Fall New Hampshire Trip

Every fall we try to go to New Hampshire to see Jason's family. This is the latest in October we have ever been and it was what they call peak for tree's changing color. It was so beautiful! Jason's parents used to live beside an apple orchard, but they recently changed it to a pumpkin patch. This made Liam so happy since he loves pumpkins. He calls them punkins it's so cute. The also have a barn and pond near there house that Liam liked walking to everyday. Currently Liam doesn't have a backyard and his grandparents have about 3 acres of land for him to run and play on so you can imagine how much fun he had. While we were there we saw wild turkeys and deer. We also got to enjoy Jason's childhood friend John's wedding. It was a lot of fun and this was Liam's last trip where he got to sit in our lap. The flight up went really well and the flight back was difficult because he had not had a nap! I made an activity bag for the plane for him and on the way up he played with a napkin the whole time!! He did use it on the way back though so it was worth it. Here are some pictures from our trip.

                                                                    Liam in the barn

                                                                   Wild Turkeys

                                                                   Liam and Daddy

                                                         Checking out the tractor

                                                                   Pumpkin patch fun

                                                                            Running

                                                                   
                                                              Carmel Apple Liam decorated : )

                                                Jason and me and baby #2 at 20 weeks at John and Carla's wedding

1st Trimester Quiz

Every week I have been taking a quiz so I could remember my pregnancy! I will put some pictures up from time to time as well!

11 weeks

How far along? 11 weeks

Total weight gain? 5 pounds ( running around after a toddler has helped me this time, with Liam I was already at 10 pounds at this point!!)

Maternity clothes? Yes leggings and some shirts

Stretch marks? No new ones

Labor signs? None but a lot of uterine wall stretching. This is suppose to happen a lot the first time around but I have it a lot more frequently this pregnancy. I have to be careful getting out of bed and sneezing or I will cramp big time!

Sleep? I sleep about 9 to 10 hours with a 4 am pee break : )

 Morning sickness? None this week I really was only sick for 2 weeks (week 7 and 8) and then never again! This is such a blessing because I was very sick with Liam until around 20 weeks.

 Miss Anything? Sushi

 Cravings? Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Chocolate covered blueberries, fruit.

 Aversions? Tomatoes lately which is weird because I could not get enough the first couple of months. Maybe I over did it! If something stinks from a mile away I smell it with Liam I was sick all the time with him but smells didn't bother me.

How big is baby? Baby F  is the size of a lime. He or she is 1.6 inches long, and weighs in at about .25 ounces.

 Milestones for baby? Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are forming

 Best moment this week? Getting some new maternity clothes!

Gender? Its going to be a surprise, so each week I will guess. This week I am guessing boy since my skin is getting really dry, but my cravings are still girl.

Movement? None yet

Looking forward to? My 12 week ultra sound!!

 

12 Weeks

How far along? 12 weeks

Total weight gain? 5 pounds

 

Maternity clothes? Yes leggings and some shirts

Stretch marks? No new ones

Labor signs? None

Sleep? Still sleeping well

 Morning sickness? None and loving it

 Miss Anything? This week red wine so I drank some grape juice in a wine glass. : )

 Cravings? Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream

 Aversions? Chicken just the smell before it cooks once it cooks I am ok

How big is baby? Baby F  is the size of a plum. He or she 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces

 Milestones for baby? Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are forming

Best moment this week? Getting to see you in the 12 week ultrasound. You are already very different from your big brother. He is such a ham even in his 12 week ultrasound we got great pictures of him. You hid the whole time and made it hard for the ultrasound tech. I wish I could have seen you a little more but I guess your my shy one! : ) Your heartbeat was 163.

Gender? This week I am guessing girl only because I have been feeling really good other than a few headaches.

Movement? None yet

Looking forward to? Hearing babies heart beat at my next appointment!!

 13 weeks

 How far along? 13 weeks

Total weight gain? 6 pounds

 Maternity clothes? Yes I can finally wear jeans now that has cooled off.

Stretch marks? No new ones

Labor signs? None

Sleep? Still sleeping well

 Morning sickness? Still none

 Miss Anything? Not really

Cravings? Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, cookies, grapes

 Aversions? Chicken just the smell before it cooks once it cooks I am ok

How big is baby? Baby F  is the size of a peach. He or she is .9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces.

 Milestones for baby forming vocal cords and teeth

 And even though she's still teeny, she already has fingerprints.

 Her intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in her tummy.

 Best moment this week? Getting hear your heart beat. The doctor found it right away which was nice since your brother was always  moving and hard to find.

Gender? This week I am kind of neutral one day I think girl the next boy!

Movement? None yet

Looking forward to? One week away from the second trimester

Surprise Surprise we are expecting baby #2

 

 

Due March 13th, 2012

 

 

 

How to get rid of a cold

Of course a couple of days before I have to board germ central station aka planes Liam and me get a cold. His is much worse than mine, but I am hoping the following will help me get us feeling better before Tuesday.  Here is a list of my go to products for colds.

For Liam

 Vicks Baby Rub- This probably works best on smaller babies because toddlers are squirmy plus Liam is ticklish on his neck chest area. I put it on in the evening after bath time and then again right before bed. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Vicks-Vapor-Rub-Baby-Pack-of-2/12169679

Vicks Steam Vaporizor- I had to put a little bit of salt to get it working (directions say that it helps if you have a lot of mineral in your tap water) but once it starts working its awesome and a really good value. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Vicks-Warm-Steam-Vaporizer/15423529

Little Colds- Regular honey does the same thing and is cheaper, but I bought this awhile back before the pediatrion recommended just honey.

For me:

Neti pot- My sister in law told me about this and I was skeptical, but really needed sinus relief I was getting sinus headaches everyday! Anyways long story short this product is a game changer!( I also think this is why my cold isnt as bad as Liam's) It helps so much it's just odd looking when you are doing it. I typically do it the shower for this reason. It does take some getting used to you have to breathe through your mouth when you do it, but after you are used it its awesome!

Ayr- My mom told me about this she uses it when it gets colder and the heat dries out her nose. I use it after the neti pot before bed. It keeps your nose from feeling dry. Its hard to find it's at target, but they typically keep it behind the counter and you have to ask for it.



Honey- I mix honey water and squeeze lemon in a tea cup when ever my throat starts to get scratchy.



OJ- I get tired of regular and the added mango gives it less of an acidic taste!!

Hope we are better by Tuesday I would really like to enjoy the fall in New Hampshire!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Liam

Dear Liam,

You are 2 years old today. It feels like yesterday I was holding a brand new tiny baby in my arms. You have grown so much; your personality is still the same though. You are very independent and happy. You love Cars and curious George and talk all the time. You can repeat almost anything and you love to read. Your favorite books are Colors, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Where the Wild Things Are. You have mastered how to jump and give lots of kisses and hugs. You can be stubborn about holding hands and getting into the car, but are very social. You love preschool you run right in every Tuesday and Thursday ready to go! Your teachers say you actually help out the kids that cry when their parents leave them by trying to play with them. You now sleep in a big boy bed and potty training is up next!! I love you and can’t believe you are 2. I look forward to this upcoming year it is going to be a great one!

Love,

Your Mommy

 

Below are some pictures from Liam's birthday party and actual birthday.

 

 

 

10/1/2012- 2 Years Old 

 

 

Banana Pancake Tradition 

 

 

                                                     Snuggling watching Lady and the Tramp

 

 

 

Prince Liam- His teachers at preschool made this crown for him and his classmates celebrated by eating pumpkin muffins.

 

First day of Preschool

Today was a very important day, Liam's first day of preschool! I think most Mom's cry at this moment and fall apart, but not me! (I was really scared I was going to) I did get really nervous the night before just like I did when I went to school! To be honest I think how the child does dictates how a Mom does. Liam recognized the preschool from when we went to orientation which I think helped. He held his Dad's hand and ran into class! I stood outside awhile putting up his bookbag and making sure everything was in the right spot and he didnt start crying.  The teacher said he did notice we were gone and looked around, but then started playing with a different toy.  He also got to do a craft today! He painted an apple with his name on it. When I picked him up he was still going strong while all the other kids looked like they were going to pass out (oh if I had half of Liam's energy!) We went and ate at our favoite pizza place Pizzetta's and had pizza and a greek salad. When we got home I think all the fun caught up to Liam and he was ready for his nap! I am so glad his first day went so well, we go back on Thursday for more fun!!

 

 

 

Being a Mom and learning to balance

Being a work at home mom (WAHM) I have had to learn to balanced many things. All day is Liam time and as soon as he goes to bed I get to work. This can be hard because I truly never get a couple of hours to myself to watch TV or read a book. I actually have only read 2 books this year. I realized this a couple of days ago and thought I really should make an hour a day to just read or watch TV( or do something else relaxing). This means I can not deliver photos at the speed of light, but I think it will help my sanity. I am so lucky to have the full month of August booked with all kinds of photos: wedding, family, senior, and engagement! The past couple of weeks have been rough my whole family has been sick at the same time! We are getting better, but Liam and me are still struggling. The only good thing about being sick is it forced me to chill out. I realized I never take a break and it might be a good idea for me to start trying. Although, I try to balance everything it really is impossible and once you realize that life gets way easier. Some things have to be ignored until you find time (Liam excluded) and lately its been making dinner and cleaning. I saw an interview with Rachel Ray when Liam was about 3 months old being asked the question how do you balance everything.  Obviouslybeing the mother of a 3 month old still trying to figure things out was sure a woman who owns several different business and host her own TV show would know. Rachel's answers was  "I don't and I don't think you need to. You can not do it all and if you try to you will just fail." For some reason that made me feel way better about not doing the dishes everyday.  So this week I am keeping in mind that balance is not everything, except in Yoga! : )


Below is my go to recipe when you are not feeling well, enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

What You Need

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
• 1 Can of Mixed Veggies ( drained)
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• pinch of salt

What To Do

Place all ingredients in the crock pot except biscuits.

Cover and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours.

About 2 hours before serving tear up the biscuit dough ( into 1/4ths) and place in the crock pot. I used all the biscuits but you can only use half. Make sure the “dumplings” are cooked through.

The chicken should be so tender that it will pull apart when you scoop it out of the crock pot.

Enjoy