Some of you have heard about Kaylynn's love of dancing. She likes to dance, but she especially likes to dance to The Office theme song. Tonight, she must have wanted to have a dance party. Just watch. It's about 2 minutes, but it's worth it to stay until the end. Trust me.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
30 Weeks and Meals
There are two posts below that are more interesting than this one, but it's on my mind, so I better hop to it before the school week starts and I don't remember/feel like it.
Here's Ben's 30 week update. 7 more weeks until he's considered full-term. We'd like him to keep on baking the additional 3 weeks...I need time to get my lesson plans together!
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20 - I think Brian and I sit around 20/40...just good enough to not have a restriction on our DL.)
Blood sugar has been a bit weird lately. Dr. H told me that as I get further along, things that I used to be able to eat and process ok, might not work out so well. I'm thinking that's the case. I had a sandwich (22g of carbs), a few chips (1 serving is 17g carbs), and 1/2 glass of chocolate milk (14g carbs) for a total of 57 carbs. Now that is on the high end of my allowance, but it's still under 60 and I blew the blood test out of the water (you know, the kind that I want to deduct 10 pts from on my chart to avoid getting yelled at...which I still haven't ruled out.) I had cheese and turkey for a snack (protein on protein) so hopefully I'll be back to normal in the morning. I'll do some heavy cleaning tonight to try to burn some calories and get the sugar gone.
Meals for this week:
Monday
Crock pot chicken (with black beans, corn, and salsa...courtesy of Julie!) and broccoli
Tuesday
Shrimp Scampi and Caesar Salad
Wednesday
Mini Greek Meatballs with a Greek Salad (I'm looking forward to this one!!)
Thursday
Hopefully some left over meatballs and salad! If not, we've got turkey burgers on stand by in the freezer. We really do like those things!
Friday
Whatever my father cooks for me!! :)
Keep your fingers crossed for good blood levels for me this week. I really don't want to have to resort back to my weekend of Atkins style eating. It really was miserable.
Here's Ben's 30 week update. 7 more weeks until he's considered full-term. We'd like him to keep on baking the additional 3 weeks...I need time to get my lesson plans together!
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20 - I think Brian and I sit around 20/40...just good enough to not have a restriction on our DL.)
Blood sugar has been a bit weird lately. Dr. H told me that as I get further along, things that I used to be able to eat and process ok, might not work out so well. I'm thinking that's the case. I had a sandwich (22g of carbs), a few chips (1 serving is 17g carbs), and 1/2 glass of chocolate milk (14g carbs) for a total of 57 carbs. Now that is on the high end of my allowance, but it's still under 60 and I blew the blood test out of the water (you know, the kind that I want to deduct 10 pts from on my chart to avoid getting yelled at...which I still haven't ruled out.) I had cheese and turkey for a snack (protein on protein) so hopefully I'll be back to normal in the morning. I'll do some heavy cleaning tonight to try to burn some calories and get the sugar gone.
Meals for this week:
Monday
Crock pot chicken (with black beans, corn, and salsa...courtesy of Julie!) and broccoli
Tuesday
Shrimp Scampi and Caesar Salad
Wednesday
Mini Greek Meatballs with a Greek Salad (I'm looking forward to this one!!)
Thursday
Hopefully some left over meatballs and salad! If not, we've got turkey burgers on stand by in the freezer. We really do like those things!
Friday
Whatever my father cooks for me!! :)
Keep your fingers crossed for good blood levels for me this week. I really don't want to have to resort back to my weekend of Atkins style eating. It really was miserable.
Canadia Part Two!
Warning. Picture overload ahead.
I believe we left off at the end of Day 3. So Day 4 began with a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs. YUMM! Kaylynn LOVES eggs. Lucky for her, her mama has to eat them almost every stinking day for breakfast now, which means Kaylynn gets lots of eggs.
We headed out to Granville Island. GI was an island (obviously) that had lots of shops and a huge market. The market had all kinds of things like the Thai Pepper and Walnut & Grappa chutney (shown below) as well as other things. We were at an Italian stand and we saw some Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Tortellini. We thought "man, the kids would LOVE this." So we bought some. They did not love it. They would not touch it.
After we stopped to eat lunch, Kaylynn ran around the grassy area. She was relegated back to her stroller when she ran down by the pond where the geese were. This wouldn't be an issue, except she fell and there was goose poop everywhere!
Heading back, Carter needed a cat nap on his Dad's shoulder.
Enter Day 5. Day 5 was all about Stanley Park. A HUGE park. Carter was taking an early nap, so the Frink fam forged ahead and did some scoping out before the Podds arrived. We stopped in front of the aquarium to stretch our legs. Kaylynn and her Daddy got in a quick game of soccer.
We met up with the Podds and checked out the aquarium. Saw a seahorse!
And a dolphin show (and I had a lovely cone of choco and vanilla swirl soft serve. Still thinking about that one...)
After dinner, we headed back to Stanley Park to play at the water park. Some info for you. It was about 65 degrees outside. The water, oh, probably about 48. Some more info for you. Kaylynn will NOT touch water that is a degree shy of 92. Case in point.
This was the closest she got to "playing" in the water park.
I love this picture. I think I'm going to "mess it up" (Brian's words) in photoshop and make it all 1970's ish. It'll be good.
Dad tried again to get her to play. No go.
See, look how sad she was. "But in Texas, Papa's pool is so nice and warm." Yeah, Kaylynn and the outside temp is also 100!
Day 6 we left our Vancouver abode and set out to Victoria. We did a quick stop off at Lynn Canyon. It's deep.
We walked across it and took a family photo. I think I look larger there than I actually do now. (must be the diet...I've actually lost weight. Not common for the 3rd trimester!)
Oh yeah, and my husband decided to let Kaylynn walk back across the bridge. Want to talk about giving her mother a heart attack. That's my baby girl and that is a deep canyon!
Saw a seal on the ferry to Victoria (that teeny speck in the dead center of the picture).
Gave hugs to Carter. Proof that she can, in fact, be sweet to him.
Day 7 - Family photo at Butchart Gardens.
Just imagine this without the slew of people in the photo. Mrs. Butchart had quite the eye for gardening.
Jessi and Carter playing. Can you see my two loves in the background? Kaylynn is not content hanging with the crowd. She has to run off and do her own thing. (Special thanks to her padre for chasing her all around this trip so her mama could relax!)
Kyle and Brian think it's fun for Jessi and I to climb on objects and take pictures. We were on a pig at Pike Place Market in Seattle, and a fake merry-go-round horse here.
Still at Butchart gardens.
On Day 8, Brian duped Kyle into hiking up a "mountain" with him. I say "mountain" because it looks like a hill. The following are some photos he took along the way and at the top. I think.
Oh, yeah. The boys didn't seem to mind the fact that they were in bear and cougar country. And I don't mean the Courtney Cox kind. Apparently they both forgot the fact that they were fathers and had children at home!
Still on Day 8. Downtown Victoria - The Empress Hotel. We were not near fancy enough to have tea there.
Fancy-schmancy parliament house. Kinda felt like Europe for a split second.
And on Day 9, we're home! Hope you enjoyed your whirlwind view of British Columbia!
I believe we left off at the end of Day 3. So Day 4 began with a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs. YUMM! Kaylynn LOVES eggs. Lucky for her, her mama has to eat them almost every stinking day for breakfast now, which means Kaylynn gets lots of eggs.
We headed out to Granville Island. GI was an island (obviously) that had lots of shops and a huge market. The market had all kinds of things like the Thai Pepper and Walnut & Grappa chutney (shown below) as well as other things. We were at an Italian stand and we saw some Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Tortellini. We thought "man, the kids would LOVE this." So we bought some. They did not love it. They would not touch it. 
After we stopped to eat lunch, Kaylynn ran around the grassy area. She was relegated back to her stroller when she ran down by the pond where the geese were. This wouldn't be an issue, except she fell and there was goose poop everywhere!
Heading back, Carter needed a cat nap on his Dad's shoulder.
Enter Day 5. Day 5 was all about Stanley Park. A HUGE park. Carter was taking an early nap, so the Frink fam forged ahead and did some scoping out before the Podds arrived. We stopped in front of the aquarium to stretch our legs. Kaylynn and her Daddy got in a quick game of soccer.
We met up with the Podds and checked out the aquarium. Saw a seahorse!
And a dolphin show (and I had a lovely cone of choco and vanilla swirl soft serve. Still thinking about that one...)
After dinner, we headed back to Stanley Park to play at the water park. Some info for you. It was about 65 degrees outside. The water, oh, probably about 48. Some more info for you. Kaylynn will NOT touch water that is a degree shy of 92. Case in point.
This was the closest she got to "playing" in the water park. 
I love this picture. I think I'm going to "mess it up" (Brian's words) in photoshop and make it all 1970's ish. It'll be good.
Dad tried again to get her to play. No go.
See, look how sad she was. "But in Texas, Papa's pool is so nice and warm." Yeah, Kaylynn and the outside temp is also 100!
Day 6 we left our Vancouver abode and set out to Victoria. We did a quick stop off at Lynn Canyon. It's deep.
We walked across it and took a family photo. I think I look larger there than I actually do now. (must be the diet...I've actually lost weight. Not common for the 3rd trimester!)
Oh yeah, and my husband decided to let Kaylynn walk back across the bridge. Want to talk about giving her mother a heart attack. That's my baby girl and that is a deep canyon!
Saw a seal on the ferry to Victoria (that teeny speck in the dead center of the picture).
Gave hugs to Carter. Proof that she can, in fact, be sweet to him.
Day 7 - Family photo at Butchart Gardens.
Just imagine this without the slew of people in the photo. Mrs. Butchart had quite the eye for gardening.
Jessi and Carter playing. Can you see my two loves in the background? Kaylynn is not content hanging with the crowd. She has to run off and do her own thing. (Special thanks to her padre for chasing her all around this trip so her mama could relax!)
Kyle and Brian think it's fun for Jessi and I to climb on objects and take pictures. We were on a pig at Pike Place Market in Seattle, and a fake merry-go-round horse here.
Still at Butchart gardens.
On Day 8, Brian duped Kyle into hiking up a "mountain" with him. I say "mountain" because it looks like a hill. The following are some photos he took along the way and at the top. I think.
Oh, yeah. The boys didn't seem to mind the fact that they were in bear and cougar country. And I don't mean the Courtney Cox kind. Apparently they both forgot the fact that they were fathers and had children at home!
Still on Day 8. Downtown Victoria - The Empress Hotel. We were not near fancy enough to have tea there.
Fancy-schmancy parliament house. Kinda felt like Europe for a split second.
And on Day 9, we're home! Hope you enjoyed your whirlwind view of British Columbia!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Walking With Sunshine
I just can't help but smile when I think of all the sweet, silly things my little sunshine does. When I'm at work having a sh*tty day (which is more often than not), I just have to minimize all programs on the computer to see her shining face. Instantly I feel better.
She does more and more everyday that either amuses me or amazes me. Tonight, she amused me. We were in the family room kicking the soccer ball around when she walked up to me, grabbed my pinkie, and started leading me through the house. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I eventually found that we were heading outside through the garage. When I asked where we were going, she simply said "walking".
And she wasn't kidding. We were going walking. Neither of us had shoes on, but she didn't care. She opened the door, walked out of the garage, headed down the driveway, and made a left-hand turn up the street. She held on to my pinkie the entire time and led me on our journey.
After making it half way down the street, I figured we'd gone far enough to satisfy her desire to walk. I picked her up and headed back to the house. Immediately after I put her down, she grabbed my pinkie, headed to my shoes, and wanted to go walking again.
Apparently, our little jaunt down the street was not enough to satisfy her demand for a walk. After putting on our shoes, we headed back out (her holding my pinkie the entire time). What I figured would be a short walk turned into a 30 minute trip around the neighborhood. And when we got close to the house (10 houses away), she said "No home yet. No home yet!" How she knew were were almost there, I don't know.
I had to pick her up to get her back up the driveway, but I managed to get her in the house. I put her down and she immediately went for my shoes. She handed them to me and said "Walking! Walking!" So what did we do? We grabbed mommy and headed out for walk number three!
She's growing up so fast. She knows where she wants to go and she knows how to get there. Everything feels so different now that she can think independently. And I feel so old now that I'm walking around the neighborhood with my little girl (though I love the fact she was holding onto my pinkie the entire time; she's so cute!). I enjoyed walking with my little sunshine and I'm sure there will be plenty more walks in the future!
She does more and more everyday that either amuses me or amazes me. Tonight, she amused me. We were in the family room kicking the soccer ball around when she walked up to me, grabbed my pinkie, and started leading me through the house. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I eventually found that we were heading outside through the garage. When I asked where we were going, she simply said "walking".
And she wasn't kidding. We were going walking. Neither of us had shoes on, but she didn't care. She opened the door, walked out of the garage, headed down the driveway, and made a left-hand turn up the street. She held on to my pinkie the entire time and led me on our journey.
After making it half way down the street, I figured we'd gone far enough to satisfy her desire to walk. I picked her up and headed back to the house. Immediately after I put her down, she grabbed my pinkie, headed to my shoes, and wanted to go walking again.
Apparently, our little jaunt down the street was not enough to satisfy her demand for a walk. After putting on our shoes, we headed back out (her holding my pinkie the entire time). What I figured would be a short walk turned into a 30 minute trip around the neighborhood. And when we got close to the house (10 houses away), she said "No home yet. No home yet!" How she knew were were almost there, I don't know.
I had to pick her up to get her back up the driveway, but I managed to get her in the house. I put her down and she immediately went for my shoes. She handed them to me and said "Walking! Walking!" So what did we do? We grabbed mommy and headed out for walk number three!
She's growing up so fast. She knows where she wants to go and she knows how to get there. Everything feels so different now that she can think independently. And I feel so old now that I'm walking around the neighborhood with my little girl (though I love the fact she was holding onto my pinkie the entire time; she's so cute!). I enjoyed walking with my little sunshine and I'm sure there will be plenty more walks in the future!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Late 29 Week Update & Meals
A 2-in-1. Here's what's going on with Ben as we are now halfway into the week. Or feels like it. Monday was the first day of school and I weeded flowerbeds when I got home. I felt like I'd been run over by a mack truck...not sure which one did me in. Being on your feet ALL day really stinks. Then, somehow I slept on my arm/shoulder wrong that night and started having sharp pains when I breathed deep. I thought 1.) I'm having a heart attack (arm was killing me and chest hurt) and then 2.) my arm was going to literally fall off. Turns out, I probably have a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve. It was painful. Very painful. Still is sometimes.
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.
Meals for the week include:
Monday
Beef Stroganoff with wheat egg noodles and broccoli cheddar bake
Tuesday
Monday's leftovers
Wednesday
Turkey burgers (these things are good!) salad with cucumbers and cheese.
Thursday
Chicken w/ wheat penne noodles.
Friday
Sandwiches or something nice and easy. I like that we can still eat our sandwiches. We're sandwich folks around here.
The best part about meal planning is going to the grocery store once a week. I did learn that we need 2 loaves of bread around here, so I'll adjust next time so I don't have a midweek run like today. The bill would be a lot cheaper if I didn't have to have stinking snacks during the day. Cheese is expensive folks. Expensive.
And some fun(and funny) Kaylynn news:
1. All through the grocery store today she kept saying "oh, snap." (courtesy of her father.)
2. She looked at me today, while doing a puzzle and said "It's all good."
3. Kaylynn has been finding random small things and giving them to me (like fuzz, etc.) Tonight it was a booger. Awesome.
4. She did her first real poop in the bathtub tonight. I caught her in time and made it to the toilet to finish off, but she hates the toilet and freaked. I put her back in the tub and so I could clean up and she reached towards the turds and said "beans".
5. She counted to 10 tonight! She forgot 6. Technicalities. :)
Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.
Meals for the week include:
Monday
Beef Stroganoff with wheat egg noodles and broccoli cheddar bake
Tuesday
Monday's leftovers
Wednesday
Turkey burgers (these things are good!) salad with cucumbers and cheese.
Thursday
Chicken w/ wheat penne noodles.
Friday
Sandwiches or something nice and easy. I like that we can still eat our sandwiches. We're sandwich folks around here.
The best part about meal planning is going to the grocery store once a week. I did learn that we need 2 loaves of bread around here, so I'll adjust next time so I don't have a midweek run like today. The bill would be a lot cheaper if I didn't have to have stinking snacks during the day. Cheese is expensive folks. Expensive.
And some fun(and funny) Kaylynn news:
1. All through the grocery store today she kept saying "oh, snap." (courtesy of her father.)
2. She looked at me today, while doing a puzzle and said "It's all good."
3. Kaylynn has been finding random small things and giving them to me (like fuzz, etc.) Tonight it was a booger. Awesome.
4. She did her first real poop in the bathtub tonight. I caught her in time and made it to the toilet to finish off, but she hates the toilet and freaked. I put her back in the tub and so I could clean up and she reached towards the turds and said "beans".
5. She counted to 10 tonight! She forgot 6. Technicalities. :)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Photoshoot with Ben
I got to have a look at Ben yesterday...I do enjoy these extra ultrasounds!
Click here to compare Kaylynn's. There's about a 5 week difference in the age (I think hers was done at 33 weeks) and Kaylynn's is not 4D, but I can still see a resemblence. I think the nose and cheeks are the same. Maybe it's just me.
Click here to compare Kaylynn's. There's about a 5 week difference in the age (I think hers was done at 33 weeks) and Kaylynn's is not 4D, but I can still see a resemblence. I think the nose and cheeks are the same. Maybe it's just me.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Meal Planning Week 1
Here's what we've got going on this week. Tuesday-Thursdays's recipes are coming from my Ellie Krieger cookbook. One of the best things about meal planning for GD is that I am perfectly OK serving Kaylynn every bit of this. Honestly, it's probably something I should keep up with after Ben arrives. Not that cooking will be at the top of my "Things to Do" list, but maybe with a little planning? Now, if only we could end Friday with a little trip to DQ for a Blizzard. :(
Monday
Turkey Burgers & Salad
Tuesday
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin & Sugar Snap Peas w/ Miso Sauce
Wednesday
Leftover pork & green beans with almonds/lemon juice
Thursday
Tuscan Roasted Chicken & Veggies
Friday
Steak & some sort of veggie that is TBD. Probably broccoli, since Kaylynn thinks this is the yummiest veggie ever.
Monday
Turkey Burgers & Salad
Tuesday
Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin & Sugar Snap Peas w/ Miso Sauce
Wednesday
Leftover pork & green beans with almonds/lemon juice
Thursday
Tuscan Roasted Chicken & Veggies
Friday
Steak & some sort of veggie that is TBD. Probably broccoli, since Kaylynn thinks this is the yummiest veggie ever.
Ben's 28 Week Update & GD
It's been a wild and crazy week. Here's what's going on with Ben:
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
My biggest news (if you haven't read me complaining all over facebook or anywhere else I had some open ears or eyes) is that I failed the 3 hr glucose tolerenace test, meaning I do, in fact, have gestational diabetes. Last week was pretty stressful, in that I took the test on Monday, learned I failed on Tuesday, then found out that it meant I'm considered a "high-risk" pregnancy, had to see a nutritionist, get extra ultrasounds, more frequent doctors appointments, etc. Oh, and it all had to be done ASAP. Easy, right? It would be, if I had a normal 8-5 job, but alas, school inservice starts tomorrow, with actual kids showing up a week from tomorrow. Try explaining to doctors that you can't miss the 2nd day of school for a nutrition class, and then try playing phone tag with a very nice (and patient) lady at the hospital who is trying everything she can to squeeze you in for some nutrition information (only to hear, "No, I can't that day, we have mandatory inservice.") It's not fun. As of right now, I've got the ultrasound and extra doctor appointment figured out next week, but I still don't know about the nutrition class.
So, having GD means you get to prick your finger 4 times a day to test your blood sugar. I had no clue when I was supposed to get my glucometer (pricker and tester), but ended up getting one Friday night to last me until Aetna's overnighted one arrived. So now I have two. The nurse practitioner gave me some "rough" instructions (lots of protein, whole wheat starches, lots of veggies, no simple sugars). With that, I've eaten more salads in the past 5 days than I have in a long time. Luckily, my blood sugar numbers have been really good (except 1, this morning). I even splurged Saturday and drank a Dublin Dr. Pepper (how can you pass them up when they are free at the tour?) and even had a piece of wedding cake! I was still a good 11 pts (are they points, grams, I don't even know) lower than the target number. Brian questions whether I really have it or not, or if everything I'm eating is ok. I guess time will tell. Actually, if the insurance co didn't require I take the nutrition class, I don't think I would, since I've been ok.
Anywho, lot of info jammed in there, most of which, you probably could care less about. I've been meal planning tonight, so I'm going to do a seperate post on that. :) I know you're excited.
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.
My biggest news (if you haven't read me complaining all over facebook or anywhere else I had some open ears or eyes) is that I failed the 3 hr glucose tolerenace test, meaning I do, in fact, have gestational diabetes. Last week was pretty stressful, in that I took the test on Monday, learned I failed on Tuesday, then found out that it meant I'm considered a "high-risk" pregnancy, had to see a nutritionist, get extra ultrasounds, more frequent doctors appointments, etc. Oh, and it all had to be done ASAP. Easy, right? It would be, if I had a normal 8-5 job, but alas, school inservice starts tomorrow, with actual kids showing up a week from tomorrow. Try explaining to doctors that you can't miss the 2nd day of school for a nutrition class, and then try playing phone tag with a very nice (and patient) lady at the hospital who is trying everything she can to squeeze you in for some nutrition information (only to hear, "No, I can't that day, we have mandatory inservice.") It's not fun. As of right now, I've got the ultrasound and extra doctor appointment figured out next week, but I still don't know about the nutrition class.
So, having GD means you get to prick your finger 4 times a day to test your blood sugar. I had no clue when I was supposed to get my glucometer (pricker and tester), but ended up getting one Friday night to last me until Aetna's overnighted one arrived. So now I have two. The nurse practitioner gave me some "rough" instructions (lots of protein, whole wheat starches, lots of veggies, no simple sugars). With that, I've eaten more salads in the past 5 days than I have in a long time. Luckily, my blood sugar numbers have been really good (except 1, this morning). I even splurged Saturday and drank a Dublin Dr. Pepper (how can you pass them up when they are free at the tour?) and even had a piece of wedding cake! I was still a good 11 pts (are they points, grams, I don't even know) lower than the target number. Brian questions whether I really have it or not, or if everything I'm eating is ok. I guess time will tell. Actually, if the insurance co didn't require I take the nutrition class, I don't think I would, since I've been ok.
Anywho, lot of info jammed in there, most of which, you probably could care less about. I've been meal planning tonight, so I'm going to do a seperate post on that. :) I know you're excited.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Canadia Part 1
Canada and Washington were pretty, that's for sure, but we didn't take too many "scenic" pictures, for whatever reason. Kaylynn is a more fun object to photograph. :) Here's a quick tour of our week long vacation (fyi, all photos are unedited...our computer with photo shop currently hates me.)
Day 1 - We arrive into Seattle around 9pm at night. Our bags do not. Why? Because the lovely curbside check-in man (who took our bags...we didn't even want to curbside check-in, for good reason) decided to give us correct boarding passes and incorrect luggage tags. He tagged our 1 bag (a small duffel that cost us $23 to check) under the name "Takekawa" and sent it to San Francisco. ? Trip is not starting off well.
Day 2 - Using our complimentary Continental airlines toiletries, we clean up and head out to visit Northwest Washington. AKA Twilight country. Yes, I made Brian take a tour of the Twilight towns. Why not? We had a day to kill and when again would we get to tour the most northwest point in the continental United States. First stop is La Push, home of the Quileute Tribe (think Jacob and the werewolves.)
And just for fun. :)
We saw Jacob Black, chilling at home.
Heading from La Push to Forks, just a shot to show how thick the woods were.
This cracked me up. There were so many die-hard Twilight fans. This father (yes, father) was starting his boys early. Maybe they were Bella fans? Oh, in case you are curious, their shirts say "I am pretty much one of the best people I know." Nice. 
The town of Forks is not interesting. At all. I did take the obligatory photos of the spots around town that inspired the places in the books/movies, but they aren't interesting. What is interesting is how blue this lake was. It faded from clear water by the shore, to green further out, to the very pretty blue that you see. This was driving back towards Port Angeles. 
In Port Angeles, I took the same obligatory photos, but again, not interesting to most of you, I'm sure. On our way back to Seattle, we learned that Jack Dwyer was running for State Rep in Washington. Go Jack, you've got our vote! (for those who wondering...we have family friends with a grandson/son/nephew named "Jack Dwyer".) There was also a highly inappropriate, but highly hilarious poster right by Jack's. That's all I'm saying
.
That concludes Day 2. We made it back to Seattle, met up with the Podds, and ate some yummy pizza!
Day 3 - Oh, Canada! We head to Vancouver, bright and early in the am. We're disappointed because after spending $80 for Kaylynn's passport, she still doesn't have a stamp to prove she's an international traveler. We got settled into our condo and did a little walking around before dinner.
There is a cute picture of Kaylynn and Carter, but it's on the Podd's camera. Anywho, we had great views of the city of Vancouver from the 21st floor of our building.
To end our first night in Vancouver, the kids enjoyed a little night cap of milk on one of the 2 balconies. It is an understatement when I say that the kiddos LOVED the balconies. They spent every second they could out there. Probably had something to do with the awesome weather!
Good night, Day 3!
Day 1 - We arrive into Seattle around 9pm at night. Our bags do not. Why? Because the lovely curbside check-in man (who took our bags...we didn't even want to curbside check-in, for good reason) decided to give us correct boarding passes and incorrect luggage tags. He tagged our 1 bag (a small duffel that cost us $23 to check) under the name "Takekawa" and sent it to San Francisco. ? Trip is not starting off well.
Day 2 - Using our complimentary Continental airlines toiletries, we clean up and head out to visit Northwest Washington. AKA Twilight country. Yes, I made Brian take a tour of the Twilight towns. Why not? We had a day to kill and when again would we get to tour the most northwest point in the continental United States. First stop is La Push, home of the Quileute Tribe (think Jacob and the werewolves.)
And just for fun. :)
We saw Jacob Black, chilling at home.
Heading from La Push to Forks, just a shot to show how thick the woods were.
This cracked me up. There were so many die-hard Twilight fans. This father (yes, father) was starting his boys early. Maybe they were Bella fans? Oh, in case you are curious, their shirts say "I am pretty much one of the best people I know." Nice. 
The town of Forks is not interesting. At all. I did take the obligatory photos of the spots around town that inspired the places in the books/movies, but they aren't interesting. What is interesting is how blue this lake was. It faded from clear water by the shore, to green further out, to the very pretty blue that you see. This was driving back towards Port Angeles. 
In Port Angeles, I took the same obligatory photos, but again, not interesting to most of you, I'm sure. On our way back to Seattle, we learned that Jack Dwyer was running for State Rep in Washington. Go Jack, you've got our vote! (for those who wondering...we have family friends with a grandson/son/nephew named "Jack Dwyer".) There was also a highly inappropriate, but highly hilarious poster right by Jack's. That's all I'm saying
.That concludes Day 2. We made it back to Seattle, met up with the Podds, and ate some yummy pizza!
Day 3 - Oh, Canada! We head to Vancouver, bright and early in the am. We're disappointed because after spending $80 for Kaylynn's passport, she still doesn't have a stamp to prove she's an international traveler. We got settled into our condo and did a little walking around before dinner.
There is a cute picture of Kaylynn and Carter, but it's on the Podd's camera. Anywho, we had great views of the city of Vancouver from the 21st floor of our building.
To end our first night in Vancouver, the kids enjoyed a little night cap of milk on one of the 2 balconies. It is an understatement when I say that the kiddos LOVED the balconies. They spent every second they could out there. Probably had something to do with the awesome weather!
Good night, Day 3!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Ben's 27 Week Update
Hello last week of 2nd trimester! 6 days from now, we're in the last 1/3!
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.
I made a comment to Brian the other day how Ben doesn't move around as much as Kaylynn did. He must have heard me and taken it personally, because he's been a gymnast/soccer player the past few days. I'm talking about constant movement, all the time. I feel tiny punches down low and feet kicks above my belly button..well, that height, but way right. He's been hanging out on my right side a lot and I am guessing he's head down right now, based on this movement.
On a downer, I failed the 1 hr gluclose tolerance test and have to take the 3 hr test on Monday. If you've been around since before Kaylynn was born, you'll know that I had to do this with her as well. Actually, with Kaylynn, they found the 1st 3 hr test inconclusive, so I had to retake it (literally 4 days after Ike, no less.) They numbers were high, but not high enough to say I had gestational diabetes. We'll see how it goes this time. I might just ask them to make a decision one way or the other...if they are borderline being high, to the point where I'd have to retake the 3 hr, I'd almost prefer they go ahead and say I have GD. I'd rather have to follow a diet for 13 more weeks than to sit through a 3 hr/4 blood draw appt. However, Brian and I got to talk to a guy tonight whose wife had GD and he said it wasn't near as bad as they thought it was going to be. Mostly portion control and balancing proteins/carbs/veggies. He even gave us some tips on how to enjoy dessert on occasion. That made me feel a lot better, actually.
I guess we'll see what happens...
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.
I made a comment to Brian the other day how Ben doesn't move around as much as Kaylynn did. He must have heard me and taken it personally, because he's been a gymnast/soccer player the past few days. I'm talking about constant movement, all the time. I feel tiny punches down low and feet kicks above my belly button..well, that height, but way right. He's been hanging out on my right side a lot and I am guessing he's head down right now, based on this movement.
On a downer, I failed the 1 hr gluclose tolerance test and have to take the 3 hr test on Monday. If you've been around since before Kaylynn was born, you'll know that I had to do this with her as well. Actually, with Kaylynn, they found the 1st 3 hr test inconclusive, so I had to retake it (literally 4 days after Ike, no less.) They numbers were high, but not high enough to say I had gestational diabetes. We'll see how it goes this time. I might just ask them to make a decision one way or the other...if they are borderline being high, to the point where I'd have to retake the 3 hr, I'd almost prefer they go ahead and say I have GD. I'd rather have to follow a diet for 13 more weeks than to sit through a 3 hr/4 blood draw appt. However, Brian and I got to talk to a guy tonight whose wife had GD and he said it wasn't near as bad as they thought it was going to be. Mostly portion control and balancing proteins/carbs/veggies. He even gave us some tips on how to enjoy dessert on occasion. That made me feel a lot better, actually.
I guess we'll see what happens...
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
A Few Things About Kaylynn
I've been lazy and haven't uploaded any pictures from our trip, but I wanted to jot down a few things about Kaylynn at this age, before she moves on and I forget to document them. She's about a week shy of 20 months, which means she's got about 3 more months to soak up being an only child.
1. Words, words, words! This kid will repeat anything (I mean anything...BRIAN!). Just this afternoon, Kaylynn and I were driving home from Jason's Deli and I hear her in the backseat saying "Come on!" We were stuck at a light and she saw the cars in front not moving. Earlier, before we even went into Jason's, there was a car that frustrated me with their choice in backing out direction and I had said, "Oh, come on" to them. She remembers. Some other frequent comments we hear are "Again, pease", "No help", "Mama/Dada help, pease", "Dada work", "Where Mama go?", "Open, pease", "Baby/Cat/Gus nigh-nigh", "No nigh-nigh/sleep", "OK, Alright", "I funny", "I see moon", "Moon is nigh-nigh", "Bless you", and many more, I'm sure. She's getting very good with the 3-4 word sentences.
2. HELLO Miss Independent! If you want to send this child into a tantrum, then all you have to do is do the buckles for her. She HAS to be the one who does the top clip on her carseat, she HAS to buckle herself into her highchair or shopping cart. If you try to do it for her, that's when you'll hear "No help." Only on occasion will she just get tired of it and ask for "Dada/Mama help, pease." She also reminds you that she needs "No help" before you even try to help her! In other words, do not leave the house in a hurry or you'll have an unhappy child in your car! We're talking ginormous crocodile tears for a good 5-10 minutes.
3. Easier naps/nighttime. Either we're wearing her out during the day or the new 1 nap routine makes her tired. Regardless, she's been an absolute delight to put down. Just 2 hrs ago, she gave me the biggest hug (we're talking full-on arms around the neck and squeezing), asked for Baby, and then I laid her down. If you cover her up and turn on the music, she's good. Sometimes you'll even get a "nigh-nigh" from her...if she's not too tired. :)
4. I Love You, too! She's said this for a while, but I still love it. Now she's adding Mama or Dada on the end. "I wuv you, too, Mama." She's too sweet.
5. Books. Still, by far, her most favorite thing to do in the entire world is read. I can't even go to the bathroom without reading to her...yes, it's that sad. :) However, I can't complain, because I think all the reading she likes to do has helped her with her words and counting.
6. Counting. She can consistently count to 3. Then she adds 9, 10. 1, 2, 3, 9, 10. No idea.
7. Food. Her new favorite thing to eat is a "seeshaw" (or something like that.) In Kaylynn's terms, that is a sandwich. Except her sandwiches are really wraps. She's had almond butter & strawberry jam, turkey & laughing cow cheese, hummus & cucumbers, black beans & avocados. If you give her a sandwich and some beeshooes or broccoli, she's a happy camper. Yes, you read correct. Broccoli is the equivalent of candy to her. She scarfs those little trees down! Cheese is still by far her top favorite thing to eat, except we have to regulate how much she gets or we have "digestive issues" if you catch my drift.
8. Airplanes. If there is an airplane in the air in a 50 mile radius, she sees it. On our trip, we joked that she if there was a plane over China right then, she'd see it (or any other random city or country). Lucky for her, we got to visit the airport 3-4 times in the past two weeks, between flying out, flying in, and just driving around.
9. Dancing. We keep meaning to get a video of it, but her best dancing happens when the theme song for The Office comes on. Kaylynn hasn't become interested in watching TV, however, she will stop in her tracks and start dancing the second she hears The Office song. This happens frequently, since we do enjoy that show quite a bit.
I'm sure there is a lot more, but these are the *few* things that come to mind just now.
And I'll get pictures soon, I promise!
1. Words, words, words! This kid will repeat anything (I mean anything...BRIAN!). Just this afternoon, Kaylynn and I were driving home from Jason's Deli and I hear her in the backseat saying "Come on!" We were stuck at a light and she saw the cars in front not moving. Earlier, before we even went into Jason's, there was a car that frustrated me with their choice in backing out direction and I had said, "Oh, come on" to them. She remembers. Some other frequent comments we hear are "Again, pease", "No help", "Mama/Dada help, pease", "Dada work", "Where Mama go?", "Open, pease", "Baby/Cat/Gus nigh-nigh", "No nigh-nigh/sleep", "OK, Alright", "I funny", "I see moon", "Moon is nigh-nigh", "Bless you", and many more, I'm sure. She's getting very good with the 3-4 word sentences.
2. HELLO Miss Independent! If you want to send this child into a tantrum, then all you have to do is do the buckles for her. She HAS to be the one who does the top clip on her carseat, she HAS to buckle herself into her highchair or shopping cart. If you try to do it for her, that's when you'll hear "No help." Only on occasion will she just get tired of it and ask for "Dada/Mama help, pease." She also reminds you that she needs "No help" before you even try to help her! In other words, do not leave the house in a hurry or you'll have an unhappy child in your car! We're talking ginormous crocodile tears for a good 5-10 minutes.
3. Easier naps/nighttime. Either we're wearing her out during the day or the new 1 nap routine makes her tired. Regardless, she's been an absolute delight to put down. Just 2 hrs ago, she gave me the biggest hug (we're talking full-on arms around the neck and squeezing), asked for Baby, and then I laid her down. If you cover her up and turn on the music, she's good. Sometimes you'll even get a "nigh-nigh" from her...if she's not too tired. :)
4. I Love You, too! She's said this for a while, but I still love it. Now she's adding Mama or Dada on the end. "I wuv you, too, Mama." She's too sweet.
5. Books. Still, by far, her most favorite thing to do in the entire world is read. I can't even go to the bathroom without reading to her...yes, it's that sad. :) However, I can't complain, because I think all the reading she likes to do has helped her with her words and counting.
6. Counting. She can consistently count to 3. Then she adds 9, 10. 1, 2, 3, 9, 10. No idea.
7. Food. Her new favorite thing to eat is a "seeshaw" (or something like that.) In Kaylynn's terms, that is a sandwich. Except her sandwiches are really wraps. She's had almond butter & strawberry jam, turkey & laughing cow cheese, hummus & cucumbers, black beans & avocados. If you give her a sandwich and some beeshooes or broccoli, she's a happy camper. Yes, you read correct. Broccoli is the equivalent of candy to her. She scarfs those little trees down! Cheese is still by far her top favorite thing to eat, except we have to regulate how much she gets or we have "digestive issues" if you catch my drift.
8. Airplanes. If there is an airplane in the air in a 50 mile radius, she sees it. On our trip, we joked that she if there was a plane over China right then, she'd see it (or any other random city or country). Lucky for her, we got to visit the airport 3-4 times in the past two weeks, between flying out, flying in, and just driving around.
9. Dancing. We keep meaning to get a video of it, but her best dancing happens when the theme song for The Office comes on. Kaylynn hasn't become interested in watching TV, however, she will stop in her tracks and start dancing the second she hears The Office song. This happens frequently, since we do enjoy that show quite a bit.
I'm sure there is a lot more, but these are the *few* things that come to mind just now.
And I'll get pictures soon, I promise!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Ben's 26 Week Update
Look who's only a day behind this week. We've been enjoying a week in Canada, and just got home last night/this morning. Thus, I maintain I had a good excuse. Who wants to spend time blogging when you're enjoying cloudless skies and 71 degree weather?!
Here's what's going on with Ben this week.
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.
Random question...why do they wrap English cukes in plastic? We were discussing this at the grocery store this week? Have I mentioned how much I love going into grocery stores in other places?? Ido, I love it. I think I get that from my father. He and I could spend hours in a grocery store.
Here's what's going on with Ben this week.
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.
Random question...why do they wrap English cukes in plastic? We were discussing this at the grocery store this week? Have I mentioned how much I love going into grocery stores in other places?? Ido, I love it. I think I get that from my father. He and I could spend hours in a grocery store.
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