baby book

As of today, I am 34 weeks into this pregnancy and starting to get the "we really need to start getting things done/make a hospital packing list/buy essentials like a carseat" itch. I think part of it is that the last few women I've known who've had babies have all gone early. So while I think that I still have a whole 6+ weeks left, it could very well be 4 weeks. Holy cow.

One of the things on my to-purchase list has been a baby book, and finding a non-cheesy, gender neutral baby book that didn't cost $80 was much harder than I thought it'd be. I first tried the usual suspects - Target, Hallmark, etc. - but they only carried gender specific books. Then I thought I'd try Etsy because you can find awesome, unique things on there. And while that proved true, many of the books were a little spendy for me. So I resorted to Pinterest and searched for baby books and within 15 minutes found 3 great options. Gotta love Pinterest. After reviewing the options, I made my decision and placed my order for a baby book from My Sweet Muffin, a totally adorable site. The book came on Friday and I LOVE it! It's beautiful, it's gray and yellow(!), and the prompts are perfect. AND it cost less than $35. Score. Look how cute! Totally love it.

via

Other great and unique options for baby books I found:

The Poketo Baby Book and Memory Box
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Baby Book by Yasmeen Ismail
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baby update // 32 weeks

Baby Miller and I are growing right along! And at 32 weeks prego, I am definitely starting to feel large and in charge, but otherwise am still feeling good. Sleeping recently became my nemesis, but thanks to the cushy-ness of the couch in the sunroom, I am back to getting full nights of sleep. Plus, now I get to see things like the full moon and shooting stars if I do wake up in the middle of the night.

Tim and I started our birthing class with our doula. She is really great and informative and I'm excited to build up my arsenal of "tools" to make our birthing experience a good one. Between appointments, birthing class, Tim's grad classes, and fall traveling, I feel like the next 8 weeks are going to fly by so fast, so I want to be conscience to savor these last few weeks of pregnancy - savor the kicks and hiccups; savor the fact that I know my baby is close and safe; savor all the advice and kind words that come with this season of pregnancy. I had no idea what to expect going into this pregnancy, but I can honestly say it's been better than I imagined and I have truly loved growing this baby of ours.

my 2nd trimester faves

Am I really almost done with my second trimester?! As it is usually goes with pregnancy, my second trimester has been a 180 of my first trimester. No more feeling sicky, no more aversions to 90% of the foods out there, and no more 3 hour naps after work. Plus, I'm sporting a pretty good sized bump these days which has got to be one of my favorite things ever.

And, as I found in the first trimester, there have been several things and products that I have really loved through this phase of changes.

1. Clif bars/Larabars - I have had the appetite about the size of a horse, so eating good snacks throughout the day has been a must. These two have been my morning snacks of choice for several weeks, and there's usually one in my purse for when hunger strikes during things like church and shopping at IKEA. The flavor they can pack into a Larabar with so few ingredients really blows my mind. They're so delicious!

2. Belly band - I have seriously been able to wear so many of my "normal" pants and shorts up until recently thanks to this wonderful invention. Early in my second trimester, I picked up this one from Target and have really loved it.

3. Smoothies - These have become a staple of my morning breakfast routine and with all the fresh summer fruit available, they have been extra delicious.

4. Walking - Also a staple of my morning routine. Every morning after breakfast, Callie and I (and sometimes Tim) go for a nice 1 mile walk around the neighborhood. I have become such a morning person over the past year, and I have yet to hit snooze in order to trade sleep for my walk.

5. Blue Sky Soda - Because sometimes you just gotta have pop with pizza! I discovered this stuff in the natural/organic section of our grocery store and it has become my "special occasion" treat. While it does have sugar, it isn't full of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, etc., and there's a ton of different flavors. My favorites are cola and ginger ale.

6. Energy - Pretty quickly after I hit the second trimester mark, my energy levels shot back up to normal, which means that my 3 hour naps have turned into 30 minute naps, and I don't feel completely wiped out by the time 2:00pm rolls around.

7. Hazelnut steamer - Even though it's summer and hot drinks aren't really in season, there have been a few chilly and/or rainy days that have called for a hot beverage. Since I'm doing my best to avoid caffeine, the steamer has become my go-to drink of choice with hazelnut and 2% milk, please.

baby update // 21 weeks

Things of note in this photo:

• Squirrels - it seems we are following in Bob Miller's footsteps and have accumulated quite the squirrel population. One evening, we counted 7 in our backyard at one time. 
• Blanket - maybe one of the most beautiful gifts Grandma D. has given me. It's so unique and different and I love it.
• Sunroom - while it is technically "sunroom season", the extreme humidity lately has pretty much made the room unbearable for the past week. However, we did do something the other night that we've talked about since moving in - moved our old box TV to the corner of the sunroom and watched an episode of Friends. Now if we could only watch a Twins game on there, I'd be in heaven.
• Slippers - yep, it's July and I'm wearing slippers. Since Tim is sure he might die of exposure to any temperature over 80 degrees, the air conditioning has been consistently set at 69 degrees. And I've always said there's nothing worse than a hot/cranky Tim, so comply with this by donning slippers and usually a sweatshirt and blanket.
• Belly - Baby Miller's growth is right on track and has begun punching and kicking everyday (love it!). At this point, it seems that the general consensus is that it's a boy, but the logic behind this is of course not really grounded in anything. 

baby update // 17 weeks

Oh, hello baby bump! I am patiently waiting to feel the baby squirm and kick, although I know the little bugger has been doing somersaults in there for quite some time. Tim said just the other day that it all seems a little more real now that I'm actually started to look pregnant. He says he can't wait til I'm huge. Ha! Love that man.

a gift & a privilege

have you ever read a verse over and over for many years, but then one day it takes on a whole new meaning and you read it in a totally different light? yeah, that's this verse for me.

Pregnancy is constantly on my mind. I will literally wake up in the middle of the night out of a deep sleep and my first reaction is to touch my growing belly and thank God for this miracle growing inside me. It is so amazing to me and I am so thankful that God has given me this chance to be a mother, something I've dreamed of for many years.

But pregnancy is a funny thing these days; sometimes I almost feel like it's a bad word. Tim and I joke around about this, saying how pregnancy is a disease that you have to treat with lots of medications and doctors. We are, of course, totally kidding, but that mindset is sort of true in society today. It's like we've forgotten that our bodies were made and designed for this purpose. This is completely normal and something (in my mind) that should be celebrated.

This tumble of thoughts was brought on after seeing a little blurb last night on one of the pregnancy sites I use to check on how our baby is developing and growing each week. The article was talking about buying new underwear for pregnancy. Yes, underwear. It was suggesting certain fabrics, cuts, and sizes and then ended with this phrase, "It's a good idea to buy a few pairs in bright, fun colors to cheer you up," implying that I will be disgusted at the size of panties I'm having to buy due to a growing belly. Seriously?! I know every woman's story and pregnancy is different, but in general why would we need brightly colored underwear to make us feel better? I'm already cheery and so happy to find that my options of pants that fit me is dwindling by the week. A growing and changing body is something that sort of comes with the package of pregnancy. It's what I signed up for, and it's a gift and a privilege that I do not take lightly, especially since I know there are many women who would give anything to have to buy new pregnancy underwear and will never have the opportunity.

Thank you, Lord, for this child you have knit together in my womb. There are many unknowns and questions ahead of me, but I know that you have equipped me for such a time as this. And in that I find peace.

memorial day & a baby bump

look what showed up this week!

 For the past few years, our Memorial Day Weekend tradition has been to hit the Superior Hiking Trail for a backpacking trip. But this year we had a sort of stay-cation spent with good friends. We kicked off  the weekend with getting a heck of a deal on a like-new Pack 'n' Play at a garage sale. I love a good deal! The rest of the weekend was spent going for walks, talking about all things baby, eating things like BBQ chicken+baked beans+BLTs, looking through baby name books, and starting the construction of our deck. It was the perfect balance of relaxation and productivity.

the frame work in place for our new deck. way to go, honey!

afternoon snack of toasted homemade bread (thanks Katie!) and ice cold raw milk. so delicious!

my 1st trimester faves

I am so thankful to be in my 2nd trimester of this pregnancy! Even though I never did actually puke, the first 3 months were far from easy. I was tired all. the. time. There were days I would take a 2 hour nap after work and still go to bed early and sleep like a baby. Smells were magnified by about a thousand and things like cooking a meal and going to the grocery store were completely off-limits. Seriously, Tim was so awesome during the 1st trimester - he literally did ALL the grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking while I laid on the couch eating toast and smelling peppermint essential oil. Don't know what I'd do without that guy.

The first weeks after finding out about Baby Miller, I spent a significant amount of time researching things like aids for morning sickness and prenatal vitamins. Here is what I found worked for me and would highly recommend.

1. Traditional Medicinals Ginger Aid tea - I've come to love the taste of ginger thanks to the little stack of pickled ginger they serve you when you eat sushi. I made a mug of this tea every single morning for quite a few weeks to take the place of my traditional cup of coffee and always had a few packets stashed in my purse and my desk at work. If I ever started to feel gross, I brew some of this and it really took the edge off.

2. Preggie Pop Drops - Somewhere in my research of "remedies for morning sickness" I ran across this product. Fruity, sour things appealed to me and these were right on. I ordered a three pack off of Amazon (just to be sure), but only ended up going through one little tin. So I sent the rest to another prego mama who's a few weeks behind me. :)

3. Salsa - My mom's homemade salsa, to be exact. I know they say that spicy foods may make queasiness worse, but this was something else that nearly always sounded good to me. I had it on rice, with chips, and in quesadillas. Some days, it was the only thing I could stomach.

4. Ice water - I've never drank so much water in my life! If I wasn't drinking hot tea, I was (and still am!) drinking ice cold water. Almost anything that was ice cold sounded great to me - water, popsicles, milk, ice cream.

5. Peppermint essential oil - A friend from church gave me a little bottle of this and it's amazing! It was my first experience really with essential oils and it worked great for headaches and when smells became just too overwhelming. I would dab a little bit on my wrists or temples and the soothing smell would be with me most of the day.

6. Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vitamins - I am not a fan of pills. I do okay with Tylenol sized pills, but anything over that literally makes me gag. So after MUCH research, I was so pumped to learn that these prenatals were not only some of the best out there (thanks to their totally raw ingredients), but they come in capsules that can be opened. So what do I do? Make a small smoothie each morning and pour the contents of the capsules in with it. I was worried that it was going to make the smoothie taste really funky, but the only thing it adds is a bit of a ginger flavor, which is actually sort of a plus in my book.

7. 30 Rock - I honestly used to cringe at the sight of Alec Baldwin...until I got hooked on 30 Rock. Since we've already dominated all the season of The Office and Parks & Rec, this was my go-to show all those evenings I spent on the couch. I made it through all 7 seasons on Netflix during my 1st trimester. It made me laugh, which was a good distraction, and it rarely talked about food. Win, win.