Walk It Off

What do you do when you're having a bad day?  Go on a nice long walk...

Snippets of Our Day: January 22 - January 28

 

Six Months (A Pregnancy Update)

I’ll be honest, some days it feels like I’ve been pregnant forever with baby number two.  I’m pretty sure time passed a lot quicker with Ben.  Then, there are days when I realize how much I’d like to accomplish before she arrives and I panic a little about how quickly time is slipping away.  

Although there are still some days when this baby is really quiet, I’m definitely starting to feel a lot more movement.  This little one is sitting much lower than Ben ever did and in a breach position.  I’m not too worried about whether or not she’ll turn, since I’ve elected to have a repeat c-section, however, her little feet are dancing on my bladder all day long which is very uncomfortable.  I’ve been feeling tired again, crawling into bed most afternoons for a nap and I’ve started to get heartburn in the evenings, like I did with Ben.  We’ll see if this baby comes out with as much hair as he did (though I’m doubtful the heartburn had anything to do with the crazy amount of hair he had at birth).  Other than a bit of round ligament pain here or there, this pregnancy has been relatively uneventful as of late and we’re trying to enjoy our time as a family or three before our lives change once again.  

Quiet Mornings – Ben’s Playdough Garage

There are many reasons I chose to stay home with Ben.  Quiet mornings are among my favorite.  I love those precious few minutes every day where we can push aside the chaos, the mess, the noise and just be.  Some mornings we throw on some music and Ben wanders from one activity to another, playing at his own pace.  It’s in these moments that I realize I’m exactly where I want to be at this point in my life.  

This morning, we built a garage out of playdough and Ben drove one of his cars in and out, in and out.  I sat at the table and watched as he played, marveling at how simple and slow our lives can be when we push aside all of life’s expectations. It’s not that Ben wouldn’t have these experiences if I’d gone back to work, but he wouldn’t be having them with me.  He wouldn’t be able to sit around in his pajamas all morning or have quiet time to himself to learn and explore.  I like to think that the one-on-one time we share throughout the day makes a difference in his life.  All of the little conversations and snuggles have to add up to something, right?  I know it may not be the right choice for everyone but it works for our little family of three. 

Music

This morning, while I was retouching some images, I came across this song and it instantly brought me back to the first few weeks of Ben’s life.  The movie One Week was on TV almost every day and I must have watched it four or five times while breastfeeding Ben.  The Great Escape plays in one of the last scenes in the movie and to this day whenever I hear it, I think of myself, standing at the front window, holding my newborn son, watching the snow fall lightly, waiting for Boris to come home.  If I close my eyes while it plays, I can still feel Ben’s weightlessness in my arms.  I can still see those curious, worried eyes looking back at mine.  I can still smell his newborn smell.  I am transported to one of the most beautiful and amazing times in my life.  

Sometimes it’s the lyrics that draw you into a song and other times, like this morning, it’s the feeling the song evokes.  I love being able to go back to some of the most remarkable moments in my life just by pushing play on my iPod.  Music is really quite powerful when you think about it.  In an instant, you can be transported back to a moment, a person, a feeling, a memory...

Snippets of Our Day: January 15 - January 21

And here's one of Ben's sweet little cousin Ruby: 

Celebrating Two

Ben celebrated turning two with his little friends over the weekend.  The kids played nicely, we ate brunch (Ben’s favorites; pancakes, muffins and fruit) and indulged in some yummy cupcakes.  What a great party!  Thanks to everyone who braved the cold to celebrate Ben’s second birthday.  

Ben and His Little Friends: 

Snippets of Our Day: January 08 - January 14

Snippets of Our Day: January 01 - January 07

365 Day Photo Challenge – Snippets of Our Day

Last year, I thought a lot about how incredible it would be to take the 365 Day Photo Challenge.  Then Wednesday would roll around and most weeks I’d still be dreaming up an image to post for my Wordless Wednesday and promptly drop the idea.  But, this year is going to be a big one for us.  Not only will Ben grow and change in unbelievable ways, we’ll also be welcoming a new little life into our lives.  It’s going to be a crazy and amazing year in our house.  What better way to document it than by taking one picture a day of all the little fleeting moments that I never want to forget?  I plan to post my pictures once a week on this blog.  Wish me luck, it’s going to be a lot of work lugging around a camera, a two year old and a new baby! 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

The morning after Jenny and Darren’s wedding, we all met for breakfast at the Juniper Bistro before parting ways.  I ordered the Valley View Parfait (French vanilla yogurt, mixed berries and organic granola) with a fresh baked lemon poppy seed muffin.  When I got home, I was determined to find a good lemon poppy seed muffin recipe.  As I started looking online, I was surprised at how unhealthy most of the muffin recipes were until I came across this one on the Weelicious website.  I was a little skeptical that it would be sweet enough, considering most of the other recipes I found called for one to one and a half cups of sugar.  These muffins are only sweetened with half a cup of agave nectar.  Not only do they taste great, they’re also made with a combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.  Best of all, Ben thinks they’re a treat.  I can’t complain about that!

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Makes 12 Large Muffins) 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup agave nectar

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp. lemon zest

3 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350F.  

Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to mix. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, agave nectar, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and poppy seeds.

Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until the batter is smooth, making sure not to over mix.

Fill paper lined or greased muffin tins generously to the top.

Bake for 22 – 28 minutes on the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Half Way (to Baby)

This week marks the half way point of my pregnancy.  Honestly, I haven’t written much about this baby because it’s been a bumpy road so far.  I found it hard to write when there was so much uncertainly in my heart.  My first trimester was challenging, both physically and emotionally.  In addition to the extreme exhaustion and all day nausea, I had a string of complications and couldn’t seem to catch a break.  In the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy, I had five doctor’s appointments, four ultrasounds and made countless panicked calls to the wonderful nurses at my clinic.  There were many days and nights where I didn’t think I’d get the chance to announce my pregnancy let alone meet this baby.  Although all of my complications have since passed and this baby looks healthy and has a strong heartbeat, I still wake up every morning and hold my breath, waiting to feel that first wiggle or kick of the day.

I don’t want this post to sound negative.  For me, sharing my struggles is about acknowledging that the past few months have been difficult and moving onto a better place.  I’m finally beginning to enjoy this pregnancy and connect with the quiet little being growing inside me.  A few weeks ago, we found out our baby’s gender and we’ve chosen a name.  The ultrasound tech “couldn’t see any boy parts” so it looks like we’ll be welcoming a little girl come May (I’ll still be packing a blue outfit and a short list of boy names in my hospital bag though...just in case).  Although our baby’s name will remain a surprise until she’s born, spring will be here before we know it...hopefully.

Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.

-       Carrie Fisher