38 weeks

How Far Along: 38 Weeks
Size of baby: 19 1/2 inches long and weighs about 6.8 lbs. Molly Kate is the length of a leek!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained another 2 pounds - sheesh!
Maternity Clothes: Yes-all maternity clothes
Gender: Girl!
Movement: She is still moving around pretty well - getting those kick counts in everyday.
Sleep: I am sleeping ok. Just the typical end of pregnancy sleep that gets you ready for a newborn. :)
Symptoms: I am having really bad back pain, occasional nausea, uncomfortableness, and I am constantly going to the bathroom!
What I miss: Just sleeping on my stomach, bending over, and giving Emma baths easily. 
Cravings: Thankfully Aaron gave in and took me to Five Guys for my craving this past week!  He is so good to me!  Tonight we are going for what will be our 3rd annual dinner to the Angus Barn!  Woohoo!  There is a sweet man in our church that takes the staff and some other people for dinner every year and it is amazing!  So glad I can go before Molly arrives!
Best Moment this week: Being able to say that she will be here THIS WEEK!
What I am looking forward to: Meeting our daughter this week!  It looks like she will be scheduled to arrive on Wednesday (as long as she doesn't come before then)!  I had my last OB appointment yesterday and everything looks good.

I am super nervous about the upcoming week.  Worrying about whether she will be healthy and get to come home with us, wondering how Emma will do with the transition, and stressing over having the girls by myself as soon as Christmas....
But, I am choosing focus on thanking God for his incredible blessings to us in these girls, and trusting that He is faithful and will sustain us no matter what happens in the next week.  We have an incredible support of family and friends that we know will be here for us too!  God has blessed us so richly through our pregnancy with Molly Kate, and we are so thankful that He has allowed her to continue to grow in my womb for this long!  Please continue to pray for all of us this week!

37 Weeks

Full term!  I can't believe little Molly Kate has made it to 37 weeks!  I had delivered Emma by the time I reached 37 weeks with her, so this just feels like such a blessing.  And on top of that, everything is still looking good at my ob appointments.  I am going once a week now, but really I will only go one more time next Wednesday, then the following week we should be meeting our little girl!  Wow! 

With a second child, we have been much more laid back in the planning and preparation department.  It is starting to seem more and more real though the closer it gets, and I realized this week that I have completely forgotten what it is like to have a newborn - HA!  Seriously though, I think it is one of those times in your life that you are so sleep-deprived and everything happens and changes so fast that it is hard to remember.  So - I am busting back out all of the baby books that I loved with Emma, looking through all of her newborn pictures, and preparing myself for lack of sleep and lots of time with our boppy again!  Although I am nervous for baby girl #2 and going through the newborn stage again, I am eagerly anticipating her arrival and excited for how our family is about to grow and change.

How Far Along: 37 Weeks
Size of baby: 19 inches long and weighs about 6 1/3lbs. Molly is the size of a swiss chard!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained again :)
Maternity Clothes: Yes-all maternity clothes
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Yes, she is moving a lot, but I think it is getting pretty snug in there~
Sleep: I am sleeping ok. Just the typical end of pregnancy sleep that gets you ready for a newborn. :)

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks, back pain, some nausea, tiredness - usual preggo stuff
What I miss: Bending over easily, sleeping on my stomach
Cravings: Last night I got a strong hankering for a Five Guys cheeseburger.  Maybe the hubs will make that happen soon ;)
Best Moment this week: Making it Full Term!  Spending some fun time with Emma!  And going on a movie date with Aaron!

What I am looking forward to: Meeting Molly soon, and doing some special things with Emma and Aaron before she arrives, oh and Christmas parties!

36 weeks

Since I am almost 37 weeks and have missed the last two, i thought I would go ahead and do a quick update from week 36.
Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 36 Weeks
Size of baby: 18.5 inches long and weighs about 6lbs. Molly is the size of a crenshaw melon!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained again!  But still so thankful to be on the gaining side :)
Maternity Clothes: Yes-all maternity clothes
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Yes, a lot of movement!  She especially loves to move in the evenings when I'm laying down.
Sleep: I am sleeping okay most nights.  Sometimes I have a hard time getting comfortable and I still get up several times for bathroom breaks.
Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions several times a day, back pain, nausea, I've also had trouble with my vision and headaches, but my blood pressure, etc. looks good so far, so hopefully preeclampsia will stay away this time.
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach, being able to bend over, not getting tired so easily - all totally worth it though!
Cravings: I had Aaron get some Reese's cereal this week, haha - definitely a craving, but still yummy.
Best Moment this week: Hearing Molly's strong heartbeat and finding out that everything still looks good at my appointment this week after the scare with my vision.  I'm now going to weekly appointments!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the house in order and doing some special Christmas things with Emma before baby sister arrives!

Just over 2 weeks until Molly's arrival (if not before)!!

Show us your life - Main Dishes

I am linking up with Kelly's Korner again this week for show us your life friday.  This week is all about recipes for main dishes.  I love to cook!  I especially love to cook foods that impress my husband and have guests asking for the recipes afterward.  Here are two of my favorites:

1.  Pepper steak

I don't have a picture, so this is a picture from Paula Deen's magazine of her version of pepper steak, and it will basically look like this.

This is one of my most favorite dishes that my mom would always make growing up.  It is always the dish my brother and I request for her to make when we visit.  She doubles this recipe, by the way, but this should yield between 2-4 servings.  I have started adding this to my cooking repertoire since  getting married and it has now become my husband's favorite dish as well.  It is an Asian stir-fry type of meal.  I have altered it a little and usually add in extra garlic powder.  Enjoy :)

Ingredients:
3/4-1 lb round steak (freeze for about 15 minutes and cube)
2 Tbs veg. oil
2 large green peppers (sliced in thin strips)
1 large tomato (peeled and coarsely chopped)
1 jar sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 can beef consomme
Hot cooked rice (I usually make enough for 4 servings)

Directions:
1.  Cook steak in oil in a large skillet until brown - drain.
2.  Stir in green pepper, tomato, mushrooms, soy sauce, sugar, garlic salt, pepper, and ginger.
3.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
4.  Pour out enough consomme to add in the cornstarch and mix it up - then stir into steak mixture.
5.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes or so (I usually cook it until my peppers are no longer bright green and crispy.
6.  Serve over rice.
*When finished, combine the rice and steak mixture - it is great leftover too!


2.  Poppy Seed Chicken

I didn't have a pic for this either, so this is from a google image search, but it will look exactly like this.

A lot of people I know have their own version of this, but it is still one of my favorites and thought I would share for people that may not have a recipe for this.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 sleeve Ritz crackers - crushed
1/2 stick butter - melted
poppy seeds -  around 1 Tbs, but I just shake them in to my liking

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350
2.  Lightly grease baking dish (you can use a 9x13 dish, but because I like my casseroles a little thicker I use a little smaller dish - I think mine is 7x11.  Often I make this as a meal to take people, so I do 2 8x8 pans)
3.  Put shredded chicken in an even layer on bottom of dish.
4.  Mix together the sour cream and soup and spread over the chicken.
5.  Mix together the crushed crackers, butter, and poppy seeds, and spread in an even layer of the top.
6.  Bake for about 45 minutes - top will start to get golden brown.

I usually serve this with green beans and roasted red potatoes.

*Just as a tip - If you are making a large dish or multiple dishes with shredded chicken, you can cook your chicken (I usually boil mine) and then throw them in your standing mixer with the paddle attachment on low for a minute or two = perfectly shredded chicken every time.  And, what a time saver! 

Enjoy!

34 weeks!

How Far Along: 34 Weeks
Size of baby: 18 inches long and weighs almost 4 3/4 lbs. Molly Kate is the size of a cantaloupe!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained again this week.  The doctor didn't seem concerned that I was gaining too much, though.
Maternity Clothes: Yes-all maternity clothes.
Gender: Girl!
Movement: This week she has been moving a lot!  I just watched her move in my belly last night for about 30 minutes straight.  It is definitely one of the weirdest and coolest things about pregnancy!
Sleep: I have been sleeping pretty good.  Some nights I sleep like a rock, and other nights I go to bed late and am up several times, so it just depends.  One morning this week Emma slept until 8:30 or so which means I did too - amazing!  (She is normally up around 7).
Symptoms: Lots of back pain this week :(. 
What I miss: Nothing of real importance, but it would be so nice to be able to give Emma a bath easily, haha.
Cravings: Chips and dip, salad.
Best Moment this week: Hearing that everything looks good at my 34 week appointment!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the house cleaned and organized before she arrives, and also going on our youth retreat this weekend!  It will probably be my last overnight youth event until Molly is done nursing, so I want to enjoy it while I can.  Oh, and Emma will get to stay with my parents since our retreat is so close to them, so I know she is thrilled! 
Oh - and I am really excited to have a thanksgiving meal with my church family next week, visit Aaron's family over the weekend, and get our Christmas decorations up! 

Recently

 

These are some pictures from the last several weeks.  The first two are just before we took her to our town's Halloween Spooktacular.  We just told her it was a Halloween party and she was so excited to be able to wear her Minnie Mouse costume and see all of the other kids in costumes there.  We met her buddy Cooper and his parents there and the kids enjoyed playing the games, getting prizes, and jumping in the bounce house.  Our community puts on fun events for holidays, so we try to take advantage of those, especially when they are free!

The next picture in her jacket was on Halloween night.  It was Emma's first time to go trick-or-treating, and thanks to a Dora episode she saw, she knew all about it.  She had been pumped for this for weeks and her first time did not disappoint!  She loved getting to walk through the historic district homes and get candy, and then we went over to the Smith's neighborhood and she was able to trick-or-treat with Cooper.  I think she had an even better time going with her buddy in the wagon, and they laughed with each other the whole time.  Thanks Smiths for letting us join you!!

The last picture was taken in Blowing Rock.  Aaron and I wanted to do something by ourselves before little Molly Kate arrives, so we made a plan to visit my parents, leave Emma with them, and take a day trip to Blowing Rock and Boone.  We considered this my birthday weekend/babymoon/early anniversary gift, haha.  January will mark our five year anniversary!  We would have liked to do something bigger for year 5, but being so pregnant, and paying for the expenses of my sickness meant that we would have to do something smaller.  We loved being in the mountains though, and it was the perfect little getaway.  In any case, we would much rather have our little Molly Kate on the way then go on a nicer vacation anyway!  So thankful for my husband taking the time to plan a wonderful weekend for us, and of course Emma had the best time with her grandparents too!

In other news, I will be 34 weeks tomorrow which means that I have 5 weeks left - wow!  With the holidays, a youth retreat, and baby preparations, these next few weeks are going to fly by.  So I am busy making lists of everything that needs to get done, but also trying to make sure to savor this time with my sweet family before it gets a little busier with our new addition!  

Thankful!

Everyone seems to be putting up facebook posts, etc. on what they are thankful for, so instead of trying to keep up with something like that every day, i thought i would do a one time, short list.


What I am most thankful for November, 2012:
1.  The Gospel - the fact that by God's grace, He drew this sinner to Himself and turned my heart of stone into a heart of flesh is something I will never get over.  God has made me alive through Christ, and for that I am most thankful!
2.  Those two cuties in the picture above and this precious little one in my belly.  I'm so thankful for the husband that God has given me - he loves me with a sacrificial love and works so hard to provide for our family.  I still can't get over the gift of our biggest girl, Emma.  She is 2 and I still can't get over the fact that she is ours.  I am so thankful for a happy, energetic, talkative, and loving daughter.  And also, our soon to arrive little Molly.  I am thankful that God has knit her together in my womb and thankful for the opportunity to be a mommy to our girls.
3.  Family.  This includes mine and Aaron's biological families as well as our church family.  These are our support systems in good times and bad.  This year has been both wonderful and difficult and we have been so blessed by other people and I could never express how thankful my heart is to the people that have helped us through.
4.  My "job."  So, I am a stay-at-home mom.  I absolutely love it, and really can't imagine doing anything else.  I am by no means, a super-organized, always has a clean house and laundry caught up type of mom.  In some ways I wish that I was - I could better manage my time and my tasks almost every day.  But, I do try and love on, play with, and teach my daughter every day and use my time wisely.  I am so thankful for God's provision for our family that I am able to spend my days doing these things.

  Of course I am thankful for so many more things, but these are the ones on the very top of my list, and if I were to keep going this post would be much longer than anyone would want to read through.  :o) 

Favorite Side Dishes

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner today to share a favorite side dish of mine.  I love to cook, and this is a category I had a hard time narrowing down because I love to make casseroles for side dishes in the fall, but here is one of my favorites that is quick, simple, and delicious! 

1.  Corn Casserole
This is so delicious and easy and it seems people always ask for the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter - melted
2 eggs - beaten
1 pkg corn bread mix (I use the Jiffy corn muffin mix in the small blue and white box)
1 can whole kernel corn - drained
1 can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 and grease a round or 9x9 baking dish
2.  In a bowl, combine all ingredients and pour into dish
3.  Bake for about 45 minutes - top will be golden brown

 

This photo is just from a google image search because I didn't have a picture, but this is exactly what it looks like :)

33 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 33 Weeks
Size of baby: 17 inches long and weighs almost 4 lbs. Molly is the size of a pineapple!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained again at my last appointment.  I am definitely already larger than I ever got to be with Emma, but I am so thankful!
Maternity Clothes: All maternity!  I have even started to wear Aaron's t-shirts at home to be most comfortable, ha!
Gender: Girl!  Molly Kate!
Movement: Some days it seems like she moves non-stop, and others I really have to focus on counting kicks (supposed to get at least 7 kicks/movements in a 2 hr period)
Sleep: It depends on the day, but most of the time I am still sleeping well - just with the typical bathroom wake-up calls.
Symptoms: Less nausea this week, but having lots of back pain every afternoon and evening and some heartburn and tiredness too.
What I miss: Nothing really - but maybe bending over easily, sleeping on my stomach, and having energy past lunchtime are all things I won't mind being able to do again!
Cravings: I got to have 3 of my craving foods this week!  Pimento cheese sandwiches (thanks to Caroline for bringing them to my shower!), fried mushrooms (we used some of my b-day money to eat at a local place that serves them - yum!), and a Toblerone (thanks to Kristen!).
Best Moment this week: So many...hearing that everything was great at my appointment, along with a great baby shower from the ladies at my church, my mom being able to visit, working in the girls' room and getting the clothes organized, receiving some baby gifts in the mail (thanks to my wonderful aunts!), taking Emma trick-or-treating last Wednesday, oh, and not to mention setting a date for Molly's arrival!!!  Of course this date is set for around 39 weeks, so it is a definite possibility that I may go into labor before that, but we shall see!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the girls' room completed!

32 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 32 Weeks
Size of baby: 16.7 inches long and weighs almost 3.75 lbs. Molly Kate is the size of a large jicama!  Although during my ultrasound this week, the tech said she was already around 4 lbs.  I can't believe it because Emma was just over 4 pounds when she was born, so I can definitely picture what she looks like right now!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained again :/ - but so thankful to be eating still, so it's worth it!
Maternity Clothes: Yes-all maternity clothes all the time.
Gender: Girl!  Molly Kate!
Movement: Yes, she is moving a lot!
Sleep: I am sleeping okay, just uncomfortable and have to wake up often.  Emma has been sleeping later recently, which has been an unexpected blessing for a little extra rest too!
Symptoms: Tiredness, a little nausea, reflux?
What I miss: Bending over easily, and not feeling miserable after large meals.
Cravings: I've been enjoying coffee again, so I crave iced vanilla lattes most of the day, haha.
Best Moment this week: Emma got to go trick-or-treating for the first time last and that was a blast, but hearing at my ultrasound that everything looked good and Molly was growing like she should was also wonderful news!
What I am looking forward to: Finishing up the girls room - i have a lot of organizing to do, and I also have a baby shower this weekend!  I am so humbled and thankful to be given a shower from some of the ladies at our church.

We also have a date for Molly Kate's arrival, so unless I go into labor before then, the week before Christmas will be a very special one for our family!!

31 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 31 Weeks
Size of baby: 16 inches long and weighs almost 3.3 lbs. Molly is the size of four navel oranges!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I go to the Dr. on Friday, so we will see, but I'm sure I'm still gaining.
Maternity Clothes: Basically all maternity
Gender: Girl!
Movement: She moves a lot, but some days I start to worry because I won't feel her move very much.  If I lay down on the couch at night we can usually see her moving all around.
Sleep: I sleep great once I can get to sleep - been staying up later recently.  Still wake up for bathroom breaks, though.
Symptoms: Even though I still take nausea medicine, morning nausea has hit many times recently.  I've also had some reflux i think, and am very tired during the day.
What I miss: Getting up quickly, bending over, etc.  haha
Cravings: This weeks' craving was the Pioneer Woman's guacamole - which I made and ate for dinner one night, haha!
Best Moment this week:  It's been a rough week because Emma has been sick, but we took her to the state fair last Thursday and we all had a great time!  I especially loved the food!

What I am looking forward to: We have an appointment on Friday that includes another ultrasound (please pray for continued growth), and then we are off to Hickory to hang with my folks, and Aaron and I are planning to celebrate my birthday/babymoon/ early anniversary all in one in Blowing Rock.  I have a birthday in the same week as my mom and dad so we will get to celebrate with them too!

30 weeks

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 30 Weeks!  I can't believe we are in the 30's now.  I feel like we are in the home stretch and I am starting to get in nesting mode (thankful for little spurts of energy to start to do some of these things)!
Size of baby: 15.7 inches long and weighs almost 3 lbs. Molly is the size of a head of cabbage!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained even more at the doctor last week - still within the recommended weight gain limits, but I don't know how I will go 9 more weeks without putting on too much, haha!  Here's hoping that nursing will help me lose the weight quickly like it did with Emma :)
Maternity Clothes: Yes, all maternity except for the occasional t-shirt and exercise pants.  FYI, it is much nicer to be at your largest when the weather is cooling down!
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Yes, she is moving all the time! Especially if I have any caffeine at night (hey now, a little is allowed).  She has also started moving a lot around my hips and ribs, which is a little uncomfortable, but I love to feel the movement.
Sleep: Some nights it is great, and other nights I can't seem to sleep at all and have to use the bathroom several times.  Trying to enjoy it while I can!

Symptoms: Still some occasional nausea if I wait too long to eat, aching back, tiredness, and some swelling - all of these are pretty manageable though.
What I miss: Maybe sleeping on my stomach and having more energy.
Cravings: I've been craving my friend Caroline's pimento cheese sandwiches, haha!  I even got the recipe from her so I can make them - maybe this weekend :)
Best Moment this week: Taking Emma to Hill Ridge Farms on Friday and getting a good report from my appointment that morning.  So far my belly is measuring great, and we are so thankful!
What I am looking forward to: We are going to the NC State Fair tomorrow - I can't wait for Emma to really enjoy everything this year, and, of course, the food!  We will have another ultrasound next Friday to check on Molly Kate and see if she is continuing to grow well, please continue to pray for our littlest girl!

Fall Fun

Fall is definitely my favorite season of the year, and also my favorite season for fun family activities.  This past weekend we went up to Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville.  We had a great time, and Emma could have stayed all day.  If you live anywhere around the North Raleigh area, you should definitely check it out and plan to stay for half of a day.  Emma's favorites were definitely the hayride to get the pumpkins, the giant slide, and the bounce houses.  I'm so thankful for all of the fun activities we can do this month, and really spend a lot of time having fun with Emma before Molly gets here in (hopefully) December. 

The bounce house was the first thing she did, and we quickly realized that after the sun came out it would be too hot for her long-sleeved turkey outfit, so we made a quick-change.

 She also loved playing in the sand pit!

 Emma and daddy feeding the goats.

 Fun on the slide.

Cheesing with our pumpkins!

Oh, and I finally finished our fall wreath a few weeks ago.  I think it turned out really cute and was pretty inexpensive to make.  I may put up a tutorial so i will remember for the future or if anyone wants to know how I made it.

Happy Fall everyone!  This week we are going to the State Fair!!

29 weeks

How Far Along: 29 Weeks
Size of baby: 15 inches long and weighs 2.5 lbs. Molly is the size of a butternut squash!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Still gaining - hoping it will slow down a little these last few weeks.
Maternity Clothes: All maternity clothes
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Yes! She is moving a lot, and it is getting to that somewhat uncomfortable point where little elbows and feet are poking my hips and ribs.
Sleep: Sleep has been really good lately, except for the middle of the night bathroom runs, of course!

Symptoms: A little nausea now and then, tiredness, and swelling of the feet.
What I miss: I don't miss much as long as I am not really hot and tired :)
Cravings: I made pecan bars this week just because I wanted them, and I am still craving Chick-fila for breakfast.
Best Moment this week: Having a great OB appointment this morning, and enjoying some family time at Hill Ridge Farms (post to come)!
What I am looking forward to:  In two weeks we will have another ultrasound just to check on Molly Kate's growth, so although I am nervous, I am looking forward to see that sweet girl again!  Also, that same weekend we are dropping Emma off with my parents for part of the weekend and enjoying some time for my birthday/ our babymoon/ our early anniversary celebrating in the mountains!  So excited to have a weekend to spend with Aaron and to also see my parents again before baby girl arrives!

Crockpotalooza 2

With fall and winter approaching, not to mention a newborn on the way, I love to start breaking out my slow cooker/crock-pot this time of year and find new recipes that make a few of our dinner times a little easier.  Last year I linked up to Crockpotalooza at Kelly's Korner and shared some of my favorite crock-pot recipes - you can find the link here for my recipes for crock-pot Chicken BBQ and Chicken Nacho Dip - so yummy!

Here are two other meals I make in the crock-pot:

1.  Salsa Chicken
It seems like a lot of people have their own version of this, but this is so simple and so easy to make a large batch to use for taco salad, quesadillas, fajitas, etc.
Ingredients:
3-4 Chicken breasts
Your favorite salsa
1 pkt taco seasoning

1.  Place chicken in the crockpot
2.  Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken
3.  Cover chicken with salsa
4.  Cook on low around 6 hours - I usually shred the chicken with an hour left to cook


2.  Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
I originally found the recipe at allrecipes.  It works great when making mashed potatoes for a crowd and tastes really yummy!
Ingredients:
1.  5 lbs red potatoes, cut in chunks
2.  1 Tbs. garlic, minced (If you cook with fresh garlic much, you have to get a garlic press - makes it so much easier!)
3.   3 chicken boullion cubes
4.  sour cream (8 oz)
5.  1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz) softened
6.  1/2 cup butter
7.  salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the potatoes, garlic, and bouillon until potatoes are tender but firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving water. In a bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.
2.  Transfer the potato mixture to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on Low for 2 to 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.


Be sure to check out Kelly's Korner to find lots of other slow cooker recipes!

28 weeks

Lots of things going on recently, but I will start with my week 28 update:

How Far Along: 28 Weeks

Size of baby: 14.8 inches long and weighs 2.25 lbs. Molly Kate is the size of a head cabbage!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Definitely gaining, I think I'm 10 pounds up from pre-pregnancy weight, but considering the earlier weight loss I think I have still gained plenty, haha.
Maternity Clothes: All maternity, except t-shirts and pajama pants
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Yes! She is moving a lot. We can see the movement without touching my belly now so that is fun.
Sleep: I have not been sleeping very well.  Two nights this week I just couldn't sleep at all and would lay in bed wide-awake for hours.  It makes for exhausting days.  I'm also now getting up between 1-4 times a night to use the bathroom - lovely :) 
Symptoms: I had a night this week that I felt very sick, but my amazing husband let me lay down and took over Emma's nighttime routine for me.  I also have noticed more swelling in my feet this week.
What I miss: Iced coffee drinks and sleeping for more than 2 hours without getting up - but it is totally worth it :)
Cravings: Chick-fila breakfast and last night I had a strong craving for a Toblerone, haha.
Best Moment this week: Our ultrasound!
What I am looking forward to: My mom is coming this weekend, and we also have a youth lock-in and a baby shower.

This week was great!  I was nervous about my ultrasound on Friday, but everything looks good.  They weren't looking at her organs, etc., but they did measure her and she is growing just as she should be and the placenta still looks good - Praise the Lord!  We will have another ultrasound in 4 weeks, so please pray that Molly would continue to grow well and there would not be problems with the placenta this time.  

Poor Emma has had a tough last two weeks with sickness coming and going.  We started potty training, and day one went great but on day two she had an upset tummy so we decided to put it off for two more weeks.  We are doing the three-day potty training method, and I think it will work well for Em, but she just needs to be well and I need to have everything I need at home so we won't have to go out.

This morning she woke up and she felt hot all over.  We got her some medicine and a freeze pop, and she said "I feel very much better," haha!  We will see how the day goes, but hopefully we won't have to go to the doctor later.  So, she will be missing her MDO for the second week in a row (she really misses playing with her friends there) and church tonight - but we will be having lots of snuggle time on the couch reading books, watching movies, etc. until she feels like herself again.

This weekend we are having a youth lock-in at church.  I have not been at a lock-in since I was in youth group (haha) and I have not stayed up all night since college, so I am pretty sure I will pass out sometime around midnight - we'll see!  It should be fun though!  My mom is coming down and will be keeping Emma for us - thanks Mom!  Grammy is pretty much one of Emma's most favorite people, so I know she will have a blast this weekend too!

27 weeks

How Far Along: 27 Weeks (tomorrow)
Size of baby: 14.5 inches long and weighs 2 lbs. Molly Kate is the size of a head of cauliflower!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained, but not sure how much - starting to gain more than I did with Emma because hardly any of my maternity shirts from last time fit.  But, I did have a picc line in for a few months that kept the calories coming, so I didn't lose as much weight as I did with Emma - praise the Lord!  Hyperemesis is not a weight-loss program I would ever recommend.
Maternity Clothes: Basically everything I wear is maternity at this point except for pajamas and t-shirts. 
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Yes! She is moving a lot.  I think I felt hiccups last night too, so fun!
Sleep: I am sleeping great at night, except for getting up 1-3 times a night to go to the bathroom.  I also feel sleepy throughout the day.

Symptoms:  I usually feel bad at night, but nothing like what it has been.  And, I still get tired and worn out easily.  I went to a consignment sale this weekend and felt like I was going to pass out after about 30 minutes of looking through clothes in a warm room.
What I miss: Nothing other than sleeping at night without waking up to use the bathroom.
Cravings: Chick-fila chicken minis and hash-browns for breakfast - wow!  This has been one of the few things that I have gone on and on to Aaron about how good they tasted and how much I wanted them, haha.  I am so thankful for these random, strong cravings because I only have them during the last 3 months or so.
Best Moment this week: Eating the chicken minis, haha - just kidding!  Probably having Emma feel Molly kick, or at least she said she did.  She was so excited!  I can't wait to see this sweet sister relationship develop! 
What I am looking forward to: My doctor's appointment on Friday.  We have an ultrasound, so we will see how she is growing, etc.  I'm still a little nervous that we may have some complications like we did with Emma, but trusting the Lord that He has been knitting this little lady in my womb just the way He planned to!

SAY CHEESE!

26 weeks

I always see these weekly pregnancy updates on other blogs and thought it would be fun to post!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 26 Weeks
Size of baby: Molly Kate should be around the size of a head of lettuce!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Not really sure at this point with all of the weightloss from sickness, but I am definitely on the gaining side now!
Maternity Clothes: Mostly all maternity with the exception of t-shirts and athletic pants, but I keep those confined to our home, haha.
Gender: Girl!
Movement: Yes! She is moving a lot. Mostly when I am laying down at night or in the morning.  Maybe I just don't notice it during the day when I am busy with Emma?
Sleep: Sleep is good except for the fact that I get up 1-2 times a night to use the bathroom.

Symptoms: I am pleased to say that I am over all of my more severe sickness.  Although I feel pretty good most of the time, I still get the occasional nausea, tiredness, and I start to feel bad when I need to eat or I eat too much, haha.

What I miss: Not much, maybe being able to sleep on my stomach?

Cravings: Doritos!
Best Moment this week: Setting up the bedding in the girls' room and finding out i passed my glucose test!  And, of course, hearing Molly Kate's heartbeat at my appointment!

What I am looking forward to: I have an ultrasound in a week and a half, and hopefully we will see a growing and healthy Molly Kate!

And just because, here is a sweet picture of Emma from back in August...

Yes, please!

Shortly after yesterday's post I received a call from a nurse at my OB's office concerning insurance authorization for a prescription (I would love to talk about the frustrations of going back and forth between the pharmacy, OB, and insurance every few days, but I'm sure that would be the most boring post ever and I am trying to be thankful instead) and at the end of our phone call I asked her if she knew when I should be hearing from them about the results of my glucose test.  Of course, at this point, I was almost 100% positive that I had failed since I had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy with Emma.  She said she actually had my bloodwork results in front of her and I did NOT have gd!  I couldn't believe it, and I would be lying if I said that I didn't get a little teary-eyed, haha!  I asked her 2 or 3 times to double check because I was just not expecting that result at all.  It wasn't horrible during my pregnancy with Emma to regulate gd because I could just do it through my diet and did not require insulin.  But, it was difficult to avoid sugars and pricking my finger throughout the day got old really quickly.  More importantly, women that have gd tend to be at higher risk for developing diabetes later on in their lives, so not having it this time makes me a little less worried about that.

With all that said, I am looking forward to being able to enjoy some of my favorite fall treats (ie: pumpkin anything) during the last few months of this pregnancy.  The picture above is from my pinterest recipes board and looks delicious!

I would also just like to say that I love my doctor's office and all of the nurses and doctors that I have seen through all of my pregnancies (and I have seen them more than the average patient, haha), they are great and I would recommend Kamm-Mckenzie OBGYN to anyone looking.  Thanks for your continued prayers!

26 weeks and a name!

This Wednesday will be the beginning of week 26 of this pregnancy with baby girl, and we are getting more excited as we count down the weeks to go.  I had to take my glucose test (yuck!) at my appointment last week, so I am waiting to hear back from that.  I had gestational diabetes last time, so it is fairly likely that I will have it again, but I am still hoping for the best :)

We will have an ultrasound in just under 2 weeks, so we would appreciate prayers for a healthy and growing little one.  I wasn't much further along in my pregnancy with Emma when they started noticing that she wasn't growing like she should, and realized a little later on that the placenta was deteriorating for some unknown reason, hence Emma's early arrival. 

Speaking of our firstborn, Emma has completely transitioned to her big-girl bed and has continued to do great, other than a few nights of bad dreams.  She has gone to MDO on Wednesday mornings for the past 2 weeks and she really loves it!  She loves to play with other kids, and I am so thankful for those 3 hours once a week to be able to run errands or do things around the house.  I used my time this last week to get some things together to sale at an upcoming kid's consignment sale this weekend.  I will need to get Emma some staples for the winter months since her 24 month/2T wardrobe is almost non-existent, so I am hoping to make a little money in return for spending it.

We had a great weekend, and really enjoyed getting to see a lot of our family.  My mom, aunt, and grandpa came down on Saturday and spoiled us with shopping, dinner, and ice cream!  They had to leave Sunday morning, so it was a short trip, but we had a good time together!  Then today, Aaron's dad, Nellie, and grandma came up to visit.  We were able to hang out and enjoy lunch together, plus they brought Aaron one of his favorites - boiled peanuts!  Emma always has so much fun with both of our families and hates for them to leave.  I can't wait until both girls can play with them together!

Speaking of our other girl, we have chosen a name:
Molly Kate

We will probably call her both Molly and Molly Kate sometimes.  We both love the name and Emma has been calling her by her name for months now, so we thought we should announce it since most people know anyway.

Diptacular 2012

Today I am linking up to Boomama's Diptacular 2012 to share a few of my favorite dip recipes and to, hopefully, get some great new ones for the upcoming football season - Go Heels!
An old favorite:
1. Chicken nacho dip This is a crockpot dip that is probably a little bad for the hips, but o-so-delicious for parties, etc. The only negative is that you have to cook the chicken before hand.
-3-4 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
-1 pound velveeta (cut in cubes)
-taco seasoning
-1 can rotel (drained)
-1/2 c green onions
-1 jalapeno (diced)
-1/3 c sour cream
-1 c black beans (drained and rinsed)
Combine all ingredients except the beans in the crockpot for 1.5-2 hours on high (stirring occasionally) and add in the black beans for the last 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips!

2. Spinach and Artichoke Dip
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
 * 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
* 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

3. Pumpkin Dip
* 1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
* 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
* 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until serving. Tastes great with graham crackers!

Oh, and check out the Pioneer Woman's guacamole and pico de gallo - so yummy!:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/pico_de_gallo_a/

Happy Dipping :)

Transitioning to the "big-girl" bed

Well, it seemed to be one of those parenting things that you plan out and then it kind of just happens on its own... I was originally planning on potty training E before moving her to her big-girl bed since the bed frame hasn't been delivered as of yet. Well, we were in her room one night and I was getting ready to put her down and she spotted the twin mattress in the corner (we were just keeping it there until the frame arrives) and said that she wanted to sleep on that bed. So, I said "okay," and we proceeded to move the glider, etc. into the middle of the room and lay the mattress on the floor in the corner. She went to sleep on it that night and every night and naptime ever since! We are thrilled that she decided she was ready for this change on her own! I was honestly dreading changing beds because she really liked the crib and pack and play and I was just sure it would be a struggle. It really has been an easy transition and she has only woken up once during the night where she got up and came to the door to get out (hoping that will not continue, ha!). Looking back, I am really glad we did this before potty training too. She has some time to get used to the mattress before the frame comes in next week, and then once she is used to that we can start to potty train and there won't be any other major changes coming that may cause her to regress. That is, outside of the baby sister on the way, haha.

New room

Since we will probably be living in our 2 bedroom apartment until Aaron finishes seminary we will have the girls share a room. Of course this won't be happening until several months after baby M is born and is sleeping through the night. Their room is not very large and we will have to get pretty creative with our space, but I think once it comes together it will be a cute and girly little space of their own. Here is a picture of the bedding that we recently received (thanks Auntie Jane)!

These are from the Land Of Nod Website btw. And here is a picture of Emma's big girl bed that has been ordered and will be delivered in the next week or so:

I am planning on consigning or giving away Emma's old crib set along with the curtains, blankets, etc. I have that match. The only things I am going to have to replace will be the curtains and most of the hot pink accents in the room, and they will be replaced with either the light pink or lime green in the bedding. I am really excited about re-doing their room and making it a special place for both of them, I just hope I will have enough time to get it done. It is true what I have heard - it seems that with your first child you plan every detail of everything and have it ready months in advance, but with the second one you are much more flexible and may not have everything just right before baby comes along. That might be because I am more flexible and less worrisome this time, or it might be due to the extreme sickness that I am just getting over, haha. Either way, I still want to take the time to do and make special things for this little one just like I did for Emma. I will try and take some pictures as the room comes together and post them!

Potty Training?

Even though I said just yesterday that I would put off potty training a little bit longer it seems like our big girl is ready, so it might be sooner than later. I just have to brag on her a minute because this morning she slept in later than usual (mind you, this was like 7:30 because our normal morning starts sometime during the 6 o'clock hour), woke up with a dry diaper, and went pee pee in the potty!! I was floored! Although I'm still not sure I'm able to get around well enough to potty train, I think we will be buying supplies (rewards, undies, stool, etc.). PS: My amount of excitement over this small feat still amazes me, haha

Life Lately...

Baby/pregnancy news: Lately things here in the Swain household have been getting better little by little. I am 22 weeks along with baby girl "M" (We have a name picked out and will announce it soon), and every week I seem to be feeling a little better. The sickness that I seem to have so severely with my pregnancies has slowed down and almost to a halt, and yesterday I was able to have my PICC line removed from my arm. With a PICC line I was receiving additional calories/fluids, etc. every night, so now I have to be extra diligent in getting plenty of fluids and calories in everyday. Even though I seem to have tough pregnancies (my doctor said that one of my pregnancies equates to four or more normal pregnancies, haha) it is so worth it for my baby girls and I would go through it again in a heartbeat. We have continued to have friends help in keeping Emma during the day and I cannot even explain how grateful I am to these women for loving and taking care of our girl when I haven't been able to do so. I am hoping that it will only be one more week or so until I am able to do all of the things I haven't been able to do for so long. Emma news: We will soon (as soon as I can move quick enough) begin potty training with Emma, and then switching her into a "big-girl bed." I'm a little nervous about this since she is my first, but she has been showing signs of readiness for months. Thanks to her Auntie Jane, both Emma and baby girl, have new matching bedding which means that I get to redecorate their room! Emma will also start back at Mother's Day Out at the beginning of September, and we will get to go to her "Meet the teacher" Open House tomorrow night. Emma only attends one morning a week, but she loves it and still talks about her teachers from last year, so I know she is excited about going back and making new friends.

Fall Bucket List

Last year I wrote a post about my favorite things about fall, but I recently saw a "Fall Bucket List" on another blog and thought it would be fun to make one of my own. Since I am hoping to be feeling much better soon, and fall (my favorite season) is just around the corner, I really want to make the most of our family time before we have a newborn and won't be able to get out as easily in the winter. So, with that said, here is my attempt at a fall bucket list:
1. Take a family trip to the pumpkin patch.
2. Decorate our porch with pumpkins and mums.
3. Visit the mountains to see the leaves change.
4. Go with Aaron to a college or NFL football game.
5. Overuse my crockpot.
6. Invite friends over for game nights.
7. Teach Emma to carve a pumpkin.
8. Take a family trip to the zoo.
9. Make as many pumpkin desserts as possible.
10. Get the girls' room set up and decorated.

Happy Birthday!

August 3rd marked Emma's 2nd birthday! We are so thankful for our sweet girl and the wonderful gift that she is to us. We had a few family members that wanted to come to our house to celebrate, so we decided to make it a party while they were here. It was really nice for me because I knew I was still too sick to be able to go anywhere to celebrate. We also invited some of her church friends to a local ice cream shop to celebrate again that night. It was such a nice day, and I am so thankful that people offered to come visit us while I am stuck on the couch.

Big News!

Of course my blog has been neglected recently, but with good reason! Several months ago we found out we are expecting another baby! We are so excited about this new life that God has created and couldn't be happier. About a week or so after we found out we are expecting I started having severe morning sickness (just like I did with Emma). This time it was even more severe than last time and i have already stayed in the hospital twice and am currently receiving some home health help to get me through until the sickness stops. I had a pretty good week this week, so we are hoping it will continue. We found out at our 20 week appointment that baby looks very healthy and also found out that baby is a GIRL! Emma is thrilled that she is getting a little sister and already kisses my belly and talks to baby M every night. We would appreciate your prayers for this child and hopefully for less complications with this pregnancy than last time.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We keep Valentine's Day pretty low key around the Swain household, but we always enjoy an excuse to give each other sweets and go out on a date. We are saving our date for the weekend and will be having a friend over for dinner tonight. I am making chicken tortilla soup (one of my favs) and these:

Yum!
It's always nice to have an excuse to make a chocolate-y dessert!

Other than that our day today will consist of wearing pink, cleaning the house, and making these for Emma's MDO class:

Thank you Pinterest

Cake Auction

Every year at our church we do a cake auction to raise money for any of the youth going to camp in the summer. I think I have decided I will make this cake! I saw this reeses peanut butter cake on pinterest and it looks so delicious!

Maybe for Valentine's Day too - just because :)

That reminds me - I'm thinking about starting that Couch-2-5k program... maybe just one piece of that cake, haha!

Sweet Kisses

This is an old picture of Emma when she would do this "kissy face" all of the time.
One of our favorite things is to get a kiss from our sweet girl! She is very generous with her hugs and kisses, but we also have a few tricks to get a hug and kiss too.

We play a little game I like to call "Nighty-night," haha, where you pretend to be sleeping and the only way to wake someone up is by giving them a kiss. So if we pretend to sleep she will almost always come up and give you a kiss and yell "Wake!"

I've also taught her the Barney I love you song, to my husband's chagrin (ha!), and whenever we sing the part about a great big hug and kiss she gives them both.

Other things she does right now that I don't want to forget:
Calls fish "shish"
When she wants to go outside she will sometimes say "grass?" instead of "ouside"
She LOVES to dance - which is running on her tip-toes and clapping around
She can clap to "If you're happy and you know it," and do some of the motions with "head, shoulders, knees, and toes"
I can also put her hair in pigtails - but she doesn't really sit still enough for me to get them in well.

18 months

On February 3rd, Emma turned 18 months old! I can't believe this means that she is now closer to 2 than she is to 1. I am loving this age right now, but I can't neglect the fact that I am a little sad that she is no longer a "baby" and is in full toddler mode now. She is so sweet and learning new things every day and she really keeps me on my toes. Here are some of her 18 month stats:
We will find out height and weight and her appointment next week, but I'm fairly certain she is still tall and skinny for her age, haha!
She can repeat almost any word we say, but some of her most recent favorite words to say are:
oh boy!
oh wow!
baby doll (no longer just baby)
animal names (she used to only say the animal sounds, but now she can say the name of the animal and its sound)
the numbers 3 and 5 are her favorites, haha
A,B,D, and P are the letters she likes to say
She can name most of the monsters on Sesame Street - we have lots of SS books, and she gets to watch Elmo's World most days
Are you? When she is looking for something she asks this. A recent example was when Aaron slipped some string cheese out of her hand and when she saw it wasn't there she looked all around saying, "Cheese...are you?" haha
She has started learning names well - she can tell you the names of about 10 people from church without prompting

It is so fun to be able to teach her things now that stick with her - she is a little sponge for sure.

Some of her favorite foods right now:
apples
blueberries
string cheese
pizza
mac and cheese
muffins
green beans
tomatoes
ice cream
In other news: Emma climbed out of her crib for the first time last week. The downside of having a baby that is a climber and a light-weight is that they can pull themselves over the top of their crib! This happened at 1:30 in the morning last week because she has been teething and woke up in the night because her teeth were bothering her. She is now sleeping in her pack-n-play until we can get the rail that converts her crib into a toddler bed.

Happy Anniversary!

January 12th marked our 4 year anniversary. In a way I can't believe that it has already been 4 years, but in some ways it seems as if 4 years has flown by. I am so grateful to the Lord for Aaron and the wonderful husband and father that he is. I am so thankful for the provider he is for our family. I am thankful for the way he loves our daughter and enjoys spending special time with her. I love to hear him rocking and singing to her at bedtime. I am grateful that he puts our interests above his own. I am most of all thankful for his love of the Lord and the way he loves his family!