Friday, May 31, 2013

38 weeks

How far along?: 38 wks
How big is baby?: About 6.8 lbs and over 19 1/2 inches long.
Weight gain?: I only gained half a pound since my appt. last week.
Stretch marks?: They all magically disappeared!!! (In my dreams.)
Maternity clothes?: Yeppers.
Sleep?: Not terrible.
Best moment this week?: Getting lots of sewing done for baby girl's room on Monday when my mom was here. We almost got the dust ruffle done for the crib, but ran out of the ribbon for the bottom. We got a valance done. We also got a nursing cover done! I don't think my sewing machine has gotten that much use, total, since it was used by my grandma!
Food cravings?: Nothing new.
Gender?: Girl!
Movement?: Yep. She is definitely running out of room!
Belly button?: Still the same, out!
What I miss?: Same as I have said the past several weeks...
Labor signs?: Just some Braxton Hicks again, and I think I may have lost my mucus plug. (TMI?) That really doesn't mean much besides my cervix is changing, and that I could go into labor within the next 2-3 weeks. Which will likely happen anyways since my due date is only 2 weeks away now.
What I'm looking forward to?: Hopefully having a baby soon. :)


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Levi's two year pics + some maternity pics

I fiiinnnnalllllly got the pictures back from Levi's two year pics and a few maternity pics I had done. They are so cute!! I am in love with all of them! SO, that means that this post is going to be photo heavy with all of my favorites! :)


I might be biased, but he sure is one adorable little boy! He kept us on our toes the day we took these pics, I was glad my mom came with to help! He's a troublemaker, but it's hard to stay upset with him when he flashes you that big smile. :)

I was also glad I decided to do a few maternity pics. I didn't have any taken with Levi, and this was all I wanted. We only did the few poses with Levi, and then one on my own. I just wanted some to remember this time in my life, besides the selfies that I take for my weekly updates. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out.

These were all taken by the wonderful Stephanie at Stephanie Foto ~ Stephanie Warzecha Photography. She is great to work with and does a fantastic job! I can't wait to do baby girl's newborn pics with her!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Pinspiration + a link!

I missed last week. (Whoops.) And I am late this week. (Whoops.) BUT here are my fave pins from the past couple weeks..

This looks SO yummy and refreshing! Definitely going to try it out sometime this summer.


Yum! Always looking for easy chicken breast ideas.


I actually improvised and made something using this as inspiration last week for lunch. I used what I had, so just whole wheat bread, cheddar cheese and avocado, then cooked it like grilled cheese. Holy YUM!


This just looks all around awesome.


I can dream right? Rebecca Scott Designs diaper bag. Gorgeous. And also out of my current price range...
Source: shoprsd.com via Kelsey on Pinterest


I am curious if this actually works. I can never get nail polish (on my fingers) to last more than 24 hours. (Honestly 24 hours would be nice, usually I chip it within like 12 hours.) Might have to give it a try sometime!




You can follow me on Pinterest HERE or click the button on the sidebar!
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One more thing! This recipe that I posted almost 3 years ago has been getting TONS of hits on Pinterest, and I was contacted to have it shared in a slideshow on the Reader's Digest website with other summer appetizers! Crazy right?! Well I just got an email that the slideshow was live, so I wanted to share that link! Go check it out!

14 Perfect Fourth of July Appetizers
Lots of fun, yummy looking recipes!! (Mine is #12!)

37 weeks + a comparison

37 weeks. Officially full term! Which means that if I go into labor any time now, they won't try to stop it. Hallelujah! I actually feel pretty good most of the time, but I do get tired faster, and sore after a day of being on my feet a lot. Although I'm ready to meet this little girly anytime now, I would sort of like her to wait until June, since I already have something with the June birthstone in it! :) (It's an Origami Owl locket.) Anyhoo, here are this weeks stats..

How far along?: 37 wks 5 days (yes, I realize this is very close to 38 weeks so I am very late! Pic is accurate tho ;)
How big is baby?:About 6 1/3 lbs and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel.
Weight gain?: At my check-up last Thursday, I was half a pound less than the week before. So hovering right around the same weight for the past few weeks.
Stretch marks?: :( Yes, some are expanding since I am carrying different this time too. :(
Maternity clothes?: Yep. And some shirts are getting close to being too short.
Sleep?: Not bad, but it's tough to roll over sometimes. It would also be better if Levi would sleep longer in the mornings...
Best moment this week?: Paul's birthday and my cousin's wedding. Levi was the ring bearer and he looked flippin' adorable in the little tux that I borrowed for him to wear!! (Hopefully will post pics soon...)
Food cravings?: Nothing new.
Gender?: Girl!
Movement?: Yep! Sometimes it hurts when she stretches out in certain directions. Paul caught some good action the other night of my belly moving around and the look on his face was priceless! :) His comment was somewhere along the lines of "It looks like one of those movies where there is an alien inside of someone and all of a sudden an arm is going to poke out." Lovely. Haha :)
Belly button?: Still the same, out!
What I miss?: Free range of movement.
Labor signs?: Just some Braxton Hicks.
What I'm looking forward to?: If I was posting this on time, I could say I was looking forward to my mom coming up on Monday (Memorial Day) to help me do a few things, mainly sewing the dust ruffle for baby girl's crib. BUT, since that was yesterday and it already happened, I don't really have anything.
Milestone: FULL TERM!


AND, just for fun, here is a side-by-side comparison of me at 37 weeks when I was pregnant with Levi, and now. I can definitely see that I was rounder last time. This time it's more straight out I think.


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

36 weeks

Sorry I have been neglecting this blog a lot lately! I do have some pics I will be sharing soon, hopefully!

As far as being pregnant, I am so ready to be done. I'm not miserable or anything, just more tired and less energy. It doesn't help that Levi has been a bit of a pistol lately..stinker. I feel like I still have a lot to do before she gets here, and the days just keep going by. Paul finally had a chance to get the last coat of paint on in her room, so we are trying to decide how to arrange the 4 pieces of furniture we want in there. I knew it was a small room, but I didn't realize it was that small. It's going to be crowded in there for awhile I guess. I will share pics of her nursery when we have it done, which probably won't be for a couple months after she is born! :) I don't even have any idea what I am going to put on the walls yet. I was planning on making some freezer meals and I only have a couple things in there, just because I decided to freeze half of a couple hotdishes. I am planning on doing a few things this weekend hopefully. I don't even have my bag packed yet. I want to get that done this week too. I will need to pack one for Levi too. So does the fact that I am unprepared mean I am less worried/stressed out with this second baby? Maybe. Hopefully..

How far along?: 36 wks 5 days
How big is baby?:About 6 lbs and over 18 inches long.
Weight gain?: I weighed myself at home on Thursday and I was the same that I was at the dr. on Monday.
Stretch marks?: Yes. :(
Maternity clothes?: Yep.
Sleep?: Not bad, but it's tough to roll over sometimes.
Best moment this week?: I can't remember that far back into last week. Sad, I know.
Food cravings?: Nothing new.
Gender?: Girl!
Movement?: Yep, lots!
Belly button?: Still out. When I sit down especially, it is completely inside out. Weird.
What I miss?: Having energy and motivation to get things done.
Labor signs?: Just some Braxton Hicks, other than that, nothing.
What I'm looking forward to?: Finding out if I have progressed any more at my check-up on Thursday.


Thursday, May 16, 2013

Levi pics!

I know I haven't put too many pics of Levi up lately, so I thought I would share some from the past few weeks! It's hard to get pictures of him now because he never stops moving, and he literally ignores me when I have the camera most of the time. Typical 2 year old I'm sure! :)
 

He is into fixing anything and everything with his new tool set that he got for his birthday! So funny!

I managed to get his little 4-wheeler down from the rafters in the shed, and he insisted that he needed a trailer, so I tied a jump rope to his tractor that he is too big for now. He thought he was pretty cool!

Lounging in the chair watching cartoons.

We made some Jell-o jigglers on Mother's Day. Levi thought it was fun using the little cookie cutters to make the shapes!

Levi and mommy on Mother's Day.


Monday, May 13, 2013

35 weeks + 34 wk picture

Finally getting my pregnancy update done. Obviously I missed my 34 week post, so I am including the picture in this post.

How far along?: 35 wks 4 days
How big is baby?:About 6 lbs and 18 inches long.
Weight gain?: At my check-up today I had gained 4 lbs since my last appointment, so about 34 lbs total. Hoping to not gain too terrible much more, and what I do gain will be mostly water weight in these last few weeks.
Stretch marks?: Yes. :(
Maternity clothes?: Yep. Finally getting some decent weather this week so hopefully I can be brave and wear the couple skirts and dresses I bought!
Sleep?: Not bad, but it's tough to roll over sometimes.
Best moment this week?: Chanhassen Dinner Theater with my mom, grandma, aunts and cousins. (Girl's day!) We saw Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and it was amazing.
Food cravings?: Varies. Spicy things and dark chocolate always sound good.
Gender?: Girl!
Movement?: Yep, lots!
Belly button?: Still out.
What I miss?: Other than the obvious (bending over, not getting out of breath so easily, etc.), I am starting to miss wearing regular clothes. And I never in my life thought I would say this, but I have actually missed running and am hoping that feeling doesn't fade when I actually am able to start again.
Labor signs?: Still having Braxton Hicks contractions, usually a couple a day. At my check-up today I was dilated to just over an inch, but Dr. M told me that is pretty normal with a second baby. I just have to take it easy, especially this week since she is gone on vacation until Sunday now! Keep cookin' baby girl, for at least another week or two.
What I'm looking forward to?: My cousin Sawyer's wedding on Saturday. Levi gets to be the ring bearer! He is going to look beyond cute in the little suit I am borrowing for him to wear!



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Farm wives


I just saw this on my facebook newsfeed and wanted to share it. I know I'm not 'technically' a farm wife, since we don't 'technically' live on the farm yet. But my husband is a farmer and it just pulled my heart strings. I also know plenty of farm wives that fully meet this description. I can only hope that someday I can call myself a real farm wife.

So God Made a Farm Wife
by Heather deBoer

Then God looked down at the farmer and said he can’t do this on his own.  So God made a farm wife.

God said I need someone who can put on the coffee, cook bacon and fry eggs just right, get the kids off to school, run to town for parts & groceries, then hurry home to get food on the table for anywhere between two or twenty hungry men who might show up for lunch- So God made a farm wife.

I need someone that doesn’t mind getting dirt under her fingernails, even if it’s just from doing the laundry, who knows how to get grease out of coveralls, to get cockleburrs out of kid’s hair, how to warm a calf, hang a heat lamp over a box of chicks, and doesn’t mind the milk replacement powder sitting in the corner of the kitchen- So God made a farm wife.

I need someone who can feed her family for a year with no more than a couple packs of seeds, a plot of soil, and a pressure cooker, someone who’s worn hoe and tattered gloves speaks of their hours of use.  I need someone who can feed an animal for a year, give it a name, care for it, love it, then load it in the trailer and haul it to the butcher to put in the freezer- so God made a farm wife.

God said I need someone who can make plans that will probably get cancelled , who understands when she gets tractor tires instead of diamonds on her anniversary, and can smile at the farmer and say ‘maybe next year.’  I need someone who doesn’t mind when a night out means supper on the tailgate watching the sunset over the back 40, and a romantic drive means checking the progress of the crops.  I need someone who knows enough to plan weddings and babies around planting and harvest and can brace for whatever comes after she hears the farmer say ‘Honey, I’ve been thinking…’- so God made a farm wife.

God said I need someone who can balance a budget without a paycheck, who can cry tears over lost calves, plead to God for much needed rain, read the face of a man below layers of manure and grease, and know that even though he might never say it, he feels the pain and the glory, the pride and the defeat, the frustration and the triumph, and that passion is not only for the farm, but for everything it means and the hope it represents- so God made a farm wife.

I need someone who can plant corn with little boys on the living room carpet and not take it to heart when she hears him say he likes his daddy best.  Someone who smiles and sighs when she hears her little girl say she wants to marry a farmer just like Daddy, because she just know what that will mean- so God made a farm wife.

I need someone who can spot a cow calving going 50 down a back country road.  I need someone who can labor at home until the milking is done, then delivery a baby holding the hand of a man who still smells of manure and the milking parlor.  I need someone who swells with pride at the farmer’s calloused hands against the soft pink skin as he gently hold his newborn baby, and hears him whisper, “Guess we’re gonna have to buy some more land…”-  so God made a farm wife.

Somebody who knows the farm is not just a job, but a life woven together by hard work, eternal faith, and a will stronger than any drought or storm.  Who can trust the good Lord with the man she loves as he walks out that door every morning- so God made a farm wife.


--Here is a link to the original note on facebook. 

NOTE: Just to be clear, I did not write this. Like I stated above, this was 'shared' by another friend through facebook. I do not personally know the author. I'm sure there are other versions of this poem, this is just the one that came across. I only posted it here to share with my family and friends who read my blog, and also so that I could save it to read again myself. 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Pinspiration Monday...err, Tuesday

Missed posting yesterday, so I thought I would get it up today! I still have to do my 34 week pregnancy update too, but I might just put the picture up since it's so late already.

Here are my fave pins from this week::

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings. I think I might try these. I know I'm not really supposed to have blue cheese (since I am pregnant), but I think ranch dip would be yummy too.


I love this layout, nice and simple and pretty.


Use baby oil instead of shave gel for softer skin and to make your razor last longer. This sounds interesting. I wonder how it would work on underarms, I always have issues with sensitive skin there.


Almond Joy Oatmeal cookies. These are right up my alley, YUM! And I wouldn't have to share since Paul doesn't like coconut! BONUS! Ha. That's probably not a good thing though.


A list of popular and useful DIY projects. Love the look of these lights for outside!


You can follow me on Pinterest HERE, or click the button in the sidebar. Thanks for visiting!

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Two!

Levi turned two years old a few weeks ago! I can't believe it has already been two years since we brought that little peanut home from the hospital with his dark fuzzy hair and scrunchy face. It has been an amazing couple of years and he has brought us so much joy. And, at times, he has also made us want to pull our hair out. :) He had his two-year well check the week following his birthday so I thought I could finally get an update post done.
Getting a picture of Levi looking at the camera is nearly impossible these days. It's a game to see how fast he can get away, either that or as soon as he sees me with the camera out he wants to see the pictures. I just had his professional two-year pics done last week, so when I get those back I'll share them too.

Levi Ben, at two years old::

Is just shy of 3 feet tall, at 35 inches.

Weighs 29 pounds.

Has a head circumference of 49 cm.

Is in the 60th percentile (average) for height, weight, and head circumference.

Wearing mostly 24 month and 2T clothing. Favorite brands include Levi's jeans (obviously! but they also fit him the best!), Osh Kosh, Carhartt, Carter's, 77 kids (closed now), Old Navy, and of course he loves his tractor shirts from JD and IH.

Still in size 5 dipes. I don't think he is quite ready for potty training, so unfortunately I'll have 2 in diapers for awhile. We'll see what happens this summer. He isn't scared of the potty, he actually likes to sit on it, but he won't do anything on it. His idea of going potty is sitting on the potty, putting a piece of 'paper' in there, then getting off and flushing it. Notice how that didn't involve actually going potty. Also, he doesn't seem to care when he is wet or dirty. Soooo, we will see where the next few months brings us.

Wearing size 6 shoes. He still has pretty wide, chunky little feet. I am hoping this fall that I'll be able to find him a pair of cowboy boots that will fit!

Talking up a storm! He repeats pretty much everything we say. Some of the funny things he says are:
-"Nope."
-If I ask him "Do you want ____, or not?" He will reply "Not."
-"Huh." is short for Ah-huh, as in yes. Or "Hmm." as in Mmhmm. If I ask him to say yes or no, he will say yes, but mostly if we ask him if he wants something, or to do something it is "Huh!" He has a certain tone in his voice when he says it.
-His blanket is "kankie" or "kakie".
-For the longest time, he was calling his binker "mer". Just in the last couple weeks, he is calling it "minker" now.
-"Dank yoo" is thank you.
-"Peas" is Please
-"Hahter" is water. He can't pronounce w's yet.
-If he is talking about himself, he will say "my" or "mine", like "Mine turn", "My do it", and so on.
-He calls grandma and grandpa "mama" and "papa", and Paul and I are "mommy" and "daddy".
-"Peter" is heater, as in the heater we have in the bathroom.
-If he doesn't want to do something, it is "No ____, hayder!", as in later. "No nap, hayder!" "No supper, hayder!" No nigh-nigh, hayder!". It is hilarious and frustrating at the same time because he doesn't understand what later means. I didn't realize I was telling him that we would do things later so much!
-Sometimes when we come home from somewhere, he will say "Hi, house." when we walk in the door. Or randomly say "Bye, _____." to things. Goofball.
-It is harder to remember these things off the top of my head than I thought it would be! I will probably have to come back and add some to the list as he says them.

If he could spend the whole day outside, he would be in heaven. Which has been hard since this winter has been NEVER ENDING. Aaaaanyways... The days we have been able to go outside, he is so happy. He loves being outside with daddy. His favorite thing to do is go on 4-wheeler rides. "4-heer". Hehe. Paul just got down his little turtle sandbox from last summer until he gets a bigger one built, so he has had fun with that the few times he has been able to play in it. He loves his bikes. He got a trike for his birthday, and I got him a little Strider (balance bike) from a swap and shop site online that he loves too. They are his "hed bike" and his "ornsh bike". He loves the little shovels that he has. Anything that Paul is doing, he is right there helping him, or watching. Coming back inside, on the other hand, is not usually as fun. A lot of the time coming in the house is followed by completely freaking out. Hopefully once the weather is steadily nicer, he'll understand that we can go outside later and not get so upset when we have to come back inside.

He's a typical boy, loves all things to do with tractors, big trucks, etc.

Getting more attached to daddy, especially because he knows he can go outside with daddy, or go to the farm, etc. Or maybe it's just because he gets sick of mommy by the end of the day!

Favorite movies lately are Elmo-Kid's Favorite Songs, Bob the Builder, John Deere Fun on the Farm, Little Einsteins.

Favorite cartoons are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Team Umizoomi, Max and Ruby, Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies, Little Einsteins, Doc McStuffins.

He's very social. Loves being around other people (most of the time), and loves when people come to our house. He's not too afraid of anyone.

Still loves cottage cheese, hotdogs, ham, and fruit. And still not a veggie eater. He's stubborn, I can't even bribe him into tasting anything yet! Other things that he does like are yogurt, toast with jelly, teddy grahams (chocolate), cereal, granola bars, yogurt covered raisins, pretzels. He's definitely got a sweet tooth too, that is for sure. Can't imagine where he got that from....

That is all I can think of for now, if I remember anything else I will come back and add it!