40 Weeks Baby Casey #2

Yeah I know, I said that I was going to document my entire second pregnancy.  Well, clearly the myths about the second baby are true.  I don't have as many pictures of me pregnant. I didn't write in my "love mom" memoir book. And I'm sure the baby book is going to be just as much of a disaster lol!!!

We have been staying pretty busy and enjoying summer though! My last day of work was Wednesday and now we are just waiting for baby casey #2 to arrive. We are juggling some names around which is better than what we did last time. Poor C didn't have a name for three days and we had to go back to sign the birth certificate lol!!!!

I have been reading this book to her as often as I can. I'm not sure that she can fully comprehend what's going on but a friend of mine gave me this book and it sure is the cutest. 

I have legit guilt about having a second baby. Although every one of my friends that has two children or more has assured me that it will be ok, I currently still feel bad for Charlee. I'm sure this will pass as soon as the little guy is born!

I am sad that this will be the last time that I am going to be growing a baby. My husband actually brought this to my attention (ahem thanks babe) and every night since, I have literally thought about it with tears in my eyes. Bittersweet. 

I am actually shocked that I have been able to keep up with Charlee through out this pregnancy. Daily smoothies have definitely helped keep my energy going! Along with a supplement called "Multi Greens", that I haven't skipped a day of! 

She is currently obsessed with her Daddy, which is a beautiful thing. Not to mention, perfect timing for when the new baby comes and will make my routine a little easier! I didn't have a close relationship with my dad growing up, so watching them love one another holds a special place in my heart.  In the mornings before he wakes up and I'm not chopped liver yet, I get in my quality time ;) 

Ok so the oily stuff.....This stuff is amazing!!!

I have applied this morning and night since the day that I found out that I was pregnant! I've also applied it when my belly started growing and got itchy!!! It is seriously the easiest recipe and works like a charm! 

3/4 cup coconut oil

20 Drops of Young Living Frankincense Essential Oil

20 Drops of Young Living Gentle Baby Blend Essential Oil

20 Drops of Young Living Lavender Essential Oil

Don't believe me? Here ya go....(I got the ok to post this lol) 

The house is currently quiet due to a rainy day and a movie, so I'm going to go eat an entire pineapple, bounce on the ab ball, massage my ankles, and drink some red raspberry tea all while watching life time! Wish me luck! 

I've got the magic stick!

Every one knows that I am obsessed with Young Living Essential Oils. They have 

helped our family immensely!!! In order to use your essential oils safely you always dilute them with a carrier oil (i.e. coconut oil, grapeseed oil, apricot oil etc). 

Essential oils are extremely strong! I normally use grapeseed oil for my carrier of choice. It comes in a pump which is great but I always end up with too much in my hand and it's completely impractical for on the go applications, considering its a 16 oz bottle! 

After doing some internet homework...(ahem a friend told me) 

I found the best invention EVER. 

Here is the link for the Carrier Stick 

If you want to know more about Young Living Essential oils you can always contact me! I will be sharing recipes and tips on how to use them from time to time on the blog! Now excuse me while we go get ready for this big Nor' Easter! 

I am surprised that I even remember how to do this!!!!

Hey it's me! yes ME!!! 

Okay so I failed at balancing the mom life, work life, blog life thing. I was really good at the pregnant blogging, the diy blogging, and the recipe blogging, but it seems that when you throw a little cutie potootie in the mix and a new business opportunity.....you slip up! 

It was the easiest for me to drop the blogging.

Now naturally some mom guilt is setting in because baby #1 has a great series of blog posts to read about her growing in my belly one day, well as baby #2....not so much. 
I'm going to work on that. 

So life has been pretty good. Today I switched out of plaid pajama pants into leggings only to switch back into the pajama pants a few hours later. I'm not convinced that either one of those is even considered legit pants. 

I woke up 432324 times last night to check out my girl. She had a fever yesterday and was just yucky so between my bladder and motherly instincts, I was a night owl.

I had bagel bites for lunch today. And yesterday. 

Baby #2 currently is the size of a plum. Baby #2 has brought me just as much hangover nausea as baby #1. This pregnancy has also made me quite annoyed with mouth noises.

My weight has been staying pretty consistent as it was with Charlee. My energy is slipping up due to the "No Naps Allowed With A Toddler" rule. She sure is great though, that toddler.

Josh finally has a surgery date! We are looking at the end of February. We will take any prayers that you have to offer! I will be taking week off to help him get up on his feet. 

We have decided on New England Baptist and we have found a surgeon that we really like. 

This is hopefully the answer to our problems.

House projects....instagram  followers already know that I flooded the upstairs bathtub and ruined the kitchen ceiling. Whoops! This minor inconvenience has allowed me to get an over the sink light that I have been waiting for, finally installed! It is also allowing for an even bigger DIY project to take place.  I will be starting a pin board for new nursery ideas soon so keep your eyes peeled because you know that it will come with unique style.

Now that I am on the computer more often due to my growing essential oil business I am going to try to squeeze in some blogging about....well everything I guess. 

As of right now though, I am going to stuff my face with soft tacos and watch Pitch Perfect. 

"Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that's what matters."—Fat Amy

He is my Zeke.........

My husband that is. He is my Zeke Braverman. 

We had a rough start when he came home from deployment. The transition nearly tore us apart. I told him that if he ever got deployed again, that I would be Kathy Bates in that movie Misery, and consistently break his legs until the war was over. We have learned to communicate, understand each others needs and we are still learning.

We are both dedicated to our marriage. I am lucky for this. 

These last 3 years have been tough on him. They have been tough on us. 

We have undergone chiropractic, physical therapy, pain management injections, one surgery, numerous rescheduled follow up appointments, swim therapy, narcotics and other drugs all to which have resulted in minimal relief for him. 

Last month we decided to go to New England Baptist to get an opinion from a renowned orthopedic surgeon. We met with the PA. He looked at his CT scan and he told Josh what his symptoms were (he was 100% on point) and explained to him that he has a fracture in his spine. The only answer to this pain would be spinal fusion. ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion). About a year of recovery. We had seen 4 doctors prior to this and not one of them mentioned spinal fusion or a fracture. At this point we assumed that the local neurosurgeon that did his first surgery, probably wasn't very good.

Yesterday, we went to Brigham and Women's hospital to meet with a top neurosurgeon for a second opinion. This doctor was recommended to me by the same woman that had helped me with my mother the  previous year (read that story here). She is a head anesthesiologist at B&G and I value her opinion. 

So yesterday, this doctor took us an hour early. Didn't review my husbands paper work. Looked at his CT scan and told him that his CT looks good but he has the back of an 80 year old man and that he can tell that he has worked hard in his life. 

We were shocked to hear that his CTscan looked "good".

At that point, I told this doctor that he was our second opinion. He asked who we saw previous and when I told him the doctors name he replied with "What did he recommend? Nuts and bolts?".

I replied "yes".

He said that he would never recommend fusion based on this CT and to call back that doctor and ask him if it was him would he do it?

He then informed us that the The Baptist hospital is a "business" hospital. Meaning they don't have to provide treatment for you if your insurance doesn't pay them the amount that they want. 

Health care should not be negotiable. If healthcare is going to keep going in this direction, I think that everyone in the United States should be provided a healthcare advocate. Someone who doesn't work for insurance or the hospital, but works for you. Someone who can hold doctors accountable.

The doctor then asked if we would mind if he took some x-rays and did more test. Josh told him that we couldn't today because it has to be approved by workmens comp. The doctor then rubbed his face (like you do when your frustrated) and responded with "And that's why "they" wanted to do spinal fusion, because Comp pays for that". 

We agreed to reschedule for more tests so that this doctor can hopefully find out what is wrong. 

The doctor at Brigham and Women's wasn't warm and fuzzy like the first doctor. But was the first doctor a salesman? This doctor was matter a factually.  Flat. Brilliant. But, were we there to make friends? No.

We left the hospital discouraged. It's the first time in my marriage that I felt helpless to my husband. Defeated. Another dead end. And there was nothing that I could do. I have spent hundreds of hours online doing research and health grade checks, praying, hoping and wishing that we get some relief.

Yesterday was my AHA! moment. He may have more "issues" than I do, but he is strong and he is the glue. I may be able to calm the storm, forgive and forget, handle the chaos and manage the outcomes, but he is the one the keeps pushing through this tough time in our life. This back injury has become "our" issue. But it his daily life routine that is affected. He is the one that cannot do everything that he wants. He has the restrictions. 

He always has my best interests in mind. Yes, he drives me insane when he's having a bad day. But he's been out of work for 3 years, in pain, and stuck home! I don't even think that I could handle it.

He can't hold Charlotte for much longer than 5 minutes, while I can walk around all day with her on my hip. I know that he hates his injury. I commend him for handling this as strongly as he has. With his back ground of PTSD, this recipe could warrant a irreversible outcome. 

Someone once said to me "Don't worry, he has 9 lives". I believe this. 

But I also believe that he needs a break. 

Even Zeke needed a break. 

*Zeke Braverman is a fictional character on the show Parenthood. He is a hard headed, stubborn old man. He is the patriarch of the Braverman's and loves his family more than anything. If you haven't seen this series, you are missing out.