Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Merry Merry!

I. Love. Christmas. I love the lights and the tree and the food and the time with family. And I am so excited to experience this, and all, holidays through Nora's eyes.

Although this and the next few Christmases will be ones that Nora won't remember, we wanted to start a family tradition of our own: Christmas Pajamas.

Our plan is that on Christmas eve we'll open our pjs and wear them that night and the next morning. This year's theme was Sock Monkeys. It was great cozy fun.

Nora has enjoyed looking at the lights and ornaments on the tree this season. She even has a few ornaments of her very own, including this one:


Thanks to all our friends and family who sent us warm wishes and thoughtful gifts for both Christmas and Hanukkah.

Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

Nora was all smiles for her first Hanukkah. Here she is wearing a big grin and a bib from Grandma Linda. I think she's so happy because she knows that next year she gets to eat latkes and applesauce.


Linda and Saul paid a visit to spend some time with our little one. It was a day and a half of non-stop playing. Grandma brought Nora her very first Menorah and we lit it every night of Hanukkah. She loved looking at the flickering candles.


Thursday, December 8, 2011

One...Two...Three...FOUR!

Nora is four months old! And totally adorable.


Here are some fun four-month facts:
  • Weight: 13lbs 7 oz
  • Length: 23 inches
  • Has been sleeping through the night since Thanksgiving (hoorah!)
  • Is grasping things like toys, blankets, her bib, the burp cloth, my jewelry, my hair, Jeff's chest hair...
  • Wears size 3 month clothes now
  • Gives us a for-real laugh every now and again, especially when we kiss on her belly
  • Can sit up when propped
  • Doesn't completely melt down during tummy time (mostly doesn't)
  • Has pretty good head control and loves looking around
  • We think she is trying to roll over a bit
  • Still likes to jibber-jabber up a storm
  • Is the best baby in the world (this is not a biased opinion, but fact based on the history of babies in the world)


Grandparents

How lucky is Nora that she has all of her Grandparents in her life? Here they are....

Grandma Wells (August 2011)

Grandma Linda & Pop Pop Saul (August 2011)

Pop Pop Bendon (December 2011)

Grandpa Sheldon (November 2011)


The First Thanksgiving

Yes, Thanksgiving was 2 weeks ago and I'm just now posting about it. What can I say; life is pretty busy with a baby.

We started the day with some Mommy/Daughter time watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I love the parade and hope Nora grows to love it, too. That way we can enjoy this tradition together every year.










Jeff's dad Sheldon came to visit for the weekend and got to meet his little granddaughter for the first time (look for a Grandparent's post for a picture). He and Jeff did some dude stuff like picking out a snowblower and cleaning up the garage so it would fit. He also took a family picture for us:


As Jeff prepared our delicious vegan Thanksgiving dinner, Nora and I played dress up and took some pictures in her turkey hat. Here is one of my favorites from the many (many!) pics we took:


Although we are thankful for our little tofurkey everyday, Thanksgiving is a good reminder of how lucky we are to have Nora!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

16 Weeks and Milestones (updated)

Wow! Nora turned 16 weeks old on Wednesday and she is taking the week by storm.

First...she moved into size 3 month sleepers. Take a look:


And it is in these cuddly sleepers that Nora slept through the night two nights in a row! We know that it might not stick yet, but we hope it means we are getting closer and closer to sleeping through the night. At least until she starts teething, eh?

Nora is also working on her grasping and bringing toys to her mouth. Here she with one of her Sophie toys:


To be honest, she'd much rather try and shove her entire fist in her mouth. And I do mean her entire fist.

And, while preparing to give Nora a bath I was kissing and chomping on her belly. This is when Jeff and I heard her laugh for the first time. A real laugh! 3 times. I can't wait for more of those moments.

Who knows what week 17 will hold? It's pretty exciting to be witnessing all of these changes though. We are the luckiest parents ever.


Friday, November 18, 2011

Making Faces

Some of the many faces of sweet baby Nora:

Oh! You caught me making silly faces.


I am one hilarious baby, forrealz.


Is my tongue hanging out? A little? Yeah? Ok.

Friday, November 4, 2011

The Third Month Begins!

Yes, you can say it. Look at those cheeks! That smile! We can't get enough of her either.

It's hard to believe that three months have gone by already. I'm sure I'll think that with each passing month and year. My dad has often talked about how quickly time goes by, and he couldn't be more right.

Each month Nora smiles more and more. It's wonderful to see her face light up when she does so. She loves music, kicking her legs and squee-ing a bit as it plays. Her cheeks are getting cheekier and we just can't help but gobble them up. She is now in 0-3 month clothes and, I must admit, it is great fun to dress a baby. The clothes are so tiny, adding to the cuteness factor.

We continue to read to Nora every day, enjoying the Sandra Boynton books the most at this point. Although she doesn't understand what we are saying, it is clear she enjoys being read to. I hope that we can instill a love of reading in Nora.

Some other favorites include the Little Hoot, Little Pea, and Little Oink books, Fox in Socks, and Giraffe and Half. What are your favorite books to read to the kids in your life?

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Halloween was a Hoot!

Hoot Hoot! I'm an owl.
Boy, this trick-or-treating stuff is exhausting! Good thing my costume is a cozy sleep sack.

I must admit that dressing up one's baby is great fun. While I was pregnant Jeff bought this adorable little owl sleep sack and hat. When he showed it to me I knew we'd have to use it for Halloween. Nora got lots of "oos" and "aahs" and "look at those cheeks" from our friends and neighbors. This girl is magnetic, I tell you! :) Although no candy this year, it was fun to walk our street with some neighbor-friends and their kiddos. We saw a ton of super hero and dinosaur costumes this year. I can't wait until next year when I can realllllly get into the costumes with Nora. I'm pretty sure all three of us will be dressed up and coordinated. Mwahahahahaaaa!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Team Nora Expands to Include Daycare Provider

Hey Mommy, where are we going??

We're going to Miss Laura's for your first day of day care.
*insert sniffles from Mommy here*

While you are there, you'll get to play with Lily and Evan! And some other kids, too. And Mr. Eric will be by, too.

Daddy thinks you are going to have so much fun!

And she did! Nora had a great day at Miss Laura's. I knew she would because Laura is wonderful. We are very lucky that Nora has her to be part of "Team Nora."

I held it together until I got back into the car. I was surprised by how sad I was to leave Nora for the day. I have loved, loved, loved being able to spend all of these weeks with her. I mean, she is the greatest little girl on Earth, right? Who wouldn't want to spend every day with her smiles and coos and big eyes?

Although going back to work is a good decision for me and for us as a family, I miss her like crazy when I'm not with her. I don't go back to work full time until next week, but part of me is glad that we decided to get started with day care this week because I would have been a hot mess at work had I gone in this morning. Instead, I took the morning to run errands, all the while feeling like something was missing. And of course many things were missing; I had no stroller, car seat, baby bag, or sling. Or baby girl. It was an efficient and somewhat lonely morning, held together by a chai latte and a few texts from Laura with updates on Nora.

Wednesday will be day two. Everyone says it'll get easier. I know it will, but I hope Tuesday is a nice, long day.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Tummy Time

Tummy time really should be called torture time. Nora just hates it. If you don't believe me, here is the proof...


She cried longer than the actual tummy time lasted. And it doesn't make me feel too great either.

She does well holding her head up when we are walking around holding her and she doesn't mind (that much) doing some tummy time when laying on my chest. Tummy time on the boppy is hit or miss with the tears. But flat on her belly? That is when the real break down happens. And as we approach her 3 month birthday, it isn't getting any better. Any suggestions or stories that help me see it will get better and that she won't suffocate when she learns to roll over?

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Raising a Daughter

Raising a child is a momentous responsibility. Raising a daughter has it's own issues that are, at times, overwhelming for me to think about.

I want to raise a daughter who is loving, intelligent, compassionate, joyful, optimistic, passionate, strong, empowered, and kind. I want to raise a daughter who loves who she is. I want Nora to be secure enough to not allow the rest of the world to diminish her worth or her voice.

I came across a couple of articles that I think have the same goal in mind. I hope you enjoy them. And I hope you join me in helping to raise Nora as an amazing human being and woman.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html

http://blog.pigtailpals.com/2011/08/waking-up-full-of-awesome/

Friday, October 21, 2011

A couple of firsts


This week Jeff and I took Nora on her first trip. Although I am still on maternity leave, I had a work event that was important to me. Since it wasn't far to travel (a hotel by the Chicago airport), Jeff and I decided we would all go. It was a bit of an experiment, giving us a chance to see what it would be like to take a short trip with Nora as well as see what it would be like to work with her around while away from home.

Nora was a pro at traveling and hotel-staying. I suppose this shouldn't surprise us too much given we are her parents. :) She also won the hearts of all the people who were at my work event. Again, no surprise because she is so darn adorable!

Jeff was able to spend some really good one-on-one Daddy-Daughter time with Nora, something he really hasn't had much of due to the recovery of his shoulder surgery. They had a great time playing, singing, and dancing. He says she is a fan of Hall and Oates. During nap times, Jeff was able to do some work, too.

I'm also happy to report that Jeff changed his first diaper (a poopy one at that!). He even texted me that it was a "piece of cake!" I interpret this as a green light for Jeff to start changing diapers now. Wooo hoooo!






Sunday, October 16, 2011

Just have to laugh

I was talking to my friend Dawn the other day and we were laughing over the silly things we have done since having our kids. So here are few things that I have done that I will attribute to the lack of consistent sleep. :)

I have tried to leave the house without any shoes on.
I have put my pants on backwards (twice).
I have put my shirt on backwards (more than twice).
I have gotten out of the shower without washing my hair (don't worry, I got back in and washed it).
I have forgotten to put on deodorant more times than I'd like to admit.

As I sit here and write this, I know there are other things that I did and laughed about with Dawn, but I just can't remember them!! When I do, I'll post another edition of this post.

Shaking my forgetful head.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Oh yea, two months old!

Our sweet girl is two months old! It is hard to believe how time is going by so fast. Next thing you know we'll be sending her off to college. :)

Can you tell how big she is getting? At her two month appointment she weighed in at 9lbs 4 oz. She is doing great and the doctor is still very pleased with her progress. Nora, on the other hand, was not so happy with her appointment after getting her shots. Poor thing! I've never seen her cry so hard. Thankfully our nurse was super efficient and was finished up in 30 seconds.

She is a bright eyed girl who loves to check out her environment. We love her facial expressions (like the one in the picture above). She is quite a talker, too, jibber jabbering with her stuffed animals and dolls. She also wants to explore toys and hands and fingers with her mouth but is still figuring out how to get them there. She grasps toys a bit by accident and we anticipate it will be intentionally soon. Oh yeah, and she is getting into drooling a bit. All in all, she is perfect. :)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Curtis Orchards

Aunt Mary Anne came for a visit in September. It was great fun to have her here. Although it was a mostly rainy and laid back weekend, we did venture out on one nice day to visit Curtis Orchards. We walked the apple orchard and pumpkin patch then enjoyed some tasty treats from the cafe. They were so tasty, in fact, that we brought some home to continue to enjoy throughout the weekend. Mmm, cider donuts. :)

Here are some pics from our adventure:

Nora as a friendly cow

Nora headed to Emerald City

With Aunt Mary Anne

Family Photo Op


Monday, September 5, 2011

1 month!

Saturday marked Nora's one month birthday. She is growing and getting sweeter by the day. I mean, look at her! Sweet, sweet, sweet.

At her one month check-up we learned that she has gained over 2 pounds, weighing in at 6lbs 13 oz. She also gained a bit more than an inch in her length. The doc was very happy with her progress.

With this growth, we can now put Nora in her buzzy chair, giving her an opportunity to sit up. The downside of this is that Stella the Pug barks whenever the vibration is turned on. We'll see how that progresses...

We can also get into cloth diapering (they were too big before). Today is our first effort. I'm sure there will be some adventures related to this. Wish us luck as we try to save money and the environment with this decision.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

4 weeks

Here we are, 4 weeks since Nora was born. Time is flying! Well, except on the nights she doesn't want to go to sleep. Then time stands still. :)

At this point, I think we are starting to get used to living life in 2.5 - 3 hour increments. I know her schedule is bound to change as we get used to this one, but I'm going to appreciate feeling relatively in-sync with her right now. She still sleeps quite a bit, but we have been getting some more alert times with her during the day. During these times we snuggle, read, have tummy-time, lay on the play mat, and sing songs. Jeff and I have realized that we really only know the first line or two of most nursery rhymes/songs. As a result, we make up a lot of words to the tune of lullabies. It works now, but eventually Nora will understand what we are saying so we'd better bone up on the lyrics.

She is gaining weight, which is wonderful! We're slowly but surely moving out of preemie clothes and into the newborn ones. Her cheeks are getting chubby and she is fitting better in her torture chamber, I mean her car seat. She still prefers taking the bottle from Jeff, but I'm hoping that by October (when Jeff starts traveling) that this will not be the case. Everyone send us good "take the bottle from mommy in less than an hour" vibes, ok?

Those are some updates. What kinds of things do you all want to know about little Nora as she grows? We're taking suggestions for topics.

Love y'all!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Nursery

I forgot that we never posted pics of Nora's room! I have to say that the hard work all came from Jeff. He painted the walls, stained the crib, put together the book case, hung things on the walls, and installed the new light fixture. How awesome is he??? Totally awesome. We hope that Nora finds her room to be cozy and relaxing - and sleep inducing at night! :)








Friday, August 19, 2011

2 weeks along

So it's been a couple of weeks since little Nora entered our lives. To say we are completely smitten by her is an understatement. It was love at first sight and we just keep falling deeper and deeper with every coo and snuggle.

Nora has stolen the hearts of pretty much everyone she has met so far. Grandma Linda and Pop Pop Saul fell for her during their visit. Grandma Wells is head over heals in love. The folks at Kristen's work oohed and aahed over her. Friends have been generous with their words and actions. She certainly is going to have a wonderful family and extended family along side her as she grows. How lucky are we?

Some little notes about Nora:
  • She likes to be swaddled, but only if her arms are free
  • She likes to put her hands up by her face
  • She grunts and coos in her sleep
  • She loves to snuggle
  • She had her first explosive poo that oozed out of her diaper
  • She hates her iron vitamin (blech!)
  • She likes to have stories read to her
  • She eats every 3 hours
  • She squeaks sometimes. It's adorbs!
  • Mama's voice makes her smile
  • She loves Daddy's one armed holds

Monday, August 8, 2011

Happy Birth Day!

NORA BENDON HYMAN
Born: August 3, 2011
6:28pm
4lbs, 10oz


Our sweet Nora is here! She came via Plan C...

Plan A was to have Nora on or near her due date, August 24. At our 9 month sonogram we learned that she had fallen into the ninth percentile for size. Being below the tenth percentile is a concern. Our doctor said she felt it would be best to deliver the baby as soon as I hit full term, which is 37 weeks and was just 5 days away. Holy cow! In 5 days! We were working under Plan A and still had some things to do. We hadn't put the car seat in the car yet. We still had our newborn class to attend. We still needed to grocery shop so we could cook and freeze meals. And, and, and! So Jeff and I buckled down and squeezed in 3 weeks of plans into 4 days. Phew!

Plan B was now in effect: go into the hospital on Tuesday night to get the cervidil inserted then get the pitocin started first thing on Wednesday morning. It turned out that labor and delivery was so full that we couldn't get in on Tuesday night. This wasn't nerve-wracking at all! :) When we called Wednesday morning, the initial response from the hospital was, "We'll call you when we can fit you in." What the what?? Thankfully, we got a call 5 minutes later that gave us the go ahead.

When we arrived, we got settled in and saw our doctor. After a really uncomfortable effort to get my cervix opened a bit (don't worry, I won't go into it here), we went right for the pitocin. As the contractions began to show up on the monitor we also saw that Nora was having "decelerations" after each one. I wasn't feeling the contractions at this point. We stopped the pitocin to see if she'd get back to a normal heart rate. Her heart rate did go back to normal so we started the pitocin again. The decelerations began immediately. Pitocin was stopped and we went to Plan C...

C-Section.

Once this decision was made, things moved fast! Jeff got dressed in scrubs, I was prepped, and off to the operating room we went. It was all very sci-fi looking with the machines and lights and tiny operating table. After a quick spinal, I was put into position and thus began the birth of Nora. With Jeff by my side supporting and loving me, Nora joined us with a wail! What a wonderful moment in our lives. We will never forget it.








Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Final Pregnancy Days

Today could be the very last full day of being pregnant (and not being in labor) for me. I cannot believe it! I have been so thankful to be able to experience pregnancy and have really loved it. Yes, I felt exhausted at the beginning and have had heartburn for months on end, but I've also been able to see my belly grow and feel and watch Baby Girl BH moving around inside of me. It has just been the best. I'm a little sad for it to be over but am eager to meet our little one!


A few final pregnancy notes and stats:

Weight gained: 28 pounds
Cravings: apparently those will forever and always be tater tots and potatoes in general. Sabra hummus def tops the list, too. I've also always up for Ramen at our local spot, Doodles.
Symptoms: a bit more belly and back soreness over the last couple of weeks, heartburn, a little less energy, sweating.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, sleeping without having to go to the bathroom several times a night.

Thanks to all of our friends and family who have been such wonderful supporters through these 9 months. Know we appreciate it and love y'all!

Now let's have a baby!!!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Some Unexpected News

Jeff and I went to our 9 month appt on Thursday to find out that Baby Girl BH needs to come early. Although the amount of amnio fluid present is good and her heartbeat is strong, she is very small. We find out on Tuesday afternoon if I'll go to the hospital on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning to get induced. As you can imagine, this came as a pretty significant surprise. At first it was a little scary, but we are confident that our doctor has the best in mind for us and our little girl.

So...we thought we had 4 weeks to prepare. Turns out we have had 5 days to get all of the final prepartions completed. Needless to say, we have been wildly busy! We have...
  • Finished hanging things in the baby's room
  • Lined up the dog sitter
  • Grocery shopped
  • Cooked meals to freeze
  • Packed for the hospital
  • Finished the laundry
  • Changed the sheets on all the beds
  • Got caught up on bills
  • Got Jeff's car cleaned and installed the car seat
  • Set up the pack-n-play
  • Introduced the dogs to a fake baby, in hopes of getting them a little acclimated
Most of our list is complete. We still have a few things to do, including a little bit of cleaning, but things are looking good. Especially considering the unexpected news and shortened timeline.

We'll do our best to keep everyone posted on Baby Girl BH's arrival.


Friday, July 29, 2011

More Showers

This is my surprise face. This is how I look when my co-workers throw me a surprise baby shower. How nice are they?? And sneaky. :)

My book club also had a shower for Baby Girl BH as did our neighbors, who are affectionately called "The Reservists" (we live in a neighborhood called The Reserve").

Some highlights from the showers:

Work: We had a beautiful cake that was created as a jack-in-the box with a giraffe popping out. We were also given one of the gifts we were most excited to get, which is the space themed play mat.

Book Club: Can you guess the theme? Books! We got loads and loads of beautiful books that we have been reading to Baby Girl BH each night. It's become a nice way to end our day.

The Reservists: Tater tots (my pregnancy craving) and vegan cupcakes. Oh yea, it was good eats! I was also the winner of our baby bottle drinking bracket.

We are so touched by the generosity of our friends. We are lucky that Baby Girl BH will be surrounded by so many people who care about us and who will care about her, too.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Maternity Ward

This week Jeff and I had the opportunity to tour our hospital's maternity ward. I have to say, we were pleasantly surprised with the set-up.

First of all, single rooms! Yes, I said it. Single rooms. We get to have a room all to ourselves for delivery and then for post-partum. They are very roomy and have a lot of amenities. Each room has a pull out sofa (so Jeff has room to sleep), a tv/dvd set up, a rocking chair, adjustable lighting, a blanket warmer, a bathroom with a small soaking tub, and access to large jacuzzi tubs on the floor. They also have cribs so you can keep the baby in the room with you. You can even get room service! This way Jeff doesn't have to leave me during labor. ;)

Although we don't know exactly how the birth will go, it is comforting to know where it will all happen. Now to create our birth plan.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Family Visit - Part 4

Last weekend Sheldon and Jake, Jeff's father and nephew, came for a visit. When they first arrived, we introduced them to our favorite Mexican Restaurant, Dos Reales, and spent the night visiting. We also did lots of iPad talking, as Jake, Sheldon, and I all have one. :)

Saturday and Sunday were baseball days for the boys. First, was a trip to historic Wrigley Field in Chicago with seats thanks to a Father's Day gift from Cheryl, Jeff's sister. Sheldon and Jake got certificates commemorating their first trip to the field. As Jeff said, it was "offensive explosion" so there was a lot of action to be seen.

Sunday was a Chief's game in Peoria, IL. The Chief's are a Single A farm team of the Cubs. This was a pretty exciting game for the guys. Jeff caught a foul ball and Jake got a game-used bat. After the game, he was able to get it signed by the team's starting line-up. Pretty cool!

After a couple of hot game days, we spent Sunday night in the air conditioning watching "Harry Potter - The Deathly Hallows, Part 2." Of course this was my favorite part of the weekend!

A pretty fun guy's weekend, huh? Three generations of family enjoy ball games.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Childbirth Classes 1-3

Jeff and I have been to 3 of our 4 child birth classes so far. And although we had heard some grumblings from people about the usefulness of the classes, we have gotten some good information by attending them.

Our leader is Paula, and she is a hoot! You can definitely tell she not only enjoys what she does, she is a good fit for it. Jeff and I get a kick out of her teaching style and the cadence she uses when she's talking.

Since it is a child birthing class, we've focused on managing the labor and delivery experience. We've learned (and practiced) breathing techniques and experimented with different laboring positions. Some of this is a little awkward to do in public, admittedly. Well, awkward for me. Paula is a champ at deep breathing, "hee hee" and "choo choo" breaths, and moaning (she really likes the moaning). Even though it's a little uncomfortable, we do think it's good practice. I suppose we'll know for sure once I'm in labor.

We've also gone over the different ways the coach (that's Jeff!) can help the mama-to-be (yours truly) get comfortable, conserve energy, and feel supported. Massage is one of the techniques. I think Jeff should practice this now! :) Then there are the medical interventions, such as pain killers and epidurals. A lot of information there!

And what child birthing class would be complete without actual birthing videos? We've seen both a vaginal and a cesarean birth. These were firsts for Jeff and he really did great with them. Much better than people in my health class when I was in school. Ha!

Next week we tour labor and delivery. I'm eager to see where Baby Girl BH will be born!

Other future classes include a Daddy's only class for Jeff and a newborn care and breastfeeding class we'll both attend. I hope we get straight A's!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Fun Facts

Here are some fun facts about the current state of my pregnancy.
  • I now sound like an old person when I bend over. *grunt*
  • Bending over is getting to be challenging. I have to squat to pick thing up now.
  • The heat is really starting to get to me. Too much time in it takes all the energy right out of me.
  • The heat makes me swell. If I'm out in it for too long my feet and hands look like those of a Cabbage Patch doll.
  • It feels amazing to get belly rubs. They are great to relax my middle and help me sleep at night. (Thanks, Jeff!)
  • Still getting up early to walk in the mornings. These walks make me feel good and I appreciate Jeff getting up to take them with me.
  • I still love being pregnant.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Baby Face

On Friday Jeff and I went in for another targeted ultrasound followed by a check up with our nurse practitioner. Baby Girl BH is doing great! Her growth is in the healthy/normal range, which is always so comforting to hear. During the session, the tech was able to capture a picture of our little girl's face straight on. This is a first for us! We saw her yawning, which was absolutely adorable. We recognize that ultrasound pics are a little creepy, but we were still excited to get the one posted here. Can you make out her face?


The tech also told us she has some hair on her little head. She also pointed out which body parts were where, giving me more of an idea of what bits of her I can feel by touching my belly. Right now she is head down. Let's hope that is a position she likes for August!

Our check up went well, too. These appointments have all been good, thanks to a great nurse practitioner (who is hilarious) and a really wonderful and personable doctor. Here are some stats at what was the 32w2d mark...

Pounds gained: 25 pounds
Cravings: still with the potatoes of any kind. I think I have a problem! A tasty, tasty problem.
Movements: I've been getting more action in my side than before. Sometimes it feels like it is a pair of feet pushing out. I do love the movements, no matter what they are.
Symptoms: Heart burn is still present, but I'm just going to go ahead and expect that to be part of life until after the baby.
Sleep: Meh. Sometimes it's ok, sometimes it's interrupted with frequent bathroom trips and adjustments in position. I've also caught myself snoring a couple times (and I'm sure Jeff has, too). I hope *that* goes away after the baby.
Overall feeling: Still feeling very good! Trying to keep active and not let the lazy bone keep me lounging around. The heat is my current nemesis. Too much and I am one wiped out lady!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Family Visit - Part 3

Last weekend Jeff and I packed up the car and headed to Maryland for a baby shower and to visit with Jeff's dad.
If you can believe it, this was my very first baby shower. Although I'm not sure I can capture the entire event, here are some fun tidbits.

Hostesses: My MIL Linda, SIL Cheryl, and bestie Hope
Location: Hope's house
Guests: Family friends, work colleagues, and family
Games: None! Yay! :)
Theme: I'm not a huge theme person, so one wasn't truly incorporated into the day. If you want to press me for one, I'd call it a shower of favorites. The shower had my favorite desserts (rainbow cake and cupcakes from Grauls) and a vegetarian platter from a favorite Mediterranean restaurant, Cafe Isis. There were also orange gerber daisies and purple hydrangeas serving as decorations. I love those flowers and their colors.
Special touch: After each gift was opened, the person who gave the gift shared a piece of advice that she had written on a little card. It was so much fun to hear what everyone had to say. We now have these cards in an album so we can go back and read them as often as wanted (or needed?!?!).

It's clear that Linda, Cheryl, and Hope worked hard to make sure the day was special for me. How lucky am I??

The next day, Jeff and I went to dinner with his dad, Sheldon. Additionally, Cheryl, our nephew and niece Jake and Mckenna, and cousins Linda and Talia were at dinner. We tried a new-to-us restaurant, sat a big table, and pretty much had Sunday dinner. How nice for Sheldon to make it a family affair. It was a great way to end our weekend in Maryland.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

It's not polite to point!

Hi there, folks! I'll be back later in the week to dish about my super fun baby shower and pregnancy photo experiences, but for now I wanted to share a couple of pictures that made me laugh. The first is from yesterday...the last day of my 7th month. Notice the pointy baby belly. She was sticking something out there! The second is today, the first day of my 8th month. Baby Girl BH was rounded out. The difference makes me giggle.

31w6d


32w

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Family Visits - Part 2

Over the weekend we had the chance to hang with my Daddy-O. He got to see the sprawling corn fields and check out our digs.

As it was his first visit to Cham-bana, we gave him the grand tour of town and introduced him to a couple of the local hot-spots, such as Jarling's Custard Cup and Papa Del's Pizza. He also got to join us for our Saturday morning tradition of going to the Urbana Farmer's Market.

We also headed to Normal, IL for a CornBelters baseball game. Yup, the CornBelters. You can check out their mascot, CornySaurus (seriously, a dinosaur looking thing with corn silk hair), by going to http://www.normalbaseball.com/. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday night, especially with the gorgeous weather and great seats.

It's really fun for us to have our family's visit for many reasons, but certainly a big one is so they can see what our lives are like out here in Illinois.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

30w4d

We hit the 30 week mark this week. Only 10 more to go! Can you believe it?!? Here are some stats for you to enjoy:

Pounds gained: 23
Cravings: These have really settled down. I am pretty into lemonade and limeade though. Sadly, these drinks also give me wicked heart burn. *womp womp*
Movements: I'm experiencing a lot more rolls and general moving around and less jab-like action. It's also pretty clear by looking at and touching my belly where Baby Girl BH has situated herself. These days she spends much of her time on the right side.
Sleep: This is starting to change a little bit. I'm waking up much more now and it takes some time to get settled and comfortable when going to bed.
What I miss: I haven't really felt a tug toward things that are no longer in my diet, however Jeff did bring home some Summer Ciders last week. Do they look refreshing!
Overall feelings: I am still doing pretty well with the energy level, however my belly and back are starting to feel a little tired and sore from time-to-time. HOWEVER, you can see from below, I haven't lost my sense of fun. :)