Maternity Photos

A couple weeks ago we got our maternity pictures done. I was worried about the turn out because it was freezing outside and E was sick. She was not having it. They turned out wonderful though, I can't believe I even doubted them. Michelle Carlson Photography took them and did a fantastic job! She has a wonderful package that includes maternity and newborn photos. If you are in the Denver Metro area, I highly recommend her for all your photo needs! She has done E's birthday pictures, a family session for us, even announced our pregnancy! Here are a few of our favorites from our maternity shoot!

Stay tuned for photos from the day of birth and newborn photos done by Michelle!



Bump Date-36 weeks down 3 to go!

We are down to the final few weeks, can you believe it? I am feeling more and more ready as the days pass!

36 weeks with "S”

Baby is as long as a romaine of lettuce!

Total weight gain/loss: I was up 18lbs at my appointment on Friday, we will have an update tomorrow at my next appointment.

Maternity clothes: I have resorted to my “fancy” yoga pants as work pants. You know you are ready to pop when even your maternity clothes are too tight!

Stretch marks? Unfortantely.

Sleep: I am sleeping pretty well. I am just always tired.

Best moment this week: My hubby coming home. He was on the road, so it is always rough when he leaves.

Movement: Yes, I posted a video of her having the hiccups on my FB page!

Food cravings: Donut holes and strawberries with Nutella! MMM.

Gender: a GIRL <3

Symptoms: Just being HUGE and UNCOMFORTABLE.

Labor Signs: Just more and more Braxton hicks.

Belly Button in or out? Out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

What I miss: my energy and my body.

What I am looking forward to: A nice relaxing weekend and the super bowl! GO BRONCOS!!

Weekly Wisdom: Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!

Bump Date

35 weeks with "S”

29 days until scheduled c-section!

Baby weighs as much as a honey dew melon!

Total weight gain/loss: I am thinking 17lbs+

Maternity clothes: I wear them. But even they are uncomfy. So ready to be done.

Stretch marks? Yup.. I am lucky though, I don’t get deep discolored ones.

Sleep: Never enough, but I sleep okay.

Best moment this week: Just getting more stuff completed on my To-Do list.

Movement: Yes, it is funny because you can see every move so distinctly now.

Food cravings: Aww I just read last weeks answer… so I guess dunkin donuts again! Haha. Really anything sweet. I could go for some brownies, or ice cream and brownies. MMMM. Definitely having C get us ice cream tonight after dinner.

Gender: a GIRL <3

Symptoms: Just the norm. HUGE, cravings, being uncomfortable. HEARTBURN (yuck!).

Labor Signs: I’ve been having decent contractions the last week. Nothing too exciting yet!

Belly Button in or out? Out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

What I miss: my energy and my body.

What I am looking forward to: Stock Show with E this weekend! Thinking of also going to the aquarium or Children’s Museum

Weekly Wisdom: Hang in there. You are almost done! AND eat all you can now, so you don’t want to after ;)

Here is a photo from today!

I will post soon some pictures from our maternity session!



Soon we will be a family of four...

I was reading a post from one of my favorite blogs (Little Baby Garvin) that I follow. She is also expecting her second little girl a few months after me. Her most recent post was about how she is how she is terrified not of the rest of her pregnancy and scheduled c-section but of life with a toddler and newborn. It was so nice to hear that I am not alone here. It is terrifying bringing a second baby into the world. Will I have it in me to wake up every two hours and feed my newborn and still wake up at 7am ready to take on the day full force with my 16 month old? Who knows. But I sure do pray I do. I woke up this morning in a funk. I just can't seem to shake it either. First thing I told my husband this morning was, "I don't know if I'm going to make it." He, of course, was confused. I simply said, "I don't know how I am going to make it through life". I am exhausted, huge, and terrified. Deep down, I know that this is what I wanted, and that this is going to be amazing. Just like having my first was. It is just going to be an adjustment. I know that is just my mind way over thinking things, because my heart is so in love with the fact that I get to love another little girl. That my little girl will have a sister to love her and teach her more about life than I ever could. That we are truly blessed.

Life has been crazy lately, I don't think I have really taken the time to mentally prepare for what is about to happen in 5 short weeks (or less...eeek! Please not less.) Here is to hoping that I find the strength to be an amazing mother to two little girls, all while being a great wife, employee, and student (come the summer).

And lets hope my house isn't a complete disaster while all this is going on ;) 

Bump Date- 34 weeks



34 weeks with "S”

36 days until scheduled c-section!

Baby is the size of… a cantaloupe! MMM that sounds yummy!

Total weight gain/loss: At my visit on Friday, I was up 16lbs. I am gaining at about 1lb per week. So hopefully will only gain 5-6 more pounds!

Maternity clothes: Of course, although those are uncomfy too. Everything really is uncomfy.

Stretch marks? Yup. Hoping they aren’t getting worse and that they are just more visible since I am pregnant.

Sleep: Good but last night was killer. I could not move, my hips hurt so so soooo bad.

Best moment this week: Hearing that everything is perfect. Measuring right on track for fundal height.

Movement: Loving it. Daddy was out of town up until last night so she was happy to hear his voice again.

Food cravings: Glazed chocolate donut holes from dunkin donuts. Although, I’ve been good and resisted.

Gender: a GIRL <3

Symptoms: Just the norm and being extremely tired starting at 2PM every day.

Labor Signs: None. Just Braxton hicks but even those aren’t horrible.

Belly Button in or out? Out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

What I miss: just having my body be mine. I miss being skinnier or at least more skinny than this.

What I am looking forward to: Maternity Photos this weekend with my hubby and E. Also, the Broncos beating some butt and making it to the super bowl ;)

Weekly Wisdom: Every day gets you closer to one of the best gifts there is.





E is 15 months!

E is 15 Months!

Age: 15 months

Stats: We go for her 15 month check up tomorrow, so I will update then! She does have a couple more teeth coming in.

Clothes: She wears mostly 12 months but I was noticing last night that I should probably try on some 18 month clothes on her to see which size fits better.

Playing dress up at her grandparents house

Favorite foods: She is protesting food lately. She does have a new found love for ranch though. She also love fresh carrots and cheese.

Favorite words: I am so amazed at how many words she has. It is so cute when she says “Daddy” because she always says it in such a demanding way. It is like she knows she has him wrapped around her finger. She has said the “S” word a couples times after someone has accidently let it slip. Last night, she even called Papa, “Gene!” because that is what my mom called him. She will repeat anything you say, so we have to be careful now! Whenever the phone rings, she says “phone” and runs to it and then goes “hello”. It is adorable. Then there are her usual’s: “Hi”, “Momma”, “Papa”, “Up”, “Kinney”, “Molly”. When we read her the book, “I love you so” by Marianne Richmond there is a page with lions on it and she will go “RAWR” as soon as we turn to that page and then say “Lion”.

Favorite activities: Reading books, playing with brushes and combs, and just being with family. She loves to brush her teeth, whenever we are in the bathroom she says “teeth” and wants her tooth brush. Lately she has been wanting to help us load and unload the dishwasher! She is a lot of help, actually. I love that she loves to help me J

Least favorite activities: Waking up in the morning. LOL she does not like when we wake her up, she would rather wake up on her own.

Momma's Proud Moment: Just being her momma makes me proud. She is so incredibly smart. It amazes me everyday. I love her more than words could ever describe.

 I love that she loves helping do the dishes.

She also loves her babies. She will rock them and say “Baby”. She loves giving “Sissy” loves and cuddling and kissing my belly. She is going to be the BEST big sister.

She can identify letters when she sees them. We have foam letters for the bath tub and have been working with her on them. She knows “A, B, C” for sure. Last night she saw the “E” lying on the floor and picked it up and said “E”.

We’ve been really working on her manners, and saying “Please” or “PEESE” is how it sounds. So when she wants something we prompt her to say “Please” and she usually will. Sometimes when she wants us to do something really bad, she will say it without being prompted.  

This age is so fun, and she seems to learn something new every single day. Everything she does is incredibly adorable, and I don’t ever want to forget those moments.



Napping with Papa!

Bump Date- 33 down 6 to go!

33 weeks with "S”

Baby is the size of… pineapple! Getting BIG, and I sure do feel it!

Total weight gain/loss: 14+ I go to the doctor on Friday, so I will find out then. Probably gained at least a pound or two since my last visit. I feel like baby girl hit a growth spurt.

Maternity clothes: Yup!

Stretch marks? Unfortunately.

Sleep: Pretty good for the most part. I am exhausted but that is to be expected.

Best moment this week: Getting to spend all weekend last weekend with E. I just love that girl so damn much!

Movement: Oh I feel her. Sometimes its even painful because she has a knee or foot in my ribs.

Food cravings: Just sweets, pretty much.

Gender: a GIRL <3

Symptoms: Cravings, big ol’ belly and being exhausted. I can definitely tell it’s the third trimester now.

Labor Signs: Not real labor, but some pretty decent Braxton hicks the last few days. Also, a little bit of pressure. Nothing to be concerned about, I don’t think.

Belly Button in or out? Out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

What I miss: just having my body be mine. I forgot how hard it was to get around when you are this far along. I pretty much waddle everywhere.

What I am looking forward to: Spending as much time with E as possible before S gets here and she has to share me.

Weekly Wisdom: Just got to remember its almost over. LOL



New Year Resolution #1

The very first resolution I have on my list for 2014, is to save more money. In my orginaly post, I mentioned how this is a personal goal for us. I say this because, I am super good at eating out, buying cute little girl stuff, and over spending. Since the finances are primarily my responsibility in our household, I feel most of the burden when something isn't going the way we would like. Why I ended up with this responsibility is beyond me, because C would most likely do much better than I do.

Here are some tips for saving:

1. Keep a spreadsheet. The way I manage my finances is by creating a spreadsheet. In this spreadsheet, I outline what gets paid each and every check and how much we need to pay. I usually have everything planned out for at least 4-5 months in advance.

2. Have a list of reoccuring expenses. I have a list of every single bill we have, how much we need to pay that bill and the due dates. This helps so I don't forget to pay anything.

3. Only use your checking account for bills. We only keep the amount of money we budgeted for bills and necessities in our checking account. This helps us not to overspend (although I still do, just not as bad). The rest gets withdrew from the account and stashed away. "Out of sight, out of mind" is the key to saving more. I forget how much we have and that it is even there. I don't even consider that money when we go to pay bills, I just consider what is in our accounts. I do keep a small buffer in a savings account connects to my checking, just in case we over spend. 

4. Be reasonable. You really dont need another clippe for E hair do you? Specially when she is just going to take it out two seconds after you put it in. 

5. Don't rack up credit cards. They are super hard to pay down if you dont have a ton of money to do so. Instead use cash. If that means you have to wait to get something, then thats just the way it is. 

6. Check your checking account daily. This helps you by knowing where your money is going and helps prevent over spending. I am a visual person, so as soon as a bill come off, I cross it off the spreadsheet to show that it is all taken care of.

I hope this helps others in their money saving journey. I know it has changed our lifes when it comes to saving. 

There is always, always something to be thankful for...

1.) Snowy weekend. I know it is weird to be thankful for this but I am. I got to spend all weekend inside spending good quality time with E. On Saturday, C was there and he cleaned the entire house, and I organized S's stuff so we are ready for her arrival. Yesterday, it was just E and I and we spent lots of time cuddling, playing and just having us time. We rarely get that.

2.) My car. It never fails me. It does great in the snow, I love it because I stress about driving in the snow.

3.) My sister is okay. She got into an accident this weekend. Her car is beat up but she is a okay!

4.) A hard working hubby! I know I've probably said this a billion times by now. But I am truly thankful and he deserves it.

5.) Another year. Feeling blessed to have made it another year with my loved ones.

Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

What you'll need:

Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

5 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla 

1tsp nutmeg

Frosting

1 pkg cream cheese-softened

6 tsp butter

1 to 2 tsp vanilla 

bag of powdered sugar

Cookies

Cream sugar, shortening together. Add sour cream and eggs. Cream together. Sift in the dry ingredients then mix. Add in the vanilla and nutmeg. Cream everything together and chill for at least an hour.

Pre-heat the over to 375, bake for 10-12 minutes. We cut ours onto festive shapes. Use a lot of flour on the surface and roller to make sure the dough doesn't stick.

Frosting

Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add 1-2 tsp vanilla and 3 cups powdered sugar. Cream together. Add more powdered sugar until you have reached your desired sweetness. I used about 4 cups. You can add food coloring to the mix to get fun colors. 

This makes approximately 40 cookies, depending on how much you cycle back after cutting the shapes. 

Christmas Re-Cap

Christmas was so fun this year, E is at such a fun age and it was the first year she could really enjoy things. Last year she was only a few months old so we didn't do a whole lot. This year she helped us decorate, learned new words such as "Ho ho ho" and "Santa, baking and we started some new traditions. We even did some arts and crafts! 

We made this decoration with her little feet and hand prints. 

I loved having it hanging in the living room! I was quite proud of us, as I'm not very crafty. We also started a new tradition of writing our letters to Santa on the plate we use to leave Santa milk and cookies. We got the plate from hobby lobby (on sale of course), got a sharpie and wrote our letter. We then baked it in the over on 175 for about half an hour! Here is the finished product!

Every year my company hosts a Christmas Party for their employees. Its a rather formal event. Last year we took a photo with E before we headed out so we decided to do it again this year. Here is this years photo:

Being 30 weeks pregnant at Christmas, I couldnt pass up all the yummy cookies and sweets there were. Here are the cookies we made for Santa. We got the recipe from our friend. They are sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting. In a future post I will share the recipe!

Our tradition is to have my family over on Christmas Eve, we usually have Prime Rib or some other yummy dinner and then open gifts. E loved opening gifts, at least until she found a toy that she really loved and that was the end of that. Here are some photos from the fun!

Booties and Dress are from Gymboree and Headband is from Taylor's Treasures

Santa came for E and the puppies this year! As you can see E was a very good girl this year!

On Christmas morning, E got to see what Santa brought her and also got to open the gifts from Mommy and Daddy. 

After that C family came over and we opened more gifts! This girl got extremely spoiled as you can plainly see... This was her room after all had been said and done. I think it is nearing time to find a bigger home! I have no clue why everyone thought she needed all those gifts, but she is set until her birthday next October! 

Around 10am my family came back over and we did a brunch with breakfast burritos, yummy sweets and of course mimosas. Oh how I wish I could've had one...

Later in the day we went over to C parents to have dinner and a few gifts with his moms side of the family. Needless to say we were super busy but blessed this holiday season.

Making 2014 Count...

Making 2014 Count

Every day, every week, every month seems to fly by... next thing you know it is a new year to do it all over again. I want to make 2014 count. Why? Because I will only be 23 once, my babies will only be babies once, I will only live this day once! I will make 2014 count by...

1.) Cherishing the moments we have as a family.

2.) Embracing my childrens kisses and hugs. They wont always want their Momma.

3.) Setting goals and meeting them!

4.) Spending as much time with family as possible!

5.) Being beautiful not just pretty.

6.) Finding the good in the hard times.

7.) Helping others.

8.) Spending more time with C.

9.) Showing my girls just how much I love them.

10.) Remembering that I will never get this day back.

Happy New Year!!

Wow! I cannot believe that it is already 2014! We have a lot going for us this year. Next month we are having a baby! E will turn two this year! C and I will be married for 3 years! We will have owned our home for 3 years! Who knows what else we have in store, but I cannot wait to see!

Of course, it is that time of year to set some goals and resolutions for ourselves. Yesterday C and I have came up with a few for our little family.

1.) Save more money. We are pretty good about saving but I know we could do so much better! I play a huge role in this, so this will be a personal goal for myself.

2.) Lose all the baby weight plus 10-15lbs more. Before I got pregnant I was working really hard to lose all the baby weight from E. A whooping 50lbs!!! I lost every pound of that but the same day I stepped on the scale and saw my pre-pregnancy weight, was the same day I got my positive pregnancy test. Now before E, I was TRYING to lose weight but I had just started working out when I got pregnant. So 2014, is going to be my year! My year to get the body I want.

3.) Go back to school. I am definitely going back to school this year. I need to. Not only for myself, but for my family.

4.) C's goal is to get the next license he is able to with his job!

5.) E has some resolutions too. Such as potty training, being the best big sister ever, and learning to sleep in her own bed!

I hope you all had a great holiday and a safe new year! I will post soon about our holiday festivites! 

Bump Date-32 weeks



32 weeks with "S”

Baby is the size of… a large jicama! I have never even heard that word before so I am not sure what exactly that is!

Total weight gain/loss: As of my appointment on Friday, 14lbs. However, I did indulge over the Holidays and Im feeling gigantic. I am sure I will gain a good share in the coming weeks.

Maternity clothes: Yes, but being so far along, even they are uncomfortable. Only 7 weeks to go!

Stretch marks? Yup… I guess we will see the real damage after birth.

Sleep: Pretty good. Sometimes it is rough because I cant get comfy.

Best moment this week: Scheduling my C-section, finally! Only 49 days to go.

Movement: I think it is to the point where she is getting so big that the movement is mostly rolls instead of kicks.

Food cravings: Sweets. They are my weakness. Cheesecake, brownies, cookies, you name it… I want it.

Gender: a GIRL <3

Symptoms: Craving sweets and this gigantic belly of mine.

Labor Signs: Nope, even the Braxton hicks haven’t been to bad.

Belly Button in or out? Out. Its funny because with E it kinda just flattened, but not this time.

Wedding rings on or off? On. Thank goodness. I still have plenty of room.

What I miss: just being comfy and skinnier.

What I am looking forward to: Getting organized and power saving the next few weeks.

Weekly Wisdom: Start saving for maternity leave early. Also, for things you probably wouldn’t budget for normally. (ie. Maternity pics, newborn pics, license plates) haha Can you tell I am frazzled with these expenses?

I have not taken a photo for 32 weeks yet! Sorry!