I have been on a blogging sabbatical not quite on purpose. These last few weeks have been a whirlwind. First BlogHer '11 and then a family trip to Vermont with the in-laws. Both trips were fun but there was no rest involved. I/we went nonstop for both trips and I ended up with a very angry body. I learned that if your feet start to swell and your back starts to hurt that it means SLOW DOWN your pregnant self.
I have plenty to blog about and I promise I will. Starting tomorrow. I still have more BlogHer '11 to tell you about. Plus we just took the trip to VT and I took a ton of pictures! Even a really cute belly picture that a few of you have been asking about along with 32 week pregnancy details. HELLO, there is another baby coming out of me in eight weeks! And my, my how Teagan has grown! I think she added a few inches while I was gone and while we were in VT! It wasn't just inches she added either! The vocabulary she has developed has been incredible. I will leave you with this teaser: "Ice ice baby".
Showing posts with label BlogHer '11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BlogHer '11. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Figuring out that I´m pregnant.
There was so much to see and do and experience at BlogHer11. At home there is always something to be done. Change diapers, give baths, work, fix dinner, occasionally get a shower in. My body hasn´t really had time to figure out that it´s pregnant. Until this weekend when it couldn´t take it anymore. My body decided to remind me just how pregnant I am. My body reminded me, at BlogHer11, that in about 10 weeks a baby is coming out of my body. I learned my lesson the hard way. A few times.
Saturday I did a lot of walking and rushing and didn´t get a lot of sleep the night before. I also was not drinking enough water so my body was a little dehydrated. I started cramping, getting short of breath and my heart started racing. I headed toward the medic to get my blood pressure checked. Luckily it was fine, barely high, but he told me I was over doing it and needed to sit down and take it easy. So, I did, for a little while. There were sessions to go to and people to meet and see. I rested long enough to be okay for a little while. By the end of the night I was having small contractions. I called Josh, called the nurse and she told me to go to bed and call if they got worse in the hour. All was well after I laid down. I knew I had over done it.
Sunday was a different story. I had no choice but to run around like a chicken with it´s head cut off. I had to wait forever in line to check in at the airport, the guy tried to send me to flippin´ Washington instead of Charlotte and I literally had to run to my gate. RUN. At 30 weeks pregnant. Carrying 3 bags loaded down with goodies. That meant no breakfast and a 3 hour flight. I tried to find one of those little carts to take me but nobody seemed to be manning their´s. There were just a lot sitting around unmanned. I started having small contractions that finally went away after boarding the plane. Then the plane landed late and I had to run across the Houston airport and take the tram to get to my plane on time. Luckily I had time to grab a sandwich and some juice but that didn´t stop the contractions from starting over again. Thankfully they subsided once I was able to get on the plane. But by then I was completely uncomfortable. My hips and butt and legs were hurting and so sore and there was no moving around or getting comfortable. The flight home was pretty much miserable.
This last week was a not so gentle reminder that I am very much pregnant. That I need to slow down. That it is okay to take a break once in a while. That there are people around me who will help when I am trying to do it all. That I need to let myself ask for that help. And that Baby Bear will be here in less then 10 weeks. Holy flippin' cow.
Saturday I did a lot of walking and rushing and didn´t get a lot of sleep the night before. I also was not drinking enough water so my body was a little dehydrated. I started cramping, getting short of breath and my heart started racing. I headed toward the medic to get my blood pressure checked. Luckily it was fine, barely high, but he told me I was over doing it and needed to sit down and take it easy. So, I did, for a little while. There were sessions to go to and people to meet and see. I rested long enough to be okay for a little while. By the end of the night I was having small contractions. I called Josh, called the nurse and she told me to go to bed and call if they got worse in the hour. All was well after I laid down. I knew I had over done it.
Sunday was a different story. I had no choice but to run around like a chicken with it´s head cut off. I had to wait forever in line to check in at the airport, the guy tried to send me to flippin´ Washington instead of Charlotte and I literally had to run to my gate. RUN. At 30 weeks pregnant. Carrying 3 bags loaded down with goodies. That meant no breakfast and a 3 hour flight. I tried to find one of those little carts to take me but nobody seemed to be manning their´s. There were just a lot sitting around unmanned. I started having small contractions that finally went away after boarding the plane. Then the plane landed late and I had to run across the Houston airport and take the tram to get to my plane on time. Luckily I had time to grab a sandwich and some juice but that didn´t stop the contractions from starting over again. Thankfully they subsided once I was able to get on the plane. But by then I was completely uncomfortable. My hips and butt and legs were hurting and so sore and there was no moving around or getting comfortable. The flight home was pretty much miserable.
This last week was a not so gentle reminder that I am very much pregnant. That I need to slow down. That it is okay to take a break once in a while. That there are people around me who will help when I am trying to do it all. That I need to let myself ask for that help. And that Baby Bear will be here in less then 10 weeks. Holy flippin' cow.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Swoon.
Okay, so I am kind of a closet Biggest Loser, Bob Harper lover. There. I just came out about it.
It gets worse. I got to MEET him! Actually, I almost ran into him and got to touch his arm and he said hi to me and I was a babbling idiot that barely got out a ¨hi¨while my eyes took on the ¨crazy eyes¨ look. (Please read that last sentence incredibly fast and in a hardcore southern accent.)
He was at BlogHer11 and did an early morning yoga class and then ate breakfast with some lucky bloggers. I was eating breakfast with my Uncle Chuck and my Aunt Lynda. It was a tough call but they are family and hopefully appreciate that I gave up Bob Freakin Harper for them (that was sarcastic- I had a great time with them and an amazing breakfast)!!
It gets worse. I got to MEET him! Actually, I almost ran into him and got to touch his arm and he said hi to me and I was a babbling idiot that barely got out a ¨hi¨while my eyes took on the ¨crazy eyes¨ look. (Please read that last sentence incredibly fast and in a hardcore southern accent.)
He was at BlogHer11 and did an early morning yoga class and then ate breakfast with some lucky bloggers. I was eating breakfast with my Uncle Chuck and my Aunt Lynda. It was a tough call but they are family and hopefully appreciate that I gave up Bob Freakin Harper for them (that was sarcastic- I had a great time with them and an amazing breakfast)!!
Monday, August 8, 2011
BlogHer11 lessons learned. Part 2.
1) Don't set expectations too high. There were a couple of bloggers that I wanted to meet while I was there. A few "top tier" bloggers. I set my expectations too high for some of them. I expected them to be just as sweet as they seem on their blogs. Maybe they are but I wasn't feelin' it. I'm sure it was nothing personal. They were there to have fun with their friends like everybody else. Their intentions for BlogHer were not necessarily to meet and mentor new and inexperienced bloggers. I did get to meet Beth Anne from Heir to Blair. OH MY GOSH is she exactly like I had imagined. Just as unfiltered and funny and kind as she seems on her blog. I will blog about our meeting later on.
2) Stay in the host hotel if at all possible. This will save you time and hassle. I didn't stay in the host hotel. I didn't stay in a hotel within walking distance. It was a PAIN in the buhunkus. I got loaded down in the Expo Hall and needed to drop off all my swag so I had to catch a shuttle to the hotel and back. This kills about 45 minutes of the day at a time and that is only if the shuttle is available at that moment. Or my pregnant feet needed to prop (per the medic-another story) and I had to plop in a corner of the Convention Center somewhere instead of my room.
3) Be yourself and don't be afraid of it. I am myself on my blog. I don't try to portray myself as a better mom then I am. I don't try and make it look like I have an awful life just to get sympathy. I don't try and be fake. I decided to be the same at BlogHer11. There were plenty of people there. If somebody didn't like me for the person I am then out of 3600 people somebody was bound to befriend me. And they did! I met some wonderful ladies there!
4) Put yourself out there. I didn't do this as much as I should until the second day. I should have been a little more direct in introducing myself. I also didn't "practice" my pitch as much as I should have. The more people you network with the better.
5) Work the pregnancy. Because people won't work it for you! In the airport when I was rushing and basically throwing myself into contractions trying not to miss my plane NOBODY cared. That was partially my fault. I didn't ask for help, I just assumed somebody would step up and help the pregnant woman. I didn't want to look like "that" pregnant woman but I would appreciated some sympathy every now an then. But I take fault for that because I didn't ask and I was always "okay". Shame on me.
6) Remember your water bottle. There were places to get water in every room. We were told to bring our water bottles but in the rush of packing I completely forgot. I think my lack of water intake was partially to blame for the onset of a few contractions. If I would have had my water bottle it would have been better.
7) Just because I'm not a "top tier" blogger doesn't mean people aren't effected by my words. I occasionally find myself questioning why I'm really blogging or if my blogging effects anybody. I eventually realized I blogged because of me and because I like to do it. When I finally accepted that to myself I got a sweet surprise from a mommy who was at BlogHer11 that I hate I was not able to get up with. @ramblingstump (Nasreen Stump) tweeted this to me this week: "A little sad I haven't run into 2 mommies who turn my thoughts into words on their blogs- @crunchyvtmommy & @RiCiReid . #Blogher11" Of course I teared up and that really hit me. The right way. It doesn't matter if I "only" have 72 followers. I appreciate everybody who comes to my blog to read it and the fact that my words have touched at least one person makes me incredibly happy.
So, there is my sum up of things I learned at BlogHer '11. There are a few stories I can't wait to tell you all about! I'll give you a teaser of the things to come: Bob Harper, Ricki Lake, sweaty palms, the onsite medic, new friends, give aways and two books!
2) Stay in the host hotel if at all possible. This will save you time and hassle. I didn't stay in the host hotel. I didn't stay in a hotel within walking distance. It was a PAIN in the buhunkus. I got loaded down in the Expo Hall and needed to drop off all my swag so I had to catch a shuttle to the hotel and back. This kills about 45 minutes of the day at a time and that is only if the shuttle is available at that moment. Or my pregnant feet needed to prop (per the medic-another story) and I had to plop in a corner of the Convention Center somewhere instead of my room.
3) Be yourself and don't be afraid of it. I am myself on my blog. I don't try to portray myself as a better mom then I am. I don't try and make it look like I have an awful life just to get sympathy. I don't try and be fake. I decided to be the same at BlogHer11. There were plenty of people there. If somebody didn't like me for the person I am then out of 3600 people somebody was bound to befriend me. And they did! I met some wonderful ladies there!
4) Put yourself out there. I didn't do this as much as I should until the second day. I should have been a little more direct in introducing myself. I also didn't "practice" my pitch as much as I should have. The more people you network with the better.
5) Work the pregnancy. Because people won't work it for you! In the airport when I was rushing and basically throwing myself into contractions trying not to miss my plane NOBODY cared. That was partially my fault. I didn't ask for help, I just assumed somebody would step up and help the pregnant woman. I didn't want to look like "that" pregnant woman but I would appreciated some sympathy every now an then. But I take fault for that because I didn't ask and I was always "okay". Shame on me.
6) Remember your water bottle. There were places to get water in every room. We were told to bring our water bottles but in the rush of packing I completely forgot. I think my lack of water intake was partially to blame for the onset of a few contractions. If I would have had my water bottle it would have been better.
7) Just because I'm not a "top tier" blogger doesn't mean people aren't effected by my words. I occasionally find myself questioning why I'm really blogging or if my blogging effects anybody. I eventually realized I blogged because of me and because I like to do it. When I finally accepted that to myself I got a sweet surprise from a mommy who was at BlogHer11 that I hate I was not able to get up with. @ramblingstump (Nasreen Stump) tweeted this to me this week: "A little sad I haven't run into 2 mommies who turn my thoughts into words on their blogs- @crunchyvtmommy & @RiCiReid . #Blogher11" Of course I teared up and that really hit me. The right way. It doesn't matter if I "only" have 72 followers. I appreciate everybody who comes to my blog to read it and the fact that my words have touched at least one person makes me incredibly happy.
So, there is my sum up of things I learned at BlogHer '11. There are a few stories I can't wait to tell you all about! I'll give you a teaser of the things to come: Bob Harper, Ricki Lake, sweaty palms, the onsite medic, new friends, give aways and two books!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Already learning lessons at BlogHer ´11
I have been here in San Diego for about 5 hours and already I have learned a few things.
1) Pack an extra tooth brush because if I would have packed 2 then I would have remembered at least one.
2) Stay at the host hotel. I am about 2 miles away and feel like I am missing out on so much already even though the official things don´t start until tomorrow.
3) Set up things to do with people I really want to meet up with. Officially. Otherwise I´m left sitting in my room ¨resting¨. Basically that means watching a million episodes of Bones re-runs. I´m hoping to actually meet and mingle tomorrow.
4) After meeting a fellow blogger in the airport make sure to give them my card. The card with my info on it. The card I frantically made sure would be in hand by the time I left for San Diego.
1) Pack an extra tooth brush because if I would have packed 2 then I would have remembered at least one.
2) Stay at the host hotel. I am about 2 miles away and feel like I am missing out on so much already even though the official things don´t start until tomorrow.
3) Set up things to do with people I really want to meet up with. Officially. Otherwise I´m left sitting in my room ¨resting¨. Basically that means watching a million episodes of Bones re-runs. I´m hoping to actually meet and mingle tomorrow.
4) After meeting a fellow blogger in the airport make sure to give them my card. The card with my info on it. The card I frantically made sure would be in hand by the time I left for San Diego.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Ideas for my BlogHer wardrobe.
Normally I wouldn't be too nervous about dressing for my first official blogging conference. I would probably be in a pair of skinny jeans, a tank/tee, a cute cardigan and beyond cute shoes. Add a cute headband and I'd be set.
Problem: I will be 30 weeks pregnant when I am at the conference. I want to be comfortable as I can be and I want to be cute. I know it's not about the clothes but really? There are some amazingly fashionable bloggers that I cannot wait to meet and I want to look cute. Can we say 1st day of school nerves?
I have a set of sisters, Manda & Jayme, I have befriended through blogging and twitter who have an Etsy shop where they sell vintage clothing. For Ladies, Mama's to be & Kiddos. I have found a few cute things that I will probably be purchasing from their store to take from the conference. Check out their blogs here & here.
Take a look at this adorable dress! All it needs is a belt and some cute shoes! How comfortable would this be?!!?
Problem: I will be 30 weeks pregnant when I am at the conference. I want to be comfortable as I can be and I want to be cute. I know it's not about the clothes but really? There are some amazingly fashionable bloggers that I cannot wait to meet and I want to look cute. Can we say 1st day of school nerves?
I have a set of sisters, Manda & Jayme, I have befriended through blogging and twitter who have an Etsy shop where they sell vintage clothing. For Ladies, Mama's to be & Kiddos. I have found a few cute things that I will probably be purchasing from their store to take from the conference. Check out their blogs here & here.
Take a look at this adorable dress! All it needs is a belt and some cute shoes! How comfortable would this be?!!?
I've also found a few cute "inspiration" pieces that I plan on searching our local Goodwill & thrift stores for. Although, I probably won't go too far out of my comfort zone and will probably end up at least one day in my skinny maternity jeans, cute flats, a tank/tee and a cardigan. Look how cute some of this stuff is!
I found this dress at TopShop and think it would be cute for one of the parties!
I also found these cute colored tanks from TopShop:
And these two adorable cardigans from Target:
I will hold true to my statements in previous posts. I'm not going to be buying a lot of maternity clothes because we plan on this being our last baby so it would basically be a waste of money. I will, however be buying a couple of things because my belly is starting to grow out of things! I think that is a legitimate excuse! I'm so excited about BlogHer '11!!!
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