Baby Sunshine: Week 38

Sophia wanted to take pictures on her terms this week. At least it wasn't a battle to get her involved.

Size: Baby Sunshine is about the size of a leek, weighing in at 6.8 pounds and measuring in at 19.5 inches long.

Total Weight Gain: Up 38 pounds (two pounds more than my total weight gain with Sophia).

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much.

Gender: Only TWO more weeks until we find out.

Cravings: I am so thirsty but over constantly drinking water and going to the bathroom.

Symptoms: The Braxton Hicks contractions are at an all-time high, but no contractions involving major discomfort yet. I was rather emotional this week. Not only did I cry easy, but I was quick to get frustrated. 

Movement: All the time and lots of hiccups.

Sleep: Sleep? What is sleep? I have had a few good stretches of sleep, but I am up multiple times per night for extended periods of time.

Moments of the Week: Hearing the little one's heartbeat at the doctor. As much as I am ready to meet this baby, I know that it is best to cook just a bit longer.

What I Miss: Too many things to list, just trying to enjoy the end of this pregnancy as much as I can.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Sophia has her Big Sister class at the hospital tomorrow. And of course, we can't wait to meet this little one. Our next doctor's appointment is Tuesday and the doctor is encouraging me to be induced if Sunshine has not arrived by 39 weeks since my labor with Sophia was so fast. I would rather not go that route, so I am trying out as many of those old wives tales as possible.

Big Sister: Sophia is ready to meet Baby Sunshine and had repeatedly asked for me to take the baby out of my belly. She is still going back and forth about the gender of the baby, but yesterday she randomly told me that the baby is a boy.

Looking Back: Little did I know that we were about to meet Sophia She was born at 38 weeks one day. Read more about my pregnancy with Sophia here.

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday: Eden Park

Last week we visited one of my favorite spaces in Cincinnati - Eden Park. We walked around the frozen ponds, admired the Ohio River from above, and burned off some energy on the playground. Sophia always amazes me with how much she is growing. The last time we were at this playground she was very apprehensive about all of the climbing features and slides. This time she tackled them like a seasoned playground professional. I love watching her grow, even if I often wish I could slow down time.

In the Kitchen with Daddy

Now that Sophia is older and able to follow directions a little better, Dave has started giving her cooking lessons. She is learning kitchen safety and developing a love of food and cooking. Dave gets to experiment and use kitchen equipment that would otherwise be sitting on a shelf and Sophia gets one on one time with her Daddy (and frequently kicks me out of the kitchen while they are working).
My favorite thing is as soon as Sophia and Dave don their matching aprons, Sophia puts her hand up in the air and says "Let's Get Cooking!". It is the cutest thing ever.
Recently when Sophia and I were making pizza puffs I asked Sophia to stir in the cheese and she responded with "What's next after I fold in the cheese?". The lessons are already paying off.

Some of their recent cooking lessons:

Sous Vide apples.

Developing knife skills and dicing onions.

Mastering the art of making meatballs.

Measuring and pouring to make shittake pickles.

We just got this amazing waffle maker and they made me gluten free waffles.
First time in years I have had a homemade waffle.

Making peanut butter cookies and not-so-politely telling Mommy to get out of the kitchen.

I've shared it a few times before, but here is our favorite peanut butter cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 cup sugar (we use brown sugar)

1 cup peanut butter (we use chunky)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix together eggs, sugar, baking soda, and vanilla.

Combine peanut butter until fully blended.

Drop by spoonfuls onto the parchment paper.

Optional add-ins: semi-sweet or white chocolate chips, raisins. (we use both white and semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Optional toppers: sugar, m&ms, reeses pieces.

Bake 9-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cookies will be very soft. Let stand on cookie sheet for five minutes.

Linking up with Kate and Emily.

04/52

We have been blessed with some warmer days this January and I am thrilled that we were able to get out and enjoy them. Sophia took a break from playing to sit and search for boats on the Ohio River.

"A portrait of my little love, once a week, every week, in 2015."

Thrilled to be linking up with Jodi for The 52 Project.

Follow along on instagram @jenhimmel

Some favorites from this week:
How perfect is this little fruit eater.
This tiny pigtail and captivating eye.
A girl and her pup.

Baby Sunshine: Week 37

Size: Baby Sunshine is right on track weighing in at a little over 6 pounds and measuring in at about 19 inches.

Total Weight Gain: Down one pound for a total of 36 pounds (even with my weight gain when I was pregnant with Sophia).

Maternity Clothes: Pretty much.

Gender: Only THREE more weeks until we find out (if I last that long).

Cravings: Thirsty all the time. Not exactly cravings, but I have requested sushi and grilled ham and cheese to be brought to the hospital.

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions are very prevalent and I feel slightly 'off', but that could just be my sinuses with all of the weather fluctuations we have been experiencing. New stretch marks have made an appearance (I got a small patch on my left side when I was pregnant with Sophia).

Movement: The baby is doing its best to move around in there, but space is limited.

Sleep: Sleep has not been great. Fortunately I am still able to function on less.

Moments of the Week: I had a little bit of pampering this week and loved time without my sidekick to get a massage and my hair cut. 

At my doctor's appointment on Tuesday I got to hear the heartbeat and learned that I am making progress toward Baby Sunshine joining us. 

Wednesday Dave and I decided to do a little practice run to the hospital. I was having contractions that were four minutes apart, They weren't painful but after drinking three bottles of water and not noticing any relief, we decided we had better be safe and go in to get checked out. It was determined that since my cervix had not changed from the day before, they were just Braxton Hicks contractions. While the baby was being monitored there were slight drops in the heartbeat, so I was given an ultrasound to check fluid levels for the baby. Fluids were on the low range of normal. We were sent on our way with a follow up appointment at the doctor.

Yesterday we had another ultrasound where we got to see the Baby Sunshine again and all looked good. Fluid levels were normal, heartbeat sounded good, and we are at 4 cm. The doctor thinks that I have about a week left. I am hoping to keep the kid in at least that long. I am doing my best to resist the urge to move all of the furniture and deep clean and force myself to sit and relax.
Lots of good moments this week, but the best was learning that I tested negative for Strep B, meaning one less night at the hospital.

What I Miss: Although I am trying to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy, I just miss being comfortable.

What I'm Looking Forward to: Tackling our before-baby checklist and meeting this sweet babe. Oh, and finalizing a name for this little one. Even after a trip to the hospital we still do not have a girl and boy name set in stone.

Big Sister: Sophia has loved using Baby Sunshine's things with her babies. She is still pretending to be a baby frequently. We have been doing our best to prep Sophia about what will happen when I go into labor. She still doesn't fully grasp the concept, but I am just thankful that she will be in good hands while Baby Sunshine makes an appearance. She had a practice sleepover next door thanks to our hospital visit.

Looking Back: When I was looking over Sophia's post it make me smile remembering how surreal it was learning that I was 3 cm dilated and yet still insisting that I had plenty of time until a baby joined us. Read more about my pregnancy with Sophia here.

Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

Linking up with April, Christina, Darci, & Natasha for another Five on Friday!

one

Sophia has decided that she no longer needs an afternoon nap. Perfect timing in my opinion since she is about to become a big sister and I will certainly need a nap. She will tolerate a rest time in her room, but I need to do a better job of providing her with some quiet time activities. Sometimes it sounds like a herd of elephants are in her room while she is 'resting'.

She has a little more than a month until she turns three, but this article resonates with her personality right now. The pictures below are from instagram - follow along @jenhimmel.

hot chocolate with the grinch; showing her sassy side; giving Baby Sunshine a kiss (on the wrong side)

two

I am going to attempt to join in on The 52 Project for a second year. I know that having a new addition to our family will complicate the process a bit, but I am hoping to keep up with taking a portrait a week. If you want to know more about the project head over to visit Jodi.

"A portrait of my little love, once a week, every week, in 2015."

I just received our 2014 photobook from Shutterfly. Thanks to some amazing coupon codes I only had to pay shipping and I love how it turned out!

three

Sophia wrapped up her semester at The Little Gym. She loves her classes and teachers. She has participated in the parent-child classes up to this point. She graduates to independent classes when she returns after the baby joins us. I can't wait to see what she is capable of!

four

Nesting is in full effect at our house. For some reason I feel the need to organize all the things, but the house cleaning has taken a bit of a back burner. I have been much more interested in stocking the pantry and freezer in preparation for our new addition in February. If you have a favorite freezer recipe, please share! We are stocked up on chili, soups, meatballs, and taquitos, but I am hoping to add a few more meals to the stash.

five

Do you know that song Closing Time by Semisonic? I saw this on facebook via Grounded Parents. I never realized what this song was about. As we are about to have our second child, I was just a bit misty-eyed listening to this song.

Sophia Says...

On our way to gym class we pass several ponds that we usually see ducks and geese in and around.

S: "Those duckies are in the water."

"Don't you think those ducks are cold in the water?"

S: "No, they are warm."

"What keeps ducks warm?"

S: "Bankets."

I didn't expect her to say feathers, but I got quite a chuckle out of her response.

And one from back in May when it was Dave's birthday... "Happy Dada Day!"

We also celebrated Dave's birthday with "Happy Dada Cake!" and a "Happy Dada Card!". 

Of course we had to put the candles back in to sing for her after we sang for Dave.

I love looking at life through the eyes of a toddler.

Playground!

Now that we are getting closer to Baby Sunshine's due date we do not have as many formal activities planned. Whenever I ask her what she wants to do, her response is "Go to the playground". Unfortunately I am not the biggest fan of the cold weather. We have a few indoor playspaces that we visit, but I was so thankful for some warmer weather in January that allowed us to get out and play. Being nine months pregnant, it is not as easy to run around and play, but I love that Sophia is getting more confident and independent.

In an attempt to wear out the toddler who refuses to nap, Sophia rode her trike to the neighborhood playground. She has mastered pedaling indoors, but I was so impressed with how well she did with riding to the playground and back to the house.

A visit to Ault Park, one of our favorite outdoor spaces in Cincinnati. I love the views and Sophia loves the playground that we just recently discovered.

I am sure I will be back in a semi-hibernation mode once the new babe arrives, but for now we are going to take advantage of as many warm days as we can.

Thrilled to be linking up with Jess.