Project 2011: Through His Eyes Part 8

Here are last week's pictures:

Ok, so I snagged this one. But here are the two boys, putting together the baby's crib.

 Carter snagged a picture of my flowers that Eric brought me last week.  It was a high stress week, I needed them!

 Part of his breakfast one morning:

 This is a page from one of his sticker activity books.  It's an under-the-sea book, so there are all sorts of fish/animal/plant stickers.  Apparently he found this one pretty cool.

 And here was the position I was most often found in this week.  The rib/back pain, combined with the cold, thoroughly kicked my ass.  I shouldn't have laid in his bed because we are probably going to pass around the stupid cold again, but we were in the middle of cleaning his room....well, he cleaned anyway.  ;)

80

Friday was my grandmother's 80th birthday.  Today, we got together to celebrate her big day.  My aunt Taunya put together some fantastic food (she and my mom are getting into the catering business if anyone needs an event catered!!!) and we all sat around, shootin' the breeze.  It was a gorgeous day, and the sun coming in the windows definitely put everyone in a great mood.  It was nice to sit around and catch up with everyone.  I didn't snag nearly as many pictures as I wanted - I was wanting some with gma and the grandkids, and her kids, and the entire family - but there was just too much going on, too many people coming and going, and a few people that weren't able to make it.  So I snapped what I could, when I could.

Here is the card I made for her today while Carter was napping.  I desperately miss scrapbooking.  I have so many pictures I need to print out and many albums that need filled.  I keep saying "soon" or "next weekend", but anyone with kids knows that their stuff always comes first and your own projects kind of take the backseat to anything else going on.  So, I still say "soon" and "maybe on maternity leave", but it'll just happen when it happens.

 Here is Carter playing with his cousin, Hannah.  Actually, she's my cousin, so that makes her his.....second cousin?  Either way, these two are inseperable.

 Carter with his great-grandma....or Grandma Vern as he calls her.  Her name is LaVerne, but she decided when he could speak that she was to be known as Grandma Vern.  It's cute and he sure loves her!

 After most of the crowd went home, Carter discovered the piano.  My cousin Brian took 6 or 7 years of piano lessons, and now my Aunt Taunya is taking her own lessons.  Carter made everyone that was left at the house sit down and play with him.  Here is my cousin Matt teaching Carter some tunes.

Matt actually doesn't even play the piano, so the music they were playing left a little to be desired. ;)  Matt is actually just like Eric - they both taught themselves to play the guitar, and they are both phenomenal guitar players.  It's pretty amazing to watch them both sit down with their own guitars and "jam out".  As someone who has no musical talent whatsoever, I always find it captivating to watch them play.

Pregnancy Tracker - 31 weeks

Well the last week has been the worst week so far.  My body decided that I needed to get sick again, so here I am, battling another terrible sinus cold.  And the fainting episodes are getting much worse - yesterday's lasted an hour and was followed by a phone call to my doctor.  He seems to think it's a blood sugar issue, and wants me to eat right when I roll out of bed in the morning (as opposed to waiting until I get to work).  The baby clearly needs more calories and sugar, and isn't being sustained overnight from the time we eat dinner until the time I eat breakfast.  So hopefully eating a little snack first thing in the morning will eliminate these concerning episodes.

Other than that, we put together the crib the other night - and let me tell you, THAT certainly made things real.  Like, less than two months from now, there will be a baby in this house.  And that brought on a whole list of fears that kind of snuck up on me.

How do you go grocery shopping with two kids?

Will we give equal attention to both?

How do we make this easier for Carter so he doesn't feel remotely "left out"?

Will the baby crying for a feeding in the middle of the night wake up Carter?

And on and on - a thousand questions and concerns went flashing through my head.

Here's what babycenter.com says about the pregnancy at 31 weeks:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Movie Review: Due Date

I do not have one bad thing to say about this movie.  The previews alone were hilarious - which is why we grabbed this movie last night when it was released.  I haven't been a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr. - moreso recently, now that he's cleaned up his act.  But I do have to say, this movie was freakin' hilarious.  I mean, we had to pause several times because I was laughing so hard, tears were obstructing my vision.  Definitely a movie you need to see!

Project 2011: Through His Eyes Part 7

Here are last week's photos - sorry for being late, again! Apparently my body decided it was cool to be sick, AGAIN. I've been resting more than usual lately, which delayed this post.

This is the Valentine's Day wreath we had up in the house.

 And Carter got lots of Valentine's Day cards! This one is from his Grammy, though it's pretty hard to see.

 Just messing around with some of the tools.

 Spiderman has seen better days!

 Front of the fridge.

 We made cookies one night and Carter was a huge help.

 The coloring mess....alllll over the floor.

 Daddy making dinner.

Pregnancy Tracker: 30 Weeks

Well here we are at 30 weeks - exactly 9 weeks left!  The last week has been progressively harder for me - needless to say, I'm ready for April to be here!  The back pain is kicked into high gear.  The baby is constantly up in my ribs, which is incredibly painful, and the feeling like I'm going to pass out is getting worse.  I had the worst (so far) episode the other morning at work.  I'm starting to think it's a blood pressure issue - at my last appointment with my doctor, the nurse had to try three different times to get my blood pressure - nothing was registering. And I was in the middle of one of those fainting episodes.  The blood pressure was just so low that it wasn't even registering.  So I need to discuss that with my doctor next time we are in because it's really starting to concern me and those around me.

We have started gathering stuff for the baby's room.  My aunt gave us several items from when her girls were babies, so it's to the point where we need to put the crib together and start arranging the room.  One of my other aunts has offered to have a baby shower, so another thing to add to the list is going to get a registry started.  So many things to do!  :)

Here's what babycenter.com says about the pregnancy at 30 weeks:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.

Park It

We've had incredibly gorgeous weather lately - so we have been outside taking full advantage before the cooler weather sets back in (like, tomorrow).  This weekend, we spent quite a bit of time at the park.  It was virtually deserted, so we had our run of the place.

 There were also some spare basketballs in the grass that someone had left behind, so we tried out some of the shorter hoops.  And let me tell you, Carter tried and tried with all of his might to get that ball in the hoop.  It didn't work.  ;)

 But he enlisted the help of his daddy and together, they were able to make a basket happen.

 And they even had a hopscotch contest.  Carter's little legs were still too small to take full advantage of the game, but they still had a great time nonetheless!

Cooler weather is coming back soon, so I think we'll be back at the (indoor) pool this weekend.  But this taste of spring-like weather sure has me itchin' to be outdoors on a more regular basis! Come on, spring - show your face!

Project 2011: Through His Eyes Part 6

I notice that there aren't as many pictures as I would like throughout the week - which leaves me scrambling during the weekend!  I try to have his camera out in places where we hang out regularly - kitchen, living room, etc. And sometimes it works, and others, the camera just sits there, ignored.  Nonetheless, we got some silly stuff this week.

Play-Doh time!  I love Play-Doh time because this is usually a time where I'm trying to get stuff done (cleaning, dishes, dinner, etc) and setting him up with all the necessities for Play-Doh time is quick and ensures me uninterrupted time to get stuff done.

 However, this doesn't always work because I end up sitting down with him and playing too!

 I have no idea why the dishwasher was fascinating to him - but apparently worthy of not one, but TWO shots!

 This weekend, we went to the park to play.  This picture is actually of one of the slides, but he was in such a rush to play, this was all of the slide he was able to capture.

 And this nasty thing is half of those tube things where you can talk to someone else clear across the playground.

 He took two pictures of Eric on the other end.

 We also put together all of his Valentines for school tomorrow.

 We stopped by my aunt's house to pick up some room decoration stuff for the baby.  For some reason, she still has all of my two cousins' stuff from when they were babies. And it's all Pottery Barn - stuff I don't pretend to be able to afford. So when she started passing this stuff over to me, I was thrilled!  Apparently Carter was thrilled too because he was snapping these pictures as we were going through the wall decorations.

And that's all I have for this week folks - see you next week!

Pregnancy Tracker - 29 weeks

Well here we are at 29 weeks, meaning I have 10 more to go until the scheduled c-section.  Just a little over 2 months left.  Eek!!  I seriously need to get moving on getting her room fully put together.  Seems like I got a serious head-start on it, and then got busy with other stuff.  Looks like I need to make some goals.  No big changes from last week - though I think we have informally settled on a name.  The kicks are becoming quite stronger - a few have actually been painful.  Speaking of pain, my back pain has kicked into high gear. More pillows have made their way into our bed, and my wedge pillow will make its journey to my work chair tomorrow.  I have officially reached the point where I'm sick of being pregnant.  :(  It's not cute or fun anymore - it's just uncomfortable ALL.THE.TIME.  I'm ready for April, and spring weather, and a chubby baby girl!

Here's what babycenter.com says about the pregnancy at 29 weeks.

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. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her 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.

Goal Accomplished

Many months ago, I decided to submit some of my scenic pictures to a local magazine.  They often feature local photographers' scenic photos on their cover, and I figured, hey, why not?  So I compiled a disc of some of my favorite scenic shots and submitted them to the editor after a few meetings.  The magazine I chose isn't one that tons of people know about, nor is it high in circulation in all the "hot spots".  It does, however, go out to every attorney and law firm in the state of Idaho, and it's a publication I read every time it comes through our office door. 

A month ago, I got a call from the editor, advising me that they had chosen one of my Redfish Lake pictures to be featured on the cover.  While it certainly isn't my favorite scenic picture, I was still beyond flattered to have a picture chosen among all the other extremely talented folks that are featured on a monthly basis on the cover of The Advocate.  And while this wasn't exactly a specific goal of mine for my photography business, the exposure certainly won't hurt!  I can now say my work has been published and I have been a featured photographer on a state-wide publication.  Go me!

My Little Fish

I apologize for the lateness of this post - it was supposed to be up earlier, but due to date night tonight, it got a little delayed.

As I mentioned a while back, swimming has resumed.  It's the most magical place for a pregnant woman.  Even though we really go there for Carter, I secretly get more excited than he does at the mere mention of the pool.  ;)  Lately, he's been advancing really well.  I'm so proud of him!  We were able to track down some pool noodles from a high school friend of mine (since NOWHERE in town has them in stock right now).  Carter does so well with the swimming basics when he has these noodles with him.

 For the time being, we are working on kicking.  And let me tell you, that kid motors around the pool like you would not believe.

  I snapped the pictures from this post in a matter of about one minute and then put the camera away.  He was doing so well and I wanted to be in the water with him.  Eric is far more comfortable letting Carter get a few feet away, but this mama's nerved and heart aren't that strong, lol!

And he always has the biggest smile on his face because he knows he is doing so well.  Like I said, I am SO proud of my little guy!

 That smile makes life worth it.