milestone

Five weeks ago I was sent home from a routine doctor appointment on full bed rest and no clue what was in store for baby boy and me. I remember my OB's exact words. "Honey, if you can just make it to 28 weeks I will be thrilled."

And here we are!!! I cannot begin to express the joy I have knowing that he has a good, fighting chance if he were to arrive anytime soon. He is healthy and has measured well so far. And while his lungs are not fully developed, they are much better formed than five weeks ago!

I saw my OB this past week for the first time since that visit and surgery and the look on his face was priceless. He was smiling as he walked in the door and just sat there staring at me with this silly smile. I truly think he was surprised to see me still pregnant! It was such a satisfying moment for me too, knowing I have done my part for my child. I have obeyed every rule (kicking and screaming some days) for five weeks and it's working. Thank you, Lord.

The plan remains the same. Lay low until 37 weeks (week of June 23) and I'll have my stitches removed. Only the Lord knows if he'll come that day or give his momma a few days to get off this couch before his arrival! I tried to bargain with my doctor for a slightly earlier removal the week before, but he's sticking to his guns. And I respect that.

Elliot has finally grown accustomed to our new little routine at home and her behavior has improved greatly over the last 2 weeks. She has been so helpful- grabbing things off the ground for mommy or getting an extra pillow, cleaning up her mess (in mommy's area at least!) and picking out clothes from her drawers. She has always been an independent little girl but we are noticing that even more now. I think she is going to be a wonderful big sister!

Both of my loves were a little under the weather this past weekend and boy was that hard to lay around watch! But Grant, being the trooper that he is, made sure Elliot had a good Easter weekend anyway. I am so thankful for this man!

Grant and Elliot had a packed Easter morning together with church and a family brunch while I had my own little celebration at home. We ended the day with a little egg hunt in our backyard with my toosh reclined in a chaise lounger. It was such a beautiful day and a great way for us to celebrate Easter and 28 weeks pregnant together!

My dear friend, Leslie snapped a picture of my two loves at church- thank you! Can't wait to be holding another little bundle of joy for next year's photo.

And just look at how Elliot and one of her little BFFs, Jules! They have grown so much in the last two years! 

The easter bunny (grammy) hid some "monies" as Elliot says, in a few eggs this year :). This girl loves coins for her piggy bank!

Not quite the Easter weekend we planned for but just as happy!

the truth

Let's just be transparent shall we. This whole bed rest business isn't for sissies. Don't trick yourself into thinking itd be fun to be bound to a couch where you can watch tv all day, sleep and have people wait on you. Not that you would, but hey, most people think to themselves how great it'd be for someone to force them to rest. But for an unknown (though hopeful) 3 month span? Yeah, now you're squirming.

Today is just one of those days for me. When I can't shake the thoughts of all I'm missing out on. Pick-up hugs with Elliot, giving her a bath, taking her to the park, picking her up from school, making her dinner, playing with her, girls night, bunko, small group at church, worship on Sundays, lunch with friends, dinners with friends, birthday parties for dear friends, walking outside, working out, sitting up for longer than 30 minutes, play dates, date nights with grant, preparing and organizing baby boy's room, dedicating specific time and activities for Elliot to enjoy before we become a family of 4, cooking, grocery shopping. the everyday mundane things that you take for granted but help you feel accomplished as a mother and person somehow.

Life at home with a toddler who is trying to wrap her mind around mommy being a couch potato in conjunction with a husband who works full time (plus a nightly part time gig here and there) trying to take care of said toddler, his couch potato wife and the house is chaotic and stressful to say the least. And to be confined to the couch where your only option is to listen and or watch all that's going on without any control? Yikes. Because I'll tell you folks, nothing will squash your mommy power over your child like being surrendered to the couch. All verbal control or ability to grasp your child's attention for a teaching moment has passed for the time being.

There you have it. Some of the ugly truths about bed rest. So if you're temped to spit out the proverbial "just enjoy your time resting, you'll never get this chance again", maybe you'll think twice now. (And if you've already said this to me, no worries! I still love ya).

Thankfully, our gracious God does not allow suffering in such thought forever and so timely provides someone or something in front of me to uplift my spirits and help me remember that this is temporary and absolutely necessary for the life growing inside me. And then the mom in me is guilty for even having such thoughts or complaints. Ha, It's a cycle of emotions.

Despite these truths I've confessed, there's also been many great days and thankful moments that keep me going.

I am not at the hospital. I have a loving husband who has taken on so much and rarely complained. We have an enormous support group of people helping make life possible and sacrificing of themselves for us. I am still pregnant and we are all healthy otherwise. I can count on one hand the number of days I've spent lunch alone during the week and man, what a blessing that has been. The same goes for dinner that has been provided or will be provided during this time. The sweet phone calls or texts each day. The time I've gotten to spend with my baby boy, understanding all his routine movements and patterns throughout a day that I would otherwise have overlooked due to an everyday busy life.

So I don't allow myself much time to wallow in the negatives. Because there's just way too many things to be thankful for. And if you ever hear me start in with any negative thought, do me a favor and steer me back into all that is good (after I finish my rant of course!). :)

Okay, I'm seriously going to tackle this crochet thing. Wish me luck!

Here we go again!

Let's not even talk about how long it's been since I've updated and move right to the present. We have been busy running after and being entertained by a toddler and loving every minute of it. I just wish I had documented more of our adventures.

We found out last fall that we are expecting another little one and recently that we're having a boy! It took me awhile to grasp the fact that I'd see a little boy running around my home. We have thoroughly enjoyed having a girl (though she's not much of a girly-girl and honestly, we like it) but are thrilled to have a boy and start a new adventure. Elliot wasn't

sure what to think in the beginning as she only talked about having a little sister. But she's excited to share with her little brother her love for the Grizzlies and all their names. Honestly, that incentive is what helped her accept that a baby boy was going to be sleeping in the room next to her!

This pregnancy has been different from the beginning.. more nausea and sickness overall, more pressure/discomfort and surprisingly not much weight gain in the beginning. I fully expected to have similar issues with my body this time as I did with Elliot regarding her arrival and the need for bedrest. But we learned of problems a lot sooner this time around and I had a small procedure last week to help thwart the possibility of delivery in the next few weeks.

So, here I am one day shy of 25 weeks and on full bedrest with the following privileges:
-to and from the bathroom
-shower less than 10 minutes
-sitting at table (or anywhere) at 90 degree angle for no more than 30min/day

Kind of harsh, but so far it's working! We've almost completed 2 weeks now and received a great report from the doctor this week, so I will continue this routine until I deliver. We've been given encouragement from the physican that we have a good chance to make it to 37 weeks and we are clinging to that!

Elliot is learning how to spend time with Mom a little different these days

We're slowly finding what works so that I can help with Elliot's routine and spend time with her. We read together every night, say our prayers as a family from the couch and I sing her songs through the monitor at bedtime. (And naturally, watch a few of her shows together). Whatever gets the snuggles at this point! It's not exactly the way I'd like to do things, but each day I'm thankful I'm at home on bed rest rather than at the hospital. And most importantly, that our little boy is still growing.

We have been blessed by many friends and family already that have helped make this new phase as smooth as possible and for that we are so very thankful. Grant is doing a great job as Mr. Mom and keeping Elliot entertained, too. It's hard to miss out on the fun but I'm thankful she is happy and keeping her routine as much as possible. 

Grizzlies Party at Putt-Putt

We appreciate all the prayers on our behalf and well wishes we've received and ask that you continue to pray for us during this process. 

There's a master list around here of all I'd like to accomplish from the couch in the next possible 15 weeks and maybe I'll share that next time. But for now, hit me up with your favorite books and television series I might access from Netflix! 

food blog addiction

It's no secret, I LOVE food. For most holidays, birthdays or any occasion really, I've asked for a cookbook. I currently have 30. But there's about 15 new ones on my wish list this very minute. Ridiculous, I know.  Lately, I've been getting my inspiration from various blogs, rather than turning to my beloved cookbooks. My google reader is filled with so many "food" blogs right now, I can't keep up.

I check reader most every day. Considering this is usually done in the mornings or on my lunch break, I star the titles that look good to me and I go back later to take a peek at the recipe (I can't help but read friends' posts right then and there, though).

So, in the spirit of what several avid bloggers do around this time of year, I'd like to share my favorites (from their blogs!) in 2012. Most of these recipes were made more than once, even twice at our house this year. And the remainder are our more recent favorites.

In no particular order.

1.  Baked Tex-Mex Pimento Cheese Dip   via Annie's Eats. This is my go-to cheese dip now. It's different than the usual and has an extra kick. It doesn't last long, either!

2. Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Bake via Picky Palate. Working full time has me looking for easy meals during the week and this has been one of my favorites. And it's easy to substitute for a healthier version, too.

3. Taco Pizza via Real Mom Kitchen. Now, this one is far from healthy but easy and delicious. If you're like my husband and enjoy Taco Bell (I'm betting few of you) then this is your meal. I have not adjusted this recipe for a lighter version, but there could be a few things done.  Try it, you'll love it. I mean, who doesn't love crescent rolls?

4. Mexican Lasagna via Annie's Eats. There seems to be a theme here, I guess. This family loves mexican food and meals that will last more than one night! This is actually a low maintenance meal, though it looks time consuming. And its so, so good. Just read the directions carefully and remember to put foil on the pan before baking, or your noodles will get hard and burn pretty quickly. First time mistake I haven't made twice.

5. Orzo with Kale, Corn and Sausage via Family Bites. I absolutely love orzo. And kale is one of new favorite veggies. This is easy, delicious and pretty healthy. Especially if you go with whole wheat orzo. We've eaten it as a main dish, a side to a larger meat and most definitely for weekly lunches.

6. Brown Butter Funfetti Snickerdoodles via une gamine dans la cuisine. As far as cookies go, Snickerdoodles are generally off my radar. Sure, they're good. But you know, just the same ole, same ole. These are different, I tell you. And its definitely the brown butter. If you put enough sprinkles in, there's a little crunch, too.

7.Cinnamon Clove Coffee Cookies with Irish Cream Frosting via bake your day and BHG. These cookies are so good. If you love coffee, you've got to try these. The cookie itself is very similar to the Irish Cream cookies (linked within the frosting) I made for a cookie exchange a few years ago but the cinnamon/clove in this one really gives it a kick. And you can never go wrong with Irish Cream Frosting!

8. Jamie Oliver's Vegetable Soup via Jamie Oliver. This was brought to us by a dear friend while I was on bedrest with Elliot and I've made it so many times since then. Its easy, healthy and delicious! (Even Elliot loves it!).

In addition to the blogs above, I also frequent the following and suggest you take a peek sometime, too. Or add them to your Reader :)

-Espresso and Cream: Madison is a successful food editor and provides a wide range of recipes on her blog. Plus, other good (non-food) related reads. She's also the one that helped me win the cookie exhange a few years ago with her Iced Eggnog cookies!

-My Baking Addiction: There are some serious desserts here. I can't get enough of this one.

-Channeling Contessa: I've just recently come into this blog via Joy the Baker. Like me, she loves Ina Garten. And she recently got the chance to meet her, along with Joy the Baker and Willow Bird, below. If Ina has invited these ladies over for a cookie exchange, then I gotta see what they're all about.

-Willow Bird Baking: Also a part of Ina's cookie exchange this year, Julie has so many great recipes on her blog. I've loved every one of them. Including her rosemary thumbprints with clementine curd.  Very different, but good!

-Confections of a Foodie Bride: One of the most delicious from-scratch strawberry cakes can be found here.

-Kitchen Confidante: This girl, Liren can really cook. And she's got several awards/honorable mentions to show for it, too. Plus, good photos that make you want to prepare each recipe she posts.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. Hope you enjoy these recipes and blogs as much as I do!

P.S. We had a wonderful Christamas and the proof is coming!

Beanfest

We had a nice little getaway to Arkansas with several friends last weekend and experienced our first ever, Beanfest. We visited Mountain View, AR this summer and really enjoyed the quaint charm of the town square. So when we heard that there was a festival-of-sorts going on in this amazing weather, we had to check it out.

Mountain View is a short drive from Heber, where our friends graciously hosted us for the weekend. The nearly 100 acres of land was just beautiful and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to snap a few shots. We spent most of Saturday walking around the small town square, listening to some blue grass music and of course, eating beans and cornbread!

Elliot fell in love with a hand-carved "cat" chair and she did not want to get out of it! (we're hoping this is not the beginning of a new love for cars because momma is allergic!)

Anticipation for the noon bell that was rung to signal the dash of grabbing beans and cornbread. I'm not used to eating a just a bowl of beans, so that part was strange but they were pretty tasty!

Love all these girls! The little ones had such a great time :)

 

 The weather was surprisingly cold for this time of year but we welcomed it with open arms and enjoyed spending our time chatting by the fire and munchin' on a few s'more bars. On top of that,  Elliot slept one full hour past her normal wake up time!

Perfect weekend. Looking forward to next year!

One

This past month sure was a special one! As of September 20, my sweet baby is now considered a toddler. But of course, she will always be our baby. And it's true what they say, once your child is born you can't imagine your life any other way.

It's hard to describe how much we truly love you, Elliot. We will always remember the first day we laid eyes on you.

                               (though Mama tries to forget her own (HUGE) face in this one) 

To look at you now, walking, talking and feeding yourself just seems so unreal. And while I knew this first year would pass quickly, I'm not sure I was prepared for how "grown up" you'd be.

You have returned in full force with your tolerance for signing. We lost you for a little while, but glad you are enjoying it because I'm not sure there's anything cuter than you asking me for "more, please" with your gestures. We had a few rough patches with your desire to eat and be in control but you're slowly coming around :). I think you could eat a pint of blueberries if I let you! Bread, cheese and yogurt remain your faves. You've been good about eating more steamed veggies lately, but if it weren't for the pouches, I'm not sure we'd ever get your full veggie intake for the day! Thankfully, it appears you do not have a peanut or egg allergy and we enjoyed watching you down your first PB&J.

As your birthday came closer, we started weaning you from formula and you are officially finished drinking formula- thank goodness! While whole milk wasn't your most favorite to start off with, you've grown to enjoy it more in the past 2 weeks. Weaning you from taking milk in the bottle is a different story, I'm afraid. But, we've got you down to only having one at night these days. You're close!

Your sweet teachers at school helped us work with you on walking and a few days before your birthday, you took more than a few steps on your own! Now that we're nearly one month past your birthday, you've certainly picked up the pace and things are just not the same anymore. You are on the move! But we love watching you walk and think its pretty stinkin' cute. Especially in your skinny jeans. I can't handle it.

You have moved up to a "big girl" room at school where they have transitioned you into taking only one nap each day. I can't believe it! Recently that has meant that you are ready for dinner and bedtime earlier. So, we cherish our afternoons with you since you've got a 6:30 bedtime! And most recently, you've begun to enjoy getting dropped off at school. You reach for your teachers when Daddy drops you off and waive bye-bye to him. Too cute. But the first it happened to Daddy, he told me he almost cried. He loves his mornings with you!

Your actual birthday was spent with your friends and teachers at school, but we made sure you celebrated in style. Your daddy knows how to make a mean t-shirt. I'm sure this will be the first of many!

 

You had your very first Gibson's donut for your birthday breakfast. Mommy and Daddy love Gibson's and we were hoping you'd feel the same. We also hope this will remain a tradition in our family as we celebrate each birthday with you.

After it was touched, it was devoured!

And a few days later, we celebrated your birthday with your extended family. We decided to keep it fairly small for your first, because let's face it, you won't really remember this day. And the most important thing to us was to celebrate you with other family that love you just as much as we do. It was such a great day and you were a trooper. With only a 20 minute nap all day, come 3'oclock I thought you'd be on the verge of a melt-down, but you were ready to party!

What a year it has been. We look forward to all the funny things you'll do and how you will become even more of a little girl, this next year. We love and adore you, Elliot!

30

It sure is hard to look at that number and think it has any association with my name. But, it's true. I'm officially 30 (back in July, that is). I've been told by many that their 30's brought great memories. Here's hoping to that. We're off to a great start, so far!

I'll admit, I wasn't too crazy about this birthday coming around the corner. But as it got closer and our plans to celebrate were shaping up, I started getting more excited. We celebrated at work a little early with a trip to the Trolley Stop (one of my faves), Jim's Place with the in-laws and Houston's with Mom, all back-to-back (I probably gained 5 lbs this particular week).

My friend, Leslie had a good idea to meet up for dinner one night of my birthday week to one of new favorite places, Las Delicias. The place was so crowded when we arrived and the hostess took us all the way to the back of the restaurant. And before I knew it, there were 16 girls yelling, "surprise!". I was completely shocked. So much so, I cried. And due to the embarrassment (it doesn't take much with me!) I quickly found an empty seat so I could stop crying. That's when I spotted my oldest and dearest friends who came in town just to have dinner and celebrate my birthday. We had a great time catching up and enjoying Muddys, of course. :).

Grant will attest to the fact that it's really hard to surprise me. But y'all did it! Thanks to my dear friend, Leslie for taking the time to arrange such a lovely celebration and my first surprise party! And to all my friends who came to celebrate with me- thank you, too! What a great way to start 30.

 It was super hot in this place (duh, it was July) and these are blurry, but you get the idea.

Love y'all!