The Sweet Life

Weston {5 Months}

2013-02-08T16:09:00.002-08:00

So here I am, catching up on my blog again. Wes is now 6 months, but I am just now writing his 5 month summary. Hopefully I will get better at keeping up with this soon. Anyway.....

Growth & Development: Wes didn't have an appointment with his pediatrician this month, so I am not real sure how much he weighs. My guess is that he is in the 15 lb range. He continues to be a good eater and sleeper for the most part....for that I am grateful! He doesn't seem to mind when we stay other places and he is away from home. He still sleeps great...yay! We started him on oatmeal at the end of this month and he did great! He seems to really like it. I think he is even sleeping a little more soundly at night now. He usually goes 11.5-12 hours at night uninterrupted consistently now. I am loving that!

Personality: He continues to be a joyful and laid back little guy who can't help but smile most of the time. He loves to laugh and play with his daddy. He loves it when I sing to him. He babbles more and more each day it seems. He is such a sweetie.

New Tricks: He seems to be able to grab at toys and smaller objects better now. He can change a toy from hand to hand. He can turn himself around in his activity gym/jumper now! He makes the rounds, playing with each toy as he turns. He loves to roll over to his side...but hasn't ventured to roll all the way to his tummy yet. He can roll from tummy to back, but not consistently yet. He loves to touch and feel every book we read. He also learned how to put his pacifier back in his mouth at the first of this month. It's so nice that he can do it himself now!

Overall, it was a good month and Wes really enjoyed his first Christmas!! We had so much fun spending a whole 2 weeks in Tulsa with my family. (We stayed longer than usual since my sister's baby shower was in the beginning of January. Her shower was adorable and so much fun!) Wes got quite a few gifts from family...he is one blessed and loved boy! I also got to see some of my best friends a lot over Christmas since we were all at home around the same time frame. It was sooo nice!

- Katie

Weston - 4 Months

2012-12-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Now that the craziness of the holidays is pretty much over now, I can finally catch up on my monthly blogs on Weston. I can't believe how fast he is growing and how the time if flying by. Four months? Whoa. So much has changed since he was born.

Growth & Development: At his 4 month appointment, he weighed 14 lbs. 5 oz. and was 25 inches long. He still remains to be within the 50th percentile in weight/length. He has a pretty good little head of hair now and has the cutest chubby cheeks. He's also got some good rolls going on his legs now. I love it! He developed some eczema on his skin which was unfortunate! His doctor prescribed some hydrocortisone cream, but since I didn't want to use that stuff much...I did some research and found that natural Vanicream works great on dry skin. (I highly recommend it! It has done wonders for his eczema and his skin is back to normal now....and I don't have to worry about it having any yucky ingredients or not being gentle enough for his sensitive skin. I feel so grateful to have a healthy baby. Oh, and he still is a pretty good sleeper for naps and night time...and is eating well!

Personality: Wes continues to be one of the happiest babies I have ever seen. Such a sweet, happy spirit he has. He now can really get a good belly laugh going too, which is fun. His little personality is really shining through now. He is content and happy most of the time and usually only fusses if he needs food or sleep (or is sick). He loves music and singing. His favorite songs are Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star...Jesus Loves Me...ABC's....and a little song I sing to him that I made up for him. ;-) He is one laid back baby...which is nice!

New Tricks: He is so good at grabbing at toys now. He learned to roll during his 4th month, so he loves to roll around to get to his toys. He can make a complete 360 degree turn by moving around and rolling. He currently rolls from tummy to back. He hasn't ventured to roll from back to tummy yet...but he does roll to his side a lot. He still loves to play on his playmat and now enjoys his baby Einstein activity jumper/gym. He also can sit up well in his Bumbo seat. He is really into standing and bouncing on people's laps. My arms get tired! He is quite verbal now and babbles/coos all the time. I love hearing his little voice and excited squeals! Weston also loves his baths...loves to kick those feet in the water. He really seems to know Ryan and I and gets a big smile on his face when he sees us. One of my favorite things is to see that big smile on his face when I come to get him from his crib after naptime. So sweet!

This last month, God has really been stretching me and teaching me through Weston. He has been continuing to teach me patience. Although Weston continues to be a very good, easy baby....he is still a baby and can go through weird phases that can throw him off his "norm" for a few days/weeks. That has been hard for me since I love to have our routine go as normal and am a perfectionist. I tend to want to fix things as soon as they go out of whack. God has been teaching me to let go and trust. I tend to want to have control and a baby is a good tool to teach me to let go of my illusion of control. So, I am learning, slowly but surely to go with the flow more and know Wes will come through these phases and get back to his normal. I am learning to relax and enjoy each phase, even if it's a hard one. I am learning to go to God first with my frustrations or worries and trust He knows best....after all, he made Weston! I sure am glad he made Weston and gave me and Ryan the wonderful and challenging job of being his parents. Such a huge blessing.

Weston: 0-3 Months

2012-11-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Weston has been such a joy! We really have been blessed with an easy, laid back baby. I am grateful! It kind of makes me wonder what our second what will be like...I'm not sure if we will get lucky with another easy one! ;-)

1st Month: Our first month was a little rough in that I had to go back onto the hospital a week after Weston was born due to low potassium, high liver enzymes, urinary tract infection, possible uterine infection, and sludge in the gallbladder. Yikes! I stayed in the hospital for another week and returned home by the time Wes was 2 weeks old. I would send milk home to him, and my mother-in-law stayed home with him. My mom stayed with me at the hospital and Ryan would go between seeing Wes and me. We are so grateful for the HUGE help that both or our moms were during this time. We could NOT have done this without them. Their presence was not only a huge help, but also a great comfort in a hard and scary time with my health. Weston did great through it all. He went from breast-feeding to bottle and then back without a hitch. He was sleeping pretty good too. By 2 weeks old, he was doing 5 hour stretches at night....yay! Ryan was a huge help during the night feedings, even though he had work the next morning. I am grateful! By the end of the first month, Wes was making eye contact more consistently, which was fun to see that development.

2nd Month: Wes continued to sleep like a champ and did well during most naps. His night stretches of sleep continued to increase more and more. We were feeling much more rested. Feeding and sleeping was going well. We started following a wake, play, sleep schedule once I figured out how often he needed to feed. Around 5 weeks, I noticed he would smile at his musical giraffe toy sometimes. By 6 weeks, he started smiling at us. After that he started smiling more and more. By the end of the 2nd month, he would even giggle some! He takes a paci when going to sleep for now. He loves his Wubbanub monkey pacifier. He loves to hold his monkey while sucking on his paci. Cutest thing ever!

3rd Month: He is sleeping about 9 hours at night and still eats every 3 hours during the day. He loves playing on his playmat and can bat and grab at the toys now. His is obsessed with his hands and loves to suck on them and just look at them. He is SUCH a smiley, happy boy! Sometimes he will even stop to smile at me while feeding. He also is babbling and making lots of sounds now. I love it! He is so good about sleeping on the go and being so good while we take him out and about. He sure loves his daddy too. It's so fun now that we can for sure tell he really recognizes us.

We are loving every moment with him and trying to soak it up as he is growing so fast! I've always heard it goes so fast...before you know it they are walking and talking. It's bittersweet for sure. I want time to stand still, yet I look forward to each new stage and development. God is already using this little guy to teach me patience, to go with the flow (and forget my schedule at times), & how to be unselfish. (To just name a few!)

- Katie

Weston's Birth Story

2012-11-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

I am finally catching up on my personal blog! Yikes, it's been over three months. I guess I have had a lot going on with adjusting to life with a new baby and all ;-) I thought I would share Weston's birth story...hopefully I still remember everything! So here it goes.....

I had been having impending labor signs for a few weeks before my due date. My doctor even said that my progress was really good for a first time mom. I tried to not get my hopes up, but wondered if Wes might come early...or at least on time. Good thing I didn't count on that because he was not early or on time! A couple days before I was 41 weeks, we went in for an extensive ultrasound to see how he was doing and discuss the possibility of induction. Wes was doing well and all looked good. They were estimating that he could be 8 1/2 lbs. Of course, they say it can be a pound off. My doctor would let me wait until 42 weeks if I wished since all was looking okay with Weston. However, we had to decide if there was really any benefit to waiting a little longer. Luckily, I have been blessed with an incredible doctor who fully supported our wishes to go natural and she was totally up for it if we wanted to wait longer. Dr. Speight went ahead and stripped the membranes to see if that would help encourage my body to start laboring. She said if we decided to induce, she could do it the following Tuesday night (1 day later) or the following Friday night. She told us to go home and think about it and give her a call in the morning if we decided to move forward with induction.

Ryan and I prayed about it, discussed it, and felt a peace about moving forward with induction. I really didn't want to be induced, but felt like my body had tried to start labor a couple times already and then would stop after several hours. For us and our situation, we didn't feel any real advantage to waiting another week. We felt like we were supposed to move forward with induction, so I called my doctor and we were set to head to the hospital that next day (Tuesday night) for me to received the Cervidil to induce labor. Cervidil is a less invasive form of induction and it was our hope that it would be all we would need to get my labor going and that I wouldn't have to eventually get Pitocin. The Lord sure answered that prayer!

The next night, we (my mom, dad, sister) were waiting on Ryan and his mom to get home in order to all go to the hospital. Ryan said he was going to go get a quick haircut on his way home. I initially thought he would have time for this and didn't think much of it. Well, we waited and waited and finally just had to tell Ryan and his mom to meet us there. Apparently the salon was packed and his haircut took forever! It was kind of a stressful drive on the way to the hospital, with a quick stop for dinner to go. We got to the hospital and Ryan was there...all was well (and yes, his hair did look good!). At 9:30pm, I was administered the Cervidil. I already was feeling pretty regular contractions (the stripping of the membranes could have started early labor for me already). They gave me an Ambien and said most people just sleep through the early labor...hoping I would sleep. That did not happen as my contractions were already getting more intense. By 2am, I was dilated to a 4, so the nurse said it was time to move me to labor and delivery. I am glad that the Cervidil was the only help we needed to get labor going and I was able to get my wish of a natural (drug-free) labor. At 6am, I was dilated to a 6. At first, I rocked in a rocking chair for a while and watched the Olympics while breathing through contractions. I then moved to the birthing ball and pretty much stayed there the rest of the time until I was ready to push. By 8:30-ish I was entering the transition stage of labor. This was the hardest for me, especially since my body had the urge to push the WHOLE time. Apparently, that isn't normal and the urge to push usually comes at the end of this stage. I was supposed to just breathe through those urges and try to not push. Sometimes that worked, sometimes my body just involuntarily did it. Ryan was amazing through it all and was so encouraging during this hard part. He quoted the scripture verses we had memorized for the labor. He made sure the worship music was playing in the background. He encouraged and praised me for my efforts. He was such a blessing. After about and hour of the transition stage, it was time to push. That was a relief for me since my body was wanting to do that! At 10:13am (Wednesday, August 1, 2012), Weston Dean Hembree was born. Phil Wickham's song "Beautiful" was playing when he was born. So special and fitting! He was 7lbs 11oz, 20.5 inches long. It all seemed so surreal and still feels like it was a dream.

The whole experience really was great! I feel blessed to have only had a 10 hour labor, knowing it can be much longer for first time moms. I feel blessed that the Lord allowed me to be calm and focused during the whole labor/delivery. It was only through relying on HIM that this was accomplished. I felt His comfort and strength helping me each moment. I will never forget the moment I saw Weston for the first time. He was worth the wait. Perfect. So handsome. Our son!

(I should note that Ryan's Grandpa Bob passed away on the Friday after Weston's birth. He asked everyday if Weston had come yet. I think he was waiting to see his great-grandson before passing. Not only did he get to see a picture of Weston, he also got to see a picture of his other great-grandson who was born 2 hours apart from Weston. Lucas was born to my brother and sister-in-law in China on the same day. Lucas was one week early, Weston was one week late. How awesome that they share the same birthday!?!! I really feel that the Lord gave us peace about moving forward with induction because if we had waited much longer, Grandpa Bob most likely would never had seen a picture of Weston before his passing. I am grateful that he had that chance.)

- Katie

Weston's Nursery

2012-07-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's official. Little Weston's nursery is complete! It feels good to have it done and know that it's ready for his arrival anytime now. I am really pleased with how it turned out. It was so fun designing and decorating his room! My friend Tara painted the dresser and mirror for me and also helped me decorate the rest of the room. She was so sweet to help me turn my vision into a reality. It would have taken me twice as long to buy all these furnishings/decor and put it all up, if it were not for her help. (By the way, Tara has now started her own interior design business....so if you are ever in need of such services...she is great!) Next, I look forward to taking pics of this nursery with a BABY in it!

34 Weeks

2012-06-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that I am in my third trimester and feeling more tired and less motivated? Yes, that is why you are just now seeing pictures from my Tulsa baby shower (previous blog post) and pics of the belly at 34 weeks!

34 WEEKS

UPDATE:

Baby: We had a doctor's appointment yesterday. Weston is doing great and is head down. Hopefully he is planning on staying that way and getting ready to decide when he wants to make his big debut into the world!

Mom: I am doing good! I am now 36 weeks....only 1 more week until full term and possibly 4 more weeks if Weston comes around his actual due date. Latest symptoms are shortness of breath, very frequent braxton hicks contractions (false contractions), constant bathroom breaks, and upset stomach off and on. It might not sound like much fun...but it's really not too bad (sometimes)...and all signs that labor is getting closer...which is exciting and makes it all worth it! Doc says that my body has started making a little progress in getting ready to start labor. She said my upset stomach can be a sign of impending labor. I am now up to weekly appointments since we are on the home stretch now! Hopefully I will have made more progress by next week at my next appointment. If not, Weston might take some more time to decide to join us. :-)

Dad: Ryan continues to be a BIG help and is so understanding when I am not feeling the best. He has been so sweet to help me get everything ready before Wes arrives. What a good husband and daddy!

Tulsa Baby Shower

2012-06-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from Weston's Tulsa baby shower....finally! The shower was hosted at my mom's house. All the hostesses did an AMAZING job. It was decorated beautifully...and had some of my favorite breakfast foods (potato casserole and banana slush punch to name a couple). A big thank you goes out to my mom, Sam, Ashley, Linda, Gwen, Brenda, & Diane for making it such a special shower.

Ashley, Sam, and I My mom, sister, and Nana

Krissy, Hailey, Ashley, Lindsay, and I

Me and Liz Me and Lindsay -- she surprised
me and came from Cali!!!!!

Top: Jenny & Ande
Bottom: Me and my mom-in-law (Karen)

Me and Hailey (who also traveled a long way to be there.)

Prayers for Baby Wes

2012-05-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about all the many things Ryan and I will be responsible for teaching Weston as he grows up. The most important will be to teach him about God, having relationship with Him, and what God's purpose for us is. Of course, there will come a point where we will have to let him choose if he truly wants to follow the Lord. You teach them the best you can, but ultimately have to surrender them to the Lord and know they have to be the one to make the choice. Thinking about that makes me feel a sort of helplessness at first, but then I am reminded that we are given one of the most powerful weapons....prayer.

I bought these prayers cards for each week of the pregnancy awhile back. I have definitely not been as good about praying through them as I should be. But, I am feeling a new motivation as I know God is prompting me to pray more for our little guy. After all, it's one of the most important and beneficial things I can do for him as his mama. :-)

Here are some prayers from the last few prayer cards:

- Pray that he will allow God to move and direct him throughout his life. Pray that whenever God calls him, your child will move - no matter the cost. What an awesome thing to pray....that Weston will do whatever it takes to follow God, no matter the sacrifice.

"Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight." Psalm 119:35

- Pray that your little one's eyes will always be looking for and following the Light of the World. Pray also that he will allow God's light to shine through him to be noticed by others. Weston is already called to know God and make him known to others....our primary purpose and calling in life.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

- Pray that his heart will remain sensitive to injustices, soft towards those in need, and caring to friends. Pray that when he does experience pain and heartache, that he will reach out to God as his true comforter. Notice that the second sentence says "when he does experience pain and heartache". It will happen.....he will have hard times despite my desire to protect him from anything bad in this world. BUT, what a loving God we have that uses these experiences to shape us to be more like him and promises to walk with us through the hard times. That might sound like a weird statement at first....to be thankful for the hard times. What...that's crazy talk?! However, the longer I live, I can look back at the hard times I have endured and feel grateful, b/c I see how God used them to teach me and make me more like Him. Without those, I would not be who I am. It has deepened my relationship with the Lord. We are never alone. He is our true comforter. He gives a peace amidst the chaos that the world cannot give. It's true....I have experienced it first hand.

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope." 2 Thessalonians 2:16

AMEN! Feeling very grateful today as I am reminded of God's love for us.

Baby Boy Has a Name!

2012-05-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true....our little guy has a name now! Meet Weston Dean Hembree. His middle name, Dean, is a family name. It's so fun to be able to call him by name now!

The last pic shows me at 30 weeks pregnant... standing in the nursery, which is almost complete! I love the way it's turning out and can't wait to get it all done. I will post pictures of the nursery once it's complete.

It's strange to think we only have about 9 more weeks to go! This pregnancy has flown by. Weston is doing great and I have been feeling good! (My jaw (TMJ) is slowly improving, so that is nice.) I am really excited for my Tulsa baby shower next weekend!!! It will be fun to be back home to celebrate with all my family and friends in Tulsa. :-)

Dallas Baby Shower

2012-05-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Baby H had his first baby shower last Saturday in Dallas! My sweet friends Andrea, Melinda, and Cory hosted a wonderful brunch shower in his honor. We got some really great gifts from friends and family....this little one is so blessed! Here are some photos from the shower:

Cory & Andrea

Jordan

The shower hostesses (Andrea, Melinda, Cory) and I

My sister, Samantha and I

Opening all the wonderful gifts!

My sister, mom, and I

HERE'S A LITTLE UPDATE:

(Here we are at 28 Weeks!)

BABY: Still no name yet....we plan to make the final decision very soon! As of last Tuesday, he weighed 2.8 lbs. The doctor says he is just right on size....not too small or too big. He is doing great! He moves around quite a bit and responds when I touch my belly now. We had a doctor's appointment last Friday and had a great convo. with her about the birthing procedures at the hospital for natural births. I was very pleased with all the information she had to give us and all the options available at the hospital for those planning to birth their babies naturally. We definitely feel blessed to have her as my doctor....we are so lucky!

MAMA: I am doing good! My only big issue was some severe back pain, but my lovely chiropractor has done wonders on my back. (It was a result of pre-existing alignment problems, a growing belly, and doing too much while pregnant. Oops.) I also have been able to take advantage of the massage therapist at the chiropractor's office, which has been really nice! I recently have been having some TMJ jaw problems, so be praying that I regain full motion in my jaw soon. Besides that, I feel great and am enjoying getting the nursery put together. We are starting to fill his room, which is so exciting!

DADDY: Ryan has been busy working full time while studying for his third and final CFA test! (Not to mention, putting together baby furniture in his very little spare time.) His test is June 2nd. We would appreciate your prayers for him as he prepares in this final month. We are praying that he passes with flying colors and will be officially done with the CFA after an almost 5 year commitment to studying and testing! He works so hard and is so dedicated. I am proud of him!

26 Weeks

2012-05-06T13:50:00.004-07:00

I have been a bad blogger lately. I am a bit behind... but better late than never, right?! Here are baby H, Ryan, and I at 26 weeks. My brother-in-law's sister, Erin, took our pictures when she was in town visiting her sister. She is a fellow photographer from Tulsa and we really enjoyed our session with her. Here's a little sampling of our photo session. Erin did a great job!

23 Weeks

2012-04-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

23-ish WEEKS

So, I was a little late...and didn't take another photo until 23 weeks (actually almost 24 weeks). My belly has definitely popped out now! There's no denying there's a baby in there now.

We had another sonogram today to check on a couple issues that were found in my last sono. (If you don't know what I'm talking about...feel free to ask and I'm happy to share!) Well, we left the appointment feeling very happy and BLESSED, b/c both issues are completely resolved and everything looks perfect. A big thank you goes out to all those who were partnering with us in prayer for these things. We feel so blessed that God chose to answer our prayer with healing. All praise goes to Him :-)

Baby Update: Baby H now weighs about a whopping 1 lb 7 oz. Doc said he is growing right on track. Today during the sonogram, he yawned and sucked his thumb. Sooo cute! I think he looks like he has his Daddy's cute nose.

Mommy Update: I am feeling great and continuing to get things ready before our family becomes 3. However, I apparently still haven't learned how much is too much....b/c I did too much yard work and strained my lower back. After I did a photo shoot last night, I returned home and could barely walk! Yikes. Lesson learned. Although, I will say our hedges and bushes are looking great ;-) Prayer for my back pain to go away would be much appreciated! I am going to see a chiropractor who treats pregnant women, so hopefully she will be able to help me. I feel lucky to have such a sweet and helpful husband that is going above and beyond to help out and take care of me, (despite his crazy schedule with studying, working, etc.).

Anyway, that's the latest news with the Hembree family. Happy Easter week!

Halfway There

2012-03-11T11:52:00.003-07:00

20 WEEKS

I can't believe it....we are now halfway there to meeting Baby H! It really feels like the pregnancy has been flying by. Here are some updates of the pregnancy up to this point:

- Name: Many of you have asked if we have picked a name. No, we are not holding out on you and keeping it a secret. We will tell when we have a decision! Unfortunately, Ryan and I have different favorites, so it's been a bit of a challenge so far. I hope we decide on something soon so he doesn't have to be called Baby H forever ;-)

- Movement: I can now feel the little guy moving all the time! He especially is active after meals or if I am hungry. He seems to not be too active when I go to sleep...so that is nice...but if he is...I just tell him it's time to go to sleep. ;-) Sometimes his little jabs are strong enough that Ryan can feel it. So fun!

- Nursery: The designing of the nursery is now officially in full swing. My friend Tara is going to help me refinish a vintage dresser and mirror I bought and also help put together the rest of the nursery. Of course, I love design and have ideas...but it will be so nice to have her help! She is very creative, talented, and is starting to do interior designing full-time. We decided to swap services.....her help with the nursery in exchange for my photography services! I love swapping.

- Food: I mostly still just have aversions....certain things sound better at certain times. I don't really have many cravings. Although, one of the only cravings I have had is for Taco Bueno party burritos, with a side of queso for dipping, I might add. Great. Not the healthiest option for me and baby. It is strange, since Ryan and I really don't eat fast food often. I have given in to this craving some, but am trying to hold it at bay so it doesn't become a regular occurrence! I am trying to maintain our healthy eating habits. Fruit always sounds good....so I am trying to make sure I eat plenty of veggies too! I try to stay away from anything remotely spicy, since I know many people suffer from heartburn while pregnant. So far, no heartburn really. (I may have had a very mild case when I ate too quickly.) I have also been trying to workout each week. Last week it didn't happen as much as it should have, but I did get some exercise while I cleaned the whole house (which I had to break up into a few days). That counts, right?!? I will do better this week!

- Sleep: It has been pretty good, although I still get up frequently in the night to go to the bathroom. Luckily, I am usually able to go back to sleep quickly. I read that the frequent bathroom breaks would taper off a lot in the second trimester, but I guess that's not the case for me. Oh well, I guess it's just preparing me all the more to get up frequently with a newborn!

- Appointments: My next appointment is with my lovely doctor on March 27th (Happy Birthday to me). It will be a wonderful birthday present to hear the baby's heartbeat again! I will have another appointment for a sonogram on April 5th.

Before and After

2012-03-01T09:09:00.001-08:00

Our house renovations are done! Yay! Our contractor was really great....did quality work...and did it quickly! (Very different experience from the last renovations we had done.) Our nursery is now ready to fill with baby furniture :-)

BEFORE

I forgot to take pictures before the construction began, so just use your imagination and pretend that the closet build isn't already in progress and there isn't junk everywhere. ;-) Then again, maybe the huge mess makes the before and after pics more dramatic!

AFTER

They also put new doors on all the other bedrooms/closets to match the doors installed in the renovated nursery. We are really happy with the way it all turned out. Such a difference!

Also new.... I can now feel baby moving around! I noticed it one day last week, but wasn't sure since it wasn't happening consistently yet. This week it has been pretty consistent. It feels like popcorn in my belly or little nudges...and makes it all the more real that there is a little person in there! :-)

It's A.....

2012-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

Today we had our sonogram and as you can see....the doc says it's a boy! I am now psyching myself up for a little boy. I know it will be great....b/c I already have two little nephews that I LOVE to pieces!!! They gave us a dvd of the sonogram, which is pretty cool to watch. I think I have already watched it 3-4 times today. Shhh....don't tell Ryan....he will be jealous! ;-) It's amazing to watch his little legs and arms moving. I look forward to when I can feel the movement. Can't wait to meet our sweet boy!!! My 3 year old niece, Julia, told us yesterday that it was going to be a boy. We were able to tell her tonight that she was right! She squealed "It's a BOY!"....so sweet. (We got it on camera, so we might just have to post the video.) She is excited to have another little boy to love on in the family. Bennett and Hudson will have so much fun having a boy cousin to play with! Now, the designing of all the nursery details can truly begin! :-) We appreciate your continued prayers for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby!

18 Weeks....

2012-02-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

18 WEEKS

Here is a picture of my baby bump at 18 weeks! It's starting to look more like baby belly now....(not as much like I've just been eating too many donuts)...which is good. I have now transitioned mostly from using my belly band over my pre-pregnancy jeans and am using my maternity jeans now. They just feel more comfortable now that my belly is getting bigger.

I am feeling much more energized now and am definitely getting into "nesting" mode! We started renovations on our second living room this last week, to turn it into the nursery. This had been our plan when buying the house, knowing that room would be perfect to turn into a bedroom someday. I will post before and after pics when the work is completed next week!

We find out the gender on Tuesday (February 21st)! We are so excited to finally know whether Baby H is a girl or boy. Then, I will get to plan more details of the nursery...like color scheme, etc. I can't believe that I am almost halfway through my pregnancy. It really has been flying by!

Here's some of the gifts that Baby H has already collected! He/she is one blessed and loved baby :-)

Ryan's great Aunt Bett knitted the booties... both blue and pink since we don't know the gender yet! Baby also received his/her first OSU t-shirt from KiKi B (Ryan's aunt)....and just the other day also received an orange Eskimo Joe's t-shirt from Ryan's cousin Sara and her husband Matt! I think Ryan is feeling motivated to get the baby some SMU t-shirts now, lol. Baby received all the other goodies from both grandparents and great grandparents!

Since I plan to try to have a natural birth....(that's right folks, no epidural)....I have really been trying to prepare myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Some of you might be wondering if I am crazy to go natural....ha ha....maybe so! My sweet sister-in-law, Christine, sent me a great book called "Christ Centered Childbirth". It is a wonderful book that teaches strategies on focusing your mind, relaxing the body, and setting your thoughts on Christ during labor and delivery. I think it will be a huge help when the time comes. I am definitely trying to keep an open mind, knowing that although my goal is natural birth, if an epidural ends up being used for whatever reason...that is okay too. Ultimately it's in God's hands, whom I can trust completely.

I love to think about Psalm 139:13-16: "For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." What a wonderful miracle that God is forming this baby inside me. He chose whether it would be a boy or girl. He decided eye color, hair color, personality, talents and abilities. (And the list goes on.) He knew every little detail and characteristic of our child before it was even conceived. I feel honored and blessed that God has entrusted Ryan and I with the privilege of raising this little one. I realize it is through no power or strength of my own that I can be a good parent, but only through surrendering and letting the Lord guide and teach me a long the way. We are called to show Jesus to our little one. What a wonderful, yet challenging calling! :-)

14 Weeks and Counting...

2012-01-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

I am now 14 weeks into my pregnancy and have officially entered the second trimester! Yay! I finally took a belly pic since I now am getting a little bit of one. Sometimes I would think I was getting a belly, but it most likely was just bloating since it would go down the next day. Now, it consistently is there. It's definitely rounding out and is looking like I am just gaining weight, ha. I look forward to when it looks more like a true pregnant belly!

I have been feeling pretty good lately, with the exception of the onset of vertigo last week. If you have never had it before, it is different than just normal dizziness in that it feels as if the room is whirling. It often makes people unable to stand and can make them very nauseated. I do not feel it is pregnancy related, since I have had it before, about 2 years ago. My episodes are very short, only lasting a few seconds if I move my head to a new direction quickly. (Which is lucky, since some people have constant vertigo for days.) I have a hunch that it has to do with an inner ear problem I have. Of course, this is my self-diagnosis, ha. Over the last week, I can feel it about to come on again if I tilt or move my head in different directions. I am seeing my general doctor tomorrow. I have been praying that it will go away soon, mainly because it inhibits me from really doing any exercise besides walking.

I go for my next OB appointment on February 3rd. At this appointment, I think we will get to schedule our sonogram appointment where we will get to find out the gender of Baby H! Can't wait :-)

Introducing Baby Hembree

2011-12-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

(Baby's head is at top of the picture and you can also see some sort of appendage... an arm, I think!)

Yesterday, we had our first baby appointment with my doctor. She said all looks good and the baby is 9 weeks old, due July 25th! We were able to see the heart beating...which was pretty amazing. We will get to hear the heartbeat in another 2 weeks, on January 4th. I can't wait! It all seems a little more real now that we actually have seen a picture of the baby! Ryan got to finally meet Dr. Speight and he now knows why I absolutely LOVE her. He really liked her. I feel so blessed that the Lord provided me with such an amazing doctor. She has been through a lot with me and I am so glad that she now gets to be a part of this new, happy transition in our lives as well! We were happy to hear that she should be able to deliver our baby, since she will be in town the whole month of July. Apparently, she said she has a large number of patients who are all due to deliver in July! I appreciate that she only schedules her vacation time when she doesn't have any anticipated deliveries. I admire her dedication to her patients :-) We appreciate your continued prayers for a healthy pregnancy and baby!

What? We're having a baby?!?

2011-12-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true! We found out the Monday before Thanksgiving that I am pregnant! Ryan was actually the one who suspected I was pregnant before I did. During our 1 1/2 year wait to get pregnant, God has allowed me to find complete peace and trust in Him. I never had anxiousness or stress. I felt confident that God had a plan and it would all happen in the right time. Ryan told me after we confirmed the pregnancy with a second test the next day (on his birthday!!)....that when we were in the cathedral in Milan, he prayed that I would get pregnant in 2 months. Low and behold, two months later...it happened! "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16b

God is so faithful.We are very happy that the Lord chose to bless us at this time with a baby. However, even if we would have had to wait longer...He would still remain faithful. His plan is always better than mine. I feel so lucky to have a savior who knows me better than I know myself. There is freedom in knowing He is in complete control. This new chapter of our lives will be full of happiness, uncertainty, surprises....while God uses this baby to draw us closer to Him and continues to shape us into the people He intends for us to be. I am very aware of how wonderful and hard the process of parenting will be. What a blessing! We would love your continued prayers for a healthy pregnancy and baby. :-)

Okay, on to the details. Luckily, I have only felt slightly queasy and bloated...which comes and goes. Some days are worse...but I am just glad I haven't had to spend any time with my head in the toilet. Yuck. I have been feeling most of the other pregnancy symptoms...except haven't felt as tired as I thought I would. Maybe that is still to come...we will see. It looks like I will be due sometime in mid-July. I have my first doctor's appointment on December 20th...so we will know more details then. My doctor was super booked over the holidays...so I am having my first appointment a little later than normal. I absolutely love my doctor...so we know we are in good hands with her. I will continue to periodically put updates on here throughout the pregnancy. Next post will be after we see my doctor in a couple weeks!

I posted some pictures below from when we told our families the news. So fun! (I tried to upload videos of us telling the news....but it wasn't working...maybe another time.)

Butternut Squash Soup w/ Cider Cream

2011-10-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

I picked up our first share of produce from the co-op last Saturday. I was surprised by how much we got, even after splitting it with my neighbor, Camile. I told her this will be a challenge for us to find ways to use everything before it spoils...ha! I'm sure we will learn. The first share included kale, butternut squash, acorn squash, fingerling potatoes, brussels sprouts, spinach...and the list goes on. So fun!

I made my first meal using our produce last night. After researching lots of recipes and doing a little combining from my favorites that I found... I ended up making a butternut squash soup w/ cider cream, served with gruyere cheese croutons and spinach/apple/feta/balsamic salad. And let me tell ya....it was delicious! I have never made squash soup before, but found that I really love the savory and slightly sweet flavor of this soup. It is the perfect fall soup. Better yet, it is healthy! It takes a little bit of prep time...but trust me...it's worth it.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CIDER CREAM
From: Bon Apetit (Adapted)
Yield: Serves 10

Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
- 3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
- 1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
- Salt, to taste
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- Chopped fresh chives

Preparation
1. Cut the squash in half (length wise) and rub olive oil on all sides (including skin). Put on rimmed baking sheet & bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

2. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, carrot, & celery; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. When squash is done roasting, take peel off, remove center w/ seeds, cut into chunks and put in saucepan with other ingredients. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Working in batches, purée soup in blender, (or use an immersion blender). Return soup to pan. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

4. Boil remaining 1 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8-10 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

5. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream. Top with chopped chives. Serve with toasted gruyere croutons. (See recipe below)

**This soup pairs well with a spinach, feta cheese, apple salad with balsamic vinegar dressing. (Can also add walnuts or your nut of your choice, if desired)

GRUYERE CROUTONS
From: Bon Apetit (Adapted)

Ingredients
-1 baguette
-Dried sage
-Dried thyme
-Olive oil
-Grated or shredded gruyere cheese

Preparation
1. Slice baguette and brush slices with olive oil on both sides.

2. Toast in a 400 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, until toasted. Remove from oven.

3. Turn slices over and top each bread slice with grated gruyere. Sprinkle dried sage and dried thyme slices.

4. Put bread slices back in oven and toast for around 5 minutes, or until edges are golden and cheese is melted.

**Note: These are not your traditional crouton, since they are slices, not cubes. Great for dipping in soup!

Urban Acres Co-op

2011-10-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

We recently joined the Urban Acres organic produce co-op. I was intrigued when I heard about this all organic produce co-op, that used produce from local farmers. Not to mention, the pick up location was super close to our house. I think it will be a much cheaper way to get organic produce and a great way to support our local farmers. Plus, we are splitting a full share of produce with our neighbor...which makes it an even better deal! I was SOLD!

I am super excited and know it will stretch me to try new recipes and be creative! It will be neat to learn how to cook with only what is in season, since we only are given seasonal fruits & veggies. So, you will probably be seeing more blogs about my new cooking attempts and yummy recipes I find. :-)

Garlic Parmesan Pita Chips

2011-10-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

Recently, I ate at this restaurant that serves their sandwiches with whole wheat pita chips. They were so tasty with garlic, basil, and parmesan sprinkled on them. And so, I was inspired and thought...I can make these! I was pretty happy with the results and my taste tester, (Ryan) gave a thumbs up....so I decided to share the recipe. Warning: Even though these are a much healthier alternative to regular chips.... careful, they are addicting!!!

GARLIC PARMESAN PITA CHIPS

Ingredients

- Extra virgin olive oil

- Grated parmesan

- 1 pkg. whole wheat pita bread pockets

- Italian seasoning

- Sea salt

- Garlic Powder

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.Cut up pita bread pockets into squares or triangles...whichever your little heart desires. Then, separate the layers of each piece. (So, 2 chips are made from each piece you cut.)

3. Brush both sides of each chip with olive oil. Lay each piece on a lightly greased cookie sheet, rough side facing up.

4. Sprinkle the top of each chip with garlic powder, italian seasoning, parmesan, and a little sea salt. Sprinkle as little or as much as you like. The salt can be left out if desired, since they have plenty of flavor without it. If you do use salt, use sparingly.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crispy & slightly golden brown.

Enjoy!!!

Milan | Italy

2011-10-19T13:06:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I know I have been a pretty horrible blogger recently. I promise to be better and am going to start anew and give you several posts about our Italy trip that we took with Ryan's parents! If you don't care to read all the details....feel free to skip all that and scroll down to the pics. I don't mind at all :-)

The hurricane was due to hit New York the night before we were supposed to fly out. We originally were making a connection in New York, but then got our flight changed to connect in London instead. Due to the hurricane craziness, our new flight still got delayed, causing us to miss about 6-8 hours in Italy, but we are just thankful we made it there at all!

We got to Milan in late in the evening and ate at a little pizzeria across from our hotel. It was great pizza...probably some of the best we had the whole trip. We ended up eating pizza just about every other day, if not every day. So good! We also had our first gelati (gelato) at that pizzeria...which also started our daily gelato tasting. We decided we were on a quest to find the best gelato! We also learned that there are free water fountains all around the cities in Italy...which was great for filling up our water bottles. (Too bad they make you pay for water at all the restaurants!)

We didn't spend much time in Milan since we only had a couple days there anyway and also lost some time due to our delayed flight. We did get to see Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan...which was very cool! We also enjoyed seeing the Galleria in Milan, which is a shopping mall with a beautiful glass dome above it. The cathedral in Milan was one of my favorites that we saw in Italy. The gothic style architecture was so beautiful. We climbed to the top of the roof, which was so neat b/c you could see the architecture up close and personal. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world. It was here that I had to learn the hard way to just be either firmly say no or ignore the people on the streets who try to sell stuff (flowers, bracelets, etc.) This guy came up to me while I was photographing the cathedral, and he wanted to put this bracelet on me. I knew he wanted me to pay for it, so I kept on saying no thank you. Finally, he put bird seed in my hand, which then attracted the pigeons. They were everywhere, on my head, on my arm, hand. AHHH! He then quickly tied the bracelet on my hand and then wanted money for it. Ha...good trick!! I told him no and made him take it off. You might be wondering, did Ryan or his parents come to my rescue? No! They stood there, watching, laughing, and taking pictures. Lesson learned.

The next day, we took a day trip from Milan to Lake Como. I had read that Lake Como was gorgeous, with the Swiss Alps as a back drop...so I really wanted to visit there. I also read that George Clooney has a house there, ha. We trained in to the town of Como, at the south end of the lake. I wish we could have had more time at the Lake, because Como was a charming little town and it would have been so fun to stay there for a couple nights! From Como, we then took a boat that goes around the lake, stopping at various villages. We only had limited time, so we just went to the village of Bellagio. It was a beautiful little town. We dined outdoors in a restaurant looking right out at the lake, ate some gelato, and then finished by visiting the pretty gardens there. I am so glad we got to visit Lake Como!

Cathedral in Milan

Inside the cathedral

Breakfast in Milan in the Galleria. This is a typical Italian breakfast. You won't find eggs, bacon, and biscuits! Just croissants!

Bikes for rent...this pic was for James :-) Also, Ryan getting free water from a fountain in Milan. Lastly, Don & Karen on the train ride to Lake Como.

Lake Como and also the town of Como. See George Clooney's house above....okay not really....but maybe!

Bellagio, Lake Como

Bellagio, Lake Como. Gelato, gardens, restaurant where we at lunch. :-)

Venice | Italy

2011-10-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Next stop was Venezia (Venice)! It's so crazy to just think about how this city is built on water, and even more exciting to see it. It was beautiful and didn't seem as crowded with tourists as I had expected. It was here that I tasted my favorite gelato of the trip...great flavor and texture. We found this random little gelateria near our hotel. I ordered a scoop of lemon and raspberry. Incredible combo, I must say! From then on, it's what I ordered. We also found the BEST olive oil, specific to the Venice region, when at a restaurant our first night there. We asked them the name of it so we could find it at a store and buy it....but we didn't have time to do much shopping in Venice, so we never were able to go find it.

Ryan and I had a date night while in Venice. It was so nice to have a night together to eat and explore. We ate at this restaurant we had frequently passed going to and from our hotel. We thought it looked good and also saw locals eating there. (Usually a good sign if the locals are there!) We had the best gnocchi pasta I have EVER eaten. Of course, we followed it with gelato. We walked around the main square, where several restaurants have outdoor dining, complete with live music. We witnessed a couple do some impromptu dancing to the music in the square. I don't think it was planned, but they sure looked dressed the part (with her in a red dress and him in a casual suit). This little girl started dancing along with them. So cute! I got video of it on my camera...but then accidentally deleted it later. So sad. (We didn't do a gondola ride since it would have been at least $200 for a 30 minute ride. Ha! Maybe we should have just done it though...b/c who knows if we'll ever be in Venice again. I sure hope so!)

While in Venice, we did a little day trip to see the islands of Murano and Burano, just a short ferry ride from Venice. Both islands look similar to Venice in that they have water canals. Murano is known for it's glass blowing. We got to watch some glass blowing, which was pretty amazing to see. It really takes talent and artistry. While in Murano, we met this sweet old man in a little courtyard when we were trying to find our way back to the boat. He motioned to us and led us through a gate and then on into his house! He then told us to sit (all in Italian) and gave each of us a glass of white wine in dirty looking glasses, ha. He knew a little spanish, so Ryan was actually able to communicate with him pretty well speaking spanish with him. He told us he made the wine himself. We had a nice little visit with him and got to experience Italian hospitality at it's finest!

My favorite island and a definite highlight for me was...Burano. It is known for it's lace. It is one of the most beautiful, picturesque places I have ever seen. All the buildings are painted bright colors.....just gorgeous! I bought some great scarves here too. We stopped at a little restaurant to have some drinks and rest...and I found the best apple juice ever there. It was green in color....which was kind of strange....but the taste was so yummy!

This photo and the next couple photo are of Venice.

Views of venice from a tower.

Date night with my sweet hubby :-)

The island of Burano

Best apple juice!

Boat in Burano

Buildings of Burano

Ryan is pictured above with the sweet man we met in Murano.

Glass blowing in Murano

Cinque Terre | Italy

2011-10-19T13:05:00.002-07:00

We then traveled to this area along the coastline called the Cinque Terre (Meaning 5 Cities). It is made up of five picturesque, small villages sitting on cliffs overlooking the ocean. This is where pesto and focaccia bread originated from! And yes, I made sure to eat both while there.

Side Note: While we were on the train from Venice to CT, we shared seats with a couple from South Africa. He was a photographer and she was a an alternative medicine doctor. It was so interesting talking with them both. I especially loved talking with the photographer! We met so many neat people while traveling on this trip. It's so fun hearing people's different stories.

We stayed at a town called Levanto just north of the first CT village, which ended up being a great base to explore the CT from. Not to mention, we ended up loving Levanto. It was a charming little town with hardly any tourists. Our first day there, we stayed in Levanto and just explored, shopped, and ate. My kind of day! The lady who ran our hotel recommended a GREAT restaurant in Levanto, that ended up going on the "favorite restaurants of the trip" list.

Our second day, we explored the CT by taking a train to the southern most CT town, Riomaggiore.. and then hiked to the next town, Manarola. The "hike" was more of a leisurely walk...since it was paved and wide. It was so beautiful since it sat on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We then had to train to the next town, Corniglia, since there was a landslide and the hiking trail was closed. From Corniglia, we hiked to Vernazza. Now this was a real hike! It definitely was a workout...my legs were shaky afterwards! Not to mention at this point it was in the heat of the day...so it was a little hot too. We then ate lunch in Vernazza where we had some incredible risotto. This is where Don's love for risotto was born and from then on he frequently ordered it during the rest of the trip. Vernazza was probably my favorite town of the CT. It was a neat little town with a small beach and beautiful views. Maybe it was also my favorite b/c it was an oasis after finishing that hike, ha! From Vernazza, we trained to Monterosso that is known to have one of the best beaches in the CT. It was a nice town, but we didn't stay long since it was by FAR the most crowded with tourists. Apparently, the cruise ships dock there. (The other towns really didn't have many tourists at all when we were there.)

Visiting Levanto and the CT towns was definitely a trip highlight for me. I just loved it and had so much fun exploring, hiking, eating, and taking pictures!

The next few pics are of Levanto, where we stayed. The one of Ry and I above, is in the cute little courtyard of our hotel.

This was the amazing restaurant we ate at in Levanto: Totano Blue

Hiking the Cinque Terra. People leave little locks an other things along the hike. I think the locks represent "lovers", if I remember correctly. My husband is so handsome....love this pic of him!

The water was so pretty and clear!

This cat reminded me a little of Smokey. RIP Smokey, ha.

Notice the risotto and pesto gnocchi pasta....delish!