Long Overdue Update...

Hello my lovely blogger pals! I know, it's been FAR too long since I posted, but I hope you can forgive me as I at least have a little update for you today. :)

Well, last you heard I was working on my Zulily order. It was hard work, and I don't think I could have gotten it all done without the help of my amazing hubbs. After the shipment went out, I crashed and burned. Tooooo many late night and long days I thought. After a couple of weeks went by and I was still smoldering from the "crash" I started to wonder about myself. So, I did what any woman would do in that situation... I took a pregnancy test.

Yes, that's right! We're having another baby! It's a boy, and he's due in early July! We could not be happier and Aubrey is super excited about her "Bebe Bubba" coming soon. ;)

Much like my first pregnancy, this one has been difficult. I assumed it would be but thought I knew what to expect, at least. I was wrong. So here I am at about 26 weeks, still having full-on all day morning sickness, sinus issues, and pretty major weight loss. All manageable symptoms of course but still makes for difficult days, especially while chasing a toddler and keeping up with my business too. So, sadly, the ol' blog has had to take a backseat while I limp through this 9 month stretch.

In an extra fun added bonus, my lump has been acting up as well. I'm not sure if I've ever posted about this before but I have a fibroadenoma tumor in my right breast. It's been there about 5 years, and has been tested and found to be benign so normally I don't even think about it, even though it's about the size of a golf ball! However, the nature of this type of tumor causes it to react to fluctuations in hormones. This pregnancy has been so different with a boy and I guess I have more hormonal action going on, because the lump has swelled to nearly twice it's size, subsequently becoming extremely painful as well. Long story short, I've been talking with an oncological surgeon discussing my options for removal, though for obvious reasons it will have to wait until after the baby is born.

So there you have it. I SO miss blogging and I miss getting to interact with you amazing readers every week, but I just don't have it in me to keep up. I have been collecting ideas, recipes, and all the fun things I like to post about so I can jump right back in in a few months. :)

Feel free to keep the emails coming (we've had TONS of new followers, visitors, and questions from Pinterest!) and I'll keep responding to each of you personally! Also, if anyone would like to do some guest posting, let me know!

In the meantime, best wishes to you all for a wonderful spring and summer and much love from me to you!!

XOXO
Rachael

Thankful Thursday- 1/20/11

Here we are again, friends! It's always surprising for me when it's time to sit down and write another Thankful Thursday post. Where, oh, where does the time go??

I just have to tell you all first, that all these new blog features have been really fun for me. I think it gives me something to look forward to, and I know I work better when I have a kind of schedule to adhere to. Plus, it gives me a reason to flesh out some of my project ideas, and actually get some of them done in a timely manner, haha!

It's got me thinking about how thankful I am to be back to my "old self" again after the pregnancy/baby fiasco. Don't get me wrong, I loved being pregnant (when I wasn't sick, or tired, or grossed out by some random smell invading my nose). It was fun, but I never felt like myself. I never wanted to cook because I never knew what was going to make me nauseous, and rarely did I have the patience to stand in the kitchen and prepare a full blown meal. That may have been the worst part, because I LOVE cooking... and boy did hubby miss it when it was gone!

Now that Baby A is 7 months old, most of the post-pregnancy side effects are gone too, (including the sleepless nights and 2am feedings!) So I'm cooking again, I'm doing projects almost daily, and I have more energy to get things done and not feel so tired and lazy. It's refreshing!!

As happy as I am to have our darling little girl, I'm just so thankful to be back to feeling like myself again! I hardly even realized when it happened, but it's nice to be back... I missed "me"! :)

XOXO