Week 32

Somehow this pregnancy has flown by. It is hard to believe that we are less than two months away from having a newborn in our house again. I can't wait to meet her and see what she looks like and find out what her little personality is like! She is very active most days but based on the direction of her kicks (down LOW) I can tell she is still breech. It is those low kicks and her growing size that have lately made me feel like I live in the bathroom. :) I have been getting up usually twice a night to go to the bathroom which seems to be adding to the fatigue. Marc called last night (he was on-call) and I told him I was getting ready to go to sleep. He replied, "But it is only 8:45... you must be REALLY tired." I do feel pretty tired these days. I have been resorting to some easy meals for dinner (ie. roast in the crock pot for dinner tonight!) and propping my feet often.

We are slowly chipping away at the study that is going to be Hailey's room. I am so thankful we are not changing the wall color because I can't imagine when we would find the time to paint it. The furniture will be arriving in 2-3 weeks and my parents are coming in a few weeks to help get the room situated. I know it will all come together in time and frankly, I just don't have any energy at this point to feel any different. Ha! I hope to start working on a canvas painting for her room this weekend which I am looking forward to.

I have my next OB appointment on Friday. I was measuring about a week or two ahead last time that I saw the nurse practioner so I am anxious to see if my doctor finds the same thing at this appointment. This week I passed how much weight I gained with my pregnancy with Eli but I am still on track for my 30 lb. goal with this pregnancy. I have craved sweets like crazy this time around which makes it more difficult. I am constantly thinking about dessert and icecream!

Week 32

And just for fun, here is Eli after dinner tonight enjoying some yogurt. Some days he is really good with his spoon or fork and other days... well you can see for yourself. I do have to brag on him that he ate three baby cooked carrots tonight AND some mashed potatoes. It was almost too much to handle! I am really trying to offer him only what we are eating to encourage him to try new things and so that I don't get stuck making more than one meal a night. It is slowly starting to work with the vegetables and main dishes (still no luck on the fruits). He seems to be much more eager to try new things if we try it at the same time with him. :)

Just Like Daddy

Eli LOVES his daddy. I think because Marc periodically disappears for 24 hour call or weekend moonlighting shifts that Eli really notices when he is not around. Sometimes he asks for him and then starts crying when I tell him he is at work. It is so sad, however, it does make their reunions that much sweeter to watch! This Saturday Marc had to go in early to do pediatric rounds so he wasn't home when Eli woke up. Eli and I waited for him at the window (once Marc called and told me he was coming around the corner!) and Eli was so thrilled to have him back in sight. When Marc decided to go cut grass shortly after he got home Eli couldn't stand it. He had only seen him for 15 minutes and he was already gone again. So, I took him outside to play while Marc mowed. Eli loves doing everything that Marc does so he started up his play lawnmower and took off to help his daddy out.

After Eli's nap on Saturday we took him to the zoo. Zoo membership is great because you can go at any point even if it just for a few hours and not feel like you are wasting an admission fee. We mostly just hung out by the petting zoo. The sheep last time we went were "baa"ing like crazy and Eli has been making the same noise when he sees sheep in his animal books ever since. It is hilarious because he sounds just like they did that day. He was really excited to get to feed them again.

Since we had eaten out on Friday night with some friends we decided to eat in on Saturday after we got home from the zoo. I made my version of rice and beans (it is a recipe I learned from my nutrition teacher in college). This meal is by far the easiest thing I make and it is one of Marc's top three favorite things to eat. Eli thought it was too spicy. He wanted to eat the sausage so bad but would cry every time after he put a piece in. So, this probably isn't too kid friendly but here it is.

Rice and Beans

1 can of Bush's black beans (store brand just doesn't work as well, I have tried)

1 can of mild Rotel

Johnsonville New Orleans Spicy Andouille sausage (comes in a package of 6 but only heat as many as you need)

1 cup of rice

Jiffy corn bread mix and ingredients

Heat your black beans and Rotel together in a saucepan. Cook your rice according to directions. Make your cornbread however you like (I usually make muffins). Heat the sausage in a skillet in a shallow amount of water for 10-15 min. When your rice is cooked, spoon over some of the bean mixture and then add in some cut up sausage (usually 1 per person). Mix it together and then enjoy with some buttered cornbread. Easy and good!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

What a weekend! Marc and I had been talking over the past few weeks about taking Eli to Chuck E Cheese's and decided Saturday was the night. I also had a coupon for our dinner and tokens which was great! I have not been to Chuck E Cheese's since I was little so I had no idea what to expect. It was really loud and crazy because there were several parties so maybe next time we will go on a week night. :) Eli didn't know what to think of all the kids, games, and noises. He sucked his thumb most of the night (which usually means he is nervous!) but he seemed to have a good time.

Can you tell who was enjoying this game more???

After dinner we headed to a nearby outdoor shopping area to hit up Marble Slab for a cold treat. I feel like I have eaten so much icecream this pregnancy! Hailey was measuring big this past week so I should probably slow down a little. Ha! Once we had our desserts we headed down to the fountain and water. Eli loves looking at the ducks and throwing pennies in the fountain. He empties my wallet of pennies every time. :)

We closed out the weekend today after church with some fun with the water hose. Eli loves when we water the plants with the hose so we decided today to give him free reign. He loved drinking out of it and getting soaked.

Is Monday really tomorrow??? Hope you had a great weekend.

Mine!

This morning I watched Judah, who is only a month older than Eli, for his mom. Eli and Judah attended the same daycare for awhile until Judah's mom quit work to stay at home. Lindsey dropped Judah off around 9:30 am and picked him up a little after lunch. It was good practice for Eli to have someone else in his house testing out all of his toys. :) I learned we have lots of teaching to do in the sharing department! Eli's new words in the past few weeks have been "mine," "me," and "no." Ha! He used his words plenty today to let me and Judah know how he felt about having to share his toys. There were some really great moments when Eli was sharing well and even a time or two that he and Judah were playing with a toy at the same time which was so sweet to watch. I guess you take the good with the bad. :) It was probably good practice for Judah as well since his mom is due in a month with their second child (another boy) and he will be learning to share more as well.

It took Judah quite a while to warm up to us and to get over his mom not being there. I tried lots of things to distract him but he was quite sad for a while. Eli on the other hand, was being rowdy and CRAZY. He loves jumping on our over sized chair, and I guess he thought Judah might like to join him.

Then, I asked Eli to give Judah a hug. This is what I got.

Judah did not care for Eli's hugs so I had to rescue him. :)

Marc had to do pediatric rounds this morning so I was running this show by myself. He originally thought he would be home by 10 am. Then, he called and said it would be closer to 10:45. I have learned to not trust his clock when it comes to him leaving the hospital. He always seems to underestimate. :) Marc finally pulled in at 11:15, and I let the boys watch through the window. Eli knows Marc's car well because we play this game a lot so he got really excited!

Once I had an extra pair of hands I was able to get going on some lunch. The boys ate some fruit (strawberries, peaches, and bananas) and macaroni and cheese mixed with some cut up hot dog. With only one high chair, I decided to set their lunch up picnic style on the kitchen floor. They loved it and ate like champs. :) I thought with a little peer pressure Eli might eat his peaches and banana but I was wrong. Strawberries are still the only fruit he will eat!

It was a fun morning. :) Eli is now down for a nap so I am going to work on my grocery list and plan some meals for next week. I love Saturdays!

RHS 10 Year Reunion

We packed up the car last Friday to head to Arkansas for my 10 year class reunion. Eli did so well traveling all weekend. He slept for 3 hours on the way there and 2 hours on the way home (we timed it with his nap both ways!), and he didn't cry at all about being in his car seat. We still have him facing backwards based on the latest studies they have done in car seat safety. You can read the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) article summary here if you are interested. I don't know if they have officially changed the previous recommendation of turning the car seat around at one year, but it is probably coming soon because of how much safer rear facing is proving to be (5 times safer!).

When we got into town on Friday we caught my parents just before they had to leave for a benefit dinner for Arkansas Children's Hospital. My parents just celebrated their 32nd anniversary.

We went to eat dinner with my sister and her fiance at Fish City in the Promenade. We let Eli play by the fountain some after dinner and then headed to Cold Stone for some ice cream dessert. It was a great night.

Eli loves visiting my parent's house. They have a pool and a dog which are two things he goes crazy for that we don't have! I think I heard "woof, woof" about a million times this weekend and he really enjoyed his time in the pool.

I can't believe all that has happened in the past 10 years since my high school graduation. I have graduated from college at Ole Miss and graduate school at Vanderbilt, been married, had a baby, and am expecting the next one in two months. I have lived in Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois, and Kansas all in the past 10 years! I have LOVED every bit of it and feel truly blessed with the experiences I have had and the people I have met along the way. It was great to touch base with some friends from high school this weekend to see what they have been up to over the past 10 years.

We started our reunion day off with a family picnic on Saturday afternoon at Lake Atlanta. The BBQ was delicious! It was hot and humid but we still enjoyed seeing everyone's kids and enjoying some good conversations.

Joanna and I were little more than acquaintances in high school but she became my roommate and best friend in college and is still a dear, dear friend to this day. She means so much to me and I love any chance I get to catch up with her. Her baby girl is beautiful with blond hair and blue eyes! I think Eli was smitten. Ha!

Eli got jealous when Marc started holding Sallie-Jewel so he decided to hold them both. Both kids are thumb suckers! It was really funny. :)

The party Saturday evening was casual attire and we were supposed to wear something with our school colors that we might wear to a football game. It think half of the people didn't get the memo but Marc and I were sporting the royal blue for sure. :) Thankfully, I already had a royal blue maternity top so it worked out great! With 10 weeks to go I do NOT plan on buying any more maternity stuff. Ha!

It was a great weekend. Who knows where all my classmates will be in another 10 years??? I have no idea where we will be either but I look forward to seeing God's plan unfold for us. For now, I need to start getting a baby room ready for our next big event that is only 10 weeks away! Time to get serious this week cleaning out our study. :)

Playgroup

Last Friday before we left town for Arkansas, Eli and I went to meet some other moms and kids from the residency for a playgroup at the zoo. Playgroups are usually during the week when I am working so I was glad to get the chance to catch up with some of the moms, and Eli enjoyed playing with the kids. We had planned to go early in the morning so we could beat the heat but by 11 it was already close to 100 degrees. I think the high that day was 108 degrees! It was SO hot but we had a good time for the few hours that we were there, and I think Eli enjoyed seeing all of the animals.

I am sorting through my pictures from the weekend tonight but should have them up tomorrow!

Is it the heat???

Maybe it is because it has been 100+ degrees every day this week... maybe it is because I have a very busy 16 month old who likes to wrestle me on the ground... maybe it is because I am almost 30 weeks pregnant... or maybe it is because I have done so many school and sports physicals this week that I could fill the form out with my eyes closed. Regardless, I AM TIRED. It has been a long week. The good news is that Eli has slept through the night every night since last Sunday. Yay! However, I must still be in recovery mode from the week before. :)

Although it has been really hot here, that hasn't stopped Eli and Marc from taking some bike rides. Eli loves riding on back of the bike. It is certainly a special thing for Eli and his daddy to do because I have no plans on getting on a bike with my big belly!

We have to really work to get a good picture these days. Eli does not like posing for the camera!

Off they go!

I haven't put up an update on this pregnancy in awhile so I will try to remember to have Marc take a picture of my belly this weekend. I will be 30 weeks in a few days and it seems so much closer to 40 weeks than 29 weeks did. I am starting to have Braxton Hicks contractions just like I did with Eli. They are usually toward the end of the day. I am hoping that is a good sign for a short labor when the time comes (if we can get the baby to turn before then). I am trying to prepare myself mentally for a c-section as well if it comes to that. Surgery scares me so it will probably take me the next 10 weeks to become more comfortable with it! I know that whatever happens, it is all part of God's plan. It brings me peace knowing that He is in control of this precious baby and how she will make her entrance into this world. :)

We are heading to Arkansas this weekend for my 10 year class reunion. I had a really big class (over 600) so I am not sure who all is coming that I know but it will be fun to see people and their families. We are having a family picnic on Saturday for lunch (hopefully it isn't 100 degrees!) and a party for the adults that evening. I need to start packing up tonight since we are leaving at noon tomorrow. Stay cool this weekend!