Birth story and more photos to come. It is a beautiful day and we are all resting & taking turns loving on our new little guy. Having him at home was the best decision I think we ever made. I'll never forget it.
Sunday, July 5
He's here!
Our family grew early this morning, when little A decided to make his appearance. Six days past his due date, daddy caught all 10 lbs. 7oz of him!
Birth story and more photos to come. It is a beautiful day and we are all resting & taking turns loving on our new little guy. Having him at home was the best decision I think we ever made. I'll never forget it.
Birth story and more photos to come. It is a beautiful day and we are all resting & taking turns loving on our new little guy. Having him at home was the best decision I think we ever made. I'll never forget it.
Thursday, July 2
40 weeks + 3 days
I went to see my midwives today. It was a quick visit, which is good. Everything looked great. I always get nervous about the pee test (had some protein in my urine last time) and blood pressure, but both were perfect. :)
I did learn that the baby is not in the best position. Although he is head-down, his back is to my right, and he is facing my left side. The way his hips are, he could very easily turn to be completely posterior. I've read enough birth stories lately to know that this can cause a long labor, with painful back pain. So I will be spending a lot of time on my hands & knees, and on my exercise ball, encouraging him to do a little half-spin and stick that butt up against my tummy.
I'm trying not to stress about it. I am pretty confident that he will get into the position he needs to be born, and even if he is "sunny side up", we will handle it just fine. The midwives didn't seem concerned at all.
N is officially predicting now that the baby will come out on Saturday. That would be great. My midwives have 2 other clients that are 42+ weeks right now, so I guess I really can't complain at just being a few days past my due date... though I'd prefer not to have to wait another 2 weeks! Yikes.
J has the day off tomorrow, so if the baby doesn't come this weekend at least I will get to enjoy some more time just the 3 of us. The days at home are getting very long and boring though. I'm ready to have a tiny newborn in my arms...
I did learn that the baby is not in the best position. Although he is head-down, his back is to my right, and he is facing my left side. The way his hips are, he could very easily turn to be completely posterior. I've read enough birth stories lately to know that this can cause a long labor, with painful back pain. So I will be spending a lot of time on my hands & knees, and on my exercise ball, encouraging him to do a little half-spin and stick that butt up against my tummy.
I'm trying not to stress about it. I am pretty confident that he will get into the position he needs to be born, and even if he is "sunny side up", we will handle it just fine. The midwives didn't seem concerned at all.
N is officially predicting now that the baby will come out on Saturday. That would be great. My midwives have 2 other clients that are 42+ weeks right now, so I guess I really can't complain at just being a few days past my due date... though I'd prefer not to have to wait another 2 weeks! Yikes.
J has the day off tomorrow, so if the baby doesn't come this weekend at least I will get to enjoy some more time just the 3 of us. The days at home are getting very long and boring though. I'm ready to have a tiny newborn in my arms...
Monday, June 29
"0 Days to go"
Yep that's what my little ticker says over there. Today is my due date.
No baby yet. I've said all along that he probably would wait until July, and it looks like that will be the case. I'm really ready to get this show on the road though, so baby if you are listening - ANY TIME NOW would be great. We want to meet you!
No baby yet. I've said all along that he probably would wait until July, and it looks like that will be the case. I'm really ready to get this show on the road though, so baby if you are listening - ANY TIME NOW would be great. We want to meet you!
Sunday, June 14
38 weeks
I realized that the only (few) photos of me pregnant this time were ones I took myself in the mirror. Oops. So today I had J take some for me. They didn't turn out too bad. We might head to the park later to get some family shots, but that will depend on how cooperative N is :)
Thursday, June 11
Letter to N
Dear N,
This morning I took you to the library for story time. I sat and watched while you greeted every child who walked into the room with an enthusiastic “Hi!” and a big smile. You are so friendly and outgoing, that sometimes I wonder if you are really my child. Your confidence amazes me, and watching you interact with other children and adults always makes me so proud. You are such a special person and I feel so lucky that I get to spend every day with you.
For the past 2 ½ years, we have spent every day together. I knew I wanted to be a full-time mom to you, but I never knew how much I would love it. These have been, hands down, the best years of my life. It hasn’t always been easy. We have had plenty of rough days, tears, and “I’m sorry’s”. I’ve had to face my own weaknesses every day. I feel terrible after those times when I yell, or lose my patience with you. I have had to tell you I’m sorry and you are always ready and willing to give me a hug and forget my mistakes.
I know it isn’t easy for you to be 2. You want so badly to be “big”, and yet the frustrations of putting on shoes or being told “no” are sometimes more than you can handle. Sometimes I forget how hard it must be to be such a little person in such a big world. In the past six months, your life has been filled with changes. You moved to your own bedroom at night. You weaned. You learned to use the potty and stopped wearing diapers. And now we are getting ready for the biggest change of all – you are going to be a big brother.
This pregnancy has been rough at times, and has left my energy and patience wearing very thin. I feel so bad that I haven’t been able to do as much as we used to. Trips to the zoo and museum and walking in the woods have been few and far between lately. We are so lucky that you have such a wonderful daddy who is happy to take you on these adventures when he comes home from work, so I can rest. There are few things that make me as happy as watching the way you two love spending time together.
Now that we are approaching your little brother’s birth, I am trying hard to cherish every day that I get to spend with you. I know that once the baby comes, things will be hard for a while. It will be a challenge for me to share my time and attention, and it will be hard for you to share our life with a new person. But I want you to always know that nothing will ever change how much I love you. You will always be my N, my first child, the one who made me a mother and taught me so much. These past 2 years we had together will always have a special place in my heart and my memories. And while I’m sad that the “just you and me” days are coming to an end, I am so excited to watch you become a big brother. He is going to be so lucky to grow up with you, and I know that you will become great friends in no time. Just as daddy and I have a hard time remembering what life was like without you, soon we will be four, and our family will be complete once again.
Thank you for your unconditional love, and all of the times you have rubbed my swollen feet lately. I hope that as you grow up, you will always know how much you are loved and what a special person you are. I am so lucky to be a part of your life.
Love,
Mommy
This morning I took you to the library for story time. I sat and watched while you greeted every child who walked into the room with an enthusiastic “Hi!” and a big smile. You are so friendly and outgoing, that sometimes I wonder if you are really my child. Your confidence amazes me, and watching you interact with other children and adults always makes me so proud. You are such a special person and I feel so lucky that I get to spend every day with you.
For the past 2 ½ years, we have spent every day together. I knew I wanted to be a full-time mom to you, but I never knew how much I would love it. These have been, hands down, the best years of my life. It hasn’t always been easy. We have had plenty of rough days, tears, and “I’m sorry’s”. I’ve had to face my own weaknesses every day. I feel terrible after those times when I yell, or lose my patience with you. I have had to tell you I’m sorry and you are always ready and willing to give me a hug and forget my mistakes.
I know it isn’t easy for you to be 2. You want so badly to be “big”, and yet the frustrations of putting on shoes or being told “no” are sometimes more than you can handle. Sometimes I forget how hard it must be to be such a little person in such a big world. In the past six months, your life has been filled with changes. You moved to your own bedroom at night. You weaned. You learned to use the potty and stopped wearing diapers. And now we are getting ready for the biggest change of all – you are going to be a big brother.
This pregnancy has been rough at times, and has left my energy and patience wearing very thin. I feel so bad that I haven’t been able to do as much as we used to. Trips to the zoo and museum and walking in the woods have been few and far between lately. We are so lucky that you have such a wonderful daddy who is happy to take you on these adventures when he comes home from work, so I can rest. There are few things that make me as happy as watching the way you two love spending time together.
Now that we are approaching your little brother’s birth, I am trying hard to cherish every day that I get to spend with you. I know that once the baby comes, things will be hard for a while. It will be a challenge for me to share my time and attention, and it will be hard for you to share our life with a new person. But I want you to always know that nothing will ever change how much I love you. You will always be my N, my first child, the one who made me a mother and taught me so much. These past 2 years we had together will always have a special place in my heart and my memories. And while I’m sad that the “just you and me” days are coming to an end, I am so excited to watch you become a big brother. He is going to be so lucky to grow up with you, and I know that you will become great friends in no time. Just as daddy and I have a hard time remembering what life was like without you, soon we will be four, and our family will be complete once again.
Thank you for your unconditional love, and all of the times you have rubbed my swollen feet lately. I hope that as you grow up, you will always know how much you are loved and what a special person you are. I am so lucky to be a part of your life.
Love,
Mommy
Monday, June 8
Birds!
"Oh mommy! Look out the window! Do you see that flamingo in the neighbor's yard?! It's hatching out of its big egg!"
N recently received this book as a gift, and it is wonderful: Bird Songs from Around the World.
We've spent a lot of time in the past week sitting on the couch, listening to the calls of birds from around the world. I've really enjoyed N's enthusiasm and the way he asks what each bird eats, where it lives, etc.
With his new found knowledge of several birds, I've heard a lot of interesting exclamations lately as he looks out the window.
"Do you hear that woodpecker?! He's over there in that tree! Poking holes so he can find something to eat!"
"That's a boy duck! It has all of those colors!"
"Kiwi birds don't fly because they don't have wings! They just walk."
"Look at that golden eagle!"
It's a really neat book. Check it out if you have a chance!
N recently received this book as a gift, and it is wonderful: Bird Songs from Around the World.
We've spent a lot of time in the past week sitting on the couch, listening to the calls of birds from around the world. I've really enjoyed N's enthusiasm and the way he asks what each bird eats, where it lives, etc.
With his new found knowledge of several birds, I've heard a lot of interesting exclamations lately as he looks out the window.
"Do you hear that woodpecker?! He's over there in that tree! Poking holes so he can find something to eat!"
"That's a boy duck! It has all of those colors!"
"Kiwi birds don't fly because they don't have wings! They just walk."
"Look at that golden eagle!"
It's a really neat book. Check it out if you have a chance!
Saturday, June 6
Strawberry picking
We picked strawberries for the first time ever last year, and I've been looking forward to doing it again since then. I probably should have waited until a day that J could come with us, but I was too impatient and decided to take N by myself. It was an exhausting, but successful venture :)
My little picking partner knew exactly what to do, and showed me every berry he picked before it went into his box. About 10 minutes into it though, he got bored with just picking. Luckily, I was able to pick faster than he could eat so we watched our boxes slowly fill up. Bending over in the middle of tiny strawberry rows was killing my back, so eventually I had to just plop down right on the ground. I had squished berries all over my pants, legs, and feet. But it was a lot of fun, and I'm glad I was able to muster up the energy to go.
This was also my first ever attempt at canning! I stayed up last night after N went to bed and made three batches of strawberry jam. Of course I haven't tried it yet so I can't really say what it tastes like, but it looks good and I think I did it right ;) It was quite satisfying to see all of those jars lined up on the table last night when I was finished. I'm looking forward to more canning this summer.
My little picking partner knew exactly what to do, and showed me every berry he picked before it went into his box. About 10 minutes into it though, he got bored with just picking. Luckily, I was able to pick faster than he could eat so we watched our boxes slowly fill up. Bending over in the middle of tiny strawberry rows was killing my back, so eventually I had to just plop down right on the ground. I had squished berries all over my pants, legs, and feet. But it was a lot of fun, and I'm glad I was able to muster up the energy to go.
This was also my first ever attempt at canning! I stayed up last night after N went to bed and made three batches of strawberry jam. Of course I haven't tried it yet so I can't really say what it tastes like, but it looks good and I think I did it right ;) It was quite satisfying to see all of those jars lined up on the table last night when I was finished. I'm looking forward to more canning this summer.
Wednesday, June 3
Let the countdown begin...
That's right, it's June! I still really can't get over how fast these past few months have flown by. And yes, my estimated due date is June 29, so it is entirely possible we won't have a baby until July, but still. Every time I look at the calendar and see JUNE it gets me excited.
Today was our home visit with our midwives. It was pretty uneventful, which in pregnancy terms, is a very good thing. Aside from heartburn which has been keeping me up at night (but still manageable with papaya enzymes), and feet which have been swelling up terribly on very hot days (I need to drink more water!), I am very lucky to have had a very healthy and boring pregnancy thus far.
We ate lunch together, and talked about plans for the birth. This time feels SO different from the last pregnancy. I am so laid-back and really not worried about a thing. I just feel so calm and know that everything will be fine. I trust my body and our midwives and I am just so excited to get this show on the road.
I'm really looking forward to going into labor on my own, since I was induced (unnecessarily) with N. His labor was very short (2 hours) so I really don't know what to expect this time around. It would be wonderful if I could go into labor and give birth at night while N is asleep. We plan on keeping him here with us, but do have a friend to call if necessary. I really would love to have him be a part of everything though. He's been watching birth videos with me and we have talked a lot about what will happen, and I have a good feeling that he will be fine with the intensity of the event. He is excited to help cut the umbilical cord. ;)
So now we begin the waiting game. I'm still feeling pretty good mostly, aside from having very little energy (loading up on protein helps though). I'm not yet at the "OMG I HATE BEING PREGNANT GET THIS BABY OUT NOW!" stage of the game. I was quite proud of myself for putting my huge 9-month-pregnant butt into my maternity bathing suit and taking N to the pool yesterday.
And no, we still haven't decided on a name. We do have a list of possibilities, but I have a feeling we won't narrow it down until we meet this little man face to face. I can't wait.
Today was our home visit with our midwives. It was pretty uneventful, which in pregnancy terms, is a very good thing. Aside from heartburn which has been keeping me up at night (but still manageable with papaya enzymes), and feet which have been swelling up terribly on very hot days (I need to drink more water!), I am very lucky to have had a very healthy and boring pregnancy thus far.
We ate lunch together, and talked about plans for the birth. This time feels SO different from the last pregnancy. I am so laid-back and really not worried about a thing. I just feel so calm and know that everything will be fine. I trust my body and our midwives and I am just so excited to get this show on the road.
I'm really looking forward to going into labor on my own, since I was induced (unnecessarily) with N. His labor was very short (2 hours) so I really don't know what to expect this time around. It would be wonderful if I could go into labor and give birth at night while N is asleep. We plan on keeping him here with us, but do have a friend to call if necessary. I really would love to have him be a part of everything though. He's been watching birth videos with me and we have talked a lot about what will happen, and I have a good feeling that he will be fine with the intensity of the event. He is excited to help cut the umbilical cord. ;)
So now we begin the waiting game. I'm still feeling pretty good mostly, aside from having very little energy (loading up on protein helps though). I'm not yet at the "OMG I HATE BEING PREGNANT GET THIS BABY OUT NOW!" stage of the game. I was quite proud of myself for putting my huge 9-month-pregnant butt into my maternity bathing suit and taking N to the pool yesterday.
And no, we still haven't decided on a name. We do have a list of possibilities, but I have a feeling we won't narrow it down until we meet this little man face to face. I can't wait.
Sunday, May 31
Feeding the Freezer
My mom came to visit this week. She stayed for 5 days and helped with some of the major pre-baby cleaning I needed to do (windows, carpets, walls, etc). While she was here, I took advantage of the extra help and planned to cook several meals to freeze for after the baby comes.
It turns out, if you google "freezer cooking" or "recipes that freeze well", you will quickly find your way into a whole world of blogs, websites, and books devoted to this specific topic. Apparently, "OAMC" or "Once a Month Cooking" is quite a popular concept. And now I get why. It's brilliant, really. Cook a bunch of meals all at once, then pull one out of the freezer when you need it. Not really rocket science, but executing this on a large scale does take some planning. I didn't intend to freeze enough for a month, but I thought that some prepared homemade meals would help us avoid convenience foods or take out when we don't have time to cook.
I started at the library, where I found these two books that will tell you everything you need to know about freezing meals. Not to mention TONS of recipes to get started.
The "30 Day Gourmet" book includes several worksheets to help you plan, but you can also find tons of resources online or make your own. I made a list of some recipes we like, and picked some from the books to try (which is very convenient because they list the ingredients for large quantities - less to figure out). Then I typed everything up so it's nice & organized, and made my shopping list, consolidating ingredients for several recipes as I went. My mom was generous enough to finance our big shopping trip, and at two stores (Aldi & Kroger) we spent just over $200. Not bad at all, considering all of the homemade meals we made! If we had shopped around or gone to a warehouse store, I'm sure we could have cut our bill a bit too.
Unloading our loot:
Since we had a toddler in the house, and other things to accomplish, we didn't do this all in one day. Over a 3-day period, however, this is what we made:
Chana Masala with rice (x3)
Pizza Crusts (x5)
Vegetable Lasagna (x4)
Moroccan Lentil Soup (2 crock pots full - about 5 meals)
Cheese filled Shells (80 shells)
Pasta Sauce (2 ½ gallons)
Herb Sauce (for pasta or veggies) (x4)
Cheesy Chilada Bake (x4)
Feta & Spinach Lasagna Rolls (x4)
Mini meatloaves (x4)
Meatballs
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (x4)
Chicken Cordon Bleu (12 rolls)
Sprout burgers (24)
Breakfast Burritos (20 burritos)
Granola Bars (48 bars)
Waffles (3 dozen)
I was so inspired by the photo in the "30 Day Gourmet" book that shows a regular, fridge-top freezer containing a whole month's worth of meals. I was optimistic that I could fit all of this in ours. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work. As you can see below, we ran out of room before we got to the bottom of our list. I ended up buying a small (5 cubic ft.) chest freezer for the basement, which is almost full now. But between the two, I should have enough room to add some muffins, rolls, breads, etc.
I figure if I add some meals at least once a week, by just making a double or triple batch of something I'm already cooking - it will be easy to keep the freezers full. I know I probably sound ridiculous but it's such a great feeling to know we have all of this stuff in there. And most of the meals are big enough for our dinner, as well as lunch the next day. Now I just have to avoid the temptation to eat it all before the baby comes ;) Only about 4 weeks to go...
It turns out, if you google "freezer cooking" or "recipes that freeze well", you will quickly find your way into a whole world of blogs, websites, and books devoted to this specific topic. Apparently, "OAMC" or "Once a Month Cooking" is quite a popular concept. And now I get why. It's brilliant, really. Cook a bunch of meals all at once, then pull one out of the freezer when you need it. Not really rocket science, but executing this on a large scale does take some planning. I didn't intend to freeze enough for a month, but I thought that some prepared homemade meals would help us avoid convenience foods or take out when we don't have time to cook.
I started at the library, where I found these two books that will tell you everything you need to know about freezing meals. Not to mention TONS of recipes to get started.
The "30 Day Gourmet" book includes several worksheets to help you plan, but you can also find tons of resources online or make your own. I made a list of some recipes we like, and picked some from the books to try (which is very convenient because they list the ingredients for large quantities - less to figure out). Then I typed everything up so it's nice & organized, and made my shopping list, consolidating ingredients for several recipes as I went. My mom was generous enough to finance our big shopping trip, and at two stores (Aldi & Kroger) we spent just over $200. Not bad at all, considering all of the homemade meals we made! If we had shopped around or gone to a warehouse store, I'm sure we could have cut our bill a bit too.
Unloading our loot:
Since we had a toddler in the house, and other things to accomplish, we didn't do this all in one day. Over a 3-day period, however, this is what we made:
Chana Masala with rice (x3)
Pizza Crusts (x5)
Vegetable Lasagna (x4)
Moroccan Lentil Soup (2 crock pots full - about 5 meals)
Cheese filled Shells (80 shells)
Pasta Sauce (2 ½ gallons)
Herb Sauce (for pasta or veggies) (x4)
Cheesy Chilada Bake (x4)
Feta & Spinach Lasagna Rolls (x4)
Mini meatloaves (x4)
Meatballs
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (x4)
Chicken Cordon Bleu (12 rolls)
Sprout burgers (24)
Breakfast Burritos (20 burritos)
Granola Bars (48 bars)
Waffles (3 dozen)
I was so inspired by the photo in the "30 Day Gourmet" book that shows a regular, fridge-top freezer containing a whole month's worth of meals. I was optimistic that I could fit all of this in ours. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work. As you can see below, we ran out of room before we got to the bottom of our list. I ended up buying a small (5 cubic ft.) chest freezer for the basement, which is almost full now. But between the two, I should have enough room to add some muffins, rolls, breads, etc.
I figure if I add some meals at least once a week, by just making a double or triple batch of something I'm already cooking - it will be easy to keep the freezers full. I know I probably sound ridiculous but it's such a great feeling to know we have all of this stuff in there. And most of the meals are big enough for our dinner, as well as lunch the next day. Now I just have to avoid the temptation to eat it all before the baby comes ;) Only about 4 weeks to go...
Saturday, May 23
Meatball Orchard
One of N's favorite songs lately is "On Top of Spaghetti" (or "On Top of Pasketti" if he's singing it). After his bath last night, he asked me to sing it while J was helping him with his pajamas.
If you aren't fortunate enough to know the lyrics to this song, here they are. One of the last verses is:
The tree was all covered,
All covered with moss,
And on it grew meatballs,
And tomato sauce.
J made a comment about how it would be fun to go pick some meatballs off the tree. N's reply cracked us both up and we couldn't stop laughing for several minutes.
"Let's go pick meatballs at the meatball orchard!"
If you aren't fortunate enough to know the lyrics to this song, here they are. One of the last verses is:
The tree was all covered,
All covered with moss,
And on it grew meatballs,
And tomato sauce.
J made a comment about how it would be fun to go pick some meatballs off the tree. N's reply cracked us both up and we couldn't stop laughing for several minutes.
"Let's go pick meatballs at the meatball orchard!"
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