A Typical Coversation at Our House...

Me: CHARLIE! Can you get her? I'm on the phone!
Charlie: What is she doing?
Me: She playing in the toilet and she's choking on something...

21 weeks

So we are officially more than halfway to Eden, and between her violent karate kicking and Madee pinching and pulling at my belly skin every time I ask her"Where's the baby?" she very well could be freed before then.

I had a OB appt yesterday and I am pretty stoked that my blood pressure was 112/74, which is lower than it was last pregnancy, even before it started to get out of hand. I ate lots of bananas my 1st trimester because I heard that could counteract high blood pressure, and I am still eating more bananas than usual, in an attempt to just avoid that whole nasty thing anyway.


I have gained plenty of weight back, and although I am sitting fat and pretty at -2 my pre-pregnancy weight, my doctor says that it is perfectly normal and healthy. It seems like my body wanted to start where it started with Madee, and I am right on target with my weight with the last pregnancy.


Of course, this being my second pregnancy right on top of the last one, my belly muscles know all too well where they are going, so I feel bigger than I did at 21 weeks last time - ummm, not just feel, Charlie will attest that I have gone from zero to very pregnant in no time flat. He is already pushing me back on the couch/bed/floor to watch me wiggle and struggle to get up. The good thing is, Madee has a nice little seat to ride as I carry her around.

The worst thing this time around has got to be the headaches and the fact that I snore so loud that I still keep Charlie awake when he is sleeping in the other room. In fact, the doctor thinks I could be having some fights with sleep apnea, and that I should get a mouth guard thingy that will help me breathe better at night.


As for my biggest problem? That feeling that I have nothing to wear. Eden kicks hard if I wear pants, and I am hating my selection of 3 shirts. Well that and the best maternity photographer in town is too close to me to get a really good shot...luckily I have Charlie - he always gets the best faces out of me anyway.


Eden is quite active, and I call her "Tiger" all the time. By the way, Madee was "Killer" and still is. What feminine little nicknames! Just like her sister, when the nurse tries to locate her for heartbeats, Eden is always hiding or on the move, and I generally tell the nurse that by nature my children are bull headed and uncooperative, so just keep trying and she will certainly earn her wage that day.

I really liked the look on her face once she finally located that heartbeat (in what seemed to her to be a strange place for it) and said, "Wow. You are going to have your hands full." Tell me something I don't know...you can change our name, but a Coon girl is a Coon girl and Coon girls are NOTORIOUS.


Let's see, in other news, K Van D Photography is making a little name for itself, and I am working with a fabulous designer for my brochures and business cards, coming soon to places mommies gather near you. I am really excited, and considering all the pregnant women in this town, I hope I will actually have to take a maternity leave when my own bun is ready to come out of the oven. Can I tell you how excited I am about taking newborn pics of my own newborn? Guaranteed to be the youngest one I have shot.

Also, Madee has found and knows the name of her bellybutton. If you ask her where it is, she will grab her belly with 2 hands and try to give you a great view of it. Adorable. She doesn't crawl anymore, although she falls often. She can turn around on two feet, push her popcorn toy while walking, and (too adorable) follows Zoie around the house with her elbows in and pinchers up and out, making a "c'mere doggie doggie" gesture.


Of course Zoie is her fave, since Zoie can't stand her. Of course Zoie has just never liked anything or anyone that is cute or having fun.

We've been busy!

First of all, Grandmama and Grandaddy came to town! It was the first time we have had the chance to show them our home and the beautiful surroundings we live in! We had a whole lotta fun, lots of good food, and some good walks, even if there was little sun or snow...

And everyone indulged me in some slapshift studio time...so I was really happy for that opportunity.

Here are a few of my favorites:

I really love this one...


Having a good time...


What a ham.


"Is there someone behind me?"



Grandaddy is so cool.

A direction I would love to go at some point with my photography is pets...I just haven't seemed to be able to capture them as I want to.

I guess a little practice and desire for it is helping me break throiugh that...




My baby and my babe...


She LOVES to be outside.


Now that she can tromp around in the snow and play with it all by herself she would rather be no where else.


Why I love waking up in the morning.


No! Not the yellow snow!

Kisses suitable for eskimos...


Random highlights:

High five Grandaddy!


She loves having company in the backseat...


Fun with Wii!


Hike to Fallen Leaf.

Snowshoeing with the folks.



We had enormous fun with so many pictures that it was hard to choose so few. It seemed like such a short visit but was jam packed with all sorts of stuff so I am sure we are all still recovering.

We miss you guys already!

Getaways

Charlie and I were feeling the bug to get out of town, and when I called Auntie Lisa to see if she could watch the dogs for us, she totally upsold me on a night away with Charlie. Just the 2 of us.

Then she came over and found a killer deal in a Reno Resort Casino that promised luxury, lots of food, relaxation, and some more food.

It was AWESOME.

This was our first night without Madee since she was born, and when we got there, Charlie went to the front desk to check us in, and I was whisked away to this little piece of Heaven for a maternity massage.


I didn't feel guilty for one little second. It was totally like another dimension of soothing music, ambient lighting, people in white lab coats escorting women in cashmere sweater robes to get fresh infused water after fancy beauty treatments.

When I was well oiled and rubbed and sufficiently destressed, I met Charlie at the bar and we went up to our suite.

This is my new "happy place".


Yeah, we are watching football in the bathtub!


We got a little dressed up for our reservations at Bimini - here we are in the elevator after an amazing steak dinner and the most ridiculous chocolate brownie pie cake I have ever eaten.


Then we also had a yummy room service breakfast the next morning.


Charlie getting some work done in our sitting area. This room had 3 flat screen plasma tvs, seperate tub and shower, marble floors, plush robes - it was such an amazing night away.


Room service baby.


Of course I am sure you have been waiting for some Madee pics, so here ya go!

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Here we are getting ready to go hiking to Fallen Leaf

Funny Mom.

Gosh not again Mom


Her eyes are so pretty in this one...


Fallen Leaf. My favorite.


She loves to comandeer sunglasses. Look at the little wings over her ears. Her hair is really growing!


I love my life.


Wild thing.


What a view.


Engagement Log. This is where it all started.


Where all that got us.

The Doctor's, Bellywatch and that day with the Sloans

So Madee had her 1 year check up this week. She is 23 lbs and 30 1/2 inches of fierce. Seriously. He is just doing his job, and so is his sweet little nurse, and I know that lots of other babies cry and wail, but she is totally a ninja.


Anyway I didn't have the heart to take the camera out after the shots.


So here they are screwing around before the doc came in. Thank goodness Charlie is able to go with us when she has to get shots, because I am just a wreck.


So we are at Week 19 and I have found all that weight I lost. And I have been feeling pretty good, too. And tired.


I had lunch today with Lisa and I have a food baby on top of my real baby in this picture.



I also got my hands on some pictures from October that were on a friend's camera...I LOVE this time of year in Tahoe.

I don't mean now, I mean when these photos were taken...


Oh I can't wait for longer days again...