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agoodflyting · 7 years

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Cleanup in Aisle Five - Kylux, housewife!au

Another bit of housewife!AU. I’m still deciding if I want to post this on AO3 as-is or continue it, so I’ll leave it here in the meantime.

2100 words / light M / kylux modern AU

Hux always feels like a prey animal at the grocery store.

He pauses in picking through a colorful display of starfruit and papayas to do a casual scan of the produce section. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Richard Attenborough is narrating.

The male uses his superior height to evade detection by the females of the species while foraging.

Adding a couple of mangoes to the hand basket at his elbow, he snorts quietly to himself.

It wasn’t that he was antisocial. He generally liked being around people, especially when he could be in charge of group activities. But something seemed to happen to women his age who had moved to a rich suburb and produced the obligatory 2.5 children. It came with the territory, like one of those awful minivans with the televisions in them, or an affinity for kale smoothies. They would corner him with effusively friendly offers; invitations to play tennis, to join book club, to go shopping - help me pick out a swim suit, you always have such good taste- or to come over for girls night.

We’re going to watch Magic Mike, Susan’s bringing the wine so we might get a little crazy, and I’m making these cute little fat free chocolate rice balls I saw on pinterest-

Meanwhile, Hux couldn’t escape the feeling that he was being hunted and bagged and mounted for display- the rare and elusive gay best friend to complete the appearance of the picture-perfect life for some aging California housewife.

That was better than the alternative, of course- that they were just being friendly because he was one of them. The thought makes him feel cold in a way that has nothing to do with the chilly air in the produce section.

Hux suddenly wishes that he could text Ben. Just a little hello. He was running errands with his mother today, but even just a little hi back had the power to make him smile, despite the fact that Ben couldn’t spell for shit and he put those stupid emoji things in everything.

Much as he wants it, Hux isn’t a complete idiot. His iPhone is in his husband’s name, it would be far too easy for Devon to have those records pulled if he ever found out about Ben. Phone records were easier to brush off so long as they weren’t excessive, but any contact he has with Ben through text needed to be strictly professional.

He completes his circuit of the grocery store, grabbing coconut milk and whole-grain cereal for himself, and grinding coffee for Devon. Bread and yogurt. Multivitamins and that fancy pineapple juice they both liked. Devon’s flight was supposed to come in at 7:45 that night, so he supposes he’ll need to make something for a proper dinner, although after staring blankly at a wall of organic dried pasta for several minutes without seeing it, he finally just decides fuck it, they can order Chinese.

When he heads for the checkout, he passes a little display of cheap pre-paid phones. The kind you activate by calling an 800-number and pay by the minute. He’s used them before, doing security.

He’s in line at the register, his mind half-blank, when the sound of his first name startles him out of his sulk.

“Hello, Armitage.”

“Senator Organa,” he says, turning. “How are you?”

“Good, mainly because I haven’t been a senator for three years. Unless there was an election no one told me about.”

A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “There was, actually. Last week. You didn’t hear?”

“I must have missed it. Well, damn,” she says lightly. “I guess I have to go get my hair done.”

Hux has always respected his neighbor for her sharp wit and brash attitude, even if they found themselves frequently, vocally, at odds during her stint as head of the homeowner’s association. More than once, Hux had considered staging a coup.

“How’s Devon?” Leia asks, as she reaches past him to begin unloading her hand-basket onto the conveyor belt. “I haven’t seen him around lately.”

Another reason he liked Leia Organa. She was the only woman in their neighborhood who had never once patted him on the arm and giggled about what a ‘waste’ of a good man he was.

“In and out of Chicago supervising some corporate merger business. I haven’t been kept in the loop on the details,” he says, trying for uncaring and only barely missing.

She huffs a laugh. “That sounds familiar. It’s the secret of a long marriage, you know,” she adds.

“What, ignorance?”

“No. ...well, okay, that seems to work for some people, but not our type.”

There is something flattering in being lumped as the same ‘type’ as a woman like Leia Organa, but he cannot quite encapsulate what. Still, it makes him smile.

“I meant travel,” she continues easily as Hux moves up in line. “It’s much easier to miss some people than to live with them. The only reason my marriage has survived as long as it has is because we’re only in the same state two months out of the year. We’ve learned how to leave right when the other one is getting irritating.”

“And when is that?”

“About ten minutes after he opens his mouth, in my case,” she says, but there’s a fondness in her voice that belies the words.

“A whole ten minutes?”

“Used to be five. I’m getting soft on him.”

Having gotten him to laugh, she gives a satisfied pat to Hux’s elbow, the one still holding the grocery basket. “There. There’s your motherly advice for the day.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep it in mind. It’s not often I get good advice, motherly or otherwise.”

He moves up to the front of the line and waits with muted impatience, his card already in the pin reader and waiting for cashier authorization while the boy scans.

“Mom-” Hux turns.

“There you are, I was starting to think you’d gotten lost,” Leia says.

“They only had the twenty-four packs, so I just got two. Is that okay?” Ben edges his way around the people who have lined up being Leia. He’s easily holding two large cases of artisanal bottled water stacked on top of each in his long arms. “Sorry, excuse me-” The plastic containers creak in his grip.

“That’s fine, thank you baby. Watch out, don’t hit anybody-”

“Hello, Ben,” Hux says, looking at the chip machine and focusing on punching in his pin to keep the unseemly smile off his face.

The last time he’d seen Ben had been yesterday evening. Lying beside Hux’s pool had turned to skinny-dipping once the sun had gone down. His hands remember the feel of Ben’s bare skin under the water, the delicious heat of his cock pressing eagerly up between Hux’s thighs. Kisses that tasted like chlorine. Stroking each other off under the water.

When it got late, Hux hadn’t wanted to let him go. Had dragged him down on the couch as he tried to leave through the front door and blown him again, swallowing down Ben’s cock and his needy little whimpers like he was starving for them.

“Oh, hey, uh- mister Hux.” From the sound of it, Ben’s doing his best not to smile too.

And just like that, the tension that had knotted in Hux’s chest evaporates.

He steps out of the way with his shopping bag, hovering at the end of the lane while Ben hefts up the water to be scanned, the muscles in his arms and back moving easily under the fabric of his black t-shirt. Leia had forced him into clean, nice-fitting jeans and a knotted belt that Hux can just see peeking up under the shirt when Hux’s eyes are pulled down the sharp line of his body. When he lifts the water, Hux catches a flash of one angular hipbone where his jeans ride low even with the belt.

“Do you want a hand, Ben?” he asks, his tone innocent. He waits until the tips of Ben’s ears flush pink before he adds, nodding, “With the water.”

“I’m- it’s good, I’ve got it,” Ben stammers, shifting the weight. Hux is reminded suddenly of those broad hands under his thighs, lifting him up, and-

Christ, he’s got to get a hold of himself. He’s in fucking public.

Ben casts shy, appreciative little glances at Hux out of the corner of his eye while Leia pays, whenever he thinks she can’t see him. In the watery sunlight through the front windows of the shop, his eyes are a warm honeyed brown.

“So, uh- grocery shopping?” Ben says. Hux can almost see the moment he realizes what a silly line that was.

“Just a few essentials. I’ve been preoccupied lately, haven’t gotten to the store as much as usual.”

“Yeah? That’s not like you.” They are both trying not to smile. “What are you so preoccupied with?”

If they were alone, Hux would lean in close and say, your cock just to watch the way Ben stammered and blushed. It’s all he wants to do. But they’re not alone, they’re in the middle of fucking Whole Foods and Ben’s mother is five feet away, so he blurts out, “Work,” instead, and has enough time to feel stupid- this boy is actually making him stupid- before he can cover his embarrassment.

“It’s very nice of you, helping your poor mother around like this.”

“I can’t tell if that’s a crack about my height or my age,” Leia interrupts, raising an eyebrow as she joins them. putting away her pocketbook.

“I would never,” Hux insists, the picture of innocence, glad to have something to focus on besides how Ben is standing beside him and Hux can feel the warmth of Ben’s bare arm through his own sleeve. “Insult your height or your age. What kind of man do you think I am?”

“Just my intelligence, then? And I thought you were the kind who calls me an ‘aesthetically bankrupt bleeding-heart hypocrite’ because I approved the Becketts satellite dish?”

He follows them outside, blinking in the afternoon sun.

“That was friendly professional rivalry, nothing more.”

“Professional rivalry implies you’re on the homeowners board. You’re not.”

Hux shuts his mouth, bested.

“Aand I think that’s mom: one, Hux: zero,” Ben smirks as they approach Leia’s sensible black sedan in the parking lot. Hux shoots him a look that plainly says, traitor.

“Oh, it’s a lot more than one, honey,” Leia pats Ben on the arm.

“The thing’s still a damn eyesore,” he calls after Leia, with no real venom, when she climbs in the driver’s seat, leaving Ben to wrestle their groceries into the trunk.

“You’re still not on the board.” she calls back before shutting the door.

“You shut up,” Hux says to Ben, who had started to snicker.

“What? It’s funny.”

“My complete assassination by your mother isn’t funny.”

“Yeah it is.” He’s smiling, leaning one hip on the trunk of the car, and Hux has the worst urge to kiss it off the corner of his mouth. “You guys both like to argue way too much. It’s funny.”

“I don’t like to argue.”

“See? That’s- you’re doing it right now.”

“Am not,” Hux says, just to make him duck his head and laugh.

He swallows and looks away, sun-blinded by Ben’s smile. “Come over later,” he murmurs, glancing to see if Leia is paying any attention to them, comforted that they are mostly blocked by the open trunk of the car.

It was only twelve-thirty. Devon’s flight wouldn’t be in until nearly eight.

He’s never been an addict. His father drank, his mother smoked, but nothing has ever stuck to him that way. The lack of something has never made him desperate, not unless it was recognition and even that was more out of spite than desire. But every time he tells himself it’s going to his last with Ben, something in him scrabbles, frantic to eke out just a little more.

Ben swallows. “I can’t.” His eyes are on Hux’s neck, his shoulders. He sighs, a loud frustrated rush of air, “My parents are- they have shit for me to do all day. I have to clean out the stupid garage.”

Something uncomfortably like disappointment blossoms in Hux’s chest. He hates it even more because every inch of him knows that what he’s asking is stupid and pathetic- neither terms he’s ever wanted to associate with himself. “That’s alright.”

And because he is spiteful in his disappointment, he pitches his voice to a low murmur and adds, “I’ll just have to keep myself busy.”

The barb hits home. Ben bits his lip, clearly picturing Hux panting into the pillow as he fucks himself with his largest toy, Ben’s name on his lip, which of course had been Hux’s intention.

“Hux...”

The car horn honks and they both jump, suddenly aware that they’re lingering.

“I gotta go,” Ben, unhappiness in every word, and it’s almost enough to take the sting off of Hux’s disappointment. He shuts the trunk.

Hidden by the bulk of the car, Ben runs his hand- just the backs of two fingers, over Hux’s arm. The touch is like sunlight, soft and a little warm on his skin. Ben tangles their fingers together briefly as their hands part. “See you later though, okay? Tomorrow?”

He doesn’t move, unwilling to budge until Hux responds and for the first time, Hux hates this. Leia hits the horn again.

“Yes, alright, alright. Bye. Go away, before your mother runs me over.”

And that is all it takes to put a warm grin on Ben’s face. “Bye, Hux.”

He forces himself to move, not the stand there and watch Ben fold his long body up into Leia’s little car and drive away. The sun is beating down on the back of his neck. He still has his little bag of groceries in one hand- had held it like an idiot all through that desperate little play. When he reaches his car- an SUV, more because he enjoyed the feeling of driving something big than because he needed the space- he tucks his solitary bag into the empty hatchback, wedging it into a corner so it won’t spill as he drives. He pauses, one hand on the hatch to close it, before going back and fishing something out of the bag.

The car starts with a quiet hum. It was less than a year old and still faintly smelled it.

It had been a Christmas present from Devon.

Hux sighs, sitting there in his silent car in the parking lot, but really he had made this decision ages ago. This was just... seeing it through.

Reaching over to the passenger seat, he grabs the pre-paid phone he had bought inside and begins to open it.

#kylux #kylux fic #housewife au #housewife hux

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political-fluffle · 4 years

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"That press conference was the most dangerous 1hr 45 minutes of television in American history. And possibly the craziest. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re lucky." says Chris Krebs, who just lost his job for not allowing Russian ratfuckery in the election and knowing too much about GOP ratfuckery in the same election. The GOP is now doing cleanup on aisle 9 for Dominion systems... after Trump's threats they are afraid of what that dumbass could expose about their cheating LOL

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oreos-all-the-time-bramandsimon · 4 years

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via CNET News

#IFTTT #CNET News

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auburnfamilynews · 5 years

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John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s look back at 5 of the biggest plays in Auburn’s wins over Ole Miss and Kentucky!

What a weekend in Auburn, Alabama!!!!

For me personally, I was fortunate to be able to be back in town this weekend to see College Gameday come to town for the first time, and celebrate what Auburn Basketball has become over the last few years.

Oh yeah, Auburn beat Kentucky too.

With that in mind, I wanted to take a look back at 5 plays from last week and decided to look at some from both big wins last week against the Rebels and Wildcats.

The first 2 plays will come from the Ole Miss game.

Play #1 - Anfernee McLemore Gives Auburn Life!

Auburn doesn’t win in Oxford without Anfernee, period. McLemore made the team’s first 3 right before halftime in an otherwise miserable half for the Tigers. Auburn began chipping away but Ole Miss would go back up 17. Then, about midway through the 2nd half, the Tigers would convert a pair of And-1s, and then McLemore would hit a pair of 3s, this clip the 2nd one, to cap off a 10-0 run and bring Auburn back from 17 down to 5.

Putting a Quick Top 5 Plays of the Week Together from Auburn this week! Let’s start with this from the Ole Miss game. McLemore’s 3-point shooting led Auburn’s big comeback in the 2nd half. pic.twitter.com/Nzsw9DPc6K

— Will McLaughlin (@ShootyHoopsWill) February 3, 2020

Play #2 - Isaac Okoro has that IT Factor

On the road earlier this year against South Alabama, Okoro made not 1 but 2 huge baskets. In another tight situation on the road, Okoro came up with another winning play on the road. This bucket would tie the game and he would hit the free throw which turned out to be the game winner for Auburn on Tuesday.

Isaac Okoro has that CLUTCH gene! pic.twitter.com/gOZK7YFmcT

— Will McLaughlin (@ShootyHoopsWill) February 3, 2020

The last 3 plays will come from the Kentucky game.

Play #3 - Cleanup on Aisle 50 (Courtesy of Austin Wiley)

Austin Wiley was sensational for Auburn on both ends of the floor against Kentucky. He played Nick Richards tougher than most have this season, as Coach Calipari eluded to.

Kentucky coach John Calipari says Austin Wiley had a "field day" on Nick Richards. "Not many people do that to Nick."

— Nathan King (@byNathanKing) February 2, 2020

Wiley, along with Anfernee McLemore, held Nick Richards to half of his scoring average (7 points). Both Wiley and McLemore were great on the boards, as was Auburn in general (Auburn was +14 on the boards). Here, he gets the job done on the offensive glass, as he did several times in this game. As I mentioned in our preview Saturday morning, whoever got the best game from the big men was going to win the game Saturday. Wiley outplayed Richards and thus, Auburn won.

Austin Wiley AND-1!! pic.twitter.com/hfuRVfQ6si

— Will McLaughlin (@ShootyHoopsWill) February 3, 2020

Play #4 - Danjel Purifoy Go-Ahead 3!

Auburn finished 6-23 from 3-point range on Saturday. Danjel Purifoy hit 3 of those 3-pointers. In regards to Auburn’s shooting from 3 on Saturday, Auburn was 3-20 from 3-point range with about 7 minutes to go. After Okoro’s 3 tied the game at 54 with 6:48 to go, the lead would change hands multiple times over the next 2:45. Kentucky led 60-59 with 3:58 left when Auburn found Purifoy open in the corner for 3. It would put Auburn up for good.

Kentucky looks to go zone, Purifoy recognizes it and gets open behind the 3-point line and drills it. Auburn didn’t trail again. pic.twitter.com/pfYz9Ysmze

— Will McLaughlin (@ShootyHoopsWill) February 3, 2020

Play #5 - Isaac Okoro is OUR McDonald’s All-American!

Coming down the stretch, we saw Isaac Okoro take over and will Auburn to picking up the W. Okoro took the ball into the paint time after time, drawing foul after foul on Kentucky. With Auburn up 65-62 with about 2:45 to go, Okoro got the ball at the top and instead of taking the ball into the paint, he pulled up from 3 and Auburn Arena went crazy!

Okoro turned down an open 3, looked to drive the paint and then said nah, I think I’ll just pull up from here! Splash!!! pic.twitter.com/VcFUoaQpbq

— Will McLaughlin (@ShootyHoopsWill) February 3, 2020

That’s all for this week. Look for more Auburn hoops coverage over the next 36 hours as we get ready for Auburn to head to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks tomorrow evening.

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2020/2/3/21119761/top-5-plays-ole-miss-kentucky

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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derrickappleus · 7 years

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This Sundried Tomato Chicken Makes Clean Eating Simple

I’m always looking for inspiration for weeknight meals. I love cooking low and slow on the weekends, simmering away for hours, but I just don’t have time for that during the week. I need a meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes but is flavorful enough to tantalize my taste buds. Even better – let’s make it all in one pot so cleanup is a breeze! Enter this sundried tomato chicken dish, which is really just an excuse to slurp up that incredible sauce.

Oh, this sauce is nothing short of heavenly. It’s rich. It’s creamy. And it’s healthy. Wait, repeat that last part – how can it taste so luscious and still be healthy? It’s all about choosing the right ingredients. Combine spicy and savory garlic with sweet sundried tomatoes and bring it all together with the richness of coconut milk. Top it off with fresh basil and this sauce has such depth, you’ll swear it simmered all day!

Why We Love Sun-Dried Tomatoes

If you haven’t cooked with sundried tomatoes before, now is the time. I’ve had them on bagels and salads, but they never really stood out. I always found them a little bit chewy and slightly sour. Then, I tried simmering them in a rich, coconut milk sauce and my life was transformed. The dried little fruits rehydrated in the cooking liquid. Each bite became a divine experience, sweet and tart flavor bombs that infused into the coconut milk. It’s all I can do to keep my self from drinking the sauce!

Traditionally, ripe tomatoes were left out in the sun to dry (although, these days, everyone uses a dehydrator). They lose over 90% of their weight in the process, leaving you with all the tomato’s vitamins, antioxidants, and that pure umami-rich flavor. They’re very concentrated and their flavor can be really intense, so a little bit goes a long way. Don’t try eating them as a snack! They’re best chopped small and added as a flavoring ingredient.

You can find sundried tomatoes at most grocery stores, usually in the same aisle as the olives. They come as dried in bags or oil-packed in jars. The oil-packed ones are already rehydrated, making them ideal for use on salads. For this recipe, take it from us and skip the oil-packed ones. They’re more expensive, and the oil adds unnecessary fat to this dish. Since you’re simmering them in the sauce, they’ll have plenty of time to rehydrate and plump up.

Skip The Heavy Cream and Opt for Coconut Milk

If this dish were a classic French recipe, we would be using heavy cream. There’s something undeniably good about that full-fat ingredient…but it also makes me feel heavy and weighed down after eating it. The coconut milk does add a slightly coconutty flavor to the dish, but its sweetness is balanced out by all those tart, little sundried tomato nuggets.

Coconut milk is naturally thick, adding a creamy texture that mimics the mouthfeel of heavy cream. It might have more saturated fat than heavy cream, but those fats contain lauric acid (a beneficial fat that’s used by your body for energy). And, while we’re not quite sure why, research has shown that the saturated fats in coconut milk work in a different way than those in heavy cream – they actually boost “good” HDL cholesterol.

You might find coconut milk in the dairy aisle (next to the soy and almond milk), but always use the canned variety for cooking. The refrigerated item adds water to dilute the flavor and make it more drinkable. Great if you only want 45 calories per serving, but not so great if you want rich-and-creamy sauces.

Sundried Tomato Chicken

Once you try this recipe, your view of chicken will never be the same again. So say goodbye to boring weeknight dinners and hello to a no-fuss way to put dinner on the table. Let us know what you think of this recipe in the comments!

This Sundried Tomato Chicken Makes Clean Eating Simple

//<![CDATA[ window.ajaxurl = "https://skinnyms.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; //]]>

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin strips

3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped (do not use the oil packed tomatoes)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 1/2 cups light coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil. Place the chicken breast in the hot oil and cook each side until lightly browned. It's ok if the chicken is not fully cooked, it will return to the pan to finish cooking later.

Add the onion, tomatoes, and garlic to the same pan that contained the chicken. Cook, stirring often until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the Italian seasoning, coconut milk, and broth. Bring to a simmer and return the chicken to the sauce mixture.

Cover with foil and place in the oven. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and top with fresh basil. Serve hot.

4.4.2.1

https://skinnyms.com/sundried-tomato-chicken/

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source https://skinnyms.com/sundried-tomato-chicken/ source http://skinnymscom.blogspot.com/2018/01/this-sundried-tomato-chicken-makes.html

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jaeame-blog · 7 years

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Decoding human genome: Scientists creating yeast DNA from scratch | scratch

A Lakefield woman has won $50,000 on an instant scratch ticket. Most walkers or hikers like to keep a tally of the mountains they have climbed and for those of you who love ticking off or bagging mountains you can now buy a Munros map and a Wainwrights map where you can scratch off the mountains as you climb them. Not only can the Hoover React go from carpet to hardwood, it adjusts itself accordingly so it doesn't scratch the floor. Xander Bogaerts was a late scratch from Boston's lineup on Monday night.

A Wilmington couple walked away with just over $400,000 after playing a scratch-off game. The Florida Lottery announced that 18-year-old Ruz, of Orlando, won the top prize in the new $500-a-week-for-life Scratch-Off game. Cheryl Smith, a married grandmother, won the jackpot on Ontario Lottery and Gaming's Instant Bingo Doubler Game 1851.According to the Kansas Lottery, Patrick Kyler won $10,000 on a scratch ticket. Since then Forbes has built a formidable reputation as the premiere lightweight rifle manufacturer in the business, thanks in large part to his build-from-scratch approach and groundbreaking stock designs.

Lee County deputies said the two black men went into the Circle K, 10800 Metro Pkwy., around 10:45 pm. A one dollar investment is all it took for an 18-year-old Florida woman to win a set salary for life.He is sick, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, and his absence is not related to his bruised right hand. A new generation of bakers is covering their aprons in flour as Mintel research reveals 52% of consumers aged 18-24 say they enjoy baking from scratch, including 43% of 18-24-year-old males. Two men are sought after stealing scratch-off tickets from a south Fort Myers convenience store late Sunday. A cleanup in the beer aisle was all the distraction two alleged thieves needed to steal a collection of scratch-off lottery tickets at a south Fort Myers convenience store late Sunday night. Bogaerts was a late scratch from the lineup prior to Monday's game against the Mariners, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

#scratch

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808randolph-blog · 7 years

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#808Randolph The Mom Whose Second Pregnancy Revolves Around Her Toddler: In our new series Pregnancy Diaries, we ask expecting women to jot down every pregnancy-related detail of their lives for a week. (Special thanks to New York mag and Refinery29 for the inspo.) Work-related conundrums, struggles with IVF, and a whole lot of nausea, ahead. For our eighth entry, we have a 33-year-old part-time publicist from Connecticut who's 25 weeks along. She and her husband of almost eight years have a “spirited” two-and-a-half-year-old girl, and don't know the sex of baby number two. How long did it take you to conceive? It took just a couple of months to conceive baby #2. My cycle has tended to fluctuate month-to-month since having my daughter, so it was a bit of a challenge to track accurately. We've been incredibly fortunate and have not experienced any fertility issues to-date. Any other details relevant to your pregnancy? Our daughter was born three weeks and one day early, and I gave birth less than three hours after my water broke. This is known as precipitous labor, and it's not the most normal scenario for someone's first baby. Oh, and my husband was traveling on business at the time! Luckily my parents live nearby, and my mom was able to meet me at the hospital. I had accumulated all of the “stuff” I needed for the baby, but I was not ready to give birth or bring a baby home. Needless to say, the big theme of this pregnancy is PREPARATION. I hope to have everything ready for baby #2 at least four weeks before my due date so that we're not caught off guard this time. Of course, this is easier said than done when most of my days are spent catering to the needs and whims of a two-and-a-half-year-old. I'll refer to the new baby here as “the baby” or “it.” We don't know the gender! We also kept our daughter's gender a surprise. I'm very Type A and typically need to know every detail about everything, but this is one area of life where I truly feel that ignorance is bliss. MORE: A Glimpse Into What Pregnancy After a Miscarriage Is Like DAY 1 7 a.m. – Rise and shine! My daughter (we'll call her S) usually wakes up around 6:30am, but she's content to hang out in her crib for a little while and I use that extra time to wake myself up. In an ideal world, I would get up before her and eat breakfast, but she *knows* if I'm up and my plans for early morning productivity are always thwarted. We head downstairs and make a smoothie to share—almond milk, strawberries, raspberries, chia seeds, and cacao powder–and I fix myself a bowl of Kashi Blueberry Clusters and a cup of coffee. Decaf. The horror. I quit caffeine when I was pregnant with S and it has made me feel really sick ever since. 10:30 a.m. – Our weekly playgroup was rescheduled to an earlier time today, so we skip Mommy & Me gymnastics class and head to playgroup. (Chase S around a large gym, or sit on the floor while she plays with friends? I'll take the latter!) 12 p.m. – It's a ridiculously beautiful day, and S does not want to get in the car to go home after playgroup. I promise her we can go for a walk right after we eat lunch at home. I make her a PB&J sandwich and slice up an apple, and suddenly I feel like my blood sugar has plummeted and like I might pass out. S is desperate to go outside and can't understand that I need to quickly eat some food and sit down for a little while. I inhale a PB&J, two clementines, and several glasses of water and start to feel better. 1 p.m. – Ok, let's take that walk! We live within walking distance of town, so S gets into her favorite pink push car and off we go. I'm pretty sure I'm going to die after walking up the hill from my house to the main road. It's a perfect day for a treat, and I decide that our destination will be the gelato shop. 2 p.m. – Nap time for S! I use nap time to tackle dishes from the morning and early afternoon, catch up on work emails and take care of any work items that have popped up and need my attention. 7:30 p.m. – I keep S up late because my husband hasn't seen her all week. He works in finance in NYC and has an hour-long train ride to and from work every day. He puts S to bed before jumping in the car to drive to Vermont for the night. I bailed on our trip this weekend after looking at weather reports, and he needs to pick up some of his ski gear before a trip next week. (Note: No, I'm not skiing while pregnant!) 8 p.m. — I chat with my college roommate, who just gave birth to twins one week ago. The box of goodies that I sent her arrived today. Hooray! I do a final kitchen cleanup and shut the house down. 9 p.m. – I wash and dry my hair and catch up on some TV before falling asleep around 11. So far, I've been sleeping really well without too many restless nights or middle-of-the-night bathroom trips. I tell myself the baby knows that Mama needs her sleep. Pregnancy is an afterthought most days, but sometimes the realization that a baby is coming soon hits me like a bolt of lightning and sends me into a tizzy. DAY 2 6:30 a.m.– Our two cats are clamoring for breakfast, so I roll myself out of bed to tend to them before they start fighting directly outside of S's room. 7 a.m. – S gets up and opts for blueberry waffles for breakfast, while I once again settle on Kashi Blueberry Clusters. This has been my daily go-to breakfast since getting past the first trimester. I never threw up during the first trimester with this baby, but I generally felt nauseous all day every day and could rarely eat anything more than an English muffin or chicken noodle soup. With S, I threw up every morning from weeks 6-14 but felt fine the rest of the day. 8:45 a.m. – It's going to rain this afternoon and I want to make sure that we stretch our legs and get some fresh air today, so I suggest to S that we get dressed and go to the Nature Center in town for a walk. I have to borrow a sweatshirt from my husband because all of mine are too tight now. It *only* takes us 45 minutes to pull ourselves together and get out the door. 11:30AM – My husband is back home, and we take S to the diner for lunch. I get a buffalo chicken salad because I am a sucker for buffalo chicken, but the salad makes me feel like I'm making an effort to be healthy. I also steal pickles from S and my husband. 2 p.m. – My husband takes S up to her room for her nap, but she asks for me to come up to read her a book and put her to bed. I'm planning to clean my room this afternoon while she naps. 4:30 p.m. – Oops. I fell asleep and got nothing done! As a general rule in life, I REALLY don't like to take naps. Pregnancy is just about the only time I make an exception. 5:30 p.m. – We always get the most delicious macaroni and cheese on our way home from Vermont, and my husband dutifully picked one up this morning to make for dinner tonight. Sadly, it's a bad batch. It looks and tastes terrible. Just looking at it makes my stomach turn and I can't bear to think about eating ANYTHING. I don't tend to have specific food aversions during pregnancies, but some days I struggle to find anything that I'm willing to eat. This evening, I force myself to at least eat a toasted English muffin so that I get something in my stomach. 9 p.m. – After getting S to bed and tidying up the main floor of the house, I make a mug of peppermint tea and head to the basement with my husband to watch “Planet Earth II.” DAY 3 7 a.m. – My husband gets up to get S from her crib but we all have get up, so I groggily follow them downstairs. 9:45 a.m. – S has swimming lessons on Sunday mornings, which are my husband's domain. We've been away most weekends this winter, but it's so nice to have a little time in the house by myself this morning! I make an egg and cheese on an English muffin and have a second cup of coffee. I realize I'm going to have a baby in about three months and spend my alone time scurrying around the house finding homes for some stray, out of place items. Pregnancy is an afterthought most days, but sometimes the realization that a baby is coming soon hits me like a bolt of lightning and sends me into a tizzy. 2 p.m. – I finish up my grocery list and go shopping for the week while S naps. We usually shop on Monday mornings and while it's a definite treat to stroll the aisles of Whole Foods by myself, I miss my shopping buddy. I always load up on lots of fresh fruits and veggies to snack on throughout the week. I've been drawn to a lot of citrus fruit during this pregnancy. I love to have grapefruit with breakfast whenever I have time, and I snack on clementines throughout the day. I *had* to have a red bell pepper every single day when I was pregnant with S, but I haven't eaten them nearly as often during this pregnancy. I consider shopping a success because I kept myself from coming home with a ton of junk food. I maintained a very healthy diet when I was pregnant with S and rarely craved any kind of junk food. In fact, junk food made me feel really sick over the entire course of my first pregnancy. This time, I want all of the candy, cookies and ice cream you can toss my way. It's a daily struggle to make sure I'm giving the baby the right nutrients and keeping my weight in check. 4 p.m. – My husband managed to edit a video of S skiing, put all of her toys away in the basement, AND vacuum that room while I was out shopping. He is amazing and also makes me feel like the laziest person on the planet. I bought a single sumo orange at the store and eat it right when I get home. I immediately regret not buying the store's entire stock and will literally dream about sumo oranges for the next week. 6 p.m. – The Academy Awards are on tonight and even though I haven't seen a single nominated film, I'll watch red carpet coverage and the entire awards show broadcast. We get Chinese takeout for dinner and eat as a family before I return to the couch. I get the night off from being Mom. (Truthfully, my husband does most of the heavy lifting with S on the weekends anyway.) 8 p.m. – I bought ingredients to make skillet s'mores for dessert, and all I want is peppermint tea and a big bowl of fresh berries. I am simultaneously proud of myself and disappointed. The baby is constantly battering my bladder. DAY 4 6:15 a.m. – I wake up after hearing S stirring in her crib, but there's no way we're getting up yet. I have to use the bathroom, but it's just not worth getting out of bed right now. 6:30 a.m. – I look at the baby monitor again and notice that S is no longer in her crib! I am momentarily alarmed but decide that there's nothing she can get into trouble with in her room, so I leave her to play with her books while I wake myself up. 6:40 a.m. – I hear a door open and S is suddenly in my room saying, “Hi, Mommy!” Terrific. Not only can she climb out of her crib, but she ALSO can get out of her room. This is not a developmental milestone that I am looking to deal with three months before we have a new baby. 9 a.m. – S and I head out for a playdate at a trampoline park with my best friend and her daughter, who is just four months younger than S. My best friend is due with her second baby exactly two months after me, and we are trying to squeeze in as much time together with our girls as we can before the babies arrive. I'm so grateful to experience pregnancy with her again. I always have someone to text throughout the day who's facing similar toddler, parenting, and pregnancy issues. 10:30 a.m. – The baby feels really low today and is constantly battering my bladder. This is not an ideal feeling as I chase a toddler across a sea of trampolines. 2 p.m. – I'm so tired after a full morning and partial afternoon of really active play with S. I think about making a salad for lunch after putting her down for a nap, but there are three untouched quarters of a perfectly good PB&J sandwich sitting on a plate. I'd love to lie down for a little while, but I need to take care of some work emails this afternoon. I also order a couple of books for S about being a big sister to help her get ready for the baby. 8 p.m. – Leftovers of last night's takeout for dinner tonight. I'm starving and eat most of mine while my husband is still preparing his plate. We head to the basement to catch up on “Homeland.” 9 p.m. – My husband is organizing for our weekly garbage pick-up. I help by emptying the various small trash cans around the house while he cleans the litter boxes one more time and takes the garbage can and recycling bin to the end of the driveway. 10 p.m. – Early to bed! I'm exhausted from staying up late last night and a busy day with S. The baby starts kicking me as soon as I lie down, but I'm too tired for it to bother me today. DAY 5 7 a.m. – S did not climb out of bed this morning. Phew. Perhaps it was a one-time thing. 9 a.m. – My mom arrives to pick S up for the day. This is a good time to mention that our lives do not function without my mom. She's exceedingly flexible and generous with her time, and I don't know what we would do without her. My mom takes S two days a week, and I use those days as my full workdays. I'm extremely lucky to be able to work part-time, mostly from home, for the same PR firm that I was with full-time for nearly 10 years before having S. 9:30 a.m. – I settle down at my desk with my Kashi Blueberry Clusters and coffee after quickly getting dressed and pulling myself together for the day. Even though I work from home and spend a lot of time on the floor or chasing after a toddler, I need to get dressed in real clothes every day (read: no yoga pants for this mom, but to each their own!). It helps me feel like a human and have a productive day. 11:15 a.m. – I receive a call that my furniture delivery will arrive within 10 minutes, so I take a quick break from work. I unload the dishwasher, eat a clementine and refill my water cup while I wait. The delivery arrives – a new dresser that will either go to S or the baby–and I forgot that it would come fully assembled. The baby's room is currently my office and guest room, and I haven't “moved out” yet. The deliverymen are confused when I ask them to leave the dresser in the box and put it against the wall in my living room, but that is where it will live for the next month or so. Good luck to my husband and whichever friend he recruits to help him move it upstairs. 1 p.m. – The baby is kicking up a storm, and I look at the clock and realize that I haven't eaten lunch. I was extremely disciplined about my eating schedule when I was pregnant with S, and this baby is typically kicking me to say, “Excuse me? Hello? I'm hungry down here!” I make a salad with spinach, black olives, feta cheese, walnuts and red bell pepper and head back to my desk. 3:30 p.m. – I dial into a conference call that I primarily need to listen to and multitask by looking for overhead light fixtures for each of the bedrooms in the house. None of the bedrooms currently have overhead lights, but it's not a huge project. We'll have them installed sometime before the baby arrives. 4:30 p.m. – I don't have any additional work items to take care of today, so I take advantage of the extra time and make two phone calls that have been sitting on my to-do list. I make a two-and-a-half-year well visit with the pediatrician for S and call the hospital where I will deliver the baby to take care of preregistration details. The hospital tells me that I'll also have to stop by in-person to sign a few forms, and I make a note in my calendar to take care of that when I'm near the hospital following my next OBGYN appointment in three weeks. Then I start dinner prep before S gets home: lemon garlic shrimp with whole wheat penne. 6:30 p.m. – S's new stall tactic to avoid bedtime is to ask for a “quick bath” every night as we're heading upstairs. She doesn't need a bath today, but I'm not in a mood to argue with her and it gives us something to do before she goes to bed. There is one bathtub/shower that we share, and the bathtub is TALL. It's increasingly difficult for me to bathe her, but my husband doesn't get home early enough during the week to help with that task. 8 p.m. – I chat with my college roommate again. She has some questions about breastfeeding and pumping. I can't remember the answers to her questions off the top of my head, but I know exactly where my feeding and pumping logs are from when S was a newborn and consult them. As I review my notes from those early days, I am reminded of how incessant a newborn's needs are and jokingly ask myself why I signed up for this again. Mild panic about life with a toddler and newborn sets in. 9 p.m. – I can't drink, but I *can* have a bowl of ice cream. It's the little things that keep me going. 10 p.m. – Catch up with my husband, who worked late today, and catch up on news of the day. I don't get much time to read or watch the news during the day anymore and I don't have a TV in my office, so I often bookmark articles to read at night sometime between getting S to bed and falling asleep myself. DAY 6 9:15 a.m. – S and I head out for Mommy & Me class at the Nature Center. This is S's favorite weekly activity, and it's a great way for us to spend some time outdoors. I grab a Nature Valley granola square for myself as we leave the house because I know I'll be starving once class is over. 11 a.m. – We are back home after getting caught in a storm at the Nature Center. I can't zip my raincoat over my stomach, so I'm wet and freezing cold. 2 p.m. – I make avocado toast for lunch, which seems to satisfy the baby, and jump onto the computer to tackle a project for work that I want to send to a client tomorrow morning. I also use my time during S's nap today to educate myself about potty training and review recommended potty training products on Lucie's List. S has to be potty trained for preschool in September, and the thought of trying to do it this summer with a newborn makes me shudder. We'll tackle that in April. 5:30 p.m. – I have some chicken breasts in the fridge that I need to use, and I intended to marinate them earlier in the day but never got the chance. I settle on a dry rub and serve it with cauliflower rice and broccoli. The baby is happy that I'm eating a real meal at what it deems a reasonable time. S devours it and asks for more, and I hope that the baby develops her taste for vegetables. 8 p.m. – My husband heads out to play soccer, and I throw in a load of laundry and wash my hair. Quick showers are easy, but washing and drying my hair is a time commitment. My blow dryer and dry shampoo are really important tools these days! I look at my stomach and lament that it looks like I might not make it through this pregnancy without my belly button “popping.” It didn't happen with S, and it freaks me out, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 10 p.m. – We head to bed, but I've been stressed that the light fixtures and remaining nursery furniture that I have picked out won't be available if I wait any longer to order them. I make those purchases and while I've got my laptop open, I reach out to two local photographers about booking a newborn session. I can't drink, but I *can* have a bowl of ice cream. It's the little things that keep me going. DAY 7 5:45 a.m. – I get up extra early to see my husband off for the day since he'll leave for his ski trip straight from the office this afternoon. This is the last time he's allowed to travel far away from home before the baby arrives. We're not taking any chances this time! 6:30 a.m. – I'm enjoying a cup of coffee and catching up on some news when lo and behold, S opens her bedroom door and is looking for me. She comes downstairs and we make a smoothie. I make a mental note to order a toddler clock on Amazon. 9:00 a.m. – I'm going to work from my parents' house today. We're leaving later than I'd hoped, but we're finally in the car and on our way. My parents are puppy-sitting for one of my sisters, and my best friend and her daughter are coming over for a puppy playdate and lunch. There's no way I'm missing out on that fun! 12:30 p.m. – I join the crew for a quick lunch after addressing morning emails and dialing into a few conference calls. My mom picked up deli sandwiches for everyone, and yes, I eat cold cuts for lunch. I'm very diligent about avoiding most of the pregnancy no-no's, but I will occasionally make an exception for an easy (and delicious) lunch. 2 p.m. – Loft and The Gap are having enticing sales today, so I take a break to peruse their websites. I try to be very judicious about the maternity clothing that I buy, and I always wait for a sale. Most of my maternity clothing needs fell over the summer with S, while this time I've needed winter clothing. I'm also home this time rather than in an office every day. Of course, I mostly end up buying things for S. Because what toddler doesn't need white jeans for summer? 6 p.m. – S and I get home and I make my ultimate lazy dinner: quinoa with black beans, corn and cheddar cheese. I add Sriracha to mine and a little enchilada sauce to S's. 8 p.m. – I'm determined to be productive while my husband is away, and I head upstairs to clean my room. Three hours later, I've purged and re-organized my closet and dealt with a lot of the disorder that was driving me batty. 11 p.m. – My hips and feet are in so much pain. I can barely move. I've been lucky so far in this pregnancy to not be afflicted with many aches or pains, but I really regret when I stay on my feet too long or overexert myself. The cats have been staring at me for an hour and are grateful when I climb into bed so they can settle down into their spots for the night and go to sleep. I turn on HGTV to quiet my brain, and the baby starts its late-night acrobatics. I'm pretty sure this one is going to be trouble. My pregnancy sounds like it revolves around S, and truthfully, it does. I read the pregnancy and baby books when I was pregnant with her, and I don't need to worry about finding every single “just right” item for the baby this time around. Barring complications, I know what to expect from labor/delivery, postpartum recovery and a newborn and know that I can handle it. My job right now is to make sure that S is taken care of and feels loved, and I'm more focused on making sure that SHE's ready for the new addition to our family. MORE: What It's Like To Have a Difficult Pregnancy http://bit.ly/2q1erJD

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