Bath and Body... Focus on relaxation...

      Since I've been having so many problems with my arm, neck, and back, I haven't been able to post in a while. Like I said on Facebook... if I make a post on here, Paul is the one that has to type it out for me, then I edit it.
      I just wanted to make a short post to say... Valentine's Day is drawing near. My friend, Brittany and I, are working on branching out our Etsy shop. We now have a bath and body line. We have plenty of items in our shop that would be perfect as a gift for your loved one (or to treat yourself). We are coming out with new things often, so keep checking our shop for new items please. We also have a Facebook page. We are working on getting it set up for ordering.

 Our Etsy shop is: Geekedoutcrafts.etsy.com 

Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/geekedoutcrafts?ref=hl

Here's a few of our NEW bath and body items:

Flu Prevention

    Well, seeing that that area I currently live in is the worst for flu right now, I figured I should do a quick post about flu prevention. Here lately, I've been terrified to go out any where. When I do, I make sure to sanitize everything and try to stay away from people (if at all possible). I did log on to flu.gov to see some of their flu prevention ideas...  (I'm really hoping this doesn't end up jinxing me :) )

-Vaccination: I know there is a ton of controversy that surrounds the flu shot or mist. Honestly, from all the doctors and nurses I've talked to over the years, it truly is the best way to prevent the flu. As you may have heard on the news, this year there is a strand of the flu that is not covered in the shot this year--Thus, resulting in such an epidemic. For the past 3 years now, I have made sure that I get a flu shot almost the second they become available. I have to admit, I have never felt any of the flu symptoms after getting the shot. I, also, have noticed that I tend to be overall healthier during the winter. (I am not saying there is a correlation, but I have actually noticed I do not get nearly as sick with colds, sinus infections, or hardly anything when I get the shot.)

-WASH YOUR HANDS: I cannot stress this enough. I have to admit, I become OCD about washing my hands during this time of the year more than ever. My hands are almost always cracked and dried out because I wash my hands so much. One thing I do if I've been out at the grocery store, I grab one of those Purell wipes on the way out of the door or make sure I have something with me that either has hand sanitizer or 91% rubbing alcohol. I NEVER immediately open food and eat it when leaving the grocery store, unless I have sanitized my hands some how. My son even understands the need to wash his hands more now, or sanitize them. He thinks it's so cool the way sanitizer drips off his hands.

-Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth: This goes along with the whole hand washing thing... Unless you know for certain that your hands are clean... If you are out in public or just got home from being out in public... DO NOT touch your eyes, nose, or mouth until you have washed your hands.It's not the easiest thing to remember, and I know I do not always remember this rule. I definitely make a conscious effort to remember this though.

-Try to avoid close contact with people: If it's not necessary to go out in public... Then, don't. I had to go to a doctor's appointment today with my primary care doctor, and the nurse asked me to wear a mask in the waiting room since I was pregnant, she didn't want me to catch the flu. In my opinion... the worst places to go to right now are doctor's offices, the ER, pharmacies, and large public places, like grocery stores.

-Practice Good Health Habits: Getting plenty of rest, washing your hands, exercise, drink plenty of water, and eating healthy can help your immune system to stay strong. My husband, son, and I are eating oranges like they're going out of style. They're a great source of vitamin C, which helps keep your immune system strong.

-Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze: The flu.gov website says to cover it with a tissue and then, immediately throw it away to prevent spreading germs. If you do not have a tissue handy, sneeze or cough into the elbow of your arm (the Dracula cover). That way you do not directly contaminate your hands. Even if you do not think you are sick with the flu, this is still a great thing to practice.

-If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine: This is so important!!! If you are sick... Please stay home. Try not to get others sick. If you have been exposed to someone that is positive with the flu virus... Try to avoid being in public. There's a huge possibility that you could end up catching the flu.

                                                      Image from: www.myaccesshealth.com

Night night fish...

   We are working with Braeden to make sure he gets the idea of a sibling on its way. We will point at my stomach and tell him there's a baby in there. Also, we talk about his baby sister on the way. He'll lean over and kiss my stomach and say "wuv you." His most recent thought on the baby is rather hilarious. I pointed to my stomach the other day and said, "There's a baby in there. It's a little sister." He said, "No, fish." I proceeded to argue with him for a few minutes that it's not a fish, that it is his sister. It was a pointless argument, and ended with me saying, "Ok, think what you like."

     Two nights later, we were saying good night to everyone. He had said, "Night night Braeden (yes, he tells himself goodnight), night night mommy, night night daddy, night night moke moke..." Then, he paused, and said, "night night fish." I started laughing so hard and told him that his sister is not a fish! All he said was, "No, fish." 

      Every night since then, he's said, "night night fish." Every night, I laugh but I don't argue anymore. I think it's sweet he tells her goodnight, even if he calls her a fish. I think he's now doing just because it makes me laugh. I look forward to seeing how he acts when his "lil fishy" finally gets here. I love him and his "lil fishy" so much!

Baby update... Week 25

I'm getting closer and closer to my third trimester... Yay!!  Well, baby girl is around 13 1/2-14 inches long (according to my baby apps). That about the size of a rutabaga or big stalk of cauliflower. 

     Really though, who has the job of coming up with the food to relate to the size of the baby.... I'd go with something more realistic or relatable, like the length of a large butternut squash. Even though it says she's only about a pound and a half in weight, I feel like she's a large butternut squash weighing in at 3 or more pounds. I'm know she's not that heavy yet, but the best is yet to come ;). She's very active too! I feel her kicking or punching ALL THE TIME. 

    As for me, the doctor told me I need to work on gaining weight... Yeah, that's right. For the first time in my life, I've been told to GAIN weight. In my first trimester, I was so sick I lost about 10-15 pounds. I've only gained 2 pounds from my pre-baby weight. The doctor told me that I need to catch up on my weight gain. So, I have a legit excuse to eat more. Don't worry, I know I need to do it the healthy way. 

       I'm still dealing with a ton of neck, shoulder, arm, and back pain. The bigger I get, the worse it will probably become. I was having such bad pain 2 weeks ago, my doctor had me come in to make sure it wasn't pre-term labor. It wasn't, just the way the baby is bouncing on my cervix. For comfort, I've had to limit the amount I walk. I never experienced any of this during my pregnancy with Braeden. It's totally different this time around. I'm definitely looking forward to April! 

     We had to do a re-scan last week so the doctor could see the nose bone and bladder (she had emptied it before the last ultrasound). We got a great profile picture, and we were able to see the nose bone. However, she wouldn't be  MY daughter, if she wasn't stubborn.  She emptied her bladder, yet again. We have to do another ultrasound next time too. (Darn, more pictures!) The doctor did say that my amniotic fluids were normal, which means the baby is peeing... They just HAVE TO see the bladder. She's such a stinker already! :)