With just a few, basic ingredients I was able to whip these bars up in no time, AND I didn’t even have to turn on the oven (a big plus for summertime). I ended up using about half the amount of chocolate chips the recipe called for, and I’m glad I made that decision. I think the full serving would have been too overpowering. My bars didn’t end up looking much like the demo picture, but they were delicious nonetheless. The bars were a hit with the family, so I’m certain that I’ll be making these a few more times this summer :)

Check out the recipe here!

What’s your favorite sweet treat to share with family? Any special summertime cravings?

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We’ve enrolled Ruby in another round of obedience classes to work on some lingering behavior issues. Our main concerns have been jumping on visitors when they walk through the door and not coming when she’s called. She’s already made awesome progress in both of these areas, and we’re feeling pretty good about introducing Ruby to the baby.

I made a conscious effort to get baby gear set up early. I wanted to establish appropriate boundaries even before the baby arrived. From day 1, Ruby has been allowed to “sniff” the baby gear, but not allowed to touch anything in any way. She learned very quickly to leave the Pack ‘n Play, bouncer and swing alone. She hardly even notices they are around. The jungle play mat on the other hand…. ugh. It’s like a puppy dreamland! She is obsessed with a stuffed monkey that hangs from one of the arches. The mat is set up in my office and she starts off across the room from the mat and army crawls inch by inch. Before long, the monkey is nabbed, and she’s darting out of the room to claim her prize in peace. It’s hard to blame her though, puppy toys and baby toys are basically the same thing, haha!

It will be interesting to see how she reacts to a new little person in her life. J and I want to maintain a consistent schedule with Ruby with a morning walk with me and an afternoon walk with J. We’re still brainstorming a good way to tracking her meals – she gets 1/2 C food in the morning and another serving in the afternoon. Even without a baby, J and I sometimes lose track of what feedings have been done for the day. We want to create some sort of visual prompt for how many scoops she’s had.

During our childbirth classes, we were given a resource from the Nebraska Humane Society for bringing home a new baby to a house with pets. It had some interesting suggestions:

• Don’t exclude the pet – invite them to be around when feeding, changing, bathing the baby
• Schedule interactive play time with your pet
• Provide a special place for the pet to retreat (like a crate)
• Smile and talk happy to the pet so she doesn’t associate negative things with the baby’s presence

If you want to see the complete list, click here for the PDF version!

What are your experiences with introducing pets to a new baby? Do you have any suggestions for maintaining consistency with pet routines? What about our feeding dilemma?

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We took the 6 week prepared childbirth course offered by our hospital, and I’m SO happy we did. The class covered everything from baby care and breastfeeding to mommy care and relaxation techniques. Our instructor was AMAZING, and it was great to meet other couples in the same life stage as us.

It was also really great to take 2 hours out of every week and really, REALLY focus on this baby of ours. Between all of the big changes in our life, taking time to prepare as a COUPLE has sometimes taken a backseat. J and I learned a lot and had a few good laughs along the way (falling off birth balls, using the “practice” baby’s face as leverage for a tight swaddle… the list goes on).

I really think that J should be the one birthing this baby – his ability to succumb to the breathing and relaxation techniques is uncanny. While guiding me through the steps, he would sometimes practically fall asleep and forget to do his role! At least I can count on him to keep me calm, haha!

The hospital tour was on the last night and wow, that really made labor and delivery seem real. Walking the hospital halls was a surreal experience – I’ll be right back there in just a couple of weeks for the real deal! Hopefully I’ll remember all of the tips and tricks we covered over the past 6 weeks :)

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I’ve used the past few days to prepare for this little baby to be welcomed into our home…

Our hospital bags are packed…

Freezer meals are prepped…

Car seat is installed…

Pack ‘n Plays (1 in our bedroom and 1 for use on the main level of the house) are assembled…

Daily cleaning/laundry has commenced (nobody wants to return home from the hospital to a messy house!)…

And perhaps most importantly, I’ve been enjoying little moments with J and Ruby…

I put off packing our hospital bags for weeks and now that they’re done, I am SUPER impatient. I can’t stop thinking about heading off to the hospital and holding my sweet baby. Packing for the hospital is a little different than packing for a vacation – just because I’m ready to go, doesn’t mean we’re leaving anytime soon :)

My sister is due with her little girl any day now, so it’s a welcome distraction to be thinking about her impending due date rather than my own! I can’t wait to see my new little niece!

Any suggestions for staying sane these last few weeks of pregnancy? :)

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I did quite a bit of online research to find a photographer whose style I liked who was also within our price point. I didn’t want to spend a fortune, and I wanted to be sure that the results would be photos I would proudly display in our home. I eventually settled on Tiffani Jedlicka Photography. Her work is BEAUTIFUL! I eagerly booked her for both our maternity and newborn sessions!

J and I had our maternity photo session the first week in May when I was 33 weeks pregnant. I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer to have them done. My bump was still a nice size at that point, I wasn’t swollen, and I could easily get up and down for the various shots we took – NONE of those statements remain true today at 38 weeks, haha!

Tiffani was a ton of fun to work with and immediately put me at ease. Posing for photos does not come naturally for J or I, but the entire experience was painless :)

We’re really happy with the results as well and can’t wait to have her photograph our little girl when she arrives!

Here’s a photo she posted to Facebook – you can see a few more from our session if you click here to the blog post on her site!

© Tiffani Jedlicka Photography

If you’re in the Omaha area and looking for a family photographer, I would definitely check out Tiffani! :)

What do you think of the maternity photo craze? Would you ever bare your belly for the camera?

The post maternity photos appeared first on Making Mine.

I had my 37 week doctor’s appointment yesterday where we reviewed my birth plan. I love how intentional my doctor is about setting expectations early and helping me understand the best way to communicate my wants and needs. I feel really good about the birth plan that J and I put together (over a dinner date at Buffalo Wild Wings – bet that’s the 1st time that’s ever happened!), but I am also prepared for the plan to be abandoned in favor of the health and well-being of our baby girl.

There are just a few loose ends that need to be tied up before baby arrives. I still haven’t packed our hospital bags – I feel like my list is already too long and I really don’t want to show up with 10 bags, haha! I also have a few more baby items to get washed up and assembled. Neither of those are too daunting of tasks, so hopefully I can just knock them out today.

OH! And our baby girl has a first name, but J and I have never really discussed middle name. I have a name in mind, but I want to hear his ideas too! Hopefully arriving at a middle name will come as easy as the first name did :)

Without further ado…. here’s Baby M at 37 weeks!

37 Week Survey

This week, baby is the size of a: winter melon (whatever that means)

Due date: June 24

How far along: 37 weeks

Next appointment: June 13

Gender: GIRL!

Total weight gain: 30 pounds – another week with no weight gain!

Exercise: Taking Ruby for walks

Stretch marks: Nothing new – same old, same old with my belly button

Swelling: My feet are definitely starting to swell. I couldn’t get my Toms on yesterday and decided not to push it :)

Maternity clothes:  I avoid pants/shorts/anything tight around my belly at all costs!

Belly button: Out! And painful :(

Sleep: I learned the secret to sleeping: keeping our bedroom FRIGIDLY cold! It’s made a world of difference in the past few days

Food cravings/aversions: Still my top two: avocado and sugar! This week I had a HUGE craving for cheesecake, but I didn’t indulge. J says he’ll take me to Cheesecake Factory this weekend, so I might have to give in :)

Symptoms: Lots of pelvic pain/pressure, swelling in my feet

Movement: Baby is still pretty active, but the movement feels different with less and less room for her to spread out. I definitely feel jabs in my ribs and on my bladder

Labor signs: I have Braxton Hicks contractions fairly often – the top of my belly will tighten up and get rectangular in shape. It’s a really funny feeling and quite the sight. At my appointment yesterday I was 80% effaced and 1 cm dilated – progress!

What I miss: My body

What I’m loving: Hearing the doctor tell me that I’m “right on track” to have the baby around the 24th!

What I’m looking forward to: Meeting my baby girl!

Best moment this week: Sitting in the nursery journaling to our baby girl – soon I’ll be sitting in there rocking her in my arms instead :)

Milestones: Meeting with our pediatrician! It was a quick appointment. She came highly recommended from my OB, so I really just wanted to hear her voice, see her face and have a real conversation before I handed my baby’s healthcare over to her :)

Goals: PACK MY BAGS! (I’ve been saying this for weeks – maybe packing will jumpstart labor haha)

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Since my last post, we had one final ultrasound. It was a bit of a let-down because everything is so scrunched in my tummy at this point. It was really hard to distinguish what were arms vs legs. She was all curled up, but she had found her way head down luckily! Here’s to hoping she stays that way! At my appointment two weeks ago, my doctor checked her position again. She mentioned that I was measuring right on track, but that the baby was filling my entire (long) torso. This led her to think that we would be having a long, lean baby. Looks like she’s already taking after her dad. I hope she gets his dimples too :)

Our prepared childbirth class continues to be a great experience. It’s a great opportunity to focus on the pregnancy as a couple and we always leave feeling more assured that we can handle this looming labor and delivery thing in our near future. We also took a baby care class. As we were leaving, J mentioned how “real” the class made him feel about having a baby. Our childbirth classes have primarily focused on the birth itself. I guess he hadn’t thought too much about what happens after that: 18+ years of being this little lady’s parents! Whoa! I know he’s going to be a great dad – it’s been so fun to watch him fall just as in love with this baby as I have.

I was thinking that the baby had dropped because the top of my belly felt squishier than it had in weeks, BUT judging from this picture, I’d say this little girl has a long way to go haha

36 Week Survey

This week, baby is the size of a: honeydew

Due date: June 24

How far along: 36 weeks

Next appointment: June 6

Gender: GIRL!

Total weight gain: 30 pounds (with no weight gain in the last 2 weeks – hoping it stays that way!)

Exercise: Taking Ruby for walks

Stretch marks: Nothing new – my bellybutton is getting crazy stretched though

Swelling: Some occasional swelling in my hands if I’m not hydrating well enough

Maternity clothes:  90% of my maternity shirts no longer fit. I have been living in Old Navy tanks, maternity shorts, and maxi dresses!

Belly button: Out! And painful :(

Sleep: I’ve been taking advantage of lots of naps. At night I sleep about an hour at a time, so even if I log quite a few hours, the quality of sleep is just terrible. Baby is super active at night as well, so at least I have company :)

Food cravings/aversions: avocado and SUGAR

Symptoms: Lots of pelvic pain/pressure

Movement: She’s still very active. She’s running out of room in there, so I can feel individual limbs poking me throughout the day

Labor signs: No labor signs, but I was 50% effaced at my appointment last week

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and being able to go longer than an hour before needing to pee :)

What I’m loving: Having our house baby prepped! I love seeing all of her “gear” everywhere!

What I’m looking forward to: Meeting my baby girl!

Best moment this week: Hearing that I was 50% effaced – that means “something” is happening :)

Milestones: Getting our car seat checked – our little girl should be safe and sound

Goals: Meet with our pediatrician this week and pack our hospital bags!

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J and I started childbirth classes 2 days after arriving in Omaha – nothing like jumping right in! We have a 7 week prepared childbirth course as well as some additional classes scattered throughout the weeks. I was really impressed with the childbirth class. It was very interesting and engaging. I felt as though we left with some very useful tips and information. I also left leaving feeling like I had a lot more to learn – I guess that’s what the next 6 weeks are for!

We also went to an advanced relaxation course last week. It dealt with strategies for pain management throughout the stages of labor. It wasn’t quite as helpful as I had hoped, but I left with a better idea of what additional questions and concerns I want answered – at least that’s something, right?! :)

I met with my Dr. here in Omaha for the 2nd time last week. I felt completely reassured that I made the right decision – she’s great! J was busy with work and my mom happened to be in town helping me unpack the house, so she came along to the appointment. It was really cool to have her there to hear the baby’s heartbeat and meet my Dr. The best news of the appointment….. baby is no longer breech!!!

We’ll be doing one more ultrasound next week since my Dr. here has never seen any of my previous ultrasound images. I’m really excited to see how much our baby girl has developed since 27 weeks!

32 Week Survey

This week, baby is the size of a: squash

Due date: June 24

How far along: 32 weeks

Next appointment: May 16

Gender: GIRL!

Total weight gain: 25 pounds ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Exercise: Unpacking my house!

Stretch marks: Still worried about getting some around my belly button, but nothing new since my last update

Swelling: None

Maternity clothes:  A couple of weeks ago I picked up a couple of dresses from Target and some tanks from Old Navy. The weather hasn’t really cooperated, but the sooner I can NEVER wear pants again, the better :)

Belly button: Out, out, out! That sucker can be seen through anything I wear

Sleep: I’ve been sleeping A LOT! I get up about 5 times a night to pee, but other than that, sleep has been fantastic!

Food cravings/aversions: MAJOR sweet tooth

Symptoms: Some pelvic pain and the occasional leg cramps

Movement: Still feeling LOTS of movement from our little girl. Her feet are now up in my ribs, so that can be a little painful. It’s still crazy to see my whole stomach shift as she moves around.

Labor signs: Not for awhile :)

What I miss: Being able to wear whatever I want

What I’m loving: Being DONE with our move!

What I’m looking forward to: Preparing for baby these final weeks

Best moment this week: MOVING TO OMAHA!

Milestones: Moving into our first home and starting childbirth classes with J

Goals: Buy the rest of the baby gear we need and start assembling everything!

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Yet again, the past 4 weeks have flown by! I cannot believe that I am officially in my 3rd trimester! Overall I have been feeling great, but it’s been a major adjustment to slow down and not be a part of all of the house activities going on this week (aka – no carrying heavy boxes, assembling furniture or painting walls).

J and I are currently back in Omaha since I have this week off from school. We made ourselves a pretty ambitious to-do list for the week, and we’ve basically stayed on track with all of our tasks. One major milestone we achieved was picking a Dr. to finish out my pregnancy and deliver our baby here in Omaha. It was really starting to weigh on me that we didn’t have a plan set in stone, so meeting our new Dr. and making the final decision feels great! She’s an extremely nice, competent woman who I know will keep me calm and focused through delivery. I was even able to get my childbirth classes switched over to my new hospital and scheduled out ALL of my appointments up until my due date – CRAZY!

I had an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago to check the position of my placenta, and I was VERY happy to get the news that it had moved up right where it was supposed to be (this lessens the chance I’d have to have a c-section delivery). Little Miss M still wasn’t very cooperative and refused to show us her face – we did get some nice images of her feet though :)

Without further ado, here are the latest and greatest belly pictures:

28 Week Survey

This week, baby is the size of an: eggplant (or a Chihuahua, depending on your preference for vegetables or puppies)

Due date: June 24

How far along: 28 weeks

Next appointment: April 17

Gender: GIRL!

Total weight gain: 20 pounds (hoping that slows down one of these weeks)

Exercise: Walking, treadmill intervals, and packing boxes for the big move!

Stretch marks: Still thinking I’m getting some around my belly button, but they aren’t looking any worse since 24 weeks

Swelling: Some in my feet during our long road trips

Maternity clothes:  My wardrobe staples are two basic Gap Maternity dresses my mom bought me earlier this year. They are basic cotton dresses with long sleeves and v-necks. Cute and really versatile! I’m completely in maternity tops, but still hanging on to those pre-pregnancy pants, haha. I did find a cute pair of maternity capris at Old Navy, and now that the weather is nice they are becoming a new favorite!

Belly button: Out, out, out! And amazingly gets bumped WAY too often – ouch!

Sleep: Pretty good. We’ve been sleeping on the futon mattress at our new house over spring break, so my back is a little sore and it’s REALLY hard to get off the floor to pee 5 times a night

Food cravings/aversions: Nothing consistently – but still loving carbs, carbs, carbs

Symptoms: Lower back pain and leg cramps

Movement: LOTS of movement from little Miss M! It still throws me off when she kicks my bladder, but other than that, it’s the best feeling! It’s so cool to see her little fists and feet poking my tummy throughout the day!

Labor signs: Not for awhile :)

What I miss: A full wardrobe

What I’m loving: Getting semi-settled in our new home

What I’m looking forward to: Moving to Omaha!

Best moment this week: Meeting our new Dr. in Omaha! She’s awesome! And washing up Baby M’s clothing and bedding – laundry is more fun when it’s full of baby gear :)

Milestones: Making the final decision on a Dr. in Omaha, rescheduling childbirth classes, and getting our new home ready for the big move – especially the nursery!

Goals: Get a TON of schoolwork done this week to prepare for the end of the semester – only 3 weeks left!!

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