Easter Dinner 2010

Easter was a blast! The weather was perfect, and the kids had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came, and all the fabulous cooks. The food was quite yummy! To see larger images, click on the colorful star graphic at the bottom right corner of slideshow.

Tobias' First 3 Months

So much has happened since my last post. First of all, Tobias has joined our family. After 14 weeks on bed rest, I gave birth in the early hours of Saturday, November 21, 2009. The birthing experience was a little more intense this time. I received my epidural a bit too late, and the contractions came quickly. Nevertheless, the birth was swift and smooth. Tobias came into the world as a fairly quiet baby, and he was serious about getting his sleep. He slept so much I thought it was strange. Everyone said, "Stop complaining." "That's normal and count your blessings." "Enjoy it while it lasts." Of course, he grew out of that sleepy phase, and up until this week (3/9/2010) he has had his days and nights confused.

It has been such a joy to watch Tobias grow and develop little by little each day. During his first few months, he hated to have his diaper changed. You would think he was on fire. Then, after a while, he began to enjoy being bare-bottom during his changes. He laughs and smiles during his diaper changes. Overall, he is such a happy baby…always smiling. He's a healthy baby, or as my pediatrician put it, "He's solid!" He hasn't met a bottle he didn't like. And like his mommy and big brother, he's a talker. Sometimes, he talks himself to sleep with a long series of coos. It is music to our ears. So far, we're pretty certain that he has said, "I love you. Mommy. Daddy. Thank you…" At least, that's what we hear. ;)

Tobias has been a busy newborn. He's had a long list of firsts in the first three months: First Christmas, First Play Date, First Retirement Party, First Birthday Party, First Out of Town Trip.

To the right of this blog, I have listed a few of Tobias' favorite things. At the top of that list is Jonathan. Right now, they are each other's favorite. I didn't have a second child because I yearned to have another. I did it for two reasons: Anthony and Jonathan. Anthony is one of three boys, so another was expected. Anthony is really great and patient with children, and I don't think he could have imagined just having one. Jonathan was the other reason. As an only child, I know the life of being the only. I didn't mind it all until I became an adult. I have become very appreciative of the sibling experience. I wanted Jonathan to have that lifelong bond with another person. I have watched and observed Anthony and his brothers for the past 10+ years, and I truly love the way that they get along. I wanted that for my son. I knew that Jonathan would be an awesome big brother. He doesn't shy away from responsibility, and I knew he'd be a big help. So far, my hunch has been right. Jonathan has far exceeded my expectations of a big brother. As an only child, I sit in amazement as I watch Tobias and Jonathan get to know each other. Jonathan is in love with his little brother. He says things like, "I love you so much Tobias." "You are the best little brother." "I'll take care of you Tobias." Whatever reservations I had about adding on to our family are gone. When Tobias smiles at Jonathan and tries to grab at him, or when Jonathan sings Tobias a song, I know we did the right thing.

Still on Bed Rest

Well, I'm still at home on bed rest. This week 9 of bed rest. Week 31 of my pregnancy. My OB has promised to release me from bed rest when I turn 34 weeks. I can't wait! Although, I won't be going very far, or very fast when I do get off of bed rest. This sitting day in and day out has made my core muscles so sore. Anyway, I'm just hoping I can push this baby out when the time comes. 

In an earlier post I talked about some of the things that have made my bed rest easier. Here are few more. I have to sing my husband praises. He has been more than awesome. He is in the middle of a very crucial time at his job, and yet he's been a remarkable Mr. Mom at home, too. He  has been doing it all, and I'm sooo appreciative. Thank you, honey! 

To make this pregnancy more interesting, I have managed to develop gestational diabetes. So, I have had to watch my diet very carefully. To make the meal planning challenge easier, I have been ordering food from My Fit Foods (www.myfitfoods.com). I had tried this establishment prior to my pregnancy and liked their food. Their food is perfect for people on specialized diets and for those who can't go out and purchase their own food. Their food is very tasty, filling and they have a low-carb section on their menu…all of which can be accessed on their site. In addition to all of that, THEY DELIVER TO YOUR HOME!!! It is such a wonderful service that has made my bed rest easier. Try them out! They aren't terribly expensive. Their prices are very comparable to restaurant prices.

Our New Baby Boy - (Ultrasound Video at 28 weeks)

Hi Everyone,

We had an opportunity this weekend to get a good look at our new baby boy…but we had to work for it. It took about 45 minutes to wake little man up from his nap, get him to turn completely over so we could get a good look at his face. Then, once that happened, he kept his hands over his face. Do you think we're in for another stubborn little fellow? This is a portion of the video where you can actually see his face. The video is about 14 minutes long (I reduced it down from 24 minutes). If the video above isn't working, you can view it at http://rosettecreative.com/babyboy2.mov. At about the 7:00 mark on the video, the baby starts to really awaken, and you can see him open and close his eyes. According the ultrasound tech, the baby is running out of space in there. Nevertheless, we need him to stay put for at least another 6 weeks! Enjoy the video! Please, keep us in your prayers that the baby is healthy and happy! Thanks!

Recipe Spotlight: Homemade Granola Bars

Since I have been on bed rest, I have digested more than my share of Food Network shows. Unfortunately, I couldn't run to the grocery store to buy all the ingredients to make all of what I saw. However, I did (with the help of my mom) make one recipe that I intended to send with my son in his lunch. Truth be told, I ate most of them myself. They were that good. This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa.

My recipe adaptations: For the dried fruit, we used dried apricots, dried cranberries and golden raisins. For the nuts, we use almonds. And to make it even more yummy, we added chocolate chips! We added the chocolate chips after the granola mixture come out of the oven and have cooled for about an hour. Also, please note, once the mixture has come out of the oven and cooled for a couple of hours, please remove it from the pan and remove the parchment paper. Otherwise, the mixture will stick to the parchment paper…trust me.  After I managed to painstakingly peel all the parchment paper off the granola mixture. I cut them into individual bars and wrapped them in more parchment paper and then stored them in the refrigerator so that would remain firm. They were great on their own or with vanilla yogurt!

Link to recipe: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/homemade-granola-bars-recipe/index.html

Bed Rest

Ok, things have altered a bit in my life since my last post. I am in week two of a 6-week maternity bed rest. I'm very pleased to be done with the first week because the first week was filled with discomfort, fear, and denial about the idea of spending six weeks of my life in bed. I feel much better this week. I have adjusted to the meds that makes me sleepy, jittery, and makes my heart beat like a race horse. I'm also very pleased that this active little one hasn't tried to make a very early appearance. My life goals have been simplified quite a bit these days: ENSURE THAT THIS BABY BOY STAYS PUT IPublish PostN MY WOMB FOR AT LEAST 10 MORE WEEKS!

So, what have I learned over the past week in the half?

(1) God is so good! A couple of months ago when I found out that I was pregnant, I decided that it was time to change our mattress to relieve some back pain that I was having. As my earlier posts discusses, I opted for the oh-so-comfortable tempurpedic mattress with the adjustable base. Yes, for us, this purchase was a splurge, but I felt my health was worth it. Little did I know that I would have to be chained to my bed for 6 weeks some months later. This bed has been so comfortable to spend my hours upon hours in. I adjust the bed up during the day, and adjust it down at night. I haven't had any real back pain due to the constant sitting and lying down. It has been wonderful.

(2) Our family is awesome! While on bed rest, Jonathan's grandparents have been such a big help. While I'm on bed rest, Jonathan has been to Camp Nana & Paw Paw. He's now at Camp Momma Lin & Poppa John. Running after a 3 year old when your child-rearing days have come and gone, is no easy task. Both sets of grandparents always take such wonderful care of our son, and they always share new experiences with him. For instance, Paw Paw, Nana and Aunt Lou took Jonathan on his first crabbing outing where he caught one crab and one fish…not bad for a first-timer. I can honestly say, without doubt, that he would not have had that experience with his Mom and Dad.

(3) I LOVE my laptop! Six weeks in bed without my laptop would be ridiculous feat. If I started this 6 weeks without a laptop, I would have bought one by now. Bed rest can be isolating, but it is hard to feel isolated with access to the internet, facebook, and email.

Old Footage of Jonathan in London at 19 mos.