fellow moms - help is needed

has anyone else had ridiculous mid to lower back pains while pregnant? mine appeared the week i went from 'bloated' to 'finally looking pregnant'. the new weight seems to have thrown my back off alignment or something and it is so painful. it hurts when i sit, stand and i don't sleep well at all.

on regular basis i am doing the following: pregnancy yoga, swimming, sitting in my massage chair w/the heat setting on, stretching, pushups, trying to sleep with an array of pillows placed this way and that, to no avail. oh, and ben gay, which i have just been told to replace with tiger balm which is more natural.

i am going to see a guy tomorrow who has helped me in the past, but it's never been this bad before, nor have i been pregnant before.

any suggestions? am i doomed for 5 more months?

i admit

i often eat breakfast for dinner. it's one of my favorite meals, so why not? the other day i made bisquick pancakes, just feeling lazy. while waiting for the first little guys to cook (smaller batches yield more of the crispy edges i love), i read on the box that to make them extra good, to add 1TB sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, and 2 TB lemon juice. So I did, and what do you know - it's my new favorite trick. I added a little extra lemon and might add some zest next time. Drizzled with trader joe's blueberry topping (with maine blueberries), it was delish. They taste lighter, more fluffy, and have a hint of lemon flavor. ps i also add a little vanilla.

does anyone else have any good tricks to better the standard recipes -either from a box or scratch?

photo via

editing today

editing again! stay tuned for a link to my photo blog coming with photos of little m who's turning one this weekend. i am super behind on my photoblog - but am trying to catch up. hopefully later today i can finally post a few easter pics too. oh, picked up an adorable sweater for mango at liz's shop, baby hank. she's having a sale right now, so check it out!

{update: view more photos of malia and baby clay in my photo blog!)

how j found out

I had a hard time trying to come up with an idea to surprise j when i found out the sex of the baby since he's so far away. My friend mandy helped me execute my final idea. She had J come over to pick up an important 'package' from her mailbox, that note led him outside to another box, and inside was a folded up 3x4' poster (you can get them enlarged really easily at kinkos) that said the above words, complete with a large blue squirt gun. Thanks for all your nice words, we're so excited!!

the results are in

my wishes of tunics and little leggings have been replaced with little mohawks and little black converse shoes. we're having a boy!!

cleaning takes forever

tonight or tomorrow i'll post images from easter dinner, and later this week i'll have a surprise that involves the photo above! my parents are driving down to LA as we speak, so i'm on a roll to clean and do laundry before they arrive.

easter dinner

this year for easter dinner i am in charge of table decor, salad and bread. i love egg-y, sweet challah bread, because of the story behind it for passover, plus it's so pretty and delish. i'm putting a new twist on the abelmann salad and making it a little fancier for the occasion. salad recipe here, challah here. (bread photo via) what are you making for your easter dinner?

ways to save for small people

as we're trying to get ready for mango with a tight budget, i spend a lot of time researching to find the best items in my price range. with empasis towards style, good reviews and functionality. Two sites that i check for bargains that are typically 60-70+% off retail are baby steals & mama bargains.

we were able to receive a great full size crib (we have a compact one in our apt right now) as a gift, purchased at overstock for 75% off retail, no tax and only $3 for shipping. it's sold out, but it might come back.

it's also good to keep an eye out for sample sales like this one. even though we didn't have a baby yet, i had a friend pick me up pottery barn kids clothes at an average of $3/piece. that stocked us up on clothes, blankets, bath towels, hats and shoes. i've found great new or barely worn clothes at my local goodwill lately for an average of $1.50/piece as well. it's hit and miss, so you have to be willing to hunt or walk away with nothing.

baby stuff can be pricey so if you have the time, do your research and you can make it all fit within a budget. invest in things you want long term, and be super frugal with things they will grow out of quickly.