing to experience. I love it! Even the “can I lay on the couch with some pizza and a bucket” parts.

Let’s move on to today shall we? I have to admit it was a pretty rough one. So far, the icky stuff doesn’t hit me until after lunch but this morning it came much earlier. I stuck to the banana, PB, and coconut oats combo I had the other day for breakfast because “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Basically, if I can stomach something once I will keep eating it until it no longer appeals to me. Don’t judge the lack of variety. I have limited options right now, so this rule works. Or tends to work. I started feeling awful shortly after breakfast. I ended up skipping my workout and just going on a quick walk with Makenzie & our dog Roxy around the neighborhood. Quick means 15 minutes so I could avoid feeling the need to hurl in our neighbor’s grass thanks to my increased sense of smell and the horrible aromas coming from their yard. Do they have dead bodies buried there? Perhaps ignorance is bliss and I shouldn’t say that. My neighbors are creepy.

After the walk, I crashed on the floor with Makenzie and some of her favorite books to tide us over until naptime. I was very happy for naptime so I could sit and do nothing. Or choke down the leftover half of my banana from breakfast while beginning this post.

I just continued feeling worse and worse as the day wore on. I curled up on the couch with Makenzie for some more reading and even a bit of TV watching. I want to know how my kid knows who Elmo is. She normally watches one 30 minute episode of some show each day and it is NOT Sesame Street. Darn gym daycare with a TV room. I bet she spends the entire hour I’m working out planted in the front row. She did get some activity today. In the form of dancing and helping put a smile on my face with her mad moves. That child can’t sit still the rare occasion I have the radio on and its playing Lady Gaga.

We broke from playing Ginger Rogers to have lunch. Katie – you are my hero! The “Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes” recipe is a lifesaver. I can stomach it and it’s a nice way to sneak in a bit of veggies and other healthy items. I enjoyed some leftovers from last night alongside a big mound of fruit.

Why is it I can handle fruit but not veggies right now? Even Green Monsters are starting to make me want to hurl at the thought of them. I have a feeling I will end up banish-ed (pronounced like Shakespeare) from the healthy living blogger world before long. Especially considering my afternoon snack was a few small, cheap lemon cookies thrown down the hatch before an emergency tutoring session.

Really kid? Cramming for a year’s worth of Spanish the night before your final is not going to save you. And it’s only going to make me grumpy. Thank goodness the extra $120 to line my pockets cures mood swings. The same way breakfast for dinner cures “I’m ACTUALLY hungry and NOTHING sounds good” blues.

Like I said - “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” so I’ll joyfully eat my over medium eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon. That’s right. We have a recycled picture above so you have to imagine 2 slices of bacon in there.

One more thing not to fix if it ain’t broke? Going with the blogging flow. I originally intended to do a post on some thoughts I had from The Biggest Loser Finale last night and things I dealt with after my show…like Body Dysmorphia and feeling “unworthy”. Instead I felt like writing about my day, so you will have to wait until tomorrow night for the other ramblings. Now I’m off to watch last night’s Glee & Parenthood episodes…because laying around all day still doesn’t motivate me to do much more than chill on the couch at night. Some quality time will be spent with my man as well. Love you, Pedro! 😀

• Since this is the week of TV show finales…which one was your favorite? Other than The Biggest Loser, the only one I’ve seen so far is Grey’s and I thought it was good.
• Did you like Sesame Street growing up? Nope! I still can’t stand it. I much prefer the “Word World” show Makenzie loves.
• What is one thing you like to do or eat that is not typical “healthy blogger” style? I think the entire next two months will fit under that category for me.