Steph & Joe

Christmas 2011

2012-01-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that Christmas is crazy with two kids! I felt like I was going a million miles a minute during the whole month of December. A trip to Disneyland, stocking stuffers, decorations, treats, Elfis (oh geez...) it was all I could do to just catch my breath!

One day when we were Christmas shopping, we got lured into a kiosk at the mall. This woman offered to curl Sophia's hair and she was sold! She loves having pretty curls so we bought a tiny clampless curling iron. Here she is with her Christmas dress on and her bouncy curls

Christmas Eve was spent at my parents house. We had roast beef, ham, home made rolls, roasted broccoli, etc. etc. It was delish! Then we snuggled into the living room and tore open presents. Both Joe and I worked and so we headed home early!

Christmas morning started with me waking up at 4:45, throwing on a hat and pants and driving to work. I worked until 9:00 and headed home to my most favorite people in the world who, luckily, really like to sleep. Sophia had only been awake for a half hour when I got home. She was so patient and waited in our bedroom with Joe and Charlie until she heard me open the front door. We met in the living room and opening presents commenced!

Charlie and I weren't feeling to hot so he mostly sat and observed which was fine. Sophia did enough opening for the two of them. In fact, she opened most of his presents!

Ju-Ju Bea was also incuded in the fun. She got a few balls with bells in them and a squeeky mouse with a bell on it's tail. She loved pouncing on the wrapping paper and shredding it.

Charlie's face makes me laugh. He was so mad when I took that candy away from him. How cute are those Christmas jammies?! Grandma Jan gives all the grandkids pajamas to open on Christmas Eve.

Sophia got tons of great stuff. She had such a funny list from Santa this year. It included a pottery wheel and donut maker! What four year old asks Santa for those things?

Joe spoiled me and got me some pearl earrings, boots (that I got to open in November!) and a gorgeous Hobo wallet. I had a hard time buying for Joe, as he is the man that buys whatever he wants when he wants, but I did pick up a few things. He got an ice cream maker that fits on my Kitchen-Aid and a personalized tactical pen with a few other practical gifts *ahem* beard trimmer and shoe rack

How adorable are these two babies! Victoria and Charlie in their matching girl and boy reindeer jammies!

Cousins!

I loved Christmas this year. I loved spending as much time as possible with family, playing games, eating great food, and just having fun!

Seven Months

2012-01-25T21:45:00.001-08:00

On December 3rd, Charlie turned 7 months old. It was a crazy busy month full of Christmas fun, colds, and family and we enjoyed every minute of it with our Bug.

In December, Charlie had given up on the army crawl and was just as fast on his hands and knees as he was doing an army crawl. He still had the same focus though. If he was headed somewhere in a hurry, he would put his head down, obviously to prevent drag on his long blonde hair! Speaking of hair, the ends are starting to angle upwards, especially after tubby time! I think Charlie is getting curly hair!

In December we decided it was finally time for Charlie to be sleeping in his crib. He did not like his crib. He did not like it so much that he very quickly learned how to pull himself up to standing in his crib which was a problem. He was so young and able to stand (with zero balance) that he was falling and bonking his head constantly! Nights were a very difficult time. As sad as it was to hear him cry in his crib when he wanted to be snuggled up with Mama, it was adorable to see his little head peek over the side of the crib, looking out his door and into our room. He would spy his Mama and squawk until I would rescue him from the crib, or at least until I would come in for the 100th time, lay him back down and pat his bum until he fell asleep.

In December we decided it was time for Charlie to start eating solids regularly. I made him home made sweet potato and squash puree. He loved it! He also started eating oatmeal. He can down a bowl of food faster than his sister ever could. It was almost like he had to make up for lost time! He always acted starving!

This is a picture of his 'old man face' I LOVE this face! He usually did the old man face in place of a smile and sometimes it was accompanied by some humming. I feel like this little face sums up his personality exactly.

Another thing that happened in December was that Charlie decided he doesn't like his binkie anymore! Once day he was sucking on it, happy as can be, reached up to his mouth, popped it out, chewed on the side for a second and that was it. He was done! In it's place he has fallen in love with an old bear rattle. I got it from a consignment sale in a bag of a bunch of other toys but he picked that one out and loves it! One of it's eyes that is painted on is rubbing off so it makes the bear look like it is scowling. He holds that rattle in a death grip and doesn't like it to leave his side.

Charlie also started to notice Sophia. Following her, staring at her. It is such an amazing feeling as a mom to see your two kids genuinely love each other. One time I asked Sophia if, now that she had Charlie, if she wished that he would have been a girl. She looked right at him with a smile and said, "I only wanted a baby brother!" *Melt* The holidays were so fun to experience with two kids too. Speaking of holidays.... more of that to come soon!

Six Months

2012-01-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

On November 3rd, our little Charlie Bug turned six months old. I cant believe how fast the time has flown by. He has been such a happy baby and so fun to watch as he learns and explores his world. His blonde hair has sprouted and is growing like crazy, except for that tiny bald patch at the back of his head where he rubs his head while sleeping.

Charlie started crawling at six months. First it started out on his tummy and he would just pull his body around with only his arms while his little legs dragged behind him. Then it slowly transformed into him doing a complete army crawl. He was so fast! It is fun to be in the other room and hear his little hands slapping the hardwood floor as he crawls. Then, finally, he started getting up on his knees and doing the classic crawl. I always laughed though because it was slow and deliberate so when he needed to get somewhere quick, he would flop down onto his belly and do his much faster army crawl.

One of my favorite new things that Charlie started to do at six months was his reaching. When he would see something he would like (usually people that he loves) he will reach his little hand out to you as if to call you over. It is beyond adorable. Charlie still loves to jump and when anyone stands him up he will jump in their arms.

Charlie is a boy through and through and found his most favorite toy which is any ball. His favorite thing to do is to play fetch. He will crawl over to the ball, swat it or throw it and then crawl after it as it rolls away. Repeat. Over and over again. Not only has he started to really like his toys, he really really doesn't like it when his toys get taken away. Especially the 'toys' that are on the floor which may include stray pieces of plastic, dust bunnies, loose paper, etc. He will scream the most high pitched scream and then cry when you take away something that he had his little heart set on exploring.

He never did much eating of solid food at six months. We tried a few veggies but he just wasn't interest. I didn't feel like eating solids was something we needed to push and really get going yet so both he and I were content with just milk. He also didn't do much sleeping through the night. We attempted to transition him out of our bed and into his crib but.... Mama and baby weren't too happy with that and so he remained in our bed.

Six months is officially the beginning of my favorite age. Charlie's little personality has just taken off and he melts my heart. I can tell that he loves his Mama and Daddy and older sister and I am so glad he is in our family!

Meet Elfis, our Elf on a Shelf

2011-12-29T00:20:00.001-08:00

Sometime in November, my mind was gearing up for Christmas and I was trying to think of something fun to do with my kids, our own tradition. I was browsing the holiday section of pinterest and saw an elf hugging a milk jug of green milk and I was intrigued. I went on to read all about Elf on a Shelf and fell in love. What an adorable idea.

Fast forward two or three weeks and our very own elf arrived in his box in the mail. I explained to Sophia that we had ordered him from the North Pole and sat with her and read the book, Elf on a Shelf. We spent about an hour trying to come up with a name. Sophia kept wanting to call him ornament or Christmas tree, names not exactly suiting our new elf. As the wheels were turning in our minds, Joe called out from the other room, "How about Elfis?!" and so he is Elfis.

Elfis came for a visit every day and left every night to go report to Santa if Sophia ( and Charlie) were naughty or nice.

The first morning he showed up was after Thanksgiving

He teamed up with all the Disney princess' and brought us our Disneyland tickets

He got caught under a glass

He felt right at home in the freezer, sneaking some ice cream, wearing my glove for a hat

"On Dasher!!"

Elfis took a ride on our ceiling fan

Elves are often mischievous and Elfis decided to unroll a whole roll of toilet paper around the bathroom

Elfis tried to stow away with us on our way to school

He must have watched a movie and enjoyed some if the treats we love!

Elfis and Minnie built forts and were having a snowball fight

Practiced writing his new name, not the most conventional way to write it :)

Sneaking more candy and treats...

Elfis got into all the wrapping paper and ribbon and thought he would help out a little

Our Elfis must have known that he came to our house based on this little trick alone. He must have felt he should do the same!

Sometimes Elves aren't as creative towards the end of the month so they like to just sit and read a book

Since we had almost no snow Elfis had to get creative to make a snow angel

On his last morning here Elfis reminded Sophia to be a good girl and he will be back next year!

This has been such a fun tradition to do this year. Sophia is at the absolute best age to experience Elf on a Shelf and each morning she would jump out of bed and go searching for Elfis. Her reactions were hilarious. Sometimes it was an exasperated, "oh Elfis!!" with an eye roll. One morning she told me he didn't have a very good hiding spot, it wasn't very funny she said.

So until next year, good bye Elfis!

First Baby Food

2011-11-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

When Sophia was little, me being a first time mom, I was pretty excited to give her her first taste of baby food. I remember getting the go-ahead from Sophia's pediatrician and then going right out and buying her some rice cereal. It was so exciting, so new for us and Sophia took to it right away!

This time around, with Charlie, I wasn't so anxious to start him on solids. His pediatrician, who is amazing by the way, said to introduce solids from between 4-6 months. I decided we could wait closer to six months with Charlie. I also decided that I would give him some avocado for his first food too! Towards the end of October I remembered we had some avocado in our fruit bowl and decided this would be the day! I mashed up the avocado with breast milk, got his Bumbo set up on the kitchen counter, and wrapped this huge, full-body bib over him. I handed the camera to Joe and we were off!

As you can see, it was a rough beginning. He didn't really know what to do with this squishy green goop on his tongue.

He let it sit there a little longer and...egh... he didn't like it

Then he decided to spit it out

"Daaaad! Heeeeeelp!"

"No more! No more!"

It is an understatement to say that Charlie's first solids were not a success. So I tried avocado the next day. Same reaction. So a few days later I cut up a butternut squash, roasted it with a tiny smidge of oil, pureed it with breast milk and tried that. He maybe swallowed an eight of a teaspoon and had the same reaction as before, keeps his mouth open with the food just sitting on his tongue. Tried it again the next day. This time he blew a raspberry with the squash in his mouth. He laughed as it splattered in my face. So now we have tried oatmeal cereal with breast milk. Same response. Will not swallow it. My little stinker is refusing these solids! Part of me is slightly frustrated but I am mostly relieved. That means he still only wants to nurse with his mama and that makes me happy. So, I think for now we have given up. He is still growing and healthy and strong so our next attempt will be Thanksgiving! Maybe he will like sweet potatoes...

The Birds with the birds

2011-11-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Joe and I took the kids to Tracy Aviary for an afternoon of fun!

Charlie follows no one's schedule and decided he wanted to eat as soon as we got there so we kept the A/C running and hung out in the car while he had his elevensies snack. When I was finished nursing and changing his diaper, in the car, on my lap, I hurried and got him dressed and in the baby carrier. I reached for his foot and.... and... I kept reaching and there was nothing! Finally I looked to see what was going on. This was:

I guess I got him dressed too quickly. I thought this picture was so funny!

Sophia's face is hilarious!

Joe and I teased Sophia and told her to pretend she was a flamingo. It was funny to watch her try to balance on one foot and tuck her head down.

It was super hot that day so we were happy to see we would be there when they were doing a bird show in the shade! It was all about raptors, or birds of prey. It was really interesting to see all the tricks that they had taught the birds! At the very end a crow comes out and you can line up and hand it a dollar and it will hop over to the donation box and put your dollar in. Sophia got scared of it and had Joe hand the crow the dollar.

A golden eagle

We got to hear this kookaburra laugh sitting in it's little tree

After the bird show Sophia started getting a little cranky and wanted to get out of the heat and get some food in her belly. Since we were near downtown, we decided to try the new Whole Foods on 7th east. It was delicious! The sandwiches you can get there are amazing.

This summer was so fun and I am sad to see that it has passed, and much too quickly. I'm glad we got some good playing in before it was over!

Our life according to the iPhone

2011-10-12T21:03:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love scrolling through all your photos and seeing what life was like day to day? Here are a few of my gems:

Charlie was having a really hard time falling asleep. He has kind of out-grown that phase.

Me and my little man watching a Utes game

Sophia drew this picture of Joe! I was crying laughing when I saw it

Charlie met cousin three of the four that will be born within mine months of him. This is baby Whyatt

I had a surplus of garden tomatoes and came up with a stuffed tomato recipe. They were delicious!

Playing on the grass at my parents. Moments later he rolled over and gravity rolled him al the way down the hill! Poor baby!

My dad spoiled Sophia with a bunch of Toy Story toys. Jessie is her favorite.

Getting ready for ballet, wearing her new tutu.

Picture of a picture.... My brother at about seven months. Looks so much like Charlie!!

Joe's Walter White shoes

Five Months

2011-10-10T15:45:00.001-07:00

To my Charles Alexander,

You turned 5 months old this week. You are the most adorable 5 months old baby boy! You are constantly changing and becoming your own little person and we are enjoying every second of it!

You are growing so big and strong! We weighed you on your 5 month birthday and you were right about 15.5 lbs. So big and strong! You have started to move constantly. You can roll back to front and front to back which makes it so that when Mama sets you down somewhere, more often than not, I end up finding you somewhere else. You can also get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth. Why do you think you get to crawl so early little man? Mama is not ready! You love to play on your tummy the most and you can spin yourself a full 360 so you can see all your toys. Your favorite toy is the long chain of links that you like to chew on and shake to see how much noise you can make.

Speaking of noise, you have found your little voice this month. You are very opinionated about what you want to play with and you get frustrated easily. When you get frustrated you scream. Scuh-REAM!! High pitched, ear splitting. It is hilarious. Once you found out you could make such a noise you like to see what other noises you can make. You can do a sort of raspberry noise too, but you would much rather scream.

Your hair is growing at an astonishing pace. You have quite a bit of white blonde hair that is so fine and soft. Mama cannot help but nuzzle your soft little head all day long, especially when I am carrying you in your carrier.

You are pretty much the smiley-est baby I have ever met. It takes very little for someone to get you to smile, even if they are a stranger to you.

You still love to nurse, so much in fact, that you still do not sleep through the night. Why miss out on getting to nurse in the middle of the night? We haven't started you on solid food yet, we are waiting until you show all the signs of being ready. Maybe once we do though you will feel like it is ok to get some more sleep!

You drool like crazy little man but there are no teeth to be seen yet. But Mama is dreading the day when one pokes through so just keep them down there! No rush what so ever.

Just a few days ago, Mama set you in your crib for a second and decided to prop you up with your hands. To my surprise, I returned about 30 seconds later and you were still holding yourself up! Sitting! We haven't even been practicing but you could still do it!

You love your sister Charlie. One night we were watching Tarzan and she was watching the TV and I was watching you just stare at her. When she would smile, you would smile. When she chuckled, you would giggle. You even started to lean out of my lap to try and get her. You touched her knee, tried to grab her hair, and wiggled closer and closer until you were practically crawling up her lap. I have never seen you so smiley. Mama could tell that you love her so much already.

So my little man, another month has passed with you being in our lives and making it better. We love you little Charlie Bug.

Four Months

2011-09-11T22:11:00.000-07:00

Well Charlie, here we are. Four months old. I was just looking at pictures on my camera card and can we just address something really quick? What happened to all your hair?!? I looked at a picture of you at your baby blessing and I thought, "What in the toupee!?" The difference in the way you look is astounding.

Charlie, you are such a happy baby. It is unreal. Almost anyone can get a smile out of you. It is adorable. The best though is when your gaze meets my face and your little face lights up and a grin spreads from ear to ear. It makes my day baby.

You are growing up to be such a big boy Charlie-bug. At your four month appointment you weighed 14 lbs. 5 oz. and were 24 inches long. You hated your shots but got to nurse right after and seemed to forget about everything else that had happened to you at that appointment.

You have started to gain better control of your arms and hands and love to pull anything you can grab to your face to take a little taste. You especially love to do this with blankets or the bottom of your shirt.

You have really found your voice this month and it is hilarious because you try out every sound you can think of, regardless of octave. Sometimes I hear a scream erupt from your mouth and run to check on you but find you happy, just practicing your sounds and telling stories to your toys.

On August 28th you decided you wanted to roll over for the first time. Mama was in the shower and missed it and was so sad! But you haven't stopped since and so I get to see you do it all the time. You roll back to tummy but only over your right side. What a good job you have done, even if it sometimes happens at very inopportune times. Like when I am trying to change your diaper. Or when you roll yourself into the corner of your bassinet and get stuck. You seem to roll the most when you get really mad though, just like the progression of these last three photos

You still love sleeping with your Mama and I love it too... but it is starting to decrease the amount of sleep that Mama is getting. If Mama moves, you scoot closer to be nuzzled right up to me. You still sleep the best when you are swaddled up tight in your blanket. You have started smiling at the sight of your sister. It is adorable because you smile but also wiggle your eyebrows up and down at her. She coos and talks baby talk to you and you love it! You even giggled when she played peek-a-boo with you once.

And speaking of giggle. Oh, that giggle. It kills me. It is beyond adorable Charlie. I have video after video of it on my phone and I sneak out into the hall every day at work to watch you giggle when my heart aches for you while I am at work.

Well my little man, I love you more than I could ever say! Here is to another amazing month with you in our family.

Meeting Victoria

2011-09-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

I remember, some time at the end of last year, walking into Joe's mom's house for a visit one evening. Jenny was sitting at the kitchen table and before I could say anything she said, "Steph, I'm pregnant!" I of course was thrilled for her and even more excited that our little babies would be only a few months apart.

Fast forward to the end of July, when Jenny was due. Her due date came and went, then another week, and finally another. After a very long wait little Victoria made her entrance on August 15th.

Charlie didn't have a clue what was going on but I bet he will love having a little cousin so close in age to play with.
Cousins! It was insane how a few short months made the difference between 7 and 14 pounds. Charlie looked enormous!

Now Charlie and Victoria are waiting for the other half of their little four cousin group. Meredith is due with a little boy any second now and Sally will be having a baby girl around the end of January! I can't wait to do a final line up of the four of them!

Guess what time I took this?!

2011-08-28T22:12:00.001-07:00

11:00 pm. During a monstrous lightning storm.

Joe and I decides to watch it on our doorstep. All romantic. Holding hands. Within a few seconds of walking out, lightning hit so close all we could see was orange and we heard the thunder instantaneously. There were yells and screams and then a fit of nervous laughter. I was shaking! What a crazy night!

Three Months

2011-08-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

To my darling Charlie Bug,

You are now three months old! You are such a big boy! I can barely remember our life with out you!

You are the happiest baby I have ever met. Just the other day I had three different people tell me how happy you are. Mornings are your favorite time to be happy. You usually wake up, and before your eyes are even all the way open, you have a huge grin on your face. So happy to greet the world!

You have started 'talking' recently. It is mostly 'gaaahhh' sounds or gurgles but you can carry on your little conversation with anyone that is willing to talk back. Again, mornings are your favorite time to smile and talk.

You have started to have more dexterity lately. I watch you play on your play mat and you stare intently on those toys above your head. Then, after some serious thought, you lift your left hand and bat at the toy. The other day you even grabbed the foot of your lion in a death grip and you got so frustrated when you couldn't pull it down! You also have fallen in love with your Wubannub binkie. You suck on the binkie and grip tightly onto the giraffe stuffed animal.

You are starting to get chubbier my little man! Mama loves it. There is such a sense of accomplishment to know that I feed you. You rely on me and your chubby thighs seem to say I am doing a good job. You take a bottle when you are at day care, but definitely prefer 'out of the tap'. You stare up at Mama and sometimes smile and get distracted. Other times you are so focused on getting your dinner. You take your little hand and swipe it back and forth across my chest as if to say, "Good job on the milk boob!" I love nursing you Charlie bug.

I have loved watching you discover new things. This picture was one of the first where you discovered your own face. You smiled and talked to yourself for a solid 10 minutes. It was adorable and my heart melted.

You think Mama is pretty funny. You laugh when I tickle your tummy or squinch your cheeks together with your fists.

Your adorable little boy hair has fallen out and in it's place remains a few long wispy blonde hairs and bleach blonde hairs that are starting to grow in. Why is it that my Charlie bug gets the hair and your sister was bald for so long? Irony baby.

You absolutely love tubby time. You kick your legs and talk and splash. You love to be snuggled after tubby time. You love getting lotioned after tubby time! You love to sleep with your Mama, which might cause a problem some time in the future but for now, Mama would be lonely without you snuggling under her chin. You go to bed around 10:00 pm, wake up once around 4 am, and then again three hours later. You are a good sleeper baby boy!

You do NOT like getting boogers sucked out of your nose and unfortunately you have had quite a few. It is the hardest I have ever heard you scream. It makes Mama so sad that Daddy has to do it. You also do not like getting in your car seat. You don't cry though, you just yell, "I DON'T LIKE IT!"

Well my little man, I love you so much and I am so glad you are in our family. I can't wait to see what this next month brings.

Love,

Mama

Girls date!

2011-07-28T10:55:00.001-07:00

When I had Charlie I realized how important it would be to have one-on-one time with Sophia. So we picked a day and left the two boys at home!

We decided lunch and shopping would be fun. I told Sophia she could pick ANY lunch place. And she chose Wendy's :)

Being a cheesy girl!

Sophia LOVES to take her picture on my phone so we sat there for 10 minutes taking pictures

Smiles

Frowns

We went shopping at Target and Sophia picked out this dress. It is so adorable on her! She also got pink sparkle shoes.

I loved going on girls date! Love you Soph!

Graduation Dinner

2011-07-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

Back in May when Joe graduated, I wanted to take him somewhere really nice for us to celebrate. Lugano is our typical go-to restaurant but I though it might be fun to try somewhere new. One day, with this in mind, we were walking through Costco and I saw gift cards to Ruths Chris steakhouse. I picked one up and then we played the waiting game... Waiting until I was ready to leave Charlie with a babysitter. Well last week the time finally came. Joe and I ditched the kids for our first date in months.

We were seated at a secluded booth and greeted by our server. He went over the whole menu with us and after much deliberation we ordered. To start off, we both got the chop salad:

Joe got the surf 'n turf with a filet and lobster tail

Our server highly recommended this steak, the Cowboy Ribeye. I added the Bleu cheese crust to it and it was divine.

For our sides we got tempura onion rings, herbed wild mushrooms, and sweet potato souffle which was the best thing other than my steak.

For dessert we tried their banana cream pie. It had a super thin, shell-like crust filled with white chocolate and banana pudding. It was topped with slices of banana and sprinkled with sugar which was then caramelize. I was so stuffed after dinner!

Joe and I still had an hour before we had to be home so we drove around Holladay with the windows down, oogling at the gorgeous houses around there. It was so great to finally go out on a date again with Joe. I missed our entertaining conversations. I sure so love that man and I'm so proud of him for graduating!

The Fourth of July

2011-07-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Our Fourth of July started out much the same as years previous, attending the East Millcreek Parade. Kirsten and my Oma joined us this year! Here are Charlie and Sophia getting excited for the parade!

The police officers always start off the parade on their motorcycles, blaring their sirens. Joe was kind enough to protect Charlie's ears, much to his dismay.

It was already getting hot at 9:00 in the morning! The sun was lighting up Charlie's hair

That afternoon was very low key, I am still trying to get caught up on sleep and relaxation time. Charlie and Joe were hanging out on the couch and Charlie thought he was such a big boy sitting with Daddy!

After we had a delicious BBQ at my parents house, we all went back to my house to watch fireworks. Anthony and my dad contributed to the group pot. Sophia and Charlie watched intently:

My happy girl!

Charlie snuggling with Mama after a pre-firework snack

Kirsten came over for fireworks and brought us these yummy treats, chocolate covered marshmallows:

My friend, Melanie, gave me this Moby wrap before I had Charlie. I love love love carrying him around in it. He is snuggled up tight and loves it and it doesn't hurt my back at all!

After our own fireworks we moved across the street to watch SL Country Club fireworks

And after those ended we could see Sugarhouse fireworks!

Nothing like a solid 2 hours of fireworks to round out the Fourth of July!

Two Months

2011-07-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Two whole months! My little Charlie Bug is growing up too fast! Charlie turned two months old on his blessing day. I decided to take his picture with this adorable sock monkey my visiting teacher, Kim, made for him. How cute are these two together?! Charlie got all his shots a few days later and it never gets easier to watch your babies get them. He cried as hard as I have ever heard him cry :( At least they let me have the room afterwards to let him nurse to his heart's content. He did whimper the rest of the day though, it was heartbreaking!

His two month stats are:

Height- 23 inches, 45%

Weight- 10 lbs 15.5 ounces, 25%

Head- 15.5 inches, 10%

So my guy is just a little one! Sophia was always ~50% for height and weight and she was never below 80% for her head!

Charlie has been a little night owl and refuses to fall asleep until midnight. I was really stressing because I go back to work next week and have to get up at 5:00am! I decided to try a very rigid bedtime routine and within a day or two he was going to sleep at 9:00 and sleeping 5-6 hours straight! What a relief!

Charlie still likes to nurse every two hours during the day. He is my little piglet! When Sophia self-weaned at 11.5 months, I swore I would enjoy every second of nursing the next time that I did it. Well, that was easier said than done. Between thrush and multiple plugged ducts, nursing has been a bumpy road for us but it seems to be smoothing out and I finally am getting to enjoy the one-on-one time I get with Charlie.

Charlie has been smiling now for a while and has just started adding giggling to his list of things that he can do! It is beyond adorable, especially paired with that gummy grin. He loves to stare at peoples faces but also loves his giraffe that hangs out with him in his car seat. He has been concentrating so hard lately to control his little hands to grab that giraffe, but no success as of yet.

I am so happy we have our little Charlie Bug!

A Name and a Blessing

2011-07-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

When Joe and I found out we were having a boy last December we were thrilled. I just knew that little baby growing inside my belly was a boy. I had felt it from the very beginning. As we walked out of the office after getting our ultrasound, one of the first things we began talking about was this baby boy's name. What in the world were we going to name him? I loved Oliver and Elliot. Joe loved John. I swear we went over names for weeks. Then one day Joe and I were texting back and forth and he said, "Let's name him Charles Alexander." Charlie was my great-uncles name. I have such fond memories of going to visit him when I was very small with my Grandpa Lou. He was a very kind man and I remember my grandpa loving him very much. Charles is also a derivative of Carl or Karl, which was my Oma's father's name. Charles means 'common man' or 'free man'. We loved it and felt like it was right for this baby boy. Alexander was a name that Joe loved and since he picked Sophia's middle name I though, "Why not let him pick this one too." Alexander means 'defender of man' or 'protector of man'. And so his name was decided.

On Charlie's two month birthday we had the opportunity to bless him. As we walked into the chapel we were greeted by friends and loved ones. Charlie had just been fed and was happy as a little clam. When it came time to bless Charlie, those men closest to us joined Joe in the circle and participated in his blessing. Joe gave an amazing blessing. I specifically remember him blessing Charlie to always be kind and actively include others. Something that I hope my children will always be and do. I of course got choked up. When the blessing was over, Charlie came and cuddled with me and fell peacefully asleep.

After church we invited everyone over for a visit and waffles! Joe got a waffle iron for Father's Day (I promise that is what he wanted!) and he had tried about 5 different waffle recipes until we found the most delicious one. The kids ran around outside in the blistering heat and the adults huddled inside around the swamp cooler.

It was such a nice day and feel so blessed to have little Charlie in our lives. We love you little Charlie Bug.

Relaxin'

2011-07-13T13:28:00.001-07:00

Please bare with me... I'm learning my phone

2011-07-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

I have always loved these legs. They get pinched daily.

Charlie started smiling at five weeks old! Now he is smiling constantly! I have even got him to laugh a handful of times :)

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T09:50:00.001-07:00

6 Weeks

2011-06-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone?! I am loving every minute of having a newborn. Even the 2 am feedings or his awake time from 5-7am. Here are some more things that I love about Charlie:

He still has his hair! It is so fine and soft. I can't help but nuzzle it all day long.

His little tiny hands. One of my favorite things is how he rests his hand on my chest when I am feeding him. It is so sweet.

His legs. They are getting chubby finally! And they still are covered in baby-fine blonde hair. And look how cute they are with his socks on!

Cloth diapering has been going great and one of the things that I love about it is how fluffy they make his bum!

Tummy time is hit and miss. He has a super strong neck and can keep his head up easily so we don't do it that often but some days he loves it, some days he hates it.

Look at that chubby little fist! Charlie still doesn't have great control of his arms and hands so this little cutie sometimes clocks him right in the face!

Charlie will 'startle' himself awake so we still are swaddling him and he loves it.

He also loves his binkie. I am new to a newborn that uses a binkie but so far, so good.

He is starting to be more animated and learning to make different faces

He started smiling at 5 weeks and this is the closest I have gotten to capturing his adorable smile.

I sure do love my Charlie boy!

Charles Alexander

2011-05-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Charlie had his newborn pics done two weeks ago. I love them!

My photographer is named Molly.

Check out her stuff at www.mollyjonesphotography.com

Graduation, Ballet, and Par-tay!!

2011-05-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a boy named Joe. He loved to laugh and play. He thought, "Who wants to go to school all day?" Not him. Then one day he found his calling in life. It took a while to figure it out exactly but he found it. Now, years later, all the hard work and long, grueling hours finally have paid off. The boy, Joe, is now a college graduate.

As if our May was not jam-packed enough, Joe graduated from college! He graduated on May 21 through the School of Medicine.

The faculty and staff

There he is on the last row, second one in

It was funny because they read the names and presented diplomas in alphabetical order. The two 'A' names before him were long and difficult to pronounce. Then they read 'Joe Bird' and everyone had a little laugh.

After a very long but interesting commencement, we finally got to see our grad!

The brand new family of four!

Because Joe's graduation was at Kingsbury Hall, each graduate was only allotted 8 tickets. Jan, Jenny and Joe's grandpa were the lucky ones that got to go!

Joe Bird, I am so proud of you. You are such a brilliant man and I am so lucky to have you in my life. Thanks for all your hard work for the fam. We love you!!

Then, later that day we had Sophia's very first ballet recital at the Marriot Center for Dance. It was adorable!

The girls were supposed to wear make-up! Sophia's eye lashes are so long!

Here is my sweetie doing her dancing and posing!

Sophia did a great job at her recital. Too bad that all photography was prohibited and we would have been caught sitting on the second row :( But we can buy the DVD that the pros made.

After that whirl-wind of a day and some mad cleaning, I had my and Joe's family over for a graduation party for him on Sunday.

We had a BBQ with all the fixin's

Months ago, when I was thinking about this party, I really wanted to have it lab themed. However, lab glassware is ridiculously expensive, even the party kind. So I settled for this agar plate cake. A girl that I work with was kind enough to make it for me. I think it looks awesome! See the resemblance?

Gross! But the cake was delicious!

And last, but certainly not least, here is my cute Charlie boy at 3 weeks old

Happy Birthday Sophia!

2011-05-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

Since Sophia had a baby brother that was only 11 days old on her birthday, it was a little more low-key than in years previous. Joe and I like to let Sophia plan out her entire day, so for her birthday this year she wanted to open presents in the morning and to have breakfast at McDonalds.

Joe stayed up until about 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning blowing up 75 pink, purple, and white balloons. He also bought a Rapunzel Happy Birthday banner. She was so surprised!

This is the present that Charlie got Sophia. She also got an easel to do all of her art on.

This gives you a better idea of the mass amounts of balloons! I think Joe must love Sophia :)

Sophia is always wanting more princess movies and Mulan was one that we hadn't watched before. She loves it and has watched it almost every day! And can I just point out that bed-head! Seriously the most wild hair I have ever seen!

Sophia and Charlie

That afternoon we played outside with Sophia's new scooter and just had a good time! She also helped me make her birthday cake. For dinner, Sophia asked to go to Chili's. She loves the chips and salsa (minus the salsa) and corn on the cob with a corn dog.

Sophia requested a Strawberry Poke Cake, again. I guess it is her favorite and I am more than willing to oblige!

Oma's present was a huge hit! Rapunzel dress-up!

Happy Birthday Sophia!

Four Years Old

2011-05-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Sophia,

You are four years old. 48 months. 208 weeks. I cannot even wrap my mind around how fast you have grown into this adorable, loving, smart, funny, beautiful little girl.

You have such a sweet spirit Sophia. You are so kind. I am so grateful for that. You never hit, are very polite, and help out whenever your mom and dad ask. You were beyond helpful when Mommy was pregnant and would pick things up off the floor for me and kiss my belly every day. Now you are the best big sister in the world! You get Charlie his binkie, you gently push his swing, and you always wash your hands before you give him cuddles and kisses. I can tell that he already knows your voice and will love his big sister.

You have such fun little things that you love Soph. You are started to LOVE anything that has to do with coloring, painting, cutting paper, making 'cards', etc. For your birthday this year we bought you an easel to use and you sit at it almost constantly. You are very generous with your art and give it to different people, whomever you think the picture fits. Mommy usually gets the paintings of flowers. Pictures of animals usually go up on our fridge. You also have developed this hilarious love for cooking shows. One day Momma was watching a cooking show and you sat down next to me and watched the entire thing! Who knew a three year old would like to watch people cook, especially a three year old that is such a pick eater!? But do you know what? You started to want to branch out, try new things to eat. You are now 90% willing to try anything. One day, without Momma asking, you asked to try my artichoke I was eating for lunch. You only ate one bite and squinched your face up after you tried it, but you tried it baby! You love to watch Rachael Ray, Ann Burrell, and Iron Chef America. Your favorite is when they reveal the secret ingredient on Iron Chef. One of the new foods that you like to eat is tacos. Even tacos with lettuce! You also love to make smoothies and help whenever Momma is cooking. You make me smile my sweet girl.

For your birthday this year you got two princess movies, Mulan and Tangled. You have watched Mulan every day since. You know which parts are Momma's favorites and make sure that I don't miss them. You also love Tangled. In fact, about a month ago you even decided to be just like Rapunzel and cut your hair. Baby, you cut your own hair. With scissors. Luckily you didn't do the worst job ever and you also didn't cut it too short. Now we just need to use a bunch of clips when we do your hair. You also love to sing all the songs from Tangled, especially if you can sing them outside, in your bare feet, wearing your Rapunzel dress up.

Sophia, you also love to play games. One day you asked Mom and Dad to have 'Family Game Night'. Where you came up with this phrase is beyond me but Mom and Dad obliged and have been adding to our games ever since. You love Candyland and Cootie the most. You are not the most gracious winner but you are not a sore loser either. You know that if you don't win this time, you might the next and don't get too upset, unless Daddy teases you when he wins. But who doesn't get upset when Daddy teases them? Which reminds me, you are your brothers defender. You don't like Daddy to tease him and quickly shake your finger at Dad if he is teasing your brother.

You are so smart my girl. You have all your letters and their sounds down. You can memorize songs from start to finish so quickly, which can sometimes be scary when you repeat lyrics to a song from the radio that aren't always the best (ahem... Lady Gaga). You love to have Mom or Dad read to you. You can listen to your Mom and Dad explain something and you can reason with us. You participate in any problem solving TV show and yell out your answers to the TV. Speaking of TV... you love watching shows on the Disney Channel and your new favorite is Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I think you want to be Izzy sometimes.

You also love to go to ballet and preschool. I have to smile because you refer to preschool as preschool so it only makes sense to you to refer to ballet as ballet school. Your teachers at each are named Miss Barbara so sometimes you slip up and call someone Miss Barbara. One day you called Papa Miss Barbara and you were so embarrassed that you made that mistake! You have been practicing for your ballet recital that is this Saturday. You and your class mates are going to be dancing to Sleeping Beauty and I can't wait to see it! You look so cute with your little pokey tummy in a leotard and tiny little ballet slippers.

Sophia, I couldn't have asked for a better person to introduce me to motherhood. You are my 'fravrit' baby girl Sophia and I am so grateful that I have you in my life. I am so so blessed. Thank you for being you.

Love,

Momma

39 weeks 3 days: The Birth Story

2011-05-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

It all started at the end of April. I had Braxton Hicks contractions constantly. I would get them at night and they were always 10-15 minutes apart. But they never hurt and I felt them at the top of my uterus so I never thought anything of them . I did get my hopes up Thursday and then was very disappointed when nothing happened so from then on I thought nothing of regular Braxton Hicks.

Monday morning I woke up and really excited that it was my last day of work! I knew I would have the baby before my next on week so it was for sure my last day. I got up a little earlier than usual and got dressed in something ‘cute’. I did my hair. I did my make-up. I was in an awesome mood. I was done working for three months! My friend Heather brought donuts for my last day and I went and got Sophia from the daycare and she had donuts with us. She was so excited and thought she was such a big girl to go on break with Mama and her co-workers. I had my last breakfast burrito at work (which are the most amazing I have had). I bought a Diet Coke to treat myself. It was a great day. I went to a CEU on MS at lunch and had a salad because I was not feeling hungry at all. I noticed during the CEU my Braxton Hicks being totally regular and pretty strong but not hurting. I finished off my work day, said good bye to everyone and drove home.

Once I got in the car the BH were so much stronger but I refused to get my hopes up again. I stopped at the bank and deposited my EAGeR study check. Got home and thought… hmmm… maybe this really is it. Contractions were 5-6 minutes apart but not hurting at all. So Joe, Sophia, and I went for a walk. We walked up and down my street and when I would walk up hill I felt like something was happening. So we kept walking. My parents dropped by when we were half way up our street and brought some fresh home-made bread that Sophia and I had a slice of even though I wasn’t hungry (which should have been a clue). It started to get to be time for Joe to go to work and we decided that ‘just in case’ he would stay home. We even took some belly pics, 'just in case' it was our last chance to:

So we got Sophia to bed and we climbed in bed and watched an episode of The Riches. I was asleep by 10:00 and I think Joe was too. At 3:00 I woke myself up with the sound of me moaning. Ugh… ow. That contraction hurt. I timed them in bed from 3-4am and they stayed 5-6 minutes apart. I thought to myself, “I’m not progressing, this isn’t it.” But I did decide to call the midwife, Tiffany, and see what she thought. She wasn’t too worried because I was still able to talk through my contractions and said to call in again when I couldn’t talk through them. I woke Joe up and told him to get everything in the car, ‘just in case’ and I got out of the tub. Suddenly the app on the iTouch said my contractions were 2 minutes apart and …woah… I had to bend over the bed for that one. We called my mom to come stay with Sophia and we hurried out to the car because now I had to stop every contraction and really breathe and focus. We got in the car and I knew this was it. I told Joe to hurry but not to hit any bumps while we drove J It was 4:45 when we were on the road and I swear we hit at least 4 red lights. Each contractions was very intense and I had to breathe really hard through each one. At 4:56 I looked at the clock in the car as we passed Primary Children's and I suddenly felt a ‘pop’ and my water broke! Joe sped up even faster and pulled into valet parking. I told him to only grab my labor bag and I started waddling to the front while Joe locked the car and chased after me. Right before the rotating door I had a huge contraction that doubled me over and I bent over and put my hands on the flower box that was right there. I watched as a huge puddle of amniotic fluid gathered at my feet. As soon as the contraction ended I jumped up and waddled into the hospital. I didn’t want to ride in a wheel chair. I thought I could walk…. Until I couldn’t. We stopped 50 feet away from the elevator and I couldn’t move. I started shaking and realized the baby was coming RIGHT NOW. Some kind soul saw us and brought us a wheel chair and asked me to sit. All I could do was lean forward and kneel in the wheel chair and rest my head on Joe’s chest. He rushed me to the elevator and in the elevator I had a contraction and a few seconds into it my body started pushing! I screamed at Joe that he was coming right now and to RUN! Joe took off out the elevator to L & D. All I remember was watching Joe’s feet running and me thinking I was going to have to get on the floor and push the kid out. Suddenly many many more pairs of feet were running next to Joe and I felt such relief! This was the first time I had seen ANYONE in the hospital except the wheelchair guy and I was scared we would have to do this alone! Suddenly we were in my L & D room and I yelled “This baby is coming out now. I am pushing him out!” My nurse/midwife… someone reached between my legs and said, “Can you stand so we can take your pants off?” I yelled I couldn’t and was grunting/yelling because I was pushing. The sounds coming out of my mouth were completely involuntary. They asked me if they could cut my pants off and I screamed/grunted, "Yes!!" So they cut my pants off me. Suddenly that contraction ended and the midwife asked me to move to the bed. I literally only had time to stand up turn, and fall over into the bed on my hands and knees before another pushing contraction hit. The very primal grunting/yelling sound erupted out again. My midwife put her hand on my chest and helped me to keep the tone low because it kept creeping up to a high pitch scream. I told Joe, “I can’t do this!” Everyone told me I could do it and cheered me on. I could feel him moving down and that any moment he would be crowning. The midwife said they were having a hard time finding his heart beat and wanted to put on an internal monitor and I said fine but suddenly the nurse found it. I remember asking if he was ok and they said he was but there was meconium in the amniotic fluid and they asked if it was ok that they quickly cut the cord and get him to the pediatricians. Joe and I said fine and another contraction hit. Someone saw my arms shaking and slid a labor ball under my chest so I could distribute my weight off my arms and hands. I felt that “ring of fire” and I’m pretty sure I felt myself tear and suddenly his head was out and with one final scream I pushed his shoulders and the rest of him out at 5:17am. Less than a half an hour after leaving our house. They asked me if I wanted to turn around and see him and I was just too tired. They cut his cord and whisked him away. Joe followed him and I fell to my side and delivered the placenta on my side. I remembered that I had my EAGeR stuff and told them to collect that. I was bleeding pretty bad so they continued giving me meds to get it to stop. First a pitocin shot, then a pitocin IV, then I gave consent for Cytotec (remember how I refused to touch that? Well with the baby out and me worried I would bleed to death, I gave in.) And finally, after an hour of uterus ‘massage’ that made me cry I got some methergine that finally did the trick. I did end up tearing so an OB and resident came in to sew me up since my midwives do so few above 1^st degree. Mine was only 2^nd degree but she wanted to have the best do it so this OB did. They offered me an epidural while I had it done. I quickly declined… I had done all this without anything, I was not about to get an epidural now! So I got some local anaesthesia and some fentanyl in my IV. I think that all the poking and proding was 100 times worse than labor and delivery. Probably because this was all unexpected, nothing I had prepared for. I was worried about the baby because he and Joe had been gone for at least 2 hours. I was left alone for about 15 minutes after I was all taken care of and cried and cried because… well I don’t really know why. I just cried. I wanted my baby. I wanted my husband. My uterus was still having very hard contractions from all the meds they gave me for the bleeding. Then the door opened and in walked my boys. I bawled harder but they were happy tears now. Now I felt 100% better.

A nurse brought me a box lunch and I picked at it a little. Joe gave me the baby and I pulled off his hat and was blown away by his hair! Tons of it and a pretty straw blonde color. We called/text my parents and Joe’s mom. I was done! I was done being pregnant. I was done with my natural labor. Suddenly I heard some screaming from the room next door and first I laughed, because a few hours before that was me and then I thought, “I wouldn’t take 100 billion dollars to be in her shoes again.” My nurse came to get me and wheeled us to our room 2129. It was such a blur. I’m sure I am missing about a million details but I honestly was not quite in my right mind. Now that I have had some time, I am so so glad that I did natural labor, even though I had no choice in the matter. Charlie is so much more alert than Sophia ever was. I feel good. I could get up and walk right away, I feel like I am healing faster. I’m pretty sure that I will do it again…someday.

Introducing...

2011-05-08T18:03:00.001-07:00

Charles Alexander Bird

Born May 3rd, 5:17am

7 lb 9 oz

19.5 inches

Pregnancy Journal

2011-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Week 35 (April 3-9)

Wednesday: I needed a break from studying so I am going to write. I had my final EAGeR study appointment yesterday. It was the same as it usually is with the urine and blood collection, filling out the survey and weight check. My blood pressure was higher than usual though, it was 118/79 which is normal but actually high for me. I was also really swollen at the moment so I guess that is probably all it was. I am finished taking my pills, thank goodness. I have been really bad at remembering them and if I get a bloody nose it won’t stop! In fact, Monique asked me which pill I thought I was on and I told her I was nearly certain it was the asprin for that reason and because of the flu shot incident. I am really glad that I participated in this study. It has been really interesting to get a different perspective on being pregnant. The insomnia is really hit and miss, depending on the day. I am pretty sure that a lot of it has to do with the stress of getting ready for this exam. Last night I went to bed fine and stayed asleep fine but when I woke up to go pee, my mind was going a million miles a minute going over creatine kinase and total CO2, etc etc. Even if I don’t pass I think I will just be relieved it is over because I just need time to focus on getting ready for this baby and making sure Sophia is ready too. Speaking of baby, he is almost constantly on the move, especially when he has the hiccups which seems to be 2-3 times a day. A couple of people have mentioned to me that I look like my belly has ‘dropped’ but I’m not really sure. I have been feeling a ton more downward pressure, especially as I try to roll over at night. My SI joint has been killing me lately too. Usually if I get up to walk and I have been sitting or laying down for an extended period of time. Other than that, things have been pretty good. When I weigh myself at home when I am really hydrated it says that I haven’t gained any weight in 3 weeks. I am still at 169.5 but the second I eat something salty and if I even get a little dehydrated I retain a bunch of water and weigh about 5 lbs more. It is so bizarre.

Week 37 (April 17-23)

Monday: I had my midwife appointment today. Last week I declined a pelvic exam but the past two days I have had some crazy Braxton Hicks contractions and some achiness in my thighs so I wanted to get an idea of what exactly is going on. I saw Peggy today and she was very nice. We went over my history, she said that she was very happy I have had such a healthy pregnancy. She measured my belly, which was 36 cm. The baby was not moving and his HR was ~130 and then he all of a sudden started moving like crazy and it jumped to 140s. Peggy said that is very good that his HR responded that quickly to his movement. She felt my belly all over just to make sure that he is still head down. She was pretty sure she was feeling his bum and feet but she couldn’t really find exactly where his head was. So she said she would check when she did the pelvic exam. As soon as she got there she goes “Oh my gosh he is so low. His head is right here. You are at +1 station!” She also said that she could feel my bulging bag of waters and that I was 50% effaced and 2 cm dilated. She said that if she wasn’t careful checking me she was scared she would break my water! No wonder I have felt such extreme downward pressure. I’m not holding my breath though. With Sophia I was dilated for a LONG time and nothing happened and 100% effaced. I also found out I am GBS negative, which I am thrilled about. Not only do I not need to worry about this little guy getting anything, I won’t have to have an IV. I gained 4 lbs since last week but I was SOOOO swollen today. I couldn’t even get my ring off at the appointment. Also, my BP was 128/68 which systolic is high for me. The swelling hasn’t gone down much today though even though I have been drinking like a fish. I am nervous about the swelling because when I got really swollen with Sophia was when I got the few stretch marks on my hips that I have. I already have a new one on my left hip and I would love it if I don’t get anymore. I have been nesting like crazy I think. Tonight I washed every square inch of the two car seats we have. My mom was so nice and bought me some hours of cleaning from her cleaning ladies and they will be coming tomorrow which will be awesome so that I can spend more time on projects instead of just cleaning. I think this week I am going to cook and freeze so that we have meals ready for when this little guy comes. I have a feeling my ward is going to shower us with food, but it will be nice to make that last even longer!

Week 38 (April 24-30)

Saturday: I have not done a good job at keeping this journal! I have so little energy lately. I woke up last week with a lovely sinus infection. I have been using the netti pot a ton but it seems like pregnancy causes me to cling onto being sick. I have had a ridiculous amount of Braxton Hicks contractions lately. In fact, on Thursday I had them for four hours straight, every ten minutes like clockwork. I thought it might be the beginning of something and then was very disappointed when it turned into nothing L I still have BH every day and today there has been an increase downward pressure and uncomfortable feeling when I have them but I am not having them very regularly. I really hope I don’t go 40 weeks 3 days like I did with Sophia. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will at least go before or on my due date. But we will see. I have a midwife appointment on Tuesday and I am going to have her check me this time around. I’m hoping that checking my cervix might get something started. My little man is still moving like crazy, which can be pretty uncomfortable. Especially when he pushes right down the center of my belly or right behind my belly button. I feel like he is going to do some serious muscle damage! At my last midwife appointment I met with Claudia. I like her a lot. My blood pressure keeps going up (130 /68) which I think is the funniest number. Systolic is high, diastolic is really low. Claudia didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about. She went over my birth plan with me and everything looked good. I also only gained one pound putting my total at 41 or 42 lbs. Now if I can keep that the maximum I will be happy. Also, everyone tells me that I am so much bigger this time than I was with Sophia but when I got my belly measured I was only at 37 cm and 38 weeks 4 days. So I still measure small, and only *slightly* bigger than with Sophia. My swelling varies daily, depending on what I ate, drank, did, etc. Not much else to report right now!

Check This Out

2011-04-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here, after church, waiting for Joe to make some dinner and I decided to get some blogging done! So here we go!

BB Bird Belly at 34 weeks and the best big sister ever pointing to her favorite baby

The next pictures are a fun story. Once upon a time, there was a missionary named Jacob. He went to Brazil on his mission. While he was there he met Mirian. Many years went by. Christmas morning 2009 Jacob was acting funny and cryptic. As the family was gathered, he busted out a phone and 'introduced' us to Mirian, his fiance. Many many months later after truck-loads of paperwork dealing with visas etc., Jacob flew to Brazil to pick up Mirian and her little boy. A week later, they were wed. Which brings us to the reception:

Joe's sister, Jenny, was very wonderful and put together the reception. It turned out great!

I like this picture of Sophia and Des because I'm pretty sure Sophia was under the direct orders to "NOT TOUCH THE CAKES!" So she kept her hands behind her back to avoid temptation.

The Happy Couple, who we tried to convince to sit down and eat some cake, but they declined and stayed attentive for their guests

The wedding cake

The cakes for the guests

My newest nephew

A very tired, fake smiling, 36 week pregnant woman

Three very tired pregnant women

Meredith: 20 weeks, Jenny: 26 weeks, Steph: 36 weeks

The Bird Girls, coincidentally in order!

This was almost the exact face Des gave me when I asked for a bite of his cake, except he included a "NO!" and a head shake

Then, to wrap up the weekend, my amazing visiting teachers were ridiculously kind to throw me a baby shower for our new little man.

My ward was so generous as were my sisters-in-law, mom, and mother-in-law that came to the shower. This picture makes me laugh because I didn't move off that chair the whole shower. The mixture of insomnia and wedding and exam had done me in and I was NOT moving.

Left to right: Cynthia, Kim, Steph

Next up, getting ready for our little man!

Pregnancy Journal

2011-04-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Week 32 (March 13-19)

Sunday: I haven’t been keeping much record of this pregnancy over the last few weeks. To sum it up I have been sick sick sick. It started with what seemed to be a sinus infection that would not go away. Then it moved down into my lungs and I had a sore throat along with really bad sinus congestion. I got a prescription for amoxicillin that I took for 10 days that pretty much did nothing. Over the last week (off week) I have slept a crazy amount and that is all that seems to help me progress towards getting better. The up side of being so sick is that I have actually been able to sleep. Right before I got super sick, two weeks ago, I started not being able to sleep, regardless of how little sleep I was getting the night before. I couldn’t fall asleep easily and when I did fall asleep, when I got up to go pee in the middle of the night I would stay away for another 2-3 hours. It was miserable and I think the lack of sleep is what made me get even worse, cold-wise. But I seem to be on the mend and sleeping ok, as long as I don’t drink any caffeine after noon. The baby has shifted his position over the past two days. His usual position with his feet far on my right side has changed to feet low on the left side. It was making me nervous that he could be breech but today he is back to the typical position. I have a midwife appointment tomorrow and I am going to ask her to double check his position. I have started to make a list of things that I need to bring to the hospital and a list of things I need to send with Sophia while she stays with people the days we are at the hospital. Only 8 more weeks!

Week 33 (March 20-26)

Friday: Last day of this week. I have been really bad at writing but I have been so sick lately. I finally am over whatever it was that I had. Thank goodness. I have been studying for my ASCP so I needed to be at least healthy. The insomnia has been hit and miss lately. Last night I couldn’t fall asleep until 1:00am but I was studying and staying busy so it was ok. The other night though I woke up at 1:30 to go pee and was hoping that it was near 4:00 because I was just not getting good sleep and just felt ready to get up. I got all of my diapers finally and I have been getting them ready, but that is all I have ready for the kid! My visiting teachers are being so nice and throwing me a shower so I guess I will wait until that to see what else I need. The baby keeps moving really weird ways. For the most part, his little feet are way on my right side but every few days he twists the other way and it seems like his feet are on my left side. It makes me flinch because I am not used to feeling anything on that side. I have my birth plan mostly worked out and just need to print it off and take it to the midwife next time. I can’t believe how fast everything is happening!

Week 34 (March 27- April 2)

Monday: Met with Sarah Hagen today at clinic 4. She is super nice. If I hadn’t been so exhausted from the rough night I had before I would have loved her. But being as tired as I was made it hard to deal with her happy-go-lucky attitude. I still like her though. I guess she is a midwife that is on call more than others so I have a chance of having her deliver. Last night was another miserable night of not being able to sleep. Joe and I got in bed at 10, watched a tv show til 10:30 when my eyes were getting heavy so I rolled over to sleep. As soon as the TV was off, it was like I got an injection of caffeine or something. I sat in bed til midnight not being able to sleep so I went out on the couch and watched TV til 2:00 when I remembered that I could take a benedryl. So I took one and at about 3:00 I finally drifted off. At about 6 or 7 I got back in bed and then slept fine until 10:00. I hate the schedule this insomnia makes me have. I do not like waking up that late. Especially since that means Sophia watching an hour or so of TV in my bed, waiting for me to get up. My weight gain was good, two pounds in two weeks which brings my grand total to 35 lbs. Sarah also measured my belly which is back to one week behind, 33 cm. GBS test is next appointment and I am hoping and praying that I test negative so that I don’t have to be hooked up to an IV at all during labor. I can have a hep lock but that means I would have to sit in bed about 20-30 minutes while I get the antibiotics before I could get back out of bed and labor in the tub.

Pregnancy Journal and BB Belly

2011-03-13T20:30:00.001-07:00

Week 29 (February 20-26)

Monday: My last monthly midwife appointment is on Thursday. Sometimes I look at the calendar and think… I have so much longer to go! Other times I think, oh my gosh, I'm not even close to ready yet and I need more time! I had a dream about Baby Boy (will his name change from Charlie? Maybe. We are undecided now. It seems like we will make the final name decision when he gets here…) I am pretty sure that I dreamt about him because Joe and I were talking about what he might look like. I would really love if he had Joe’s coloring, dark eyes, dark hair. Joe thinks he will look just like Sophia. In my dream he was sitting up, wearing only a blue diaper. He was as bald as Sophia was but had these dark steely grey eyes. Baby has been moving like crazy still. Some days I swear his due date is off because he will push so hard on my stomach that it actually hurts. Like doubles me over and feels like my abdominal muscles are about to split in two. My belly is huge. I wouldn’t be surprised if at my appointment on Thursday I am measuring 32cm. I wonder if him being big would mean that I would go into labor earlier than I did with Sophia. I wouldn’t mind as long as he is ready and it is after April 22, Joe’s last day of rotations. I have had a cold this past week. Nothing that is causing me to be bed ridden but my nose is stuffed up and in combination with far less lung capacity, I feel like I am smothering all day. Not my favorite thing at all. My swelling is steadily going up but slowly. My wedding rings still fit as do my shoes. I ordered more maternity clothes because of this huge belly. All my pants still fit but my shirts are starting to get shorter and shorter.

Friday: Sophia and I have been really sick and I had to push my midwife appointment to today. I saw Deb Penny. I like her a lot. She took at least a half an hour with me to answer questions about my birth plan, eating during labor, filling out my FMLA stuff and… the worst thing we discussed… me almost failing my glucose tolerance test. She pretty much told me no more sweets or high glycemic index foods. So I sent Joe to the store tonight for sugar free pudding. I guess that is what my treat is going to have to be from now on. She wasn’t super concerned about my weight gain though, which is 28 lbs total and I still have 10 weeks to go. I think that if I could stay at 40 lbs or less I would be ok with that. She did stress me walking at least 30 minutes a day. I know I know. And I feel like I have a million excuses as to why I haven’t been exercising, but they are just that… excuses. I need to be better. Hopefully the weather gets better so it is more inviting to go outside and get that walking done! My belly measured 29 cm, which is shocking. I feel huge still and I am measuring behind! My hematocrit levels were just fine. She also felt my belly to make sure that he is head down and he is right now. She found his head and he kicked her other hand. He also kicked her a million times when she had the Doppler. His heart rate was bouncing around from 140-150 and he was moving a ton.

BB Belly at 29 Weeks

BB Bird Belly at 32 Weeks

Pregnancy Journal

2011-02-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

Week 27 (February 6-12)

Tuesday: I had my second to last eager appointment this morning. I have one more phone call at 32 weeks and one last visit at UMC at 36 weeks! They gave me a little ‘bucket’ for my placenta which I think is pretty funny. After we met with Michelle for the appointment, Sophia and I went on a tour of labor and delivery. I met with a nurse named Shannon and she was so awesome! The second I told her I wanted a natural labor and birth she was so excited and was showing me all the accommodations that the U has for mom’s that are going natural. She showed me the Jacuzzi tubs that they have in three of the rooms, reserved specifically for the patients of the midwives. I was so excited to know that the people helping me through labor will be ‘on my side’ and be ok with me choosing a natural delivery! My weight has been fluctuating like crazy the past week, about 5-10 lbs per day. The days that I get dehydrated I weigh a ton more and have puffy hands, feet and face. But if I drink tons of water I am less swollen, thank goodness!

BB Bird Belly

2011-02-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

Here I am at 26 weeks, as I was getting ready for a date at The Pie. Good thing we took the picture before we went because I'm pretty sure I came home with a belly twice this size. Oh, and this picture shows that linea nigra that I thought I didn't have. I guess I just couldn't see it on the bottom half of my belly!

My Favorite Goose

2011-02-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

I call Sophia 'my favorite goose'. She is. She has her moments that make me crazy but the good times far outweigh the bad. I love her so much and she has been so good during this pregnancy. She has blossomed into this wonderful little helper. She talks everyday about how she is going to help me with baby Charlie (oh yeah, that is what we are naming him). She said that she will feed him and rock him to sleep etc. She has also been such a good helper to me. She will pick anything up off the floor that I drop or can't really reach. She drys the dishes. She helps me load the dishwasher. And the best part is, she wants to do it. This morning was another example of how she comes up with ways to help completely by herself.

This is how a 3.5 year old makes her mom and dad's bed in the morning. It was so sweet! I just walked in there and saw my bed was made and asked her if she had made my bed and she said, very matter-of-factly, "Yes. All by myself to help you!" I could have cried!

Love you my favorite Sophia-doodle!

Pregnancy Journal

2011-02-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

Week 25: Jan 23-29

Sunday: So over the past week I have been drinking like a fish. I keep the mug from the hospital with me at all times and drink and drink and drink. Today I peed 4 times in three hours…. Ugh. But I will do anything for this baby so I’m doing it. The baby has been moving around like crazy. He is big enough that this whole week I have been feeling him kick on the far right side of my belly and then something bumps on the bottom left side of my belly, more towards the front. I have also felt him have hiccups lately, poor baby! The Braxton Hicks contractions have been far and few between although when I feel really tired is when I do have them. I have felt the ‘nesting’ instinct lately and I really want to start working on this kiddos room but it will be a lot of work, especially since the room is our office / catch-all room and that all has to be moved elsewhere before I want to start sanding. I don’t care if I don’t have if finished when he gets here, but I would like to have it at least prepped for painting or painted. I seem to have come to a body acceptance right now and I am not hating my pregnant body at the moment. My hair is thick and my nails are growing like crazy. With how much water I have been drinking my skin is looking better. One thing that I realized today is that with Sophia I had the ‘linea nigra’ on the bottom half of my belly but this time around there is no sign of it. Maybe it will show up in the next couple of weeks, but who knows. Oh, at the hospital I discovered something that I wasn’t thrilled about. I was talking to the midwife on call and she let me know that MY midwife, Ann, doesn’t deliver babies anymore. She is ‘retired’ after 30 years. So she sees patients but doesn’t deliver. Uh…. Why was this never mentioned to me? I knew, because of the way the practice is, that if she wasn’t on call someone else would deliver me but she will never be on call. So I think I will start to rotate through all the midwives so I can at least meet them. Or do I even care? Ugh… something I wish I would have known earlier.

Wednesday: Today I had my midwife appointment. First thing we chatted about the contractions incident. Ann didn’t seem too worried since the contractions have pretty much stopped but she did recommend a test called the Fetal Fibronectin test. fFT is a glue-like protein that literally binds the baby in the uterus. It naturally starts to degrade at around week 35 but will show up in vaginal secretions in preterm labor. She said that if it was positive, I have a 25% chance of delivering early but if it is negative, it drops to 1%. So we did the test and I find out tomorrow. I really am not worried. She did a pelvic exam and my cervix is long and closed, always a good sign. The weigh in today was ok too. I am up 20 lbs, which is about 3 lbs over ideal. I wish I would have kept track of weight gain with Sophia so that I had an idea of when I was gaining because with all the swelling I had, I bet most of it was in the last two months. I remembered to ask her my fundal measurement too. I am 26 cm, so a cm ahead! Ah! This makes me nervous because I was ALWAYS small with Sophia. Am I going to have a giant baby boy? I also decided that I will now rotate through all the midwives in the practice to meet everyone since Ann will not be delivering this baby. Tonight while I was resting on the couch, I was thinking about how much I already love this baby boy. I remember thinking, before I got pregnant, how in the world can I love another child as much as I love Sophia. I literally thought it would be impossible. But then, all of a sudden, I love this baby and it seems like such a silly thought to think I could only love one baby! We got some exciting news a few days ago that not only will this baby have one cousin just a few months younger than him, he will have one that is about fourish months younger! Jenny is due sometime in July and Meredith is due August / beginning of September. I see Desmond and Lucey and how much they love each other and I wish that Sophia had such a close cousin but this little boy will! In Joe’s family, the boys that have had kids all have had girls first. David and Joe then had a boy next, so if the trend continues, Meredith will have a boy…. So we will see!

Thursday: My midwife called this morning and the Fetal Fibronectin came back negative! What a relief. That also means that I am off pelvic rest… *ahem* I was reading in my Ina May book and one of the chapters she talks about the various ways to induce labor, although she is all for not inducing at all. One thing that she mentions is Cytotec which is loosely in the category of prostaglandins like Cervadil. It is placed in the vagina and stimulates the contractions of the uterus, which sounds like any other induction. WRONG. This stuff is actually an oral medication used to prevent ulcers in people that are taking NSAIDS. It was FDA approved for that use only and not tested for the safety of use in pregnant women. It is used a ton though because it is so much cheaper than Cervadil or other prostaglandins. It can cause uterine rupture because that it causes such strong contractions and there have been deaths, both of the mother and the baby due to the Cytotec. Also, the oral dose is 100mcg according to Pfizer's info on it and since it wasn’t tested for use in pregnant women, the dosage needed to induce labor is not really known. So OB’s tend to ‘guess’. Many also break the pill in half or quarters which is a big no-no in some medications. Obviously, I take this info with a grain of salt. I have never read a peer-reviewed study on this, nor do I know for sure if there has been one but from what I have read, that stuff is not coming anywhere near me (plus I will not be induced for this pregnancy unless absolutely medically necessary). This is just another reason that I wish women would be more educated about their birth and not just trust their provider with decisions about their body.

Ahhhh!

2011-01-31T18:28:00.001-08:00

This is how I feel about 15% of the time when I think about the fact that I just bought this:

These are my intro into the cloth diapering world. Does this make me nervous. Uuuughhhh... yes. What if I hate cloth diapering? But what if I love it? I am still slightly apprehensive about this decision, even though the pros outweigh the cons. Pros: costs about $600 -$1000 less than using disposable diapers, saves the environment, and how freaking cute are they?! to name a few. The one con is what still makes me nervous: convenience. Good think I bought this starter pack at Costco huh? Nothing better than an awesome return policy!

Bedtime Story

2011-01-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been good at telling stories? That would be awesome if I could just make stuff up on a whim, being a mom and all. But seriously peeps, I stump myself trying to tell Sophia a bedtime story. So Sophia knows that Mama is the book-reader and Daddy is the story-teller. And what a story-teller Joe is. I have never heard someone (other than Joe's mom) be able to make up a really good story and tell it as if they were reading straight from a book.

It is one of my most favorite things to be sitting in the living room and watch Sophia and Joe walk down the hallway, hand in hand, to Sophia's bedroom. I hear them climb into her bed and Joe waits patiently for Sophia to say her nighttime prayers, which can be long and a little repetitive :) Then he tells a story. And they are all different. Sometimes they are all about Kitty Snowball and an adventure that she is going on. Sometimes it is about Princess Sophia and something that she has done during the day. Sometimes he is sneaky and slips a little life lesson in there. There is almost always giggling from Sophia and excited talking by Joe. I just love it. After bedtime story Joe gives Sophia a kiss, turns on Sophia's classical music lullabies and slips out of her room.

Hearing those two together is definitely one of my favorite parts of the day.

Pregnancy Journal

2011-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

Week 22 (Jan 2- 8)

Monday: Baby is still wiggling like crazy! I had a midwife appointment last Wednesday and everything looked good. Heart rate was in the 140’s and she found it a lot faster this time around. She measured my belly but I was so busy asking her questions that I forgot to see where I am measuring at. With Sophia, I was always smaller. I remember that I had an ultrasound really late in pregnancy because I was measuring 2-3 cm smaller than my weeks. I feel like with how big my belly is now that will NOT be the case this pregnancy. Weight gain so far is 15 lbs. Now I just need to make sure my weight gain for the second half of my pregnancy is the same as my first half! I knew with the holidays I might run into more weight gain than I wanted but my midwife had no problem with it. This week is the start of my super healthy eating. My body is exhausted of all the crap I have been eating. Seriously. I look at food and I can just feel my body trying to get away from all the unhealthy crap. Something that tasted awesome though was what I had on New Years Eve. Dave and Debbi surprised everyone by bringing chocolate, cheese, and horseradish fondue. There was steak and bread and chicken for the horseradish and cheese and tons of treats for the chocolate! We told my parents and siblings the name of baby boy and they are already calling him by name! It is so strange! One thing that does has made me a little nervous is that I have had some strong Braxton-Hicks contractions lately. I have probably had 2-4 total but my mom went into pre-term labor with my brother at 26 weeks, so I get really nervous. Last night when I felt myself having one, I felt my belly and it was soooo hard. Hard enough that just touching it was painful. I don’t think it is anything to worry about at this point but I am definitely going to keep an eye on how often they are happening. Other than that, I am feeling good! My face looks super round and I am not really loving my body right now but I will do anything for this baby boy so bring it on I guess!

Week 23 (Jan 9-15)

Sunday: I have been having Braxton-Hicks contractions on and off, probably a few everyday. I am assuming this is normal but I will ask my midwife next appointment. I have also started having this horrible pain just to my right of my belly button. It feels like my muscle is stretching further than it would like to stretch. The other day I went on the elliptical at during one of my breaks at work and when my belly bounced a little it really hurt! The pain is so isolated even bumping that small area into something hurts. I swear I am not that much bigger than with Sophia but this is getting uncomfortable. This is the second thing on the list of things to ask Ann. I have been reading more of the two books that I bought and am liking everything so far. I did rent a movie about natural birth that I had seen recommended to women trying to go all natural. Get ready for this… It is called Orgasmic Birth. And it is about exactly what it sounds like. The main idea is tricking your body into interpreting pain as pleasure. I was rolling my eyes a lot, it gets pretty granola-y, but it did give good pointers on positions to birth in. At least I got something good out of it, in addition to a good laugh J Eating healthier last week and this week has made me feel so much better. I also have been drinking more water and less Diet Coke and it has actually helped my face to be a little less swollen.

Wednesday: Have I mentioned that I have total pregnancy brain? I cannot remember a dang thing. Sophia has been going to ballet once a week since summer and today I came *this* close to forgetting. Sometimes I feel like a crazy person! I don’t know if I am just more tired at night but I have been feeling nauseous at night. Nothing like my first trimester, thank goodness, but enough that I just want to sit on the couch and not move. Sleeping is getting more uncomfortable too. I find myself waking up just a little to roll over many many times at night. Baby boy is moving a ton still. On days that I get busy I don’t notice him moving as much and it makes me so nervous sometimes! I saw Melissa’s baby last week and he is such a sweet little thing, it makes me even more excited for my little guy to get here!

Saturday: 24 weeks today! I really feel like I am going to have a totally normal pregnancy but it always makes me feel so much better to reach the ‘age of viability’. I remember passing some milestone when I was pregnant with Sophia and thinking, “Finally, I don’t have to worry any more.” And then I was hit with the realization that for the rest of my life, I will worry about her and her safety and well-being! Same thing with this sweet baby boy. I was reading that the baby has gained about 4 oz over the past week which might explain my insatiable appetite. At least I am just wanting to eat seconds and thirds of healthy food and I really don’t crave anything bad for me. Last night I had a HUGE bowl of blackberries and I would dip each one in a little dark chocolate…..mmmmmm. It is still making my mouth water this morning! I might have to go buy more at Costco! The baby is getting big enough that when he kicks and moves I can feel him in two spots. His typical position is feet on the right side of my belly and his head/arms, are lower front left side of my belly, right next to my hip bone.

Week 24 (Jan 16 -22)

Monday: So I spoke too soon. On Saturday night I started having some pretty strong Braxton Hicks contractions. Joe and I were in bed so we watched some Alias and I just drank some water and after a while they stopped and I went to sleep. I woke up 3-4 times that night with strong Braxton Hicks that were getting slightly uncomfortable so finally, at 5 am I called the midwife on call because you really shouldn’t be having more than 4-6 an hour and I felt like I was. So she told me that if I got up to 6 an hour to call again or if I was having any bleeding. I got up kind of late that morning and got in the shower and in the 20 minutes that I was in the shower I had 7 contractions. So I got out and called the midwife again and she said to go into L & D to be monitored. I was drinking a huge water bottle on the drive there and Joe and I were convinced that if we got into L & D that they would stop. They tested for a UTI which I knew was negative and then they hooked me up to the monitors to see if I was having contractions. I was having them but then they stopped showing up on the monitors but I could still feel contractions, some of which were way stronger than any Braxton Hicks I have had. Finally I told the midwife that I could feel contractions and she adjusted the belly band and sure enough, one shot right up on the paper feed. They were concerned, as was I, that I would be dilating, but I was checked twice and my cervix was totally closed. They gave me juice and even more water to keep me hydrated, which was a little uncomfortable because having contractions and a full bladder was not fun! Finally, after about an hour and a half they just said I was having pre-term contractions and wouldn’t classify it as pre-term labor because I was not dilating. They told me to take it easy and drink tons of water, so I have been since yesterday. Now I am all nervous every time I feel a Braxton Hicks, but at least they are far less frequent and not uncomfortable! Baby… you stay put!

Pregnancy Journal

2011-01-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

Week 20 (December 19-25)

Sunday: Nothing much new to report. Baby boy, aka ‘Cornzel’ by Sophia is moving around like crazy. I have an abdominal muscle that has been really bothering me lately. It is very tender to the touch. I am hoping it is just because of the rapid expansion and stretching. My feet and hands are starting to get a little swollen at night so I have been trying to keep my feet up when I get home. I bought this baby boy his first little outfit. I was so happy. I really can envision snuggling him up right after he is born. This week has been pretty noticeable body changes. It is a little discouraging because I am gaining wait at a faster pace that I would like. I feel like a cow…. But I’m going to make a more conscious effort so that I don’t turn into a butterball!

Monday: Just feeling very very grateful for the pregnancy that I have had so far. No complications. I am a member of BabyCenter and see so many sad stories of miscarriage, genetic problems with the baby, etc. Not to mention the people that I know in real life that have had or are having very scary complications. I am just so grateful that Cornzel and myself are doing so well.

Week 21 (December 26-Jan 1)

Monday: Joe and I have made the more-than-likely final decision on a name. We heard it about a year and a half ago and I have always loved it. It has been brought up multiple times as an option and after much thought, the name has been finalized. Which is nice. It is my great-uncle’s name and a name that will grow with our little boy. We are a little undecided when we want to share it though... Not a whole lot to report, again. My hips are starting to hurt more often, especially when I wake up in the morning. It is getting more and more uncomfortable to bend over to pick things up and poor Sophia is now my designated picker-uper. Christmas was wonderful this year. I worked from 5-9 am and stayed home the rest of the day and loved my baby girl and husband. Joe spoiled me as usual. I have another midwife appointment on Wednesday and have a few issues I want to ask her about. My abdominal muscles are actually starting to hurt, especially if I bump my tummy or twist at all. I’m sure it is totally normal but it is not comfortable. Also, headaches are still happening more than I would like. Like I said before, I am so grateful that this has been an uneventful pregnancy. I pray it continues on that way. Joe and I also started planning for the nursery. I fell in love with this modernish crib but it is more money than most cribs. However, I think I could skimp on a few things (like get them off KSL / DI) and then spend more moola on a crib. But we will have to see.

Baby Belly

2011-01-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here I am at 22 weeks, New Years Day:

Here I am at 20 weeks:

Sorry for the mix up of the pictures. I am struggling tonight and this will just have to do!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T21:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas was so wonderful this year! This year was the first year that I had to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas but I am super lucky to have a supervisor that knows how crappy it is to work a holiday, so he pretty much lets us do what we think is best.

I worked all day on Christmas Eve, not a huge deal since my side of the family just has dinner

and opens presents later at night. The evening started out a little rough when Joe and I got to my parents, who had watched Sophia all day, and she was grumpy as could be. I had worn one of two dresses that fit me at this point and I was trying to get Sophia in her new Christmas dress. She wanted no part of it. She flipped out, screaming and crying. I couldn't get her to calm down, Joe couldn't get to her calm down. So Joe had to take her outside and I just hid in the bathroom and cried. I blame most of my horrible reaction on pregnancy hormones. Finally, Sophia calmed down enough and Joe and I hurried and fed her because, just like her mom, she is the

most irrational when she is hungry and needs food fast! Sure enough, a few minutes into her eating she was fine. Normal Sophia once again.

I got a cute new headband to keep my noggin' warm!

Anthony got her a tea set that she has been wanting!

See, you would never guess that she was a terror only an hour before!

After we opened presents and enjoyed each others company, we headed back home to get everyone to bed. I decided that I was going to work 5am-9am Christmas morning and then I could come home and enjoy the rest of the day with family. It was pretty brutal getting up that early but I made it home before Sophia had even gotten out of bed. Joe spoiled me and bought me a Sony bloggie and it was already set up when I opened my stocking, so I actually only got video footage, no photos :) Sophia asked for a doctor kit that she plays with at my eager study appointments and sure enough, Santa delivered. However, Joe and I made the mistake of letting Sophia open that present first. The second she saw it she went to go get scissors to open it right then. She wanted nothing to do with the rest of her presents! Finally, after about an hour, she was persuaded into opening them.

After opening presents at our house, we headed to Bountiful for brunch and presents with Joe's side of the family. It was a delicious brunch and we always have so much fun with Joe's siblings and Sophia loves playing with her cousins. It really was such a wonderful Christmas and so happy to have my family and loved ones around me all day! I seriously fail, almost every Christmas, at taking pictures but sometimes I just want to be in the moment, ya know? Not behind a camera. Maybe with 'Cornzel's' first Christmas next year I will be a little more willing to stay behind the camera :)

Nursery Inspiration

2010-12-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Now that we know we are having a baby boy, I have been trying to gather ideas for the nursery. I don't really know if I want a theme, but I do want it to be simple and clean and a little modern/contemporary.I am so in love with this crib! I wish that it cost a little less money but, perhaps, I can somehow justify buying it to Joe...

The thing I love the most in this picture is the apothecary dresser. Especially since we would paint one a fun color too! I would rather have a dresser than an actual changing table because dressers seem to have much more storage.

I'm not positive what colors I want to use in the nursery but I am for sure making something like these for the windows. They are super easy to make yourself and add such charm!

I am so in love with grey right now and would love this rug

I never got a mobile for Sophia and I think that I will definitely get one this time around. I love the whimsical look this one has and I bet I could make something like this!

And look how cool this lamp is!

The room that will be the nursery needs some serious work though. Right now the room is painted a horrific adobe color and has built in shelves that HAVE to go. So before we can even start buying we have to get the room fixed up... Joe, get to work!

Pregnancy Journal

2010-12-20T15:37:00.000-08:00

Week 18 (Dec 5-11)

Sunday: Nothing too exciting has happened so far this week. Last Wednesday I had a midwife appointment where we went over all the labs that I have had done so far. Everything is looking totally fine and normal. It was a little scary though when she was trying to find the baby’s heart beat and she couldn’t find it for about ten minutes. Finally, she pushed really hard on my belly and angled down the top of my uterus and we got it. She thinks that I have an anterior placenta and she said she just couldn’t get around it to hear the baby. The heart rate was 145-150 beats per minute. We are getting so close to finding out what we are having… I can barely stand the wait! Only one more week and a few days!

Wednesday: I think that I have had my first official craving. Oranges, navel or cuties. I want to eat these all the time. And it gets even weirder. The fruit is so good and tastes wonderful but the peel… It smells so strong that I catch myself wanting to take a bite! I know I will regret it if I did, so I don’t… so bitter and all, but I finish my orange and then I just smell the peel. It has turned into a little bit of an obsession. I forgot to mention that at my last midwife appointment, I was spot on for my weight gain. This is something that I want to make sure doesn’t get out of control and have been trying to watch what I eat and what activity I do (not dieting but being aware of how full I feel etc.) I guess the recommended weight gain for me is 5lbs in the first trimester and one pound per week after that.

Week 19 (Dec 12-18)

Tuesday: Today was the big ultrasound! I have been so crazy excited and the day has finally come! Our appointment was at 8:45 this morning. The three of us woke up bright and early and got ready for the day. We stopped at McDonalds for a quick breakfast since Sophia was having a wardrobe freak-out, her usual. We went to UMC and only waited a few minutes to see our ultrasound tech. A few minutes into the ultrasound, Joe’s mom got there. She held Sophia while Joe and I watched. One of the first things that we saw was the baby’s head and then it’s feet. I found out that my placenta is actually posterior, not anterior like my midwife thought. The ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know the gender and we said yes. She asked Sophia what she wanted the baby to be and she said she wanted a baby sister. The ultrasound tech looked at us and said, “It looks like she might be a little disappointed because this is a boy!” I started bawling and couldn’t quite figure out what I was looking at, not to mention I couldn’t see very well through the tears. From the beginning of this pregnancy I couldn’t imagine this baby being anything but a boy. Joe and I are so happy that we will get to have a little boy! She looked at all his limbs and measured him and said he was the exact size he should be. It is still so crazy to say ‘he’. Then she checked the belly, kidneys, bladder, spine, heart and umbilical cord and everything looked perfectly healthy and normal. Finally, she went to check his head and brain and face but he was turned the wrong way. We tried for 30 minutes to get him to move the right way so she could get a shot. She kept taking a few and would take them to the doctor to see if they looked ok and he would send her back to try again. She flipped me practically upside-down and was jiggling my tummy back and forth trying to get him to move. Every time she would leave the room I would stand up, bend over, stretch, do anything I could think of that usually would make him move. Nothing. He WOULD NOT move. So finally she pushed on my belly with her hand and pushed really hard with the ultrasound thing and she got an ok picture. The doctor finally said it was ok and everything looks great! I just couldn’t be more thrilled! Joe and I just need to come to an agreement on a name that we like, but there hasn’t been a single one yet… We still have 4.5 more months though!

BB Bird is a Boy!

2010-12-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

Joe and I are thrilled! Sophia is...eh about it! Everything looked good and health although the ultrasound did take over an hour because he WOULD NOT move his head enough to get a picture of the upper lip and parts of the brain. I was practically upside-down on the table and she was jiggling my belly all over the place!

Pregnancy Journal

2010-12-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

Week 15 (Nov14-20)

Monday: Blllaaaahhh… So I threw up last week, I think on Thursday. Barfed up my whole dinner, which was pretty unusual… I hadn’t thrown up in 4-5 days. I think it may have been a bug though because two days later Joe and I woke up at 6 am to Sophia barfing all over us in bed. I still dry heave for a few minutes every morning while brushing my teeth and only sometimes does anything come up. I forgot to write this but at my last midwife appointment I had gained 5 lbs. That is pretty normal for how far along I was. I am trying to be extra careful about what I eat so that I don’t gain 50lbs this time, like I did with Sophia. Most of if came off in the first two weeks, but being that big was so miserable and I want to try to avoid that at all costs this time! The past three days my headaches have diminished a ton. I don’t have to take any Tylenol for them and I only feel a slight twinge of a headache still, usually in the afternoon. Something fun has happened this week though! I started to feel the baby (I think). It feels like little brushes or sort of pressure and rolling. Today though it felt like little ‘pops’. My midwife thought that I would feel the baby before my next appointment. This is my absolute favorite part about being pregnant! One think I don’t like about being pregnant: my super human smelling. The smell of coffee and Old Spice makes my stomach turn. And ALL the guys I work with in my lab except one wears Old Spice. They all smell the same, and they all stink. Joe had to go buy new deodorant because he had Old Spice and I stopped being near him until he got the new deodorant.

Friday: Headaches have come back, usually starting the second that I wake up in the morning. They tend to make me a little lazier that usual because of the pounding. I have been feeling the baby move a lot more this week and the last. But now it is little tiny kicks, not just flutters or pressure like it was before. I LOVE it. My favorite part of pregnancy. I am so grateful that I will be feeling better for Thanksgiving next week! I love Thanksgiving food and I will actually want to eat!

Week 16 (Nov 21-27)

Tuesday: Eeeee!! I have felt the baby move so much lately! Last night I got a solid 4-5 bumps in the exact same place and I wanted to Joe to feel (even though I can tell they are too soft to have him feel from the outside) but of course, the second his hand landed on my tummy our little teaser stopped moving… until Joe walked away. Silly baby! I feel the baby in the exact same place, almost every day. Tonight I even had my hand there and felt the slightest ‘bump’ on my hand. Feeling the baby helps to make the pregnancy ‘real’ and I can’t wait for Joe to feel. I remember when I was pregnant with Sophia that I didn’t feel any movement until after 20 weeks and it went from nothing to huge kicks! But this time I for sure felt something starting at 14 weeks. Funny how I must just be able to recognize the movement better. I have been doing a lot of thinking about this pregnancy and things that I think I have educated myself on better this time around and maybe things that I would like to do differently. It makes me chuckle a little because I feel so hippy-esque with all the differences. I am 100% positive that I am going to give it my all at having this baby naturally, without any unnecessary medical interventions.Feeling the No epidural or pain meds, no pitocin, no intervention. I also decided to go with a midwife instead of an OB. Then I fell in love with the idea of cloth diapering and have been trying to get Joe on board (which I think is about 75% there). And lastly, I want to be a ‘babywearer’. I want to use a sling or wrap to have contact with my new baby. Also, I'm going to stop shaving body hair and grow out some wicked dread locks… just kidding!

Friday: Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Really feeling so grateful for my family and friends that I love so much. Also very grateful for the little baby giving me kicks and bumps throughout the day, especially at work. I find myself holding really still so I can feel the baby move. It just makes me smile! I realized that I will be 17 weeks tomorrow! Honestly, once the throwing up stopped, time just flew! I remember from week 5-14 I thought this pregnancy was never progressing. I felt like I would be sick forever. Now that I am not waiting for nausea to go away, the time is just flying! Only three short weeks and I will be finding out what this little baby is! As far as symptoms, I still get nauseous when I am tired but it helps to lie down. The headaches still happen but it seems like every other day now, or at least less frequent. I need to get my butt in gear and start exercising though. At least take walks three times a week and then I can squeeze some yoga in there too.

BB Bird Belly

2010-11-30T14:07:00.000-08:00

When I was pregnant with Sophia, I only took 4-5 pictures of my belly. I really wish that I would have had more, so this time around I have been more dedicated in taking pictures. I tend to take them every other week, usually on my off week because I look a little better :) So here we go.

Week 6: Starting to feel a little 'thick'

Week 8: Starting to feel like death

I went and got my hair done right after this and threw up my whole can of Fresca

Week 12: A little belly forming

Week 14

Week 14 again, being a dork

Week 16: Even more of a belly! Doesn't Sophia look thrilled?!

Week 18 is this Saturday so I should have another picture soon! I always heard that you show so much faster with your second baby but I still didn't know what to expect. This belly growth has been shocking!

Pregnancy Journal

2010-11-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

Week 13 (October 30- November 6)

Tuesday: So it has been a month. A pretty awful and miserable month. Morning sickness has been the worst. I have had constant food aversions and was vomiting 1-3 times per day. Luckily, three days ago I had a streak of two days that I did not throw up, but yesterday morning I did. I think that since I am almost finished with my first trimester I am getting better. It looks like I have gained 2 lbs, which I thought impossible with me not keeping much down, but I look like I have gained 2 lbs. My belly is impossible to hide at this point. We announced our pregnancy at 12 weeks and pretty much everyone knows. I finally feel like we have hit the ‘safe’ point with this pregnancy and I am not constantly worrying about miscarrying again. I have my second midwife appointment tomorrow and I am far enough along that we can listen for the heartbeat! I will feel even better when I hear my little BB’s heart beating. Sophia is still convinced that it is a baby girl but I am thinking it might be a boy since this pregnancy has been so much harder on me. I even caved at had my midwife call in a prescription for b6/unisom. It made the morning sickness way worse because it just stopped me from throwing up and it made me sleep 4-6 hours a day. I just couldn’t stay awake. I am hoping that if I go for walks more often that will help in nixing this stupid morning sickness (which is actually the very worst in the late afternoon and evening).

Thursday: Went to my second midwife appointment yesterday! It was awesome! Ann went over a bunch of testing that I could have done that I am still deciding about, they do a quad screen for neural tube defects and Downs that I could do, also Cystic Fibrosis. She also added a thryroid test on there because I told her about me having a high resting heart rate. She loves that I get free labs done and orders whatever we feel like! I also scheduled the BIG ultrasound! December 14^th is the big day. I am so excited. I really have felt like it is a boy but the closer we get to finding out, the idea of a girl keeps creeping into my mind. Also at the appointment, I found out that even for as sick ask I have been, I gained 5lbs since my last appointment, which is the only weight I have gained this pregnancy. I threw up today, dang it! And I still have been getting headaches every afternoon (for the past week) but the food aversions and sensitive smell seems to be going away a little bit. Today was the first day that I went to the grocery store in over two months! And I didn’t have to leave early to throw up or anything! It was nice to be able to be productive today. Also, at lunch, I actually wanted a salad. I have had such bad food aversions to vegetables and I feel like I have been eating so unhealthy because of it, so hopefully that will change soon.

Week 14 (Nov7-13)

Sunday: So I haven’t thrown up in a few days but it seems like when I don’t throw up the nausea kicks back in. Nothing compared to what it was before, but still enough that I lose all my energy. These headaches have been kicking my butt too. I didn’t have one a few days ago but I have always had once since then, and they seem to be starting earlier and earlier, although they don’t start til after noon. I have started looking into different methods of natural birth and hopefully can pick one and get started soon. That’s about it for now!

Pregnancy Journal, again

2010-11-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Are you guys getting bored of pregnancy journals? Sorry. Nothing much happening here. Let me sum up the nothing: Joe leaves the house at 5am and comes home at 10pm. Steph: cleans and feeds herself, three year old, and baby. Gets headaches every damn day. Ju Ju Bea kitty: follows Steph and Sophia around CONSTANTLY, has been kicked multiple times because she gets right by your feet. The End. But Thanksgiving is coming up and more things should start to happen!

Week 10-Week 12

I slacked off these three weeks doing the pregnancy journal. I didn't do anything these three weeks. I would get up in the morning, throw up before or after my shower. Go to work. Come home and beg someone to bring us dinner or buy it on the way home. Get home and immediately throw up. Eat. Climb in bed and stay there the rest of the night. It was the most rough three weeks of my life. But being that sick was a good sign. And I would rather be sick with a healthy baby than be feeling good and risk a miscarriage again. I did feel super guilty because I did the minimum to take care of Sophia and myself and left everything else up to Joe. And if Joe couldn't do it, it just wouldn't get done. I had numerous meltdowns because I didn't feel like myself, I felt like I was changing into a grumpy and horrible person. Even little things, like I stopped liking Diet Coke. I didn't drink it for two months and I felt like my whole personality was changing. I didn't like how I felt emotionally and mentally and was scared I would never be myself again. But, thankfully, as I rounded out the first trimester I started to get better. And I feel about 75% myself again. But guess what I did?! One of the hardest things for me was to drink anything. So I was really thirsty a lot of the time and one day I opened the fridge and there, on the shelf was Joe's Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. Pepsi = sacrilege. But it sounded so so so good. So I drank the whole thing, and then another, and then another. I couldn't get enough. But the next day... I couldn't even look at the stuff.

Basically, this pregnancy kicked my butt. Above and beyond anything I ever experienced with Sophia. But when I get to hold that little, wiggling, warm, sweet-smelling baby in my arms for the first time, it will be 110% worth it.

Pregnancy Journal

2010-11-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

Week 7 (September 10^th-16)

Monday: The morning sickness has hit. Big time. I haven’t thrown up at all but every little smell is unbearable and nothing sounds good to eat. I have to force my food down at meals but for about 20 minutes after I eat I feel a lot better. I have had serious food aversions though. I slaved over a peach pie and broccoli cheese soup and can’t even think about eating it ever again. It seemed like yesterday was the first time that it ‘hit’ Joe that we were having a baby. I told him that the little heart was already beating and he sounded really excited. I am still exhausted and sick but always better than no pregnancy symptoms at all!

Tuesday: Today was the first day at work with morning sickness. I was worried people would notice but I don’t think they did. The smells at work were pretty awful but I think I can get through them. But lunch time is by far the worst… smelling everyones gross food that they bring to work. Otherwise, nothing much else is happening.

Week 8 (September 17^th-23^rd)

Tuesday: So I have been throwing up pretty regularly, everyday. Usually in the morning when I am brushing my teeth but today it was right before lunch. So far, once I throw up I feel a lot better for about 15 minutes, then back to the morning sickness. Same thing with eating. After I eat I feel a ton better for about 15 minutes. The problem is is that I can barely get the food in me in the first place. I have to shove a bite down, let it settle for a minute and then I can keep eating, otherwise it is just too miserable. I have also been out of my mind tired. I am getting at least 8 hours a night but still can barely get up in the morning. Tomorrow is my ultra sound! I am really sad because I have to do it this week (the study requires between 6.5 and 7.5 weeks) and Joe is in rotations, so I will be getting a babysitter for Sophia and going by myself. Joe will be able to make it to my first midwife appointment though, so that is good.

Wednesday: Today was my ultrasound! Everything looked wonderful! Everything was measuring exactly where it should be and I got to hear a little heartbeat that was 169 beats per minute. I really wish Joe could have been there. After, I went and picked Sophia up and my mom called me out on being pregnant. I thought for sure Sophia blabbed, but she didn’t. My mom and Grandma Bev just knew. I feel super awful today. I could barely get my food down at dinner. I can’t wait for Joe to get home tonight so I can show him the ultrasound printout.

Week 9 (September 24^th-30^th)

Saturday: I think that morning sickness this pregnancy was far worse than with Sophia. Up until about three days ago I was mostly just dry heaving, possible bile throw up but now I have hit the full on throw up. It is miserable. All I want to do is lie down because I feel so much better. I am constantly thirst because NOTHING sounds good to drink. Blaaaah. My little one is the size of a kidney bean today! I already don’t fit into my clothes… awesome. So I bought some maternity clothes. Its just the pants that are super uncomfortable.

Tuesday: BAAAAARF! Today at work was better than it has been in a few days. Probably just because I am busy and distracted. Tonight, just before I ate dinner, I felt so so sick and went into the bathroom, pretty sure I was going to throw up. Sophia followed me and I started to throw up and I tried to shoo her out with my hand when she saw me and said, “Oh mom, you need a ginger ale!” It was so funny, other than the fact that I was barfing my guts out.

Pregnancy Journal

2010-11-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

Week 5 (August 27^th-September 2^nd)

Sunday: I went to the EAGeR study appointment on Friday. I took a pregnancy test first thing and it was still a big fat positive! She drew blood, gave me a new journal and explained what I would need to do from now on, which is just collecting my first morning urine. I have been feeling more and more nervous though. I had such a perfect pregnancy with Sophia and so I expected the same thing last year. So when I miscarried I was shocked really. Now I am super apprehensive. My boobs are still super sore but that is really the only symptom as if now. As much as I know I will regret saying this…. At least if I was sick all the time I would know things were ok. I have an ultrasound through the EAGeR study on September 22 which is 7 weeks, almost exactly how far along I was when I miscarried last year. I think once I get past that and actually see something, I will feel a lot better. I have been considering getting my quantitative hCG done at the clinic, but Joe made a good point that if something is going to happen, it will regardless. I just think that if I saw my hCG not doubling or staying low, at least I would not be blindsided by another miscarriage. Sophia saw a pregnancy test that I took and Joe was asking her what she thought it was. She is so smart! She said “This clicker says mommy will have a boy or a girl. The blue line says it is a boy and the pink line says it is a baby girl.” We told her that ‘someday’ mommy will have a baby. The last thing I want is my little blabbermouth to say something before I’m ready… although I can’t wait to tell her!

Week 6 (September 3^rd- 9^th)

Friday: I ended up deciding that I wanted the quantitative hCG done. I had it drawn on Tuesday and Thursday. I just wanted to make sure that the numbers were doubling in the 48 hours which is what should happen. Last year, my hCG was ~150 when I had it done at almost the same time. I got the first results on Wednesday and it was 973!! I felt a rush a relief. Then I got the second number today and it was 2,200. So more than doubled. Thank goodness. That is so reassuring. I remember thinking how low that 150 was last year but I didn’t have it done 48 hours later. I bet I would have seen it didn’t double. Yesterday I felt a little nauseous but today I haven’t. My boobs kill. That is about all the symptoms though, so not bad. I made my first midwife appointment but it won’t be until the first of October. It is nice to be in this study because I am going in for that in a few weeks and I will be getting an ultrasound too!

Thursday: Blah… I have started to feel nauseous. It really hit me three days ago in the late afternoon. It has been on and off all day since then. It seems to help when I eat but comes back after about an hour. I was asking for it though and it seems to be a good sign that it is a healthy pregnancy. My back has been aching lately too. Especially last night. I also have needed tons and tons of sleep. I am usually getting about 9 hours at night and still want to be asleep by about 10:00.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-06T15:29:00.001-07:00

Oh Halloween. It really is my favorite holiday. You wouldn't know it this year though. I have just been too exhausted and too sick to do much of anything, let alone plan for decorating, fun dinners, and awesome costumes. Luckily, Sophia was a little helper and just wanted to be Cinderella for Halloween. Joe spent the day with Sophia on Halloween having fun and carving pumpkins. I worked :( But when I got home we ate some dinner and got Sophia ready for trick-or-treating. Then it rained and we waited....and waited.... and waited... and then finally the rain let up enough to go to four neighbor houses then back in the car and a quick visit to my parents and Joe's moms house to round out the evening.

I put mascara on Sophia! It was so fun to see her wear make up! Her eye lashes are so so long

Here she is checking herself out in the mirror

These are the pumpkins that Joe and Sophia worked on that afternoon

We went to my parents house and my dad came out the front door with this scary costume on and.....

...this is how scared Sophia was of my dad. She would not let go of my leg

But after Papa stopped teasing her and took off his mask she was ready to get some candy

Other than that, we had a pretty low key Halloween which was a little bit of a bummer. But I wont let it happen next year! Mark my words :)

Pregnancy Journal

2010-11-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Week 3 (Aug 13-19)

The fertility monitor said that I peaked on 13th and 14th so I called EAGeR and Monique was very funny. After we made my appointment she said "Don't forget you have to have sex." It was so blunt I just started laughing and said "Ok..." A little awkward eh? When I went in for my appointment, I met with a different nurse. The study bribes you with warm chocolate chip cookies and if you remember to take your medication every day then you get one :) She filled up my giant green bag full of more "goodies" like ovulation sticks, pregnancy tests, and more meds. She also showed me all the data that had been collected so far on the fertility monitor. It was so cool! She took this little card out of the monitor and put it into the computer and it brought up my exact levels of LH and estrogen. They did exactly what they were supposed to leading up to ovulation, so that was good to know. My nurse said that I shouldn't take a pregnancy test until the 28th, Desmond's first birthday! but I don't know if I can wait that long! She gave me whole handful of them anyways. Joe and I have been very blessed to be able to conceive after the first month of trying with our past two pregnancies. I'm wondering and hoping it is the same this time around. Oh, on Wednesday I got a bloody nose driving to work and couldn't get it to stop for an hour. I am guessing that I am taking the asprin and NOT the placebo.

Week 4 (Aug 20-26)

Saturday: Started feeling a little crampy today at work. Today is day 23 of my cycle so I am guessing that this *could* be implantation cramping. I remember feeling that when I was pregnant last year. I am feeling pretty confident we are pregnant but I told myself I wouldn’t take a test until day 25 of my cycle, so Monday morning!

Monday: Still feeling slightly crampy today. Mostly in my back (the way I usually cramp during my period) Today I took a pregnancy test (day 25 of my cycle) and the test said can detect up to 6 days before missed period, so I was cutting it close. It was negative. But I have more from the EAGeR study and I will probably test in the next couple days.

Wednesday: I woke up this morning around 7:00 and was about to get up to get ready for rotations. Joe asked me if I was going to take a test today. I said I wasn’t planning on it and I asked him if he thought I should. He said yes, so I got up, got one of the Quickvue tests that the study provides and took it and……. PREGNANT!! I was really surprised that on day 27 that it would read positive! So I called EAGeR and let them know it was positive and we scheduled an appointment for tomorrow. I don’t really know what we will be doing but I guess I will see tomorrow!

In the Beginning

2010-11-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Heather has been keeping a pregnancy journal during the course of her pregnancy. It has been really fun to read and see how she is experiencing pregnancy so I decided I would do the same thing. I wish that I would have had one from my pregnancy with Sophia so that I could compare the two and I don't want to make that same mistake again! I have been keeping a personal one, one with probably way too much information for blogland, but I think I will pick and choose what to post here. Heather, I hope you don't mind I am a blatant copy cat, just know I wouldn't do it if yours wasn't so awesome :)

Week 1 (July 30-Aug 5)

This was the week that I started the EAGeR study. EAGeR stands for Effects of Asprin in Gestation and Reproduction. Joe and I heard about this study last year in October when we had a miscarriage at 7 weeks. We decided we would be interested in doing the study when we decided to try to have another baby, but at that point, we felt like the timing wasn't right so we got the study information and told them to call again in July 2010. Sure enough, near the middle of July I got the call. Her name is Monique and she is up at UMC. She had me answer a few questions and then said that I just needed to call her when I started my next cycle so I could come in.

So the following Monday, bright and early, I drove to UMC to meet with Monique. She took a urine sample and a few tubes of blood and explained what the study was all about. I would be taking either asprin or placebo and folic acid. I would collect my first morning urine and do an ovulation test every morning. I would also record certain things in a journal, daily. Whether I took the medication or not, if I had caffeine that day and how much, any exposure to alcohol or tobacco that day, what your fertility reading was, sexual activity and *eh hem* how much, etc. She sent me home with a giant bag of urine collection tubes, boxes for their storage in my freezer, fertility monitor and test sticks, journal, pills, and papers to be filled out.

The next day I started on this adventure. I was to go back in for a urine and blood draw the day that I 'peak', meaning that your LH (leutinizing hormone) surges and peaks, which coincides with ovulation. Following that, I was to call in again when I 1. took a pregnancy test that was positive, or 2. my next cycle started.

Week 2 (Aug 6-12)

Nothing much to report at this point. The fertility monitor started out at low and has increased to high, it is expected to peak in week 3. I have been really proud of myself for remembering to do a morning collection and always taking my pills. I am taking a million things right now! A chewable multivitamin, iron, the study medications and folic acid with DHA. Joe keeps saying we could go and get blood work done at work to see if I am taking the asprin or placebo. I don't really care, so I'm not going to check. Our anniversary was this week. We took Sophia to Jan's and had the day to ourselves. We went thrifting and bought the greatest chair ever, went to lunch at Ruby River, and wen tot the movies to see Inception which was amazing!

Is it just me...

2010-10-24T11:04:00.001-07:00

Or does this baby make me look fat? (12 weeks)

Baby Bird's expected for his/her grand arrival May 7th, 2011 and we couldn't be happier!

Hair Cut

2010-09-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Does anyone remember what Sophia looked like from birth to about 2 years old? BALD. Bald bald bald. So you can see why I have been hesitant to cut her hair, especially since we waited so long for it to get where it is today. However, after never cutting someones hair, it can get pretty scraggly. I took Sophia with me to Ellie, the only person I trust with my hair and friend. Sophia was really nervous when we first got to the salon but she warmed up and was so good during the whole trim.

She was holding Joe's hand underneath the cape.

Ellie and Sophia

Finished product!

Wednesday

2010-09-13T20:05:00.000-07:00

Bright and early Wednesday morning (talking 4:30 am) I rolled out of bed to get ready to be a BFOP (Best friend of the program) to the Radio from Hell show on x96. I got to bring someone with me so I took my friend Ashley who is also a huge BFOP. It got a little crazy because they were broadcasting from the Gateway but it was fun none the less.

Bill, Gina, and Kerry

Gina is notorious for being a picky and unhealthy eater. Someone brought home made brownies but Gina has a policy of not eating home made treats, so they brought her this Twinkie. She decided she would suck out the filling.

Bill, Ashley, Kerry, me, Gina, and Richie

Later on Wednesday was Sophia's first ever ballet class! She was so excited and talked/talks about it constantly. She looks forward to Wednesdays because that is ballet day!

These are total dork posy pictures but there were a million kids around and she was having a hard time taking direction

This is one of the worst/dorky/posy ones!

But seriously, how cute is she in her ballet outfit!!

Her class was about 45 minutes long and she couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the night. Watching your child get to experience something new is one of the greatest parts of being a parent.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

2010-08-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, it was our little nephew's first birthday! I sure do love this little guy and was very excited to get to celebrate with him and his family!

He got to have whatever he wanted to eat on his birthday and at first I thought he was going to hold back. Here he is chowing down on some watermelon.

He got a little more adventurous and tried his very first Cheetoh! Auntie (me) was very proud of him because those are my favorite. Don't let the grimace fool you, he down another four or five immediately after.

Sally put together so many fun things for all the cousins to do! The first game they played was pin-the-wheel-on-the-car. Desmond was letting Sally know right where he wanted it to go.

He is getting so close to being able to walk! It is pretty much all he wanted to do while the other kids were playing games. Look at that happy boy!

This is Desmond's dad. Nice blindfold Chris!

These two are the same age, one on the Bird side and one on the Brady. This was the little matchbox car race track.

After the games was the pinata! Here is Lucey smacking Joe in the face with this mini version of a Louisville slugger.

My little goose was only half-heartedly swinging because she was posing for all the cameras

Des got bored and decided to explore the garden while the other kids were trying to smash candy out of the pinata.

But when all the kids were rushing to the candy he felt a little left out and decided to see what all the buzz was about.

This is a present from Aunt Meredith... an inside joke, a hilarious inside joke.

Happy Birthday Little Man!!

Desmond started off pretty dainty and neat

But then he got into it and chowed down!

Sally and her 1 year old baby boy!

We love you little Des!

Hmmm...

2010-08-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

I realize that I have not blogged in forever. Sometimes I feel like it has to be a big even that I have pictures of to post here. But then I look back at older posts and I love the ones that were about ordinary days. So I guess I will try to re-cap what has been happening lately.

My garden has really taken off! My brussel sprouts are just starting to bud and my peppers are thriving where they are planted. I have quite a few tomatoes but they are growing slowly, along with my cucumbers. I did have one cucumber about a week ago that was delish but, like I said, it has been the only one. I do have one problem with my garden. I have to patches of brussel sprouts and the one closest to my front door is infested with something disgusting. It is making the leaves curl up and it looks there are white little eggs all over. So disgusting. I drove home today and realized that, along with myself, the birds have noticed them too. There were about 20 birds just chowing down on those gross little things.

Our little kitty is still growing but she is still so small! I look at other cats and they are so huge compared to her! She is about six or seven months old but still so little. She loves to snuggle and wants me to hold her all the time. She waits by the door of her room when we get home and cries until we let her out. I think that Joe is starting to tolerate her and will pat her and let her sit on him every once in a while. I love her most of the time, except when she gets in her wild moods and attacks my duvet cover. It drives me nuts because we have not declawed her and she will pounce all over it until I kick her out of my room. Other than that, I grow more and more fond of her every day :)

Have you seen the bright yellow Chow truck? It drives all over, but luckily for me, it stops a lot at the REI by my house. I always wanted to try it and one day I was hungry, had cash, and it was there! I had heard nothing but good things about it and I am so glad that I stopped! They have five choices of meat: chicken, pork, beef, calamari, and panko coated tofu. You can have the meat served in a salad, slider, or what I think is the best, taco. They top the meat with Asian slaw and crunch won ton strips. My favorite is the coconut-lemongrass chicken taco. They also have these chips that are addicting! They are all sorts of fried root vegetable, carrot, different varieties of potatoes, lotus root, etc. I have stopped twice and the second time I discovered they take cards! Always nice for me, someone who NEVER carries cash.

Earlier this month was our 5th anniversary! I felt guilty all month for not writing about it, but we didn't take any pictures and it was nice not having to drag a camera around. Joe took the day off work and we arranged for Joe's mom to take Sophia most of the day. Our plan was to take her to Jan's, go for a hike to Elephant Rock and then go from there. After we dropped off Sophia, Joe started driving but we weren't headed the right direction. He surprised me and took me to DI! I know what you are thinking, oh how romantic. But I love looking at the DI! We pulled in a few minutes before they opened and were met by about a dozen other DI enthusiasts. I headed right for the dishes section, but still no Fire King dishes. I have never found any at DI! We wandered around, browsing to our hearts content. I looked at a Bulova watch that someone sent to the DI! It had diamonds in it and everything. You know that if the DI was asking $500 bucks for it, its something good. Just as we were about to leave I ran back to the furniture section to see what they had. Sometimes I am impulsive and I buy things that I don't really love. I might pick it out because it is trendy or a great deal but I usually have buyers remorse. I have started really thinking through my purchases so this doesn't happen. I rounded the corner of one isle of chairs and I saw 'it'. The perfect vintage chair. It has curved legs and a rounded back. It is covered with baby blue velvet! I had to have it. But this time the impulse was different. I felt it in my bones. This chair was exactly what I wanted and a perfect fit. After tying the trunk closed with phone charging cords and pulling the king and queen of WT for the day, we dropped it off and continued on our anniversary date. We enjoyed a steak and rib lunch at Ruby River and then went and saw Inception, which blew my mind it was so good. It was a wonderful anniversary and I enjoyed spending every second of the day with my man, partner, lover, and best friend.

Not much else has been happening to the Birds. The once long break from school is drawing to an end and Joe will be starting rotations in the middle of September. I have lucked out and I get to be a guest on my favorite radio show, Radio from Hell, on September 8th. I am bringing another BFOP (best friend of the program) and my own personal friend, Ashley. If you listen at 6:00am and at about 9:45-10:00 you will hear me!

Until next time,

Steph

Sophia and Her Kitty

2010-08-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Oregon: Day 3

2010-07-22T20:58:00.003-07:00

So Oregon, Day 3. We were leaving our home base, Seaside, and making our way back to Portland. Our first stop after leaving Seaside was Tillamook. You just cannot go to Oregon without going to the cheese factory. Personally, I love all things dairy so I was pretty excited.

Along the way to Tillamook, we stopped at this little over-look place. Again, I cannot reiterate enough how beautiful the coast is.

When we got to Tillamook we ordered breakfast at the little cafe inside. It was amazing.

Joe got this outrageous special. It was a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit smothered in gravy

And I got the plain biscuits and gravy. They couldn't quite compare to Ruth's Diner biscuits and gravy but they were up there. Dallas and Shannon ordered the pancakes and they were unbelievable. In fact, Shannon charmed the recipe out of Tillamook and we both have it now. I made them for breakfast this morning and they are still as yummy.

Joe about to milk Sophia

Above the cafe and store is some history of Tillamook and windows to watch down into the factory. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and things were slow and nothing much was going on. They did have some awesome old cheese making stuff though. I wasn't entirely sure how this fit into cheese making, but it caught my eye because I use one everyday at work, well, the newer version at least. This is a hand crank centrifuge. I couldn't help but smile when I saw it.

After our little self guided tour, we stopped and got some samples and then picked up a few Tillamook items to take home. We also stopped off for some of their ice cream which is so delicious. Probably within a minute of when this photo was taken Sophia licked that scoop right off the cone and onto the floor!

And then we were off. Our next stop was in Portland. We went to see the Japanese gardens.

I want some of these in my garden but I don't thing they do very well in Utah

I could have spent all day here. It was so quite and relaxing and the gardens were perfectly manicured but they still had a natural feel to them

How can I incorporate this exact fountain into my yard? Because I'm pretty sure I need something like this

The weather was absolutely perfect, sunny but not hot

Sophia flipped out at this point, apparently dying of thirst. So our next half hour were spent hoping and searching for a water fountain in the gardens

We did find one, so all was well

One of the things that I noticed the most in the gardens was these Japanese maple trees. I love them. My parents have one about half this size in their front yard and I have always thought they were so beautiful. I decided I needed one in my front yard too, however, even though they say the trees like full sun... mine hates it. And it is dying. But this is what I wished it looked like.

After the gardens, we went to downtown Portland to go and see the sand sculptures that had been built over the weekend. They did it right in the middle of Pioneer Square. We waited for a little while and the wait paid off. A big bulldozer came and smashed a few of the sculptures before we left. It was a good time.

We then headed back to Dallas' cousin's house where we were fed dinner and stayed our last night in Oregon. Bright and early the next morning we were off, headed back to SLC. It was so fun to go somewhere new! I will definitely be going back.

Oregon: Day 2

2010-07-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

Ok. So here we go. I believe this was day that Joe and I slept in crazy late and didn't get syrup with our pancakes, and like that it is any sort of acceptable replacement, got grape jelly instead. Yeah, this was that day. Ok, here we go.

After the sleeping and the grape jelly we were off to Astoria! Guess what is the coolest place in Astoria, Oregon? GOONIES! We even watched Goonies on the drive to Oregon to prepare us for the amazing sites we were about to see. So our first stop was Mikey's house. You know, the 'fat hobbit' guy? Well the poor people that live there now have, I'm sure, a pretty steady stream of visitors. The morning we went there was at least 10 people there. This is the sign at the bottom of their drive-way:

Sorry about the squinched photo, I forgot my camera bag and I only had my one lens.

Goonies house aside, the homes in Astoria were absolutely beautiful. They were like Avenues homes with a beach house edge to them.

I turned around and this is the view from that house. Awesome huh?

Guys, guess what? I did something new to my hair. Big surprise there right ;)

Here I am doing the shy version of the truffle shuffle, just like Chunk did at the same porch gate!

Hello, this is my bipolar daughter Sophia. These two photos sum up the entire tip
The next stop on our Goonies tour was the jail in the very first scene where the Fratellis escape

Here is a re-enactment for your viewing pleasure. I think this is one of the greatest pictures ever. It makes me smile every time I look at it

Our next stop was the Astoria Column. We climbed at least a million + 1 steps to get to the top and then the kids all threw these little airplanes off the top and we watched them float down

We were pretty high up. I got a little nervous by the edge

Shannon and little W were hanging in the car

After, we were headed to a light house and Disappointment Cove (Cape?) for a little hike. However, we got there and two of the kids were asleep and it ended up being a no-go. On the drive from Washington to Oregon we were wondering what all these logs were sticking out of the water and I happened to glance over and see a bald eagle perched right on top! My camera was put away and I didn't get a picture though. We also spotted a Costco and decided it was a quick and easy place for lunch. We walked in and... WTF Costco... they only had Pepsi products?! I'm sorry but Pepsi is gross. I won't even drink it in a pinch.

The next stop in our trip.... Oh side story here. Sophia was constantly asking us if we were at our trip yet. Even a few days into it. "Are we going to our trip now?" I am kind of thinking that she thinks all trips are to Disneyland and we still hadn't shown up there.... Anyways, back to my absolutely favorite part of the trip. Cannon Beach. We lucked out and saw the sunshine for almost the entire time we were there.

This beach was so beautiful. Words can't even describe. Within seconds of stepping foot here Joe and I were planning our next trip.

There was this constant sort of fog/haze that made the horizon so beautiful. This is in front of Haystack rock, which is also in Goonies.

Sophia started feeling pretty crappy at this point and slept on the beach the whole time. The four adults also did the same thing. It was amazing and so relaxing.

After Cannon Beach we headed to Mo's for some dinner. I got chili and garlic bread and Joe got clam chowder in a bread bowl. Sophia slept through dinner and had a fever so after dinner we took her back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.

Next up: Day 3, Tillamook, man/woman, Japanese Gardens, smashing sand