The sweetest thing

I think this is one of the sweetest things that I have ever seen. I mean, a onesie with a little tie on it?! There are few things more fun than opening the mailbox to find a package filled with tiny clothes for the baby. My dear friend Hannah sent this to us yesterday. It makes my heart melt just too look at it. Now all we need is a matching tie for Jeff :)

A man through and through

Is how I would describe Jeff. Whether you have known him for 25 years or 25 minutes you would probably all agree that he is manly in deed (pretty self evident in the last post). The more I get to know him the more I am coming to find that Jeff is a man not only in action but in mind, body, heart, and soul just like God intended.

I drove into Seattle for my monthly checkup this afternoon. My midwife was surprised at how early I was able to feel the baby moving around (6 weeks ago!), how active he was while she was listening to his heart beat, and that Jeff is already able to feel his movements! Her astonishment gave me so much joy. God has already given our little one a personality and it is so fun to be able to observe it even now. We haven't met him yet but I can already tell that our baby is going to be a man through and through just like his daddy.

Why we're excited for a little boy

Little boy colors

Little boy clothes and toys

Lots of fun times with his dad! One of the awesome things about Jeff is that he knows everything there is to know about manly things. He is going to be able to teach our little guy all about camping, hiking, snowboarding, sports, trap making, and all manner of weaponry. Coolest dad ever!

And of course, we are looking forward to lots of cuddling!

We're half way there

20 weeks today! In 5 more months we will be holding our little baby boy :)
Today he is as long as a banana and weighs 10 1/2 oz. During the ultrasound he was even practicing his breathing by contracting his little stomach muscles. Im still feeling great. I usually have a lot of energy and have been able to exercise almost the same as normal but generally for less time. I can definitely feel the extra pounds every day as I walk up the three never ending flights to our apartment.

Photo courtesy of my sweet husband in the parking lot at his work. Jeff has been so supportive and sweet throughout the entire pregnancy. He is always talking to the baby, rubbing my back, and suggesting yummy things for us to eat! I am so thankful for him.

On another note, it was so fun telling family the gender of our little man! We made them wait an entire day. I personally love surprises so I generally try to think up the best way to keep others in suspense as long as possible. We have family in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs Co., L.A California, and Scottsdale AZ. We ordered cupcakes with gender appropriate decorations and had everyone pick them up and open them at 5pm! It was so fun knowing that those we love were finding out and celebrating at the same time. 

Its a.....baby!!!!

We had our first ultrasound yesterday afternoon and it was so amazing! After an hour of driving in traffic and getting lost once we made it to the appointment. Both Jeff and I were feeling kind of frustrated and tired after a long week of work for Jeff and a long drive into Seattle. Thankfully seeing our little Lentil made us completely forget about the silly annoyances of the day. Our hearts just melted as we watched our baby move and kick. It was incredible being able to see tiny toes, fingers, the heart. During the entire ultrasound the baby was playing with it's feet and looked so cute! Everything is right on track and the baby looks completely healthy and happy. Yay!! Here are some good profile pictures we got at the end of the appointment:

                                        I love how clearly you can see the profile and little chin

We will be revealing the gender later tonight to our family and then friends! Stay tuned :)

19 week update

Lots of exciting things are happening this week! The baby's senses are developing in it's brain; smell, taste, touch, hearing, and vision. At 8 1/2 oz and 6 inches long, this little guy is growing like a weed. Our Lentil moves constantly, stretching and rolling around. Both Jeff and I can feel the movements now which make them even more special. Between weeks 16 and 20 the baby doubles in size...and so do I. Just kidding, Im definitely not twice as big as a was a few weeks ago but I m definitely seeing new changes in my body each day. As you can see, I definitely have a bump! I was so excited the other day when a lady at Jeff's work asked if I was expecting. It was the first time someone has mentioned it and I just felt all warm and fuzzy inside when I heard.

Another exciting thing to look forward to this week is our first ultrasound! In just a few days we will know if we are having a little boy or a little girl. I can't wait to find out so we can start buying little baby clothes! Aww, so cute

              

Fall Foliage

Washington has the most beautiful fall foliage of anywhere I have ever seen (yes including Colorado). When I got back from Arizona I was expecting clouds and gloom but instead have been blessed with beautiful blue skies and the vibrant colors of fall.

On a more delicious note, I'm baking this week. Caramel Apple Pie Cookies adapted from Smitten Kitchen http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/10/apple-pie-cookies/#more-7892 and Pumpkin Snickerdoodles from my friend and sister, Jess. I'm excited to let you all know how they turn out! I realized after making my grocery list for the week that I'm diving head first into fall and winter cooking with soups, squash, buttermilk biscuits, and stew. 

On Sunday, Jeff and I took a walk through a nature preserve across the street from us, stopping first at a local coffee shop to pick up some fall infused drinks (I got a pumpkin chai...so delicious). There is something so rejuvenating about October walks; the crisp air, crunching leaves, and the peaceful quiet that comes with fall. 

19 week baby update coming up tomorrow!

Brown as a Berry

Over the past few days I have been thinking about what the saying "brown as a berry" could possibly mean. I haven't ever actually seen a brown berry, in the store or in nature for that matter. The conclusion that I've come to is that whoever coined this phrase must have known my good friend Chelsea Berry. Chelsea isn't a berry in the sense that she is edible but Im pretty sure this phrase was written about her because she can tan like nobody's business. 

There are so many opportunities to be in the sun here, either at our daily visits to the pool

or during an exhilarating hike up Squaw Peak

                                                               

                                                                 (the trail is a little steep)

After being here in Arizona for almost a week I can say with confidence that I am as brown as a Berry. It will be so strange going back to the cloudy, rainy days that Washington sees so much of this time of year. Its nice to know that the sun will be here in Arizona waiting to make me brown the next time we come for a visit. 

Cold Front

Scottsdale is in the midsts of a cold snap that has the locals running for their winter clothes. With a completely cloudless sky and highs in the low 80s, people were bundled up all over town today. The woman on the right went with a light winter sweater to try and ward off the cooler temperatures:

My stay in Arizona has been awesome so far with perfect weather and lots of quality time with my parents. Here's a look at the past few days

Here Comes the Sun

This weekend Jeff is getting a special visit from his best friend Erik!

As you can probably tell, these guys are pretty good friends. The kind of friends who enjoy playing frisbee golf for days at a time. On a completely unrelated matter, Jeff and I decided that this weekend would be a perfect time for me to fly down to Arizona to visit my parents! 

I have always loved our trips to the land of eternal sunshine and constant heat. They began many years ago when Nate and Sharon lived there. Some of my fondest memories are associated with Arizona: delicious food, fresh citrus, hikes to secret mountain springs, even the heat holds a special place in my heart. Mom and dad have now lived there for a little over a year and we have been able to visit them twice. Each time is more special then the last. They always take us to their favorite places: hikes, restaurants, coffee shops. However, some of the best times we have had are when we sit down after dinner with a hot cup of tea to play our favorite game, sequence. 

Im sad to be leaving my best buddy here at home but he will be getting some much needed man time. Crazy to think that next time we snap a picture together in Arizona we will most likely have Lentil with us!

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Fall

For some reason I still wake up every morning expecting sunshine and 80 degree temps. Im pretty sure fall has begun up here in the North West as we have been waking up to this:

For The past several weeks...

As much as I love the summer sunshine, fall holds a special place in my heart. Fall makes me think of crunching leaves and hot chocolate, bundling up by the fire with a good book, a big bowl of soup for dinner, oh, and honey crisp apples (buy some if you haven't already). Needless to say all of the clouds and the rain make it a little too easy to for me to curl up on the couch and take an afternoon nap.
One thing that always sounds fun in the fall is baking. Our house is sorely lacking in the baked goods department. Every time I set out to bake something I realize Im missing an ingredient or that the recipe makes enough for 50 people. I hate throwing food away and, especially with baked goods, usually only like to make enough for Jeff and me to consume in one day. A gallon bag filled with cookies and muffins is just too tempting. Hmmm, Im beginning to think that our lack of baked goods is self imposed.

What do you love about fall? What are your favorite fall recipes?

Growing baby: 17 weeks

The baby is 17 weeks today. Little Lentil is now 5 inches long and weighs 5 oz, about the size of a turnip. The skeleton is hardening into bone and he/she can move her little joints. I can already feel little kicks and flutters all throughout the day. Its hard to imagine that they will soon be strong enough for Jeff to feel from the outside! I love feeling the baby move, it makes being pregnant feel that much more special and purposeful.

Week 17:

Week 14:

Week 10:

First Trimester Revisited

Hi all!

I thought it would be good to give a little summary of what my first trimester was like. I'll start at the beginning.
 I decided to take a pregnancy test when I woke up at 5am on a Saturday needing to go to the bathroom, definitely not a regular occurrence. You are supposed to wait for 3 minutes or some similarly absurd length of time to look at the results so I waited 30 seconds and looked at the two boxes that would determine the rest of our lives! I was pregnant ( I made sure to take 3 more tests just to be sure)! Assuming that Jeff would also have to get up I left the test on the counter so that he would see it. Sure enough he got up 10 minutes later. Many words could be used to describe Jeff's face as he came back into the bedroom, confused, excited, shocked. I explained that I took the test and he was going to be a daddy! I for some reason assumed that we would both just be able to easily fall asleep once we both knew. Not the case. We were both so excited we just lay in bed with our eyes wide open smiling and frequently reminding each other that we were going to have a little baby!

Strangely enough, the surreal feelings that surrounded the first few moments and hours after finding out that we made a little life were there for pretty much all of the first trimester. I attribute this to several things: I had absolutely no morning sickness or other "symptoms" that made me feel like there was a baby in there, we waited 12 weeks to tell most of our family, and we live what seems like worlds away from those we love.


We were able to tell everyone in person when we flew home to Colorado for Christian and Amber's wedding! My birthday was on the 5th of September so we celebrated with family and friends... and this delicious cake

Although I didn't experience any morning sickness I did notice an almost immediate change in my body. It was so weird to see my body changing even though I was eating and working out the same as usual. As far as cravings go, I haven't really had any. There was a week when I wanted only chipotle for dinner, many weeks when vegetables didn't sound particularly appealing, nights that I just had to have black beans, but nothing crazy. In fact, it seems that my normal love of certain foods has just increased throughout pregnancy. I mean, I loved pudding before I was pregnant so does feeling like I could eat an entire gallon at once constitute a craving now that I'm pregnant? I submit that it does not.

My parents came to visit us a week after we found out and we decided we could not resist the urge to tell them. At the time the baby was this big and received its first nickname "Lentil". Little Lentil is now much MUCH bigger and growing more every day.