A Visit from Grandma Bev & Grandpa Eric (26 weeks)

Last weekend my mom and step-dad came out from Iowa. It had been about 6 months since we last saw them, so this was the first time they saw me pregnant and Hudson talking up a storm. It was great being able to visit with them, and we'll be seeing them again in a few months when London is born!

*Not the most flattering pictures of me, but I'm realizing that as I get further along in my pregnancy, I am liking photos of me less and less! At least you can see the growing belly. :)

Because his name is on this blog too.

I just realized that my last several posts were about my pregnancy and the new baby. And Hudson, who this blog was originally made for, was not in any of them! Oops, I guess I'm already struggling with the whole "fairness" thing...

So here's a recent pic of my little man.

Hudson keeps us busy around here! He is a typical 2-year-old with endless energy and lots to say! Even over the last 2 weeks, it seems like his vocabulary and pronunciation has vastly improved. He is still doing great in preschool and loves his teachers and friends, although he's had to miss several days this week because of a double ear infection. Poor guy. So far this year has started out with a lot of sickness, so I'm hoping we can all get healthy and stay that way for a while.

Hudson's favorite activities these days are puzzles (which he is amazingly good at), riding his scooter, and building towers with his legos. He has been sleeping in his big boy bed for a few months now, and doing well with that. Although he usually wakes up too early and announces, "Mommy & Daddy! Get up!!" Meals have been challenging, as he would rather play than eat (even at the table). Luckily he loves fruit and will eat it with no problem... we're working on the rest. :)

Here is Hudson with a puzzle I bought him yesterday. Today I went into the kitchen, came out a few minutes later, and he had put the whole thing together, correctly, by himself! I was totally impressed.

24 weeks

I had my 24- week appointment on Friday and everything is still going great. My weight gain is now at 18 pounds, which my doctor says is fine, but she also warned me to be careful, as sometimes the weight gain can escalate quickly from here on out! She advised watching the carbs and the desserts. Watch the desserts? I've been watching them... go into my mouth! I have a huge sweet tooth, so I have a hard time avoiding ice cream, cupcakes, etc. But, in the interest of NOT gaining 60 pounds, I have decided to be better about my food choices.

Yesterday, Brandon & I went shopping for some healthier foods: lots of fruit and veggies, more salads, chicken & fish, nuts for snacking, Greek yogurt, etc. And maybe I will only make homemade ice cream once a month... and ask my coworkers to kindly NOT call me when a vendor brings in donuts. :)

For any other pregnant friends out there, here is a list I found of the 10 best foods to eat during pregnancy:

1. Eggs

2. Salmon

3. Beans

4. Sweet potatoes

5. Popcorn & other whole grains

6. Walnuts

7. Greek yogurt

8. Dark green, leafy veggies

9. Lean meats

10.Colorful fruits & veggies

(from BabyCenter.com)

Nursery Craziness...

So this whole nursery thing has gotten out of control! We are currently on bedding set #4. After I decided on the "Cottage Chic", I found another set I liked while strolling the aisles at Target! (Tadpoles "Field of Flowers" in yellow, on clearance for $70). I promise, I am not usually so fickle with my decision-making, but it just seems like I went from finding nothing I liked to finding too much!

Last night, Brandon went out to run a couple errands, and when he got home, he said "Close your eyes..." and put something in the baby's room. I jokingly said, "What did you do, buy another bedding set?" because he has been teasing me about looking at bedding so much. Well, sure enough, he had bought another crib set (plus a cute embroidered pillow for the rocker). The set he found was adorable and matched the room decor perfectly (more so than my latest pick)! And with a price tag of $54 for the 6-piece set, what's not to love?

So here is the latest bedding - Kids Line "Sweet Lullaby", although if you check in next week, that may change again...

main fabric that is used on bumper

bedskirt

crib sheet

23 weeks

I am now 23 weeks pregnant, and I swear my belly has grown so much in the last 2 weeks! Scary that I still have 17 weeks to go... or should I say grow!

How cute are these?

I was starting to think that Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags were a trend that had come and gone... and then they came out with the "Sashay" bag, which I think is totally adorable! It reminds me of a vintage bowling bag, and the price is $89 (compared to their $169 boxy backpacks which are actually smaller, go figure). 

These 2 are my favorite:

London's Nursey

Barbie Prints

Tiddliwinks "Cottage Chic"

Kidsline "Julia"

I've been having a hard time finding bedding for the nursery. I don't want anything too "baby", and I'm not willing to spend $300+ on crib bedding! Brandon and his mom got me 4 vintage Barbie prints a few years ago, which we will be using in the nursery, so I wanted to find something with a sophisticated, vintage feel to go along with that. Yesterday I found 2 sets that I liked that were under $100, so now it's just a matter of deciding which one! The crib will be white. The "Cottage Chic" set has a shabby chic style which I think would work well. And I like the "Julia" set (well, meaning the bedskirt, sheet and bumper), but I would ditch the quilt (I don't care for the patchwork). Opinions are welcomed...

Halfway there!

I am officially at the halfway point in my pregnancy... 20 weeks! The baby is now about 6.5 inches long and almost 11 ounces. I had my doctor's appointment this week and found out that my 18-week ultrasound and blood screenings all came back perfect! So I am thankful for that. I also found out that my placenta is in the front, which is the reason why I haven't felt a lot of movement yet. Apparently an "anterior placenta" acts as a cushion in the front, causing it to take longer to feel the baby move. And here I thought she was just a mellow little girl... nope! She's as active as can be, moving all around.

I'm still feeling great, just starting to grow more! My weight gain is now at 12 lb, thanks to all my holiday indulgences. :) Not too bad, considering. We had a wonderful Christmas, and it was so much fun watching Hudson open his "prensents" and get really into it this year. Next year we will be celebrating with another little person!

A Few Recipes...

Here are a few things I made over the holidays that were crowd-pleasers!

Filet au Poivre, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

Potatoes au Gratin, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

(I added a pinch of nutmeg to mine.)

Butter Toffee, courtesy of... yes, the Pioneer Woman

(I topped mine with hazelnuts, sea salt & almonds)

(What are quickly becoming) my "famous" Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

And a Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, Tomato & Basil Tart

(from our cooking class earlier this month)

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 Puff Pastry Squares

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

• 4 oz. goat cheese

• 8 heirloom tomatoes, halved

• 4 oz. fresh basil

• 2 oz. reduced balsamic vinegar

Filling

• Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.

• Add thinly sliced onions and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

• With a fork, dock center of each pastry square. Then top the pastry with caramelized onions, basil

leaves, tomatoes and goat cheese on top.

• Put pastry in oven and bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden

brown around the edges.

• Remove from oven when done and top with chiffonade basil and reduced balsamic.

I would highly recommend any of these recipes!!

Family Photos 2010

Here are some family photos we had taken by my cousin, Jon. You can view his blog here.