32 Weeks of Lovin' You.

My darling Baby E,

This week you are 32 weeks old!  I feel like there's not anything new to tell you, other than your momma is feeling really old herself, lately!  Naps, naps, naps have been on my radar.  I get so pooped just sitting on the couch.  I don't usually find energy to get up off the couch and out of my sweats until around lunchtime, even though I (we) wake up still at 7 every day. 

You've stopped kicking me and really just kind of roll around now.  I can still just sit and watch my tum for hours.  It's so funny to watch you shift from one side of my stomach to the other and just watch a big blob move slowly across.  Your cute little feetsies (or knees maybe?) usually sttrreeeeettccchh out on my left side.  Sometimes it catches me off guard and I let out a little yelp.  My skin isn't that stretchy, little one! :) You also have developed a regular habit of getting hiccups.  Usually around 9 am and 4 pm.  And you hiccup for about a half hour each time.  I feel so bad for you.  Holding my breath doesn't stop your hiccups, unfortunately.  When you get hiccups in the middle of the night, I grab your daddy's hand and put it on your head and back so he can feel just how strong (and long) you hiccup!  I figure, if you and I are up, daddy should be up too.  Don't you think? ;)

It's definite - Kitty knows you are in me and has turned into the sweetest, most loving little kitty mama that you could ever have!  She insists on sleeping on you, all the time.  It's endearing, but also sometimes painful....We don't call her Fatty for no reason! :)  She just always wants to curl up directly on top of you, and even when I push her off, she finds someway to keep her head and/or paws on you still.  Look, isn't she precious?

 

Look! She's already giving you a kitty-bath!

I have no new pictures to show for your growth, other than these...I'm sorry :(  I told you I'd make a better effort at taking weekly pictures and I got worse! 

To change the subject away from your bad mama, I bought you 3 Christmas presents already this week!! I couldn't help myself.  They were all perfect and I cannot wait to give them to you!! ... (next year...cough).  Well, one of them I am actually giving to your daddy for Christmas this year, from you and me.  So that will be all yours once you arrive! 

I'm also sewing new stockings for daddy and I this year, and making yours next!  Whether you are outside or inside right now, you are still our baby and still a part of our family now (and we are ecstatic to have you!) and I don't want to leave you out! 

I love you, my precious babe.  I cannot believe I get to see you SOON!  Keep getting a cute and fat inside!  Can't wait to make eye contact with you and kiss you all over soon.

Love,
Momma K

She runs after she pees....

Kitty, that is.  I think we have scarred her.  

She has a nasty (literally) habit of getting jealous of lack of attention from "daddy" Skyler, and every so often, she'll pee on something of mine out of retaliation.... My boots, my quilt, the bathmat, my boots again.... Once we have discovered what she has done, she gets a good scolding.  She hates being scolded.  She knows she's in trouble and does NOT like us being mad at her.  She cowers and drops her head and won't look at us.  She usually runs and hides for a while. 

Lately, we've noticed that she may have been deeply affected by getting in trouble time after time.  She has an issue.  A complex.  I think she is now scared to pee at all.  Even when she's being a good girl and going in her litter box...

Now, she'll finish quickly in the litter box and DART through the house, like death is following her, to the far end away from her box... Then she'll stop, turn around, and just stare at us...very on edge.  Once she waits it out for a couple minutes and we praise her ("good girl! good pee Kitty!"), she'll resume to our normal fat, fluffy love bug and wander somewhere to curl up.

Oh Kitty....

*Sigh*.  We never meant to give you a complex.  We still love you, you weirdo.

:)

Love,

K

You're Never Too Old for a Tea Party...

Last week my sister turned the big THREE-OH.  I wanted to plan a little "women's date" for her to celebrate and thought a tea party with her girlfriends was just the thing!  Since my house is little, I asked my mom if we could host it at her house.  My mom loves hosting and has pretty glass tea plates and cups and other serving ware. :)  A chance for her to use her "pretties"!

I take after my mom and love hosting and planning get togethers, so I had a lot of fun putting this together.  And, my wonderful cousin Andrea helped me!

I made up and sent out invites - I used Chai tea bags and they smelled soo good!
(edited to take out personal info!)

 
We came up with our tea time menu:

Ham & Cheese Quiche'
Sausage & Cheese Quiche'
Cranberry Scones with Raspberry Jam & Cream
Cole Slaw/Top Ramen Salad
Mixed Fruit
Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Mousse Cups

The quiche' recipe, I had asked my friend Kristen for because her mom makes amazing food and her quiche' is my favorite!  Turns out it came from the More With Less cookbook that I've had sitting on my bookshelf for several years....I decided to pretend I didn't already have it available to me for such a long time and was ecstatic when she emailed me the recipe!  I had never made quiche' at all before, but was excited to try.  Not too bad for my first time. :)

My wonderful aunt Janet, Andrea's mom, made the scones for us.  They were a-maz-ing.  And I've already requested the recipe.  I cannot wait to add it to my collection. 

Andrea made the Lemon Poppyseed cake, which I also need the recipe for because it was killer.  The moistest that I've ever had! 

I tried out the Raspberry Jam Thumbprint cookies for the first time also, from this recipe.  They turned out VERY buttery (as in, I actually had to pour some butter off of the baking sheet when I pulled it out of the oven), but luckily the cookies didn't flatten out one bit as they cooled.  I will definitely use this recipe again, but I'll have to remember to cut back on some of the butter.

My mom and I got a variety of flowers from Fred Meyers and made a pretty little centerpiece.  We laid out a burgandy tablecloth with a pretty cream lacy one over top and we set up each place setting with the glass tea plates and cups and pedestal bowls for the fruit.  It looked so pretty! 

Krista walkin' in the door!

All the ladies who joined us for tea:
(I couldn't get mom to turn around...she declared this was her "best side"... *sigh*)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KRISTA!!  Hope you enjoyed your celebration. :)

Love, K

Thanks for being a great baby already, E!

My little one,

Just had to let you know that I appreciate you.  Some of my other friends who are pregnant are not having pleasant pregnancies at all!  I feel very lucky that you've made this a wonderful first time experience so far.  Yes, you wake me up early in the morning with a "kick start", but that's okay and it's nothing I should be complaining about.  I have mild heartburn here and there...my lower back and my hips are getting sore....aaaaand, that's about it.

So thank you, thank you baby, for making this a great pregnancy.  Hopefully your future brothers and sisters are this nice to me too!! ;)

 At 29 weeks, I feel like I'm growing big now.  Daddy isn't so sure.  He was very worried about me a few days ago and thought you weren't growing big and healthy like you should be.  He thought I was too little for being 28 weeks.  In the last couple days especially, I feel like I've grown a belly finally and daddy agrees that my tum definitely has developed more!  I realized in the shower last night that I almost can't see my toes.  Your dad is going to have to practice painting toenails soon! ;)

We had another appointment at Bella Vie this week.  Daddy couldn't come because he needed to work, so your cousin Andrea came with me instead.  I'm glad someone else was there, because this was the appointment that I had to take my glucose screening test (wasn't as bad as I had heard.  Just tasted like a flat, slightly thicker Sprite.), and I had to get a Rhogam shot...ouch.  When our midwife Patricia felt around for you, she felt your head and you are in the right position! I know you can and will probably flip a few more times, but you'd been breech all this time, so it was nice to know that you DO know where you should be headed. ;)  She had me put my hands where hers were and she helped me feel the sides of your head! SO crazy!  I don't know WHAT daddy is talking - you are DEFINITELY getting bigger!  Your head felt huge already!

I've also been feeling your... elbows? feet? ...something sticking out more and more on my sides.  When daddy or I push gently on you, you squirm away. :)  Sorry to tease you, but it's so funny!  Daddy really wants to try the flashlight thing and see if the light makes you squirm too.  You're just getting used to our teasing early on.  It'll better prepare you for when you make your appearance and actually have to deal with us in person...hehe :)

We've been having very strangely nice weather the last couple days.  Yesterday, dad and I met up at Bush Park (where we spent LOTS of time when we were dating and when we first met) and took a nice walk.  We also did a little photo shoot.  I didn't want the leaves to all fall and miss out on pretty pictures, but Bush Park really wasn't the best place for getting pretty Fall pictures.  Most of the trees are Oak and they all were brownish/yellow.  Only a couple red and orange trees.  Your dad did a great job though (I think!).

Here you are, 29 weeks, courtesy of dad!

 

On another note, during dinner last night, we had an interesting conversation...We were talking about our names backwards because I was using an old pad of paper from like 5th grade where I had my name written out (mine's Alyak).  Daddy's is Relyks (like relix?)... He thought about it for a minute after he said it out loud and goes, "huh... that's kind of a cool name...'Relix'... that's what we should have named our son!" ....  So Baby E, if you're a boy...be thankful that we already had decided on Ezekiel!  (You're welcome!)

Love you precious Baby,
Momma K