30 Weeks!

I feel like I say this every two weeks, but I SERIOUSLY can't believe we're here already! 30 weeks down, less than 10 to go... its almost time to meet our Sprout! I almost have TWO kids! So crazy!

larger than life

People are also starting to point out my belly ALL. THE. TIME. So I must be pretty giant. Luckily, I've heard really sweet things like "you're all baby!" and "you wear your pregnancy so well!" and "I need to take you shopping with me when I'm ready to have kids!" They may TOTALLY be lying, but honestly, THAT'S FINE.

I am, apparently, growing an amazon though. We went to the doctor yesterday and Evvie is currently in the 87th percentile for length, is sized a week older than her gestational age, and already weighs nearly 4 1/2 pounds! To give you an idea, most babies at this point weigh about 3 1/2 pounds, since they gain most of their weight in the last two months of pregnancy! The doc says she is totally normal & healthy- just big! But that could also very easily even out a bit over the next several weeks. We'll see! No wonder it feels like she's playing rugby in there though- she's got a bit of weight to throw around! And check out these pics:

flashing the peace sign- just like her brother! 

button nose & pouty lips

She's pretty freaking adorable already! So excited to see who she ends up looking like!

In other news, Drew has proven himself to be the Best Husband Ever. My regular job has been insanely busy lately. I am teaching two classes and an independent study, as well as trying to get ahead and do the next 6 months of work and planning now before I go on maternity leave. I've also been the Programming Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee and our big week-long diversity celebration has been this week- so I've been running around like crazy managing, attending, and speaking at various events. On top of that, I am coming down with a cold (which seems COMPLETELY unfair since I JUST got over the flu... but is probably because I'm stretched so thin!) and I have regular pregnancy aches, pains & swelling. I am BEYOND tired and miserable. But when I came home from work tonight, Drew had already started running me a hot bath and had made me peppermint tea! He told me to go relax while he took care of feeding & watching Griffin. It was AMAZING- and it's not even my birthday!! So he's earned some major points on that one!

I know what Griffin is getting for Valentine's Day!

Welp. I just burst into tears at work:

http://www.nancytillman.com/books/wherever/

"And if someday you’re lonely,
or someday you’re sad,
or you strike out at baseball,
or think you’ve been bad...

just lift up your face, feel the wind in your hair.
That’s me, my sweet baby, my love is right there."

Nancy Tillman books get me every time.

Birthdays out the Wazoo!

I write Griffin a letter every 6 months, and I'm missing a big one- for TWO!! I promise I'll do it before the month is out, but things have been CRAZY around here and by the end of the night, I'm literally ready to collapse into bed.

So, Griffin (obviously) turned two last week! I still can't believe it- time has gone by so fast. Even though I had to work that day, I got up early to make him blueberry pancakes and we gave him a few presents. Then Drew created an entire day of fun for him including swimming at the indoor pool, playing on the playground, feeding the chickens at the Clear Creek History Park, getting ice cream at the local sweet shop, and watching as much Sponge Bob Square Pants as he wanted. This is Griffin post festivities:

napping HARD.

For dinner, I made him his favorite: homemade macaroni and cheese! Then he got more presents and cake! Then he got to Face Time with Grammy, Aunt Cory & Uncle Steve, and Grandma & Grandpa! Action. Packed.

blowing out candles actually did NOT go well. Griffin was pretty pissed about it, actually.

The only bad part was that Griff accidentally closed his finger in one of the lockers at the Rec Center after swimming, which cracked his nail & gave him a nice gash. He handled it like a champ, but he has been nursing his "owie" ever since. Poor kid.

Then, this weekend my parents came over to celebrate BOTH of our birthdays! Griff & I both got some super sweet gifts and my mom made some INCREDIBLE cupcakes. Griff was super pumped, but since he has had a steady stream of gifts coming in since before Christmas, I think he also started to think it was par for the course! He has definitely become a Pro Gift Unwrapper. He'll be pretty disappointed next month!

G & his new train set

The same day I also got a GORGEOUS casserole in the mail from Betsy- hand crafted & all the way from Mexico!! It is so pretty, it immediately went into the china cabinet.

On Sunday we went to Home Depot (surprise, surprise) which may have actually been a gift to Griff since he weirdly ADORES that place.

he spends days begging to ride in their gd cart. weirdo.

I found some cool decorative metal and asked Drew to attach it to the back of the frame I already had hanging in our bedroom. So now I can hang earrings & other jewelry right on it as well as using the hooks that were on the wall. Pretty crafty, eh?

And today is my actual birthday. 35 feels pretty ugly, I gotta say. 30? Totally fine. Excited, even! 35? Old & creepy. Drew & Griffin gave me some nice presents last night though, and I just bought myself a cute non-maternity tank top for this summer! We have a catered lunch at work today and I'll pick up something awesome for dinner. Those things always help a bit. :)

Holdyou

Ever since Griffin was a teeny, if he looked sad or lonely, we'd say "do you want me to hold you?" Well, apparently he's translated that question into a one word verb- "holdyou". So whenever he wants to be picked up for any reason, he runs around with his arms up screaming "holdyou! Holdyou!" Pretty cute (unless you're in the middle of cooking dinner or trying to run to the restroom...)

Today was Griffin's first day in the Twos Room at daycare- another step up! Can't believe how big he's getting. And speaking of surprises, he cleaned his plate at dinner tonight, including asking for seconds on BROCCOLI!! Woohoo! The gods are listening, for sure!!

Griff got a dancing Spider-Man in the mail from Grammy today. He is completely smitten. They danced together for a good long time tonight, and now Spidey is tucked in bed with him (per his request). Looks like he's already got another BFF!

Ask and You Shall Receive!

While the electrical issue I posted about last time was a fairly major one, it was resolved VERY quickly and easily. I wish I could add inexpensively to my list of adjectives, but quick and easy is pretty good... and the cost could have been worse. Then, even though Drew RARELY reads this blog, I came home the day after that post to a clean and semi-organized office! I think he knows that my inner obsessive-compulsive has been having a breakdown lately and he's taking steps to fix what he can. After that, I had the energy to de-toddler the family room, and things actually started feeling really good. We may even get to the nursery one day!

Drew's cousin, Angela, moved to Denver a few weeks ago. We've been beyond ecstatic about having more family members here- so wonderful for all of us! Last night we had Angela, Drew's other cousin, Stephie, and Angela's boyfriend, Jacob over for dinner. It has been a LONG TIME since we had that much fun, and we needed it! Griffin had a blast showing off, and everyone was great with him. He was a little bit hyper with all the attention, so it took a bit of coaxing (on our part) and tears (on his part) to get him to sleep, but after that we were able to hang out and chat well into the night! We laughed so much that our faces hurt by the time they all left- sign of a good time, for sure! We're planning on having dinner with Angela and Jacob again in a couple weeks. YAY, FAMILY!

Angela & Griff

the cousins

Angela, Stephie & Jacob

Then I had a SUPER productive day today! My homework this weekend as part of the January Cure was to completely scrub/ clean/ organize & declutter the kitchen. Man, is that a project that needed doing! I started by taking EVERYTHING off the counters and scrubbing those down. Then I decided what to keep on the counters and what to put away (I never feel like I have counter space!) Then I organized my cabinets & filled up an entire box of unused kitchen stuff for Goodwill. Tonight as I was making dinner, things felt so much more open. WOOHOO! Part of the Cure assignments are to take before & after shots so here are a couple of mine:

Before

this is actually after I started, so you don't even see my giant coffee maker hanging out here. 

total clutter fest, even when I DON'T have food & groceries to put away

After (ohh, ahh)

so clean!

so much SPACE!

Tomorrow I finish up the project by tackling the pantry & food cupboard spaces. So excited. 

And then here is just Griffin being randomly adorable (and wearing my shoes) today. Man, do I love that kid. Even if he wouldn't touch his homemade Italian Wedding Soup at dinner tonight.

28 weeks

28 weeks. 3rd trimester. WOW.

No matter how scared or stressed I am, it could never overshadow how excited I am to meet you, baby girl! I'm so fiercely proud of you already.

long days & long nights

From things at work, to things at home, it has been an insane week in pretty much every aspect of my life. I'm not the best sleeper anyway, but stress exacerbates it, so I am TIRED.

This is pretty much done! Yay!

But now I need to worry about this:

which, as it turns out, necessitates an electrician

And this:

which was, apparently, Drew's attempt at organizing before he realized he had no idea where to put anything (now my job)

And this: 

regular toddler mess made to feel even more overwhelming because of the above.

I hate that I come home from a long day at work to an even longer night at home. I hate that I can spend hours cleaning and organizing to have my work completely shredded in a matter of moments. The projects never end and I'm just OVER IT. I'm longing (make that DYING) for some basic comfort, organization, and relaxation. I feel like we have been living like this FOREVER.

Ugh.

But, at least we all seem to be over the flu! Drew and I have residual coughs here and there, but for the most part we're all back to normal. And I went to the doctor on Monday and he seems to think that Evvie is super healthy and doing great! I go back for another ultrasound in two weeks to check on my placenta (since the last time they thought there was a slight chance of placenta previa) but I'm pretty confident that it will be fine!

And Griffin has been doing awesome! His sleep problems for the most part seem to be completely gone. We transitioned him from the high chair to the table and now he eats really well. And even though he IS a toddler and still has those mood swings, he spends a lot of his day being sweet- so that DEFINITELY helps!

Is this progress?

Goals and New Beginnings

New Year's Day at our house was actually pretty awesome, even if Drew and I were still recovering. I made special meals that everyone loved (ok, I'll be honest- Drew did NOT love the sauerkraut, but he DID eat a bite because he loves me! And he thoroughly enjoyed the rest!), and we spent a lot of time relaxing and enjoying each other. It isn't very often that the three of us are in one room just taking a load off, but we cuddled under blankets and watched a few movies- it was great.

Every January First I think about the blank slate ahead of me and I get excited. Even though I know you can create positive changes at any time of your life, the possibilities seem endless when everything is fresh and new. Like I do every year, I came up with some things I'd like to improve on. Instead of calling them "resolutions" which always seem doomed to fail, I am setting "goals". I prefer goals because there is no end, no immediate sense of failure- just a working toward something good! So, without further adieu, I present my 2013 goals:

1. Become more patient and tolerant. This is a BIG one for me. I don't necessarily have the worst temper, but when I get pushed to my snapping point, even if it IS rare, it isn't pretty. I got to that point once last week, and while I had a MILLION good reasons, I don't want my kids growing up wondering when and if their mom is going to freak out! I am reading a great book right now called The Buddha Walks Into a Bar and it has been wonderful so far. I think I can take a lot of those principles to heart as I improve myself.

2. Become a better photographer. Griffin has already grown into a little boy right before my eyes and I feel like I've done a horrible job capturing it! I don't want to feel the same way about Evvie in two years. I don't need journalistic quality photos, but there are so many parents out there doing a WAY better job than I am- even just using their cell phones!I want to make sure I am capturing the moments that make their childhoods special. I have an awesome little DSLR that Drew & I bought each other for Christmas a few years ago and it has been languishing in a drawer in favor of the easier iphone and point and shoot photos. I want to actually teach myself how to use the good camera- and use it well! In the meantime, I have decided to take part in the 365 Photo Project this year to keep me inspired! This is basically where I take a photo- even just one- EVERY DAY for the entire year. I have started a flickr account for my 365 Project if you'd like to keep tabs! http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkeeferou/

3. Cook more real food. I feel like I easily get pulled into boxed mac & cheese, frozen pizzas, or picking up a rotisserie chicken on the way home because I am tired or haven't planned well or Griffin is demanding something FAST. There is a lot of pressure on me to have dinner on the table within minutes of walking through the door. I feel like I can do this more easily by doing a better job of meal planning, utilizing the crock pot even more (even though it IS already my BFF- THANK YOU, Betsy!!), and occasionally separating Griffin's dinner from ours. I think I am stuck on the idea of a "family meal", but I think Griffin is at the age where he can sit down with healthy leftovers while I take the time I need to make something more time intensive for Drew and I. I think I can also keep myself more motivated by occasionally blogging about food again. It is something I really enjoy doing and if I have a recipe in my head that would make a great post, I'm even more inspired to actually do it!

4. Get organized. I don't think our old house was completely organized until we were getting ready to move out of it and this house hasn't been organized since we've moved in. It doesn't help that there is ALWAYS a project going keeping one room (or whole area of the house) in utter disarray. I adore our home, but the one thing it is lacking in is storage (as far as garage/ basement space). Until now, we kept everything sort of shoved into the extra bedroom, but now that the baby is coming we need to come up with some good (and creative) ideas! One of my favorite home blogs is running something called The January Cure where they email you tips on cleaning/ decluttering/ organizing every day in January with the end result being a completely put together home by February 1. I am taking this SERIOUSLY- I am over the frustration of things not being in their place! But at the same time, I am allowing myself some grace and understanding that because of things outside of my control (ie our basement being a construction zone) it may take me a bit longer!

5. Take more time for myself. I am completely drained. I know a big part of it is getting over the flu, but part of it is that I always feel like there is something I need to be doing- I never just sit and relax. Drew does such a good job of taking "him time". I used to sneer at it- as he played video games in the evening while I loaded the dishwasher or folded laundry. But Drew also has the chance to decompress EVERY SINGLE DAY, and I don't. Really- who is healthier in that scenario? So I think there can be a win-win. If Drew helps me just a little more with chores, and I am willing to occasionally let things go without being immediately done, I can also enjoy some time to myself every evening. Maybe I'll watch some tv. Maybe I'll read more, maybe I'll craft more, maybe I'll update that new blog I've been dreaming of...  but I owe it to myself for sure. Especially since a new baby is coming and once she's here, all free time is out the window for another 6 months or so!

So wish me luck as I embark on my new and improved self!And all the best to you in this new year filled with hope and possibility!

Welcome to 2013

I can't believe it is the new year already! The holidays totally flew by this year. Normally I take the Christmas tree down on January 1, but I think I'll wait until this weekend, just so I can enjoy it a little bit more. Since I didn't get to make the special Christmas Eve or Christmas morning meals I had planned, or really put anything into New Year's Eve (Drew and I were both too sick & crabby to do anything that required energy) I made a fancy New Year's Day brunch (if you can call something served at 8am "brunch").

I even served on china!

We had an AMAZING egg, potato, ham & cheese casserole, warm bread & honey, fruit, tea and cookies. And we had champagne! (ok, maybe it was sparkling cider).

Of course I'll still make our traditional pork & sauerkraut for dinner as well. Drew and I are both feeling slightly better (even if Drew wont really admit it) so the year is off to a great start. And, this is the year we meet Evvie, so it's gotta be good!!

So much happened during 2012- it's pretty unbelievable. And Griffin has grown and developed in the most amazing ways. I decided to pull out monthly posts from this past year that best encapsulate it! It's crazy watching Griffin change so much through each one.

Looking back on Last Year
January's letter to Griffin
February's little walker
March's spring day
April's bubble boy
May's awesome Mother's Day
June's trip home
July's letter to Griffin
August's Big News
September's changes
October's beautiful weekend
November's Little Girl
December's celebrations of all kinds- like this and this and this.

So now I'm going back to enjoy my family. Good bye, 2012- you weren't so bad. But we DO have high hopes for 2013!!