2 years for us, 5 months for Parker!

I can't believe that Parker is 5 months old. A few weeks after he was born, I honestly didn't believe he'd ever get this far! He is becoming a little more mobile, and is grabbing things with his hands like crazy. He is so funny. His new favorite thing is to rock back and forth really fast while we're trying to burp him. I think it's his way of telling us that he wants to stand up!

He's still a healthy boy, and I am still learning about being a mom. My new thing is not to stress so much if he wakes up early from his naps. He used to take 2 to 2.5 hour long naps, and it was wonderful! Lately, he wakes up after 45 minutes. I really had a hard week last week, so I decided just to let him be up if he wakes up during the day. I already feel better :)

Randy and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary a week ago. We decided not to get a babysitter because Parker kept waking up screaming-so we thought it would be a bad idea. We ended up getting Olive Garden to go, and stayed home and watched the Andy Griffith Show. We didn't really see anything on Redbox that we were interested in, and we love the Andy Griffith Show, so we thought, why not?? Randy bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that had 2 cala lilies in it because they are my favorite. I stole my sister's idea and blew up 30 Helium balloons myself* and tied pictures to the balloons with reasons that I love Randy written on the back.

I love our little family and the time that we get to spend together. Even though sometimes I dream of the time when life was so much less complicated, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

*I bought a balloon maker because there was no way I could fit 30 helium balloons in my car. I was trying to fill up the balloons and Parker decided that he didn't want me to put him down and screamed and screamed. Randy got home from his business trip too early, so I ran outside with a screaming Parker and said "You need to watch Parker and you can't come inside for a few more minutes!" Luckily he was still surprised, and Parker still loves me :)

Confessions about Grocery Stores

When I wasn't married, I absolutely hated going to the grocery store. Now that I am married, I still hate going to the grocery store, but if I don't go, we don't have food. Therefore, I have found that there are some grocery stores that I kind of enjoy going to once in a while, and other grocery stores that reinforce my hatred of grocery shopping.

The store that I absolutely love is Winco. What a glorious place! I love all of their variety. They keep the store nice and clean, they have enough check stands open so you don't have to wait an eternity to check out. Their prices are also really good. Winco is awesome.

Harmons is another pretty good grocery store. Clean, great produce section, good selection... They are just a bit more pricey.

The absolute worst grocery store in the world is Walmart. Sometimes I don't mind going to Walmart for other things, but I HATE grocery shopping there. It's almost always crowded, the lines are forever long, and their produce and meat are expensive. For some reason, I don't like their selection either.

There is a Smiths by us that I don't like. It feels dirty, and for some reason it's hard to get out of their parking lot for me. They do have some good deals there, but I still prefer Winco.

There you have it. Winco is the best. If you haven't been there, you should check it out!

Shots, Sleeping, and Eating

Parker had his 4 month check up this week. He is huge! 18 lb. 13 oz. and 26.5 inches long. He is in the 99th percentile for weight and the 92nd percentile for height. He is doing great. At this appointment, Parker had to get his second set of shots. It didn't seem too bad the first time he got his shots, so I thought this time would be the same. I was wrong.

Parker wouldn't let me put him down that day without crying. He was needy, and I could tell that he didn't feel well. This continued the next day. The day after that, my mom babysat and Parker screamed the entire time. Poor little guy! I think he was exhausted and still didn't feel well from the shots. His week has just been off.

It also seems like Parker is not being a very good eater this week. I know, I know, 18 lbs. 13 oz. what are you complaining about?? I just worry that my milk supply will start to go down if he doesn't start eating regularly again. This week he gets really mad at me after eating for about 5 or 10 minutes. The mornings are especially hard. Oh well. At least I know he's not starving.

Parker's naps haven't been very good either, and I decided to let him cry today. I know some of you might think I'm a bad mom (negative comments not welcome) but he NEEDED to sleep. Maybe now he will eat really well at his next feeding and will have a great afternoon nap. One of the hardest things about letting him cry is that we have neighbors next to us and below us. I'm sure they get annoyed with Parker's crying fits sometimes, but I don't know what else to do. It will be nice to be in a house one day where I don't have to worry about that. Here's what my mom told me earlier: "welcome to the joys of motherhood!" How true! But there really are true joys to being a mother.

Parker is also cuter than ever. We have to do all sorts of crazy things to try to get him to laugh. Things that are funny one day are never funny the next :) One time I sneezed while changing his diaper, and he thought it was hilarious. I continued to pretend to sneeze and he laughed and laughed.... I tried it again the next day and he just stared at me. What a funny guy!

Fitness

When I was younger (elementary, Jr. High) I was pretty physically fit. I LOVED running, and track was my favorite sport. I played basketball in Jr. High and woke up at 4:30 every morning to get to practice. It was a great way to stay fit!

So what happened to my motivation? I am not accountable to anyone. I don't have a coach yelling at me, and I don't have a team.I got busy in high school with music stuff, and then went to college where it seemed like I had ZERO extra time. I tried to stay active during the summers, but it still wasn't what I really needed to do. Now I'm a mom, and the time seems like it's even more limited, but I REALLY want to work out. We also get a bonus from our insurance if we work out for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, so that's more motivation!

I decided to write my first mini goal in my blog so that a few people out there in the blogging world can remind me of my goal (Especially you, Amy, since I KNOW you read my blog!). My first goal is simply to get out of bed at the same time as Randy and either put in my Pilates DVD, or do some resistance training. I've been doing a lot of research on work out DVD's since I don't really want to cough up the money to go to a gym right now, and there are a lot of really good options out there.

Anyway, here's to more fitness in my life!

Parker is Independent

It is amazing how different life is. I told Randy that I feel alive again, which is a really great thing.

The reason for the change? Parker decided he doesn't need our help putting him to sleep, and prefers to cry a little to himself and then sucking on his hand through his blanket. We were spending SO much time trying to rock the little guy to sleep... and he would just scream, and scream, and scream.... So one night, I decided to try setting him down because NOTHING was calming him down. I set him down, and he was out. I couldn't believe it! I decided to experiment the next day by putting him down while he was still awake to see if he would do it again. The next day was amazing! Every nap he went down by himself. Sure he cried for a few minutes sometimes, but other times, he just went to sleep without fussing.

I can't tell you how wonderful it is not to have to spend 30 minutes to an hour trying to bounce Parker to sleep! The only down side- I'm pretty sure I'm gaining some weight back because my exercise "routine" has been abolished :) But hey, I'll take the happy baby over the exercise routine.

We have also decided to put Parker on his tummy. I know they say you're not supposed to, but he WON'T sleep any other way. He is great on his tummy and holds up his head really well. He can also move it from side to side without any problems. So we feel good about putting him on his tummy. The first few times I did it, I checked on him probably every 20 minutes. Now I don't worry at all.

Life really is good, and is getting better. I actually feel like doing things now (like decorating his room!) and being more productive. Before, it was great when I could just get the dishes done, and then collapse on the bed. Parker is doing so much better, and so am I :)

I see the light

Having a baby has been one of the hardest experiences of my life. I had no idea how much everything would change, and just how difficult it can be. I have to say that I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Parker has been a difficult baby who screamed a lot. He would scream every time I tried to put him to bed, or sometimes just because he was hurting with gas. I would bounce him in my arms around the apartment, which was a great workout, but which also left me exhausted both emotionally and physically. I was at my whit's end.

I decided that I would rock Parker in our recliner to sleep, no matter how long he cried in my arms. I would just turn on a show to distract myself and keep rocking and telling him that I loved him. That way he could know that I wasn't abandoning him, and would give me some much needed rest. Guess what? It's been working! Yes he has cried, but only for up to about 15 minutes. It has gotten less and less. Today I rocked him to sleep and he didn't cry AT ALL.

I also decided that I have to change my attitude. It was getting to the point where Randy would come home and I would be in tears at least three times a week. Ridiculous! I wasn't enjoying Parker the way that I should because I was just so tired from all the bouncing! I know it might not last, but the last two days have been heavenly. I have loved Parker more than ever before, and it has been much more peaceful in our home.

He is getting so big!! 3 months old already! My cousin Kim had a baby just a little bit ago, and I saw him last night. It's hard to believe that Parker was also that tiny! He also giggled for the first time today, and it almost made me cry. It was the most wonderful sound that I have ever heard in my life. Today I love being a mommy :)

Parker Update

Wednesday was a bad day. When I say bad day, I really mean a BAD day. Parker was awake and in tears most of the day, which means that I was awake and in tears most of the day, too. Like I said, a bad day.

I don't remember if I posted this in the blogging world yet- but Parker hates his car seat, the car, and his stroller. Whenever we would go anywhere, Parker would scream the entire way. So Parker and I spend a lot of time at home, unless I want to listen to the scream fest as I drive to my sister's house in Cedar Hills.

Well, Thursday was a good day. I mean a REALLY good day! I decided to risk taking him in the car down to my sister's house because Wednesday was so bad. I had to get out. I put Parker in the car seat, tucked his blanket in and made him all snug (he likes that), and when he started to fuss I gave him his binky. Lo and behold, he started sucking on the binky! No crying. Okay, now if only we could make it to the car... still no crying! I even stopped at the gas station and filled the car. I kept opening and shutting the door to see if he was still quiet. I couldn't believe it. On the way down to Amy's house, I called all of my family to tell them that Parker wasn't crying. I even called Randy and started tearing up on the phone because I was so happy!

We made it to Amy's, went on a walk where Parker fell asleep and STAYED asleep until his next feeding at noon. Then came the car ride home... Parker fussed for just a minute, and then I got him to calm down by the first light we came to. He even slept when we got home! Last night, he let me sleep for four straight hours, which was heavenly.

Since yesterday was so good, I decided to try to take Parker for a walk in his stroller this morning. I put him in his car seat and he started crying and wouldn't take the binky. I decided to go anyway. After I started walking for a few minutes, he quieted down, and fell asleep. He is still asleep in his car seat.

So even though he has his bad days, the really good days make it worth it. Thanks Parker!

Menu

I am just starting to feel comfortable enough to the point where I feel like I can plan my meals again! I love finding and trying new recipes, or just trying to perfect old ones, and I'm excited to start cooking better meals.

Monday: BBQ

Tuesday: Hawaiian Chicken

Wednesday: French Dip Sandwiches

Thursday: Potato Bar

Friday: Chicken Parmigiana

What are you eating this week?

Crazy Life

This is just a short update to let the world know that we are still alive at 6 and a half weeks! Parker is doing well, although he has gotten really fussy lately. I actually decided to stop eating most dairy last week to see if it would help him. Over the weekend, we saw a dramatic difference with Parker. He was much more calm, and we could put him to sleep much easier than we ever have before! I thought the fussy spells were over, until last night. He wouldn't sleep, and therefore, we couldn't sleep. Something was really bothering him. The hardest thing when he is upset is that he can't talk and I don't know what's wrong. I mean, I know when he needs feeding and changing, but the hard times are when he's crying and I have done everything that I can do to make him feel better... But we survived, as we always will...

I had my 6 week check up today and it went well. I can't believe that time has gone by this fast. Parker is still as cute as ever. When I have a few more minutes, I will post more pictures of our little cutie. I can't believe the rolls this little guy is getting! He is definitely eating enough :) Here's to making it 6 and a half weeks!

Almost 5 Weeks!

It's been a little crazy trying to find a good time to post again on my blog. Parker is adorable, and the last few weeks have been really interesting trying to figure out how to be a mom. Here are some things that I am learning:

1- Patience. It's all about Parker and his schedule, not mine. This means that when I shower, he inevitably will wake up right at the end when I am still dripping wet and trying to get some clothes on. The other day, he decided to wake up when I started making brownies :)

2- Selflessness- Again, it's all about Parker. I am finding that his needs ALWAYS come before what I "need". I can't really explain the feelings that I have when it comes to making sure that he comes first. I just love him so much that I want to do everything that I can to make him happy before I make myself happy.

3- Empathy- To all you other moms out there, how in the world did you do it?? My sisters have kids, and I was so awful in thinking that they could do everything without my mom's help, or anyone's help. It was so nice to have my mom for emotional support those first days home from the hospital. I just didn't understand how difficult motherhood can be, and I know I have a lot more surprises to come!

The first two weeks were the toughest for me. I felt inadequate, scared, and exhausted. Because of the hormones going crazy, I would break down in tears out of nowhere. I would question every decision that I made... "Should I feed him now? Should I change him now? Should I wake him up? Should I put him to sleep?" My brother in law gave me excellent advice: "Make a choice, and don't look back and regret it".

I am feeling much better now. Parker still has times where something is wrong and I can't help him, like gassiness, but I have changed my attitude about things. I am figuring out what kind of things make Parker happy, and what he hates. He is sooo close to smiling! I was talking to him this morning and he sat and cooed back at me, and pulled a face that I swear was a semi-smile. It was so cute :) I am so glad to have him in my life, and I can't wait until that first "real" smile!

Things Parker does best:

1- Poops
2- Eats
3- Makes me laugh with his crazy faces

I'm sure this list will grow eventually, but that's it for now!

Definitely the cutest baby around!

We cannot get him to keep his arms down when we swaddle him.

We went to the zoo and Parker loved it :)

Parker Randall Hoffman

Warning: Long post about the birth! Skip to the end for more important details.

I started having some "painful" contractions starting at about 3 am on Sunday morning. They weren't too bad, but I knew they weren't Braxton Hicks. I waited until about 5 am to tell Randy that I was actually having real contractions. He didn't freak out like I thought he would :) Although he told me later that he was freaking out on the inside. We started timing the contractions to see how far apart they were, and they were about 10 minutes apart for quite a while.

I called my mom around 7 am to tell her that I thought we would be going to the hospital that morning because the contractions were getting closer together. I had a few that were REALLY starting to hurt. When we were almost ready to go, the contractions stopped altogether. I was really disappointed. We decided we would still go to my cousin's missionary farewell. I was still having some contractions, but they were so sporadic. At about 2 pm, the contractions started coming a little more "regularly" at about 10 to 15 minutes apart, and started becoming even more intense and painful. It took until about 9 pm that night for the contractions to become regular enough that we knew we'd be going to the hospital soon.

We got to the hospital at about 10:30, and I was a wreck. I was shaking so badly because I was hurting so much and was feeling anxious about everything. Randy finally said "hun, I think you should just get the epidural because I think it will help you calm down". They checked me and I was dilated to a 5 and 100% effaced. She asked if I wanted the epidural, and I said yes. Oh. My. Gosh. Right after the anesthesiologist gave me the epidural, I immediately calmed down and stopped shaking. I can't tell you how wonderful I felt! I went from a 5 to a 7 in about a half an hour after I got the epidural. Randy and I fell asleep while we waited for me to continue to dilate. The nurse came in and I was dilated to a 10 at about 3 or 4 in the morning, but something with the machine that was regulating the amount of medicine that the epidural was giving me was wrong. It ended up giving me too much so that I couldn't feel or move anything from the waist down. My doctor wanted me to be able to feel the pressure of the contractions so that when I pushed I would actually be useful.

They unhooked the epidural at that point, and we waited for the doctor to get there so we could start pushing. It may sound like this is a really long labor, but if it was, I definitely couldn't tell. It was nice to have one last night of sleep! Finally, the doctor got there and Parker was out in 3 pushes :) What a beautiful little angel! I was amazed at how wonderful he looked right away. Healthy, good color, and so adorable! I can't describe what I was feeling at that point.

He was 7 lb. 10 oz. and 18.5 inches long. He has been a perfect little angel :) It's so funny to think that we have our own little boy. He hates having his diaper changed, but hates being poopy, so it's a no win situation! It will be interesting these next few weeks as we adjust. He is just the perfect little boy, and I'm glad he finally decided to join us!

May the 4th!

May the 4th Be With You!!!

I have an awesome friend who shared that phrase with me a few years ago. She is a Star Wars fan, and every May 4th I think of her :)

Randy's birthday turned out to be a not-so-amazing day. Randy told me he felt sick at work, and that he thought he was going to throw up. I told him to go home, but he stayed at work because he only has 2 days off right now and he's saving those for the baby. Then we found out that my sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and brother were all sick. I was feeling fine until dinner that night, and then I wanted to die. I ended up throwing up 3 times and stayed home from work on Tuesday. Yep, Happy Birthday Randy! Needless to say, we celebrated on Friday by going to The Garden downtown, and it was fabulous.

I am now officially 37 weeks pregnant, and I am definitely feeling it. I have been really lucky with this pregnancy because I haven't had many aches and pains, but I feel like all of the sudden the last 9 months have caught up with me. My belly feels like it's stretched to the max, and I get REALLY tired for the last 10 minutes of our walks. (We try to walk 30 minutes for our exercise). Sometimes I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. We are still getting some things ready for the baby, although emotionally I don't feel ready. It's pretty crazy to think how drastically our lives are going to change in a few weeks. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited about our baby boy, it's just that life is going to be very different.

As for dinner this week...

Monday: They fed me at school, so Randy had soup
Tuesday: Lasagna
Wednesday: Blender Pancakes
Thursday: I'm thinking sour cream chicken stuff?
Friday: Leftovers

I hope everyone else is enjoying the beginning of nice weather!!!

Happy Birthday, Randy!

Today is Randy's birthday! We celebrated last night with cake and ice cream. We had a lot of fun :) I decided to surprise Randy with a Wii for his Birthday. His parent's gave us some money at Christmas to start saving for one, so I decided to see if I could use that money, some rebate cards that we had, money from Grandma, and then help from my parents and siblings to see if we could scrounge enough money to get one! Well I am proud to say that with it all said and done, I only spent $25.00 out of my own pocket to get Randy's present. Woohoo!

Randy is such an amazing husband. I am so grateful to have him in my life. He always makes me smile, is such a huge help around the house, and always wants to be together. I am definitely glad that you were born! Happy Birthday!

Empty Wallet, Full Cupboards, Not Starving.

So I haven't blogged in a while, because honestly, I haven't really felt like it. Our menus haven't been that exciting. We have been trying to be very good with our budget this month, and this week I realized we only had $20.00 left in groceries for the last half of April. So I abandoned our original menu, and have been living off of what we had in the cupboards. Guess what? We haven't starved! I have still made Randy's lunch every morning (he hasn't gone hungry!) and we have had good meals.

Monday: Navajo Tacos

Tuesday: Teriyaki Chicken with Egg rolls

Wednesday: This good chicken stuff my mom made

Thursday: I think tonight we might be having Shepherd's Pie

Friday: Some other meal we have hidden in our cupboards :)

I am now 35 weeks, and the baby is still moving like crazy. I am starting to get kind of anxious about labor and delivery, since I have no idea what to expect except for pain. I have been doing my own research about "going natural" vs. having an epidural, and while I know there are pros and cons for both, I still don't know what will happen. I think the most important thing for me is to be informed and make the decision based on how I feel later. Both of my sisters decided that they were going to see what happened, and one of them ended up going natural, while the other decided on an epidural. And guess what?? They are both still amazing for having a baby :) So no matter what I decide, it will be nice to hold that little baby in our arms and see him for the first time!

End of March

I can't believe it's the end of March already! We only have one more quarter of school left, and the baby is due in less than two months. Pretty crazy! We still have a lot to get done before he comes. Life is busy, Randy is loving his job, and I can't wait for the warmer weather to stick around. But as usual, here is the trusty old menu for this week, mid-way through the week.

Monday: BBQ chicken roll ups

Tuesday: BBQ meatballs/funeral potatoes

Wednesday: Belgian Waffles

Thursday: Chicken and Rice/Vegetable

Friday: Haven't decided yet. Leftovers? Go out? Something easy? No idea!

Menu for this week!

Monday: Chicken Tetrazzini (Didn't have it last week)

Tuesday: Tomato, Pickle, Cheese Melts/home-made fries

Wednesday: Potato Bar/Fruit

Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie

Friday: Leftovers/possibly try a new recipe??

Saturday: Blueberry Sour Cream Scones!

I can't believe that March is almost over. Time flies, most of the time. The baby has decided that he loves to snuggle (punch/kick/scrape) against my right side, and this is proving to be quite painful. I'm pretty sure that I have some nice bruises inside of me right now! I am 30 weeks, so only 10 more weeks to go!

What are you eating this week?

Spring Wreath

I decided that I really wanted a spring wreath for my door, and came across these awesome fabric flowers online! I went and bought a grapevine wreath, and some fat quarter fabric from Hancock's. The first few flowers that I tried were awful. I wasn't using hot glue (which turned out to be much easier!!!) and I just didn't have the hang of it yet.

The next day, I used the hot glue gun, and some fabric strips about an inch and a half thick, and it was so much better! I think they turned out really cute. Take a look!

Menu Number Something...

Hi all, I have a wonderful post coming (either tonight or tomorrow) on making fabric flowers and our own cute spring wreath! I had a lot of fun making mine, and can't wait to post some pictures. For now, I have this week's menu, one day late.

Monday: Actually ended up going to my sister's house for Pork Chops in the crockpot. They were very good!

Tuesday: Relief Society Dinner, Randy gets waffles/eggs/bacon.

Wednesday: Pizza Biscuit Bake

Thursday: A wonderful St. Patrick's Day meal provided by Costco! I will be attempting to make Irish Soda Bread, and a green drink.

Friday: Leftovers or going out??

Saturday: Chicken Tetrazzini

Valentine's Day

I'm a little late posting for Valentine's Day, so here it is! I woke up early (4:30 am) so pull out the things that needed to be room temperature for breakfast. I decided to try to make home-made toaster strudels with cream cheese icing. They turned out really good, and weren't hard at all.

Randy loved them so early in the morning!

We decided to continue the home-made pizza tradition, since going out would be crazy. I decided to try Chicken Florentine pizza, and it was soooo good! The pizza crust was super easy, and it really was one of the best home-made pizzas that we have had.

Randy was really sweet and got me some flowers, and we enjoyed watching Letter's to Juliet. It was wonderful to be able to spend time together.

Happenings

So I really want to change the design of my blog, but I spent so many hours designing the current layout! I think my sister said I could copy the HTML of my blog and save it in a word document in case I ever want to use it again.

I had my glucose tolerance test this past week, and while my iron looked great, my blood sugar was down to 54, which is REALLY low. I told the nurse I haven't felt sick, so I called today to double check whether or not I should be worried. I think the reason that it was so low is that they told me not to eat anything before the appointment. So, I didn't eat anything from 9 pm the night before, and my appointment was at 8:30 the next morning. That's a long time not to eat when you're pregnant. Anyway, we'll see what they say! The baby has been kicking me CONSTANTLY, and is now starting to hurt sometimes. I know that he will just get bigger, and I will get more uncomfortable, so no need to remind me :)

Alright, for dinner this week:

Monday: Navajo Tacos
Tuesday: Chicken Casserole/Salad/Rolls
Wednesday: French Toast/Hashbrowns
Thursday: Home-made macaroni and cheese OR Crockpot Lemon Chicken... haven't decided.
Friday: Leftovers

If you have some cheap menu ideas, PLEASE let me know. If food follows the price of gas (which it will) then I need to be really careful about the menu I plan. Just so you know, this weeks menu plus food for lunches this week was only about $26.00 for the week. Let me know if you want any recipes!

For Dinner this Week...

Monday: Chicken Crescent Rolls (Tasty Kitchen)/Salad/Fruit
Tuesday: BLT's/Chips
Wednesday: Tacos/Beans
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Chicken Alfredo?

Just remember that it's OKAY to make changes to your menu if your plans change throughout the week. I do it all the time. Randy started his new job this morning, and I am so happy for him. We will have a more normal schedule, and he gets to sleep in a little! Life is good.

The baby is moving like crazy, but I'm glad that things are going so well!

Big News

My wonderful husband Randy graduated with a Master's Degree in Instructional Design in May, 2009. He has been working as a bus driver, and trying to find a full time position ever since. Recently, he has worked as a contractor for the LDS church designing training materials for the Family History Department and he has LOVED it! We were really praying that he would get a full time position there...

So this morning, Randy got a phone call. He was offered a full time position with the church!!! He was so excited, and called me right away. We were both crying on the phone because we were so happy. I am so proud of him for working so hard, and finally getting a full time position in a job that he loves. He is amazing in every way, and I couldn't be more proud! Congratulations, Randy!

Menu 7

So apparently, nobody really cares about my baby bump :) Just kidding. But I finally post pictures and get ZERO comments? Come on people, you all know you like comments!

I didn't post this week's menu yet because I wanted everyone to see the pictures. But alas, here it is:

Monday: Burgers and Fries
Tuesday: Turkey Casserole/biscuits/beans
Wednesday: I surprised Randy and told him we were going to Five Guys!
Thursday: Ate at mom's
Friday: Leftovers or whatever I can find. Randy will be eating with his buddies.

As you can see, it's been an interesting week, and this menu has been greatly revised. That's okay!

Baby Bump

Here are the pictures that I promised a long, long, time ago.

10/23 Just barely showing...

12/6 Still, just barely showing...

12/23 A little more...

12/26 Getting bigger...

1/02 This one just looks like fat.

2/07

And voila! The Belly (as Randy calls it). This sweater does a really good job at accentuating my belly. This is the most recent picture, and you can tell that just within the last few weeks my belly rapidly expanded. I can't believe that I am just going to get bigger and bigger. I was so excited last night because I went to Motherhood and Maternity (Randy forced me) and found some awesome LONG maternity jeans! I have been very uncomfortable lately with some of my clothes, and this was a glorious find. Baby Boy Hoffman is doing great, and is moving a TON. My back has kind of been bugging me, but as long as I can get up and stretch it hasn't been too much of a problem.

Meal Plan # 6

Jan. 31-Feb. 4

Monday: Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta http://www.food.com/recipe/creamy-cajun-chicken-pasta-39087

Tuesday: Stir Fry/Rice

Wednesday: Chicken and Broccoli/Rolls

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Breakfast Food Night

Menu Time

Okay, I know I need to post stuff other than my menu on Mondays, but menus don't require pictures :) I promise to post some pictures soon! Oh, and the Chicken Cordon Bleu turned out great!

Monday: Chicken Enchiladas/Salad

Tuesday: BLT's/Chips

Wednesday: Chili Chip Casserole/Cornbread

Thursday: BBQ Meatballs/Mashed Potatoes

Friday: Leftovers

What are you eating this week?

Menu

I forgot to post my menu on Monday, so here it is for this week:

Monday: Turkey Sandwiches (It was a stressful day)
Tuesday: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese/biscuits/Jell-O
Wednesday: Coffee Cake/Potatoes/Eggs
Thursday: Tacos/Beans
Friday: Chicken Cordon Bleu/Rice

I am so excited to try making Chicken Cordon Bleu for the first time. We'll see how it turns out!

The Announcement

Well, Randy and I are very pleased to announce that we are having... Drumroll please...


A BOY!!!


That's right, Randy got exactly what he wanted :) The nurse wrote on one of the pictures "100% Boy" and told us to go buy boy clothes. The ultrasound was really cool, and it amazes me that I have a little person inside. He kept moving a lot, and had his ankles crossed. We got to see his profile, and he already looks so cute :) I am so happy that everything with the baby was completely normal and healthy! Now we just have to pick a name. So fun!