Story time: The one (or two) that got away

Picture this.

At Kohls: ready to leave the store and notice that it is an absolute torrential downpour outside. A sweet woman working there offered to watch my stuff while I get the car. I look for my coat to put on and it is gone.  I wander around the store looking for it (and pushing the stroller). Go to customer service (who were not helpful) (*may have lost my cool a tiny bit with that woman. But she was not helpful at all and could see that I totally had my hands full. It was pouring outside, I'd lost a nice coat, I had a  baby with me and all that goes along with that. All she does is take down my phone number. As if I'm going to leave and come back some other time if they find it. I kinda snapped a little bit.)  I continue to look myself...finally find the jacket. Go out to car and pack up to leave.

It's still pouring rain. Last minute stop at Trader Joes on way home.  I lift Ellery (in carseat) into the car. I start to hear the grocery cart rolling away. It is picking up speed and heading straight for a parked car that is by now only about 5 feet away. I SPRINT way across the lot to grab the cart just in the NICK of time. Bring it back, unload groceries.  Laugh at what that must have looked like to the onlooker.

We love the rain, but will not be going out to run any more errands today.

Cute

Stole this from Carson Family Fun

so cute.

the coloring on this picture is all wrong, and I'm a hot mess... but she is soooooo snuggled and I loved it.

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

Oh how I love a good rainstorm. It's so calming- the last few nights as I've creeped into Ellery's room at 3 am to feed her I cozy up and listen to the pitter patter of the storm outside the window. It's sooooo soothing to me.

 On another note, I am always sorely unprepared for rainy weather. I just this year have a waterproof hooded jacket... that was a big step. And I'm really hoping for some rain boots soon. Ballet flats just don't seem to do much in the 2 inches of water swirling around the parking lots.

However, I am VERY prepaired for inclement weather in our Ford Edge. I absolutely love love LOVE this car. It just had it's 1 year birthday on Thanksgiving weekend.  It is the first car I've ever owned that was brand spanking new. And if I do say so myself...it is one hot mama car. And now I am a mama so that is just perfect, isn't it?  We stayed late into the night negotiating and finally purchasing our car. I was indignant that we should get it with a red bow as advertised but the silly salesman couldn't find one. He thought I was joking but I am still not quite over it. That IS why we buy cars at Christmastime, right?

waiting for the money man to accept our offer

 signing our life away

taking it home (no bow, yes still bitter)

January 2010 - drove allllllll the way to Utah for our ski trip. It was a great adventure vehicle!

one of the cities on our drive home...it was sooooo beautiful after a snow storm

December 2010: weathering a local rainstorm. Perfect for running errands and keeping me and e safe!

You are welcome, Ford. I will except my advertising compensation check in the mail shortly.

** also, as a side note. We want my dad (or anyone) to buy a black Edge and our license plate will say "good twin" and theirs will say "bad twin.' I would almost consider owning two of these bc we love them so much...and then really would be tempted to get black in color. Ha.

"Future Amy" is becoming more and more... "Present Amy!!"

I baked a chicken last night. Just to prove to myself that I could do it. About a year ago I tried to bake a chicken and it was miserably underdone... Dinner Fail.

We had salmon on salad for dinner and I baked the chicken late into the night... It will make some yummy leftovers all week.

Thanks Rebecca at Desert Dwelling for the recipe!

Do you want it too? go Here

Favorite Things: Baby Edition part II

1) Babylegs

These little cuties are great for the crawler, the frequent diaper changer, or just the baby who looks fab in 70's fashion... "tights" that cut off at the upper thigh make diaper changes easy, prevent rug burn for the crawler, and make a simple onesie a cute, spunky outfit! They have a variety of patterns for both boys and girls...and a few for infants (E is hoping for some for Christmas). They run about $12-15 a pair...but if you "like" them on facebook they have tons of deals. For instance, a Christmas patterned pair is $6 today...

2) Infant Mylicon Drops (we prefer generic store brand)

 Babies have immature digestive systems and frequently get gas pains. Help your baby (and yourself) out by giving her these simple drops with each feeding. They pass right through the system and are of no harm to your baby...they simply help break up any large bubbles making it easier and less painful to pass. Trust me, if you have ever encountered a baby in pain from gas... these will be a must in your feeding routine.  Available at drug stores/Target etc for around $8.

3) Front Carrier

Whether it's the MobyWrap, the ErgoBaby, a sling, a Baby Bjorn...you MUST have at least one (but probably more than one) of these. Babies are very comforted sleeping and being next to mom's chest (and Dad's too!). The first few weeks maybe you can lounge around holding your baby all day, watching a Hallmark movie, and eating Bon Bons...but at some point, the meals stop being delivered, laundry starts to pile up, and you are still wearing your yoga pants from last week.  Enter, a front carrier... some babies are more comfortable in one style more than another...and certain events call for one style or another (some are more sporty for the long haul, some cuter).  Either way, stock up on a variety of these ... not cheap, but worth your while!


MobyWrap retails ~$40
This is one long piece of fabric that you wrap around yourself... there are a variety of holds for baby according to what they are most comfortable in and how old they are etc...

ErgoBaby retails ~ $ 105 (or more if you buy organic)

This is a sturdy carrier that can be worn on the front or the back (for an older child). Features a sun shade for a sleeping baby (or paparazzi...hey, we all know a sleeping baby is a magnet for touchy feely women and kids on the go), and an available infant insert to protect a newborn's spine.

4) Hooter Hider (or generic brand nursing cover)
a simple must for nursing mothers on the go. A large piece of fabric drapes over baby while nursing (attached around mom's neck) with a view from above for mom to see what's going on....
retails ~$35

5) ELLERY!!!!

She most definitely wins my most favorite thing "baby edition"...and possibly most favorite thing ever (except I love my husband sooo much...and without him we wouldn't have HER!)

ok... come on now.. is this not ADORABLE!? You have my permission to squeal.

Favorite Things: Baby Edition part I

raindrops on roses. . . and whiskers on kittens!!

These are some things that go on my "give to someone having a baby" list... whether I think they are cute or absolutely necessary...


 1)
Baby Jogger Citi Mini Stroller

While I enjoy being able to steer and turn corners with one hand and the adapter to just set your infant car seat in the stroller, the best thing about this stroller is hands down the ONE STEP fold and unfold patented design. You literally grab a strap that is in the "seat" of the stroller and it folds up like a beach chair. Life (and errands!) instantly become  complicated when you add a baby to the mix. Don't make your "gear" more complicated than it needs to be.

~ amazon.com $239 approx
comes in black, green, orange, red\

(Gorgeous woman not included... unless of course you mean YOU).




 

2) Sticky Picky

These adorable stickers are placed on any white onesies and are a simple, creative way to document how fast your little bean sprouts!! At only $15 they are well worth it.

come on, isn't she the cutest??

3) Medela Breast Pump
"Breastmilk is Best" but breastfeeding isn't always convenient... Whether you plan on going out to work, feeding your baby on a long car ride, or just going out... being able to have your healthy buffet for the babe is made possible with this lovely device.  *disclaimer* you may feel even more like a cow than you do now.  Retails for $279 and is a little pricey. Recommend borrowing a friends' to see how you like it...then purchase after a few months or for your next baby!

 4) Wubba Nub

Pacifiers currently are thought to reduce the risk of SIDS and are an essential piece for your baby to self- soothe. These wubba-nubs are little comfy plush toys attached to pacifiers and give a little extra for baby to hold on to. It can rest on the crib or on baby's chest and is a lot more convenient than the regular paci. They come in various adorable animal shapes...

We chose "kitty" for Ellery and it is her first love. I'm tempted to buy more animals for her Christmas stocking but not sure if we just want to keep it as "kitty" :-) Either way, they make an adorable gift and for only $10 you can buy a few! (online or in boutiques)

5) Aden & Anais swaddle blankets

These cute muslin blankets are the perfect versatile gift. They are perfect for swaddling (thin and a light stretch), great for putting over the carseat as a sunshade when you are out on a walk or in a busy room and don't want the baby bothered, etc etc! They can be sold online or in boutique stores or you can buy a 4 pack at Target for around $30... trust me, well worth it!

And aren't they just so cute hung together?? I only have 4 but I want MORE!

<------ also featuring "kitty" :-)

Turkey Leftovers

Adam is a much braver cook than I am. Sometimes it turns out great, sometimes not so great. Ask me about the recent chocolate chip cookies creativity (hint, he added milk to thin out the batter).

When we found ourselves looking for something to eat yesterday at lunch time I was ready to resort to Tios (Yummy...amazing, cheap mexican food). Adam (aka the fiscally responsible one) decided that we would make some minestrone soup from Trader Joes BUT that we would add some leftover turkey.

As I spooned it into the dishes, I decided it looked like some parmesan cheese would taste good. Oh and it did.

1 year ago tonight...

I was off to work at Huntington Hospital (and I wore my festive shirt). Thanksgiving Day was a groggy mess...

Tonight on facebook my nursey friends are sayin' it's raining babies. No quiet night for them.
I'm sooooooo not missing that one bit.

I am sitting on the couch, sweet potatoes in the oven...holding my sweet baby :-)

Little E = e

Haha I took this video a few days ago. She was having (supervised) tummy time on an ottoman and I was taking some cute pictures of her.

Watch at about the 10 second mark where she does a pretty advanced exercise move we think is called the "superman" ... so dang cute.

Feelin Crafty

If you've been around me long enough you know I refer to something called "future Amy" every so often.

Future Amy is essentially a list of characteristics or talents that I don't have now but would like to have in the future. Usually this involves becoming more crafty, being a better cook or baker, and finding ways to save money... etc. Future Amy is sort of like my vision of Super Housewife/Mom... but I break it down into smaller bits. Whenever I do something that falls into one of these categories or do something out of my comfort zone, I just pat myself on the back for embodying "future amy" :-)

So, I am going to attempt to do this craft one of these days. It's called Freezer Paper Stenciling.. I've heard of it before but never looked really into how to do it. I am not doing the goldfish pants.. but will come up with some appropriate onesie versions for 'e'

You can try too.


I'm thinking maybe...

Turkey for Thanksgiving
Something for Christmas...
a lower case e (for "little e")
a pearl necklace...

hmm so many options :-)

Ode to Tigger

**warning: sappy & emotional memories... but they have to be said. And since this is my blog...I'm sayin it***

Tuesday was a very, very sad day (actually night) in our home because we had to put our beloved cat Tigger down. He was still only 3 years old and got a completely blocked urinary tract which is life threatening and we were told it would happen repeatedly even if we attempted to fix it this time. The treatment would have been miserable for poor Tigs and although everything in us wanted to pay whatever the cost just to give him a chance it just wasn't the right decision. All that to say, there have been lots and lots of tears. We feel like he was just ripped out from our family in his prime. He was literally healthy one second and within a matter of hours he was gone.

We got Tigger in late July 2007. He was the tiniest cat you have ever seen with little spikey soft fur. He was the strong, adventurous kitten of his litter and so the family let us have him a little early because he was strong enough to survive without his mommy. We brought him home to meet Hobbes.... it was hilarious! At first they hissed at each other (Tiggs held his own, puffed up, and hissed right back) and within days they were like this:
Cute, right?? I know.

From then on, we called them collectively "the boys" - It's weird not having a plural number of cats to talk to in the house. I'm sure Hobbes thinks it's weird not having his cuddle partner. Who is going to clean the back of his ears now??

We don't know what happened... but Tigger grew big time. Within a matter of time he had surpassed Hobbes in size and the snuggle sessions looked like this.

and this
like yin(g?) and yang...

ps.... look at that scrumptious white fur. He was like a pumpkin latte with foam on top. The BEST.

He took his job very seriously. Here he is with me on the morning I went into labor. You could hold him like a stuffed animal.
He loved Tuna (he would run to the kitchen anytime we opened a can of anything), sleeping on the bed, cuddling, sleeping on my pillow, eating, sleeping on the stairs, chasing Hobbes, sleeping on the couch, stalking bugs (and Hobbes), sleeping on anything laying on the floor like a yoga mat, blanket, piece of cardboard... you get the picture :-)

Tigger always slept on the bed with us. He started sleeping above my head (like literally wrapped around my head) on the pillow and I would wake up pillowless... and because I loved him I just scooted down and slept with no pillow. Two nights before we lost him, I came back to bed after feeding Ellery and he had taken over the entire spot where I sleep...just smack dab in the middle (like the picture above).

There are so many things to be said... I could go on and on. 3 years of memories and jokes and nicknames...

Tiggus
Tigg-master
Tigg-nacious
Tigg-aroo
Tigglet
Tigger- my- ***** (Inappropriate, maybe...hilarious? yes.)
Tiggus-my-niggus (in an attempt to make the previous nickname more appropriate)
Tiggs

...and the list goes on and on.

The simple truth is that we miss him terribly...and probably always will. Sure, there will be other cats, dogs, rats even... but I can 100% tell you that he is irreplaceable. Having to be a part of the decision to end a pet's life is terrible...it all happened so fast we have had to remind ourselves repeatedly that it was the right thing to do. It's so easy to second guess yourself.

But we can't...and he left this world doing what he loved to do most...sleep (thanks to anesthesia which I am reminded he would have had to get anyways)

Here is my favorite picture of our complete family.

Our Hawk

There are a few vacant fields nearby our house here in Rancho Cucamonga. Ever since moving here in June we noticed a hawk would sit on a telephone pole and watch out for his meal somewhere below.

When the temperatures started to soar in late Summer and early Fall, we noticed our hawk wasn't there all of the time (but would sometimes show up at dusk).

Now that the temperatures are cooling off again, I have seen him every day.

Yesterday we watched him dive down and get some food.
Today I got just a fantastic view of him close up sitting on a telephone pole.

And I just would have taken a picture if I hadn't been driving 35 with cars behind me. Ugh. It was beautiful.. looked just like this.

Picky Sticky

Next time I am pregnant I am definitely buying these

But for now, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of these. I was a little late in finding them (and think I wanted to order a different set but accidentally got these, still cute)...but better late than never, right?

I think they would just make the cutest baby shower gift. I hope someone announces they are pregnant soon...

I'm gonna be a good mom because....

I make a rocking grilled cheese sandwich. At least my husband thinks so.


Or maybe he just wants me to make them instead of him...

Ellery is 1 month old!!

Well, time flies doesn't it? I can't decide if it feels like we've had Ellery forever or if that day feels just like it was yesterday. Maybe it's a combination of both. Either way, I've loved every minute (yes, even the sleepless ones...and the poopy ones...) of it.

For her 1 month birthday she got to go to her Pediatrician, Dr Ambrose. He's a nice older man... seems to really enjoy kids and spends extra time just to talk. He should since it costs $100 for each "well baby" visit. Unfortunately, she was treated with a parting gift of her second round of the Hep B shot....straight to the thigh. Oweeeeee. I had to cuddle her while she screamed and her pouty lower lip quivered and tell her that it wasn't ME who did that to her! That sneaky nurse ran in, stuck her leg, and ran out of the room faster than anything I've ever seen before. Back when yours truly was sticking babies in the thigh I spoke sweet nothings to them and told them I'm sooo sorry. But there was no way I was going to give her the shot so I guess I'll have to settle for the lightning bolt nurse.

This weekend was quite busy. We went to Pasadena for a friend's birthday party at a cute italian restaurant, Auntie Egg flew in from NYC and hung out with us on Saturday...then grandma and papa B came out to Victoria Gardens with us for some Lucille's BBQ, Auntie Egg slept over (so fun) and we went to church on Sunday, then drove out to T.O to have a family night. Grammy and Gramps came over to the Broughtons too to give E some hugs and kisses... obviously she enjoyed it.

Halloween and E

We didn't do much for Halloween this year. Who am I kidding...we really never do much for Halloween. Our annual tradition since being married includes buying candy, making a sign for the front door (this year it said : "we are trick or treater friendly" and it had clip art of a cute pumpkin and ghost). Maybe it should have just said "we are desperate."

Didn't get one single treater. Not even a sympathy knock from the neighbors...who we KNOW have kids! Darn.

We did, however, take too long with the morning routine and miss church (boo), go get coffee (yay), walk around a street fair at Victoria Gardens, and then head to the local pumpkin patch to sneak a quick pick.

Later we came home and watched Seinfeld episodes and the World Series all day. Adam made chocolate chip cookies but added milk to make the dough thinner and they were funky.

here is a little pick of E in her flower costume. Keeping Halloween classy.

*special thanks to Rebecca at Desert Dwelling for telling me how I can move around pictures on here! I've been soooo frustrated.

I was tagged!!! Woo hoo

Sorry no pics. But, Rebecca at Desert Dwelling tagged me in a favorite things quiz! So, here it goes.
I can't figure out how to put the pictures next to each number, they go wherever they want...so I quit.

1. Favorite Flower: I have always loved plumerias. My favorite color combination is pink and yellow, but I will take anything. Unfortunately, they can't be picked and put in vases in the house too well... so I like other flowers too. I love orchids, roses, mini colored calla lillies.... I pretty much just love flowers. SO much.

2. Favorite color combination: Hmm this is a tricky one. I enjoy red & yellow, pink & green, and yellow & grey (gray??)- though I never use that one. But I do like it.

3. Favorite celebrity couple: Carrie Underwood (Fisher) and Mr Fisher. Pretty much don't care about him but I just love her. I also like any couple where the famous wife actually changes her name (I'm traditional) -like Heidi and Seal.

4. Your Theme Song: Well, this changes all the time. Right now, if I had to have a soundtrack (or a favorite hypothetical workout song) it would be Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap. But geez, I just LOVE music...there are TONS of "theme songs"

5. Favorite "I had a terrible day" food: Mexican food (our favorite place here is Tio's). I also enjoy happy hour at the Yard House. They have a screaming good Pomegranate martini that is UH-Mazing. And the prices on their appetizers are good at happy hour too.

6. Lipstick or Lipgloss: um- does chapstick count. Gosh I need to work on this. HELP!

7. Favorite Magazine: Real Simple or Shape magazine. Both I love reading but never really USE the advice given. Oh well.

8. Favorite thing about Fall: the feeling of togetherness/coziness and the anticipation of the Holidays. Oh and pumpkin EVERYTHING.

Now I'll tag:
Lauren
Amber

and Angela... you need to start a blog. NOW.

Birth Story: Ellery Lynn is here!!

"tap tap... anyone still there?"... I am sorry for the long absence... geez, you would think I had a baby or something.... oh wait :-)

** WARNING: probably a long and detailed post, mostly for my memory... so continue at your own risk! **

My due date was Thursday, October 7th. I was a bit skeptical that I would deliver that week because my previous doctor had given me the due date of October 15th...so I figured it could easily be closer to that date as well.
We went to the first meeting of our church small group Thursday night and I felt absolutely normal. No indication of impending delivery. At 3am on Friday morning my water broke. I didn't know how soon "hard contractions" would begin (and I had just a *BIT* of adrenaline) so I got up and packed my hospital bag, did the dishes, watched a movie (I love you man) etc. Now let me put a disclaimer in here that most doctors will tell you to come right in to the hospital if your water breaks. This is because there is a risk of infection. I knew this, but also knew that they wouldn't give antibiotics until it had been broken for about 18 hours or so... so I had some lag time. I really wanted to get through some of early labor at home instead of laying in a hospital bed. So we didn't call the doctor or anything until around noon. Once it was around 10am I wanted to go to Kohls and use up a 10$ gift card since it expired the next day and Adam can usually get a good shirt for 10 dollars. So we did that. We also returned some library books and I got my toenails painted. (I had this extreme obsession that my toenails had to be pretty for delivery... and ended up wearing socks the whole time. Whatever).

We went in to the hospital around 1pm I think. I was very disappointed with the situation at first. I'll just say that we were put in a TINY, windowless triage room for over 6 hours, my nurses were cranky and not very kind, and we were bored out of our minds. They couldn't promise us that we would ever get moved to a bigger room and I was regretting delivering at that hospital instead of Huntington.

When I first was checked for dilation (by an RN) they said I was still about fingertip (which I had been for 2 weeks prior... So that wasn't that exciting. The doctor gave orders over the phone to start me on a medication called Cervadil which would help soften my cervix. This wasn't fun news to me because usually it is left in for about 12 hours (in the hospital) and so it sounded like it was going to be a LOOONNNG night for us. The doctor ended up coming in before the medication was started (the nurses were VERY slow) and when she checked me for dilation she said I was more like 2cm... so she decided to skip the Cervadil and go straight to the Pitocin. The Pitocin would make my contractions strong and regular (so far they were very irregular- not a good labor pattern). I was finally admitted and an IV was started sometime after 7pm (shift change). The Pitocin kicked in right away...ouch!

After a few hours I was moved to a larger room. I won't go into too many details but my new night nurse was also not very kind. She was very blunt and for some reason always said very negative comments. There was absolutely no encouragement... I had to be the positive one. We tried to be very sweet to her but her personality made me feel self conscious. Eventually I asked for an epidural and said something to the extent of "not to be a wimp, but I'd like to get the process of the epidural started"... (I would usually not word it like that but I already felt self conscious around her...). After I said this, she said "You are." I'm sorry, but what kind of labor nurse (or nurse in general) says that!? SO inappropriate I think. I won't mention much else about her... eventually she asked what I do and it came out that I was a nurse- she immediately was much more chatty and kind. It kind of ticked me off but at least the end result was that during delivery she wasn't a jerk.

Also- my mom and Adam's parents were there with us on and off from the time we came to the hospital and throughout the night to right before I started to push. It was great support and it helped pass the time. Taylor came to visit around 11:30 and my dad drove out in the early morning and was there in time to wish me luck before delivery as well.

The epidural process was yucky (mostly because I was still contracting) but SOOO very necessary. Those contractions were killer. I can't imagine having to suffer through them (and the pushing) for the next 8-9 hours. I responded very quickly to the epidural and was completely numb from right under the breast down to my tippy toes. I could no longer feel the contractions at all, Hallelujah!!! But, I have to say that it was also a weirdly uncomfortable feeling to be THAT numb.

At around midnight my family left the room and we turned down the lights to take a rest (only with an epidural!!). By 2am I was feeling VERY crummy. My IV burned from the antibiotics (given to prevent infection), my pulse was in the 140's-150's, my blood pressure was low (80/50's), and my oxygen saturations kept dropping. All of these vital signs caused alarms to continue to go off. They also made me feel very light headed, nauseous, and completely out of control of my body. I woke Adam up just to have some company because I felt SO horrible. A nurse came in (while my nurse was at lunch) and I was about to pass out but then ended up vomiting while Adam held the bowl. Try vomiting while you are laying almost flat and can't move anything below your lungs. It was pretty miserable. And Adam will forever be my hero :-) (Also, he knew I was going to throw up before I did and asked the nurse for a bowl... he knows me so well!). From between 2-4 am I was thinking to myself that if I wasn't dilating then I was going to want a C-Section. At around 4am I was checked for dilation again (It had been a number of hours and the last check I was still a 2) - and TA-DA I was at 9 1/2 cm!!! No wonder I was feeling so miserable....my body had been working very hard!

By around 6 the nurse started setting up the room for delivery and called the doctor. My family came in and said "good luck" and then at around 6:30am it was time to push!! Adam held one leg while the nurse held the other... and I "Huffed, and I puffed,... " haha... okay so at 6:55 am Ellery Lynn was placed in my arms! I remember saying "She's soooo beautiful." And honestly, she was. Her skin was smooth and her head was round. She looked at me and I loved her.

She was crying but it wasn't a very strong cry and the nurses decided to take her to the warmer to try and suction her lungs- get some gunk out!! She wasn't improving like they had hoped so after giving her to me one more time for a family picture and another kiss, they took her to the nursery. I understood and wasn't TOO worried (but of course a healthy amount of concern). Adam followed her to the nursery and soon after my family came in to say hi. Then of course they booked it to the nursery window to take a peek at the little sweet pea!

I won't go into TOOO many details but Ellery stayed in the nursery in the care of some AWESOME nurses for 6 hours. Her respiratory issues resolved and she was fine. There was some concern she was developing an infection after some lab results came back high, and one of the Pediatricians thought she may have felt a click in her hip (which would need some follow up with an orthopedic doctor). Ellery was released from the nursery and came to our room around 1pm and immediately was loved and gushed over. Since family had been there for a LONG time by then, they left in the late afternoon and it was just Adam and I to rest and enjoy little Ellery.

On Sunday October 10, visitors included my grandparents, Uncle Taylor, and later in the evening Michael and Megan Thompson and Tricia and Ryan Hinkle. We felt so blessed to have everyone come celebrate with us! Also, Ellery began antibiotic therapy via an IV for her possible infection. Poor little trooper!!

On Monday we had more visitors: Aunt Janis & the boys, Aunt Pam, my mom, Grannin, and Adam's parents. Unfortunately by then Ellery had been placed under light therapy to treat jaundice so people weren't allowed to hold her as long as they would have liked. Such is life!

I was discharged from the hospital Monday night but Ellery had to stay overnight for the light therapy and to wait for some lab results to come back the next day which would tell us more about her infection. We came back late at night and early in the morning to feed Ellery and then around 8 am her pediatrician called us and said she was okay to be discharged! She was discharged around 12pm on Tuesday October 12 :-) We were soooo excited to take her home.

We have been a tired & happy family of 3 ever since!!

(See, I told you it was loonnggg....)

Oh Baby: Cutest load of laundry EVER

Please tell me this is not the cutest pile of laundry you have ever seen. I mean, do you even see the sock? Its about as big as my thumb.

And its all waiting for our girl. She's still posing as a pumpkin on my belly... I do like pumpkins, so I guess its not all that bad. This is me at 39 weeks. Or 38 (who knows really..the docs can't agree on my due date but the current Doc is counting me at 39 so I guess that's what matters).

Fall thoughts & Pitter Patter

After last week's crazy weather (Monday 113 degrees and thunderstorms later in the week) we have been pleasantly surprised by an early Fall rain storm. We have had 3 lovely days of cloudy skies, sprinkling, and as I sit here and write there is actually a lovely pitter patter of actual hard RAIN! It's wonderful, refreshing, and o-so-cozy. (not to mention I have a batch of Pumpkin bread in the oven that is making the house smell SOOOO great).

I noticed I had a few things in the pantry and refrigerator that could be made into meals... not necessarily delicious, healthy, balanced meals but I figured it would be wise to use them up and save a week (or a half week) of groceries while clearing out the pantry and refrig at the same time. I hate when food goes to waste and unfortunately I do it too often. Monday night we ate grilled cheese and ham sandwiches, soup, and apples with caramel for dessert. Last night we had macaroni and cheese (oops, no protein!) and also topped it off with apples dipped in caramel. Isn't that sooo perfect for a cozy, rainy, Fall night! Nevermind that its not exactly the most healthy... I usually can either win on the "penny pincher" front or the "healthy, delicious" front... but can't usually combine the two except for rare occasions.

Its okay though...we went on a LOOOONG (well, it felt like it to my very pregnant body) walk last night and it was lovely. We can't wait to take Ellery on walks.

Speaking of Ellery: We have decided to serve her a very friendly, loving eviction notice... she has about 2 weeks before she gets kicked out. She doesn't realize that she is living in a mouse hole compared to the mansion of a space she will have when she joins us. Not to mention a closet full of brand new clothes... I mean when in your life except for birth is every single thing in your closet BRAND SPANKIN New!???

Sunday Sweets

I have never been much of a baker in the kitchen. If anything, I'd consider taking a premade mix, adding eggs and oil a huge baking success in the kitchen. But in the last 3 days I've made pumpkin bread and now banana muffins from scratch. WOW, I am sooooo domestic. But I'm learning that once you have the scratch ingredients (flour, baking soda, sugar) its VERY easy and cheap to do- its so frustrating when you spend 26$ for ingredients for one batch of bread! Now that I have those items I am baking baking baking!!!

Now if I could just overcome the extreme lack of self control with fresh baked breads...mmmm, one thing at a time.

Sunday Lolli-gagging

Well, it's Sunday. . . the end of another nice weekend which went OH way too fast!! Can we just have tomorrow off too? That was nice last week.

We had a lovely church service this morning and essentially came home to relax afterwards. It's kinda hot today and my energy levels are LOW! Adam is also lazy since he hiked 15 miles yesterday. So we're both in the lazy boat.

The problem with being lazy is that sometimes your brain isn't lazy...so your body doesn't want to go do anything but your brain is kinda antsy. Maybe when it cools down this evening we will venture out a bit.

My baby countdown on my phone says that I have 33 days left until my due date. Wowzah. I feel huge and all of my internal organs have made their way into my chest cavity...so uncomfortable. But still, I enjoy being pregnant and am feeling so blessed to have a complication free pregnancy thus far. At 35 1/2 weeks I think I deserve to be a little uncomfortable.... but still happy :-)

That's it for now! :-)

Fall

I enjoy the beginnings of Fall. Really, I enjoy the smells of Fall in a house: pumpkin bread, pumpkin candles, etc. It cooled down a little bit this week and we decided to create Fall here. I bought a new scented Glade candle with a coupon called Country Spice and it smells WONDERFUL. I decorated our guest bathroom with our Fall decor. And tonight, Adam came home with "fall colored flowers"- red/orange Sunflowers. We are making chili and cornbread tonight to eat. Yum.

A weekend in Houston

This past weekend we flew to Houston,TX for the wedding of my cousin Phil. I only have 2 cousins so it was important to go to his wedding. And it's a great chance to see family from Michigan who we rarely get to see anymore. We arrived at our hotel Friday evening after a full day of travel. We were starving and tired. Others had to go to the rehearsal dinner but we didn't so we had a date night! We went to the Yard House and had a wonderful, relaxed time sipping our drinks and eating some good food. Outside the restaurant (picture a shopping/restaurant center) there was a live band and people seemed to come from all over to enjoy the warm Friday night. We enjoyed chatting and people watching. We also went into Anthropologie and found some good finds for Ellery's nursery: a "E" wall hook and a cute stuffed animal donkey. We haven't bought much for her ourselves since much has been given so it was fun to choose something together for her. We also went back to the Yard House and picked up a yummy dessert to go and we ate it out on the grass area nearby the dancing.

Saturday morning we met up with everyone and made plans for the day up until the wedding. My grandma and great aunts (my grandma's sisters) were in town and it was a riot. Picture 5 eccentric and whacky 80+ year olds...they have such a zest for life (just look closely at the outfits...). After much discussion we ended up going to a somewhat unusual tourist attraction: The National Museum of Funeral History. It sounds morbid (and yes, in a way I suppose it is), but it was actually really interesting too.
We had a great lunch at a Mexican Restaurant (see pic of my mom with her mom and aunts) and headed back for the wedding. Ohhhhh the wedding: it was lovely. A classic church wedding and then we went over to a (what I assume) posh Country Club for the cocktail hour and reception. It was a gorgeous warm evening and the food & company were wonderful too. And in case I didn't mention my brother and future sister in law were able to fly in on Saturday and go to the wedding too (see pic of the four of us outside the ceremony).
My feet were killing me by the end of the wedding and we all headed back to the hotel close to 11pm I think. It was a great weekend spent with family in a new city. Love.

Oh and sidenote, the picture of the woman's dress, clutch, and flowers is my Aunt (mother of Groom). She is an absolute doll...reminds me of a Mrs Jackie Kennedy. She is sweet and classy. And I just love that picture.