Baby BOY Odasso!

So, I figured I should get on here and blog a little somethin' somethin' about the fact that we are having a baby BOY!!!!!
How exciting is that?!?!
I know most people say to wait until weeks 18-20 to get an ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby, but I just couldn't wait! My impatience got the best of me and we made an appt for last Thursday at this Ultrasound place in the mall (only in Utah, right? Lol!).
We saw his little boy parts and I might have cried just a little bit. It was such an overwhelming feeling. Not only because this had been the first time we'd seen the baby on an ultrasound, or the first time we also heard the baby's heartbeat, but also finding out that we are expecting a little boy.
I honestly would have been overjoyed for a boy OR a girl, but I know that Brad, and everybody else in both our families, were both rooting for a boy, so it was almost as if a burden of boy baby-making had been lifted off my shoulders!
I've already started registering for baby boy things, and I still have 5 1/2 months left to go! Lol.

The joy still gets to me sometimes. I find myself just smiling and thinking about this future little bundle of ours. I know Katie doesn't understand yet, but i'm filled with even more joy when I think of what a great big sister she is going to be. She is just so sweet and loving and LOVES little babies!
I've already got a name picked out, but I think Brad needs some convincing. When I was pregnant with Katie, I had told him that if I could pick out the girl names, he can pick out the boy names, so it's kind of up to him. However, many of his suggestions have been ones that I absolutely hate, so we'll see. We've got quite a long time to think about it anyway. :)

Katie

Sometimes I just watch Katie playing and I can't believe how we were so blessed with such an amazing little girl. So many times, I feel like I don't deserve her. I know I haven't made the greatest decisions in my life. Sometimes I'm not the best wife and marriage can be rocky. I more often than not forget to say my prayers, read my scriptures, or thank God for all the wonderful things in my life. And yet, for some reason, Brad and I were given this little girl with this perfect little spirit and it just brings tears to my eyes. I'm sure a lot of this is just pregnancy hormones, but I really am SO THANKFUL for having Katie in my life.

She is SO sweet. She loves so unconditionally and is super cuddly. She will give you the best hugs that just make you want to cry. She wraps her arms around your neck so tight, or lays her head on your chest or shoulder like you are her favorite person in the world.

She is very funny. Whenever I take her somewhere and let her play, myself, and other people, will just watch her play and laugh at her silly antics. I am often asked "Is she always like this?" to which I reply "Yes. Yes she is." She truly enjoys life. Nothing frightens her or worries her. She makes her own fun and laughs at the little things.

She has a great imagination. Give Katie a couple of toys and she creates an entire world. Her toys will laugh with each other, play with each other, kiss each other, and talk to each other. She pushes them around in her toy stroller and tucks them into bed. If there is no blanket nearby, she will use her skirt or dress as a faux blanket to make sure her toys are comfy cozy. She shares her snacks and drinks with them. I love watching her little brain imagine such a fun world.

She has amazing sympathy/empathy. If there is another little boy or girl crying or upset, Katie is the first one to try and comfort them. She will ask me (in her baby babble) about why they are sad. She wants to hug them and help them. As i've been struggling with morning sickness during this pregnancy, Katie is the first to come to my aid. As i'm kneeling in front of the toilet, tears streaming down my face, Katie will look straight into my eyes, give me the most caring little face, and pat me on the shoulder or head. She will sit in my lap and give me a hug. It's truly amazing how much she can understand not just other children's emotions, but her own mother's.

Of course, Katie isn't all unicorns and rainbows. She doesn't sleep through the night, she loves to draw on the walls (and blinds, and cupboards, and the dishwasher, and the floors. . . ), she throws temper tantrums, and has a pretty strong sense of entitlement. Motherhood can still be extremely exhausting and trying on my patience, but Katie is worth it. I will vacuum up the entire box of crushed crackers that have been smooshed into the carpet. I will shower her off after she's been splashing around in the toilet. I have to listen to her crying as she sits in time-out for smearing yogurt all over the entire kitchen. But I find it so easy to look at her, and do it all with a smile. (Well, I almost never smile when it's 4 in the morning and Katie is screaming, but that's different. Lol.)
I am honestly SO impatient to meet our new little Odasso. I'm ready for every challenge and trial, just to meet our new little one. I can't wait to watch their personality unfold. I can't wait to help them grow and learn, and see them develop into their own little person. It's so exciting that i'm only 9 weeks in and I already want to bring out the bassinet and sort through the newborn size clothes.Only 7 more months right? :)

Lately

Well, we've been pretty busy lately. Apart from Christmas and New Years, our little family has been making more of an effort to get out and about. I figure, as long as i'm going to be stuck in this dang state for at least a few years, I might as well try and enjoy some of it. At the end of November, we all ventured up to the Hogle Zoo. It was free admission day, so Brad took the day off work and we had a ton of fun looking at all the animals. Of course, it's got nothing on San Diego (sigh), but it'll do. It was a lot bigger than Tautphus Zoo in Idaho Falls though, so that was a plus.
We also went to Chuck E. Cheese a few weeks ago, although I doubt we'll be back anytime soon. It was definitely a lot of fun, but lack of hand washing between playing games and eating pizza, Brad and Katie ended up with the flu. Momma, as usual, stayed perfectly healthy, to take care of my poor sick honeys.
We also went down to Thanksgiving Point to look at the lights, but in all honesty, the 40 minute wait to get in was not really worth it.
Sorry there are no pictures from those things. I've been SO lame at remembering the camera lately.

We also went over to Planet Play recently. We've been there before but Katie was too little to really do anything last time, so it was definitely more fun this time around. Planet Play is basically a huge pizza, pasta, and salad buffet (a la PizzaPieCafe) that has a separate area with games and attractions, like go-carts, laser tag and mini golf. No matter where we go, Katie LOVES Merry-Go-Rounds.

 She also loved these little car rides they had.

A few weeks ago, I purchased a membership for the Children's Discovery Museum up in Salt Lake. They were having a deal for $12 off a membership, so I jumped on it! We went for the first time on MLK day and although it was fairly busy, and smaller than we thought, it was still a LOT of fun. They have a whole section with plastic balls that you put in these tubes that fly all over the room. Another section is an entire mini grocery store, and house, and farm. So cute. The water play area was definitely a favorite of Katie's as well. I DID bring my camera, but locked it up in our locker without thinking and never got it out. Poop.

Apart from that, we've been mostly bundled up inside from the cold. We did take a walk to McDonald's a couple weeks ago for dinner. The extra exercise counteracts the fast food, right? ;)
I also take any opportunity of rain to get outside! Oh, how I LOVE rain. Desert rain is for sure the best, but i'll take this freezing cold stuff with no wonderful creosote smell anyway. Katie just LOVES to play in the rain. Of course puddles are her favorite.

 Literally right after I snapped this picture, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth to drink some rain. It was so cute! Of course, right when I was going to get a picture of it, she stopped. Figures.

In other news, our little family of 3 is now a family of 3 1/4. Lol. After 8 long months of negative tests and miscarriages, we finally managed to snag a keeper! Hopefully, anyway. I have high hopes though. This little guy (or girl) has been hitting me HARD with the pregnancy symptoms and I just feel so at peace about everything. The due date is about August 29th, and i'm shooting for a waterbirth at home! Woo! I've still got to set up an initial appointment with a midwife (i'm hoping for BetterBirth midwives) but i'm really excited about this. I have nothing against hospital births for those who want them, but I read something a while ago that just made so much sense. We don't LIVE in a hospital JUST IN CASE anything happens, so why should we BIRTH in a hospital JUST IN CASE? Of course, it's amazing to have that available to us, but i'll save myself the unnecessary procedures and meds and thousands of dollars, and have my baby the way it was meant to happen. :)

Hives!

     A few weeks ago, we discovered small red spots on Katie's skin on a Sunday night. We weren't sure what they were, but they got worse after she had a bath and then continually spread. Monday morning, it was INSANE! Almost her entire abdomen and back were one big red splotch, and under her arms, her neck, and behind her knees all had red spots. We decided to call the doctor to find out what it was. We had a few theories: allergic reaction, although we couldn't think of anything new that she'd been exposed to that day, heat rash, possibly from being all wrapped up in layers lately due to the cold, or something like eczema or psoriasis. Brad made an appt with the doc the next day but Tuesday morning, almost everything had faded. By the time we got in for our appt, it was completely gone. The doctor showed me some pictures to try and figure out what it looked like, but none of the pictures looked like what Katie had and she also didn't have any other symptoms! She was not itchy at all, not fussy, eating normal, happy as ever, no fever or cough or anything. He gave me a prescription for some hydro-cortisone, which I never filled because she wasn't itchy.
Flash forward 2 weeks. It's Monday afternoon/early evening, and I notice the spots have returned. Little at first, and then escalating after her bath. Tuesday, it had of course gotten worse and I was able to get into the doctor again that afternoon. He took one look at her and said, that's hives. I also took some pictures just in case they vanished before we got to the office. Her back looks much worse (and it looked WAY worse the first time this happened), but here's one of the pictures.

     Anyway, he was pretty surprised that they didn't itch or bother her at all. He gave me some samples of Children's Dimetapp to give to her once every 6 hours until they were gone. He also gave me a scrip for a liquid Zyrtec or something in case it became chronic. Then he gave me a referral card to an allergist (that Brad and I actually already know personally) in case we want to have her tested.
I spent the rest of the day trying to make connections between Monday and that first Sunday. I couldn't remember what we'd eaten for dinner, but I knew that she had had Goldfish crackers in Nursery at church, and I had given her Goldfish crackers when we were shopping at Target and Costco on Monday morning. Katie used to eat Goldfish ALL THE TIME, but I hadn't purchased any in months, when I thought about it. It was the only connection I could see between the two days. Fast forward to a couple of days ago. Sadly, before I linked the Goldfish, I bought one of those huge boxes of them from Costco. I hadn't given Katie any since then, but I kept them on my nightstand to snack on. (They are one of my favorties snacks, if you didn't know.) Well, one morning I decided to let Katie have a few to see what would happen. She had a good handful and then sure enough, hives appeared a while later.
     Do you see what i'm getting at here? My baby is allergic to Goldfish!!!! If you know me very well, you will know what a tragedy this is! Obviously it's not the goldfish themselves, but something in them, but still. Sad day.

     I've narrowed it down to three ingredients:

• Annatto: A spice used for coloring the cheese. We are white cheese eaters around here (provolone, mozzarella, parmesan, monteray/pepper jack, etc. . . ) and so she doesn't have orange cheese very often. Although, she's had Mac n' Cheese many times in the past without any problems.
• Autolyzed Yeast: Used for flavoring I think. I don't think it's in many foods that Katie eats, and it seems weird that she might be allergic to this, an extract of yeast, when she isn't allergic to normal yeast.
• "Spices": The Goldfish ingredients list just had the word "spices" with no other clue as to what they are.

     After this last time her hives appeared, we actually had 4-cheese Rice-a-Roni with dinner without really thinking that it might have the same ingredients as the goldfish. (This hives thing is brand new to us, Ok?!) After she'd already scarfed down a few handfuls, I checked the box and sure enough, it contained both Annatto and Autolyzed Yeast. It also had a few different spices in it. And her hives stuck around for a few extra days.
     We're still debating on whether to get her an allergy test or not. I don't like unnecessary medical stuff, and the hives don't bother her at all. I decided to buy some regular cheddar cheese at the store and will give her a a little bit once her hives are completely gone. If they come back, i'll know it's the annatto. If not, well, maybe we will call up that allergist.

Whoa! WAIT A MINUTE! I was just about to post this when I decided to do some more digging on Autolyzed Yeast. Did you know that it is essentially MSG?! What the heck?! I actually just read this article where it states that autolyzed yeast and MSG can trigger allergic reactions in some people. I think now I may be leaning more towards the yeast factor. I don't give Katie many processed foods, or Asian foods for that matter (since a LOT of Asian foods add these ingredients) so maybe that's why she's now getting hives.  I'll keep you updated.

Our First Snow in Utah

Well, there was a light spattering of snow about a week and a half ago, but that didn't really count. Last night, we got some real snow. Now, I absolutely hate snow, but you all knew that right? It's fine and dandy when you drive up to the mountains, go sledding, make snow angels and snowmen, and all that, but living in it is awful. The cold, the wet, the ice, shoveling snow and scraping windshields and not being able to go out whenever I want to. . . it's awful!
Ok, enough of my rant. Despite my dislike for the weather, I don't want to keep Katie away from all the fun experiences with snow. We've stocked up on some winter clothes for her (everything from last Winter in Rexburg is too small) and headed out to play today! She had a good time, although she mostly enjoyed eating the snow. Haha!

There's the playground momma!

Can you see the excitement?

See her little boogers? She's had a runny nose for a while now, but it was really acting up outside. I think she gets that from me. If I spend more than 3 or 4 minutes out in the cold, my nose runs like crazy!

Brad kept throwing snowballs at her. Poor girl. Lol. And then he plopped a huge thing of snow on her head! She didn't really notice it was there though. :)

See? She loved just eating the snow. No worries. We made sure she only ate the clean top layer.

I tried to make a snowman, but it broke. So I made a mini one. :)

Hope everyone else is out enjoying their weather today!

Experimentation in Home Decoration

Over the past few years, I have become less and less crafty. Sad, but true. I can never think of cute ideas, or when I do, they never seem to be. . . complete. Take the wall in my dining room for example. I thought I was being super creative when I put 6 pictures up there in a somewhat asymmetrical way. Then, I put a vinyl of the word family next to one of the pictures. It looked good to me and I didn't really think anything of it, until my mom came up a couple months ago. She brought some home decor items from her house, put a few more things up on that wall and a bookshelf underneath and made everything look a million times better. I just don't have that kind of eye anymore. Oh well. I do try sometimes though, when I see good inspiration from somewhere else. Like this "pin" on pinterest that I saw.
http://www2.fiskars.com/Activities/Crafting/Project-Gallery/Guest-Designers/Mark-Montano/Paper-Flower-Key-Holder
How cute is that?
Well, I decided to attempt my own. We needed a designated place for keys anyway, since they always seem to end up all over the place. I didn't follow the directions to a "T" because I didn't have a stapler, or clear coat spray paint or whatever, but I think they look pretty cute. What do you think?

My cooking blog has inspired me to be more creative and crafty, so you may see more posts like this in the future. I've also decided that I sit at the computer WAY too much during the day, so being up and moving or even just sitting at the kitchen table to work on something instead will be way more beneficial.



In Katie news:
Still not much talking. I'm not really worried, but it would make it easier for her to express herself. She does say a few words- Yeah, hot, ouch, hat, bubble, dad, up, no, juice, shoe, cheese, water, go, and she actually said the word book yesterday rather than just signing it. Speaking of which, she seems to enjoy sign language way more than English. Lol.
She loves Yo Gabba Gabba, which we are seeing live next week, and Kipper.
She LOVES books!
She loves to drag her blankets and pillows all over the apartment and cuddle up on the floor, or tuck her toys into bed. When she is ready for a nap, she puts her pillow and blankets in my lap, climbs up, cuddles, and then falls asleep.
She likes to feed her snacks to her baby and her barbies.
Her hair is growing! And she has the cutest little curls in the back.
She is so great at playing independently and using her imagination.
She is also a huge troublemaker! The terrible twos have hit early here and she has become a pro at throwing tantrums. Covering her face with her hands, falling to the floor with fake tears, the whole bit. It's hard for Brad and I not to crack up laughing when she does this.
Teething is a killer.
She loves to dance to any music, any where, and time.
Bedtime is still a challenge (she has never really been a good sleeper), but I SO appreciate my wonderful hubby who gets up with her in the middle of the night.
He favorite beverage is water. Like mother, like daughter!
Oh, and our ward is letting her into nursery early! Her first full Sunday in nursery was last week and of course she did great. No fear or worries at all about leaving momma and daddy behind to play with other little kids and toys! Although apparently, she did pass out at some point while eating a crayon. Haha!
I put most recent pictures on Facebook, but i'll try and get some on here later today or tomorrow. :)

Neglect

I have been SERIOUSLY neglecting this blog! SO SORRY!
I've been spending most of my blogging time on my little side project:
Cooking With Kimi

It has been SO much fun working on this! I don't plan on doing it professionally or trying to make money from it or anything. It's really just a way to get me to home cook more and to help me remember yummy things and get inspiration.

In our family news, we went to Vegas last weekend! There was an Odasso get together! It was Brad's dad's side of the family, so his dad's parents came out from Pennsylvania. I also go to meet his older sister Adrienne and her husband James for the first time. It was a lot of fun! We played 7-UP, of course, took pictures, and just had a good time hanging out and catching up.

 

My parent's also visited last weekend! And guess what they brought me as an early Christmas gift? A HUGE Water Bath Canner! Woo! Finally I can have home canned peaches and pears and tomatoes and applesauce and juice and everything! They have also been bringing up food storage/emergency preparedness items for me, which is greatly appreciated! It's so great to feel safe and secure in case anything bad were to happen.

Katie still isn't saying much. She DOES know some words, but she doesn't seem to care about talking. She knows a few signs in sign language though, and it's so cute to watch her use her itty-bitty hands to sign! She's dancing more than ever, and she runs so fast! She likes to walk backwards, and on her tip toes. She carries her blankets and pillows around the whole apartment and tucks her toys into bed. She hasn't bene doing so hot with her big girl bed. She did SO good for about a week, and then she was teething and that ruined her sleeping and it hasn't gone back to normal since. Brad has to sit with her, next to her bed, for a good 15-20 minutes until she passes out. Then, she'll wake up anywhere between 3 and 6 in the morning screaming at her door, which is followed by Brad bringing her into our bed and after she climbs all over me for 30 minutes, she'll fall asleep. It's been a little crazy and sleep deprived around here. Oh well.

Brad and I were called as Sunbeam teachers, so that should be fun. There are like, 30? sunbeams, so they are all split into 2 or 3 different classes. It's a little insane. Luckily, Katie will be old enough for nursery in just 8 weeks! Counting down the days.

Oh! And I apologize for my blog. The layout is being all kooky for some reason. I'll get to fixing it soon!