Baby Goley's Secrets Exposed...

Good morning blog readers!
It has been a few days since I have put these fingers to work; it feels almost foreign! I have made a list of blog topics I want to use in the coming months that I reference when it isn't clear to me what to write. While looking through this list this morning (just knowing I needed to get back on the horse) I decided that instead of jumping ahead to my Christmas list, "Santa Baby..." or "Pregnancy Workouts... step by step, how they do or don't work out..."maybe we could just take a second to appreciate how amazing being pregnant is.

Now, I have heard that this stage, just as the green, morning sickness stage did, will pass and I will be moving into a foreign body that is completely uncomfortable and miserable. But, let's not dwell on that; let's celebrate the awesome-ness of this phase of pregnancy. I am 17 weeks, in the 2nd trimester and do not know the gender of sweet little Baby Goley. I am feeling kinda like I am in a floating, unknowing section of the universe, in limbo between miserable and miserable, between scared and ready to shop, and between skinny and huge! It is absolutely amazing! I hope to articulate how I feel now, so in the coming months I can return to this blog and remember that I absolutely love being pregnant!

Every day is different right now. I can barely feel the baby move, if I really concentrate, but shortly I will feel full-on kicks! My body is changing so much too! I had a flat stomach only a few months ago and now I wake up with a tiny, looks like baby bag, on my tummy! Throughout the day, it grows and grows and at night it is a pregnant belly; nice and round! I love it! I make my poor husband rub it while we watch TV but I don't think he likes it yet. He acts like if you push on it, it will pop or something. It doesn't feel fragile to me- I constantly push and prod all over trying to figure out the geography in there. So strange. 

Another thing about pregnancy that I am learning and completely in love with is intuition. You could almost do this alone on a deserted island with no outside world. Your body takes on this authoritative way, telling you to avoid this or get more of this. For example, before I was really read-up on pregnancy, in a smoky room I would catch myself holding my breath. By the time you realize what you are doing, you are starved for air! I know now that this is probably due to 2nd hand smoke being, not only terrible for me, but detrimental for the baby's development too! Also, I have been eating a ton of beef and tons of yummy egg sandwiches and I saw in a magazine that you should try to eat those two for a specific brain-developing nutrient found in them! So all this time I think I am being so unhealthy and in reality I am rocking-out for my baby's brain development! Now, some of this may sound totally idiotic to you but I don't care. I know that my body, my intuition, my entire nature has changed from care-free and wild to doing things I can't explain till much later, resulting in good choices for the baby! It is probably my favorite part (yes, even more than the amazing skin and hair) of the whole preggers thing. 

There are a few products and other things I love right now that I would like to share with all you peeps, preggers and not.

#1 Organix Hydrating Moroccan Argan Dry Body Oil- It smells and feels amazing! I think even if I weren't under threat of big, nasty stretch marks it would be a winter-must for dry skin! It dries quickly and so far, fingers crossed, I haven't seen any new stretch marks!

#2 Dustin Goley's Special 5-Minute Egg Sandwiches- Made from honey wheat bread, toasted in the oven while he fries an egg with plain pepper only, atop not one, but two slices of deli-cut american cheese! Now we are talking... Dang I want one now! That boy is so sweet- he flips the egg in the pan, no utensils! without complaint :). God, I love that man!

#3 My Computer!- It brings me to the outside world on a daily basis! I jam out to my i-tunes while I am cleaning and playing housewife. Then I sit down and check social media- Facebook and Pinterest mostly. And of course, my new found favorite reason to use my computer is to BLOG!

#4 Old Navy Maternity- Call me lame, but from about 8 weeks until now I am absolutely hooked on Old Navy Maternity clothes! They are stretchy, comfy, they fit and they are affordable! I love my maternity jeans but I also love the stylish shirts that show off the bump so well! Comfort without looking like a lazy whale- priceless!

#5 Water- Specifically, Ozarka bottled water. It is right there in the price range of Sam's Choice but tastes better to me. Other brands, even expensive, have a weird smoothness you don't expect in water that grosses me out. Usually I am fine with tap water at home in a big 'ole Tervis tumbler but lately, the fridge and freezer have  a distinct chemical smell to me so I stay away (see, there's the 'ole body warning me away from something potentially dangerous). Anyway, I drink about 7 bottles a day, sometimes more sometimes less. Love it!

#6 Tyler Candles- I have been selling my mom's old stock of Tyler Candles below cost and it has been amazing. My gracious mother decided to let me take the stock and keep any money made from them in a separate fund for Baby Goley! And I must say, even selling them under what we paid wholesale, Baby Goley is striking it rich! We have enough money to get maternity clothes, anything we don't end up getting through the showers and then maybe it will even stretch into the college fund as soon as the baby is born! So, friends keep the orders coming; we are low but not out!!!

#7 Starbucks Decaf White Chocolate Mocha- I can't even describe to you how these make me feel! I had one the other day while meeting a friend for coffee and before I left I ordered another one! I know, they are like 4 billion calories, but Baby Goley loves them! Ahhh... I have to stop talking about it now or I am going to leave this chair and drive across town to get one, never finishing this blog.

#8 Bella Band- This is a band that you can wear to hold up maternity clothes that don't fit yet or to hold up your pre-maternity pants, unbuttoned. Now, I refuse to even go there; I use it for comfort under things that don't hug my tummy tightly and kinda like spanx. It just smoothes out your belly and feels good holding everything firm. I could see them marketing the same exact product to people to wear with their jeans as a butt-crack coverup...

#9 Cheeze-its- Just been a staple in my pantry since 6 weeks... They are pretty damn good...

#10 Baby Cokes- Go perfect with Cheeze-its! I originally bought them to service headaches/ migraines without over doing the caffeine. Then I realized I had accidentally cut out artificial sweeteners (Thanks again body...) so it was the perfect amount of something bad to satisfy multiple needs. They are kinda pricey though- so I go Sam's Club... Hey, no shame in my game!

#11 NetFlix- When Dustin gets home, I love to have a show ready for him to unwind. It keeps him from involuntarily cleaning or doing house chores that I do already, all day! He is pretty stressed with work and school so I try to catch him at the door with relaxation, not questions and requests... (I know, I am so sweet :)...) I try not to watch it during the day though, because if I do, I will be trapped on the couch for 3 months... Yikes! Instead, I only watch while I am sitting down to eat a meal or ironing Dustin some shirts for work.

#12 Crunchy Peanut Butter on Ritz Crackers- Easy, filling, delicious snack! Can't say enough about this staple in my diet.

#13 Flossers- Yes, it is weird that they made it on here but oral hygiene is very important during pregnancy people! I forget why but heres a link... So I floss religiously, you know I don't have dental insurance any more- take it up with my employer :)

#14 Naturals Fruit Cups- Yum! In the first trimester these were part of my I snack every hour to keep my food down regimen. Now, they are the only healthy thing I don't have to force myself to eat. They aren't technically sweet, which is good. But they are cold and yummy!

#15 Friends- Yep, lame. But I am truly happy and a huge pregnancy must-have is friends. Even though I am all moody and restless, I have people who constantly show their support, lend helping hands and keep life sweet! If we make it through this pregnancy as good friends, then we should be fine forever!

Without these things, pregnancy might actually suck. But I have these things and I am loving everything about what is happening here. I am growing and changing but so is our little turd! I feel great, most of the time, and I love, love, love everything about it!

Now, I have to go find a Starbucks Decaf White Chocolate Mocha now... Bye!