tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667125651724245972024-03-18T21:36:36.635-06:00Gee and SisA little snippit of our joys, sorrows, laughs, tears, smiles and love.Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-50162036809568909912015-02-11T11:43:00.000-07:002015-02-11T11:43:25.453-07:00Miss Audrey Turns OneWe had a party last weekend to celebrate Audrey's First Birthday. It was a lot of fun to plan and execute our little celebration.<br />
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My theme was a cross between "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Leave a little sparkle wherever you go." I think it turned out pretty great.<br />
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A big thanks to my sister-in-law Steffanie who made me a custom Party Pack from her business "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MintedOwlDesigns">Minted Owl</a>" that included the banners, cake topper, cupcake/sandwich picks, gold dipped A, and confetti. Also big thanks to my sister-in-law Linsday who made the adorable star cookies, the "Sparkle Bar" sign and helped decorate. And another big thanks to my mama who let use bedazzle her house and helped provide food and helped decorate.<br />
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Here's a little tour:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2vRVgjGQjo90OY2Tq859bjYhFdxMylSN3zJZN_1rMUggTz1-CvsmdnOpRmZ5FOMaYfXR-sVf_wUNOYDwOQHqdbCdLyMyMjdJS_31TAma103xHM1SiG3u8mWurAYenJyarc1cfSNo4t5o/s1600/DSC_3876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2vRVgjGQjo90OY2Tq859bjYhFdxMylSN3zJZN_1rMUggTz1-CvsmdnOpRmZ5FOMaYfXR-sVf_wUNOYDwOQHqdbCdLyMyMjdJS_31TAma103xHM1SiG3u8mWurAYenJyarc1cfSNo4t5o/s1600/DSC_3876.jpg" height="640" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full view of the treat table. There's sugar cookies, chocolate dipped marshmallows, chocolate dipped pretzel rods, chocolate drizzled strawberries, cupcakes and birthday cake!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZnkzncdTQ1IRj_AQyKEqB_YlRpqkJT4jIGFjuMsqU69oRacpsQ1hAD0hSd0QjJbdYYnD5Fz0xOGYcooDk0SWRZzGEMwPmluK_UCX1TFirshNoKjqN56kWwsM0ueNAldwo7cuzx5yakn0/s1600/DSC_3871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZnkzncdTQ1IRj_AQyKEqB_YlRpqkJT4jIGFjuMsqU69oRacpsQ1hAD0hSd0QjJbdYYnD5Fz0xOGYcooDk0SWRZzGEMwPmluK_UCX1TFirshNoKjqN56kWwsM0ueNAldwo7cuzx5yakn0/s1600/DSC_3871.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer view of the goodies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jXcOzPgA9jcQ_JtCGHgrBpwy9hbE1ZAxW71pNR0OvIYeR10FV7VYux7zNFZMrkl6LBNKY9nclWqqJgMCcklGiRS7RHlNL4PR8mOF6T_-HDMz1gfSaq-sfUFp05uA8Hkl5IZFDEOeQqT6/s1600/DSC_3873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jXcOzPgA9jcQ_JtCGHgrBpwy9hbE1ZAxW71pNR0OvIYeR10FV7VYux7zNFZMrkl6LBNKY9nclWqqJgMCcklGiRS7RHlNL4PR8mOF6T_-HDMz1gfSaq-sfUFp05uA8Hkl5IZFDEOeQqT6/s1600/DSC_3873.jpg" height="640" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberries + chocolate = delicious!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-L_1vHHpQjgUynKQ7MIN54f0tNhsmLP2Mn23N9M55SUumQ7u0f8mkmmFSgVlPuqxRTdiNngUGj-n_CtbAWhPlzksHcrzC_SNIkl5B_mx_qNokKxfeWcquE6nhl-Wx-6Y2PMUIftaaokHL/s1600/DSC_3980_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-L_1vHHpQjgUynKQ7MIN54f0tNhsmLP2Mn23N9M55SUumQ7u0f8mkmmFSgVlPuqxRTdiNngUGj-n_CtbAWhPlzksHcrzC_SNIkl5B_mx_qNokKxfeWcquE6nhl-Wx-6Y2PMUIftaaokHL/s1600/DSC_3980_2.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cake I made and decorated - I was pretty proud of it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kD1zDAqM5Ai9_YdgL3Yg_qn-maEpzYT95O6fnbdPvN2pBOs8ovoXWEs0T9kxDH6kiCo1EtQy5zf_z8QF1ZQVKtOZyh_mbfUiGdkmeZ3S8P-cJiB-X9YtHRuz-3kjoibLhBFtnhnATXSA/s1600/DSC_3982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kD1zDAqM5Ai9_YdgL3Yg_qn-maEpzYT95O6fnbdPvN2pBOs8ovoXWEs0T9kxDH6kiCo1EtQy5zf_z8QF1ZQVKtOZyh_mbfUiGdkmeZ3S8P-cJiB-X9YtHRuz-3kjoibLhBFtnhnATXSA/s1600/DSC_3982.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer view of the cake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6F_jhwcDvt0_1PMdSTGR4ulHDgho2WHunDFv2V9zzXG76u5cun7Wm5I90KVLrNGgGNJtZzwLf8t7FgVcN82jKF5cg13A-XVtrnqivRpvrKt2h-DEMZjOsb5kK9oH5giBLWJDybSt79Gl/s1600/IMG_1051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj6F_jhwcDvt0_1PMdSTGR4ulHDgho2WHunDFv2V9zzXG76u5cun7Wm5I90KVLrNGgGNJtZzwLf8t7FgVcN82jKF5cg13A-XVtrnqivRpvrKt2h-DEMZjOsb5kK9oH5giBLWJDybSt79Gl/s1600/IMG_1051.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the lunch setup. Chicken salad sandwiches and fruit. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlzitZaAPVFIVpd8ljFjQpVfq_w4Ig_I-84-VdQ0ecnUnGKTivjALDj9JiqG-Ab-qCkNKvskinY5Aff0d5ZydgAXok72rGw4SeTTtf9zXiDk3xR-0hVV3Hu2lXCn_1Jj38txOTK3R-Vrg/s1600/IMG_1052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlzitZaAPVFIVpd8ljFjQpVfq_w4Ig_I-84-VdQ0ecnUnGKTivjALDj9JiqG-Ab-qCkNKvskinY5Aff0d5ZydgAXok72rGw4SeTTtf9zXiDk3xR-0hVV3Hu2lXCn_1Jj38txOTK3R-Vrg/s1600/IMG_1052.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of food with the veggie tray (there was also ranch dip that someone eluded the photos) and star-shaped PB&J sandwiches for the kids. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLojhy5oCWfngexW-Ox4f81YVC9sUkWCZK1yC2TK8NS1eqhwVfk_O9uCARFPvLM48wfiGzSXGu1KeFGeapCl5bOZLGcvCZESvLdwVO40kgew0ac6fql9ru7ymIDDzEzbFvmjcuJb4RXDqB/s1600/DSC_3866_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLojhy5oCWfngexW-Ox4f81YVC9sUkWCZK1yC2TK8NS1eqhwVfk_O9uCARFPvLM48wfiGzSXGu1KeFGeapCl5bOZLGcvCZESvLdwVO40kgew0ac6fql9ru7ymIDDzEzbFvmjcuJb4RXDqB/s1600/DSC_3866_2.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Italian soda bar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfV5U-R94tvjP6oSMfj-72JncQMH6KkcUyizQr0dByeNx00xTCQdXN1GWQk25AZPau7WOkPnJf3d1vSMWuhxAQfdrH4Nimg7O0oTeunbyNqbJKLHPj_0hrYBtFsWsn0ogzes9CMtUGESAs/s1600/DSC_3864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfV5U-R94tvjP6oSMfj-72JncQMH6KkcUyizQr0dByeNx00xTCQdXN1GWQk25AZPau7WOkPnJf3d1vSMWuhxAQfdrH4Nimg7O0oTeunbyNqbJKLHPj_0hrYBtFsWsn0ogzes9CMtUGESAs/s1600/DSC_3864.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made this station for people to write a little note to Audrey and then fold it into an origami lucky star. I then put all the stars into the shadow box in the picture to display on her wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iY1rlbO1GXzyeqhxA-7N7vye_4PX_CZM5tMcutZDXTEBej07BK2GYKdp5_Pq77heScXWm42J41_9Jr7yW82UINsjltqSR0X8g59OBNoI0Orhrs_LpsQZgVwPP6ItDrd0EXkYUqiL4hyE/s1600/IMG_1055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iY1rlbO1GXzyeqhxA-7N7vye_4PX_CZM5tMcutZDXTEBej07BK2GYKdp5_Pq77heScXWm42J41_9Jr7yW82UINsjltqSR0X8g59OBNoI0Orhrs_LpsQZgVwPP6ItDrd0EXkYUqiL4hyE/s1600/IMG_1055.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used the favors as a centerpiece for the table. I made the <a href="http://papelisimo.es/tutorial-caja-de-cartulina-estrella-star-box/">origami star boxes</a> and filled them with candy for the kids. They also got a wand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXxUMYnuPRV7_IIGBlB0T4uU8axptfJyIscf39Chj6A0hAybupNF_rSqCnLyglV0_xUX5BNxoR1qyEW5FdcCciv0dNTxHeR9srU-dhFvDBPnnFhuCaUtBho7nfUBn_rS_GeYSeEFZiON1/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXxUMYnuPRV7_IIGBlB0T4uU8axptfJyIscf39Chj6A0hAybupNF_rSqCnLyglV0_xUX5BNxoR1qyEW5FdcCciv0dNTxHeR9srU-dhFvDBPnnFhuCaUtBho7nfUBn_rS_GeYSeEFZiON1/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close up of the star boxes. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZz87keZ50_KEdn6lUbdq4aKBgG74awds6zIQYRV1-lVPz3-jbcRHZ5rEyAZKSZBUBHG14Z6P4ya1sIsKatNg-SVYv4KNC_MWwEkBziLc21s9K1gS9n_mFGGfSy4PzjGOkaeLdvDJkcD9K/s1600/IMG_1056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZz87keZ50_KEdn6lUbdq4aKBgG74awds6zIQYRV1-lVPz3-jbcRHZ5rEyAZKSZBUBHG14Z6P4ya1sIsKatNg-SVYv4KNC_MWwEkBziLc21s9K1gS9n_mFGGfSy4PzjGOkaeLdvDJkcD9K/s1600/IMG_1056.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the far right you can see the wish bracelets I made for the "Adult" favors. Each was handmade. The poem instructs you to make a wish as you tie it on and wear it until it falls off - then your wish will come true.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxZeWNYneWnOuxw1CAQwCrSKK8C6QbigZAM258C-oUanV9oaOzaYDk2jIHo31uWkRe2ZmfAoJ8Se-rCEt0eB_nIuexyfA5kRG0WHbCN8_t8p7NXOEu8EGIDPHwtq86hmzwGjBOFE1ypf0/s1600/DSC_3946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxZeWNYneWnOuxw1CAQwCrSKK8C6QbigZAM258C-oUanV9oaOzaYDk2jIHo31uWkRe2ZmfAoJ8Se-rCEt0eB_nIuexyfA5kRG0WHbCN8_t8p7NXOEu8EGIDPHwtq86hmzwGjBOFE1ypf0/s1600/DSC_3946.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, you need to see the birthday girl. Pardon her dirty knees, she doesn't walk just yet, and who's going to tell her she can't go outside and play on her birthday?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMO0SjEDFKGRNcQYdl7MLJVrdRtH4RNYqz9WtTsPOibAVOadbjEl3_Veb0L-UInX5A2ggPKuGFyzIdFQbQXFfl4KGdnrGaGeT7n0LHVbsb4scXxV_VBTm1GeY3FNMQEMtmTU1dGTVkrhXH/s1600/DSC_3954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMO0SjEDFKGRNcQYdl7MLJVrdRtH4RNYqz9WtTsPOibAVOadbjEl3_Veb0L-UInX5A2ggPKuGFyzIdFQbQXFfl4KGdnrGaGeT7n0LHVbsb4scXxV_VBTm1GeY3FNMQEMtmTU1dGTVkrhXH/s1600/DSC_3954.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big smiles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6v4UiljhgUVga5VtBJAur4OPzgHKdSEUhIgqDXtuo4tXbbkCFYYmjSIwdElZkQDMhtjaqc-Hw5ZKqgr-mYqDTXLXVhaK1vVE_F_-tq_zQfUS7dAQuU3R_FVR_RUOpyCCcrfvHtxGpxDE/s1600/DSC_3958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6v4UiljhgUVga5VtBJAur4OPzgHKdSEUhIgqDXtuo4tXbbkCFYYmjSIwdElZkQDMhtjaqc-Hw5ZKqgr-mYqDTXLXVhaK1vVE_F_-tq_zQfUS7dAQuU3R_FVR_RUOpyCCcrfvHtxGpxDE/s1600/DSC_3958.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you love her little tiara?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVAtasgxKfcpee_cl1YSVtiYaV2K1vZthjSi46C6lu2I1d_hWJXA4V5Jf5wUTTwt7tHGOX4XeeD8KfCib2m5pzF9KvDfgVoTGurZi0JI8TBzeoy8eg0qzFG_RViAhWzWgkmaPcGu1_Hle/s1600/IMG_1063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVAtasgxKfcpee_cl1YSVtiYaV2K1vZthjSi46C6lu2I1d_hWJXA4V5Jf5wUTTwt7tHGOX4XeeD8KfCib2m5pzF9KvDfgVoTGurZi0JI8TBzeoy8eg0qzFG_RViAhWzWgkmaPcGu1_Hle/s1600/IMG_1063.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 1st, Miss Audrey. We love you!</td></tr>
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Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-47444051192831605972014-08-11T15:40:00.000-06:002014-08-11T15:40:17.729-06:006 monthsWell, Miss Audrey is already 6 months old. So, it's time for a bit of an update. Audrey is such a wonderful little addition to our family. Geoff and I are both entirely smitten with this little chica. She's easy-going and smart and so busy. She loves attention and is very pleased with herself when she completes a goal (like getting to the cable in the corner that looks so tantalizing). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XIrunaMV3ydML5DIb85zsFsj_0DPRZXIPFjvIk_XHzCOjMVeVBl32fEqLcKvoDbzUgSPgjqu1udpfFdHpYkwQUMAFEimlchexpAmwLpaS6Ds1_irNH0WWS-Gg_DsTCXms6QeNHRLR9JN/s1600/IMG_6923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XIrunaMV3ydML5DIb85zsFsj_0DPRZXIPFjvIk_XHzCOjMVeVBl32fEqLcKvoDbzUgSPgjqu1udpfFdHpYkwQUMAFEimlchexpAmwLpaS6Ds1_irNH0WWS-Gg_DsTCXms6QeNHRLR9JN/s1600/IMG_6923.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's crazy about him.</td></tr>
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At her 6th month appointment she weighed in at 14 lbs 6 oz and 27 inches long. So, she's not a big baby weight-wise, but she is long. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLJsg6jTXcfE6yYyHSEhf5UBaPNeSRh5ts2qkjI50yk84T5Ai2wdO9lBV7ihmvWF-GPfee9mH5mWVGYEF88uQWdFeaeGU-abQk03jujqEbB03-HfestuugNw570xLb6eUiGbubqiavbc7/s1600/IMG_7325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLJsg6jTXcfE6yYyHSEhf5UBaPNeSRh5ts2qkjI50yk84T5Ai2wdO9lBV7ihmvWF-GPfee9mH5mWVGYEF88uQWdFeaeGU-abQk03jujqEbB03-HfestuugNw570xLb6eUiGbubqiavbc7/s1600/IMG_7325.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ridiculous doctor appointment selfie</td></tr>
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About a month ago she learned that she could roll to get around and now she doesn't stay put for very long. Will was pretty much stationary until he could crawl at 9 months (he scooted on his back a bit, but didn't venture far), so this has been an adjustment for us to have<br />
a little one getting around the house. She's started pulling those knees up a little bit under her, too, so crawling is probably sooner than we'd like to think. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwQmnikbAAM9S2YsI5-5LeekQR5FEQ0VTMXyUZNmaBxMggZY7jarWQtghlLmZOpUiHe44LjHoViZ6b-Vp26R-pMoySDrCrnYYDh8pRGaDNoAio3QFCyG3FgE7sRzi2NZlBlHVm2dOBQpm/s1600/IMG_6547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgwQmnikbAAM9S2YsI5-5LeekQR5FEQ0VTMXyUZNmaBxMggZY7jarWQtghlLmZOpUiHe44LjHoViZ6b-Vp26R-pMoySDrCrnYYDh8pRGaDNoAio3QFCyG3FgE7sRzi2NZlBlHVm2dOBQpm/s1600/IMG_6547.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigtails!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We started introducing solids a few weeks ago as well. She LOVES to eat. She's mostly had cereals and fruits and veggies at this point, but she gets very excited when you put her in her chair to eat. She's messy, too, because she wants to help so much. <br />
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She's a little obsessed with cups and if you are drinking while holding her you have to watch out. However, she's also easily entertained if you give her a cup to play with. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrMDF9g0_2uVYjbkZ0_4hM0OVLMN8YhMw_pR5f56qvLJtNULiLSpep3nFFLCs6FNsrJ3RGbIBq0yMAZbMPyJYV825hRft07IHPoI-856qdTryx5wuKoqkZijlKnYdFeS74hne75eJwNbg/s1600/IMG_6950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrMDF9g0_2uVYjbkZ0_4hM0OVLMN8YhMw_pR5f56qvLJtNULiLSpep3nFFLCs6FNsrJ3RGbIBq0yMAZbMPyJYV825hRft07IHPoI-856qdTryx5wuKoqkZijlKnYdFeS74hne75eJwNbg/s1600/IMG_6950.JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet lady</td></tr>
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She's a little tentative around strangers and reserves her grins and giggles for those who she knows the best. When we are out and about we often get told that she "looks like a cabbage patch doll" or that she "should be a Gerber baby." The combination of her loads of hair and her big, expressive eyes seem to give off that doll vibe. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-X-YlahJnNm1yK5bb0nZTNbFiZgZOY58n7myzbz7LMWWitWPW-PTgeM0dZLWmMuoUh0Uowt2j5Zeaa-8RdGJb881dtxKjQB7-tRKvgAnXniGBsNFVnoDw-zjc6sgJNdlO1C7X3uGqFSvN/s1600/IMG_6952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-X-YlahJnNm1yK5bb0nZTNbFiZgZOY58n7myzbz7LMWWitWPW-PTgeM0dZLWmMuoUh0Uowt2j5Zeaa-8RdGJb881dtxKjQB7-tRKvgAnXniGBsNFVnoDw-zjc6sgJNdlO1C7X3uGqFSvN/s1600/IMG_6952.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will's a good helper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are just crazy about this little lady and Will is, too. He has to give her a kiss before she goes to bed at night. If she's crying, he'll give her her pacifier and shout "I helped baby feel better!" or he'll come find Geoff or I and tell us that we need to "Go help baby." He sometimes calls her "Baby Kookoo" (thanks, Geoff), but then he'll laugh and say, "No. Her name is Baby Audrey." Now that she can get into his toys he's gotten a little possessive if she's got one of his cars, but he's always gentle and careful around her. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUTHJsMO79-H1ZoHyw_Wf_s95-EWNhe21CCnn2QMgXtpe6WhSkv0bAy_wP94Vdnj25vp3CY4gVMqoPrMyx7G95IfINL2WLnAvgc7DIoU9nz1YgppHkyPImbOBsdYlqEVY8FROzbx5fME-/s1600/IMG_7162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUTHJsMO79-H1ZoHyw_Wf_s95-EWNhe21CCnn2QMgXtpe6WhSkv0bAy_wP94Vdnj25vp3CY4gVMqoPrMyx7G95IfINL2WLnAvgc7DIoU9nz1YgppHkyPImbOBsdYlqEVY8FROzbx5fME-/s1600/IMG_7162.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cars are fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, there's your little update on our growing little lady. We're so glad she's here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthJo25ZQ3cbUJdPz9xuPzpO1gf-F8sxLtq100OnYKm6hWlNm1xzuTaAGYFC8PKd74_7RIhqoA147Fs9kT4PVmf3NumxZE_xXeRgmGX-qyZFilioINmYPocnyQk5kQJvlJpbseN1sfWuUg/s1600/IMG_7245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthJo25ZQ3cbUJdPz9xuPzpO1gf-F8sxLtq100OnYKm6hWlNm1xzuTaAGYFC8PKd74_7RIhqoA147Fs9kT4PVmf3NumxZE_xXeRgmGX-qyZFilioINmYPocnyQk5kQJvlJpbseN1sfWuUg/s1600/IMG_7245.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bed head and morning smiles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-58586881588873544802014-08-08T15:10:00.000-06:002014-08-08T15:53:47.897-06:00Breastfeeding's Ugly Cousin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoDTAJKTw1i78Ift3rDCguiEH3Zkq8nvmcTNS5OofHlsaJNT_zE2m_ePmuHML_9i_hHqbB0_zT1wJ0oEilwe-zHkV5RFkhzSBS8UXbMRiHlW1tE4oc9ZXB9Hof4OHc3iWmELAl8T8wNuo/s1600/BFW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoDTAJKTw1i78Ift3rDCguiEH3Zkq8nvmcTNS5OofHlsaJNT_zE2m_ePmuHML_9i_hHqbB0_zT1wJ0oEilwe-zHkV5RFkhzSBS8UXbMRiHlW1tE4oc9ZXB9Hof4OHc3iWmELAl8T8wNuo/s1600/BFW.jpg" height="123" width="200" /></a></div>
So, it's World Breastfeeding Week this week. As a breastfeeding mother, I wanted to do a little post with what has been on my mind lately relating to breastfeeding. <br />
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<i>Disclaimer: </i>I love that I can breastfeed my baby. I do think that breastfeeding is the best feeding option for infants. However, I know that breastfeeding is not possible or desirable to all mamas. Please, feed your baby whatever and however you like. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsBVOXNe_mbS_gdVwzIHokrDhdV_aycd0edKhF6eh4AX0IKi6G9NzA5hwkPgxu4rDycAcg-TwMsHB8t5LwCod3-zuB-Yy44j5-64S0v6S-h_x7ucvx-u8PV1fPQUnafhYlaMIF63BSlpi/s1600/IMG_7306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsBVOXNe_mbS_gdVwzIHokrDhdV_aycd0edKhF6eh4AX0IKi6G9NzA5hwkPgxu4rDycAcg-TwMsHB8t5LwCod3-zuB-Yy44j5-64S0v6S-h_x7ucvx-u8PV1fPQUnafhYlaMIF63BSlpi/s1600/IMG_7306.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>Audrey has reached the age where eating is more fun than it is functional. She likes to pop off and then give me this look:<br />
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She's adorable. I love sharing those grins with her. I love feeling her body relax when she's upset and feeding her can provide comfort. In public, I try to be discreet (I'm not one to just pop my nipples out), but I don't hesitate to feed her when and where she needs it. I think breastfeeding is a <i>beautiful</i> thing.<br />
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But, breastfeeding has an <i>ugly</i> cousin. You may have heard of it: <b>pumping</b>. As any working mom (and many other moms whose babies can't latch or choose to pump for other reasons) knows, pumping is the exact opposite experience from the beautiful, sweet one of breastfeeding your baby. Pumping is cumbersome, sometimes painful, isolating, and stressful (<i>Did I pump enough? Why does she drink more from a bottle then I can pump? Is she starving? Am I a failure as a woman and mother? Why is this so hard!?</i> - just a few of the thoughts I think nearly every pumping mama has experienced). </div>
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I am VERY lucky to work from home most days. Because Geoff is at home right now as well, this means I get to feed Audrey more-or-less on demand (she gets a bottle of breast milk when I've got meetings). However, a few weeks ago I had an on-site week with my work team and I was away from home Monday-Saturday. I pumped exclusively for that week. </div>
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Breastfeeding while traveling can be hard sometimes. I traveled a lot with Will when he was young. I was new to breastfeeding and tried to hide a bit, but there were mother's rooms and chairs in the corner where I could go to feed.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoP0I1mX7i5Dg-nE2sRw3tIYGHv-L6tP774MPE4ZfeOweK0jcZIgD5SV1cOlzEL4PtetPrFz5AgcPTjxC2gAQ7xDg1y_xW2CnHSO2FPTqYZjJUMStQfvihzne7mjnKb0AiIH5A6lOY5rZM/s1600/IMG_6933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoP0I1mX7i5Dg-nE2sRw3tIYGHv-L6tP774MPE4ZfeOweK0jcZIgD5SV1cOlzEL4PtetPrFz5AgcPTjxC2gAQ7xDg1y_xW2CnHSO2FPTqYZjJUMStQfvihzne7mjnKb0AiIH5A6lOY5rZM/s1600/IMG_6933.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Airport bathrooms are swanky</td></tr>
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Pumping is different. You don't pump in a mother's room. Maybe some mom's do, but when people are coming in and out changing diapers and the pump is exposing my whole chest, I'm not comfortable with that. So, I ended up pumping in airport bathroom stalls, restaurant bathrooms, etc...this was not beautiful. Public toilets rarely have lids, too, so I couldn't even sit to pump (and even when I could, it's still gross).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPrvNT_DETIxU8JAkSqYxjJgFFPgly-BtUErXOOjOqt1-YG7J7aIAgUR7yCk_jvjdo2HDuUoQuVx3oVofubQwRIym9B-3cslkTkM4JPRwq3G2yf1DZ8Aev7gTiIpTdtqN-urs3hFl8eOW/s1600/IMG_6939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPrvNT_DETIxU8JAkSqYxjJgFFPgly-BtUErXOOjOqt1-YG7J7aIAgUR7yCk_jvjdo2HDuUoQuVx3oVofubQwRIym9B-3cslkTkM4JPRwq3G2yf1DZ8Aev7gTiIpTdtqN-urs3hFl8eOW/s1600/IMG_6939.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glamorous.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everywhere I went for a week, I was carrying around my pump, bottles, ice packs, cleansing wipes, storage bags (not to mention my computer and work supplies). It was exhausting. And by the end of the week I really felt frustrated that there aren't more appropriate public places provided for pumping mothers.<br />
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Breastfeeding awareness has come a long way. It's no longer looked down upon to breastfeed in public (although I'm a LOT more comfortable doing it in the SF Bay Area then I was in North Dakota). But, no one talks about pumping in public. Employers are required to provide appropriate pumping spaces, but what about airports, restaurants, rest stops, coffee shops, etc...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xoG6ynRdUS9MIj7Dq6fn4hTJyLXgITt2FbIgIRFwxZrgUybe4b5wB7ZbHFh5Mgfr-LIciLED3ndZ2nzcJKl9Jwjm_9YaDX9rtSMRdaYg9izS2kPIMvnm7QBLcqF2W5WZPmOUSDErtSdZ/s1600/IMG_6976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xoG6ynRdUS9MIj7Dq6fn4hTJyLXgITt2FbIgIRFwxZrgUybe4b5wB7ZbHFh5Mgfr-LIciLED3ndZ2nzcJKl9Jwjm_9YaDX9rtSMRdaYg9izS2kPIMvnm7QBLcqF2W5WZPmOUSDErtSdZ/s1600/IMG_6976.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Pumping exclusively for a week was very difficult, not so much because the pumping is hard (you get the hang of it), but because I felt relegated to bathroom stalls and hiding to do it. Even my husband, who I was talking to about the logistics of pumping and the new (smaller) pump I had acquired before I left on my trip, at one point said to me, "That's great, honey. But, you know, no one wants to hear you talk about pumping." And he's right. Pumping is weird. It's not tender, it's not beautiful, it's not natural. </div>
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So, here I am. Talking about it. Proud of myself for doing it and hoping that I can inspire at least one other mama to pump proudly. It's not a beautiful experience like breastfeeding can be (although, let's all admit that the first few weeks of breastfeeding can be pretty terrible), but it allows us to provide for our little ones even while we're away - and I'd do anything for that little one.</div>
Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-2876286666697891492014-08-06T22:20:00.001-06:002014-08-07T14:15:38.819-06:00The Baby WhispererAudrey is a very chatty baby. Ever since she learned that she can roll to get around the house, she's been pretty much the happiest baby you can imagine. She'll roll somewhere interesting and then sit and yammer on and on about whatever baby things are on her mind. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Ck4SHyMAKfldRPXXFkYjZKZ4qNQTnFjUwWW1YJp_-nEa01zo4WeVkXs1_jvCB0ds4mjTitVMOb3RHTnhC_7JfQgJPryo-wIGOnmVvHLWx-xopIcKyQ8fmnNI3xHruAcNveCefyw6qm7/s1600/IMG_7236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_Ck4SHyMAKfldRPXXFkYjZKZ4qNQTnFjUwWW1YJp_-nEa01zo4WeVkXs1_jvCB0ds4mjTitVMOb3RHTnhC_7JfQgJPryo-wIGOnmVvHLWx-xopIcKyQ8fmnNI3xHruAcNveCefyw6qm7/s1600/IMG_7236.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>So. a few days ago she was chatting and I asked Will, "Hey, Will - What's baby saying?" I was a little surprised when he looked at Audrey and listened for a second and turned back to me and informed me that "Baby says she wants to watch School Bus." (As in The Magic School Bus, Will's current show of choice.)<br />
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So, ever since then he's taken it upon himself to let me know what the baby is saying. Sometimes it's self-serving (i.e. she wants you to turn on my favorite show), but sometimes it's just down right adorable. I was holding Audrey yesterday and she was making lots of noise. Will got really close to her and said "What's baby talking about?" I said, "I don't know, what is she talking about?"<br />
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He smiled at me and said, "She says 'I love you, mama.'" <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLN11F4xT-3BhNYxtUiHjEWfuZ2fXxaw1DFOqzzoHq0At0xy4-3ZS6Ba4PVe2i3UiE9Y5hwq329nYAL1cpwErr0s0UR9mNarPqPX-VBD6tqAOlv0ZMSBdenZTBkdjHNBWWyPONRzi12rh5/s1600/IMG_7121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLN11F4xT-3BhNYxtUiHjEWfuZ2fXxaw1DFOqzzoHq0At0xy4-3ZS6Ba4PVe2i3UiE9Y5hwq329nYAL1cpwErr0s0UR9mNarPqPX-VBD6tqAOlv0ZMSBdenZTBkdjHNBWWyPONRzi12rh5/s1600/IMG_7121.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a><br />
I told him, "I love baby!" To which he declared, "I love baby, too" and he gave both of us a big hug. <br />
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This turned into a whole round of "I love you"s.<br />
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I'm going to go ahead and assume that he's totally right and Audrey was just trying to let me know how much she loved me. And, heck, maybe sometimes she just really wants to watch The Magic School Bus, too. <br />
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<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-51111206692365029082014-06-11T23:21:00.001-06:002014-06-11T23:21:25.798-06:00Summer: Unplugged<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMQbXQas8QXItB1th1JBizkLBkq3F9RoT2weWXjFREKa4DZqXEe6zy1ZBcQvzyJe69xXY8aN9J-CurmBtagBoV2aest9yJR-7sV88CGuyP2qLQO0P0eXuIM0Tq_-JCMevBOxP7PUREjyo/s1600/unplug.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMQbXQas8QXItB1th1JBizkLBkq3F9RoT2weWXjFREKa4DZqXEe6zy1ZBcQvzyJe69xXY8aN9J-CurmBtagBoV2aest9yJR-7sV88CGuyP2qLQO0P0eXuIM0Tq_-JCMevBOxP7PUREjyo/s1600/unplug.jpg.jpg" height="350" width="630" /></a></div>
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My son loves to throw rocks. Specifically, he likes to throw rocks into water. Into the ocean, lakes, streams, puddles - you name it. He also loves to run. <i>All the time</i>. He thinks running is the most fun when you are doing it with him. He also likes to build train tracks and play catch and drive cars and paint and draw and cook and do laundry and brush his teeth and turn the fan (which he calls "the machine") on and off for as long as you'll let him. And bubbles - don't even get me started on the bubble machine.<br />
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Today was a stressful day for me. I've had a lot on my mind and after work I decided we could all use some time at the park. So, we loaded the kids in the stroller and walked to the park. The nearest park also has a small beach which is where we spent most of our time. Will wanted to throw rocks into the water and into the small tide pools left behind in the rocks. I mentally prepared myself to just enjoy the rock throwing as long as he wanted. Sometimes this is hard for me. Rock after rock goes into the water and he squeals with delight, hunts for more and then repeats. After 5 or 10 rocks, I'm done. I've lost interest. <br />
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But, not tonight. Tonight I was caught up in his joy. Caught up in how fascinating it is to him that some rocks are black and some are brown. Caught up in how he delighted in the big splashes. Caught up in the excitement of finding a new pool of water or a waterfall. He found so much joy in the whole experience and I was lucky to get to be invited to participate. <br />
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A couple of times as I was watching him I felt my hand wander to my phone, ready to peek at whatever inane information the internet had waiting for me. Each time this happened I made a conscious effort to remind myself to stay present in the moment. To remind myself that nothing on my phone couldn't wait an hour. And you know what? It was great. I had so much fun throwing rocks and laughing with my boy. <br />
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For Christmas, my mom gave us a very cool old-school box called a "Phone Minder." It was used in hotels in the past to remind users that they had a limited amount of time available to use the phone. But, she encouraged us to use it to hold our phones during dinner time so that we weren't looking at our phones during this critical time of day with our family. She said to us, "I didn't have these kinds of distractions when I had young kids. I know that those times I spent with you guys were so special - and you'll never regret any time you spend with your kids without your phone or other devices." <br />
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Ever since Will was born, I've tried to keep my phone or computer away when we are together and I've done alright for the most part - but this summer I've got a new resolve to put away my phone after work each day until the kids go to bed. I want to look back on these times and remember running and hopping and popping bubbles and dancing and laughing and even throwing rocks. I want to foster my son's love of play and exploring outside and learning. And, mostly, I want to be patient. We live in such a fast-paced world that it's hard to focus on one task for too long, but I don't ever want my kids to feel like I wasn't interested about the things that make them excited. <br />
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So, here's to a summer (and beyond) of long, warm nights - unplugged. <br />
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<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-10982266183584090152014-06-09T17:51:00.002-06:002014-06-11T23:26:28.538-06:004 MonthsWell, my little gal is over 4 months old now. I'd like to make sure I document a bit during this short infant time. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I don't know where the time has gone. She's growing so fast! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly born</td></tr>
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She had her four month checkup with the doctor last week and weighed in at 12 pounds 12 ounces and measured 26 inches. That puts her in the 10th-25th percentile for weight and the 90th-95th percentile for height. This has made clothing sizes a little hard because she's too long for 3 month clothes, but doesn't fill out 6 month clothes very well. But, she's got so many cute clothes (thanks to the generous hand-me-downs from friends and family) that it's an okay problem to have! (For anyone interested and because I think everything is interesting, her brother was 12 pounds 15 ounces and 24 inches - between 5th and 10th percentile for both).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One month old</td></tr>
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She is very good with her hands and likes to grab onto everything within her reach. If she doesn't have a toy within reach, her hands will be in her mouth. She likes her pacifier, but find her hands to be almost as good of an option if the paci isn't around. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 months</td></tr>
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She is happiest when you are looking her in the eye and playing with her. She likes to smile and "chat" and only really gets fussy when no one is paying attention to her. If she's being held, she's happy. In fact, as I type this, she is sitting on my lap looking at the computer screen and holding my arms - happy as a clam. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 months</td></tr>
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She's totally enamored with her brother and loves to watch him do everything. He often tells me that "baby needs a car" and will carefully select the car she needs from his basket and put it in her hand. Usually after about three seconds he takes it away to get her a new one. They both think this is a fun game. <br />
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She rolled from belly to back Thursday for the first time (that I've seen, Geoff informed me that he's see her do it before I didn't tell me!!). She's been rolling back to front for a few weeks. She doesn't have the most impressive head control, but her tummy time continues to improve every day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 months</td></tr>
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The doctor, in an effort to encourage me to help her gain some more weight before her next check-up, suggested I start her on solids, but she's not ready. We started Will around 4.5 months, but he was much more ready physically for solids. I'll want Audrey's head control to improve more before we'll do that. <br />
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Overall she's just been a happy and welcome addition to our little family and we love watching her grow! <br />
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And, seriously, that hair.Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-5700814753052506932014-06-04T17:48:00.000-06:002014-06-04T17:48:06.835-06:00What do you do in the Summertime?Summer is upon us! <br />
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This is our second summer in California (and our first that I'm not also pregnant), so we are excited to make the most of this beautiful place that we live. Our budget is small this year, so we can't do anything big, but there is a LOT to do for little to no money (and the beauty of a toddler is that everything is big - playing outside on the driveway is big stuff to him). <br />
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So [inspired by <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/161003755402739426/">this Pinterest find</a>], Monday night for family night, we went to the dollar store and got all the supplies we needed to make our own Summer Fun To Do List. <br />
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Now, mine isn't even half as cute as the pinned one, but Will had SO much fun decorating it with sponges and paint and stickers that it's worth the eye sore that it became. It's now hanging on our wall as a reminder of all the fun we can have when we are sitting around on a warm summer evening or a slow moving Saturday. <br />
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Every time that Will sees it, he proceeds to tell me all about the parts that he painted and the car stickers he put on it. It's going to be a great summer!Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-31021766792957333872014-06-02T12:10:00.001-06:002014-06-02T12:20:56.311-06:00Mother NurtureIt's been really fun - and interesting - to get to know Audrey over the past 4 months. She is smart and discerning and is more sensitive to sound than her brother was at this age. She wants to move much more than her little body is capable of and gets frustrated if she's left in one position too long. She's very alert and attentive and not much of a fusser. She's happiest when someone is giving her 100% of their attention and staring into her big blue eyes.<br />
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It got me to thinking about nature versus nurture. I think both are extremely important, but I thought back to this little video of my boy taking his first steps on his 1st birthday. <br />
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Adorable, right? But, did you see what happened at about 3-4 seconds in? He stumbled a bit and I caught him. I was helping him to stand back up again when he did something so characteristically Will that it makes me smile still. He pulled his hands away as if to say - I don't need help! Let me do it. <br />
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And now, at 2 1/2, that is one of the most common phrases my little man says, "No, mama. Will do it." He's very independent and, although he's willing to ask for help when he can't do something, he always prefers to do it himself if he can. And, that was evident from a very early age. <br />
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Knowing that makes watching my little girl grow into herself that much more interesting. I see so much in her already. She's SO different from her brother in so many ways: her physical appearance, her mannerisms, her "milestone" achievements, her likes and dislikes, even how she nurses. But she's smart and fun and fantastic in her own ways. So much of that personality does seem to be there right from the start. <br />
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As a mom, I feel like it's my responsibility to nurture those (natural) strengths that I see in my little ones, even from this young age. I think sometimes that can be hard if your child's strengths are dramatically different from your own (like if you are an outgoing parent and your child is more introverted), but I still think it's vital that, as parents, we work to understand each of our kids as individuals so we can nurture their strengths without making them feel compared to another child's strengths. My kids may both be great athletes, or one may trip over their own feet (like their mama), or neither may like sports at all, but no matter what they are talented at or how their personalities manifest I will encourage each to be their own best self - whatever that may entail. And, I'm so excited to watch my little ones grow into the [undoubtedly awesome] people that they will become. <br />
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<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-40720834215558735852014-05-23T13:14:00.002-06:002014-05-23T13:27:10.685-06:00Hair Raising ExperiencesI am no stranger to hair grooming-related emergencies. I'm not a great "detail" person, so I tend to rush a little bit and this gets me into trouble. <br />
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I remember my first <i>real</i> grooming emergency happened when I was in middle school (7th grade, I believe). I was trying to tweeze my eyebrows and I couldn't find my tweezers. Somehow, my pubescent brain thought that nail clippers were the next best thing. Fast forward to 10 minutes later when I had, literally, cut off half of my right eyebrow. Luckily, my understanding mother let me skip first hour the next day and took me to the drug store to get a pencil and tools to draw my brow back on. <br />
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And three weeks ago, I was sitting in church when I spied a missed patch of hair on my leg and I spent the rest of the services with my son's blanket covering my legs. So, it was very timely that <a href="http://www.influenster.com/">Influenster</a> and Venus razors teamed up to send me a VoxBox to try out their new Snap portable razor. I gave it a try this week and I was pleasantly surprised! <br />
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If you don't know, the Snap razor is a Venus Embrace razor blade on an adorable tiny handle that comes in a clamshell case so you can easily toss it in a purse (or computer bag in my case). Most days I get to work from home, but Wednesday I commuted into my San Francisco office. Because I wanted to try out the razor, I "forgot" to shave one armpit and a patch of skin on my leg (this is not, however, an uncommon occurrence for a me. As a mom of two young ones - one of whom is still up 2-4 times a night for feedings - my shower routine is haphazard, at best). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't is adorable? Yes, I just called a razor adorable.</td></tr>
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I tossed my Snap in my computer bag and headed out. I had two primary concerns when it came to using the razor:<br />
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1) I have sensitive skin. I always shave with moisturizer, so how was putting a little water on my razor going to translate into smooth, non-irritated skin?<br />
2) How would I clean it after each use to keep the blade fresh as long as possible. If I'm only using the razor for quick fixes, I don't want it to dull after a use or two. <br />
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Here's how things shook down. I shaved with cold tap water in the bathroom at work. I shaved my armpit and the patch on my leg. The Embrace razor head has (what they call) a "water activated ribbon of moisture" around the blades and it was pretty amazing. No irritation at all, even with a "dry" shave. So, that was great. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my In A Snap in San Francisco</td></tr>
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I did find, however, that my second concern was a bit more warranted. I had trouble cleaning the hair out of the razor with just the pressure of the tap in the office bathroom. I didn't want to rub it down with a towel, lest I prematurely lose my ribbon of moisture - so I generally feel like I didn't get the blades as clean as they would need to be to help extend the life of the razor. The clamshell case does have some "air holes" however, so no moisture will stay trapped on the blades - just some little hairs.<br />
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I do <i>love</i> that the blade can be replaced with a standard Embrace razor head, however, as I've been pretty converted to the blade itself (that ribbon of moisture really is a life-saver for my sensitive skin). So, I can buy a standard handle for my shower razor and then let my replacement heads do double-duty. <br />
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For anyone who likes to wear skirts/shorts on a regular basis or who showers in a bit of a fog every morning, I think a Snap razor should be a must-have in your bag. You might not need it every day, but when you do need it, you'll be glad you have it!<br />
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<i>Want to join Influenster? Let me know your email address and I'll send you an invite! </i><br />
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<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-79156798141639589032014-05-20T13:06:00.000-06:002014-05-20T13:06:44.764-06:00Family of FourSo much has been going on and how much of it is chronicled in my blog? Oh, NONE. Let me give a quick update and we'll go forward from there. I am going to start setting aside some dedicated "blogging" time shortly, so keep an eye out for more regular musings coming your way!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't you just eat them up?!</td></tr>
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1) Audrey is now 3+ months old. She'll be 4 months on the 26th. She is simply delightful. She loves to eat her hands and chatter away. She's a very vocal baby. Will liked to make some noise, too, but not like this gal. She's been a pretty good sleeper from the beginning. She goes to bed between 7:30-8pm and "sleeps" until 7:30-8am. But, we have a few wake-ups in between still. She's not terribly physical (she can roll back to front, but is not a tummy time champ at all), but I think she's exerting so much energy on hair-growing, that something's gotta give. Other than that, she's just growing and learning and such a welcome little addition to our family.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for a picnic.</td></tr>
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2) Will is 2 1/2 now and he's his own version of delightful. This is a really fun age and he's a really great little kiddo. Since we last caught up he has given up his pacifier (pretty much his own choice - I'll write another blog about that later) and moved from the crib to a toddler bed. I was nervous about so much change with little sis' coming on board, but he has adapted to her presence as if she was always here. Will has never struggled with having her around. We brought her home and it was as if she had always been there. He's gentle with her and helpful with things she needs and generally tolerates her existence without any trouble. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing out his new camp chair before he and daddy went camping!</td></tr>
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3) Geoff unexpectedly lost his job in March, so he's doing daddy daycare duty while he looks for a new one. It's a competitive job market, but he's an awesome guy, so we are hopeful that he'll find something great soon. He had the opportunity to watch Will when he was just a teeny one (he worked nights and watched Will during the day), so I think it's kind of cool that he also gets that time with Audrey at this age. It's not something a lot of dads get. Of course, we'd prefer he were working, but you gotta find those silver linings wherever they may be hiding. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snuggling those kidlets.</td></tr>
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4) Me! I'm doing well. Work is good. Kids are awesome. My house is nearly always a mess (hey, you can't win them all). I really can't think of anything else to say about me. There must be more, but I guess I'll mention it later. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQkuT6c032kKrFs7e_27Bwr81XzTNDuzEqB7Xyjyuk-qf_evT_8US_BV6amnUc8VAxeDi4-jqnFQN8fJkNktrQ-5fvH1IIc0O-15sV_ejk47uxUUiQP6Bh-lR3AHLNPsnRw0YujJmUTE0/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQkuT6c032kKrFs7e_27Bwr81XzTNDuzEqB7Xyjyuk-qf_evT_8US_BV6amnUc8VAxeDi4-jqnFQN8fJkNktrQ-5fvH1IIc0O-15sV_ejk47uxUUiQP6Bh-lR3AHLNPsnRw0YujJmUTE0/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempting selfies with a toddler.</td></tr>
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Anywho, we'll call that "caught up" and, as I said, keep your eye out for more regular posts!Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-21488433716620733932014-02-10T00:47:00.000-07:002014-02-10T00:47:05.351-07:00Welcome, Audrey!Two week ago at this very moment I was being wheeled into my recovery room at the hospital feeling pretty dazed and elated from the labor and delivery experience I had just had with my second kiddo. My beautiful baby girl, Audrey Dianne. She was born on Sunday, January 26th at 7:59pm weighing in at 6 lbs 15 oz and measuring 19 3/4 inches. <br />
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Her entry into the world went nothing as I expected it to, but it was pretty incredible, nonetheless. Because I was <a href="http://geesis.blogspot.com/2011/11/best-day-ever.html">induced with Will</a>, I had no experience with going into labor naturally or what I should expect that to feel like. Because of this, I found myself pretty frustrated in the days preceding Audrey's birth. Had I known better, I would have known she'd be coming soon. I had been having pain and cramping for a couple days, but didn't realize this was the early stages of labor. Friday and Saturday before she was born I spent A LOT of time walking. I'd push Will in the stroller and have contractions here and there and will them to continue. Saturday night, Geoff and I left Will with Dizza and Papa and went out to dinner, figuring it would be the last time we'd get a night out for awhile. We went to PF Changs and had a nice time. At the end of dinner and on the way to the car, I was having some pretty strong contractions and feeling optimistic that "maybe I'd have a baby by Monday."<br />
Well, in the middle of the night on Sunday morning, around 3am, I was woken up by contractions. I took a shower and was able to fall back to sleep. We went to church and I was having contractions about 7 minutes apart that weren't too painful. <br />
So, I came home and took a nap. I was able to sleep through any contractions I may have been having until about 3pm. At this point, although they were still 7-12 minutes apart, the intensity was increasing. So, I called my mom and said, "I need my mama." She came over to be my moral support. Around 10 to 4pm we decided to take a walk. We loaded Will into his stroller and head out. We walked for about an hour. We talked on the walk about how maybe we'd have a baby in the wee hours of Monday morning, maybe head to the hospital around 7pm. <br />
The walk worked on speeding things up. By the time we got home, my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. It was 5pm at this point, so I decided if things stayed steady for an hour, I'd head in. By the time 5:45pm rolled around the contractions were averaging 2-3 minutes apart and were getting painful enough I'd have to stop walking or talking during them. So, I called Labor and Delivery to let them know I'd be in before too long. Geoff finished up Will's bath and packing up the final items on our "hospital" list. We left just after 6pm. <br />
We arrived at the hospital around 6:15pm. Geoff asked me if I wanted a wheelchair and, honestly, the idea of sitting was pretty terrible, so I declined. Once we were in the hospital, however, and I was staring down what seemed to be a never ending hallway, I regretted that decision. We had to stop 2-3 times for me to manage a contraction, but finally we made it Labor and Delivery. We checked in at 6:23pm. They took me to triage to get me on monitors and see how far along I was. I remember feeling pretty upset at this point - they seemed to be moving in slow motion and I told Geoff that they weren't moving fast enough, that this baby was coming sooner than they thought. <br />
The midwife came in to check me and I was 6 centimeters dilated. I remember everything after being told "6 cm" seemed pretty surreal. Just before 7pm, while I was waiting in triage for them to admit me and get me to a room, I remember telling Geoff to tell my mom that my dad needed to get to my house (to take over Will watch) so my mom could get to the hospital. She was going to miss the baby's birth. It was at this point I started to panic - things were moving too fast. I was in a lot of pain. No one was moving fast enough! A couple of contractions went by and I did not handle them well. <br />
Finally, they moved us to a room and started working on my IV. They had some trouble getting the IV in my arm (this happened with Will, too) and ended up putting it in my hand - for the sake of time. Around now is when I realized that I probably wasn't going to get an epidural and the acceptance allowed me to really focus and manage the contractions surprisingly well. Although, Geoff's may have some photographic proof that I was squeezing his hand pretty hard!<br />
It was at this point (7:30pm) that I started telling the nurses I felt that I wanted to push soon. They checked me again and I was a 9.5 centimeters. Then, the anesthesiologist arrived. Our eyes met and I shook my head at him. I knew there was no chance that an epidural was going to happen in time. He came over and patted my shoulder and told me I was making the right choice and wished me luck.<br />
Around 7:45pm the nurse told me they could have the midwife break my water, which would probably dilate me the last half centimeter and allow me to push. I told them I really wanted my mom to be there, so we should wait another few minutes. Gratefully, my mom did arrive a minute or two later and they called the midwife in for delivery.<br />
She broke my water and, sure enough, I was ready to push. Audrey was face up, but she did turn during delivery (Will was the same). I didn't handle the pushing too great, but that was mostly because it actually felt really great to let go - I'd been so focused up to that point, I kind of wanted to just scream. :) <br />
After, maybe, 5 minutes or so of pushing, she was here! I couldn't believe it. I had really only considered my labor to have started around 4pm that afternoon. Here I was, just 4 hours later holding my tiny little daughter in my arms - sans any pain meds. <br />
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Now, two weeks later, I find myself getting tears in my eyes any time that I drive by the route that my mom and I walked on that beautiful Sunday afternoon. And, although I probably should have been on my way to the hospital at that point, I'll never forget those moments walking and pondering the baby that would be soon arriving and musing over all the possibilities. Welcome, Audrey. You are a perfect little piece to our family and we're so glad you are here. <br />
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I'll try to write more soon about Will's first time meeting her and how things have been going since!Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-66744236516209828072014-01-22T17:24:00.002-07:002014-01-22T17:24:57.709-07:00The SummonsHave you ever noticed that there's no good and easy way to tell a state that you no longer reside there? Anyway, due to this, I recently received a jury summons from the state of North Dakota. I put it in my "to do" list, but since I'm not actually a resident there and I've got a serious case of pregnancy brain, it did not get done. <br />
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So, I received my second notice in the mail yesterday. This letter, in no uncertain terms, explained why I needed to respond to my summons. It states "This form must be completed by 20-Jan-2014 [although I received it on 21-Jan-2014]. Failure to do so will result in further action being taken."<br />
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Uh oh. Did you hear that? Further action. I'm going to start using that with Will. "Will, don't you throw that toy or I'm going to have to take further action." "Eat your peas or, you know, <i>stuff</i> will have to happen." <br />
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So, anyway, I'm already giggling as I head to the website to fill out the form, like the good law-abiding citizen that I am. And then - the first thing the form asks me is my round trip mileage to the courthouse. So, in all seriousness, I pull up google maps and chart my trip to the courthouse; 1,755 miles one-way. So, I dutifully type in 3,510 miles as my round trip distance. <br />
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However, at this point I'm laughing so hard I'm almost in tears as I picture myself, 39.5 weeks pregnant driving 1700 miles for jury duty in Cass County to avoid "further action." On the bright side, they reimburse your mileage at .565 per mile.<br />
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Road trip, anyone? <br />
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Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-64738807082751304962014-01-10T17:59:00.000-07:002014-01-10T17:59:00.593-07:00WILL!I feel like it's been a really long time since I did a post to update on my favorite little man, Mr. Will. So, before I'm writing up a birth story about his little sister, I wanted to get a good post in to remember what my little guy was like when he was my ONLY little one. <br />
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Will is 26 months old now (we just call him 2, however) and is just the light of our whole lives. In the last couple of months since he turned two, he's come a long way in speaking and communicating with us and gets better every day. <br />
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He likes to hug and give kisses - but mostly on his timetable. If you ask for a hug or kiss, you've only got a 50% chance your actually gonna get it. Along those same lines, he's pretty headstrong. He knows what he wants (or more accurately what he doesn't want) and he'll make that clear to you. I was joking with Geoff the other day that the key to a happy day with Will is convince him that everything is his idea. I'm surprisingly good at that, too. <br />
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I've given Will a bad rap over the past few months as someone who won't let me take his picture. I discovered on Christmas Eve that wasn't the case. He just doesn't respect my phone as a camera! When he had his picture taken with a <i>real</i> camera, this kid was a HAM. So, my picture-taking philosophy has changed. So, you'll probably see less instant Instagram posts as I take more photos with my real camera.<br />
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Will's favorite things right now are the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers:_Rescue_Bots">Rescue Bots</a>. He got 4 bots for Christmas and they are his favorite toy as well (although he still LOVES his matchbox cars). He may need to get the last bot as a gift when baby sis arrives. Geoff and I really liked the show when we found it because it was very kid friendly, but also entertaining to us. By now it has become almost unbearable as we've seen each of the 24 episodes enough times to act it out. But, Will loves it and he is too cute to turn down when it's time for a show and he just looks at you and goes, "Bots? Yeah, bots." and nods his little head.<br />
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Along with that, Will is also in the habit of asking you a question and then answering for you. "Crackers? Yeah, crackers." or "Car? Car." And he'll nod at you while he says it waiting for you to nod as well. It's extremely adorable. The upside to this is he asks for almost everything and doesn't just do whatever he's thinking. And, if I tell him no, he may pout, but he usually listens.<br />
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My pregnancy has confused the whole issue on body parts for Will. He calls his belly (and everyone else's belly) a baby. We correct him and try to explain that only mommy has the baby, but sometimes hearing him exclaim "Oh, no! Baby!" when he spills on his shirt is too cute to correct.<br />
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Will can point to and name his mouth, nose, eyes, ears, head, belly, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes. He can also count to 10 (he usually needs a little help, as 4 gets repeated a couple times). He is also getting better at his letter recognition. He can mostly recite the ABCs with me and he for sure knows what an R, P, O and E are and he's learning more each day. He calls letters Rs and numbers 4s in general. So, if you are looking at a sign with him, he can differentiate the letters and numbers, but you'll think he's telling you all the numbers are 4s and the letters are Rs. <br />
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Will has recently developed a deep and abiding love for "machines." This means fans, essentially. But, any kind of fan. A space heater, a heater vent in the wall/ceiling of the house/store, a regular oscillating fan, a bathroom exhaust fan, etc. Even the grate at the bottom of the fridge he will kneel and point and exclaim "machine!" When we are in the store he will point out every vent and then proclaim, "More Machine!" His loves to turn fans on and off. So much it can be used as a reward. <i>After you take a bath, we can turn the fan on!</i><br />
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Will also learned a very important word last week - "Mine." He hasn't been using it in a possessive way too much yet, but just in a way that indicates he is understanding possession. He likes to explain who things belong to. "Mama's pancake, Dada's pancake, my pancake." Occasionally he'll proclaim something "mine" that wasn't really. So, we use that as a chance to talk about sharing. Last night he pushed away his own baked potato and pointed to mine and said "my tato." I said, "well, this is actually mama's potato, but we can share it." And, we did.<br />
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He's really a very sweet kiddo. He doesn't like to be punished and punishing him is really hard because of it. Luckily, his punishments are few and far between. He makes us laugh all the time and keeps us active and having a blast. I'm ready to get this pregnancy over with so I can keep up better with him again. We are SO lucky to be his parents and can't wait to see him continue to learn and grow.<br />
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<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-15937024715566346162013-12-27T17:46:00.001-07:002013-12-27T17:46:05.207-07:005 Weeks 'til D-Date!<div style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">I did <a href="http://geesis.blogspot.com/2011/10/documenting-pregnancy.html">this with Will</a>, so I thought I'd do the same for this little lady, since, in general I'm significantly more terrible about blogging/documenting our lives these days. She shouldn't have to miss out on everything. :)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">MY PREGNANCY:<br /><br /><em>Mother Name</em>: Amanda<br /><em>Age</em>: 27<br /><em>Birthday</em>: October 1st<br /><em>Height</em>: 5'6<br /><em>Father Name</em>: Geoff<br /><em>Age</em>: 28<br /><em>Birthday</em>: October 31st<br /><em>Height</em>: 5'11<br /><br />FIRSTS<br /><br /><em>Is this your first pregnancy?: </em>Nope! This is number 3, technically.<br /><em>When did you find out you were pregnant?: </em>This is a more loaded question than you think. But, I took a test around May 24th that came back positive.<br /><em>How did you find out you were pregnant?: </em>I took a test - it was positive. </span><br />
<em>What kind of pregnancy test did you take?: </em>I don't know. Whatever was on sale at the drug store that week.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">How many?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Just one. I probably took another one a couple days later just for peace of mind. Pregnant minds can go a little crazy. :)</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">What were your first symptoms?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Not too bad. I dealt with some nausea - certainly way worse than my pregnancy with Mr. Will, but very little vomiting or anything. I was very tired, however. Still am. Ha.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Who did you tell first?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">The hub!</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Who was with you when you found out?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Geoff was there.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Was baby planned?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Yes and no. We weren't stopping a pregnancy, per se. But, since the miscarriage in January and the recent move, it wasn't really something we were expecting or planning exactly. But, we were delighted.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">When was baby conceived?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Mid to late-April</span><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">How far were you when you found out?:</em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;"> Just about 4 weeks. I tested as soon as I was able. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">MY BABY: </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Due date: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">1/30/14</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Did you want to know the sex?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Absolutely.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Do you know the sex?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Yup!</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">If so, boy or girl? </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Girl!</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Any names?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Yes. Baby girl has a name, but I've been avoiding sharing it publicly. But, it's not a big secret, so if you really want to know, ask me privately (or just wait a few weeks!).</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Any ultrasounds?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">I've had a few. I had one at 6 weeks, one at about 10 weeks (after I fell down the stairs at my in-laws), and the big one at 20 weeks. The doc mentioned they may do one at my next appointment (36 weeks), which would be AWESOME. I'd love to see her.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Have you heard the heartbeat?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">You bet. That first appointment hearing that little heartbeat was the absolute best, especially after not having found a heartbeat with the last pregnancy. Her heart rate has trended lower than Will's did, hovering between 130-140 throughout the pregnancy.</span><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;"><br />Who do you think baby will look like? </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">I don't know! Will came out such a blend, it's hard to imagine what this little lady will look like. But, I'm certain she's going to be adorable.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Will baby have any siblings?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Of course, big bro Will. It may take him a bit to adjust to her, but she's going to be lucky to have such an awesome big brother. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">When did you first feel the baby move? </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">This chica has not been much of one for movement. I think I must be carrying her further inside than Will because I don't feel her movements the same. I felt her first move fairly early (around 14-15 weeks), but I really have to pay attention. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">When did you start to show?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">I don't really know. If you know me, you probably would have been able to tell around 17-18 weeks. But, I felt noticeably pregnant long before that. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">How long could you wear your regular clothes? </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Awhile. I think I had to abandon my pre-pregnancy pants around 13-14 weeks and the shirts closer to 20-22 weeks. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Are you excited?:</em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;"> Very!</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">MISCELLANEOUS: </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Did you have morning sickness?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Yeah. It hit me around 13 weeks and stayed until about 17 weeks. It was never too unbearable. I just really struggled making Will breakfast. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Do you have any cravings?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Not really. Occasionally I just HAVE to have pineapples or pears, but that's about it. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Do you have any mood swings?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Oh, sure. This lady was way worse than Will on my emotions, especially in the beginning. I felt out of control! As I've progressed, however, I feel like I've gotten a lot more stable and I'm feeling pretty good these days - albeit easily emotional.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Are you a high risk pregnancy?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Nope. So far so good. My doc probably loves it when I come in for my checkups because it's always by the book. My BP went up around 36 weeks last time, though, so we are keeping an eye on those numbers closely.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Any complications?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Nope.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Formula or breastfeeding?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">I will be breastfeeding.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Have you bought anything for baby yet?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Yes. Although, I feel way behind. We've got the cradle, crib, carseat (we'll be reusing Will's) and glider. I had a friend gift me a bouncer seat, bath seat, and play gym (so grateful!). I've got a few outfits and a pack and play, but that's it. I haven't stocked up on diapers, I'm short about 20 outfits, a swing, etc... But, it'll all come as it's needed. Babies need so little at first </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Who will help with baby after their born?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Geoff will take a little time off and, luckily, my fam is close enough to help out! My mom will be around a lot, I'd assume and my SIL will probably end up being a life saver. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">What is your favorite thing about being pregnant?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">I'm just in awe of what the human body can do. I look at my little boy and just can't even believe that I MADE HIM. I'm excited to meet my little lady and see her unique personality and get to watch her grow as well. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">What is the worst thing about being pregnant?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">All your other organs getting all squished resulting in heartburn, a never ending need to use the restroom, and rib pain - oh, the rib pain!</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">What's one thing do you miss doing since being pregnant?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Same answer as last pregnancy: Diet Soda. If you want to visit me and meet the baby after she's born, an ice cold 20-ounce Diet Coke will get you in the door. :) </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Any days you wish you weren't pregnant?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Nope. Pregnancy isn't what I would call easy, but I don't have really terrible ones, either. I'll be okay with getting my body back when this is over, but I generally enjoy the whole experience.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Are you ready for baby?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Just about! I'm not quite far enough along yet to start wishing she'd be here already.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">How many kids do you want?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">I don't know. Going from 1 to 2 is going to be a big change, so we're gonna hang tight at 2 for awhile before we make any decisions on future offspring. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Do you talk to your baby?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Haha. Not a ton. Mostly just when I'm calling her a stinker (she stops moving the minute anyone else tries to feel her move) or when I'm asking her to please move her toes out of my ribcage</span><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">. But, Will and I talk about her all the time.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Do you still feel attractive?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Eh. If I go to the effort to get looking cute, usually. But, if I'm being honest, I very rarely make that effort. </span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Have you had your baby shower yet?: </em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">Nope.</span><br style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;">How far along are you now?:</em><span style="font-family: 'Coming Soon'; font-size: 13px;"> 35 weeks, 1 day</span></span></div>
Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-55386574127846660852013-12-20T12:20:00.001-07:002013-12-20T12:20:30.727-07:00December Photo EssayWondering what we're up to? Now you know!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAPD188oHmspOgQLn2zcAbkvEJd_oH4V19XLeZFHO7x7Orbg1axQsfWSrKVQff3hZZmI3-vfniQfbo7yCSPwpS0WfJubKaTef95f_icHyH8VAs0jBVlDqkleWP3pQmxMRFSP5r2T4Bi8T/s1600/IMG_2978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAPD188oHmspOgQLn2zcAbkvEJd_oH4V19XLeZFHO7x7Orbg1axQsfWSrKVQff3hZZmI3-vfniQfbo7yCSPwpS0WfJubKaTef95f_icHyH8VAs0jBVlDqkleWP3pQmxMRFSP5r2T4Bi8T/s320/IMG_2978.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping to decorate Papa and Dizza's Christmas tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K7PRj6_PHhzqSYKXw909hBvqtP3PaRRuB42LHpo0RPldTqzLRAAdq62kAyebTh2jPUeJn7BZlb9RJWtT0elErqmFD_hQVT93Luw3rvqfSUvn6gB1CggxmLiFs4KTpJ8yS0LsNFsTwd1D/s1600/IMG_2988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-K7PRj6_PHhzqSYKXw909hBvqtP3PaRRuB42LHpo0RPldTqzLRAAdq62kAyebTh2jPUeJn7BZlb9RJWtT0elErqmFD_hQVT93Luw3rvqfSUvn6gB1CggxmLiFs4KTpJ8yS0LsNFsTwd1D/s320/IMG_2988.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cole and Will were good helpers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL5ytQL7M4vDjXVgLI6J24OMlsJCM6T9g_5CIA-ADrJPe1VvzoBY40Y5xZhDxVosNurNXCUHyJWkY9FEaSyKAlrANBbCqpReq_CrFfzXHEdwGQo0sSHjMEtxXT2aGc3TdwtTgQqr6D3Vt/s1600/IMG_2901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL5ytQL7M4vDjXVgLI6J24OMlsJCM6T9g_5CIA-ADrJPe1VvzoBY40Y5xZhDxVosNurNXCUHyJWkY9FEaSyKAlrANBbCqpReq_CrFfzXHEdwGQo0sSHjMEtxXT2aGc3TdwtTgQqr6D3Vt/s320/IMG_2901.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These poor reindeer never have their antlers on straight (lately Will has taken to just pushing them over altogether).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9SVP4pwMAXGyKP8q2Yn0y67ytiVGc0v0XMsdE8zY-DxZ-x_mlR9ORJF1jTaTLf5dKFGYnwwd07-bAGK9BzDze8hNN_nsxWOZkRbW4EfVVpJiSB9I8-waxiGxZVn-NEW9Y3kMicOOqlwh/s1600/IMG_3001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9SVP4pwMAXGyKP8q2Yn0y67ytiVGc0v0XMsdE8zY-DxZ-x_mlR9ORJF1jTaTLf5dKFGYnwwd07-bAGK9BzDze8hNN_nsxWOZkRbW4EfVVpJiSB9I8-waxiGxZVn-NEW9Y3kMicOOqlwh/s320/IMG_3001.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felt tree - he loved it for awhile and has also since taken to throwing all the ornaments on the floor.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehLwZhctEIkfUvYa9Z_RIdJXP1Slt3oY5b7Dz9nulHjhZS1Tu8ok8n_5PUzgBR9Y5RJcisXLbhI07gjGlk7PhfIOuBPitRxYhqqkf-EyWF83iqwuw5vc7smfcfli3gJDGSXgWPgDV3Eak/s1600/IMG_3010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehLwZhctEIkfUvYa9Z_RIdJXP1Slt3oY5b7Dz9nulHjhZS1Tu8ok8n_5PUzgBR9Y5RJcisXLbhI07gjGlk7PhfIOuBPitRxYhqqkf-EyWF83iqwuw5vc7smfcfli3gJDGSXgWPgDV3Eak/s320/IMG_3010.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laundry is fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kLW0olKXpNhkVZB7TJC1PyOUVoVXbx19YMWXdvUFSOzpcBk41c4jkjSlrZmx5ebLca0vfrP-62038DnfJNBaCEEDMJQtOcEU-5pomy6aTfOTqf2bvfrgt8x1z-rLImkOfnhhK_Vn6dUg/s1600/IMG_3017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kLW0olKXpNhkVZB7TJC1PyOUVoVXbx19YMWXdvUFSOzpcBk41c4jkjSlrZmx5ebLca0vfrP-62038DnfJNBaCEEDMJQtOcEU-5pomy6aTfOTqf2bvfrgt8x1z-rLImkOfnhhK_Vn6dUg/s320/IMG_3017.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making Christmas cookies with Dizza (i.e. Grandma Gamblin, for anyone who didn't know).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmsIh8VVIt52OpnSeD3SffIq2-TepyJWVdry4fQmLjpECtj-HuPAKcybLo_5rp4Gc36Ju6HeTbvu38sXosEoN_dlI-43MYniIh21CpkOmC32GkDeqUp7VRi-ZxiHFqZtkMZ9-LGsKVycb/s1600/IMG_3018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmsIh8VVIt52OpnSeD3SffIq2-TepyJWVdry4fQmLjpECtj-HuPAKcybLo_5rp4Gc36Ju6HeTbvu38sXosEoN_dlI-43MYniIh21CpkOmC32GkDeqUp7VRi-ZxiHFqZtkMZ9-LGsKVycb/s320/IMG_3018.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tastey!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXu7sO9ae8KG-AS5PbfdyKwgohRhPVyS8o9nZU7q8fQ50-D3LlyMpX4NXgXHEOAWoKl_svvJozo8lBxf0GHzU5_bJkxcghSMwIfv7kmHZiVFs4u-B7ExcMMdEuAbVz76iBKZlliGriCxm/s1600/IMG_3037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXu7sO9ae8KG-AS5PbfdyKwgohRhPVyS8o9nZU7q8fQ50-D3LlyMpX4NXgXHEOAWoKl_svvJozo8lBxf0GHzU5_bJkxcghSMwIfv7kmHZiVFs4u-B7ExcMMdEuAbVz76iBKZlliGriCxm/s320/IMG_3037.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">32 weeks preggo (I'm up to 34 now!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vHAtZCrfEkIWUgbA20z2UQZs23AKO_FzyQ9uK-_Qv-w2ZFP_344nopNQIg08sbIjFk2vMVI_GQ-2r5Tk91LW5rzW0D_Yx6SLZlF1QKgUjTs1w26a8NDjEL83fPKM9cHyxiZ7jSniB2y9/s1600/IMG_3042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vHAtZCrfEkIWUgbA20z2UQZs23AKO_FzyQ9uK-_Qv-w2ZFP_344nopNQIg08sbIjFk2vMVI_GQ-2r5Tk91LW5rzW0D_Yx6SLZlF1QKgUjTs1w26a8NDjEL83fPKM9cHyxiZ7jSniB2y9/s320/IMG_3042.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinterest helped me decorate with these DIY showflakes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdef-yWZsWJpmYMBUJveGxq_9DUG-254gTTnaPiKqBZf8twZZIgvOLsKAb_FAbRIdUuZ48NGvMZyubZWXjoq0pgnmVfFpdxGzFwtgXgfACcykCsHUBW6Di-tkub5GBxFKrq7kRszVd7fM/s1600/IMG_3045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdef-yWZsWJpmYMBUJveGxq_9DUG-254gTTnaPiKqBZf8twZZIgvOLsKAb_FAbRIdUuZ48NGvMZyubZWXjoq0pgnmVfFpdxGzFwtgXgfACcykCsHUBW6Di-tkub5GBxFKrq7kRszVd7fM/s320/IMG_3045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My nativity display.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysjrnNzwv0yK__9bTzI48S90R0uAA7KU-NHhG2p8ixXzC658ujNjFiWxuwAFKDNsuwVo8rDzgqfLXo6D09Z4LPz_LLJfulkJLDpHYQHGDK_7gavTGoPYoG-6vprV81WiCFzT6R-zn7pkm/s1600/IMG_3068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysjrnNzwv0yK__9bTzI48S90R0uAA7KU-NHhG2p8ixXzC658ujNjFiWxuwAFKDNsuwVo8rDzgqfLXo6D09Z4LPz_LLJfulkJLDpHYQHGDK_7gavTGoPYoG-6vprV81WiCFzT6R-zn7pkm/s320/IMG_3068.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will at the ER after he cut his lip open. No stitches needed, just glue and tape strips. It's healing nicely.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S4MGsooelXCTGFXye8k4tYYo-Y8HQTlsUdVpq7-wBPxGVm4I94mp3NiJ-18nBko7h2L6RQCgR4adebdomcYFcKAjXbzO78GHZTkRhyHrmBA0CZXObx27RSY9Q5QzGhVZGGApUmvxLvS0/s1600/IMG_3072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S4MGsooelXCTGFXye8k4tYYo-Y8HQTlsUdVpq7-wBPxGVm4I94mp3NiJ-18nBko7h2L6RQCgR4adebdomcYFcKAjXbzO78GHZTkRhyHrmBA0CZXObx27RSY9Q5QzGhVZGGApUmvxLvS0/s320/IMG_3072.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Went to the local holiday parade and outdoor market (where do I live!!)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWds73aWDrFbJFAY_7fkDP8Vy0y8wtQRqToC2difSMzncdxOEaQqpdcUMjZucCmXG8748htn9qqf47MJBOUrOLs2voPAOHb1jLqfA2a7Ag-k_fx5dlc47G7VqxrbPeglA4vloGj_qyjqcI/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWds73aWDrFbJFAY_7fkDP8Vy0y8wtQRqToC2difSMzncdxOEaQqpdcUMjZucCmXG8748htn9qqf47MJBOUrOLs2voPAOHb1jLqfA2a7Ag-k_fx5dlc47G7VqxrbPeglA4vloGj_qyjqcI/s320/IMG_3088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presents are starting to appear!</td></tr>
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Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-38308269962843788212013-12-03T16:17:00.000-07:002013-12-03T16:17:24.656-07:00So much!So, I know it's been a long time since I blogged. Every time I go to do it I'm overwhelmed by how much I have to say and how little energy I have to say it all. I'm loving my Northern California autumn. The only problem I have is that it gets dark so early - but it's still 60-65 degrees, so I want to go to the park or play outside with Will, but we can't!<br />
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We had Halloween - Will was a doctor, and an adorable one at that. We went trick or treating at a locale shopping center and stayed in to hand out candy at night. He liked handing out candy.<br />
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Will turned 2 almost a month ago, and he's just as delightful as ever. He had a couple of weeks where I was concerned that he might be turning into a "two year old," but then he got sick and once that passed, he's back to his good ol' self. We have a lot of fun. He weighed in at 30 lbs 8 oz and 36.5 inches tall at his 2 year appointment. He was 90% for weight and 95% for height. So, he's a big guy! It still makes me smile that Geoff and I are on track to have a son who is around 6'3"-6'4". Not that I didn't think it was possible - we both have tall genes, but when you're average height, you don't think you'll make tall kids!<br />
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Baby girl is growing right along. I'm just shy of 32 weeks now. I'm doing good. She sits a lot lower than Will did in my abdomen and she's not as big a mover and a shaker as he was (this can lead to scares when I don't feel her moving!). But, everything is going smoothly. I'm a little more nervous with each passing week as my blood pressure didn't spike with Will until about 36 weeks. I'm hopeful we can skip all that with this pregnancy - but ready for it to happen.<br />
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Will is very much into the whole Christmas scene. He LOVES Christmas trees and all the lights and isn't shy about letting you know. "Big tree!" "More lights!" and "More trees!" are common exclamations around the house/town these days and he gives me the grins every time. We went for a drive to find some Christmas lights last night, and he could have done it for hours. "oooh, lights! More lights!"<br />
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I'm feeling extremely blessed this year having a California Christmas and preparing for baby girl and enjoying my time with Will. It's a good life I've got and I'm just working to live in the moment and enjoy every day because soon it's all going to change (in a good way - but still very different!). <br />
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Hope you are enjoying every day as well. <br />
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<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-21211400980995642912013-10-09T16:07:00.000-06:002013-10-09T16:07:15.705-06:00Tips to have a successful grocery tripSo, the other day I went shopping late at night since I hadn't been able to go on my normal Saturday trip and I wanted to avoid having to take a toddler after day care when he just wants to go home and play. I've been disappointed in general by the customer service at my local Safeway, but I save a lot of money by shopping there, so I put up with it.<br />
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So, I'm cruising around the store at 9pm gathering what I need and finding, to no great surprise, that grocery stores aren't very well stocked at 9pm. Many of the cheaper items that I was hoping to pick up were stripped from the shelves by earlier shoppers and their (slightly) pricier analogs were sitting there waiting for me. Rather than causing a fuss over my 20 cents, I picked up the can of name brand chilies and carried on. <br />
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As I did, I thought back to my experience as a grocery employee and thought I'd share my 5 tips to ensuring that you have a pleasant experience at the grocery store: <br />
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1) Make a list. I especially recommend this if you have a toddler or child with you. My mother taught me the life-changing trick of writing produce on one side, meat/dairy products in the middle, dry goods and frozen goods on the other side. This way, you can see if you've gotten everything you need as you walk down each aisle rather than realizing you missed something and continuing to wander in circles. <br />
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2) Fill your cart the same way. Put like items together. I put cans at the bottom/back of my cart and produce up front. Eggs and bread go on top. Then, when you unload your groceries, you'll already have them sorted for easy bagging - this will speed up the checkout process for you and ensure that your bread doesn't get bagged with your frozen veggies. <br />
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3) Think about when you shop. If you shop on Saturday morning (my usual time), it's going to be busier. If you shop late at night, it's going to be quieter - but you won't have the full selection or ease in finding an employee to help you (if needed). So, find a time that works for you and make sure you aren't expecting an experience that can't be provided at that time of day (like me just buying the more expensive item rather than trying to hunt down an employee and send them to the back to save me 20 cents - but, if having the cheaper item is important to you, shop at another time or be prepared to be patient).<br />
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4) Be kind to your checker. If you've had a problem with your shopping experience - share it with the manager at the service desk after you are done checking out. Getting mad at your checker, for whatever reason, isn't going to be productive. It's just going to make you look like a jerk to everyone else in line. If the lady on aisle 4 was rude to you or the line was too long, your checker won't be able to fix that for you. If you are mad because there was no Chobani vanilla yogurt,<br />
handle that in the back of the store with an associate when you notice it's missing, not when you get to the check out. Your checker can call an associate to go look for vanilla Chobani, but now you are mad and delayed - and so it everyone else in line.<br />
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5) Be careful when you go express. Unless it is a very slow day at the supermarket, don't go through the express line if you have a cart or plan to write a check (but, seriously, don't use checks at the grocery store). If your items fit in your arms or a basket, you are safe to go through the express lane. If what you want required a cart, you should let the people with fewer items use the express lane. Odds are they are picking up that one item they forgot last time or the milk they need for a cranky baby at home or the dessert for a party and truly are in a hurry. <br />
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Bottom line, be considerate. The workers (well, most of them) are really doing their best to get you in and out with what you need with as little hassle as possible. <br />
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The grocery store is there to provide you with an important product. Food. If you are making it out with at least that much - then you accomplished your goal when you walked in. Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-57814951678052765622013-09-18T12:07:00.001-06:002013-09-18T12:07:22.294-06:00Perfect!I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and I've decided that I really like my doctor. He speaks my language. This mostly means that he overuses words like "perfect" and "awesome" and, although I haven't seen his words in writing much, I assume he's a fan of the exclamation point. For a pregnant lady who feels pretty exhausted most of the time, it's delightful to hear him talk about how great everything is looking for my little gal. <br />
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We reviewed the ultrasound report in which everything came back "unremarkable" (which he assured me was a good thing, but I corrected him and let him know that this little lady is certainly remarkable). The ultrasound report didn't include gender, but he was thrilled for me when I told him it was a girl - as he knew we had a son at home - and he remarked "You guys are living the American dream!" That made me smile. Two kids in your mid-twenties doesn't seem to be the American dream any more, but it is exactly what we want in our lives. To have our little boy and, now, a little girl on the way - he was right - that <i>is </i>our dream. We are so lucky to be living this wonderfully blessed life of ours with our awesome little family. <br />
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Will is doing great. He's learning new words every day and it blows me away how big he is getting. I can't believe that just a couple years ago, I was still pregnant with him. Time is an amazing thing. He's just 6 weeks shy of of his 2 year birthday - and you can tell. Just in the last few weeks, he's starting transitioning into a "two-year old." He's still a really laid back and sweet guy, but he's apt to get a little more easily frustrated (and equally loud) when things don't go the way his was expecting. Luckily we've only really had a couple of major meltdowns and as he gets even better at communicating his needs verbally, I think we're going to have a pretty good kiddo on our hands. <br />
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Oh, and for anyone wondering, we won't be having the same naming dilemma with this little lady like we did with Will. We already have a name all picked out - but I'll wait a little bit to share it, as we do want to share it with our families first. :-) <br />
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Otherwise, things are going pretty smoothly around here these days. Geoff got assigned "his" store, so in another week or two he'll graduate from "Manager in Training" to "Manager." I'm excited for him. He's worked really hard to get his training and certifications completed and it's going to be great for him to start managing his own store/team. <br />
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The A's are getting ready to wrap up their season shortly and are in the midst of their last home stand of the season - so Geoff and I are going to head to the game on Friday (for Star Wars themed fireworks after the show as well!) to celebrate this great season. There's also a <i>chance</i> they could clinch the division on Friday - so it would be awesome to be there when they do. Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-16722652676721288972013-09-13T12:21:00.000-06:002013-09-13T12:21:06.048-06:00Gender Reveal!!!: A Photo Essay<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsUfI3okQ-pj0WJO5hyphenhyphenjHUkJ7inJveXpr8jlIrn50JoKOjKQp96FzQ25FuzeAV6sT5QQdtj8RS0RBpkWHSOWMKnoN5Qcq0QhdY5X8zJI9FNFErkOkq2GW46j6Qcg65Xw9GCjMqpRmFwI9/s1600/photo(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsUfI3okQ-pj0WJO5hyphenhyphenjHUkJ7inJveXpr8jlIrn50JoKOjKQp96FzQ25FuzeAV6sT5QQdtj8RS0RBpkWHSOWMKnoN5Qcq0QhdY5X8zJI9FNFErkOkq2GW46j6Qcg65Xw9GCjMqpRmFwI9/s400/photo(14).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the ultrasound, we joined the fam for Matt's birthday dinner. And, a little gender reveal with these adorable cards. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXu2UaT1ewXbShJdVokmpj-STi8dcWyhjyeX204AM9NrnD9dgmhLsTpHqZ1xi_Xlcv6d9bRK2a0D_ahARnfpBw6ol_HV33aXaFxaDr24jQk8j5CD1mvCHrOEqeUDTX2D_6lnfPQYTPw69/s1600/photo(4).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXu2UaT1ewXbShJdVokmpj-STi8dcWyhjyeX204AM9NrnD9dgmhLsTpHqZ1xi_Xlcv6d9bRK2a0D_ahARnfpBw6ol_HV33aXaFxaDr24jQk8j5CD1mvCHrOEqeUDTX2D_6lnfPQYTPw69/s400/photo(4).PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone anxiously scratching their cards to see the results!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBgFdYKBXlCOVCxW8SYSsCJM0efuMrcXZEYDL_fMVFf9yNvO1r_57o7SKtrWTFGCOKVbfzKohK7-omTSHErNC1f7vLUlWkI-o5HqRXdPil27eMUM8_XqLpJnStYu8aF1-u5nerKLXbA_2/s1600/photo(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBgFdYKBXlCOVCxW8SYSsCJM0efuMrcXZEYDL_fMVFf9yNvO1r_57o7SKtrWTFGCOKVbfzKohK7-omTSHErNC1f7vLUlWkI-o5HqRXdPil27eMUM8_XqLpJnStYu8aF1-u5nerKLXbA_2/s400/photo(13).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama G realizing what she might be seeing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyZ_N-2s2qTenR_I2xE_pJ3O5hmIb0o4s5exVjeFdHwZ-Zc1ATfnfhxmKV33dG2NdDThNCDPVe2qnA744xxvZvnWUN763Ky1m9PNE474CvuTLiHDTpUQJG2Lg9up95BuFl5jSyaLApxdB/s1600/photo(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyZ_N-2s2qTenR_I2xE_pJ3O5hmIb0o4s5exVjeFdHwZ-Zc1ATfnfhxmKV33dG2NdDThNCDPVe2qnA744xxvZvnWUN763Ky1m9PNE474CvuTLiHDTpUQJG2Lg9up95BuFl5jSyaLApxdB/s400/photo(12).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's right, folks! It's a girl!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNE4Ah8hlY4lX1GBRDcPJsPjqfK1Wf9M8H5bBRqVzjAEZwyZzaUpVcajwj_qLPfre0Esp5T_FsgKlIVbj28QJFkdn2KJUE-MJjc3sgoB4zl-OU86qJ7dso3vnu5iRMv42tI6WvITsk6Ky/s1600/babygirl1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNE4Ah8hlY4lX1GBRDcPJsPjqfK1Wf9M8H5bBRqVzjAEZwyZzaUpVcajwj_qLPfre0Esp5T_FsgKlIVbj28QJFkdn2KJUE-MJjc3sgoB4zl-OU86qJ7dso3vnu5iRMv42tI6WvITsk6Ky/s400/babygirl1.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freaking out just a little - first grand dot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUQpT0MjTw0z_W_vzmylEA9EVn7zHlg2WhgLGOQaqxVOtEnlJm5ftctETw4JA0lvI-KYZHc59yi_aNPlikW1OE_1X4YO1Yi7fOAzrqmaLx7IgzOL3tuG1m1J486CMBoQw1xb9sU2aKGXU/s1600/photo(10).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUQpT0MjTw0z_W_vzmylEA9EVn7zHlg2WhgLGOQaqxVOtEnlJm5ftctETw4JA0lvI-KYZHc59yi_aNPlikW1OE_1X4YO1Yi7fOAzrqmaLx7IgzOL3tuG1m1J486CMBoQw1xb9sU2aKGXU/s400/photo(10).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama G was even prepared with gifts. An ADORABLE, teeny little polka dot dress!</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-33664435470662296692013-09-11T15:19:00.000-06:002013-09-11T15:19:06.463-06:00Busy, Busy!So, somehow Geoff and I got busy! I don't even know what happened. I mean, we are typically pretty busy because of work schedules and a toddler, but our evenings are rarely filled with too much after Will goes to bed. But, we've been having some fun the past week and upcoming weekend! <br />
<br />
<b>Last week:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq3qe7YZlF_wBQATv4PDFgAYW_iESzbReKKbZrkfNnYUG63MfFfsf0Ip2MeFWozbLNzi6dwkq-W-RgqzNZRdB0fHwalrUgfjJOgj1UB4Qz7taPHdAT54vXGdO2BeSrFzhsmjeLQWMLxdL/s1600/photo(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq3qe7YZlF_wBQATv4PDFgAYW_iESzbReKKbZrkfNnYUG63MfFfsf0Ip2MeFWozbLNzi6dwkq-W-RgqzNZRdB0fHwalrUgfjJOgj1UB4Qz7taPHdAT54vXGdO2BeSrFzhsmjeLQWMLxdL/s200/photo(9).JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing at the Stomper's Fun Zone. Go A's!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>For Labor Day, my parent's treated the fam to an A's game versus our division rivals (Texas Rangers). For anyone who doesn't know, I'm a HUGE A's fan and it's so fun to be back in the Bay, especially for a pennant race. It's also very stressful. Every loss feels like the end of the world. Luckily, the A's won on Labor Day 4-2, so it was even MORE fun to be there. </li>
<li> Geoff and I went to a surprise birthday party for our friend Danny. He is married to my BFF - so it was fun to see both of them. Mama and Daddy G watched Will for us while we went, too, so it was nice to be able to hang out kid-free. Although, Geoff did spend the whole party holding Danny and Amanda's baby girl, Rylen. He had the magic touch - maybe it's time for him to get a daughter of his own?</li>
<li>I went to the Backstreet Boys concert with my friends Amanda, Krista and Mia. It was great. So fun. And especially great to get out with those awesome ladies. Hopefully we'll find an excuse to get together soon.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4HrA7UuPuax1LWhsm6o0bYmM0VZW5UKUsL2dOtuqmIrjwVNMdxZkgYC0d_7E1zkmaW2ParoSBWGESZeJs494dGDESslsWM0RVb2To1Kj4gZit40xZVRczDkVl3mIymbeC5u4TED4FGxz/s1600/photo(2).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4HrA7UuPuax1LWhsm6o0bYmM0VZW5UKUsL2dOtuqmIrjwVNMdxZkgYC0d_7E1zkmaW2ParoSBWGESZeJs494dGDESslsWM0RVb2To1Kj4gZit40xZVRczDkVl3mIymbeC5u4TED4FGxz/s200/photo(2).PNG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jam on 'cause Backstreet's got it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Upcoming:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLTcZ_02B8zHIwO9A-MrVVR2uz-EfvfJlbHGE9Z6d5SJ6uCST0MQ7ajwv3aCo30qb3V7mjub7AmBJvc_-7PnD8lf_nl6oWqAphVr1gSGsvIOeHGgjWgMjXbp4Xz87WzZ8ORVHhdJGMYYI/s1600/photo(3).PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLTcZ_02B8zHIwO9A-MrVVR2uz-EfvfJlbHGE9Z6d5SJ6uCST0MQ7ajwv3aCo30qb3V7mjub7AmBJvc_-7PnD8lf_nl6oWqAphVr1gSGsvIOeHGgjWgMjXbp4Xz87WzZ8ORVHhdJGMYYI/s200/photo(3).PNG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know why he's just chillin'.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>20-week ultrasound TOMORROW! I'm hoping, hoping, hoping that this little one will cooperate so we can find out if baby is a boy or a girl. If you still haven't voted - do it now! (You have to view it from a computer, not a mobile device, to see the poll). Girl is winning right now by a teensy margin. </li>
<li>Friday night we are going over to our friend's Robert and Melissa's house. They are are first real "local" friends that we have made and it's so nice to have friends around. They have a girl Will's age and they have a lot of fun together. They also have a set of 4 month old twins - so that helps us be glad I'm only cooking one baby.</li>
<li>This weekend is Geoff's company's employee appreciation event. So, we'll get another child-free evening to stuff ourselves with free food and I'll get to meet Geoff's coworkers. It should be fun!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfNmWingXzKjNwyFyQM46RZShoobNx1Egqc0HQPXm2zmwJSHyJeNr95BGssmieYiscvUQgvGl301s4KLMMl2PPGTmT9EQmZeBGoYg8PCjeDPkda6XC4obZ70DSjPDAWAt86ov7FKWJxhB/s1600/photo(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfNmWingXzKjNwyFyQM46RZShoobNx1Egqc0HQPXm2zmwJSHyJeNr95BGssmieYiscvUQgvGl301s4KLMMl2PPGTmT9EQmZeBGoYg8PCjeDPkda6XC4obZ70DSjPDAWAt86ov7FKWJxhB/s320/photo(8).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sliding! Would you believe that view behind him?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ul>
We've been having lots of fun and are grateful to be settling in and able to make friends and plans. Phew. Now we just need time for naps. Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-41270552095018588312013-09-06T11:10:00.000-06:002013-09-06T16:52:22.901-06:00How Pinterest-ingSo, last night I rolled up my homemaker sleeves and tried a couple of new recipes from Pinterest. I've made Pinterest recipes before and they have typically been successful and delicious. But, I've recently had a Pinterest reawakening, you might say, and have gotten really excited about trying some new things.<br />
<br />
So, last night I hunkered down and made these two beauties (captions are links):<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/161003755401701393/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHgnTkPngYrZtvOGP5YkLVxkcngQ76_luJ3Lsw7iNTE2I9ggzS-UWCPdyYkx_yBb6qsROdcXI9ZpvQ9MrQh3miWprmVscHUHI73pZLCbIFVZnW7UNlc7qeC14F8IEfnZAG9IMER5vvg8_/s320/casserole.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/161003755401701393/">Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/161003755401790326/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbtccwR01SMTDHW4TD3LuynKn-2QlGKY1LRJy6W250HaGzX0JARWgKft9fKRtBTAKOetq-BUL-Ndt17IbIcyHS_9EbtsRn5nwu_yDspsOQIPURmK1H1w-20vlxss2wAuhEtS-cxclepAw/s1600/Nobakecheesecake.jpg" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/161003755401790326/">No bake s'mores cheesecake</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The casserole caught my eye because it didn't use any canned cream of "whatever" soups or mayonnaise. And it was delicious. I even cut some corners and used minute rice and wild rice in those Uncle Ben's pouches and it's great. The sauce is cheesy and creamy, but not overly fatty or greasy as they can be sometimes. <br />
<br />
The cheesecake wasn't quite as successful, but it was still super delicious. I think my primary failing is that I don't have a food processor, so I was using my blender and acting like that's a suitable replacement for a food processor. I should have just used my kitchen aid, but by the time all the ingredients where in the blender, I wasn't going to dirty another dish. Secondly, I have no patience. It wanted me to let it set for 6-8 hours. "Ain't nobody got time for that." :) So, I may have snuck a piece after 3-4 hours. It wasn't set up very well - and even this morning after setting all night, it's not a cheesecake texture. But, it is DELISH.<br />
<br />
Once we find out the baby's gender in 6 days (don't forget to vote!), I'll be starting a quilt I pinned, so we'll see how my continued Pinterest inspiration goes!<br />
<br />
P.S. <i>Sad (read: pathetic) Story: </i>After I made the delicious casserole and sat down with Will to eat, he refused to even try it and ate grapes instead. I asked him to take one bite before he got down from the table which resulted in him throwing his bowl and spoon. I cried. I'd worked really hard and it was really delicious! Pregnancy with a toddler can be <u>rough</u> some days people. <br />
<br />
However, after getting down from the table and seeing me upset, Will brought me his blankie, climbed on my lap and proceeded to take my spoon and feed me my dinner. He even took a couple bites. I'm a lucky mama, even if a little overly sensitive right now.<br />
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Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-19992877280850975762013-08-30T15:07:00.001-06:002013-08-30T15:07:27.108-06:00Bouncing Baby...Boy or Girl?<br />
<br />
It's that time again! In just 13 <strike>short</strike> really long days, we are scheduled for our 20 week anatomy scan of baby Parker. And, hopefully, we have a cooperative little one and are able to find out if this baby is a he or a she. <br />
<br />
But, before we do, it's your turn to weigh in. Vote in the poll to the right whether you think this little nugget of love is going to need pink or blue booties! <br />
<br />
To help, here are my answers to some of the common <a href="http://www.ivillage.com/baby-sex-guess-sex-your-baby/6-a-129199">gender myths</a>, if you feel inclined to make a <strike>more educated</strike> less random guess:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Baby's heart rate</b>: 150 (at my last appointment at 12 weeks)</li>
<li><b>Morning Sickness</b>: More than I ever had with Mr. Will (none), but nothing terrible at all. </li>
<li><b>Carrying High/Low</b>: I feel like I'm definitely carrying higher this time then last time, but there's still not a lot of bump to see.</li>
<li><b>Craving</b>: I'm not really craving a lot. Occasionally I'll really crave fruit or yogurt. But I am STARVING all the time. </li>
<li><b>Mood:</b> I've been much crazier this pregnancy. My mood is all over the place. </li>
<li><b>My age + number of month of conception</b>: 31 (odd)</li>
<li><b>Chinese Gender Predictor: </b>Says boy. I would have given you the info to go calculate that yourself, but it's too complicated. haha. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Good luck! </div>
Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-28012478527485344052013-08-26T17:18:00.003-06:002013-08-26T17:18:57.465-06:00CA Check-inSo, the Parker clan have been Californians for about 4 and a half months now. I figure it's time to check-in on how everything is going for us out in the good old C-of-A. <br />
<br />
1) It is so beautiful here. There's something magical about waking up to a hoar frost covered Fargo, but I am in awe of the North/East Bay Area. Even looking out of the window of my house I can see 6 different types of trees with leaves in varying shades of green and red. The water is minutes away. There are bridges and redwood forests and beaches and lakes and mountains and so much to explore just around the corner. There's so much diversity of landscape and beauty that I feel privileged to have so close. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGTr9V08y09GwiSgsFGzI47HjVh_hjAsD36jhXSOg9UvI0SoN7lCqglkwLhl8c782JDw2YbPQ_hIV5OwwV-jFGRXrmhP8iZmmjVYtHe2HhGv1q-ipdxuVABB9Bhnk63978TQkiAkUAH7_/s1600/photo(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGTr9V08y09GwiSgsFGzI47HjVh_hjAsD36jhXSOg9UvI0SoN7lCqglkwLhl8c782JDw2YbPQ_hIV5OwwV-jFGRXrmhP8iZmmjVYtHe2HhGv1q-ipdxuVABB9Bhnk63978TQkiAkUAH7_/s320/photo(7).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a 5-10 minute walk from the house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
2) It is more expensive. This is not going to come a surprise to anyone, I'm sure. But, our rent and grocery budgets have gone up (albeit, not as significantly as some might think). Lucky for us, neither of us really have a commute, so we don't actually spend more on gas now than we did before. I'm about ready to send Geoff back to school so we can't stop paying his school loans (ha, because MORE loans are the answer!) - but with so much to enjoy outside (see point one) there's more cheap entertainment for us. <br />
<br />
3) Summer is <i>different.</i> When I was growing up, summer was warm and sunny while winter was chilly and wet. It was that simple. Summer storms did not register on my radar. Then, after 7 years out of the area, I got used to hot summers with thunder storms rolling through and cold (frozen, really, in Fargo) winters. I love that I can expect every day to be in the 70s and the skies to be blue and sunny during the winter. We do get some clouds/overcast days (especially in the mornings) here and there, but generally we are mild and lovely. I'd be lying if I said we didn't miss a good thunder storm every once in awhile, but we'll make do without them. :-)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA5YTBORQZAhpGRLg0Hu51ywAb8aL5Im_rg45kb2qHyFDdOydKGT9qPwcx_4LR59nfTz4bW-4J3L9Q1cGAfDqwyL2Vvoc8DzR8o1Uf9_tNRWSOMdOLhhpWFK7QxqLolDDQSPge-yXoktM/s1600/photo(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA5YTBORQZAhpGRLg0Hu51ywAb8aL5Im_rg45kb2qHyFDdOydKGT9qPwcx_4LR59nfTz4bW-4J3L9Q1cGAfDqwyL2Vvoc8DzR8o1Uf9_tNRWSOMdOLhhpWFK7QxqLolDDQSPge-yXoktM/s320/photo(6).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will's new backpack kills me. He likes to make it fly and say "Buzzzzz!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
4) Work is going well. For both of us. Geoff just finished his manager training curriculum and completed his GIA (Gemological Institution of America) certification, so he's legit. And things are going well for me. We are both really happy in our current positions and are happy about the changes for us career-wise.<br />
<br />
5) We miss our friends. Everything with our move happened so fast that I feel like we didn't leave things very "finished" in Fargo. We had a great life out there and it's weird that it just up and ended! This move has been good for us, especially to bring us closer to family and where we wanted to be long-term, but it's been a longer adjustment than expected because of the circumstances. We had a visit this weekend from some of our best friends (who aren't in Fargo anymore, either), but it was SO good to see them and we miss all our Fargo friends. <br />
<br />
Overall, we are trying to enjoy every minute of this new life we are building (and it's not hard to do so). We are excited for our new little one to join us in January and are, admittedly, glad it won't be negative 10 (or colder) on the day our little one is born. But, there is joy to be found no matter where you live - you just have to make sure to look for it! Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-48384375034910017182013-08-23T16:32:00.001-06:002013-08-23T16:32:59.550-06:00Ring on a String<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmMotDYVIpkisuudqm23o2q53zPoVGRa-KhO1bCd-uyZq_tX3B7W0___YHoZnM8r7M4ftVwgqwDmRt3wjN_N6s6WwJF7ew7H1z31W6c3ru7pB1rlS4-RHsBday3MhCv360oZBLt8Iti1r/s1600/boy_girl_symbols.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmMotDYVIpkisuudqm23o2q53zPoVGRa-KhO1bCd-uyZq_tX3B7W0___YHoZnM8r7M4ftVwgqwDmRt3wjN_N6s6WwJF7ew7H1z31W6c3ru7pB1rlS4-RHsBday3MhCv360oZBLt8Iti1r/s200/boy_girl_symbols.jpeg" width="200" /></a>So, at this point in pregnancy where you look like you've been eating far too many donuts, not like there's a squishy, awesome little baby growing inside you and when you still feel well enough to be with busy sewing projects and painting but don't know enough about the little one to get started, you have to find something to do with all the baby energy. <br />
<br />
Sometimes, this leads me to the internet. And the internet has all kinds of funny things to say.<br />
<br />
I got into Googling the good ol' gender prediction<br />
myths the other day and I, of course, started toying around to see what the predictions are for this little one. <br />
<br />
So, I tried the <a href="http://www.fortunebaby.com/needle-and-ring-gender-prediction-method.html">Ring on a String</a> myth. I never did this with Will, so it was really freaking me out when I did it the first time. I tied my ring onto some string and held it over my belly and it started moving! So, naturally, I started walking all around the house holding it over everything to see if anything else made the ring move. <br />
<br />
I held it over my computer - stayed still.<br />
<br />
I held it over my sink - stayed still.<br />
<br />
I held it over Will's cars - stayed still.<br />
<br />
I held it over the dog - stayed still.<br />
<br />
I held it over my hand - stayed still. <br />
<br />
Put it back over my belly again - whoosh. <br />
<br />
I don't understand the mystical properties behind this myth, <i>but it's freaking me out. </i><br />
<br />
P.S. Don't you wish you knew if it moved in a circle or back and forth? Well, you'll just have to wonder for now! But, to be honest, some sites say that a circle is a girl and back and forth is a boy, while others say that a circle is a boy and back and forth is a girl. So - who knows what to believe!Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-866712565172424597.post-46343898711991140112013-08-22T17:44:00.001-06:002013-08-22T17:53:02.530-06:00TidbitsInteresting facts (or, perhaps, if you don't find them interesting, just some facts) for your Thursday:<br />
<br />
1) I bought <a href="http://www.molarmuncher.com/">this</a> for Will today. He mostly just chews on his pacifier these days, and this seems like a better option. I suppose it would be phase one in the pacifier weaning as well.<br />
<br />
2) I'm 17 weeks pregnant today. In 3 weeks I will be lying in an ultrasound room getting my 20 week anatomy scan and hopefully finding out if this little one is a guy or a gal. September 12th can't come soon enough!<br />
<br />
3) <a href="http://www.tagabikes.com/">This</a> is the most genius thing I've ever seen and I'm trying not to cry buckets of tears that I can't have one. <br />
<br />
4) The fruit fly infestation of my kitchen has completely diminished due to three factors: OCD cleaning and covering of food, a magical concoction of apple cider vinegar and baking soda down my drain, and a flying bug killer placed in my kitchen. '<br />
<br />
5) School is back in session which means I don't need an alarm clock to wake me up at 7:30a each morning and it gets very busy outside my house at 12:20p and 3:30p each day. On the bright side, I don't really need a clock anymore.<br />
<br />
6) Thinking about baby names is stressful stuff. I forgot what an ordeal it was last time. Being responsible for someone's name is rough. I think we have current favorites for a boy or a girl...but committing is downright impossible.<br />
<br />
7) <a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=18244706&fromRegistryNumber=50892828&product_skn=878775">This</a> is pretty awesome, too, as it will work with my current carseat. Unfortunately, I've yet to see it anywhere cheaper than that. <br />
<br />
8) 40 days until my birthday!<br />
<br />
9) 74 days until Will's 2nd birthday!<br />
<br />
10) My <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/108601415/star-trek-alphabet-sampler-cross-stitch">Star Trek cross stitch</a> is coming along swimmingly. Be jealous. Also, I think I need <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Cross-Stitch-Explore-Crafting/dp/1476718660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377215264&sr=8-1&keywords=Star+Trek+Cross-Stitch%3A+Explore+Strange+New+Worlds+of+Crafting">this</a>.Amanda Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10479917281779229319noreply@blogger.com1