The Garland Fam

Misc Carver Pics

2013-09-29T19:56:00.001-07:00

Photo Dump

July 2013 fun in the car

Best friends and our families

Chris's best friend's son (exactly one month older than McKay)

12 weeks and 2mo dr appt

2013-09-23T22:27:00.001-07:00

So I'm going to post this and try to update later.

McKay's 2mo appt got scheduled more towards 3mo so we'll be a little behind in her shots. She's healthy and no concerns. Poor girl got five shots and an oral vaccine. She's been super fussy all day and her legs really hurt her. :(

Carver wanted to cuddle her to sleep. Too bad she'd cry every time he touched her. :( he loves her do much.

6 week pictures

2013-08-21T12:22:00.003-07:00

Chris' best friend's wife and son came out for a visit from North Dakota. Nolan is exactly a month older than McKay and it was so nice to see Emily and meet Nolan.

Look at that size difference!! McKay is 3-5th percentile and Nolan is in the 80th!

Nolan wore her out haha

Love these toes

5 week pictures

2013-08-21T12:15:00.001-07:00

Five week old pictures. This is what I woke up to one morning. She loves to sleep next to me and its really convenient. We do have a co-sleeper that sits on the bed but she has a hard time falling asleep in it. She's just a snuggle-bug ;)

First time in a full newborn outfit. It's the only one that fit too!

Carver loves his sister and she adores him. He asks to hold her at least once a day.

4 week pictures

2013-08-21T12:11:00.002-07:00

Here's the pictures from when she was 4 weeks old. She' still in preemie clothes but slowly growing out of them. The problem is that newborn clothes are still way too big.

Side by side comparison with a picture of Carver at 4wks. It's crazy how much they look alike!

Deep in thought and loving nakey-time :)

3 week pictures

2013-08-21T12:07:00.002-07:00

Well, I twisted my ankle this morning so McKay and I are laying low on the couch while Carver is at hi cousin' house. So I'm going to try to get this blog more up to date with pictures.

Sweat curls. LOVE!

Chilling in the carseat. So happy that she doesn't mind being in there.

Our first out of town trip was to Spokane to see my friend and do a Thirty-One show for her. This is her 18mo old son, Alijah. He couldn't stop kissing McKay and wanted to hold her all the time. Time for #3 Jena? ;)

The first two weeks

2013-07-20T20:30:00.002-07:00

After we got home from the hospital Chris had to go to work for a couple hours. Mo stayed until Chris got back and the she had to go hoe. She came back with Charlie for the weekend though.

Kim, my sister-in-law, asked if Carver could spend they day with them for the 4th and he was all over that! He really needed the attention and even called around lunch time and asked if he could stay all day. It was so cute! So Chris and I ran into Tacoma to go to Carters and get McKay some preemie clothes. She's so tiny that all the newborn clothes that we have are too big! It was perfect timing because Carters was having a huge sale that day so we got $120 worth of clothes for $40! Score!! Kim brought Carver home around bed time and Chris and Carver lit off a few fireworks before bed.

We didn't do much that week; just hung out around home. Carver started acting out a little to get our attention and we're still working through that but we're more conscience about doing things that he wants and spending one on one time with him.

McKay had her first doctor appointment that Friday the 5th. She weighed 6lb 6oz and was 18.5in. The doctor said to not wake her up during the night to eat. It was really difficult to wake her up and keep her awake to eat. She would sleep from Midnight to 7-8am. I was concerned that she was missing a feeding but the doctor said to let her sleep and be sure to keep her on a schedule during the day.

Mom and Charlie came back on Friday and spent the weekend. I had a nail appointment Saturday morning so they came with me and walked the mall with Carver and McKay. Mom needed to find an outfit for a wedding and Carver was a big help. :)

My Gramma Pat came over to hang out on Monday the 8th and it was nice to just have her here in case I needed help with anything.

McKay had to retake her PKU test on Friday the 12th and that was hard for Carver to watch. He didn't like that it took so long and McKay was crying so much. He gave her a big hug and kiss and was better. He's such a great big brother :) She'll start crying in the car and he'll sing her a song and she'll instantly stop crying and listen to him.

We needed to get out of the house on Saturday so we headed to the zoo. It was great to get out and Carver loved it! We made it to church and it went pretty well. Chris and I sat in the foyer with McKay for the last 10 minutes but she wasn't even that bad. It was good to get back into a routine and I know that everyone at church loved seeing her. :)

McKay had another appointment on Monday (the 15th) and she was still at 6lb 6oz. The doctor was mildly concerned but after I told him that I'd been having issues nursing he understood. I had blisters and cracks on both sides so I was pumping and using the shield to help them heal. That day was the first day that I didn't need the pump or shield to nurse on either side and I felt like that was a turn for the better. We still have to go back next week (this coming Monday) for another weight check but we're hoping that that was the problem.

Carver had his 4yr appointment on Wednesday and he DID NOT want to go to it. He knew that he needed shots and really didn't want to get them. So I took him to breakfast at Starbucks and got a cake pop for him to have after his appointment. He was awesome during the whole appointment and answered all of the doctor's questions. He was super brave for the shots... but I'd never heard him scream like that before. It broke my heart! I held onto him while she did two shots in each leg and it was the most painful cry I'd ever heard. Once we left, I got the idea that we should maybe just go to Menchies for lunch and Carver was all over that. :) His legs were hurting him but he wouldn't lay down or take any Tylenol to make it better.

When I checked on him that night, he was running a mild fever but he still wouldn't take anything. So I put a cool towel on his neck and Chris checked on him a couple times during the night. When he woke up the next day he actually took the Tylenol and that helped a lot.

That's about it so far! We've just been hanging out around the house and adjusting to having another baby. It's still hard to believe that she's ours. :)

Birth to 2 weeks Pictures

2013-07-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

First picture! She's perfect!

Going home outfit. 7/2/13

4th of July. The outfit I bought was too big. She's in preemie clothes. Carver spent the day at my sister-in-law's so Chris and I (and McKay) ran to Carters and bought some preemie clothes.

Sneak peek of the newborn shoot we did. 7/7/13

7/11/13

They both fell asleep on me and were out for two hours! 7/12/13

First trip to the zoo! 7/13/13

She doesn't like the pack n play so we picked this up and its at the foot of our bed. She's ok in it if she's already asleep. 7/14/13

She wanted to hear Carver's heartbeat 7/16/13

Induction Day Part 2

2013-07-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

I figured I should finish my story... almost three weeks later :)

I left you while we were waiting for the Pitocin to come and get hooked up to my IV. So here's what happened...

I got the Pitocin going at 10:30am and started having more contractions. I still wasn't feeling most of them but moved from 3cm to 4cm relatively quick so we were moved into a labor/delivery room from triage. Things progressed smoothly and I started feeling contractions more intensely.

We got the epidural ordered around 2:30pm and was trying to get McKay to roll to the correct position (her back was in my side so she was still in my back). I got the epidural and felt so much better! I was sitting pretty sweet. My cousin, Allix, came by to check on me and brought yummy cupcakes with her. :) Both of our moms and Carver were in the waiting room.

They had my on my side to try to get her to roll and things were going great while I was on my right side. Then they had my roll to my left side and I started feeling my contractions again. It got to the point where the pain was back to where it was before my epidural and we discussed having the anesthesiologist come back in for another push of meds. Then I had the great idea to see if just pushing the button hooked up to my IV would be enough. You can push it every 6min so I was doing about every 10min. I still wanted to feel the pressure to push but not wanting the pain.

My doctor had my labor at a 9-10cm for longer than normal to try to get her to move. No such luck. So we decided to use the vacuum and I did one push with that and she was out! I had a 'skid mark' that warranted one stitch so I was happy about that. :)

They put her on my belly and all was right with the world. She was born at 6:30pm and she weighed 6lb 12.2oz and was 18in long. Such a tiny little thing. We were all surprised at how small she was!!! She got two 9's for her apgar and her head was 14cm. She may be small but her head was normal size. haha

Chris went out and brought Carver in to meet his sister. We wanted him to be the first one to meet McKay. He was in awe of her! He just kept staring at her and smiling. He was a little apprehensive of all the stuff hooked up to me. Then our moms came in and the pictures started. :)

I was supposed to get up and go to the bathroom so that they could move us down to recovery but because I'd pushed my happy button (read: epidural button) so many times, my legs were jelly. I just sank back down onto the bed. haha So that was off the table. They emptied my bladder and moved us downstairs. That's when everyone headed home and we got settled in.

McKay decided she didn't like the crib and wanted to be held all night. I'd hold her until I'd start to doze and then she'd go back into the crib for however long she'd sleep. Then it was back snuggling with me. She still sleeps the best when she's right next to me so we've kind of been co-sleeping.

Chris told the nurses that he had to work at 3pm the next day and asked if we could be discharged early. He gets a little antsy. So they got us out of there around noon and we came home. I was feeling pretty good except for the worst hemorrhoids I've ever had.

Oh, the lactation consultant said that she might be a little tongue tied and that could be why it was hurting a little to nurse. She offered to help but I wanted t figure it out on my own.

We got home and Carver held her for the next 30min. He loves her so much!!

I'll get some pictures up and update on the first three weeks later. Gotta nurse! :)

Induction day!

2013-07-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

So I did this whole post about everything but accidentally posted it to my crafting blog. Haha so head over and get caught up. :)

http://acaffeinatedcrafter.blogspot.com/2013/07/induction-day.html

Thirty-One: June Special

2013-06-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the monthly special for Thirty-One.

It's a double whammy this month!

*Get a Large Utility Tote for only $10 (regulary $35, so 70% off!!) with every $35 you spend.

*The Large Utility Tote will be available in the Fun Flops fabric

(the one in the front in the picture) for June only!

June 30th is the last day they will be offered.

The Large Utility Tote is one of the most popular items in the catalog and this deal is too good to pass up.

Check them out online at: www.mythirtyone.com/tanagarland

You can order online or through me (email me at: chris.tana08 @ hotmail . com)

Thanks and happy shopping. :)

38 weeks and our challenge

2013-06-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

I turned 38wks yesterday and am officially done being pregnant... hence the 'challenge' which I'll get to in a second. Here's the stats for this week. Sorry there's no picture. I'll try to take one tonight or tomorrow.

Due Date: June 30, 2013

Weight Gain: I lost a pound between the two previous appts but gained it back last week. So I'm still at 30lbs

Symptoms:Uncomfortable, tired

What's different this time: Everything!

Cravings: fro-yo still and fruit

Aversions: meat and cooked peppers

Sleep: Pretty good for being this big.

I am loving: Chris and Carver putting lotion on my belly. They both love to do it and it keeps my belly from itching... a little

I miss: being able to bend down

I am looking forward to: getting this girl out!

I'm spazzing about: being almost done!

Best thing about this week: Getting a pedicure last night :)

Milestones:Being full term

Movement: It's starting to slow down a little bit. She's running out of room.

It's a...: Girl!!!

Exercise: lots this last weekend!!

Diet: fruit when i can get them.

Other goals: get this girl out!

The Challenge:
So after my last appointment on Friday we decided that this baby needed to come out this weekend. So here's what we did:

Friday: After Chris got off work, we went to Fro-Yo and then walked through every aisle of Target. Then we went to El Pueblito for dinner (yum!) and walked the harbor. That walk was cut short when we were on the new dock by the Tides and Chris lifted Carver up to look in the water and Carver's flip flop fell into the water. His favorite flip flop. So Chris climbed down to the beach and waded waist deep into the water to get it back. That cut the walk short since Chris was soaked.

Saturday: We met a friend at the park because she had a present for McKay and wanted to get it to us before McKay came. We got there early so while we waited the boys played on the football field and I did the bleachers. Then we headed to the zoo for more walking. It was a perfect mid-70's weekend so it was great being outside. I had a couple isolated contractions while we were there but nothing concrete. After we left there we ran to Michaels and Safeway and then home.

Sunday: After church we went to the park again. My legs were too tired to do the bleachers so I walked around the outside of the football field until the boys lost the football we brought. So then we went to the mall to do some air-conditioned walking. :) I had a pedicure appointment so we walked until that. I also got some new red Toms. :) After my appointment, where Michelle worked on my pressure points a lot, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. I'd heard that Eggplant Parmesan can put you into labor so I had that.

Monday: Today I kept it pretty low-key considering all we did over the weekend. Carver and I went to Michaels and Kohls and I had the leftovers of last night's dinner. Oh, and whenever we've been home, I've been bouncing on my exercise ball.

Who knows if any of this is having any effect but it's worth a try. I've actually had more braxton hicks today than I have over the whole pregnancy. Chris really thought I'd go into labor on Friday so he's a little disappointed. When it does come time to go to the hospital, I'll try to do a quick post from my phone.

37.5wks

2013-06-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm 37weeks 3 days today. This is the day that I delivered Noah. It's hard to believe that I'm going to be pregnant longer this time than last. But it makes sense given the circumstances. I'm definitely ready to be done and am pretty confident that she'll come early. I've got a pedicure schedule for Sunday (yes, I know I scheduled it on Father's Day. She only works on weekends). So hopefully that helps get things moving.

Speaking of Fathers Day... I have no motivation to get Chris anything this year. Sad, I know. I'm kind of hoping McKay will come right around then so I can get out of buying a present. He is the hardest person for me to shop for. I actually know what I want to get him but it's coming up with the money this time. Carver was born two days before Fathers Day so I lucked out that year. :)

Ok, that's enough ramblings. Oh! I actually lost a pound between my last two appointments. I have my next appointment Friday morning and I'm going to get checked to see if there's been any progress.

Ellensburg Baby Shower

2013-06-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here's the pictures from my shower in Ellensburg... finally! They're all out of order but here they are. :)

Favors - brown sugar vanilla sugar scrub. Yum!!

Everyone wrote a note to me on the diapers for those late night diaper changes :)

Guess when McKay is coming! I love that no one put after my due date. :)

Yummy strawberry lemonade

Carver even got a couple gifts!

I love both of our faces in this one. Priceless!

Easter 2013

2013-05-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm behind on posting pictures. But I'm getting everything off my camera so there's room for when McKay comes. :)

Opening his Easter present from Nana and Pop - new clothes.

Easter present from mom and dad - red Toms, and some candy

What's an Easter egg hunt without the tractor and trailer. It makes the job so much easier. ;)

The clothes from Nana. Checking out what's in the eggs.

The dogs got in on the action too!

Lollipop Tree

2013-05-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

I grew up listening to my mom sing a song about planting a lollipop stick. Then watering it well and watching it grow. Then one day it would become a lollipop tree. Check out the song here.

So my mom and I, of course, sang the song to Carver since he was born. We decided that Easter weekend would be the perfect time to actually try it out. So that Saturday we all ate lollipops and planted them in my mom's back yard. Carver watered it well and watched it carefully.

Then one day (Easter morning) he woke to find...

... a lollipop tree!!! He was SOOOO excited. He couldn't keep the huge grin off his face. :)

The guys went a little overboard with the size of tree they made. It was a branch from a tree they had cut down.

Carver was in awe that it actually worked.

We told Carver that once all the lollipops were picked the tree would disappear and we could do it all again next Easter. But now he wants to plant other things... like popsicle sticks. haha We'll have to figure out something for that.

Doctor appt at 35.5 weeks

2013-05-30T17:43:00.001-07:00

I should preface this by saying that McKay has been breech or transverse (sideways) ever since 18ish weeks. Talk about uncomfortable! And my doctor said that if she hadn't moved by my 35/36 week appt, that we would schedule a time to go to the hospital to have him move her. He did this with Noah (who was transverse) while I was in labor - with an epidural - and it was brutal! So I was definitely not looking forward to that idea.

I woke up this morning feeling a little more comfortable than normal and I had some hand or knee action in my side. Not thinking much of it at that point. But then she got hiccups right before we went to my appt and it was higher up (they're usually around my pant line). Getting a little hopeful but not thinking much of it. Then, while I'm getting my blood pressure taken I feel a big bulge under my ribs - uh oh her head's back up. :( The nurse feels and agrees with me that it feels like the head. So we go into the room and my doctor starts up the ultrasound machine... and lo and behold... she's HEAD DOWN!!!!!!! I was so excited. :) Now here's to praying that she stays that way until she comes out. :)

I feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Not only would it be really painful (think of a deep tissue massage without any lotion) but it would also be an extra expense. I'd resigned myself to the fact that it would have to happen and I'm so relieved that we don't have to go through that.

Other than all that, things have been going ok here. I have no energy to keep up with the house and Chris has been working extra lately so he has no energy to help out once he's home. Needless to say, we're doing the bare minimum to keep the house someone in working order right now.

We have Carver's birthday party this weekend and that means we'll have to actually clean. Joy! We're doing a super small party this year and a few weeks early just because of my due date being so close to Carver's actual birthday. I'm trying to keep it low key but that's hard when I've got all these fun ideas and it's a cowboy party. How can you not go a little overboard with that? ;)

Stats to keep you updated:

Due Date: June 30, 2013

Weight Gain:up 1lb from my last appt bringing the total to 30lbs

Symptoms: More comfortable now that's she's flipped. Not a lot of energy

What's different this time: Everything!

Cravings: fro-yo still. I've even had Chris run to get some after Carver's fallen asleep. I feel like we're sneaking around haha

Aversions: meat and cooked peppers

Sleep:I'm getting up 2-4 times to go to the bathroom. When I'm asleep, it's great.Chris says I snore, I say, be glad that I'm actually sleeping!

I am loving: Chris and Carver putting lotion on my belly. They both love to do it and it keeps my belly from itching... a little

I miss: being able to bend down

I am looking forward to:Carver's party; getting my completion coupons for my registries. I want to go shopping!

I'm spazzing about: She's head down!!!

Best thing about this week:She's head down (getting sick of hearing that?) Carver has one week of school left.

Milestones: Had my shower with all my Moms Group and Bible Study friends. It was a lot of fun and I loved seeing everyone. :) Thanks Erica!!!

Movement: It's starting to slow down a little bit. She's running out of room.

It's a...: Girl!!!

Exercise: I told Chris that we need to start walking... he says to wait until after 37wks. Smart man!!

Diet:Trying to get a lot more fruits and veggies but I have no energy so whatever is convenient

Other goals: Get to 37wks and then she can come!!

Memorial Day Special!! Only Today!!

2013-05-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone!!!

Today is a day to remember all of those that paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and the families they left behind.

Thank you to all of those that have served our country.

Now, onto the shopping that is Memorial Day. May's special ends in a few days, and I'm making it even sweeter. Anyone that places an order through me today (not online) will get one thing personalized! How's that to add a little incentive. Orders must be emailed to me (chris.tana08 @ hotmail . com) by 8pm PST tonight so I can get them submitted tonight and get your products on their way to you. Just put 'Memorial Day Order' as the subject so I can catch it if it gets sent to my Junk folder. Now it's time to do some shopping. :)

www.mythirtyone.com/tanagarland

If you need a little inspiration on how you could use some of the products, head over to my board on Pinterest HERE. I've got a bunch of ideas on how people use theirs.

Thanks for supporting me and helping me out. It means a lot. :)

Thirty-One: May Special

2013-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

May's Special!!

So we're already half way through the month but I wanted to let you know what the special is this month at Thirty-One.

For every $31 you spend, you get ANY thermal for HALF OFF!! There's 11 thermals to choose from and some new fabrics that are perfect for summer. Flip flops anyone?

Right now is the perfect time to stock up on some thermals for summer. Whether you're heading to the beach/pool, amusement park, or just running around, these will keep all of your cold things cold and hot things hot (think picnics, BBQs, or getting together with friends).

Some fun uses for thermals that you may not have thought of:

A Mini thermal tote for your purse/diaper bag to keep chapstick, sunscreen, and makeup from melting.
Out 'N About thermal or the Picnic Thermal to bring drinks to the ball game or beach.
Single Thermal Organizer paired with a Large Utility tote to keep snacks cool for the beach. Use the rest of the space in the Large Utility tote for towels, flip flops, toys, a book, etc. If you don't like getting sand in your bag, add a Top-a-Tote and you're good to go!
The brand new Bring-a-Bottle to keep a drink cool while exercising, or just running errands. No one likes a hot drink on a hot day. (Unless you're weird like me and drink hot coffee year round)
Use the Fresh Market tote for groceries. No one likes to have melted ice cream by the time you get home.

Head over to www.mythirtyone.com/tanagarland to check out all the thermals.

33 Weeks

2013-05-14T16:50:00.003-07:00

I turned 33wks on Sunday and am getting close to feeling like I'm done. It's hard to bend down and I have absolutely no energy anymore.

Due Date: June 30, 2013

Weight Gain: I have an appt on Thursday but as of two weeks ago, I'm up 27lbs (total with Carver: 26lbs; total with Noah: 28lbs). I'm ok with this because I only gained 1lb at my last appt!!! It sounds like cutting out most of the chocolate and cookies has helped keep the weight down. haha Go figure!

Symptoms:She was breech again at my last appt. If she hasn't moved by 36wks, my Dr will move her. Ouch!

What's different this time: Everything!

Cravings: fro-yo haha At least it's healthier than blizzards ;)

Aversions: meat and cooked peppers

Sleep:I'm getting up 2-4 times to go to the bathroom. When I'm asleep, it's great.

I am loving: Carver's face when he sees McKay move my belly

I miss:being able to bend down (and get back up!) without it taking a whole minute

I am looking forward to:Shopping with my mom and gramma on Saturday :)

I'm spazzing about: All the movement she's been doing! I'm kind of thinking she is back to head down but we'll see.

Best thing about this week: Last weekend was our last weekend in Ellensburg until after McKay comes.

Milestones:Had one baby shower and one more next weekend.

Movement:lots!! hoping from the movement I'm getting that she's head down

It's a...: Girl!!!

Exercise: Any walking that I do

Diet:Trying to get a lot more fruits and veggies. It helps that we're getting lettuce out of the garden for salads

Other goals:Keeping the weight gain to a minimum; Enjoying everything and not wishing it away too much; Getting to 37wks and then she can come anytime she wants ;)

What we've been up to:
We had a baby shower at my mom's house on the 4th. It was a lot of fun and it was great to catch up with everyone. We got a lot of clothes (should've expected that haha) and my mom and gramma got us the car seat. We installed it in the car and left it. It's kind of weird having it in the car this early.

My birthday was on the 8th. Chris asked if he and Carver could go shrimping so I got the house to myself for most of the day. Shrimping is only open for about 4 days out of the whole year (Wednesdays and Saturdays) so it was hard to say no even though I'm not really supposed to have seafood. I wasn't super productive while they were gone (I didn't even get dressed until after 10am) but it was nice to have the house to myself for awhile. I started getting lonely only about an hour before they got home which was ok. Oh, they woke me up at 6am to give me my present (new cowboy boots) and eat mini chocolate donuts before they left. When they got home, we went out for Mexican and fro-yo. It was perfect because Wednesdays are no-weight-Wednesday so it's a flat rate depending on the size of cup you get.

We were supposed to bring the truck when we went over for the shower but it was acting up (ended up just being the battery) so we had to go over last weekend to pick up our excavator that my mom was using to clear some trees. We hadn't planned on coming over that weekend but it was really nice because that will be our last time before McKay comes.

That's up to today. Carver has his birthday party at school on Thursday since school gets out before his birthday. Mom, Gramma and I are going shopping on Saturday. I have a baby shower with all my church and Bible Study friends this coming week that I'm super excited about. :) That's it for now.

29 weeks picture

2013-05-13T12:10:00.001-07:00

This was from a few weeks ago. I haven't been able to upload pictures on Blogger for some reason so here's 29 weeks. :)

Thirty-One's April Special

2013-04-23T19:52:00.003-07:00

Here's the April special I was talking about earlier today. They are awesome bags and each come in five different colors (Red, Black, Blue/turquoise, Pink Lotsa Dots and Camo). The shoulder strap is $10 and comes in black, grey or pink. And personalization is only $7 more.:) Get them while they're hot because they're only around until April 30th.

Thirty-One Gifts

2013-04-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!!! Just a quick post to let you know of a new adventure I've embarked on.

I signed up to sell Thirty-One Gifts the end of March and I'm really excited about this new venture I'm on. So you may see me post the monthly specials but I won't bombard you with Thirty-One stuff. This is still a place where I update on pregnancy and family things.

If you get a chance, head over to my website (www.mythirtyone.com/tanagarland) and check out everything Thirty-One has to offer. There's a great special going on this month. We're offering two sizes of duffel bags for a great deal. They aren't in the catalog and will be gone, gone, gone as of April 30th. So get them while you can! And, if you spend $35 you get the small duffel for $10 (regularly $35) or the large for $25 (regularly $80!!!). That's a screaming deal!!!

Anyways, thanks for your support. :)

I'm going to try, really really hard, to get a 29wk bump pic and 30wk stats up later today when I have a little more time.

26 Week Stats

2013-03-24T13:14:00.001-07:00

Due Date: June 30, 2013

Weight Gain: I haven't weighed myself and my next appointment is on Thursday so we'll see. Fingers crossed that it's not too much!

Symptoms: I can't breathe as easily anymore. But other than that, I'm pretty good!

What's different this time: Everything is different this time!

Cravings: chocolate! I'm trying to supplement the copious amounts of chocolate with some sort or fruit or smoothie to counteract

Aversions: meat, but that's not new

Sleep: pretty good lately!

I am loving: feeling her move. She loves kiwi and it's fun to feel her have a party after I eat one

I miss: not much

I am looking forward to: Easter

I'm spazzing about:McKay loving kiwi! I told my mom and she said that I loved it when I was little :)

Best thing about this week: Finding a stroller for $50!!!

Milestones: Got the stroller. Now all we have is the car seat for the big stuff. We also picked up an Expedit cube system from Ikea yesterday for my craft wall. We moved the two Target cubes I had into Carver and McKay's closet and its so much more organized now!

Movement: more and more

It's a...: Girl!!!

Exercise: I'm not nesting yet, but trying to clear stuff out of the house... so that's my exercise :)

Diet: Ideally, a lot of healthy stuff but it's honestly whatever is put in front of me.

Other goals: enjoying everything as it comes and not complaining. It's harder to enjoy the little things this time.

Noah's 1st birthday

2013-03-22T12:42:00.001-07:00

Here's what we did for Noah's birthday on Tuesday. I'll get pictures up once I get a chance to get them off my phone and my friend, Mallorie's, camera.

We started the day but snuggling in bed until 8ish. Chris is usually out of the house by 7:15am so it was nice to just lay there and chat. As we were getting ready to head out the door, Chris's mom called to tell us that his grandma had been in the hospital all night with pneumonia and since she has congestive heart failure, it wasn't looking good. So we went to Starbucks for breakfast and ran through the McDonald's drive-thru to get some $5 gift cards. Then Carver and I stayed in the car while Chris ran in to see his grandma. I was having a rough morning and didn't want to go in.

Then when we left there, we went to Hello Cupcake to get some yummy cupcakes (March's flavor of the month is Irish Cream... yum!!) and we paid for an extra cupcake for whoever came in next. We chatted with my cousin, Allix, (the head baker) for awhile and went back to the car to find a little mom and pop place for lunch. When we got back to the car, we had a nice little surprise in the form of a parking ticket. We never pay for parking and this was the first time we'd actually gotten a ticket from it. Guess we should probably pay the $1 to park instead of the $25 ticket we got. Ooops!! We laughed it off though.

After lunch, we met my friend Mallorie (she was at the hospital when Noah was born) and drove up to Seattle. We had planned on going to Westlake Plaza to hand out the McD gift cards to the homeless but after not finding any open parking spots we left... after having to pay $4 for the 6 minutes we were in the parking garage. Chris wasn't thrilled about the idea but got over it quickly. So we started heading towards Woodland Park Zoo, but since we weren't coming from a way we were familiar with, we ended up driving around a lot. GPS didn't really help because we had two different directions going and they were saying to go the opposite way. But we found it and it was a good thing I was driving since I don't mind driving in the city.

The zoo was the highlight of everyone's day! We had so much fun. We saw the giraffes and got pictures with them (the one thing I wanted out of the whole day) and got to see tons of fun animals. At one point, we stopped to eat our cupcakes and after Carver was done with his, he yelled out "Happy Birthday Noah!!" It was the cutest thing! Carver and I got a picture with a bronze baby elephant for McKay and Carver loved the monkeys the best. It started raining around 3:30ish but we pressed on to finish the loop. We stopped in at the gift shop on the way out and I found a giraffe ornament that was perfect. I want to get some sort of giraffe every year on Noah's birthday to remember him by. I have a feeling when we're 80 we'll be surrounded by giraffes. :)

After we left the zoo (they were still on winter hours so they closed at 5pm) we went to Red Robin for dinner. We were starving!! It was super yummy and lots of fun. We were going to finish the day with Menchies but we all forgot about it since we were all exhausted by the busy day. We dropped Mallorie off at her car and came home.

It was a busy day but exactly what I wanted out of it. We ended up handing out four of the five McD gift cards we had to homeless people that we came across. It felt so good and I want that to be something we do every year. I figured that since we weren't paying for a birthday party and gifts we should pass some of that money on to people that could use it. We felt Noah with us all day and it was such a better day than if we had stayed home dwelling on the fact he wasn't with us.

Happy first birthday Noah! We love you!!