What….it’s been almost a year?!

So yes, I seems to have these types of posts…a lot. But I am back again and I hope this time there will be some constancy. Within the past year we have had a lot happen: my daughter turned one, I got a great job, and we just bought a house. Plus I am still in my graduate program. Basically I had no time for anything but breathing, and sometimes that was questionable! Since it has been a while, I wanted to just do a quick list of what I have been reading, playing, and watching in the past year.

Books Read:

• Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (5 Stars!)
• Dawn by Octavia Butler (4 Stars!)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (4 Stars!)
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (4 Stars!)
• Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (2 Stars 😦  )

Currently Reading Books:

• The Stand by Stephen King (Audiobook)
• Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (Kindle)

Games Played/Playing:

• Civ 5 (Yes I still play this because it is amazing!)
• WoW
• Star Wars Online
• Mass Effect 3
• Alice in Wonderland 2
• Rock Band 3

Workout Videos:

• No More Trouble Zones by Jillian Michaels
• Banish Fat Boost Metabolism by Jillian Michaels
• Kickboxing Max by Jillian Michaels

What I am most looking forward to:

• Diablo 3…..oh heck yeah 3 am!!!!
• Prometheus…..Alien prequel? I THINK SO!
• Reading the Harry Potter series

So it doesn’t seem like I have done that much right?! Well I have not, at least in the way of working out, reading, and gaming. In fact I have mostly been having fun playing with the baby. She is so wonderful and I am so blessed to have her. At 15 1/2 months now, she is running, jumping, singing, dancing, and talking up a storm. However, I am not able to spend every moment of everyday with her like I once was since I am now working a full time job (that I actually love!). But because of this job, we have been able to buy our first home so I know that even though I cannot be a stay-at-home mom, I am still doing the best for my daughter.

I have plans to discuss all of these books and continue to talk about ones that I am reading currently.

Interested in other book blogs? Then check out what Dana has to say over at DaneTrain.com!

PS: I will be concluding each blog post with a quote from a movie or book. Answer right and get an e-hug! Tonight…as easy one:

“You stay classy San Diego.”

Oh and don’t Google….I will know if you Google!

Life as I know it…

Things are going back to normal, at least I am making them go back to normal. My husband is finally back to school and I can go back to some sort of routine. I am watching the news, getting up early, and working on homework early rather than waiting until Thursday to start. What I really need is a planner, one that I can write in and gather my thoughts and to-dos all in one place. I would really like a daily planner, though I could get along with a weekly, I just think that daily is way nicer to work with. That way, I could write down all that I need to do for the day like homework, reading, and working out.  I would use an online planner that would connect to my iPhone but I have yet to find one. Any suggestions? Right now I was messing around with Hotmail Calender, but I am not sure how I feel about it. Since I have  a five month old, I know that things can be knocked out of whack and I would probably not finish all that I need to get done, but at least I would not forget.

I started walking with the baby today. I figured I could do 2 miles in the morning and 2 in the evening. She really enjoys the walks and it is good for both of us. Plus videos (if I have time), Zumba on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s and a healthy diet, I will get in better shape in no time. It is hard to eat healthy though in the house we live in since we are living with so many people. Most will only eat processed food and things that are horrible for you. But since we are a little low on the money side, I have to eat what is in the house. A friend of mine told me how to make homemade granola bars, which when she made them were delish! I would love to try to make them and to buy fruit to eat. Plus, she also taught me how to make homemade baby food which is more cost effective and healthier for the baby. Once some money comes in, I will be practicing to make all of the new foods.I want to get my husband, daughter, and I to get on the right track. Anyone know a good website where I could find healthy recipes?

Gaming is something I do not have much time for, but I would love to get back into raiding in WoW. Another thing I would like to do is crafts. Not sure which kind, but something fun and easy. Maybe make a blanket for the baby, or clothes. I could paint bird houses too or even create organizational tools. Anyone know a good place where I could look at craft ideas?

I also need to work on my blogs more. As you can see I have not had that much time to do that, but I love to write. It would be nice to also write my novel as well. Last but not least, I would like to read more. I LOVE to read and frankly I could do it all the time, but it is hard with the baby and with all the other things I want to do.

As you can see I really need to get organized! I need to work at things all day and not waste time just sitting around and watching TV all day. What are your organizational tips? Any helpful advice?

Updates!

It has been a little bit since I have updated so I thought I would post what I have been up to.

On the 26th of May, Remy turned 4 months old. I cannot believe how big she is getting! She is already 15 pound 12 ounces and 23.75 inches long! Remy is now even eating solids, which is such a fun thing. She loves bananas, apples, and sweet potatoes. She can sit up supported, grab at toys (which she will ultimately put in her mouth), and can roll over from belly-to-back and back-to-belly as well!. Everyday is just fun with her because she is the joy in my life! Remy likes to watch cartoons now too, not that she understands them, but she will giggle at things. Spongebob and Dora are her favorite! I love every moment with my wonderful daughter.

I have been working out and trying to lose weight for a little over a month now. And I have to say that things are going pretty well, but I need to step it up a bit. So far, I have lost about 10 pounds! There is still a lot to lose, but I think it is a great start. I have been watching what I eat and working out daily. Currently, I attend a Zumba class every Tuesday and Thursday and I love it. I never thought I would be one to do Zumba, but I feel it really has changed the way I work out. I feel that it makes cardio bearable. I also will try to do a work out DVD everyday, at least 5 times a week. I am a huge fan of Jillian Michaels and her style. I love No More Trouble Zones and have just started her kettlebell workouts. Plus, I also have some Zumba DVDs that I am going to throw in there. Though it can be hard to work out when you have a baby, but I try very hard to meet my goals and am going to create a schedule for myself that I will attempt to follow daily. I have also started a food journal to help watch what I eat and monitor fats and calories. It is a slow going process but I know it will be worth it in the end.

As far as writing and reading, I have said before and I will say again, everything is slow going with a baby! May took a huge hit in the bookclubs I am participating in and in writing my novel. But this month I am vowing to change…yes I know I say that all the time, but this time I mean it. I am going to start setting aside more time to read and write and basic time just for myself. Who knows, maybe I will get more posts in if I do this! Plus, on Monday I start school! I cannot even believe it. I will be continuing my MBA program. I am so excited to do so.

Well, here is to hoping I can start getting on more of a schedule, especially with school starting.

 

What has everyone else been up to?

Remy’s Birth Story

Remy Rae Ann R
Born 1/26/11 @ 8:22 am via C-Section
8lbs 10.5 ounces and 21 inches long

On the 24th of January I had my last OB appointment. During the exam, my doctor checked me and noticed that she was not engaging at all and when he touched her head she would float back up inside of me. Since I was 39 weeks and 4 days along and having many contractions all the time, my doctor thought it would be good to check the baby out via ultrasound. I had an ultrasound 12 days before and it was measuring Remy at 8 pounds, which I knew was getting on the big end.

I ran and got my ultrasound completed and this time it measured Remy at 8 pounds and 10 ounces. I was excited that she was looking so healthy, but I was afraid that if she were to deliver naturally she would get stuck and things could get dangerous. I waited till the doctor called the next day and heard the news I was expecting; I was going to be having a C-Section the following day. I was so excited to meet my baby. However, I felt weird though, like the next morning would never come. I was not nervous, but my husband sure was. Even after a night of no sleep (I did not sleep well at all at night at that point), I was still not scared or nervous about what was about to happen, I was mostly in a daze or disbelief. I had been pregnant for what seemed like years and to look down and not see that big belly anymore, that was going to be strange. The only concern I had was how I would be as a mother. But, I tried to push that kind of thinking out of my head so that I would be calm for the procedure.

I woke up early so that I could straighten my hair…yeah I am not really sure why I did that either…My husband and I said goodbye to my family and headed to the hospital at 5:30 am. Excitement filled me. I listened to Korn, a CD that I listened to many times while pregnant, on the drive to pump myself up even more. I felt Remy kicking about me as she seemed to dance to the music like always. Once at the hospital, they checked us in right away, got us to my room, and started preparing me for surgery. I kept looking at the clock, knowing that soon I would be in surgery and see my baby for the first time. My husband was still nervous but was trying not to make me scared so he was working on keeping his cool.

After I was all hooked up to the IVs, my blood was drawn, and my cap and gown were on, it was time to head into the prep room. Here I was given a little sour drink, the heart monitors were attached, and my husband was given some food and drink so that he did not get sick during the procedure. After a little while, they wheeled me to the operating room and had my husband wait outside while they did the spinal. This is when I started to get nervous. I was not scared about the C-Section but of the spinal. The nurse rubbed my shoulders as they injected the medicine. It was way less painful than I thought it would be. But the fun part happened after (sarcasm).

I started to feel the medicine working from my toes up. Time started to pass slowly as I felt my body become paralyzed. It seemed to come on as soon as I laid down. I was focusing on breathing and I began to notice that it was becoming more and more difficult. My brain instantly went into panic mode and I told the doctors that I could not breathe. I lungs felt as if they were not working and I had to cough but I could not because of the spinal. The doctors put the breathing mask on my face and it just made it worse. I heard the anesthesiologist say that my blood pressure was dropping too low and they had to give me some medicine to bring it back up. I still could not breathe. I asked them to take the mask off and they told me that the oxygen was for the baby. They removed the one mask and replaced it with one that was a bit more high powered.

Things started to get better after that. I heard them say that my blood pressure was returning to normal and I felt air reach my lungs again. Then I threw up, which was great because I felt instantly better afterward. The doctors cleaned me up and asked me if I could feel them poking me. I could not and they brought my husband in for the procedure.

I was incredibly happy that he was in the room now. I told him I got sick and he gave a small laugh. He knows I have a horrible stomach and I told him I was afraid of getting sick. The doctor told me they were going to start and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. I could not feel anything and then the anesthesiologist told my husband that he should hold my hand because I was going to feel some tugging. He grabbed my hand and squeezed. I was thankful that he did because the pressure and tugging started and it was weird. I said “Ow,” even though I really could not feel a thing.

After a little more pressure, the doctor said “Oh she is a big one and look at all that hair” and then “the cord is around her.” I was concerned at first but then I heard he say “Happy Birthday little girl,” and then my daughter let out a little cry. They lifted her up over the blue curtain so that my husband and I could see. She was absolutely beautiful. Tears instantly filled my eyes as they took her over to be cleaned off. I smiled at my husband and started to cry. As I watched them clean Remy off,  I realized that within 15 minutes, my whole world had changed. Everything was different. I was now a mother and had this amazing creature to care for.

When she was done being cleaned off, the nurses brought her over to me and let me kiss her before she and my husband left the room and I was closed up. The C-section went very well, even though it was discovered that I am allergic to morphine and most of the day after the c-section was spent vomiting by me. Though, I should have known I was allergic to morphine before since after my last surgery I had a horrible reaction and was in the ER for a while but the doctors were not sure which drug it was that gave me the reaction. Now I know and no more morphine for me!

As for Remy, she is a great girl! She also had her cord wrapped around her left shoulder, which I am not sure how that was missed with the 2 ultrasounds that I had a few days before. But I think with how she was laying in me they could not see her left side easily, so I guess that could be how it was missed. We were in the hospital for 3 days, which was not so bad. Everyone at the hospital was really nice and helpful with me and the baby. I have a lot of help at home, which is wonderful. The incision is not bothering me very much, but my lower abs are. But overall I have been doing really well.

Everything is going great! It is crazy just how much having a child changes your life. I was telling my husband that even though she was in me for what felt like forever that it was overwhelming just how much I love her. With this being my first child, I had no idea what to expect. But I can say that I am so happy and love my little girl so much.

New Arrival!

Where has the geeky mom been? This is a question I have been asked a few times, and frankly, I have no idea where I have been either! The craziness of my life set into play. This involved moving, for the second time in a year, from Texas to Pennsylvania to live with some family and having a baby. Yes, my little girl has finally arrived via c-section on January 26th at 8:22 am , her name is Remy and she is just wonderful. She was 8lb 10 oz and 21 inches long, a huge baby! Having a baby has certainly changed everything. I had no idea just how much I would love her, and I know that sounds silly, but it is very overwhelming.

Blogging took a huge back burner when I moved because I had no time in general and I was just getting back into the swing of life with my family. It had been 4 years since I had been home for longer than a few days. I just wanted to hang out and chill with my family all the time. Now, I am getting back to the things I love in life. I have even applied to a new school to finish my MBA. Playing online and getting online in general here in the boons of PA at first posed a problem…internet. Yes, internet has been the bane of our existence. Currently, we are using Verizon MiFi at 10 gigs a month, and although this internet is not bad, it is definitely not the best. Though it is the best we can do given our living situation.

In the next few days I want to post Remy’s birth story and I will be posting more and more here since things have calmed down. Until then, enjoy a few pictures of our new addition Remy Rae Ann R.

 

Christmas Blues

In September?! Well, the last day of September so…in October? Yes! I have the Christmas blues already. Why you might ask? Well after thinking and talking with my husband about it, we are not going to be decorating for Christmas this year.

Now, in order to fully understand to the extent I decorate with you need to know how many bins of Christmas decorations I have. That number my friends it 14. Yes 14 bins of ONLY Christmas stuff. I am not talking about little bins either, but the huge size. I am obsessed with decorating. I love Christmas lights and could probably light the block with as many as I use. Plus most of the decorations are hand-me-downs and hold sentential value to me as well.

You might all be wondering if I love Christmas so much, why would I not be decorating this year? Well here it goes: the day after Thanksgiving is the day I decorate for Christmas. On that day I will be 31w 1d along with my little girl. I usually undecorate around January 13 or so and at that point in time I will be 38w pregnant. See the frustration? Plus, what id the baby comes early? The house will not be put together and I will need to undecorate as well as take care of a newborn.

Now, I know what you all are thinking, why not just let my husband do it all for me. That would be a wonderful idea…if he did it right. I decorate in a specific way and pack things in the tubs when I put them away in a very specific way. I fear he would cause havoc and chaos and I would not be able to stand it (OCD ALERT!). I can only imagine how many broken items we would have by the time he was done.

I cannot just have a house with nothing at all Christmasy in it,  so I have a plan. My plan is to get a small tree (we are talking only 2-4ft tall here) that is pre-lit and just by a few bulbs for it. As it may not be the best or the most fun idea, in the end I think it will be for the best. Next Christmas, the baby will be almost one and I am sure I will go all out. But this year, with just me, my husband, and the 2 dogs, who do I need to go all out for? Sad but true.

Does anyone have some home Christmas crafts they know of? Maybe I could do that route! I will need to look up some fast and easy crafts that I can complete. Ideas are greatly welcome! Maybe I could make the baby an ornament. Hmmm….ideas?!

Anyone else having a baby around Christmas? Are you going to decorate?

The Geeky Mom!

Welcome to The Geeky Mom Blog! My name is Sarindre. I am 24 and currently 22 weeks pregnant with my first child, a little girl due Janurary 27th.  I am also an avid gamer, reader, and movie watcher, just to name a few hobbies. I decided to start a blog for the geeky moms out there where I could discuss video games, books, and the like along with focus on pregnancy and being a mom. I also write a Resto Druid Blog (Through the Eyes of a Tree) for World of Warcraft but I thought I would like to have a general blog where I could talk about more games, books, and babies!

Right now, I work a job as a financial analyst. It is a temporary job that I am for sure not in love with, but I will do so that I can save up some money. My husband works as a game tester for a gaming company here in Austin Texas (I know lucky right!). I am planning on going back to school here next fall. I have a bachelers in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and am about 15 credits into the MBA program. However, recently my husband and I moved from California to Texas and I have to switch schools, losing all but 6 of those credits. I am not sure what I would like to go to school for now. I may switch back to Psychology or even go to something new!

Here are some of the things I am taking part in currently:

Games –

• World of Warcraft (Playing a Resto Druid)
• Bioshock 1
• Final Fantasy 13
• Halo Reach
• Starcraft 2

Books Reading Now –

• Wicked by Gregory Maguire
• The Eye of the World. Book 1 of The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan

Books Just Finished –

• Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
• Something Blue by Emily Giffin
• Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

I will be writing about each of these topics in the upcoming weeks in the form of book and game reviews and along with adding some baby news and pregnancy talk.

So join me here at The Geeky Mom to talk about all things geek!