We've Moved!

Little Adventurers has packed its bags and moved over here. Hope you come visit!

the chair.

when i returned home from the hospital after i had wyatt tim had the most wonderful surprise waiting for me—my dream chair! not only did he track down this rare find, but he took it apart and refinished the wood. as you can see, wyatt digs it too. :)

3 weeks.

petty officer bobo just returned from 3 weeks of training in new jersey. yes, that means he was there during hurricane sandy and though it had me quite worried he never was in any serious danger. it was a tough time for him both mentally and physically but he rose to the challenge and yet again was chosen class leader. he was class leader at the police academy too. its his thing.

it was our longest separation and what made it worse was that he couldn't call for two weeks and even then phone conversations were kept short. i got a little glimpse of what it would be like to be a single working mom albeit one with a lot of help and support from my family. it still doesn't quite feel like tim is back because he returned awfully sick and has spent most of the past two days sleeping and steering clear of wy. tim sure looks handsome in his uniform if you ask me.

wyatt had his first halloween and he dressed up as a pirate. earlier in the day he was a glow in the dark skeleton curtesy of his nana. rach and i threw together the pirate assemble in about 5 minutes. i was my mom in the 70's and my baby boy was an appropriate prop. we went to a halloween party where i discovered parties aren't quite the same anymore with an infant in tow. i spent a good hour separated from the party nursing, burping, cleaning up spit up, and diaper changing. by 9pm i was tired and ready to head home.

wyatt will be three months next sunday. jeez!

Mamma learned to Rock.

Dear Wyatt,

You are two months old today! It has gone too quickly and you have already changed so much. My guess is that you weigh between 10 and 12 lbs now. People ask me all the time if you are a good baby and of course I say yes. Though I have nothing to compare you to, I really believe you are. You nurse with intention and don't fall asleep or dawdle throughout your meals. Though you are very noisy you don't cry often (just fuss now and then when you want some attention or your pacifier). You've started sleeping 4-5 hours at a time at night which is wonderful! When you do wake up you nurse and then go back to sleep rather quickly. My favorite time is when you wake up at 6 to eat and then get in bed with me till I have to wake up at 7. You get very calm and are able to fall asleep much quicker when you are near me. I love it so much.

The other night you were having a hard time falling asleep. I remembered what your Mimi did to make you fall asleep and began rocking you in my arms and patting your back. You calmed down and fell asleep. This was the first time I thought to do this. It was such a funny revelation, because I couldn't believe I hadn't thought to try this before. Every day I'm learning more and more how to be your mamma.

I finally designed your birth announcements. I wanted them to be special and for the longest time had no idea what I wanted to do. Then it came to me. I had little pictures of you printed and placed inside glassine envelopes that state your name, birthdate, weight and length. And I got stamps that have O Henry on them. :)

I hope you like your new jean jacket. I got it on ebay. You are starting to grow out of your first set of clothes so I've been surfing ebay in search of 3-6 months pieces. You look so much like your daddy in this picture. Your hair looks just like his and you definitely have his coloring. Lucky boy! Speaking of your daddy...he is crazy about you! Though he can't wait till you are old enough to "do stuff" he is soaking up these early days too. He is getting lots of kisses in while he can and does a great job caring for you while I work in the mornings from 8-12.

Wyatt, I love you more than you can imagine. Keep eating and sleeping and playing and growing! I hope to see your smile soon!

Love,
Mamma

coast guard, wyatt, and back to work.

first off pictures.

on tim's birthday, the 14th, tim and i left wyatt with mimi for our first trip alone to san antonio since wyatt was born. tim had a meeting with the coast guard recruiting office to sign some paper work and raise his right arm while repeating an oath to serve and protect our country. it is the coast guard reserves which means he will be reporting to a base in corpus christi once a month with the possibility of being activated should it become necessary. wy and i are so proud of tim and his passion for serving our country. we plan to do our part by holding down the fort at home and kissing him goodbye with a smile when duty calls.

maternity leave has officially ended for me. i returned to work this past monday for an 8-12 work week. though i had lofty plans for my month off i merely accomplished the cleaning out of a junk drawer.  i find myself missing wyatt during our brief time apart, but at the same time its a good break from each other and i feel refreshed and ready to return to being a mom when my work day ends. if wyatt gets a good nap in the afternoon i can even manage to put in some hours from home as well. managing life with wyatt in the picture is quite an adjustment. things like cooking dinner become complicated when wyatt wakes up and decides he wants his right in the middle of my preparations. sometimes it actually feels like i'm having to choose between feeding my hungry husband or my wailing child.

wyatt and i have enjoyed some good walks lately. i'm currently in the worst shape of my life.i'm hoping to put an end to that soon when the doctor gives the ok to start running. once a week wyatt and i walk with our friends katie and sally. sally is two months older than wyatt. katie and i have wanted babies for quite some time before we both got pregnant two months apart with our little answered prayer babies. our last walk included lattes at vaudville, a basement french coffee bar and lunch cafe that makes you forget you are in little ol' german fred.

and as the weather gets cooler, i've been looking into some warmer clothes for wyatt. here's our wishlist.

baby makes 3

katie, i do apologize for my lack of a 38 week photo. allow me to make up for it with my 39 week photo.

my birth story.
Saturday the 25th, dull contractions started up every 10 minutes or so. didn't think much of them. Sunday at 3pm painful but manageable contractions began waking me up every ten minutes or so. i called my mom and she came and sat with me all morning, feeding me watermelon and reading to me from her household medical books. tim was at work. around lunch or so she left and rach came and helped me count the length of the contractions and the time between them. when they got to be about a minute in length and five minutes apart i called tim. for whatever reason we were both hesitant to believe true labor had begun. tim decided to swing into the women's pavilion and explain my symptoms. they said i needed to come in and get checked. i figured they would send me home so i didn't even grab my partially packed hospital bag. i think i was in disbelief this was actually about to happen.

well, they hooked me up to some monitors, checked my dilation and i was at 3-4 cm. I WAS IN LABOR! and they wanted me to stay. i started to cry. tim started to laugh (male equivalent of crying). time flew by and around 6pm my water broke. immediately, the nurse checked my dilation followed by a nervous sounding call for her director. baby was breech! emergency c section was in order. i began to cry, this time unhappy tears. after receiving confirmation from my doctor, who arrived only minutes after the discovery was made, that a c section was our only option, i was rushed into a cold bright operating room and delivery began. i'll save you the details of the traumatic situation of super painful contractions combined with 5 or so people prepping you while sitting mostly uncovered, realizing your birthing experience was to be nothing like you had anticipated. once the spinal kicked in and my body was paralyzed from toe to upper chest, my eye lids got heavy and i laid (layed?) and waited to hear the sound of my baby crying. then...there it was, wyatt henry made his grand entrance. he was promptly wrapped up and delivered to my side of the sheet and our heads were side by side.

i now know the secret to childbirth. as traumatic, uncomfortable, painful, and intense the experience was, i look back on it all with only the happiest of memories.

nursing.
wyatt nursed the night he was born but the next day it didn't go so well. luckily, HCM has an amazing lactation consultant that could come when summoned to help Wyatt and i learn the art of breast feeding. the first couple of days at home, were extremely frustrating and we worried as the missed feedings began to stack up. on day three, my milk came in with a furry. i was extremely tight and uncomfortable and wyatt couldn't latch on anymore. i called vanya (lactation consultant) and she suggested we rent an electric double pump and pump five minutes before feedings. we wasted no time in following instructions only to find wyatt still couldn't latch on. that evening after i had gone off to rest and have a good pout tim showed his true colors as a smart capable daddy and husband. he read my mom's breastfeeding books and learned about engorgement. when i woke up he had a plan. we would sit me down, get me relaxed and then as he put it "pump the hell out of me." after that wyatt had no problem latching on. now, wyatt and mamma are a professional nursing duo.

life with wyatt.
since we brought wyatt home last tuesday evening, we've lived the life of luxury...well during the day at least. mimi (mom) has spent countless hours at our place rearranging flower arrangements, cleaning, doing laundry, making muffins, cutting up watermelon, and making us meals. nana (tim's mom) has done her share of meal making as well. i received orders from the doctor to spend the next two weeks resting, taking care of myself and baby; no cooking, driving, climbing stairs, cleaning etc. so i've spent my days watching old movies, chugging water, eating snacks, nursing, and doing endless loads of baby laundry. nights have been rough, but i'm slowly coming to except the fact that night's will be sleepless for awhile. fortunately tim is a hands on dad and has no doubt changed as many diapers and swaddled as many times as i have. he even participated in nursing at first, holding wyatt's little hand as he struggled to get latched on. i don't think i could have picked a better man to father my children. :)

lastly, wyatt has made me very emotional. i hold my dear little son, and realize that each stage of his life will go so fast, and he is only mine for a time. i find myself sobbing every time i think about this. the other day i heard about "lullaby for wyatt", a song sheryl crow wrote for her son wyatt. tim found it on youtube and played it for me. i fell apart. she put to words exactly what i had been feeling. listen to it here.

ps notice the mr. chair in my pumping station? that's a post all it's own...

38 weeks, 5 years, and an extreme case of nesting...

as of today i am 2 weeks from my due date. there seems to be no signs that labor is around the corner. in fact, i'm finding it difficult to believe it will actually happen. today i learned at my doctor's appointment that it wouldn't be uncommon for women to deliver at 42 weeks, but most get impatient and induce before they reach that point. i'm willing to wait if that does happen...but not patiently. i'm ready to meet this little bobo.

i'm ready to meet sailor too, but things aren't looking good in Uganda at the moment. the government is encouraging domestic adoptions and strongly discouraging international adoptions. in fact, the sanyu babies home actually stopped international adoptions of their babies and is only allowing older children and special needs children to be adopted internationally. but, we have to wait anyway. God seems to really be working miracles in the growing of our family and i'm excited to see what he has planned for us. maybe sailor is an older child. :)

tim and i celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on saturday the 18th. i think it was my favorite anniversary yet. tim was really sweet and made it extra special. he made me a fancy breakfast, both sweet and savory and got me some gorgeous coxcomb. then he treated to me to an afternoon/evening in san antonio and dinner at a il sogno. we don't always do anniversary gifts, but this year i got a fancy brother sewing machine. tim thought number 5 was a landmark anniversary year. i'm looking forward to learning how to use the machine over my maternity leave. am i wrong to think i'll have the free time?

so, it makes since i'd get an extreme case of nesting during this time in my life. i mean, i like rearranging and de-cluttering my house anyway. if anyone has ever been in my car in the last 5 years they'd think i was a hoarder. its been a very dirty unkept catch all for things i didn't want in my house but didn't know what to do with. tim used to actually throw trash on the floor board thinking i wouldn't care? notice? :/ well, new baby is a good time for a fresh start. especially since i needed to make room for a car seat and didn't want the child pummeled by flying debris if i ever had to come to a quick stop. so i emptied out my car and actually had it detailed. i've also been tackling some creative projects which i hadn't done in a while. baby won't have his own room but he will have his own nook at the end of our hallway. i had fun making him a little clothes rod to hang his tiny onsies for easy access over his changing table. i also enlisted the help of my friend katie who knows a thing or two about upholstering to help me make a headboard for our bed. i say help, but in the end i sat and kept her company while she did all the work. it turned out amazing!!! materials probably cost right at or under $100 bucks and i think it rivals store bought versions that can cost up to $1500. :) next project is creating a wooden panel to paste this awesome screen-printed wallpaper (rach and i scored for half price) onto. i want to make a tall vertical piece of artwork to hang in between one of the narrow wall spaces i have in between my windows. rach is going to craft a headboard with her piece.

and i'll sign off with this very interesting interpretation of me as a pregnant lady by tim bobo.

late spring Tim planted some flower seeds and wouldn't tell me what they would become. i got one hint—they started with a "C". chrysanthemum? cosmos? calla lilly? i looked frequently for some clue as they began to emerge from the ground and one day, there they were—the smallest hint of coxcomb buds. apparently i can expect them in several warm shades of pink, yellow, and orange. how exciting! 

we finally finished our kitchen island we'd been planning since we built the house 4 years ago. during construction tim and i bought the butcher block top at ikea with plans to build a metal base with casters to provide a bit more counter space. about a month ago, tim welded the base, we had it powder coated a flat white, attached the top, gave it some casters and now i wonder how i lived without it. 

what else is new? tim signed up for the coast guard reserves. this means 3 weeks of training in new jersey after the baby is born and then one corpus christi or houston weekend trip a month with the possibility of being activated for up to six months. we'll miss him, but its something he's pretty passionate about. 

baby continues to grow at the proper rate. i'm feeling fewer kicks these days and more just bumping around and hiccups as he gets bigger and his space smaller. i've come to realize the awful temptation of buying baby clothes. they are so cute and so affordable and places like zara and amazon have free shipping. :o

i turned 26 on friday the 13th. mom and rach made what i am pretty sure is the best cake i've ever eaten. well done you two! mom, pops, rach, tim and i had dinner at comfort pizza and then explored the amazing little town of comfort. i had no idea it was so cool! rach gave me a handmade basket from africa and my parents gave me an awesome house plant. saturday, mom and i found the perfect white pot for it at dodd's nursery for just $19. 

just 7.5 weeks to go till we meet baby boy bobo. i've already taken a breast feeding class and in a couple of weeks tim and i have a childbirth class followed by a newborn care class. we are also currently working to update our homestudy so we can keep the adoption of sailor going. its quite the exciting times for us. :)

growing and juicing

there's a lot more growing around here than just my tummy. our peaches and plums are starting to ripen and pears will be ready soon. from the garden we've harvested one yellow pepper, jalepenos, onions, potatoes, tons of kale and basil. lemons, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, and green beans should be ready soon. of course we've never had much success with the melons. what to do with all this produce (besides share of course)? juice it!

i'll admit, when my mom and then sister and then brother got juicers i thought it was neat but figured i'd never have the time or patience to hop on that kick. that's not to say i didn't indulge in my mom's and sister's healthful concoctions when given the opportunity. during our trip to grand cayman tim and i found a delightful little juice bar and he insisted we grab a cup. tim was not a fan and i ended up drinking both of ours. i figured that was the end of our juicing adventurers, and then out of no where tim decided to borrow rachel's juicer. tim has been juicing the last couple of days and its been quite a bit easier than i had figured—especially when we can juice so much of what we grow instead of buying it at the store. we've juiced kale, peaches, grapefruit, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, lemon, apple, and spinach. its an amazing way to get your daily does of vegetables and served over ice its down right delicious. will we be getting a juicer? we'll see.

i want be a interior designer/diy projects + my book review

i want to be an interior designer...it's true. however, i'm not about to print up some business cards and put an ad in the paper. that's way too scary. i'm hoping one day an opportunity will just fall in my lap—perhaps an interior designer i respect will need an assistant, or someone who's taste is compatible with mine will say, "hey, want to help me decorate my home." till that time i'll continue to hone my skills in my own home and occasionally at work. at the latter, i've been given the task of choosing paint colors, carpet, furniture, etc for a new clinic at HCM. the health care world is fraught with hideous interior design. it actual burdens me on a daily basis. i think there is such an opportunity to bring beauty and style into this industry and i'm super excited about being able to make a difference. that being said, fighting those who prefer "ugly" is no easy job, and yet one i face weekly. but, hey, i'm learning to deal with people which is always a good tool for the tool box and luckily my boss is on my side.

now that i have my own office, i can spread out and actually create inspiration boards—something i've wanted to do at work since my first day. here's what i've got going currently. its a sleep lab, hence the bedroom furniture.

as for the casa, i've been itching for some diy projects, the main one being an upholstered headboard. we currently have only a simple bed frame from west elm with no headboard. tim has agreed to be my carpenter and build the wood frame. i watched this how to video and now all that's left to do is order the supplies and pick a fabric. i love the look of this dwell studio styled shot, and while i'm considering the fabric, i'm thinking i'll stick with a basic rectangular shorter headboard. i like these three swatches. the colors will go well with my bedding options and the patterns aren't too busy. 

by the way, this is the best place to buy your upholstery fabric. the prices are less than half of what you'd pay for the same fabric elsewhere (i'm not naming names). any of these prints would be pretty with these pillows from castle and things and dwell studio. 

and moving along to the other side of the loft (our bedroom will be in the loft 3 months or so after the babe is born). have you heard of bemz? they make covers for ikea furniture in loads of cool fabric options. i have my eye on this pretty olive green for our karlstad sofa currently in a strange dark grey (black). it was fine for a time, but now i find it rather boring.  i've got the blue chair, the rug, and i'm hoping to own a lulie wallace painting one day. the coffee table i found here. 

see that little paint swatch? i plan to paint our loft floor a fresh seafoam tinted grey during my maternity leave in september. 

enough about decorating, how about a book review? i read Simplicity Parenting in a couple of days and found it worth every minute of my time. allow me to start off with a few favorite passages. most of these are from the first half because i got lazy and stopped highlighting.

"They (children) feed on the tone we set, the emotional climate we create. They pick up on the ways in which we are nervous and hypervigilant about their safety, and it makes them nervous; so the feelings cycle...The central struggle of parenthood is to let our hopes for our children outweigh our fears."

"The toys that endure, in reality and in our memory, are often the simplest ones. The less they do, the more they can become, in play."

"Rather than providing the newest in an unending list of "must-have" toys, our generous impulses can be harnessed to provide in simpler, more powerful ways. We can provide for our children by safeguarding their time and opportunities for open-ended imaginative play."

"Children feel more grounded to where they live when they can learn to identify some of the common plants, birds, and animals they see in their yards and neighborhoods."

"If you want your child to try a new food (or food group), you need to have them try it at least eight times."

I don't have a quote for it, but one of my favorite sections was about how we talk of others in front of our children. The author isn't a Christian, but he has some sound moral advice none-the-less when he says we should filter our comments by asking our self is it true, kind, and necessary. 

yes, i read a lot of parenting books. a friend overhead me discussing this latest read with my mother the other day and told me not to worry about being a good parent. it will come natural she advised and i should just follow my heart. i'm not exactly certain what that latter statement meant, but let me assure you i'm not fretting about how my kids will turn out. my recent indulgence in the genre springs from my keen interest in my children and developing their palettes, imaginations, minds, and faith. childhood is such a beautiful thing and i myself had a beautiful one. i want to give the same thing to sailor, and baby bobo, and whoever else comes along. today childlike innocence is lost way too early and it breaks my heart. i'm hopeful and optimistic about being a parent. :)

So Sailor is going to have a brother and we couldn't be more excited. Today I'm twenty-five and a half weeks pregnant and our little soon is just kicking and tumbling away. Here I am at 25 weeks and baby boy at 22.

Tim and I took a trip to Grand Cayman to celebrate our upcoming adventure into parenthood. We stayed at an inn on the quiet side of the island. Though our spot was gorgeous it didn't keep us from hoping in our rental car and traveling down the left side of the road to tour the entire island and visit all the different beaches. Tim is one of the best traveling companions a person could ask for. That guy works hard, but when its time to vacation he's all in. We ate all sorts of amazing food, relaxed, held turtles, and swam with stingrays. 

At some point after we returned home Tim got it in his head to build an outdoor pizza oven. Several youtube videos later, he'd figured out how to go about the project. We had a trial pizza run with my mom and sister (dad was in cuba) and the pizza was a delicious success. So, next step? Having 12 people over for outdoor pizzas of course! Last evening Tim and I had our wonderful friends over for outdoor pizza, homemade lemonade, wine, cider, and ice cream pie. The evening couldn't of been more lovely. There was a cool breeze and my garden obliged me a beautiful assortment of zinnias. Sons, you have a swell dad. No telling all the amazingly fun things you will build, do, and experience together. 

Son, I'm looking forward to dresses you in things like this:

I hope you approve. 

As for what I'm reading...I recently finished Kisses from Katie which is an incredible true story about a girl who graduated from high school and went on to settle in Uganda and adopt 14 girls and act as a mother to hundreds more. It certainly helped me put things in perspective and I'm excited to start helping support her incredible and worthy work. I even added a little button on the right side of my blog. :) Rach found Simplicity Parenting for me and I'm waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Apparently, I have a thing for parenting books. I suppose its just something I'm passionate about. I'll let you know what I think once I finish it. 

19 weeks

check it out. i've been wanting one of these tummies for a very long time...four and a half years to be exact. then one day it just happened. i'm impatient by nature, and this has been an amazing lesson for me. just because something isn't happening today or even tomorrow, doesn't mean it will never happen. funny...i need that reminder right now.

a saying.

Dear Baby Boy Sailor,

I saw this print on pinterest and instantly adopted it as my new motherly saying. I hope you don't mind hearing this one over and over again as you grow up.

found here

Is it too early...

for some baby room mood boards? I think not. :) Especially since I only have a month before learning baby Bobo's gender and can still dream up both boy and girl rooms. Either way, I plan to paint the room a light grey with either a tint of blue, green, or lavender. I think it will be a good neutral for whatever children come along. so without further ado...

for baby girl
colossal dots curtains, cardboard safari buffalo, bamboo print, papillon, lulie wallace painting, woodland sheet, sparrow crib, sweater rug, eames recliner

for baby boy
cardboard safari buffalo, fisher fox print, sailboat, sparrow crib, blah blah blanket, woodland sheet, draper rug, fox pillow, madewell backpack, trousers, eames recliner 

these are sort of fantasy rooms. actually, once i do find out whether its a boy or girl i'll probably play around with a more serious board.

april 30th is the day of the big reveal. don't check your mailbox for revelation party invites—we aren't having one. but do check this blog. :) 

btw, i'm showing now and currently my tummy feels likes it going to pop!

Playing Along—Blog Tag

Katie, I had so much fun reading your blog tag post I thought I'd play along; not to suggest mine will bring delight to all who read it. But I do think its a good way to keep in touch with what's going on in the lives of our friends we don't see everyday—a much better way than facebook.


The Rules:

1. The first rule is to post these rules.

2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 things about yourself/your life .

3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them that you've tagged them.

Things about myself:

1. I'm 25 and I live right next door to where I grew up on a few acres of heaven. My two favorite things about our place are the climbing pink roses on our split rail fence and our fruit orchard both of which were all Tim's doing.

2. Tim and I are simultaneously adopting and pregnant. Going through both at the same time makes me realize that I am as eager to meet/hold one child as I am the other. They both feel like my own already.

3. I never graduated from college and I don't know why. I actually loved classes and had a 3.5 average when I dropped out. One day I just decided I was through. Whether I go back and finish is still up in the air. I'll probably be one of those 40 year old moms in class with a bunch of twenty somethings who always asks a lot of questions.

4. I owned a handmade boutique on Main St. for two years and now I work at a place I never imagined I'd work—Hill Country Memorial. I'm technically the graphic designer but lately my boss has been introducing me as the art director. Aside from the typical tasks of ads and brochures I've been put in charge of selecting paint colors, designing and hanging wall installations, and choosing artwork for the walls. The experience is amazing, and I'm continuously thrown out of my comfort zone. 

5. I love garage sales/flea markets/estate sales and 90% of my home decor and furnishings are pre-owned. While I don't keep the greenest house in town I do love the idea of reusing/refurbishing wonderful pieces that still have a whole lot of life left.

6. Though I've already done the store thing, I still see myself having one again—once we've paid off the house, the kids have flown the nest, and I'm one of those established older ladies who can actually afford to own a store. It will be a lot like Enid.

7. I often find myself with a huge goofy grin on my face while watching song and dance scenes in old musicals. I don't know if its because they take me back to my childhood or I just love them that much. Last time I remember making this face was while watching the last scene in the Artist with Rach at the Stagecoach.

8. These aren't in any particular order otherwise this one would have been first. I am a Christian. Tim and I go back and forth between an Evangelical Free church and the Catholic church. Denominations don't mean much to me. 

9. I'm a rule breaker so I'm going to cut this short at 9. 1-8 were a bit long. 

Katie's Questions:

1. Best day you can remember?

Honeymoon day with Tim on the beaches of Culebra. We had street vender epanadas, snorkeled, and played in the most beautiful waves I've ever seen. 

2. Favorite item of clothing and why?

Coral Wedges. I'm short so I love shoes that give me height and wedges are much more comfortable than heels.

3. If you could meet any fictional character, who would you choose?
Off the top of my head— Dowager Countess of Grantham. I just love the things she says and the way she says it. 

4. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?

Cleaning the kitchen.

5. Favorite Quote?

"If it were easy, everyone would be doing it." —Dad

6. If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?

This probably isn't my ultimate party dream, but I do have plans to host the first ever Bobo Peach Festival when the peaches are ripe. 

7. Favorite Season and why?

Spring—Blossoming trees, gardening, and green grass. 

8. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

Pay off our house. 

9. What is something you learned in the last week?
That there is too much Vitamin A in my Pre-natal multi-vitamins. Grrr, can we mom's do anything right? Carrots are great for pregnancy, but don't eat too many. Tuna is great for you, but don't eat it more than once a week. I feel like I'm walking through a minefield. 

10. Best meal you've ever eaten?

Its hard to beat my mom's Thanksgiving feasts. 

11. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

Penelope


My questions:

1. What is your cocktail of choice?

2. If you could hop on a plane to anywhere, where would you go?

3. What is your decorating style?

4. What is your favorite garage sale/2nd-hand find?

5. What is your favorite flower?

6. Which style icon best describes your personal style?

7. How would you describe your sense of humour?

8. What is your favorite thing to cook?

9. What is one health habit you are working on?

10. Facebook or Pinterest?

11. Beatles, Elvis, or Willy Nelson?

Tag! Your it! (Clearly I don't have many friends, or friends with blogs I should say)

Katie

Haley

Heather

Anna

Eating and Exercising for Baby and other Things

I can't tell you how many times I've heard the phrase "you are eating for two now." A few weeks in to my pregnancy I read that 2nd person you are eating for is the size of a walnut (now a lime) and I really only need an extra glass of milk and a piece of fruit daily to satisfy eater number 2. So really I've just endeavored to eat like I normally do except 5 times more healthier. Tim and I've always eaten healthier than average I suppose, but now we decided to kick it up a notch. This means lots of fruits and vegetables and fewer and fewer processed foods with no nutritional value. Also, since I can't have wine or coffee my two main food groups, I've been forced to drink a lot more water, juice, and even milk which I haven't enjoyed drinking since Jr. High. Oddly enough I've had healthful food cravings like cucumbers and strawberries. For 2 seconds I considered completely eliminating processed foods from our diet, but then I realized this would mean no cheerios, store bought english muffins, or crackers. I'm not giving up those! One of the things that has really helped us consume more vegetables is my new cookbook Eating Well 500 Calorie Dinners. This is an amazing cookbook! Its full of simple, quick, vegetable and flavor packed recipes that just happen to be around 300 calories. It pairs two sides which each recipe that add up to 500 calories total for the meal.

So, I've also started walking about 3-4 times a week. I need to bump that up to everyday which will be easier now that the days are longer and the weather nicer. Making a baby is the best motivation ever for taking better care of oneself. 

Tomorrow I'll be 15 weeks. I have a little bump but nothing most people would notice. I can't button up my pants these days so I've been forced to use the hair band trick covered by extra long shirts. I've started looking at maternity clothes and was really surprised what you can get for really great prices. Case and point:

Target and Destination Maternity

All for under $30. I've also gotten some hand me downs too. :)

Today I received one of the quarterly newsletters from the Sanyu Babies Home in Uganda. Turns out this may or may not be Sailor's home since our agency is working to establish connections with another Ugandan orphanage and our adoption will be later than sooner these days. However, I love this little home and I love hearing about the children who are so well cared for and loved. I was excited to see the Easter donation they posted on their home page which asks for just $14 to help them purchase some chicks for the home to raise and produce eggs to eat and sell.

Donate

Speaking of Easter, my favorite time of year is quickly approaching. SPRING!!! Tim and I just spent the most wonderful evening eating Scholotzsky's and plant shopping at the Lowes in Kerrville. We got green beans, cucumbers, strawberries, tomatoes, and raspberries to support our new healthful habits. Of course I got my year supply of succulents and lots of blooms for my flower garden including poppies, zinnias, and ranunculus. I am determined to have a green thumb one day, absolutely determined. Below is some motivation.

succulents

ranunculus

our peach orchard in bloom

Friends and family, we will be sharing our harvest both edible and decorative and hope to make some trades as well. Goodnight!

another little adventurer is on the way.

First things first, Sailor is going to have a brother or sister in September—the 5th to be exact. I'm thinking seeing Sailor's face for the first time will be something like seeing this little one's little form for the first time...AMAZING! Tim was out of town for the past week so he missed our first sonogram. I keep telling him how much he has to look forward to when we have our next one at 20 weeks—the big one where we find out the gender. Yes, we are going to find out. 

When we first discovered this wonderful news we thought we might have to put the adoption on hold which would be disappointing. However, since then we've discovered we can keep plugging along with the adoption even with a newborn in tow. We just keep praying that God's timing will be perfect ;) and our referral won't come when I'm 9 months pregnant or when I'm trying to nurse a newborn. I have no idea how its all going to work out. But its not my job to know I suppose. Just to trust. 

I'm currently reading this book. Its not that I'm anti-American or think that everything French is best. But yes I agree with what this author has picked up by observing french parenting. Basically they give children and even babies credit for being able to learn quickly and adapt to the families lifestyle instead of the other way around. I know a lot of great American parents, mostly via their blogs, but in general I'd say American parenting sucks and maybe the rest of the world's too but I can only speak what I know. So that's that.

On a different stem of thought, back when I was wed almost five years ago I recall discussing the flowers I would like to use for bouquets etc. I had no idea. I remember just telling Michelle I love all flowers and make something pretty (which she did). But I was thinking the other day of how much more I know of flowers now, having been educated by Sprout. If I had to choose my favorite blooms today I'd say Ranunculus, Anemones, and lush Garden Roses. 

I love orchids too, especially ones with 10 blooms for $14.99. They remind me of my Aunt Cynthia who had such a green thumb and could keep orchids blooming time after time. I'm going to give it a real go this time. 

Hello Sailor

Dear Son,

I hope your Christmas was Merry. I hope something special happened in your little life that made the 25th seem special and different from any other. You were thought of and longed for all day long by me and your papa of course but also by all your grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. You even scored some presents this year! How about that!? You and your cousin Jeep both got little tin mugs from Dooleys (you will love this store one day) from your mimi and grandpa. Grandpa got a fire pit and some grown up tin dishes too. In a few years you can sit with him and your cousin by the camp fire and drink hot chocolate out of your little mug just like an o'l cowboy. You received some pjs, a very cool atlas, a police car, and some bibs from your Aunt Jennifer and Nana too.

As for your final gift from me and your papa, we've given you a name. How do you like Timothy Sailor, Sailor?

watch and smile.

this is the cutest version of the greatest story ever told. found here.

You are over due!

Dear Son,

Where are you? You are past your due date! Everyone has been asking about you, wondering when you are to come home. We have no answers. Though we are rather impatient to meet you, I hope you are happy and healthy wherever you are. Just about every day your pops says, "man, I'm ready to go get my son!" We are so thankful for you already. Even though we have yet to meet, you have changed our lives for the better. We have met new friends, had wonderful unexpected conversations, and felt feelings we would never ever have had if it weren't for your precious little life.

Every night you are the one constant prayer I have. I pray you are healthy and loved and given lots and lots of attention. I get chills knowing that any day now I could see your face for the first time! Son, we love you!

-Mamma and Papa