Baby Essentials: The Diaper Bag

I've been avoiding looking at anything baby for a long time, knowing that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop! But, with all this extra time I have for Thanksgiving Break, I've given in. Last night I stayed up past Jed (this NEVER happens) and I put a lot of things on our Target Baby Registry. I love the registry. I can save the things I want the most, whether for my own use or for when it's baby shower time. So now I know what crib we're getting, what bedding (I'm not crafty enough, nor do I have the time to sew the baby bedding....), the play pen/bassinet for when our baby is still teeny enough to sleep in our room, what mattress to get, even which diaper pail we're getting. Want to know what the bedding will look like? I love it.

 

 

I love green and brown together. I have to admit too, it will work for both our boy and any future girls to come. I keep telling Jed I will want something girly when we have a girl, but he does not like the idea of spending more money on baby bedding.... so I may just have to wait on that.

So today, all I've been looking at is diaper bags. Wow, they are not cheap! The cute ones are all over $50. Terrible! Especially because I want two.... perhaps this is greedy of me, but I want a super cute bag for me to use, but then I think we need one for Jed. Why you ask? Because of this commercial:

Apparently this is how Jed feels when I ask him to carry my purse. Ridiculous ha ha. So, Jed requests that for whenever he has to take the baby (I'm thinking every Sunday for church), he wants one that's more of a messenger bag style so that he can still feel manly despite carrying a bag around with baby things.

So here are some of the bags I'm thinking we should get Jed:

Nice? Manly? All these are available at Target. On the other hand, what about me? There are so many super cute bags. I want one that doesn't have a major pattern because I can't have a different diaper bag for every day of the week when they cost over $50 each! So I've decided I need one that will go with many outfits. So here are the ones I was thinking of:

So which one should I buy??? I can't decide!

The first one is from Target and the rest are on Etsy. I love Etsy! Several of the bags they say I could make bigger, too, and knowing myself, I will pack these bags full of half of our baby's stuff so I could use a big one. You can never be too prepared! Who knows, our baby may become the blowout master and I'll need more than a few changes of clothing. (Please say no.) But back to the bags, do you love them all like I do? For some reason the third one, the brown one, is a favorite of mine. I think the fact that on Etsy it was described as "waterproof," that sold me. But, seriously, I think they are all adorable, and they could be worn with just about any outfit. It's going to be a hard decision to figure out which one of these I want....

There's also one last thing I will mention because it is like the sweetest thing ever! I guarantee it will be one of my most favorite diaper bag accessories. I can see my best friend Natalie laughing at this because she'll know instantly that in all honestly it will be my favorite diaper bag accessory, hands down.

There you have it. Little bags to take on the go to put in soiled diapers, dirty clothes, anything! I was first introduced to this when my sister in law was visiting in October and I was in shock and awe. My first thought was actually, is that one of those things you take when you take your dog on a walk so that you can pick up their poop? Perhaps that is where the inspiration comes from, but seriously, isn't this a great idea? Contain the odors and smells, contain the mess, all in a cute little on the go package; it's a dream come true for the organized neat freak in me.

So, I'll continue to update you on the cute things I find and hopefully the cute things I buy! I'm going to be smart and wait on some of the things until after Christmas, and some even until I've had a baby shower, so that some of the things can be given as gifts (because giving baby things as gifts is honestly one of the best gifts ever to give. Am I right? Aren't baby shower so much more fun to shop for than bridal showers?) but anyways, the moral of the story is, I love baby things and I can't wait to use these things I am going to get! Can our little boy come yet? All these cute things makes me want to have him here with us so I can see him in them! 133 more days to go!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 20

For those that didn't hear our announcement, we're having a baby boy! We're very excited. It's crazy though... knowing the gender of the baby definitely makes this all seem more real.

Baby Stats:

Length: 6 1/2 inches
Weight: 10 ounces
If HE were a fruit he would be a: small cantaloupe

So this week... things really seemed the same! We've been anticipating our ultrasound on Friday to find out the gender, so I've hardly paid attention to anything else! Symptoms have continued: nails growing fast, baby kicking, back hurting at times, cravings, migraines, etc. etc!

The ultrasound was great! We got there a little early, and somehow got in only a couple of minutes after we arrived. The ultrasound tech had lots of things to look at in the brain, then looked at things like the cervix, ovaries, and kidneys. During all of this, Jed and I were waiting and waiting for her to finally say, this is the sex of your baby! Finally, she asked one more time if we wanted to know the gender, which we did, and she showed us his little bum, legs, and as she put it, "his little boy part" so we knew it was a boy! After that it was just a little surreal looking at our little boy's arms, face, spine, legs, and even a foot. It's crazy that first of all, the ultrasound tech can find all of those things, and second of all that we were able to find out the gender of our baby! Oh and it was so cool: she can turn on this heat/motion sensor so that on the screen, wherever it is especially hot (like at the umbilical cord) or when there is movement, you can see it. So, at one point, I felt an especially big kick, and we saw half of the screen light up red because of the movement! It was really cool to see what I felt. Also, I have to say one of my favorite things to see was the heart. We saw all four chambers and could see it beating. Overall, it was really cool. We were definitely in shock for the next little while, but the excitement grew as the shock wore off.

One thing I definitely want to talk about is maternity clothes. I finally tried on every single item of clothing my sister in law gave to me, and we bought a few items at Target. I love maternity tops and dresses! They make me feel very feminine and make me feel like a cute pregnant woman. It's starting to get fun, having a definite baby bump, so having cute tops so that people can tell I have a baby bump and I'm not just fat is nice. On the other hand, I hate maternity pants to death. They don't stay up. Every time I stand up, I have to readjust my pants and tuck in my undershirt. It's really quite annoying. Also, I have several pairs of pants with the huge band of stretchy material, for when I'm much more pregnant, and those really need adjusting. I'm hoping they will improve once I get a bigger belly, but we'll just have to wait and see on that one....

Oh I should tell you about our party! I felt very stressed by the time the party started, because I ran out of time. You see, my whole plan was to color a cake blue, decorate it cute, and then we cut open the cake and everyone knows it's a boy! So I bought a white cake mix, baked it, and it turned out beautifully. It was only when it was almost all cooled off that I realized it was still white--I forgot to color it blue! So I had to make a new cake; the only cake mix we had was a yellow cake mix and so after adding blue food coloring, the cake was green. And then by the time that was cooled off, there was hardly any time to decorate, and so it was not decorated how I wanted. However, it all pulled together with help from several people, and luckily people were late just as I thought they would be. Overall, it was a great party and I think everyone enjoyed the food and the company. So, despite the stressful beginning, it was great and I was so glad to have everyone there that came!

So, there you have it. Pregnancy wise, nothing much has changed, but the exciting news of our little boy coming has been wonderful!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 19

Almost halfway!

As you can see, I got my hair done!

Baby Stats:

Length: 6 inches
Weight: 8 oz.
If it were a fruit, it would be a: mango

So this week was a hard one. Teaching is tough! I've been busy and stressed, but the last two days of school, my students reminded me why I love teaching. I've also had a great husband who did everything I asked and asked me to do nothing (partially because I had enough to do on my own), and so yet again I am grateful I have such a great husband! I could never get through a pregnancy without him.

Interesting things that happened this week:

1) I've decided on two consistent cravings: breakfast sausage and any sour gummy candy (sour patch kids, sour gummy worms, etc.). 7/11 (you know the gas station) has this thing called the maple pancake sausage roll. It's like a pig in a blanket but instead of a hot dog it's a sausage and instead of biscuit it's a pancake. I've already had three this week. They're only a dollar so that makes it even harder to resist! I don't know what it is about breakfast sausage, but I can't get enough of it! If today wasn't Sunday, I'd be at the store right now getting some frozen sausages because just talking about it is making my stomach growl.....

2) I've felt the baby move even more! Yesterday I had several kicks or something that actually made me make a sound because it was that significant enough of a movement. All this at only 19 weeks. Things are going to be interesting later on in the pregnancy, aren't they? I hope I don't get a broken rib. When I got my hair done, me and Kim (my hairdresser) talked a ton about being pregnant, and she told me that my best bet for feeling my baby kick from the outside was to lay on my back. I still have yet to feel it from the outside, but it's great advice so that I know for future reference.... I can't wait until Jed can feel it!

3) I had my first pregnancy dream about what the gender of the baby is! I have to admit, I've been leaning toward saying the baby's a girl. This dream, however, could change my mind! So, in my dream, I was laying on my bed, trying to feel the baby. So my fingers were pushing down on my stomach to try to find it, and I could feel a little foot! So I followed the foot until I found the leg, and followed the leg, until I found the body. And there on the body, I found something that would distinctly tell you the baby is a boy, not a girl, if you know what I mean. And that was the extent of my dream! Nothing exciting, really, and completely impossible, but it was funny to wake up and think about it!

We find out in FIVE days what the gender is! Or at least we hope we do. I am so nervous that the day will come, we'll go in for the appointment, and all they'll be able to say is that the baby wasn't in the right position, or they think it's a girl but didn't get a clear shot to say for sure. How awful would that be! As many of you may know, we are having a party on Friday night to announce what the gender of the baby is, and it would put a bit of a damper on the mood if we had no idea.... So I am praying that they will be able to tell! And I have to admit, we both hope it's a girl right now. I've tried my hardest not to lean one way or the other because in reality, just having a baby is exciting and either gender would be great. But right now all I can think about is cute little baby Kara, all pretty in her adorable dresses and tights and pretty hair bows and flowers. In the end, it doesn't matter what the gender of this baby is, or the next, but I hope that we get to have at least one of each.

4) Obviously I got my hair colored darker. I wanted to try out a darker blond, and so right now it's rather brown, but my hair dresser Kim has assured me it will lighten up a bit. But along with the color, I got a trim, so with new color and trim, I'm really going to pay attention to how fast my hair is growing! My nails are definitely growing fast, so let's see about this hair. This is the longest it's been in at least two years, so I'm excited to see how long it will get.

5) As you may/may not know, I teach kindergarten. The teachers sit in the same chairs as the kindergarteners, and these chairs are teeny. It hasn't been a problem until this week; I seriously had some problems gettin down there. I also noticed after some physical things I've done this week (like walking up several flights of stairs) I got majorly tired! Looks like my body is having some more adjustments.

Well, next week will be an exciting post! Come to our house next Friday at 7:30 to find out what the gender of our baby is!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 18

I don't feel like there's any difference from this and last week in the pictures, but Jed says there is. I've certainly felt more pregnant this week!

By the by, I've decided to stop putting my hand on the top of my belly in the pictures because my belly's getting significant enough that you don't need my hand there to see that I have a little baby bump!

Baby Stats:

Length: 5 1/2 inches
Weight: 5-7 ounces
If it were a veggie, it would be a: sweet potato

There are a few things that have happened this week. The biggest factor in how I've been feeling has been the fact that I've been sick all week. I started the week off not feeling well, got a little better, then got much worse. I've had an awful cough with this cold, and the hardest thing is I'll start coughing in the morning, blow my nose, and between those two things there's some mucus mixed in somewhere and it makes me gag and throw up. Or just dry heave. It's really awful and unpleasant. I've only thrown up a couple of times this week though, so while I am still having morning sickness, it continues to subside.

Some pregnancy symptoms I have had the last few days (because I was sick or because of being pregnant, we don't know), but I've had to go to the bathroom at lot more frequently and I've been a lot hungrier. Friday, I swear I ate like 7 times that day, and each time it was nothing much (burrito, two teeny apples, egg in a basket, etc), but the fact that whenever food was presented, I was hungry, that made me think my stomach is beginning to change for my growing baby. Speaking of food, I'm really hungry....

I've also been feeling more and more pressure down in my abdomen. I think my baby's getting big enough that I can feel it a lot more. I hope that at my next doctor's visit, the doctor can tell me how I can feel where the uterus and baby are from the outside. We'll see!

This last part I'm about to mention you may not want to know, but I find it extremely interesting and surprising. Mostly, I mention this for my friends who have yet to be pregnant because I was surprised to find this symptom at 18 weeks, but it's normal. So read on, but read on cautiously. I've had a new change in my body called colostrum: pre-milk. Yeah, Jed was extremely grossed out to hear me tell him that, and I hope you're not too grossed out, but as a woman, this is something so weird and crazy! I always knew that one day I would have the ability to breastfeed my baby, but now it's getting closer and closer and that is so weird to me (slightly exciting, but more weird). I must say, though, I am not looking forward to milk simply leaking out of me...

Two more weeks until we find out the baby's gender! (Hopefully. I would just about die if the ultrasound technician said they couldn't tell.) And that means we're getting closer and closer to the halfway mark! Technically, if I delivered four weeks early, we'd be at the halfway mark right now! I can't believe it. I seriously cannot wait until we have our baby. I know it's going to be hard and I know it's going to be different than I expect, but what a wonderful thing it is going to be. I've wanted to be a mom for years and years. I was never the girl who dreamed about what her wedding was going to be like, but I have planned baby names since I was 8, playing MASH during church or on car trips. These baby names have changed (for instance, I used to want the names Skye and Lily Rose... no more!), but I just love babies.

We had a baby blessing in church and both Jed and I were thinking the whole time about how it will be in 6 months when we bless our own baby. So crazy. Ha ha it also lead Jed to remember the Modern Family episode where Cam and Mitchell announce they adopted a baby... here's the link to the scene

Modern family - Lion King Moment

(P.S. If you want to know our beliefs on gay marriage, here's a link to what we believe: The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Just so we're clear.)

Well, I still have another 5 months of being pregnant, so I should stop the planning of how it will be. I'm grateful for how my pregnancy has gone so far, it could be so much harder, so I know I (and Jed) have been blessed with a fairly easy pregnancy. Here's hoping it continues that way!

Gratitude Tree

Happy November! It's exciting to be in November, isn't it? The holidays are just around the corner!

So for FHE tonight (yes, we had it a day late. At least we had it!), we talked about gratitude. There are some wonderful talks out there, and I encourage you to go look them up! Search "gratitude" on lds.org and you will find some fantastic ones. After we discussed our talks we studied yesterday, I introduced our newest project: for the next month, we are going to be building a gratitude tree! Someone in our ward at Wymount talked about how for the month of November, they have a little tree on their door and each day they write something they are thankful for on a leaf and put it on the tree. So cute! We are doing this, too, but on a much grander scale. I want us (by the time Thanksgiving comes) to have over 100 leaves on this tree! So that averages to about 2-3 a day from each of us (since we leave the 22nd for California, we have to be done a few days early). Our goal is to never repeat what either of us has said we're grateful for. So, here is the beginnings of our gratitude tree:

I know that as we practice having greater gratitude, we will be happier, have the Spirit more fully in our lives, and be blessed even more!

I'll leave you with a thought from our wonderful prophet, whom Jed and I are so grateful for:

“If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

“Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 87.

Thank you for your love and support! We are grateful for YOU!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 17

Hey there. Here I am. I feel like every day I look down and my stomach looks bigger. I can't imagine how much bigger it's going to get..... Slightly scary to think about.

Baby Stats:

Length: 5 inches
Weight: 5-6 ounces
If it were a vegetable, it would be: an onion.

I was so excited to tell you it had been 12 days, almost two weeks, since I've thrown up. This morning ruined my streak. It was also the first time Jed actually heard me throw up. He said it was pretty gross ha ha.

Another great thing: I think I've been able to feel the baby kick a little. I know it could be anything, but I can't recall ever feeling these little movements in my abdomen before, so I count it as baby kicks! The first time I thought I felt something was at the dentist's last week. Do you ever get like a little blood vessel or muscle spasm in you leg or on your eyelid or arm where you can feel a twitch? (And sometimes see the twitch?) Well I had just one sudden twitch in my abdomen, and I've never felt a twitch like that before in that area. It was not a surface twitch, either, like those others I've described. It was definitely coming from the inside. On Monday I swear I felt a movement like teeny little limbs kicking back and forth like you would kick if you were swimming. Almost every day since, always in the afternoon or evening, I have felt little pushes from my abdomen, sometimes just one and sometimes several in a time period, and so I dub these little pushes to be our active child! In case you can't tell, I've tried very hard to decipher what I've felt and to be sure it wasn't just gas or something, so I feel pretty confident saying it was me feeling the baby!

This week I wore maternity jeans for the first time. Not that I can't fit into my old jeans, but they have developed some holes that show off my underwear, so I finally had to give in and say they were not wearable. However, then came casual Friday and I couldn't wear slacks! So I grabbed a pair of jeans from the bins that my wonderful sister in law gave to me which are full of maternity wear, and I put them on. They fit perfectly. The thing I don't like about them, though, is they don't have a place for a belt! Where the belt should be, there was a 2 inch band of stretchy material. So, all day long, I was constantly tucking in my undershirt and making sure nothing was showing since they slipped down a little every time I sat down (the fact that the majority of the time I sat was in little kindergarten chairs or on the floor did not help). Tell me this isn't how the rest of my pregnancy will go, right? Will I be forever in a state of re-situating my pants?

A sad thing: one of my coats is getting a little snug down around my waist. The buttons are noticeably pulling, and so I think this coat may have to be retired until next fall. It saddens me deeply, especially as I imagine the size of my stomach in February and think about which coat I will be able to wear.... So I may be in the market for a new, roomy coat pretty soon. Can I justify getting a cute, nice coat solely for when I'm pregnant? I'm bound to be pregnant during the winter another time down the road, right? Or perhaps I will permanently weight more and will need a big coat anyways? Let's not think that.

Pregnancy Symptoms I have yet to experience:

• High frequency of... visiting the restroom, shall we say? Nope, never felt that one. Thank goodness, because right now it is rather convenient to not need to go to the bathroom in the mornings until lunch time.
• Increased appetite. Unless you count wanting to eat more times throughout the day, but I don't feel I eat much more than before. 
• Swelling of the ankles, feet, hands, face
• Major weight gain

Symptoms I have may have yet to mention, but have been experiencing

• Mood Swings/more emotions. I cry often, or at least tear up. Biggest Loser, Extreme Home Makeover, these are big contributors to my crying. The other night I cried while watching Under the Greenwood Tree (BBC movie - watch it on Netflix, I love it). Why did I cry? The main girl was playing the harmonium in church and some people had put some sort of fluid in it, and so when it stopped working, people were laughing at it, not at her, but she ran out of the church, feeling humiliated. I was near sobbing at this point. So yes, my emotions are very high.
• Headaches, migraines, it varies what ails me, but those have yet to go away. I will say, Excedrin Tension Headache = greatest invention for pregnant women.
• Nasal congestion. I have to blow my nose all the time, and I'm not sick, it's just a fact of my life now.
• Sensitive gums that bleed when I brush. As if brushing my teeth wasn't already unpleasant enough.
• Fatigue.

This is a super duper long post, and I apologize for that. On the bright side, anyone who reads this knows exactly how I've felt this week! I feel closer to you already.

P.S. I still want to do a party to announce the baby's gender, also just as a way to invite people over and eat cake. But my mom can't be there! So I'm debating.... should it be the day after? Can I wait that long??

Temples, Pizza, and Corn

Hey there folks! Third post in one day? It must be Sunday.

Yesterday we had a lovely date together that didn't go entirely as planned, but was a really fun day.

First, we headed to the temple. We try to go to the temple once a month for one of our weekly dates, and we also try to vary which temple we go to. For the last several months, I've been wanting to go to the Draper Temple. I received my Endowment at the Draper temple (so that was May 6, 2010) and I haven't done a session there since! It was beautiful, and meaningful, so I really want to go back! So that was the plan yesterday: do a session at the Draper Temple. I always check online to be sure the temple isn't closed for cleaning or anything, and the Draper Temple was in fact scheduled to be open. When we arrived, we arrived early, so we walked around the temple. It really is so beautiful. Then we went inside.

When we got inside there was this woman there and the way she was standing and smiling I just knew she was going to tell us we couldn't go in. That was exactly what she said. She told us there was District Conference and the last session was at 3:00. We were hoping to do the 4:00 session. She was so sad and apologetic that me in my emotional pregnancy state actually felt like I should start crying, but being so blessed in Utah with so many temples, we quickly told her it was okay, we'd go to the Oquirrh Mountain temple. She suggested the Jordan River as well. Don't you love that within 20 minutes there are 3 temples to get to?

So then we went to the Oquirrh Mountain temple. They didn't even bother with a nice lady telling you that you couldn't go in, they locked their doors and put up signs ha ha. So they were closed as well, for regional conference, so we walked around the temple and then left. So the first part of our date was foiled!

On to dinner, delicious Pier 49 Pizza. They have a dinner for 2 and a dinner for 4, and it's a pretty good deal. The dinner for 4 is especially well priced, so do a double date, split the check, and save some money! The only unfortunate thing was that the dinner for 2 came with cheesy breadsticks, pizza, and dessert pizza, so being the hungry pregnant woman I am, I inhaled the breadsticks, ate one piece of pizza, and was stuffed to the brim. Thank goodness for boxes to take leftovers home.

Then we went to Cornbellies! This is a corn maze and a million other fun fall things to do and see and play on at Thanksgiving Point. I had a coupon from school, as did our friends Amy and Brandon, so we doubled and went together! It was extremely fun. We climbed on hay, went through several mazes, raced ducks, took lots of pictures, and had a lot of fun.

Here we are racing ducks..... It was very fun but slightly damaging to your thumb to pump so fast and hard...

This is the first corn maze we went through (the main one). They had space and NASA music playing throughout the field, and it made me feel rather patriotic. You know the songs, like the songs they play in the movies while the astronauts are walking onto the rocket and they're going in slow motion through smoke and everyone else is stopped and staring at them and the American flag waves on.... that sort of inspirational, patriotic music. It kept the maze from being creepy ha ha.

We were punished and put in the stocks!

Don't you just love the cut outs? They had these everywhere.

There was a mini corn maze for children that had these spinners at varying places in the maze. What ever the spinner landed on, you had to do! It was fun and extremely silly.

The big rocking chair. As we took our pictures a family came up to wait until we were finished, and literally as we were climbing off, the kids were climbing on. It's just too much fun to even wait a second to get on!

So that was our date night! It was great fun and put us very much in the spirit of fall!

Delicious Fall Dessert - Apple Dumplings

Thanks to my dear mother, I have yet another delicious dessert to share with you. This is not only delicious but it's fun because you can tell your guests it has Mountain Dew in it!

APPLE DUMPLING DESSERT

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 small can Mountain Dew (about 2/3 cup)
Vanilla Ice Cream

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauce from the pan over the top.

I love this, as does my mom's book group, so use this delicious recipe while apples are in season!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 16

Week 16 is here! I think I notice an ever so slight difference, what do you think? It's like my tummy has moved a little higher.

Baby Stats:

Length: 4-5 inches
Weight: 3-5 ounces
If it were a fruit, it would be: an avocado

Mommy Happenings:

1) I think I've finally notice a difference in hair/nail growth. My nails have grown really long this last week and I feel like I just cut them. So, maybe those prenatal vitamins are finally affecting my nails! If only I could tell if my hair was growing faster.... I plan on getting my hair cut next month, so we'll see if after that I can tell a difference. On a related note, I hear that you stop losing your hair when you get pregnant. Not so! I've also heard of some women who lose tons more hair. Neither is true for me. I have always lost lots of hair (because of the thickness?), and I have seen no difference in hair loss between pre-pregnancy and currently.

2) Another happy fact: it's been 5 days since I've last thrown up. Yay! I'm actually keeping a count on our dry erase board. I'm hoping the morning sickness has finally decided to move on....

3) Dry skin: it's getting worse. I'm itching all over the place because of it. I've never been a person to put on lotion after my shower or before bed, but now I think one or both might be necessary. It doesn't help that winter is approaching.

4) Cravings. I still don't have any constant cravings, but the cravings are definitely worsening. I think of a food and bam! I want that like nothing else and I can taste it and it would be sooooo good if I actually had it. The funny thing is that whether it's a craving or I am just hungry, by the time I get food, I can eat about half of what I thought I wanted and then I'm stuffed full. It's very strange, and Jed and I have tried to come up with theories as to why, but I think it's just that the baby and the uterus are starting to take up more room in my belly, so my stomach is getting smaller (but at the same time, emptying faster).

5) Acne has finally subsided! I am noticing fewer breakouts, and that makes me happy.

26 days until we find out the baby's gender!

Tracking the Baby Bump: Week 15

So, here and now we start the pregnancy pictures. I am 15 weeks along and I figure I MUST be growing a little, but haven't noticed a difference. So today we start the tracking to see how I differ in the next several months.

This is me and Baby Stephenson, Week 15!

My disclaimer is that I've had a little pooch since high school, so I can't tell if this little bump is purely me or if it's little Baby Stephenson growing.

By the by, this outfit was specially chosen. You will see this every time I take the baby bump picture because Jed and I both agree it will make it easier to tell a difference from week to week if I've grown. It was also chosen because both the pants and the shirt have lots of stretch... hence why I have to hold the shirt tighter.

Week 15 Baby Stats:

Length: 4 1/2 inches
Weight: 2-3 ounces
If it were a fruit, it would be a: naval orange

Also, 1 month and 2 days until we find out the gender! Mark your calendar to be available the evening of November 18th to come to (in person or via Skype) a party where we'll announce the gender! 

Maternity Clothes?

For those wondering about the pregnancy, things are going well. Wednesday and Thursday I brushed my teeth without throwing up! So I thought perhaps my morning sickness was actually subsiding like it often does after the first trimester. Friday I discovered I was mistaken....... But there is still hope that soon enough, I will be past morning sickness. I can't say that if I continue to throw up when I brush my teeth I am unlucky, though, because I have had much better morning sickness than many women I know, including my mother. I have also had a little bit of a hard time taking my prenatal vitamin (I gag when I try to swallow it). Today at the store I was looking for more vitamins because my bottle is almost out, and I found gummy ones! Not only does that play to my love for gummy candy, but it solves the problem of gagging when I swallow pills.... So far, they taste pretty good and have only a slightly odd after taste, but I'll let you know how it goes. I only hope I don't give in to temptation to eat more than two a day....

The biggest thing that I'm waiting for is maternity clothes! Now is about the time that women start to grow..... And call me lucky but I haven't noticed any changes in my waistline! In fact, from week 7 to week 12, I lost weight. I'm eating a lot better now, by eating smaller meals and more snack throughout the day (not even by choice, but my appetite dictates that's what I do), and so I wonder if I'm losing some fat while gaining some baby..... So no maternity pants for me yet! I'm even just waiting to go up a size for pants, but so far nothing like that is needed. Does anyone know, because I'm not starting off a small size 6, and so does that make a difference? Like the skinny women have to start moving up in size pretty quickly while the curvy women have room for the baby to grow without getting new pants? It's something rather unimportant, but I wonder. I think I'd better start taking the classic prego shot to start comparing, because I think my tummy will start growing pretty soon.... And I don't know how I'll feel in three months, but I'm looking forward to actually looking pregnant! This is all conditional on the fact that I gain weight only in my tummy area and nowhere else, ha ha.

So, we'll see, people, what comes my way with this pregnancy. Last night I dreamed that I delivered this baby at home, at 14 weeks, and it was 8 pounds already, so I took it to the hospital to make sure everything was alright, and then commenced in carrying this baby around everywhere that did not look like a newborn but more like a 3 month old baby. So are the delivery dreams starting already? I still have 26 weeks to go to worry about it.....

Another topic I'd like to address: pregnancy photos. I think I'll get started on those in the next few weeks (because I think you'll be able to tell pretty soon) so you can expect to see those on the blog. For some entertaining pregnancy pictures go to Awkward Family Photos. It's super funny. Disclaimer #1: Be aware that there are some where the women have less than the desired amount of clothes. Disclaimer #2: I will not be taking any pictures with my bare belly. That's just gross.

So, there's how the pregnancy's going..... Yep.

Why Our Marriage Works

My feet get hot easily (one reason I sleep with my feet sticking out of the covers). Sometimes when they get hot, they itch. So, for a long time, I have rubbed my feet together as I fall asleep.

Jed likes massages. Any kind: head massage, shoulders, neck, back, hands, and feet.

When we are falling asleep, my feet need to rub, and his feet like to be rubbed. I rub his feet with mine, and everyone’s happy! One small reason we were meant for each other.

Thai Night - Pork Satay and Peanut Sauce

So, last night I made what we thought (and our guests agreed) was delicious!

First is the Pork Satay. I loved to death the satay at the Thai restaurant I worked at, so I definitely wanted to find a good recipe. I searched long and hard and found many different versions. The reason I went with this one was because 1) It seemed pretty authentic, 2) It seemed authentic without making me buy a bunch of ingredients I'd never used or even heard of from the Asian Market that I might have only used for this dish, and 3) It was made by Bobby Flay (he's on the Food Network and I think he's an Iron Chef), so I trusted it. I have a hard time using recipes unless I can read comments from many people who have made the same recipe (this is because I've been spoiled by allrecipes.com). So here it is, with my own comments.

Bobby Flay's Pork Satay

Ingredients

Marinade:
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk - about 1 13.5 oz. can (I used Chaokoh brand)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (I used Adam's Natural Peanut Butter because I used that for the peanut sauce)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I used bottled)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Thai chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I used jalepeno)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch thick cubes (I used pork chops and cut it into strips. So tender and very easy)
• Wooden skewers

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, add pork and let marinate 2 to 4 hours.
Preheat the grill. Soak skewers.
Remove the pork from the marinade and thread on skewers. Grill for 7 to 8 minutes or until cooked through.

So there's the meat! Now for the dipping sauce. Here's the blog where I got the recipe. I really liked her blog. She also had an awesome way to make sticky rice without the traditional big bamboo steamer, so look that up. But I love this peanut sauce because a Thai person uses it, so obviously it's close enough in taste to the more complicated version, but easy!

Peanut Sauce

1 13.5 oz. can of Chaokoh coconut milk
¼ c. Thai Red Curry Paste (try Mae Ploy or Maesri)
¾ c. unsweetened natural peanut butter (I used Adam's - you want the ones that have the oil at the top that you have to mix in)
½ tsp. salt
¾ c. sugar
2 Tbsp. cider or white vinegar
½ c. water

Bring everything to a gentle boil over medium heat, constantly whisking. Let simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes (make sure doesn’t scorch on bottom of pan). Can be refrigerated for several weeks.

This peanut sauce is so addicting. Last night, they even put it on their corn. At the Thai restaurant, my favorite thing to do was to dip sticky rice in it. This stuff is way similar to the peanut sauce they made, and it's so easy. So many authentic recipes told you to buy tamarind and made tamarind paste but it's purely for the acid, so why not just cheat and use vinegar? I don't doubt it could be better, but I loved it.

So, make this with some jasmine rice and you have a great meal!

Pregnancy Symptoms: Take 2

Well, I'm 10 weeks along! So crazy. I thought I'd record a few more symptoms that I've been having for both my journaling purposes and for those who would like a "heads up" on some symptoms you can look forward to when you get pregnant!

1) Acne. I have been blessed to have only had acne in my early teenage years, and after that I really only had a pimple or two a week. Now, it's more like a new pimple shows up every day! Awful. The funny thing is, the dry spots on my face have gotten drier. So it looks like my combination skin has gotten even more combination.

2) Dry skin. Seriously, I have much drier skin. Like I mentioned about my face, there are other places on my body (like my heels) that definitely dry faster and in a worse way than before.

3) Gagging when brushing teeth (and as of today, throwing up). Jed always peeks in when I brush my teeth because it certainly sounds like I throw up every morning and night. I think he's nervous because he has yet to witness me throw up! I know, I think he deserves to be there to hold back my hair. I don't know what it is, but I think it has something to do with the flouride in my toothpaste along with just having liquid sitting in my mouth. I sometimes have problems swallowing pills, too, because I do it by getting a mouthfull of fluid, tossing in a pill, and swallowing, and my mouth (throat?) does not like holding fluid for more than it takes to swallow. So, this is a rather unpleasant side effect. I try something different every time I brush to try to distract myself or prevent from gagging, but so far nothing has worked.

4) Food aversions and cravings. As a teenage girl, brownies were my favorite late night/movie night snack. Chocolate ice cream with brownies were even better. Now, chocolate ice cream with brownies sounds awful. Brownies, well maybe I'll have a bite. But seriously, chocolate is no longer a craving of mine! So weird! I don't even crave anything specific, generally. It's only as soon as I see a picture of it or I smell something, and then I want it. (Take for example when I passed by a hot dog stand. Hot dogs have never been my favorite. But as soon as a smelled it, I wanted it!)

5) Appetite changes. I have become a grazer. I can eat most of my peanut butter/jelly sandwich at lunch and maybe some fruit snacks or grapes. And that's it! Dinner is the same. It's really quite sad, because eating out is not quite as fun. I can't eat more than half of my meal before I feel sick from eating too much. Much healthier, right? I don't complain because I know it's much healthier for me. It does cause some complications, though. Teaching doesn't give me too many easy times to snack on food. Just the other day I pulled out some fruit snacks and one of my students was rather jealous that I got to eat and he didn't.

So far, I think that's about it! I've been getting over a cold and I think a little flu, so I've been having a very off week in general. I can't wait to see what happens next!

10 Years Ago Today

To commemorate 9/11, Jed and I thought we'd write where we were when it happened.

I was living in Indiana, so the time difference from many of my current friends was a bit different. I had already gone to school and was in the middle of taking a state test. I was in my math class with my math teacher, Mr. R (his name is on the tip of my tongue). All of the sudden, all the TVs in the school turned on and we saw the live footage of what was happening. I certainly didn't understand what was going on. It was sad to me, but it seemed like it was in a different world.

The whole school was taken down to the basement of our school to continue watching the news. Some people in my class cried, mostly those who had family in New York. Some people's parents came to take their students home early. There was a small panic at the school because there was Fort Benjamin very near, and people figured that if they were attacking one place, they would certainly attack another.

What I definitely do remember is that in the following months, our country was brought together. There was a lot of patriotism and even as a little 11 year old, I felt a difference in the way our country acted. I wish now that people appreciated our military the way they did back then, instead of calling them murderers. I hope that this anniversary brings a little more love for America and it's values.

Now it's Jed's turn.

I was asleep (it was around 6 or 7 in the morning in California). I think my mom woke me up and told me the trade center got hit and I thought at first it was a little Cessna plane that hit it on accident. I thought it wasn't a big deal. Then I watched the news. I started watching after they both got hit and so I watched them fall down. I couldn't believe it. All I felt was disbelief.

I second what Heather said. I've been following politics since I was 8, so at the time of 9/11 I knew of all the divisions in our country. But the following year, everyone was united and forgot all the arguments. It was great. Now we're back to division in our country.

We both know this country was saved by God for us and that the Constitution was inspired by God. We hope that in the coming years, our country will stop pulling away from it and start going back to the core values the Founding Fathers put into the Constitution.

A big thanks to those who have fought in any war for our country. It is inspiring and touches our hearts to see the pure selflessness that our soldiers give.

Have a good 10 year anniversary, America.