A little girl is born...

Our little girl was born on Monday, July 25, 2011 at 5:50pm.  She weighed in at 5lbs 11oz and 19.3 inches long. She was born at 35 weeks and 1 day gestation.  Her name is Avonlea Quinn and she is just perfect!

I will definitely post her birth story a little later when I have some time.  But both baby and mama are doing well.

Second milestone!

 Yay for 35 weeks!!!! And holy belly! My belly has never made it past this point so I am curious to see how it stretches each week after this. I have to admit, although the only stretch marks I have are on my sides (you can kind of see them in the belly pic. These are thanks to Peytonn!), I feel like she is much lower than the boys and I am scared for my underbelly.  I sure hope it stays intact! :)

I have also been shopping for baby girl.  I am such a sucker for cute baby girl stuff! Ugh!  Anyways, I wanted a few more prefolds and they have these wonderful things called "extended tab prefolds."  Essentially, they are the size of a prefold but the "tabs" are made a big longer so it is easier to wrap around the baby and essentially they can fit longer that way.  Usually they are made from bamboo or cotton terry which gives a bit of a stretch and a better fit.

 See how the tabs overlap and allow more room for the waist to grow? I got about 4 of the infant size which should last us from birth until 4-6 months before moving up to the midrange size.

I also just purchased some wool bloomers. The nice thing about wool is that it is breathable and allows more air circulation around baby's skin and bum.  They also work as a diaper cover when lanolized. These are size newborn so she can wear them in the hospital or in the house when it is a bit cooler from the air.  But also come fall time when it does start to cool down outside.

I just love cute cloth baby bums! There is just nothing like it! I mean, just look at this little cutie pie!

I can't wait for little girl to wear here cloth and wool!

34 weeks and 5 days

Today is the gestation at which I gave birth to Bennett.  I'm still pregnant past 7:30am so I guess technically this is the longest I have ever been pregnant.  I had a doc appointment yesterday. Weight gain is still at around 16 lbs, blood pressure was good, and heart beat was good.  She did a cervical check and my cervix is still closed.  Doc stated that she was impressed with my cervix given that this is my 3rd baby and most women start to change at this point.  But then again, I have never started to dilate on my own prior to labor beginning.  At this point, I still feel pretty good and I am confident that I can make it at least until August 1st.  Again, I predict she will come about the second week of August, between 37 and 38 weeks.

After my appointment (since I had some ALONE free time!) I went over to Babies R Us and Keystone Mall.  I got 2 more packs of Tommee Tippee pacifiers since they were buy one get one 40% off.  Then I went to Baby Gap. I am such a sucker for Gap! They were having an extra 25% off already reduced items and then had items marked down to 40% off in the maternity section.  I found a tank for me that I can wear even after baby is born and I got a few items for baby girl.  My sister and I were eyeing up the ladybug sun hats online last weekend and I'm glad we held out because I got them for $1.48 each at the store yesterday.  I got us both one.  I also got her a pair of leggings, a long sleeved shirt to match, and a pair of capri pants.  Total I spent like $44. Not bad!  I also got some refills from MAC for my eyeshadow pallet.

After that, I met my mom, grandma, sister, and brother-in-law Matt at Bravo for lunch.  Matt's birthday was in June and mine was on Wednesday, so it was a birthday lunch for us both.  My sis had a doc appt after and then got a bonus ultrasound to see her little baby girl.  They could see her hair floating in the amniotic fluid on the ultrasound! How weird and cool is that?! My sis is having a c-section next week because her little one is still breech. I can't believe she is having a baby next week!! I am so excited to hold my niece!

Here is a pic of us yesterday after lunch. I am 34 weeks and 4 days and she is 38 weeks and 2 days.

It has been so stinkin' hot around here and I am just over this heat! I can handle the high 80's but with the heat index in the 100's, I am not a happy camper! I think we may be heading to the pool today or something. I need to float like a hippo! :)

Miserable!

Ever since my appointment last Wednesday, I have been so miserable! I don't know if she had a big growth spurt, changed positions, or my belly is tight, but every movement hurts.  Both mine and hers.  She is mostly camped out on my right side and keeps jamming something up into my ribs on the right side.  It hurts to twist, I can no longer put underwear or pants on with two hands, there is a lot of grunting and huffing and puffing to do just about anything these days.  Every time I eat, I get too full and it hurts.  My ankles are of new dimension and they hurt by the end of the day.  The RLS has started in my left leg and I can't seem to get comfortable at night.  Did I mention I got stuck in a camping chair a few weeks ago and had to wait 20 minutes until my husband got home from work to get me out?! Yeah, that's hot, isn't it?

I really, really want to make it to 36 weeks, but my goodness, I have never been this uncomfortable before! I'm just hoping the next few weeks aren't going to continue to be this miserable!!

34 weeks!

Yay!!! I had Bennett 5 days from now and I am just hoping and praying that this little girl can make it just 2 weeks longer on her mama's belly! My birthday is next week and my mom asked me if I wanted to share my birthday and my response was a big, fat NO! I would rather have a healthy baby that I can take home with me. I only have 2 more shots to go before I am done with those.

My ankles are pretty swollen and I have been icing them at night (or using frozen bags of veggies) and trying to prop them up at least a couple of times per day.  I have also been drinking a ton of water and some coconut water as well (it is super hydrating!).  Watching my sodium has been tricky because I am a salt lover. Although we use Celtic Sea Salt instead of regular table salt, trying to stick to items that don't have a lot of sodium is hard to do.  I am trying to steer away from processed items because they have the most sodium.  Our meals have been a lot of fresh veggies and fruit because at least I know those are safe.

According to my scale I am up to 15-17lbs for my weight gain.  Ugh! I guess I shouldn't say that. I know that gaining weight is a part of pregnancy and at least I know that the weight I have gained is going to good use growing a healthy baby.  But still, I know it's going to have to come off afterwards and that makes me UGH!

The boys have also been super crazy and clingy the past week.  I'm pretty sure if any outside source is going to put me into labor, it will be my children! :)  Is it bad that I am looking forward to my hospital stay as more of a vacation for me? ha! I mean, they do bring you meals and water, you get a free massage, and I only have one kid to take care of.  Sounds like a vacation to me!

I have another doc appointment on Wednesday (my birthday!) and I hoping for good news and some peace of mind.  Please keep baby girl in your prayers that she will bake until at least 36 weeks!

Last comparison pic because I gave birth to Bennett 5 days after this pic was taken:

Talk about needing a tan! And a new hairstyle! Goodness!

A minor setback

I had my 33 week appointment yesterday.  The day just started off bad....I didn't sleep well, a lot of tossing and turning, and finally got up for the day at 5am.  I just felt very..off.  Baby was quite active and everytime she moved it hurt and my stomach felt very crampy.  Kind of like spasms, it did not feel like regular contractions.  I thought maybe I was feeling very good. 

I made it to my appointment at 10:30 with all intentions of not having a cervical check and not having a Ffn test since I was almost 34 weeks.  The doc came in and I laid back for her to measure my belly.  She asked me how I was and I told her my tummy felt weird.  Her response, "well yeah, you're having a major contraction right now!"  I told her that it didn't feel like a contraction though, more like a spasm. She had me bend my knees up and tell her when I was having the feeling again.  To that I responded, "you're not sending me anywhere, I don't have anything packed or ready to go."  And you all know what it's like calling your husband and asking them to pack a bag for you. I would be lucky to get underwear!

She then ordered a Ffn and a cervical check.  Thankfully my cervix was still closed and the Ffn came back negative.  She told me that this is the time when my body usually goes into action so it would be a good idea to get things packed and ready to go.  She told me to take it easy and put my feet up and stay as hydrated as possible.  She wants me to come back in a week to get checked again.  So, I guess I am on weekly appointments now.

I took the boys to the babysitters today so I could rest a little and get some things packed.  I still hope to make it to August 1st and I hope this is just a slight bump in the road.  I am not ready for this little girl to come yet. I need at least 2 more weeks!

Summer recipes

I adore summer time for the fresh fruits and veggies.  They are so plentiful and vibrant in color.  I know I've mentioned we participate in a CSA with a local, natural farm located about 10 minutes from our house.  We pick up a basket full of veggies and fruit grown on their farm every Thursday.  I really look forward to Thursday's because then I have the dilemma of choosing what to make for dinner from our basket.  I have really been wanting fresh, crispy things lately and veggies are perfect for that.

I bought some corn on the cob to make for the 4th, but my preggo brain completely forgot about it.  So I went searching for a recipe with fresh corn and I had some avocado that needed to be used. I found Avocado, Tomato, and Corn Salad/Salsa. Perfect!

I didn't have any fresh tomatoes on hand, so I left them out.  This was so super yummy!! I made some left over taco meat for the boys and put this on the side for them.  As for me, I skipped the tacos and ate this right out of the bowl.  Yummy!!

Through our CSA we got more fresh corn, tomatoes, basil, green beans, lettuce mix, beets, zucchini, onions, and red potatoes.  I just knew that it would be another veggie meal for us.  I boiled the fresh corn for corn on the cob.  I made my mom's famous microwave potatoes.  These are so simple and so good.  Dice up your potatoes and place in a microwave safe dish with a lid.  I use a casserole dish.  Place a couple of TBSP's of butter on top of the potatoes and we use Nature's Seasoning as our all purpose seasoning. (This is what I grew up on, but you can use whatever seasoning/herbs you like).  Place the lid on and microwave for 5 minutes.  Stir and place back into the microwave for another 3-5 minutes.  I love these potatoes and they are super kid friendly. 

Next I made another of my mom's recipes: Zucchini with tomatoes and onions.

I adore this dish, it's also something I grew up on and now I make it for my family.  It's really easy to make as well.  Place some olive oil in a pan while it heats up.  Add in sliced onion and some garlic and saute for a minute or two.  Add in sliced zucchini. I believe I used 3 medium sized zucchini last night.  I seasoned with Nature's seasoning, oregano, and fresh basil, but you can season however you like.  Once the zucchini has softened up, add in fresh tomatoes (can you canned as well, but always better with fresh). Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes start to heat threw.  I then turn off the heat and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and place a lid on top.  Allow the cheese to melt, then it is ready to eat.  I waited until just before I put the cheese on to add the fresh basil.

After dinner, I made some pesto so that we could have it for dinner the next night.  Here is the recipe that I used: Pesto

I made it the night before so that it could sit in the frig overnight and the flavors could meld together better.  We will be having it tonight over some pasta with veggies. 

Hope you try and enjoy some of these recipes. 

*Sorry for the poor quality in the pictures. They were taken with my cell phone.

First milestone...

I hit my first milestone of this pregnancy...32 weeks! I am very happy! I'm even happier that I haven't had to get steroid shots thus far.  Those things are horrid!! I have 4 shots left and 4 weeks until my goal of 36 weeks. 

The next milestone is 34 weeks and 5 days.  If I can make it past that, then it will be the longest I have ever been pregnant.  It's weird to think of possibly being pregnant for only 2 more weeks.  But I'd be happy for 5 more weeks and then she can come any time after that.  She is one wiggly little girl right now.  Not a whole lot of kicks going on, much more squirming and poking limbs out and such.  But as my doc says...there is nothing that says a healthy baby like kicks and squirms.  So I'll take it.

We have also had such a busy weekend.  Saturday my friend Terra and I took the boys to the Farmer's Market.  Then in the afternoon we headed over to the pool.  We met some friends there who have 3 little boys.  The older two are the same age as Peytonn and Bennett and they love to play together.  Us moms sat in the shallow end and chatted while the boys played. 

Sunday we drove down to Carmel and had dinner with my mom and then we walked down the Monon to Carmel Fest.  They have a whole kids section with blow up activities, games, etc.  The boys got some Dippin' Dots and we walked down to the Carmel Fire Station.  The boys LOVE firetrucks and they were super excited to climb on the fire trucks and they got free hats.

For the Fourth, we had some friends over and had a cookout.  Then the inlaws came over as well and we let off fireworks once it got dark.  Peytonn absolutely loved the fireworks.  Bennett likes the little ones, but once it got dark and we started the big ones, he was done.  I think he was a bit scared of them and really tired (it was past 10pm at this point).  I took him inside and he fell right asleep. 

We had a really fun, but busy weekend.  Hubby and I plan to take the boys to the pool again this afternoon.  The boys are excited and so am I! I am just hot all the time and sitting in a nice cool pool is very refreshing!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend!

The car

I thought I would do a post on my three across issue.  Where to put who, who will be less likely to kill each other more quickly, and where will the baby survive the longest.

I drive a Jeep Commander which has a 3rd row.  However, with the 3rd row up, there is no cargo space.  Which in time will be fine, like when children are out of carseats or one is in a booster, etc.  I can fold one of the 3rd row seats up and stick one kid back there and still have some cargo space for groceries, etc.  But right now when I need that space for a stroller, its just not feasible.  So, this is what I started out with:

The infant seat in the middle and the two Radians on the outboard positions.  I really wanted this to work because the boys don't fight.  However, they would each grab a side of the infant seat handle and start shaking back and forth.  Not good.  So, I left Bennett on the outside and moved Peytonn's seat in the center position.

This is the view from the drivers side.  The nice thing about Radians (which is the whole purpose why we bought them) is that they are the narrowest carseat out there. Their width is only 17 inches which is nice for being able to fit 3 seats across.  As you can see, it leaves the entire seat open behind the driver.  I have fit a full sized adult back there with no problem. 

Then I installed the infant seat base:

It fits with no problem. Now, you will notice that about 20 % of the base hangs off the end of the seat.  You have to be careful about this because most bases will not allow you to do this. However, Britax approves it.  This is usually due to the anti-rebound bar on the base.  The actual seat of my old van was a lot longer and therefore the base did not hang over on that seat.  So, it just depends on your vehicle.  Then I placed the infant seat in the base to check to make sure it was at the proper angle.

I actually get a better install and better angle on the infant seat in the outboard position than I did in the middle position.  The bubble is in the middle of the angle thing (technical term, you know!), so we are good to go.  I moved my driver's chair back to where I prefer it and it fits just fine.  Now, Hubby (who is 6'3") will not be able to drive with the infant seat in.  He will not be able to move the seat back.  Now, I could just install the seat on the passenger side, however, it blocks my view to my side and then I can't reach whoever is sitting behind me.  I prefer it behind me.  Plus, then I can get out, get the infant seat, walk around and get the other two out without worrying about trying to control 2 kids while I get the infant seat out. 

 Bennett wanted to get in on the pictures too!

And here is what the other two hooligans were doing while I was installing carseats. The sunshade can be very entertaining apparently.

So, there you have it.  Three across in a Jeep Commander.  Now mind you, I am very anal about installing my carseats correctly and tightly.  I actually get on or inside my carseats and then tighten them down.  You are allowed a 1 inch wiggle room in each direction for a proper install.  However, I am not satisfied with that. I prefer mine to be rock solid and not move at all.  I have achieved that with each of these seats.  I can also get a Britax Marathon, Graco Nautilus, and First Years TrueFit correctly installed in this vehicle.  Now, I can't use them for 3 across, but if I have just 2 seats, I can use all of those. 

Hope this helps those out there wondering about 3 across!