RIP "Twinkly-Eyed"

So...obviously, my blog has undergone some major changes. Several days after I posted my last entry, I was unable to view my blog - not from my phone, my computer, Ralph's phone, Ralph's computer (and I even texted my mom to see if she could view my blog) - nothing.

Being pregnant and extremely emotional, I immediately reported the issue to Blogger and posted my concerns on Blogger's Help Forum. I received several replies, and it seems that the "twinkly-eyed" website is no more due to a "template corruption" (which is really confusing because I haven't touched the template or its coding in 2 years).

But whatever, I don't want to go into boring coding/HTML details. It happened, and I don't want to stress about it any more than I already have. However, I'm very thankful that I didn't lose any of my content and was able to (easily) import all of my entries to a new blog.

The "twinkly-eyed" URL still works (after some tinkering), but the actual blog that had my original layout and content is gone and inaccessible. I COULD use that URL, but I'm pretty much traumatized and want a new URL; hence, "pageherrera".

I'm still thinking of a name for this blog and currently shopping for templates on Etsy. Let's hope I don't get lazy during this process. ;)

Until next time!

OH, BOY!

One of my coworkers surprised me with these Bundtinis after we found out we were having a boy! Thanks, Uncle Jon!

When I was pregnant with Owen, Ralph and I had no intentions of waiting to find out the sex of the baby. The moment the ultrasound technician asked us if we wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl, I don't think I could have said "YES" fast enough. (I know I told everyone that I did not care if it was a boy or a girl, but I really did want a boy to keep the "Herrera" name going...and that's why I needed to know right away; HOWEVER, if it was a girl, God knows I would have loved her just as much.)

This time around, I honestly did not care. I even wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out the sex, but Ralph simply could not. He was sure it was another boy; and when I realized my pregnancy symptoms mirrored those of when I was pregnant with Owen, I was sure it was a boy also.

This past Monday, we got our answer. I saw Dr. L for my 17-week check-up, and he said everything was looking great. When he asked if I wanted to know the sex, I could have easily said "no" because Ralph wasn't there (haha!); but my own curiosity got the better of me. With a turn of the ultrasound probe, I saw the baby's you-know-what on the screen. The doctor didn't even have to say anything; I was already pointing at Baby #2's boy parts and squealing with excitement. I turned to Owen (who had never left my side during the entire ultrasound) and said, "You're going to have a baby brother!"

Yup! It's a boy, alright!

As my appointment was finishing up, I was thinking of ways to surprise Ralph with the news. And since Ralph wasn't supposed to be home for at least another hour or two, I was thinking of making a pull-string piñata, baking cupcakes filled with blue frosting, or filling up a black balloon with blue confetti. Buuuut...Ralph texted me a few seconds later and said his training class ended early and was already headed home. So, scratch all THOSE ideas. I made a quick stop to Party City and picked up a can of silly string.

As soon as I got home, I quickly covered the can's label with white paper (so Ralph couldn't read "BLUE SILLY STRING" across it) and ushered the boys outside so Ralph could spray it all over Owen.

It was a mistake giving him the can...he almost gave it away!

The silly string could have been pink, yellow, green, black, all the colors of the rainbow, and Owen would have had the same reaction, lol! To be honest, I kind of expected him to get a little upset. This is the same kid that gets weird with sand and freaks out if one of my stray hairs gets on his hands.

Don't feel too bad. He now loves watching the video over and over again.

And we know Owen well enough to just give him Pooh Bear, and all life's problems are solved.

So that's that! I'm waaaay outnumbered now! Ralph and I are super excited to have two boys, and we're already talking about future Halloween costumes, bunk beds, and (of course) names! We've had a first name picked for a few weeks now but haven't been able to think of a second name. This morning, my dad sent me a list of second name ideas, and I actually ended up liking the first name he suggested (even though it was a name that I NEVER thought I would like). I did not think Ralph would approve, but after I texted him the whole name, he responded with, "Haha, lock it in!"

You're probably expecting me to reveal the name at this point, but we've decided to withhold it until the baby is born. I know, I know! What stinkers we are! Until then, we'll be referring to Baby Boy #2 as "Rerun", just like Linus' little brother in the Peanuts comics.

Until next time!

16-Week Update and April Festivities

It honestly felt like forever to reach that 14-week milestone/2nd trimester, but here we are at 16 weeks - woohoo!

The first trimester was rather unremarkable, which I'm very grateful for. Just like with the first pregnancy, I only had some nausea and was very tired/sluggish by the afternoon. Now, I'm in my second trimester and feeling great. 

When I was 16 weeks pregnant with Owen, I started doing a weekly pregnancy update (remember the photos with the chalkboard drawings?). Obviously, ain't nobody got time for chalkboard drawings these days (not me, at least), so I'll just be sharing a weekly (haha, maybe) bump photo and survey.

How far along?: 16 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +6 lbs (I gained 5 pounds the first 8 weeks...)

Sleep: Terrible, but I don't think I've had a decent night's sleep since before Owen was born. I can fall asleep just fine, but I just wake up several times at night.

Best moment this week: Celebrating my mom's 50th birthday!

Movement: YES, there is definitely some fluttering going on in there.

Symptoms: Sorry, might be TMI...groin pain, which I'm GUESSING is round ligament pain.

Symptoms I DON'T have: No more nausea and less urinary frequency.

Food cravings: Tomatoes, avocados, cheese...not usually all together, but if there's a combination of those ingredients, then it's even better! This morning, I had cottage cheese, diced tomatoes, and sliced avocados on toast, and I had to stop myself from making more. I've also been eating a lot of oranges, chicken, and tortilla soup.

Food aversions: It honestly depends on the day. Yesterday, for whatever reason, I could NOT eat a slice of pepperoni pizza. I had a few bites and was over it. But there are no foods that I'm straight-up rejecting.

Gender: Don't know yet! I have a doctor's appointment on the 17th, so hopefully the doctor can tell me then!

Labor Signs: Not yet.

Belly Button in or out?: In.

What I miss: I miss smoked salmon but not as much as I did when I was pregnant with Owen.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby!

This time around, I'm making sure that I eat right and stay active . I know this is the perfect time to "let go" and "enjoy eating whatever"; but I did that during my first pregnancy, and the end result was something I don't want to experience ever again. I gained, unnecessarily, 30+ pounds, and it took a long time and a LOT of hard work to get healthy and lose all the weight. Of course, I can always "lose the weight again", but why even get to that point? I've gained some weight since the miscarriage, but I'm still 10 pounds LESS than when I found out I was pregnant with Owen. My goal is to not gain more than 20 pounds. (LOL! Yeah right, but I'm praying. Hard.) So I'm eating right (for the most part) and walking several times a week.

One time, I decided to walk to my mom's house. That was a stupid idea.

A plus side to my walks is taking this guy to the park, which means a nice long nap afterwards.

Speaking of eating healthy, we went to Disney's California Adventure last week to partake in the Food & Wine Festival! (I walked that day and did more walking around Disneyland and DCA, so...yeah, I feel less guilty about it.) 

The Food & Wine Festival at DCA started in 2006 but went on hiatus from 2011 to 2015 due to renovations at the park. Ralph and I got our annual passes 2010, so we never really had the chance to experience it until last year at Epcot. We enjoyed it SO MUCH that we just had to go to this year's Festival. We were not disappointed.

LA Style booth - chicken teriyaki slider with a spicy Dole pineapple jam (I didn't eat this because I don't like pineapples, but Ralph loved it).

I Heart Artichokes booth - artichoke carbonara with garlic aioli and smoked bacon (this was amazing).

Garlic Kissed booth - grilled beef tenderloin slider with chimichurri sauce (soooo yummy).

Bacon Twist booth - left: maple-bacon whoopie pie (I did not like it, but the boys loved it); right: smoked bacon mac and cheese with barbeque-seasoned crispy onions (Ralph's favorite).

The Onion Lair booth - braised wagyu beef on creamy polenta with haricot vert and red onion salad and a roasted Cipollini onion (my favorite, and Owen ate almost all of the polenta).

There were more dishes that I wanted to try, but I was stuffed. Can't wait what next year's Festival has in store for us! I would also like to take this moment to say how proud I am of my husband for going out of his comfort zone and trying out all these foods. He has come a long way since 2006.

After we had our fill, we went across the way to Disneyland so Owen can have fun too. We went on his Pooh Bear ride and met up with his buddies.

It must suck being Pluto. All the kids want to hug Mickey, lol!

And, last but not least, it was a very special lady's birthday this past week. My beautiful mommy turned 50 on Thursday, but who HONESTLY can say that she looks even remotely close to 50?!

I hope you had a wonderful birthday, Mama! We love you so much, and we are so grateful for everything you do for our family. May you have 50 more trips around the Sun, our Golden Girl!