Airing Out Dirty Laundry...

Ok, so not as juicy as my title implies, but when you're pregnant, you start researching EVERYTHING, and laundry detergents are no exception. Recently, my mom has been wrapping our roti (indian flat bread) in kitchen towel to keep it from getting dry, but when I eat them, they taste like soap. So, I was already looking for a change. 

Since before I can remember, we have always used Tide Detergent, Downey Fabric Softener, and Bounce Dryer Sheets. That was my go to system forever, but after the food issue and the soon to come baby, I was in the market for something that didn't leave a residue. 

The first things to go had to be the Downey and Bounce, since it's that residue that makes your clothes feel soft. This residue also makes your clothes a little water resistant. Don't believe me? Take out the filter in your dryer (the one that catches lint) and run water over it. Even though it's made of mesh, there is usually enough of this residue to make this screen waterproof. If the lint in your dryer gets built up and trapped long enough, it can catch fire. Just a heads up!!

So with a fabric softener and dryer sheets out of the way, I just needed to find a soap that didn't make my food taste like Tide and wouldn't bother Arjun in the future seeing how I'm planning on doing cloth diapers. After looking through CD (cloth diaper) forums and blogs, I came across Charlie's Soap. CS has three ingredients: 

Goin' Back to Cali

Ever since this third trimester has started, I've been exhausted! I've just been flat out done, not tired in a sense, but my muscles and everything have just been tired. It feels almost like that day after you are sick, when your body feels like it was hit by a truck. I think it's a mix of not sleeping well at night (due to having to pee 1000 times a day or having to readjust because I'm not used to the new bump) and making a human. Luckily, for the most part, everyone is really understanding.

I know there are women out there that are still rock stars through the entire process, and I think they're amazing people, because this whole thing, has been taxing. The first trimester I was super sick, and now I'm super tired and have horrible back pain and pelvic pain, I don't know how they do it.

The Engagement

So the reason that we were going to California was for the Engagement of Pauls youngest brother Ricky. So, in Sikh culture, I was pretty sure that the only thing that happens is that the men in the brides family, come to the grooms house with a gold kara for Ricky, and then the guys from Ricky's family go to her house and take a box with bracelets and such, and tea is served and that is it. But this engagement was NO JOKE!

There was a prayer and lunch at the house, then a few hours later, there was a full on reception. I think I've just been out of the Sikh wedding circle for too long, but Indian weddings (which were already out of hand) are getting even more out of hand! I should have known it was going to be big when everyone kept calling it "the reception."

The party was beautiful, the bride to be looked amazing, the food was pretty good. It was a good time. It looked like Pauls parents and Parvinder's parents had a good time and that's all that matters! As big as this party was, the wedding is going to be outrageous  Can't wait, glad I don't have the headache of dealing with the preparations!

The Flight Home

On the way home, we took Allegiant out of Fresno, direct to Honolulu. The tickets were booked last minute and were only $199 a piece. Then you have to pay extra if you want to choose your seats, extra per carry on, extra per checked bag, and extra for snacks and beverages.

We got there early, when asked for our ID's we used our military ones and were pleasantly surprised to find out that if you are active duty military, you get 3 free bags (up to a total weight of 99lbs.) Since we didn't get to pick our seats, when we went through security, we asked the lady at the counter if she could switch us and she said she couldn't, but since it wasn't a full flight, we could try and switch seats when we got on.

So Paul went to the bathroom and they started boarding, I was pretty sure that we were going to miss our flight, but he came out in the knick of time, we were last to board and had our own row! I'm glad we had the extra seat between us because the seats on Allegiant, don't recline! Poor 6'3" Paul would have been miserable!

We landed safe and had a great trip!

Space A

So Paul and I are flying back to California for his little brothers engagement party. We decided that we would try to do Space A(vailable) travel. Basically, it's low or no cost air travel through the military. To sign up to be in the system, you have to send them an email the moment leave starts which is awesomely 12am.

So last night, at 12 am I clicked send on and email I wrote hours before. Then I went to sleep, only to have to be up 3.5 hours later to get ready to get to the Air Force base.

We leave the house around 4:40, grab me some McDonald's so I don't get hangry and make our way.

7:13 - they put out "the list" which ends up being the pre list. It's the list to make sure we are eligible for actual roll call or actually getting a seat.

7:56 - were on the list! Waiting for security now. We were 51 52 on the list. Luckily there were 73 open seats.

8:04 - made it through agricultural check of baggage. Of course there was someone with 9 bags of cut apples in his baggage... Also wearing opened toed shoes. There always has to be someone.

8:39 - got boarding passes, Paul grabbed his parking pass and is running to the truck to take it to long term parking. I'm twiddling my thumbs, hoping he makes it back ASAP!!

9:08 - We got through security, and headed out to the plane. We ended up traveling in a C5 Galaxy. It was HUGE plane!! It was so weird, there is a compartment above this main compartment where the seats actually were. There were 73 seats, and we were facing the tail which made take off and landing interesting.

11:00 - I woke up from my nap and our boxed lunches were being passed out. Ham and cheese on wheat, cranberry juice, water, a pear, cup of fruit and rice crispy treats. It was pretty good for $4.50! After eating, Paul kicked my butt at trivial pursuit AND Life (the game), as a little kid starred longingly at the iPad.

3:30 - Landed at Travis. It wasn't a bad flight. It was like a normal plane but REALLY loud. There was tons of legroom, there were restrooms. It looked like it was pieced together with scraps, kind of, but it was a pretty comfortable ride. No complaints, other than the crazy amount of waiting in the beginning.

So, these times are all Hawaii Standard. We landed at Travis AFB 6:30 local time, it was about a 5.5 hour flight. We left the base, got food, and headed down to Sanger.

12:30am (PST) - arrived home, got into PJs and tried to go to sleep. When I took my socks and pants off, my legs were HUGE! I had thankles. Like it looked like my thighs went all the way down to the floor. I have never seen my feet that swollen in my life. I immediately laid on the floor and put my feet up, did some yoga and went to bed.

*** So yesterday, I started a new prenatal. I ran of my One A Day vitamins. Every time I took them, I would get extremely bad heartburn. I just thought it  was my new life as a pregnant lady, so I just kept taking them. I researched a little more and decided I would try a natural vitamin. I picked up the Rainbow Lite prenatal and DHA. I didn't have heartburn at all and I also had no problem in the restroom in the morning, even with the lack of water the day before.