2 Months Old

Elise is 2 months old!  These posts are going to be filled with pictures!

Dear Elise,

I have no clue where these weeks are going.  I thought they were moving fast when I was pregnant but they are moving at a warp speed.  You are smiling at every chance you get.  You love being talked to and we are starting to have little “conversations.”  You love your diaper-changing table.  I don’t know what it is about it… maybe it is because it is where you get pretty.  

You love sleeping with daddy and I.  Most nights you snuggle up against me, nurse, and fall asleep.  You have had a few long stretches of sleep at night; I think the longest one to date was 6 hours. I was very proud and so very rested.  You have also started to take naps in your crib but today and yesterday were washes.  One day at a time.  For now, you still love cuddling up to me and napping on the couch.

You’re a tiny little girl being in only the 8^th percentile for height and 16^th for weight.  But your head is growing and housing a nice and big brain.  You’re in the 81^st percentile for head size.  You had your first round of vaccines last week and I think my soul died a little and I will probably remember that cry for the rest of my life. 

What you think about shots!

Your newborn days are fleeting and I find it hard that they are leaving us so quickly, yet I am happy you are growing so well and you seem like you’re loving your life and your family.  You already have such a BIG personality!

Just a couple of your faces!

You’re a happy little baby as long as you’re rested, fed, and held the right way.  You’re your mother’s daughter for sure.  You had a few crying boughts at 6-8 weeks but it has since slowed down quite a bit.  I’m not quite sure how its possible to love you more each day but it sure does happen.  I think we have finally become the little mother daughter team and we have gotten a pretty good routine down.  We have finally gotten to know each other and it is only going to get better from here.   Your first holiday is coming up… Thanksgiving!  And boy am I thankful for you.  You have made us our little family!

Week 31 of Pregnancy

Where the heck are these weeks going?  So crazy!  9 more weeks to go and Mike and I will have a precious little one.

Our Baby:

I have many different apps that tell me how big the baby is getting every week.  These last few weeks, I have gotten many mixed sizes but I will give you my favorite.  The baby is now 18 inches long and 3.5 pounds (about the size of a head of Romaine lettuce).  This little one is now able to turn their head from side to side and do lots and lots of flips inside my uterus.  Fat is still accumulating and will keep accumulating until it is born!

Physical Changes:

I don’t feel like I have gone through many changes this last week.  My belly may have or may have not gotten bigger.  One big change… though it doesn’t have to really deal with me… is that the baby will push against one side and I can actually feel the little one (probably a little butt).  If I push against the spot the baby will move like crazy… Mike keeps telling me to stop because it must be comfortable if it keeps going to the same spot but I can’t help it sometimes… its so amazing to actually (between muscles, skin, and uterus) be able to feel the baby and see my belly move in all different directions!

How I am feeling:

I am feeling pretty good.  Sleep has been a lot better this week (besides waking up 3-4 times to use the restroom).  Breathing is still getting harder and my heart rate shoots up if I go up and down our stairs.  Other than that… all is good!

Odds and Ends:

Mike is turning 27 tomorrow and this will be the last birthday we get to celebrate without having a little on in tow (outside the uterus)!  I’m pretty sure all of our birthdays will bring a much different meaning once we have our little baby to help us celebrate them. 

We are having a mini-vacation in Colorado Springs.  Mike loves the zoo and so we are going to the Cheyenne Mountain zoo for his birthday!  More to come on the festivities this coming week.

Hope everyone has a great last weekend of July!  I know I am very happy to celebrate it with my husband and welcome in August.  

Week 30 of Pregnancy

TEN more weeks to go!  This number is very welcomed in our book!  It seems so far along 3-0 weeks!

Our Baby:

This week isn’t too exciting with new growth.  Our baby is about 3 pounds and still the same length as last week (~17 inches).  The only big difference (which is quite a big difference) is that our baby’s brain is beginning to form folds for more surface area.  The baby is kicking and doing back flips like no one’s business but I can tell when I need to take it a lot slower because the baby will starts to slow down a little… that is my sign to just lay down and catch up on some rest.. 

How I am feeling:

I was feeling pretty dang good during the first part of this week but then one day I had a really horrible stomach ache and I felt extremely lousy.  I finally put two and two together and discovered that I am becoming either lactose intolerant or sensitive.  Surprisingly, this is quite common during pregnancy.  Your body is so focused on growing a baby and supplying all the hormones that the pregnancy needs that it stops wanting to do some things… like digest lactose.   I don’t know about you, but I have never heard of a pregnant woman not being able to eat ice cream by the pint or gallon-full.  Luckily, Mike ran out and got me some coconut milk “ice cream” which eased my craving. 

Water works can be turned on in seconds flat… that is all I will say about that. 

Physical changes:

I’m noticing that my feet are getting a lot more swollen through the day.  My hips have started to put the hormone, relaxin, to use and they have been quite sore from spreading.  I look at my profile and I hardly recognize the body that I have now.  I’m starting to embrace my growing belly more and more… especially when I see it move and jive during the day but my hips, butt, and thighs are a whole different story… they can go bye-bye!

Braxton Hicks’ contractions have started and they keep me on my toes.  Sometimes they hurt and sometimes they are just really uncomfortable. 

What I am eating:

I didn’t write about this last week but these were cravings from then.  I had a huge craving for powdered donuts.  Mike and I polished off a box of them in a day (It was my reward for passing my glucose test!).  I also had a sample of Malt Vinegar and sea salt chips from Costco… I couldn’t stop thinking about them so we got a bag.  I skillfully polished those off in two days flat.  Carbs are my best friend and I only eat chicken and fish because I have to. 

Odds and Ends:

We finished our childbirth class.  I was probably the worst student in there.  Mike tried to make me participate in “practice” exercises but I just do not believe that practicing on how I should breath will make a difference come labor.  I’ve never been a fan of synchronized breathing and I don’t think I will even think about it when I’m doubled over in pain with a contraction. I did discover that I liked the rebozo (a labor tool which is really just a large scarf or pashmina used to take pressure off of your back) and the birthing ball.  We also learned some labor positions that will hopefully help.  So, I guess it wasn't all a waste.

Mike has been great and he knows exactly what I want during the birth process.  There was an exercise in class where we were given 15 or so cards with two outcomes and he chose all the right outcomes really quickly.  I was looking around the room and most of the other guys looked clueless and I saw the women just grab the cards from them and place them how they wanted them.  I think he will do great come D-day!

Here’s to 30 weeks with 10 or so more to go! 

Making a House your own

Growing up in a house that you now live in again as an adult can be a challenging thing at times.  I grew up in the house that I now share with my husband and we will soon have a family of our own here.  We were very blessed to have been given this house by my parents after we got married.  We couldn’t have found a house that would fit our family for the price we obtained it for (although it would have been fun to house hunt, however, with Mike and I being so picky, we probably wouldn’t have found one yet).  I did have my reservations though, and I still do at times.  A ton of memories (good and bad) were formed here from the age of 6 when my family bought this house.  There have been countless renovations, laughs, tears, love, parties, and teenage meltdowns in this house.  I’ve lived here for over 20 years with the exception of a couple of years when Mike and I moved in together.

So how do you make a house that was really always yours (but not really) a house you love and feel like it is your own?  Well we are in the process of it.  The kitchen has been updated to fit our tastes (budget friendly updates) and there are tons of pictures hanging of Mike and I.  Our garden is built (which is totally a Mike and Katie thing) and our backyard is really starting to come together.  But there are still times when, if my parents are here, I still feel like it is their house, and in some ways it will always be.  Maybe when this little one in my belly is born, it will feel different… as I am sure there will be toys and baby gadgets in every nook and cranny for a good part of the next few years.  And I won’t have time to contemplate about this issue.

My bedroom that I grew up in will now be a room that our son/daughter grows up in (at least for the next 5 years).   We have a sort of timing period on how long we stay in this house.  It is more set up to meet the needs of our children.  I’m not too happy with the school district we are in and if it doesn’t seemingly get better by the time our first child is school-aged, we will then discuss moving. 

But until then, we are making this house our own.  I really do love this house and I have made some very happy memories here.  Mike and I have started to make our own memories and I can’t wait to have little ones running around in the backyard with our two dogs, Christmas mornings, camping in the backyard, and giggles from the family room.  I think where I am going here is… Family makes a house a home and the memories that they create.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

When we were in Seattle, almost every restaurant we ate at had some kind of Rhubarb dessert.  We never ordered any of them but as soon as I got home, I wanted to make a Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.  I never was one who really enjoyed Rhubarb, but maybe because of the pregnancy, the sweet tartness sounded too good.

Our neighbor in the back of us has two large Rhubarb plants in her backyard.  When I was little, Mrs. Moore, a sweet old lady lived there and would always give us some of her Rhubarb.  The lady, who lives there now, just doesn’t keep up her yard at all and it is overgrown.  I’m not even sure if she knows she has Rhubarb.  Anyways, Mike cut me some of that Rhubarb one morning and I made this crisp the next day. 

So here is what you need:

Rhubarb Filling:

2-3 cups of diced Rhubarb

1 pint of strawberries

¾ cup of sugar

dash of vanilla

3-4 heaping tsp of flour

Crisp

¾ cup of Old-fashioned Oats

¾ cup Flour

½ cup Brown sugar

4 Tbs Melted Butter

Dash of salt

Mix your diced Rhubarb and Hulled and quartered strawberries.  

Add sugar, vanilla, and flour and mix well.  Let sit for 15 minutes

Meanwhile, melt butter.  Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt. 

Add melted butter and mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened.

Put your rhubarb and strawberry mixture into a baking dish.  I used a round dish but an 8x8 baking dish should do well too.  Cover your fruit mixture with the crisp topping.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the crisp is browned and sauce is bubbling.  

Let cool and serve with Ice Cream!

Weeks 22 and 23 of Pregnancy

So… I kind of slacked off on my 22 week pregnancy update, mostly because we left for Seattle last Friday and the fact that I have been extremely exhausted ever since we got back.  So I am going to link weeks 22 and 23 together in this post.

Seattle really took a lot out of me with the walking and traveling aspect.  This week I have been really emotional and frankly worn out.  I even had to sell our tickets to one of our favorite band’s concert, Postal Service.  Wild guess, but I believe this won’t be the last time we cancel plans because of our little jelly belly.

Our Baby

Last week the baby was the size of a Spaghetti Squash (crazy) and weighed in at about 15oz.  This week, the little one is the size of a Papaya and is now 11 inches long and weighs in at about 1.1-1.2 pounds!  We have reached the poundage mark, people!  Over the next few weeks the baby will double in size again!

In Seattle, the baby was not moving much.  Maybe it was just as tired as I was or it was the different altitude or who knows.  I kept trying to make it move throughout the day because I started getting worried.  But as soon as I got on the plane… Mr/Ms. Jelly belly started moving all over the place again and hasn’t stopped much since.  I joked that we have a little homebody on our hands.

 Physical Changes

Of course my belly has gotten bigger and people now can see that I am pregnant.  Not many have pointed it out until either Mike or I say something about it.  Last week I gained 1.5 pounds making it a total of +11 pounds pre-pregnancy.  This week, I am up another 1.2 pounds making my total weight gain to date, +12.2 pounds.  Those spandex-y maternity pants/shorts are now all I want to wear.

How I am feeling

During week 22, I was very energetic and was able to get a lot of stuff done around the house.  This week, however, Mike has picked up a lot of my slack… plus he has been working almost everyday since we got back.  While I was still waking up yesterday, Mike had mowed the lawn, did the dishes, and started the mound of laundry we have collected.  And all without me even asking.  I have to give him a lot of credit here and kind of brag about what a great husband I have.

Here is my view of the belly!

The Round Ligament pain I was feeling a few weeks back, well that was nothing.  I now can’t get comfortable in any position without something twinging or aching.  I’m hoping I either get used to it in the weeks to come or it goes away for a little while before the 3^rd trimester woes start (which is only another 5 weeks away).

Emotionally, I am a wreck.  My tears can be switched “on” in a matter of seconds if something makes me upset… that has usually always been the case but it is much worse now.  I can’t even remember some of the things that have made me tear-up/cry in the past week but I know most of them were pretty stupid.  For instance, I couldn’t get a good shot for my pregnancy picture so I gave up after about 5 tries and went inside and cried a little.  That is why this post is late… I had to wait for Mike to take a picture of me.

What I am craving

I am still on a nectarine kick but cherries have now been added to my summer fruit cravings.  I am really starting to hate cooking, especially dinner, because I just can’t come up with good dishes.  As you could see in my Seattle post, I still love sweets and have to keep them out of the house or else I’ll eat way too much sugar.  I always thought that a pregnant woman in her 2^nd trimester was supposed to want to eat everything in sight… not this pregnant lady. 

What I am missing

I started missing my flat tummy this week.  I know I am not huge but I still feel like I am.  I also miss being able to walk long distances without taking a break every 5 minutes to catch my breath.  And wine… I could have gone for many glasses of wine while in Seattle and now that I’m back home, sangria on the porch sounds amazing.  

That’s all for now! 

Weekend Update: Pancakes, Farmer's Markets, and 13th Birthday Parties

Mike only had this Saturday off but it was a very full Saturday.  He has this Monday and Tuesday off but we are planning on finally finishing those garden boxes and finally planting.

Early Saturday, I really felt like some pancakes.  We didn’t have any eggs so I looked up a no-egg pancake recipe… tried it and threw away the two pancakes I made and the batter.  YUK!  

Instead of going to the store to buy eggs or even some pancake mix (like most normal people), we decided (since it was the 1^st and all… our monthiversary!) to go out to breakfast.  

We were also planning on going to the farmer’s market to walk around a bit, so Mike called up his mom and sister to join us. 

I had exclaimed earlier in the day that I wanted some rhubarb for a rhubarb crisp and that the neighbors behind us had a whole bunch that they never use.  While I was drying my hair, Mike had gone over and “borrowed” some of the “never-used-was-going-to-waste” rhubarb.  Recipe to follow…

We went to Jelly’s U Café by DU. It was pretty packed but we were able to be seated early over by the “window bar” because I was starting to get pretty hungry by that point.  I ordered the Buttermilk pancakes and Mike got The Wisco Scramble with Bacon, cheddar, Brie, and Swiss cheeses.  Yummy!

We finished breakfast and headed over to the Cherry Creek Saturday Farmer’s Market to meet his mom, sister, and adorable niece.  We couldn’t stay too long because we had my niece’s 13^th birthday party to go to.  His mom bought us two huge artichokes and we got some baby/people/dog watching in.

We hurried home, took quick showers, and were out the door to my niece’s birthday.  Let me just tell you how I feel about this birthday.  I remember her 1^st birthday party like it was yesterday (the chubby little cheeks eating cake and all)… but the fact is, I was just a couple years older than she is now at her 1^st birthday.  It made me realize just how fast kids grow up without even realizing it.  And, it almost made me a little sad because it is going to go so much quicker with my own.  

Side Note:

Here is a fun fact about our family:

                                                  My biological mom was 15 years old when my sister was born.

My sister was 12 years old when I was born

I was 14 years old when my niece was born

… and my niece will be 13 years old when my baby is born

12, 13, 14, 15.  So my niece is going to have to have a baby when this little one is either 11 or 16 (ugh… I don’t even want to think about those ages yet).  Just kidding!

Another fun fact:

             My mom was 27 when she had me, my sister was 27 when she had my niece, and I will be 27 when I have this baby. 

Anyways, my sisters gave my niece a great 13^th birthday party full of teenage fun… karaoke, dancing, and of course lots of presents!  I had never seen my niece the way she acted yesterday… so grown up and really funny!  She is usually pretty reserved when she is around the family but get her friends into the mix... and she becomes so outgoing and talkative (well, she is always talkative though :)). 

Today is her actual birthday so… Happy 13^th Birthday, A! I love you!

Here’s to a full Saturday of pancake cravings, farmer’s markets, and 13^th birthdays!