Yeah, baby!

I took the morning off from work today - one, because I needed a break, and two, because my friend, Jennifer, came from NYC to spend the morning with me and do my belly cast! The belly cast was the first gift we received - from cousins Duane and Audrey - and I've held out til now to be able to cast away my belly at near to maximum size.

This was so much fun! The little bean inside of me was wondering, I'm sure, why there was so much restriction to his or her movements... and it was wild to feel the baby move while I was bound by plaster!

It was Jennifer's idea to add a "necklace" to the cast, so we used a pregnant momma bead that my socia, Rachel, had given me awhile back. Jennifer also has ideas to cast in Timmy's hand later...! Eventually, we'll paint this beautiful creation and use it in some way, shape or form to decorate the forthcoming nursery.


38 weeks, 1 day, and counting... :)

The first load!

I just got done hanging the first load of baby laundry outside - where it's about 80 degrees and gorgeous! It certainly was odd, yet exciting, to drape such tiny articles of clothing over the drying rack. I can't believe that soon we'll have a baby that will fit into such things! I was feeling like I should do something motherly to start getting ready, so this was a first step...

Many thanks to my cousin-in-law, Crystal, who totally hooked us up with newborn and 0-3 months clothes, because everything that we've received so far has been larger stuff, except for one outfit and one pack of t-shirts. Everything we've received is totally adorable, but just plain big(ish). My anxieties about having a naked baby have been completely calmed down by Crystal's generosity. Although, I'm sure naked babies are super cute!

Next task - starting to pre-wash the cloth diapers... the instructions say that to get them to maximum absorbency prior to using them, they should be washed 5-7 times. Yowsers! I might need to quit my job! :)

It's been a good couple of days - yesterday I had a prenatal massage, which was heavenly. I'm not sure why I haven't done that much, much sooner! And today we walked the Race Against Racism, a 5K walk, plus the 1 mile walk each way there and back. We're about to head out to a wedding in a few minutes. I'm hoping that I won't steal the bride's thunder by having my water break or something in the middle of the ceremony!

The adventures continue... :)

A (powerful) word about diapers...

In honor of Earth Day, which is coming next week (April 22nd)... and in honor of our baby, who will be coming who knows when, but who will be garbed in cloth and/or hybrid diapers, check out this video! It's a bit shocking and a good reminder for all of us about how much of an impact our everyday actions have on our Earth!

This video comes from g-diapers, which are "hybrid" diapers - they have cloth covers on the outside, but biodegradable, flushable and compostable liners. The liner can go straight into the compost as long as it's not poopy. Those have to be flushed :). Our plan for our primary diapers at this point will be bumGenius all-in-ones, but we'll have the g-diapers on hand for going out and about, traveling, etc.
Also, in case any of you are interested in buying baby stuff or kid stuff, if you go to www.diapers.com and use my referral code: KIRS1934, you'll get $10 off your first order of diaper related stuff plus free shipping on orders greater than $49... and I will get credit in my account for referring you! They have a pretty large selection and good prices, plus super fast (and free) shipping. I ordered some stuff yesterday, and it's slated to arrive today!
Happy Friday and happy diapering!

Guess where we slept last night...!?!

Believe it or not, last night we slept in our master bedroom for the first time EVER... since we've owned this house - 20 months and 27 days!!! As you can see we still have some finishing touches to add, like curtains, blinds, light fixtures, pictures, etc. But the lack of curtains allowed us to have our very own sunrise service in bed on this Easter morning! Happy Easter, everyone! We're celebrating on many, many levels!

Graduation Day... of sorts!

Today marks a special day! I'm 35 weeks pregnant today, which for many is just a bit closer to the due date, being more uncomfortable, tossing and turning more in bed, feeling more tired, getting more excited... and anxious, etc. But for me, it's also seems like a day worthy of celebration! I'm sure this has a lot to do with my doctor-who-delivers-babies (mild) neuroses, but I'm jumping for joy because 35 weeks is the cut-off age for babies to avoid a stay in the NICU based on age alone. For this, I'm incredibly thankful! I certainly don't have any history or conditions that would have put me at increased risk for having a preemie, but one never knows, until you pass the date successfully. Of course, babies end up in the NICU for a plethora of reasons, and we hope and pray that our precious life growing inside of my belly will successfully avoid a NICU stay altogether. We trust our Father to continue to keep our baby healthy and safe.

Yesterday we took a hike with some friends at Tucquan Glenn - one of my favorite spots to hike in Southern Lancaster County. It was a gorgeous Spring afternoon, and it felt great to get out and get movin'! I certainly could tell that I had done more physical activity than usual, however, when I promptly zonked out on the couch shortly after dinner last night... and then proceeded to sleep all night long. Tim tells me I was more restless than usual last night, and that I was moaning and groaning lots, but I awakened feeling well rested and ready to start my Monday morning at the clinic after being away from the office for me than two weeks.

We're making big progress around here - we plan to be in our master bedroom by next weekend. We still have quite a bit to do (volunteers to help are welcome :) ), but we're getting sooo close! Many thanks to Tim's parents and to several friends who have already come to help us out a ton. All of our helpers have made the light at the end of the tunnel seem significantly closer. Next week, our general contractor (and my dear brother-in-law) will start framing out what is to become the nursery and our office in order to blow in insulation. That being said, we have to be out of our guest room (which is to become the office) and sleeping in the master bedroom by Easter. It's super exciting and super overwhelming all at the same time. We're also getting closer and closer to having a functional new powder room on the first floor. Yipee! Pictures to come soon!

Speaking of Easter - this year, the thought of new creation and new life takes on a hugely different meaning for me. I've never experienced this motherhood thing before, and I continue to be in awe of the fact that God has chosen me to carry inside my womb a growing human being that will breathe life in just a few weeks. He's gifted us with the honor of becoming parents. We realize that we may not do this perfectly, but we desire to glorify Him with our own lives, and also in our parenting. We pray that our child will grow to know and truly love his or her heavenly Father, who gave all of us His son, who amazingly died for all of us, so that we can enjoy life eternal and the riches of His many blessings that we experience every day. Wow! What a sacrifice! As I'm about to have my own son or daughter, I ponder what that must be like - sacrificing your child - and it seems incredible to me! I can hardly comprehend it...

I received an e-mail with the following slide show in it (A New Creation from Mennonite Central Committee) - I found it a powerful and wonderful reminder of how God has freely given so much, including His one and only son. May it be a blessing to you, as it was to me!

Thai Curry Yumminess!

Tomorrow we have a fellowship meal after church, and I've decided to repeat one of my favored and favorite recipes... Thai Curry. I got this recipe from my dear friend, Stephanie. I've modified it a bit. It sure is absolutely delicious (in our opinion), and the last time I took it to church, several people asked me for the recipe. I told them I'd post it on our blog, but that was 3 or 4 months ago... So, I'm trying to be a bit proactive by posting the recipe tonight, in case someone asks me tomorrow. The recipe below is for a single pot, but I almost always double it, because we're either serving it up to lots of people or just because we love it so much and are big fans of leftovers.

First, I mix the following together:

• 1 can coconut milk - use the real stuff - the "lite" version just doesn't cut it.


• 2 Tbsp of red curry paste - I use a brand called Maesri, which is available any Asian market and serveral grocery stores, if they have an international section - you can add less if you like things less spicy or a bit more if you really like a kick.


• 2 Tbsp of fish sauce


• 2 Tbsp of lime juice


• 3 Tbsp of brown sugar

Then, I throw in all sorts of veggies chopped up into bite-sized chunks... tonight I added the following:

• Tofu


• Carrots


• Green beans


• Red and orange bell peppers


• Zucchini and yellow squash


• Broccoli


• Bamboo shoots


• Baby corn

It's best to start with the vegetables that take longest to cook, so they all end up done at approximately the same time.

Finally, I sprinkle a little bit of salt over top and either a bunch of fresh basil leaves or some frozen basil, depending on what I have. I never use dried basil.

And of course I taste test it a few times, and then add a pinch of this or a dash of that, a little more curry paste, lime juice, brown sugar, etc... or leave it just as it is, if it seems great already.

We serve it up with Jasmine rice and love, love, love it!

Give it a try! You won't be disappointed ;).

The photographer on the beach...and some lovin'!

My friend, Julia, and I went to beach to watch the sunset on Monday night. It was lovely, and we got some great shots...including some that we took of ourselves together - you know the deal... hold the camera out, try to sort of center yourselves and snap the picture, right?! Well, we were pleasantly surprised when a woman passed by and offered to take some pictures for us. We said, "sure, that'd be great." She asked if our camera was a "single lens reflex camera," and we confirmed for her that it was. Of course, this made us believe that she knew her stuff about photography, because she knew the lingo, and that's half the battle! So, we got all cute and posed on the beach in front of the sunset, and our photographer told us how great of a picture she was getting. Julia had one arm around me and her other hand was on my belly making small talk with the baby. Our photographer friend continued to tell us how good the photos were: "I think I got some really nice ones!" She handed the camera back to Julia and went on her merry way. We were anxious to check out the "really nice photos." I thought I hadn't heard the shutter open and close, because of the crashing (albeit small) waves behind us. But much to our dismay, the last pictures on the camera were ones that Julia had taken. And that was it. Nothing else! Apparently the photographer lady was under the impression that she was taking fab photos, when all she was doing was looking at the two of us through the view finder! But, boy, we must have looked pretty darn good ;). We couldn't stop laughing at our new photos and the expertise of our photographer!

Even though we never got to see the photos that our photographer took, we did get some fun ones on our own... and a good story to tell as well!

To add a little sap for today's post, I have to share my beach-written message for my love, Timmy Dean, who is at home working very hard to get more and more projects done, while I'm learning all about infectious disease, hanging with my friend, Julia, and soaking up some sun! This is what I sent to Tim, for him to find in his inbox when he opened his e-mail on Tuesday morning! :) I love lovin' Tim (and baby loves him, too)!

A different kind of belly shot!

So, I'm in Florida for a continuing medical education conference, and this evening I went to the beach to watch the sunset (more photos to come later). I realized it's been 10 weeks (!) since I posted a belly picture, so I took one tonight - it's a bit of a different perspective then previous shots. I'll have to post a side profile shot soon, but for now, here's me, attempting to still see my feet.

I'm 33 weeks today! Wow, how time flies! I'm incredibly blessed to feel healthy, happy and without complications. And yes, my dear husband, I did my exercises today (Julia made me :))!

Projects...making progress!

We're knee-deep in remodelling and projects around here... not to mention knee deep in plaster dust! Oh, the joys of an old house with plaster walls and ceilings!

Tim has been working hard on all sorts of things - hanging dry wall, patching walls, making holes in walls to upgrade electric and add hard-wired smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, painting, building closets, etc. His brother, our general contractor :), has also been doing lots of stuff around the house. We're making lots of progress, but I'm learning that things must get worse before they're better!

I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow for a week, and leaving my hubby behind - this will be our longest time apart since we got married (sigh...) - but it sounds like when I get home things will look different! He's hoping to get our master bedroom painted, and the fixtures for our new downstairs bathroom just arrived today, so perhaps that might be nearly finished too. We ordered a Toto Aquia II dual flush toilet - yeah! - which has yet to arrive, but almost everything else is here so far and looks great! Our GC will be here next week to get some more stuff done in the bathroom and elsewhere. And just in case there's time, I picked out paint colors for the upstairs hallway too! Never hurts to plan ahead.

I'm guessing the furniture for the nursery might arrive while I'm gone as well, but we'll have to find a temporary place to store it til we move on to getting the nursery ready.

Fun times!

Check out the pictures of all our holes, dry wall, project progress, etc.! Some day they'll be history!

Family Weekend Getaway...to a cabin in the woods!

Tim's parents arranged for a family weekend getaway to a Cabin "up north," and we were all able to make it, except for Jill & Daniel, who live in Florida. Although we missed their presence, we all had a great time - the weather cooperated for the most part, we rested and played, we hiked and skipped stones across small ponds, we climbed trees (well, not all of us! :)), and we enjoyed good food, family time and most of all... being together. This was the first time I had joined in on a family trip since we're married. It was quite a successful weekend, in that no children (there were 7!) got injured, the cousins all played very well together, I was just shy of 31 weeks pregnant and did just fine, and our newest family member, Ryan, did very well for his first trip away at 5 weeks old.