tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46628178477568918812024-03-05T22:34:23.554-05:00more than 9 to 5...my life as "Mom"The adventures of a SAHM, chronicling the job that never ends. :)Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.comBlogger394125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-86946526249453914952020-10-17T12:24:00.000-04:002020-10-17T12:24:13.787-04:00Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal<p>So it's literally been years since I've posted a recipe here. Sometime in 2015 I think? <i>Oops!</i> This morning I threw together a pumpkin pie oatmeal and it was delicious, so I thought I'd share!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtxmvoPcXgJ4OXHzxm1efVC5nCZl_RZHU8AaNhFUoVGSYBxfwB09Mlw_rOKrHX7ohcRGMCgY6WqcVIaPvFRTxP5ocdgNGTYgFaW1LyyyAXRVY85cXdB_qc-fdStZTd-oVHrHmXw3CGr6O/s2048/IMG_0081.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtxmvoPcXgJ4OXHzxm1efVC5nCZl_RZHU8AaNhFUoVGSYBxfwB09Mlw_rOKrHX7ohcRGMCgY6WqcVIaPvFRTxP5ocdgNGTYgFaW1LyyyAXRVY85cXdB_qc-fdStZTd-oVHrHmXw3CGr6O/w640-h480/IMG_0081.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div>Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i>(makes 6 very generously-sized bowls)</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b><i>Ingredients</i></b>:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>3 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk</li><li>6 cups water</li><li>3 cups old-fashioned oats</li><li>1 can (15 oz) Libby's 100% pure pumpkin</li><li>½ tsp salt</li><li>2 tsp cinnamon</li><li>½ tsp ginger</li><li>1/4 tsp cloves</li><li>3/4 cup brown sugar</li><li>2 Tbsp coconut oil</li><li>Toppings, as desired (chopped pecans are excellent)</li></ul><b><i>Directions</i></b>:<br /><br /><div>In a large pot, bring the almond milk, water, oats, pumpkin and spices to a gentle boil. Allow the mixture to boil for 3 minutes <i>(like photo below)</i>. After 3 minutes has passed, turn off the heat and let the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes, so the oats can continue to absorb the liquid.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqdspwxCSHJGoHtiAY-xYTK9xcOKgbovwm-9o7aj3d-WQfwrqPk5dq9pQm6cTl_v-ZNbTwOiyOwYIwFLHdbtEW0fImHfaUTgD9nOx14_gLttdAVX5-u4I-aeyFN3clFF6ZjBSYi_ZL-DH/s2048/IMG_0079.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZqdspwxCSHJGoHtiAY-xYTK9xcOKgbovwm-9o7aj3d-WQfwrqPk5dq9pQm6cTl_v-ZNbTwOiyOwYIwFLHdbtEW0fImHfaUTgD9nOx14_gLttdAVX5-u4I-aeyFN3clFF6ZjBSYi_ZL-DH/w640-h480/IMG_0079.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>After the mixture has set up, stir in the brown sugar. You can add the coconut oil now, or put a tsp into each serving bowl. Top oatmeal with whatever sounds good and enjoy! I love using chopped pecans, or semi-sweet chocolate chips.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LC6KhNENVv3PXMruOvGs7NLopZ39OaYVgCI2R8btb0H0b5wmxmmEgWhn3EQZpxUugz8tA_PSEzPU2wnT-h480xdMKLMlI7UaqGTjSDlleDL1xQnIhAbEdCSO-qj8uYKo9j_HFLGqXjZ0/s2048/IMG_0080.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LC6KhNENVv3PXMruOvGs7NLopZ39OaYVgCI2R8btb0H0b5wmxmmEgWhn3EQZpxUugz8tA_PSEzPU2wnT-h480xdMKLMlI7UaqGTjSDlleDL1xQnIhAbEdCSO-qj8uYKo9j_HFLGqXjZ0/w640-h480/IMG_0080.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It's also nice to enjoy the oatmeal without the pumpkin, spices and sugar. It's so creamy and delicious that you'll never be able to make oatmeal like the container suggests again!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzvpcXFw8d-7GTVr7u7at0wxKASvO-cdNnVTUVZfJWWudgeFt09-J5jIRMqHeWLueatsu8rIFGxRMYX4NIlrWCrf4rwnrE_jFGPrt0RKKixYNqYXBMQG9WQyzucD2882205rIxIqjuaKH/s2048/IMG_0085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzvpcXFw8d-7GTVr7u7at0wxKASvO-cdNnVTUVZfJWWudgeFt09-J5jIRMqHeWLueatsu8rIFGxRMYX4NIlrWCrf4rwnrE_jFGPrt0RKKixYNqYXBMQG9WQyzucD2882205rIxIqjuaKH/w480-h640/IMG_0085.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a data-pin-config="beside" data-pin-do="buttonPin" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fseeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F09%2Ftaco-tuesday.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Nk9BPbWhEaU%2FVCNETYSYMyI%2FAAAAAAAARyo%2FctOwOr-gGFI%2Fs1600%2FOrange%2BDijon%2BPork%2BTacos.png&description=Orange%20Dijon%20Pork%20Tacos%20%7C%20more%20than%209%20to%205%3A%20my%20life%20as%20%26quot%3Bmom%26quot%3B" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpljDE_kMDWAo0n6ECKfsCFF_VZQNkFPawPvmz4r59DrAUtyYaVN6beX17JlGMb2SbDhXg3QjHMWarNAOredieYD1MqCjb-mVDrwukFVC1eCt0JfAA3603T4EsVqfCTC40kOMUZ9ofXdh/s1600/Orange-Dijon-Pork-Tacos.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-50921358366200151472020-06-15T10:00:00.022-04:002020-06-15T11:09:31.675-04:00Always Eat After 7 PM: A New Lifestyle for Me<img alt="Tracking Pixel" src="https://pixel.massivesway.com/tracker.php?pixel=4eb39404-1c7a-4761-9b22-a8c053b8b439" /><br />This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed below are my own.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2wNaFIx" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEv8-01fz0-dYZpEVzHayvh4hNymkAKTKA6bVu4b131K2NaNpPBE_o8zu7xPLdFtDdAGTiZCIKJnhqwS9BE5S0b9dpSmfBb5FNTiPbk4NsmABo2ByDnRdIpOJoqMG9Mx7y1W6doTwKT7JZ/s320/AlwaysEatAfter7PM_FrontCover.jpg" /></a></div>I'm back to update you on my progress with the new diet plan I've been following for the past three weeks from <a href="http://bit.ly/2wNaFIx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a>. I <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/always-eat-after-7-pmsay-what.html" target="_blank">told you a few weeks ago about how I've been wanting to get serious about shedding some excess weight, increasing my energy and just feeling better on an everyday basis</a>. <div><br /></div><div>Another week on plan and I'm definitely feeling better than I have in months, yet I still don't feel like I'm "dieting" because we're enjoying so many awesome new meals while still losing weight! The best part is that this new way of eating isn't an inconvenience for our normal routine. I don't know about you, but I have a husband that works a lot and we don't normally sit down to eat until at least 7 pm most nights. This would go against the normal dieting train of thought, but not this plan! I can enjoy a later dinner and even a bedtime snack with no guilt. <i>Yes, you read that correctly.</i> Bedtime snacks are encouraged. I'm sold for life. Please tell me I'm not the only one who likes to sneak back into the kitchen after their kiddos are tucked away in bed and enjoy a snack in peace and quiet?? <i>Haha!</i> Joel explains in his book why it's ok to ditch our old ways of thinking:</div><blockquote><div>Research shows that the average person's metabolic rate is no different during sleep than during the day. In short, your metabolism doesn't slow down at night. Nor does your body store fat at the end of the day. Whether it's 8 am or 8 pm, you use food energy the same way.</div></blockquote><div>So no, when your mom told you everything you eat after 7 pm gets stored as fat, she was wrong. <i>Sorry, mom.</i> But that's good news for us! Joel goes on to explain why the bedtime snack is not just allowed, <i>it's encouraged</i>:</div><blockquote><div>Scientists have established that consuming at least 20 grams of protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis for two to five hours after eating a meal. However, recent research also shows that protein synthesis drops to unexpectedly low levels during sleep, even if you eat ample protein during and after evening exercise. This has led researchers to speculate that this process may fall off during sleep if you don't eat protein prior to bedtime.</div></blockquote><div>So what should you eat before bed? You can find Joel's top 12 bedtime snacks below. He goes into detail in the book about why they are great choices and what they each have to offer you. In his research, he found:</div><blockquote><div>Specific higher-carbohydrate foods (including berries and cherries) support your fat-burning metabolism while you sleep, providing your body with a steady steam of fuel throughout the night. The trick is knowing how to combine them with other evening and pre-bedtime fat-burning foods to fuel your metabolism as you sleep.</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS-a2CgNp-ZbEY3-vT-D9Zetfq2qIOTkVNuTsppz3tbXMHR8n-Ph5mNehoP741pIdWheYF2hEriDBlJKD49Xc6oDG7iBjo76rDKahq9JkP-eOgI9aHFYUV1EeYTkmnfc6VxQlHlb38sKC/s3000/Top+12+Bedtime+Snacks+Graphic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxS-a2CgNp-ZbEY3-vT-D9Zetfq2qIOTkVNuTsppz3tbXMHR8n-Ph5mNehoP741pIdWheYF2hEriDBlJKD49Xc6oDG7iBjo76rDKahq9JkP-eOgI9aHFYUV1EeYTkmnfc6VxQlHlb38sKC/w640-h640/Top+12+Bedtime+Snacks+Graphic.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/always-eat-after-7-pm-is-perfect-plan.html" target="_blank">As I explained before, there are 3 phases to this plan</a>. We have now completed the 14-day acceleration phase and the first week of the main phase. <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/always-eat-after-7-pm-is-producing.html" target="_blank">We saw quick results those first two weeks</a>. Weight loss has slowed now, but that was to be expected as we've increased our calories a bit and upped our carbs. The first phase is more restrictive to get you jump-started. He explains in the book that eating what he refers to as "super carbs" is actually quite helpful.</div><blockquote><div>Despite all the bad press over the years, certain carbohydrates play an important role in balancing your hormones and regulating your metabolic rate, while avoiding the dreaded weight loss plateaus that accompany conventional mainstream diets. Furthermore, when you eat these carbohydrates, you'll feel much better than you would if you were following a traditional diet.</div></blockquote><div>Nothing against those other super carb-restricting plans from me, but I like carbs. <i>I'm pretty sure I need them.</i> I need a eating plan I can sustain long-term and not be miserable, so this one fits the bill for me. And don't forget cheat meal/day. Let me eat my favorite comfort foods once a week and I can stay on plan forever! That's definitely the hardest part of sticking to any diet in the long run for me. That feeling of missing out on things I love. Let's face it, food is a very social thing. Now I won't have to go to gatherings with friends and stand around awkwardly while everyone enjoys good food and drinks. I can make that my cheat day for the week! Then I just get back on track the next day and continue towards my goals. <i>Easy peasy</i>.<i> </i></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div>I can't wait to update you in another month to let you know how we are doing with the plan. In the meantime, if you're interested in checking out more details for yourself, check out <a href="http://bit.ly/2wNaFIx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a>. It is now available to purchase. <a href="http://bit.ly/2wNaFIx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learn more about the book and how to purchase here</a>.</div><div><div><br />This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed above are my own.</div></div></div>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-88028553607714979222020-06-08T12:55:00.001-04:002020-06-09T14:49:22.902-04:00Always Eat After 7 PM is Producing Amazing Results<img alt="Tracking Pixel" src="https://pixel.massivesway.com/tracker.php?pixel=4eb39404-1c7a-4761-9b22-a8c053b8b439" /><br />
This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed below are my own.<br />
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I'm back to update you on my progress with this awesome new plan I've been following for the past two weeks from <a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/32oR90L" rel="”nofollow” target=">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a>. I <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/always-eat-after-7-pmsay-what.html" target="_blank">told you a couple weeks ago about how I've been wanting to get serious about shedding some excess weight, increasing my energy and just feeling better on an everyday basis</a>. I'm happy to report that after just 2 weeks of following this plan, I am down 9 pounds!! I never rely on just the numbers on the scale though - I like to take pics to see my progress. I had some serious stomach bloat going on when I started and that has been eliminated. <i>Yeeeessssss. </i>I had also begun struggling with some acid reflux prior to starting this plan <i>(something that flares up when I'm not eating right)</i>, but I haven't had any issues since starting. <i>Yay!!</i> My husband has been following the plan with me and he has also seen great results - down 10 pounds! We both agree that we feel great, this diet hasn't left us hungry <i>(even with a bit more physical activity)</i> and we've truly enjoyed the meals we're eating, which includes some awesome new recipes from the book.<br />
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I've tried out a lot of the recipes from the book now and they are seriously delicious. So much flavor. And the best part is that I've been able to make these meals for the entire family, without needing to make the boys something completely different. These first two weeks, I've definitely added in some healthy carbs for them that we passed on, but having a main dish that feeds everyone and is on plan for us is perfect!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-phmXDC544pORZBm3xyFfB9Y9IR61m3D7GKNTuZmEuj3OrRdn0Xqmzx3wNpVYzo5EJpdfGP5vzNOpLHwiOqLeEAoMHp2hhaWMhaluobrPZnavC-U0MMrqAFMXMaVA8zFJpxezCI9F42k/s1600/Food+Pics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-phmXDC544pORZBm3xyFfB9Y9IR61m3D7GKNTuZmEuj3OrRdn0Xqmzx3wNpVYzo5EJpdfGP5vzNOpLHwiOqLeEAoMHp2hhaWMhaluobrPZnavC-U0MMrqAFMXMaVA8zFJpxezCI9F42k/s640/Food+Pics.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yes. These are all delicious items we've been eating the past 2 weeks that you can find in the book! Honey garlic pork loin, spiced tilapia, pot roast tacos with chimichurri, turkey and bacon goulash, shrimp curry with cauliflower rice, garlic-roasted salmon and broccoli, turkey burgers, blackberry chia seed pudding, and chocolate buttons <i>(a fast favorite for all of us!). </i>This is not a "salad only" kind of diet. I would not do well with that. Sure, I like some salads, but I don't want to eat them all the time. I love food, so I've thoroughly enjoyed the meals I get to eat on this plan. They really knocked it out of the park with the recipes they've included in the book. I'm excited to continue trying some new ones this coming week! Check out some of Joel's favorites below.<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/402754866" width="640"></iframe></span><br />
As I explained in <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/always-eat-after-7-pm-is-perfect-plan.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, there are 3 phases to this plan. Today is our last day of the 14-day acceleration phase. I've phased out breakfast and I'm having a morning ritual drink <i>(on plan coffee for me!)</i>, lunch, dinner with dessert and a bedtime snack! I honestly didn't think I'd be able to get rid of breakfast and still be active in the mornings, but I've done surprisingly well with it. A part of this plan is following an intermittent fasting protocol. As Joel writes in the book:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Going without breakfast is part of intermittent fasting (IF), also called time-restricted feeding (TRF). IF is a pattern of food consumption that cycles between fasting and eating in specific time periods. There are various ways to do it; one of the most common is the 16/8 protocol, which involved 16 hours of fasting - typically done overnight - with an 8-hour window in which to eat each day.</blockquote>
I haven't been able to hit the 16/8 most days, but I've been doing at least 14/10 on a regular basis now, sometimes 15/9. Joel explains why this is helpful with weight loss:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Always Eat After 7 PM is a three-phase program that teaches you how to lose big by strategically eating big when you are naturally hungriest - in the evening. This may sound too good to be true, but let me assure you it is no gimmick. It's all about making strategic and smart food swaps, and you can still eat your favorite foods. </blockquote>
He goes on to say:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Those who ate breakfast ended up eating about 260 calories more a day, the review found. Those who skipped breakfast were about one pound lighter than those who ate breakfast. These findings led the researchers to conclude that eating breakfast isn't necessarily a good strategy for losing weight. The science isn't really there. Breakfast could very well be the least important meal of the day. </blockquote>
Another study found the following:<br />
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Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.</blockquote>
Based on surprising science, Always Eat After 7 PM debunks popular diet myths and offers an easy-to-follow diet that accelerates fat-burning and allows you to indulge in your most intense food cravings: Eating majority of your calories at night. But don't worry, if you're a breakfast lover like I am, it's not gone forever. As part of the main phase, you're allowed one cheat meal, or day <i>(if you exercise)</i>, a week. <i>And it's actually encouraged!</i> Breakfast that day is totally acceptable. <i>Yay!</i> With a bit of tweaking, I can continue to enjoy some of my favorite breakfast meals I make for my family without feeling guilty. In short, this program is making dieting easy and eliminating my reasons for resistance. I think enjoying this cheat day once a week will be what allows me to continue with this plan instead of abandoning it like so many others I've tried. It won't feel as restrictive and won't make me give up everything I love for good. As long as I can stick to the plan 6 days a week, I can look forward to a little splurge at the end of each week. <i>Perfect.</i><br />
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Interested in checking out these recipes for yourself? <a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/32oR90L" rel="”nofollow” target=">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a> is now available to purchase. <a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/32oR90L" rel="”nofollow” target=">Learn more about the book and how to purchase here</a>.<br />
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This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed above are my own.</div>
Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-79835642661392037352020-06-01T10:00:00.000-04:002020-06-01T10:00:05.221-04:00Always Eat After 7 PM is the Perfect Plan for Me<img alt="Tracking Pixel" src="https://pixel.massivesway.com/tracker.php?pixel=4eb39404-1c7a-4761-9b22-a8c053b8b439" /><br />
This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed below are my own.<br />
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I'm back! Last week, I let you know about a great new book I'm reading - <a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/390FBDm" rel="”nofollow” target=">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a>. <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/always-eat-after-7-pmsay-what.html" target="_blank">You can check out that post here</a>. As a quick recap, the<a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/390FBDm" rel="”nofollow” target="> Always Eat After 7 PM</a> plan consists of:<br />
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: , serif;">A 14-day <i>Acceleration Phase</i> to kick-start the program and see rapid results<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: , serif;">A <i>Main Phase</i> where you'll learn exactly which foods to eat when, in order to achieve your weight-loss goals<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: , serif;">A <i>Lifestyle Phase</i> to keep the weight off for good<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: , serif;">After just a week on this diet, I already feel like it's helping me reach my goals. I'm losing weight, feeling better, and haven't had this much energy in awhile! Daily walks and lifting weights again is going great. <i>Yay!!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , serif;">I recently interviewed the author, Joel Marion, to learn more about why he wrote the book. When asking him about his inspiration for this book, he said: </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlYIxUrKvnNSVpbwfs8JVXhiXu-LZkVTbaHZIBdiAQD0d6enGe4V1ZmEvj0BvV4Rder8tkogT_Mo_MUbnySpAfTOHpwVh_NLqq0B7bfIPgj2ue8NLl7dB0hLv5QoIpV53rPFakaBKppHG/s1600/Joel+head+shot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="550" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlYIxUrKvnNSVpbwfs8JVXhiXu-LZkVTbaHZIBdiAQD0d6enGe4V1ZmEvj0BvV4Rder8tkogT_Mo_MUbnySpAfTOHpwVh_NLqq0B7bfIPgj2ue8NLl7dB0hLv5QoIpV53rPFakaBKppHG/s200/Joel+head+shot.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: , serif;">After authoring 6 best selling books, it was glaringly obvious there were 2 huge misconceptions about dieting that needed to be exposed. The first is that you can't eat late at night or before bed, which science now shows is NOT true. And second, you can't eat large portions that satisfy your natural instinct. This book solves both these problems by providing an evidence-based, enjoyable approach to dieting that can be used by any person to quickly achieve their weight loss goals.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: , serif;">I'd have to agree that those were definitely misconceptions that I believed before starting this plan. I've always been told to not eat too late and that multiple smaller meals were the way to go. Following those recommendations always left me wanting more, hungry before bed and starving by the time I awoke in the mornings. I have 4 boys. <i>I don't have time to make 6 little meals a day for myself!</i> This plan is so much easier to follow. I can fix a dinner that all of us can eat a huge portion of and then even sneak a snack in after I get them put to bed! <i>Perfect.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , serif;">I dug deeper to find out what he thought was the most surprising discovery when he was researching the scientific data for the diet. He said:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: , serif;">That almost everything my college education and certifications taught me was NOT grounded in published scientific research.</span></blockquote>
<i>Wow</i>. I can relate to that one! As a Health Promotion and Education major in college, we had exactly ONE class dedicated to nutrition. <i>Yep</i>. You read that correctly. Not only did we receive very little in the form of nutrition education, it was just the basics. We didn't cover scientific research at all in that intro course, much less learn any information we could actually use. Obviously, much of the research has changed since I was sitting in that nutrition class 20 years ago, but it makes me wonder what they are teaching there these days. I also went through a year of graduate classes in the same major, again with just one nutrition class. We touched more on scientific research there, but nothing like the amount of info I learned just by reading <a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/390FBDm" rel="”nofollow” target=">Always Eat After 7 PM</a>. It's a constantly changing field, so we (both practitioners and consumers) need to be sure to stay up to date with the current research.<br />
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Check out more about the science behind the diet in the video below from Joel.<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/402752643" width="640"></iframe></span><br />
Circling back to why this book stands out from the others he has written, he said:<br />
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Although many of the concepts are similar [in the 6 best-selling books I've authored], the biggest difference is that you don't have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. You don't have to deal with the burden of eating every few hours. And you don't have to skip the carbs at dinnertime or avoid eating before bed.</blockquote>
<i>Yes!</i> Again, eating too many times a day just doesn't work for me and my family. And I love carbs. I don't want to give those up! He writes in the book:<br />
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Fact is, most diets are extremely narrow with regard to food choices and variety, and many even limit entire macronutrients altogether over the course of the entire program (think low-carb and low-fat diets). Three months with no carbs? No thanks. Such practices not only are entirely unnecessary, but make for a miserable, unsustainable experience.</blockquote>
<i>Thank you!!</i> Finally, a diet where I can keep eating the foods that I love and not feel miserable and cranky all the time. Trust me, my family doesn't like a hangry mom! ;)<br />
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<a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/390FBDm" rel="”nofollow” target=">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a> is now available to purchase. <a _blank="" href="http://bit.ly/390FBDm" rel="”nofollow” target=">Learn more about the book and how to purchase here</a>.<br />
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This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed above are my own.<br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-63418757457891204242020-05-26T10:32:00.000-04:002020-05-28T15:59:46.778-04:00Always Eat After 7 PM...Say What?!?<img alt="Tracking Pixel" src="https://pixel.massivesway.com/tracker.php?pixel=4eb39404-1c7a-4761-9b22-a8c053b8b439" /><br />
This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM." The opinions expressed below are my own.<br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2TefhPs" rel="”nofollow”" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Always Eat After 7PM" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3SDC6sC_0aBswWFj0SuRBdc5kmYdyb2gPr6c6D4hdlKIkOFNXQkObDqsG_V6tWt10LHb4jMJKutshT3OZskt9W3svOfzaAwFOI8ZPvxCMmEPijq4tGP0XLo6f3ZxdJarRoP9xHBG1WxJ/s320/AlwaysEatAfter7PM_FrontCover.jpg" title="Always Eat After 7PM" width="256" /></a></div>
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I have been wanting to get serious about shedding some excess weight for awhile now. Then hello, quarantine weight! Ugh. Now I really need to get serious...like, yesterday. In addition to losing weight, I'd really like to increase my energy and just feel better in general, so I jumped at the chance to receive an advance copy of <a href="http://bit.ly/2TefhPs" rel="”nofollow”" target="_blank">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a>. Over the next month, I'll be sharing my experience with the book and diet (and hopefully some awesome benefits and results!). Basically, the <a href="http://bit.ly/2TefhPs" rel="”nofollow”" target="_blank">Always Eat After 7 PM</a> plan consists of:<br />
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<ul>
<li>A 14-day Acceleration Phase to kick-start the program and see rapid results</li>
<li>A Main Phase where you'll learn exactly which foods to eat when, in order to achieve your weight-loss goals</li>
<li>A Lifestyle Phase to keep the weight off for good</li>
</ul>
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<i>Count me in!</i> Can it really be this simple? Eating late? Isn't that going against one of the biggest diet "rules"?<br />
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Right away, Joel begins addressing this. Providing studies and his own experience battling weight, this book gets right to it. After doing research, Joel decided to put his theory to the test and the results were awesome. Twelve pounds down in the first 2 weeks, 46 lbs after 16 weeks, flatter abs and more energy. <i>Sign me up.</i> But what really struck a chord with me was this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"At my next medical checkup, my doctor was shocked at how good my blood work had gotten, so quickly. And let's not forget the most important part: for the first time in months, I had the energy to keep up with my little girls."</blockquote>
Having the energy to keep up with my 4 boys is at the TOP of my list of health goals. I'm not getting any younger, and they're getting bigger and faster, so I need to start making changes <i>now</i>. I'm excited to dive in and I'll post an update next week, so stay tuned!<br />
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In the meantime, find out more about Joel and his inspiration to write this book!<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/402747689" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;" width="640"></iframe></div>
Learn more about <a href="http://bit.ly/2TefhPs" rel="”nofollow”" target="_blank">"Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks - While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion</a> <a href="http://bit.ly/2TefhPs" rel="”nofollow”" target="_blank">and how to purchase here!</a><br />
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This post is brought to you by my sponsor, "Always Eat After 7 PM". The opinions expressed above are my own.</div>
Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-27529093372114781422018-07-27T21:43:00.000-04:002018-07-27T21:43:24.944-04:00Levi's Nine-Month Check-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WXGOYqsaGgp8EbUss0caF7LY2ZUvBGov5zi4xDhhq6cfUS2uM6HdCTHgUnxHg5QpWDWlMccoVBVCM5a5mQO4NNTBTpgfM89k4wNKAZMH2zY2ijHrgacNtP7JKE0IW17Bn1XEeLzoY4SG/s1600/Baby+Update.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WXGOYqsaGgp8EbUss0caF7LY2ZUvBGov5zi4xDhhq6cfUS2uM6HdCTHgUnxHg5QpWDWlMccoVBVCM5a5mQO4NNTBTpgfM89k4wNKAZMH2zY2ijHrgacNtP7JKE0IW17Bn1XEeLzoY4SG/s1600/Baby+Update.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHphvLVaKRGbE-z6UPBtP6sVKxM156zawrPz2HtzaI75WiNW20Zl6MUMXphNZR78fRaTYupY0ElVDMAQRBbrLw9DfgZcdpENK5npS6J3-TC70xjcqwoO4ZYkoNiXievrJWve8BTNuHBfyy/s1600/IMG_5978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHphvLVaKRGbE-z6UPBtP6sVKxM156zawrPz2HtzaI75WiNW20Zl6MUMXphNZR78fRaTYupY0ElVDMAQRBbrLw9DfgZcdpENK5npS6J3-TC70xjcqwoO4ZYkoNiXievrJWve8BTNuHBfyy/s320/IMG_5978.JPG" width="256" /></a><b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 9 months<br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Weight</i>: 21 lbs 10 oz <i>(up to the 81st percentile)</i>, + 1 lb 13 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 29.25 inches <i>(up to the 83rd percentile)</i>, + 1.25 inch from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: 18 inches <i>(up to the 70th percentile)</i>, + 1 inch from 6-month appt</li>
</ul>
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Levi is still wearing a size 3 diaper. He has been wearing 6-9 month, or 6-12 month clothes. He is wearing size 6-12 month shoes.</div>
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
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None this month.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i><i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31NGFHbyeS7Q9vnYmMj7McJOIa-kBHOVfADZ-x03h6r-I5R14sKkjqplR3w-hgphNC8i6gebIKdgF_flE1tkr5_qwKgD4bKLqQvKBHzdFDvp1YaTwM8KaY_UOJYHe0dpQ9fiCZveP1uW-/s1600/IMG_6032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31NGFHbyeS7Q9vnYmMj7McJOIa-kBHOVfADZ-x03h6r-I5R14sKkjqplR3w-hgphNC8i6gebIKdgF_flE1tkr5_qwKgD4bKLqQvKBHzdFDvp1YaTwM8KaY_UOJYHe0dpQ9fiCZveP1uW-/s200/IMG_6032.JPG" width="165" /></a>Levi had a good visit last week. He is on track developmentally and looked/sounded great. He's a big boy, but growing well proportionally. The best way to describe him is that he is SOLID. Not squishy and roly poly - more like a rock! His doctor and I agreed it's best to continue avoiding dairy like milk and ice cream at this point <i>(for both of us)</i>, but we're hopeful that we'll be able to try it after his birthday.<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 9-month picture in the 12-month onesie. Look at all that hair!! This poor boy definitely needs a cut now. It really turned blond after our trip to the beach, too! Meat and fruit have emerged as his favorites - he goes for those first on his plate, but he doesn't discriminate against veggies or bread either. ;) As you can see, the boy likes to eat! He's also moving all over the place, making it interesting!<br />
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And here is a comparison of all four of the boys at nine months. Levi has now smashed the weight of the other 3, and has taken the lead for height as well! Ethan was 28.5 inches long and weighed 18 lbs 1 oz. Noah was 28 inches long and weighed 18 lbs 8 oz. And tiny little Amos was 28 inches long and weighed just 16 lbs 8 oz. While the others were continuing to thin out at this point, Levi is definitely not. <i>Ha!</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-R1XMoyOUIkGsLP6dCEWFVqs9M-Vwq-CBYk99Hd6GiatAc0k-puoa_XBp9SmbLMhtKT6x2VbiktoDPeEmKf1Pe2mRLfBF0lq7cD69YwMsAp3pcCGeEK3j0tzr0SC9WJa7cd435yDAXDy/s1600/IMG_5241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-R1XMoyOUIkGsLP6dCEWFVqs9M-Vwq-CBYk99Hd6GiatAc0k-puoa_XBp9SmbLMhtKT6x2VbiktoDPeEmKf1Pe2mRLfBF0lq7cD69YwMsAp3pcCGeEK3j0tzr0SC9WJa7cd435yDAXDy/s320/IMG_5241.JPG" width="256" /></a><b><i>Accomplishments this Month</i></b>:</div>
<ul>
<li>First family vacation</li>
<li>First time in the ocean + sand</li>
<li>First beach nap</li>
<li>First sunrise</li>
<li>Drinking water</li>
<li>Cruising on furniture</li>
<li>First fireworks</li>
</ul>
We took our family vacation this year to Isle of Palms, SC. It was a H-O-T week, but we saw quite a bit <i>(like Patriots Point - USS Yorktown, USS Laffey + USS Clamagore and Fort Sumter) </i>and relaxed on the beach a lot, too. Levi was able to dip his toes in both the ocean and the sand and seemed to really enjoy both. He wanted to eat the sand, which was made easier by the fact that he doesn't use a paci at all anymore. :( So, most of his beach time was spent on our laps, taking relaxing naps under the umbrella. :) As you can see below, they've all been fans of that! ;) Unfortunately I don't have a pic of Ethan and I like this, but luckily I found one of him with Josh from his first beach trip. :) By the time he took his first beach trip, he was 13 months old. The other 3 were all about 8/9 months old for their first trips! As you can see in the 2nd pic, they all needed help walking in the water, but by 13 months, Ethan was running all over the place. <i>Ha!</i><br />
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I guess Levi wanted to make sure we crossed a summer bucket list item off and woke us up before sunrise on our last day at the beach. Ethan was awake, too, so 4 of the 6 of us, plus Lego, made our way down to the beach to catch a gorgeous sunrise! He also started drinking water while we were on vacation. He hasn't figured out a sippy cup yet, but he's getting the hang of a straw now. :)<br />
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Levi is crawling all over the place and started cruising around the furniture, too! Fortunately he's good at falling to his booty when he wants to get back down. He also loves climbing stairs when given the chance. We had to dig out the old baby gates to help contain him now!<br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;">We're </span><i style="text-align: center;">still</i><span style="text-align: center;"> waiting on those bottom two teeth to poke through, but I swear it really will be any day now. <i>I'm starting to sound like a broken record here...</i>I'm hoping that's the reason he is still waking at night so much, too. It would be incredible if those teeth would just come through and he'd start sleeping through the night. </span><i style="text-align: center;">Is that too much to ask??</i><br />
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Aside from vacation, Levi did at least have a better month for sleep. He was normally getting up just once a night. He still goes to bed between 8 and 9 pm and sleeps until 8 or 9 am. He sometimes gets a bit of a cat nap in the mid-morning when he nurses, but he's also still taking an afternoon nap of about 2-3 hours in his crib. I'm nursing him every 3-4 hours during the daytime for 10-25 minutes. He eats about 7 times total in a 24-hr period.<br />
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Levi celebrated his first Independence Day and actually stayed awake for the 10 pm fireworks! I really thought we'd end up holding a sleeping boy for those, but I guess he wanted to see what all the fuss was about instead.<br />
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As you can see, Levi still <i>LOVES</i> his big brother, Noah. The feeling is quite mutual. I hope they stay this close. I call Noah my "little Momma" because he is so good with helping out with him! Maybe he just enjoys having his own little minion like Ethan has Amos, but I'll take it. ;)<br />
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Are we really 3/4 of the way through his first year!?! I'm a couple weeks behind this month, but hope to get back on track again next month! School starts on a little over a week, followed by Amos's birthday a month after that, then Levi will be one before I know it. <i>Time flies...</i><br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-45397531288971955872018-06-18T16:40:00.000-04:002018-06-18T16:40:06.314-04:00Levi is Eight Months Old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 8 months<br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Weight</i>: 19 lbs 13 oz <i>(up to the 65th percentile)</i>, + 1 lb 13 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 28 inches <i>(down to the 59th percentile)</i>, + 0.5 inch from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: not measured</li>
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Levi is still wearing a size 3 diaper. He has been wearing 6-9 month, or 6-12 month clothes. He is wearing size 6-12 month shoes.</div>
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
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None this month.<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></i><i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
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None this month.<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 8-month picture in the 12-month onesie. I have decided that "Hoss Baby," or "Chins," may be more appropriate nicknames for this guy than "Tiny"! <i>Ha! </i>He will definitely be the earliest of the 4 to hit 20 pounds!! But look at those adorable chins. <i>So stinkin' cute.</i><br />
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And here is a comparison of all four of the boys at eight months. Levi flew past the others this month for weight, and is still 2nd for height. Ethan was 28.5 inches long and weighed 18 lbs 8 oz. Noah was 27 inches long and weighed 17 lbs 13 oz. And tiny little Amos was 27 inches long and weighed just 16 lbs 0 oz. While the others were starting to thin out at this point, Levi is not. <i>Ha!</i> I attribute that to a combination of eating everything in sight and not moving as much as big brothers were at this point. Ethan was cruising at 6 months and walking by 9 months, while Levi hasn't even started cruising yet. Levi definitely continues to have his own look, but I think he's actually starting to favor big brother Ethan more now. It's hard to tell in this picture, but oftentimes he has similar facial expressions and he smiles with his eyes <i>(smizing, if you will) </i>like Ethan does. <i>Tyra Banks would be proud. ;)</i></div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this Month</i></b>:</div>
<ul>
<li>First swim in the pool</li>
<li>Self-feeding table food</li>
<li>Crawling on his knees</li>
<li>Pulling up on furniture</li>
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The neighborhood pool opened up by Memorial Day here, so Levi was able to experience his first swim! That boy LOVES water. He is normally content to just float around the pool in his little baby float, but he really loves being held so he is able to splash up a storm! Daddy likes to put on his goggles for that as it gets a little wild. <i>Haha!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OJeLTxGCvB4rnOCKRHXRbpmQPNRHAGfalYAIX2l2HanTQwcpdmXnDRJJRiLRWj_uWO6TsLVeK36eJ0W8VtTl9eGMBa58-u7amywxcUSDOIKGOTrYmy2UImritjsCY2vo_owXaNbndrnx/s1600/IMG_4676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OJeLTxGCvB4rnOCKRHXRbpmQPNRHAGfalYAIX2l2HanTQwcpdmXnDRJJRiLRWj_uWO6TsLVeK36eJ0W8VtTl9eGMBa58-u7amywxcUSDOIKGOTrYmy2UImritjsCY2vo_owXaNbndrnx/s320/IMG_4676.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a>I'm not really sure at what point it happened <i>(yep, 4th baby problems)</i>, but we must've grown tired of feeding him purées. So, we started letting him have little tastes of table food - the stuff we were having for dinner. <i>Oops!</i> I know we need to be a little cautious with what we give him, as he still doesn't seem to be able to tolerate getting some forms of dairy through my milk, so I've been avoiding giving him anything with milk, cream or cheese yet. But, he seems to be doing really well with managing to eat pretty much anything we put in front of him, or into his mouth. Maybe that has something to do with the almost 2 pounds he's packed on this past month?? <i>Hahaha!</i> He hasn't met a food he hasn't liked yet, which is pretty amazing. He's had things like cajun quinoa with ground turkey and bell peppers, pasta, burgers with zoodles, blueberry pancakes, biscuits, scrambled eggs, etc. I know I'm forgetting lots of things, but you get the idea. He really loves sharing my morning oatmeal with me. I can't blame him since it's delicious. I've had to start making more now because he was getting mad when his bowl ran out! <i>LOL.</i> He'll still eat purées if that's all we have for him, but he is definitely loving trying anything he can get. He actually really loves eyeing our coffee, too, but I have to draw the line somewhere. ;) It is amazing though that he's eating all of this with no teeth yet! I guess he's just really good at gumming everything. :)<br />
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Levi has still been dragging himself (scooting) all over the place this past month, but by the end of his 7th month, he started actually crawling some, too! He still prefers to scoot, because he is much faster at it, but he can crawl now as well. Along with the crawling, he has started to pull himself up on the furniture. Sadly, he likes using the stone fireplace to do this, which kind of scares the crap out of me a bit, even as a veteran mom now. I picture him cracking his head on the edge as he falls over, so I normally quickly rescue him and put him somewhere a bit safer. So yeah, I'm pretty busy now!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Like I mentioned above, we're </span><i style="text-align: center;">still</i><span style="text-align: center;"> waiting on those bottom two teeth to poke through, but I swear it really will be any day now. I'm hoping that's the reason he is still waking at night so much, too. It would be incredible if those teeth would just come through and he'd start sleeping through the night. </span><i style="text-align: center;">Is that too much to ask??</i><br />
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An even rougher month in the sleep department, I think? Levi was still getting up at least once, usually two times a night. One week, he was waking three times a night again. I felt like I had a newborn again! :( He has started to get a bit better again, so I'm hoping we're going in the right direction now. <i>Sleep deprivation is no joke.</i> He still goes to bed between 8 and 9 pm and sleeps until 8 or 9 am. He still normally gets a bit of a cat nap in the mid-morning when he nurses, but he's also taking an afternoon nap of about 2-3 hours in his crib. I've continued to nurse him every 2-3 hours during the daytime for 10-25 minutes. He eats about 7 times total in a 24-hr period.<br />
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I can't believe that next month's update will mean that we're 3/4 of the way through his first year!?! <i>Insanity</i>.<br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-45691046664376838742018-05-14T18:17:00.000-04:002018-05-14T18:17:56.900-04:00Levi is Seven Months Old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 7 months<br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Weight</i>: 18 lbs 0 oz <i>(down to the 44th percentile)</i>, + 2 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 27.5 inches <i>(down to the 62nd percentile)</i>, + 0.5 inch from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: not measured</li>
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Levi is still wearing a size 3 diaper. He has mostly been wearing 6-9 month clothes, but can still squeeze into a few 3-6 month favorites!</div>
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
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None this month.<br />
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None this month.<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 7-month picture in the 12-month onesie. You can't see those blue eyes below, but you sure can in the picture above. And check out that hair! He looks like an old man going bald with his sweet combover hair in the middle. <i>Ha! </i>He didn't really want to straighten out for me again this month as he still loves playing with those piggies any chance he can get!<br />
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And here is a comparison of all four of the boys at seven months, just for fun. Levi continues to take the prize for heaviest of the four, and is still 2nd for height. Ethan was 28 inches long and weighed 17 lbs 0 oz. Noah was 27 inches long and weighed 17 lbs 3 oz. And tiny little Amos was 26.75 inches long and weighed just 15 lbs 0 oz. All four boys' weight gain was minimal between 6 and 7 months. I think that is due to the fact that they all started moving a lot at that point. Levi definitely continues to have his own look, but I still think he favors Noah <i>(and Mommy)</i> the most. There are times that I'm starting to see Ethan in him, but I think that may be because Levi looks like he has spiky hair like Ethan did.</div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this Month</i></b>:</div>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqImrJNrvQmGP7xYsrKBbaMNYQWcErMAcxjdtrpe6bEd1TJYDJ62_WddY2F8D1Gwyg773vmMyzlZLHF3VPF4Mvq9yf_NgN7WXbm0cpXM0QRXkOaF-CfQSjCsY5KHMe0l5JslmwLHPJynJ/s1600/IMG_4149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqImrJNrvQmGP7xYsrKBbaMNYQWcErMAcxjdtrpe6bEd1TJYDJ62_WddY2F8D1Gwyg773vmMyzlZLHF3VPF4Mvq9yf_NgN7WXbm0cpXM0QRXkOaF-CfQSjCsY5KHMe0l5JslmwLHPJynJ/s320/IMG_4149.JPG" width="256" /></a>
<li>Scooting/army crawling all over the room...quickly!!</li>
<li>Rocking on his knees</li>
<li>Sitting up by himself unassisted</li>
<li>Saying "dada"</li>
<li>First bike ride</li>
<li>First time riding in the cart like a big boy</li>
<li>Sticking out his tongue</li>
<li>First trip to the farmer's market</li>
</ul>
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Once Levi figured out the rolling thing, he was able to see his surroundings better on his belly, and realized he wanted to see everything up close! So, after starting by slowly inching his way around, he soon figured out how to use his arm to pull his body forward to get where he wanted to go. In no time he was quickly scooting, or army crawling, his way across the room!! <i>Dangerous!</i> Now I can't leave him in one spot for 10 seconds and expect to find him there when I return!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1vkixvnWULlR9gZgqw6wb2m3lj22L_5emfVirCkFuSna93Prqnlp-tYDm9JcQqRD1u6TvwhzjzA9VgnWEzzGpppc6kq6wrS5ZsvXQcCKpUfZQcnPeq-Smych5Y9RnfjA_8ELJsJlhNCq/s1600/IMG_4148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1vkixvnWULlR9gZgqw6wb2m3lj22L_5emfVirCkFuSna93Prqnlp-tYDm9JcQqRD1u6TvwhzjzA9VgnWEzzGpppc6kq6wrS5ZsvXQcCKpUfZQcnPeq-Smych5Y9RnfjA_8ELJsJlhNCq/s320/IMG_4148.JPG" width="256" /></a></div>
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Along with being on his belly more, he has started to rise up on his knees and rock on them. I know that means crawling on those knees is in the not so distant future now! His balance is improving as well, as he can now sit up by himself without falling over. He has super leg strength, so once he figures out how to pull himself up on stuff, he'll be cruising around the room in no time, too. Since he can handle the sitting aspect now, I decided to let him try riding in the cart like a big boy, instead of strapped into his carseat, to get groceries. He loved this much better view, despite the fact that he appears to be annoyed by my capturing a quick photo of this occasion. <i>Sigh.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyyJEvXeTwO0E9AlpN_gD_yr7LcF-FXhSMTEh6h8uMYq39k7zS-Ok2AxOf1knVP03jj5B5YI0AF7GlUssolu6ecXx326uC_rvnj-gCGORjtPg-JOMQwIufISM_HFWLngUAqV4Sy2KUgX-/s1600/IMG_4063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1269" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyyJEvXeTwO0E9AlpN_gD_yr7LcF-FXhSMTEh6h8uMYq39k7zS-Ok2AxOf1knVP03jj5B5YI0AF7GlUssolu6ecXx326uC_rvnj-gCGORjtPg-JOMQwIufISM_HFWLngUAqV4Sy2KUgX-/s320/IMG_4063.JPG" width="252" /></a>Moving along slowly in the food department, we've made our way through a fair share of veggies now. He loved the roasted butternut squash and also was a huge fan of avocado! When we had some guacamole made table side on Cinco de Mayo, we had them leave some avocado out for Levi to eat. I love that little bird mouth, ready to gobble it up! We moved on to fruit as well, starting with bananas. They're so easy to mash up and I always have ripe ones available. I'm pretty sure I buy them just so they can come die at my house. <i>Ugh.</i> He really loved those and was enjoying them daily until I realized it was constipating him. So we took a bit of a break from those for a bit, but have been giving them a go again recently. I'm trying to get him a breakfast and dinner now when I can, as he really seems to enjoy sitting at the table eating. We started sweet potatoes yesterday <i>(the super yummy Japanese variety)</i>, which he inhaled, so once we give those a week, we'll probably add in a new fruit next. He also likes feeding himself Puffs, which is a great workout for his little fingers! :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlYiDKFS43blHYzSs-hAMxTzJ9hxNfmkixOiNEwyYRxfvpOmtERsLSEeOV6Sfy27moeCFVzT4GW2sGwiteMkju15buWny73Z7JaCxv7nOctIFoZFvXI-DtSRPAhgO4EZn9tq8OEvmTHYb/s1600/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1352" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlYiDKFS43blHYzSs-hAMxTzJ9hxNfmkixOiNEwyYRxfvpOmtERsLSEeOV6Sfy27moeCFVzT4GW2sGwiteMkju15buWny73Z7JaCxv7nOctIFoZFvXI-DtSRPAhgO4EZn9tq8OEvmTHYb/s320/IMG_3933.JPG" width="268" /></a><br />
Josh decided he wanted to start taking family bike rides now that Ethan and Noah have mastered how to ride theirs. We started by purchasing a bike for me. I hadn't been on one in 20+ years, but it's like they say - you never forget. ;) Next, we needed to decide what we were going to do with the little two. Amos can ride a bike with training wheels and he's actually really awesome on a scooter, but both of those would make it hard for him to keep up with the rest of us being on bikes, instead of walking. So we purchased a <a href="http://a.co/fq3Atui" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1516198957"></span>WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike Trailer<span id="goog_1516198958"></span></a> for Amos to use on the back of Daddy's bike. It easily connects to the back of his and Amos can either help out by peddling, or he can sit and enjoy the ride. He's done a great job with it so far. Finally, we needed something for the tiniest member of the family to join us as well! We decided to go with WeeRide again, and purchased a <a href="http://a.co/c80imWo" target="_blank">WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat</a> for Levi to use. We weren't sure if he would be big enough yet, but he actually appears to be doing just fine sitting in the seat! He really enjoys it, too. It does make for quite the "road train" for Daddy to pull, but we know he'll do a good job. ;) The seat has a great headrest pad <i>(where he has his arms laying in the pic)</i> on the front that they can use to lay their head down and nap if they want to. Seems like a much easier position to sleep in, as opposed to falling asleep sitting up with their head slumping to the side. We'll see how it goes when we make it out for a long ride on a trail. So far, we've just been around the neighborhood a few times. The hills here are no joke, so Daddy should be in super shape in no time! <i>Ha!</i> You can check out a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiTH2rkgMes/" target="_blank">fun video of them testing it out on my Instagram profile</a>. :)<br />
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We're still waiting on those bottom two teeth to poke through, but it really will be any day now. I can see them there, right under the surface and I think they've really been bugging him this past week. He has had moments of what seems like real pain and unconsolable crying. It is very unlike him, so I'm chalking it up to the teeth for now. He has figured out how to stick out his tiny little tongue and really enjoys doing it lately. It's so adorable.<br />
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Levi made his first trip to the farmer's market with us this past weekend. Though he couldn't get a taste of those yummy donuts yet, he did seem to enjoy riding around in the stroller checking everything out.<br />
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Sadly, Levi gave me no "mama" for Mother's Day this year, but he is definitely workin' the "dada" quite clearly now! You'd think at least one of the four would've uttered that "mama" first, but no such luck. As Amos would say, "Tears, tears, tears."<br />
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Another rough month in the sleep department. <i>He's lucky he's cute!</i> Levi is still getting up at least once, usually twice, a night. There have been a few occurrences where he has slept through until around 5 or 6 am, but they are few and far between. I feel like I'm normally up around 1 and 4 am every night. <i>Ugh.</i> He still goes to bed between 8 and 9 pm and sleeps until 8 or 9 am, sometimes later on the days we don't need to be anywhere. He still normally gets a bit of a cat nap in the mid-morning when he nurses, but he's also taking an afternoon nap of about 2-3 hours in his crib. Sometimes he'll still take a little cat nap before dinner, too. I've continued to nurse him every 2-3 hours during the daytime for 10-25 minutes. He eats about 6-8 times in a 24-hr period.<br />
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Until next month!!<br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-42160467324006996632018-04-18T12:48:00.000-04:002018-04-18T12:48:58.038-04:00Levi's Six-Month Check-Up and Birth Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 6 months<br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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<ul>
<li><i>Weight</i>: 17 lbs 14 oz <i>(down to the 56th percentile)</i>, + 11 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 27 inches <i>(up to the 64th percentile)</i>, + 1 inch from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: 17 inches <i>(down to the 50th percentile)</i>, +0.5 inches from his 4-month check-up</li>
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Levi is wearing a size 3 diaper. He was mostly wearing 3-6 month clothes this past month, but 6-9 month clothes fit a bit better! ;)</div>
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>DTaP <i>(diptheria, tetanus, pertussis)</i></li>
<li>Hib</li>
<li>Hepatitis B</li>
<li>PCV13</li>
<li>Polio</li>
<li>Rotavirus</li>
</ul>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
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Levi's visit went very well today. He is still right on par, or even a bit ahead, developmentally. His fine motor and gross motor skills are great and he's starting to vocalize <i>(quite loudly, in fact)</i>, too. His weight gain has started to slow a bit, but that is probably thanks to his newfound love of moving! His eczema is definitely starting to clear up now. I've pretty much eliminated all dairy except cheese and the occasional yogurt from my diet though. I've also been using the lotion religiously on him. Another round of vaccines, but now he's done for awhile. <i>#vaccinessavebro </i>We'll go back in three months for his 9-month check-up!<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 6-month picture in the 12-month onesie. His eyes are still quite blue in better lighting <i>(I think they will be sticking!) </i>and his hair is getting longer on top of his head! :) He didn't want to straighten out for me this month as he loves playing with those piggies any chance he can get! He refuses to keep socks on, always removing the right one and often the left, too. Chewing on those is one of his favorite things to do. <i>Eww.</i><br />
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And here is a comparison of all four of the boys at six months, just for fun. Levi continues to take the prize for heaviest of the four, and is now tied for 2nd for height. Ethan was 27.75 inches long and weighed 16 lbs 6 oz. Noah was 27 inches long and weighed 17 lbs 1 oz. And tiny little Amos was 26.75 inches long and weighed just 14 lbs 13 oz. Levi definitely continues to have his own look, but I still think he favors Noah <i>(and Mommy)</i> the most.</div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this Month</i></b>:</div>
<ul>
<li>Rolling over...and over...and over</li>
<li>Inching around as much as he can</li>
<li>Solid food!</li>
<li>First preschool story time at the library for big brother's field trip</li>
<li>Puts in paci himself</li>
<li>Starting to vocalize - maybe a "dada"??</li>
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Literally the day after he turned five months old, he finally rolled from his tummy to his back. That was quickly followed by rolling from his back to his tummy. Now I can't get him to stay on his back at all! He <i>loves</i> sleeping on his belly and when I put him in his crib, he instantly rolls to his belly to sleep.<br />
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He's also started to want to get to things that are out of his reach, so he's moving his body as much as he can on his belly <i>(without actually crawling)</i>. If you put him in one spot, you are guaranteed he will be in a completely different one moments later. <i>Yikes!</i> Time to baby-proof this house that we've never had to baby-proof until now!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrOqn9fwymBjj_YyVfWV3bVsq7BxlWqtxvYL8NdIRj7yQ3QKcKwcSxaD5Pbz4MZVDnCt22a8TkMXOtGbiFj7RTgr9gxl84tNd8_WSY7JoZ2796m-wZmC8L_BeFckKVTyFE9gyVTYb0rF6/s1600/IMG_3492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyrOqn9fwymBjj_YyVfWV3bVsq7BxlWqtxvYL8NdIRj7yQ3QKcKwcSxaD5Pbz4MZVDnCt22a8TkMXOtGbiFj7RTgr9gxl84tNd8_WSY7JoZ2796m-wZmC8L_BeFckKVTyFE9gyVTYb0rF6/s200/IMG_3492.JPG" width="150" /></a>We decided to try some solid food when he turned 5 months, to see if that would help in the sleep department. We went ahead with rice cereal since it is easy to thin down with breastmilk. He did great with it for several days before deciding he wasn't a fan anymore. <i>Sigh.</i> So, I decided to give veggies a try. I steamed and pureed some sweet peas and he was gobbling those down as fast as we could spoon them to him <i>(and even grabbing the spoon to shovel them in by himself!)</i>. Then after a few days, he decided he wasn't a fan. <i>Ugh.</i> So I moved on to green beans. Those were a no go from the start. Then I tried carrots. Not really a fan of those either. So, I thought maybe texture was an issue. I couldn't blame him if it was since it affects me, too! Pureeing the frozen, then steamed, veggies still gave it more texture than baby food from a jar, so I bought a few jars of pumpkin to give that a try. He's been eating that for several days now pretty well, so hopefully that's the trick! I am still going to continue to try pushing my homemade purees on him because they're so much cheaper (!!), but we'll have the jars for backup if needed. Next up, tonight, will be roasted butternut squash. We're having it for dinner, so he's going to try it, too! The solid food is coming only at dinner time for now, but once I introduce fruits, we'll probably do that in the mornings or at lunchtime.<br />
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We made it to our first preschool story time at the local library <i>(#thirdandfourthchildproblems) </i>thanks to a field trip with Amos's preschool. They both seemed to enjoy it so we may have to find our way there again soon! Levi does really love it when big brother Noah "reads" him books at home, but then he loves everything Noah does with him. ;) <i>They are the sweetest together.</i><br />
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Another rough month in the sleep department. Halfway through he had some nice 8-hour stretch nights, but then he got in the habit of waking again around 12:30 and 4:30 at night for a couple weeks; sometimes more, sometimes less. He goes to bed between 8 and 9 pm and sleeps until 8 or 9 am, sometimes later on the days we don't need to be anywhere. I often run errands in the mornings, so he still normally gets a bit of a cat nap in his carseat while I'm out, but he's also taking an afternoon nap of about 2-3 hours in his crib. <i>Yay!!</i> Sometimes he'll take a little cat nap before dinner, too. I've continued to nurse him every 2-3 hours during the daytime for 15-25 minutes. He eats about 6-8 times in a 24-hr period.<br />
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Levi has finally figured out how to get his paci back in his mouth by himself, but he'd actually prefer to chew on his fingers or the leg of one of the WubbaNub animals instead. <i>Sigh. </i>I have a feeling his bottom two teeth will be making an appearance before next month's update. They're looking pretty close now! Given the amount of drool this boy has been producing, I sure hope so.<br />
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Instead of just crying and cooing, Levi has started to vocalize now! We swear we've heard him say "dada" several times now, both in response to our prompting and when he sees him, but perhaps it's just luck. We'll see if he keeps it up. <i>Not that I'm jealous that he isn't saying "mama," too!</i><br />
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So I've found that taking care of 4 kids + a PTA position <i>(producing the monthly newsletter and designing + keeping the PTA website updated)</i> + <a href="http://www.kreationsbykristydesign.com/" target="_blank">my graphic design business</a> has kept me all kinds of busy this past 6 months. Granted I designed Levi's birth announcement and had prints made before Christmas <i>(a Christmas miracle, I'm sure)</i>, I still hadn't managed to actually mail them out...until the day he turned six months old. <i>Ha!</i> So, without further adieu...here is his birth announcement. :) <i>Better late than never, right?!? ;) </i>Still working on those thank you notes to all the wonderful friends and family who sent gifts or brought us meals in the fall. Everything was greatly appreciated!!<br />
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Until next month!! <i>Look at me actually writing this in a timely manner this month! Ha!</i><br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-8776495300150947902018-03-16T10:54:00.000-04:002018-03-16T10:54:46.493-04:00Levi is Five Months Old + his Woodland Nursery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 5 months<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZy5e_59y9YJu40Ohu349l_9i4he6kLw5HMAYdkiMhWaUjcqP80zfk3vWs8ARDJhmXlUEUoNVZVW2SIfcuH5-vkYjYj_tmOblMA75MJYav78TMoVfiJIXxaV8uDiL68Ik5Y4fJaW0pdaB/s1600/IMG_2188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZy5e_59y9YJu40Ohu349l_9i4he6kLw5HMAYdkiMhWaUjcqP80zfk3vWs8ARDJhmXlUEUoNVZVW2SIfcuH5-vkYjYj_tmOblMA75MJYav78TMoVfiJIXxaV8uDiL68Ik5Y4fJaW0pdaB/s320/IMG_2188.JPG" width="320" /></a><b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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<li><i>Weight</i>: 17 lbs 3 oz <i>(up to the 63rd percentile)</i>, + 1 lb 8 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 26 inches <i>(down to the 53rd percentile)</i>, + 0.5 inches from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: not measured</li>
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Levi is wearing a size 2 diaper, though it's starting to get a bit snug. He is wearing 3-6 month clothes, though some of the 6-9 month clothes fit a bit better! ;)</div>
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
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<li>None this month</li>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
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No visit this month.<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 5-month picture in the 12-month onesie. His eyes are still blue <i>(though it's hard to see in this pic) </i>and he has some spiky little hair growing in on top of his head - about 1 cm long right now! :) His hair is pretty light, but darker than all of his brothers' hair, I think. He is an adorable little fuzzy-headed chunkster.<br />
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And here is a comparison of all four of the boys at five months, just for fun. Levi continues to take the prize for heaviest of the four, and continues as 3rd for height. Ethan was 27 inches long and weighed 16 lbs. Noah was 26.5 inches long and weighed 16 lbs 6 oz. And tiny little Amos was just 25.5 inches long and weighed 14 lbs 3 oz. <i>Maybe it's a good thing Levi is four years younger, or he could end up passing Amos in size in a few years! Ha!</i> Levi definitely has his own look, but I still think he favors Noah more than Ethan or Amos <i>(who both crack me up here with their faces).</i></div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this Month</i></b>:</div>
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<li>Sitting up in stroller for walks</li>
<li>Went to his first live performance</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-_v206zNIWS4J6sz2cx4n9cOxclSuxUA_0sf7GeHtaJgbA2IEO-xxSt_LtK-z4QvhA-uAXbvMDzKuiLhf7AHXOcaDIBosekkvC5rFbG3GvtbzWJbZXEfmQp5quUFw-v0FjT9-cuhLcoP/s1600/IMG_2219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-_v206zNIWS4J6sz2cx4n9cOxclSuxUA_0sf7GeHtaJgbA2IEO-xxSt_LtK-z4QvhA-uAXbvMDzKuiLhf7AHXOcaDIBosekkvC5rFbG3GvtbzWJbZXEfmQp5quUFw-v0FjT9-cuhLcoP/s320/IMG_2219.JPG" width="272" /></a>Levi seems to be extroverted like his Daddy. He loves to see everything going on around him and people watch when we're out. So we decided it was time to let him sit up in a stroller for our family walks, instead of lying back in his carseat, snapped into the jogging stroller. He loved it! I think it makes him look way too big, but such is life. :'( He really enjoys being outside for long walks with Daddy, Lego and his brothers. Mommy tries to go most of the time, but sometimes enjoys a silent house while she gets lots of things accomplished at home!! ;)<br />
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At the end of February, Ethan's 3rd grade class gave a musical performance at the monthly PTA meeting. Levi really enjoyed listening to them sing and watching them dance <i>(much more than Ethan enjoyed it - sigh)</i>. He was the perfect audience. :) Singing to him is usually the best way to get him calmed down when he is upset. It doesn't matter if you even say words. Humming works, too. Same thing goes for playing music on our phones. He loves to listen and watch the videos.<br />
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Once again, I wish I could report that Levi was sleeping through the night, but he's still not consistently. He'll sleep anywhere from 1 <i>(on a super rough night)</i> to 11 hours straight though! He was doing pretty well near the beginning of the month, but has since regressed again in the last couple of weeks. Also in the past couple of weeks, I've been trying to get him on more of a schedule during the day, including naps in his crib! I often run errands in the mornings, so he'll normally get a bit of a nap in his carseat while I'm out, but he's started taking afternoon naps of about 1-2 hours in his crib now. <i>It's a start.</i> I've continued to nurse him every 2-3 hours during the daytime for 15-25 minutes. He eats about 8 times in a 24-hr period. My plan is to start solid foods at some point soon. I'm hoping that may help fill his tummy a bit more so he'll sleep a little better! Given the fact that he's doubled his birth weight and he's also done it plenty of times, he <i>should</i> be able to sleep through the night. Sometimes he seems hungry <i>(I guess it's hard to keep those chunky thighs if you don't eat all night) </i>when he wakes up and other times he just needs comforted. It would be great if he would learn to put his paci in himself at night so I didn't have to get up to do it! ;)<br />
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In other exciting news...I finally finished decorating the nursery! Given the fact that we still haven't repainted Amos's room, I guess Levi is lucking out that his was completed first! ;)<br />
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I purchased the adorable <a href="https://www.toysrus.com/product?productId=97219346" target="_blank">Peanut Shell Woodland Dreams crib set</a> at Babies 'R Us. Sadly, they are closing all of their stores, but this set may is hopefully available elsewhere as well. I also bought the <a href="https://www.toysrus.com/product?productId=97219306" target="_blank">changing pad cover</a>, <a href="https://www.toysrus.com/product?productId=97219246" target="_blank">pillow</a> and <a href="https://www.toysrus.com/product?productId=99221886" target="_blank">blanket</a> there as well. All of the wall art was purchased at Hobby Lobby (the letter "L", the "be strong & brave sign", the <a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Home-Decor-Frames/Mirrors-Wall-Decor/Wall-Art/Brown-Geometric-Fox-Head-Metal-Wall-Decor/p/80766256" target="_blank">metal geometric fox head</a>, and the wooden arrow), except for the <a href="https://www.target.com/p/led-light-box-mountains-cloud-island-153-light-gray/-/A-51968706" target="_blank">gray light box</a>, which was from Target. I also purchased the <a href="https://www.target.com/p/starry-globe-nightlight-pillowfort-153/-/A-50189247" target="_blank">starry globe nightlight</a> and the navy room darkening curtains at Target.<br />
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The crib and dresser have now made it to all 4 boys <i>(despite Amos's best efforts to destroy them)</i>! They were also from Babies 'R Us, over nine years ago! The glider and ottoman <i>(where I end up spending half my night too regularly) </i>were purchased from Babies 'R Us before Noah was born. Adorable baby not included. ;)<br />
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It's hard to believe that the next time I post, half of his first year will already be behind us! The days may be long, but these years are flying by!<br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-49324973486631736782018-03-13T10:47:00.002-04:002018-03-13T15:07:59.487-04:00Levi is Four Months Old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 4 months <i>(given he's actually 5 months old today, I figured I better post this now...)</i><br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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<li><i>Weight</i>: 15 lbs 11 oz <i>(down to the 56th percentile)</i>, +1 lb 2 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 25.5 inches <i>(up to the 66th percentile)</i>, +2 inches from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: 16.5 inches <i>(up to the 59th percentile)</i>, +1 inch from his 2-month appt</li>
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Levi has been wearing a size 2 diaper most of the last month. He is wearing 3-6 month clothes and a size 2 shoe.</div>
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifC_l8iu53S6rgmuSoYQLDZqInoL9910zNoNrIg6Io1udsHMh9zjWSqOQTkQ2LPXHACFqxroLiH-45obnjQcjS9NlgxyDc5-8rGLMhF23LqVy-N2BDvcgC1z0utUlPTh4f-MGV6CZNwko3/s1600/IMG_1673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifC_l8iu53S6rgmuSoYQLDZqInoL9910zNoNrIg6Io1udsHMh9zjWSqOQTkQ2LPXHACFqxroLiH-45obnjQcjS9NlgxyDc5-8rGLMhF23LqVy-N2BDvcgC1z0utUlPTh4f-MGV6CZNwko3/s320/IMG_1673.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<li>DTaP</li>
<li>Hib</li>
<li>PCV13</li>
<li>Polio</li>
<li>Rotavirus</li>
</ul>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
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Levi's visit went very well. He is ahead developmentally, with the exception of rolling over. He's so close, but hasn't quite made it over yet. His weight has dropped just a bit in percentage, but he's still a hefty little guy. ;) Since his last visit, I had started taking pancreatic enzymes at the suggestion of the lactation consultant. Levi still has some cradle cap and a pretty significant amount of eczema all over his body, so she was thinking dairy in my diet was the culprit. We started by me eliminating all dairy for a week and starting the enzymes. I gradually added back in cheese and yogurt, but have continued to avoid milk and ice cream. It seems to be doing the trick fairly well, but he still occasionally has flare ups. We're going to try moisturizing multiple times a day to see if that helps. I'm sure the winter and the dry gas heat in the house haven't helped either though. Overall, the doctor was very happy with his progress, and we'll be back in 2 months for another check-up.<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 4-month picture in the 12-month onesie. His eyes are still looking blue so far and it looks like he is trying to grow back some of the hair he's lost on the top of his head!<br />
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And here is a comparison of all four of the boys at four months, just for fun. Levi just squeezes past Noah to win the prize for heaviest of the four, but comes in 3rd for height. Ethan was 26.5 inches long and weighed 14 lbs 8.5 oz. Noah was 25.75 inches long and weighed 15 lbs 8 oz.<i> </i>And tiny little Amos was just 13 lbs 8 oz and 25.25 inches long.<i> </i>I still see a lot of Noah in Levi at this point. His head isn't quite as round/full, but he has his nose and fuller lips, I think.</div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this Month</i></b>:</div>
<ul>
<li>Grasping objects</li>
<li>His first antibiotic</li>
<li>Playing in activity center</li>
<li>Sitting up in the bumbo seat</li>
</ul>
Levi is really interacting well with us and his surroundings now. He can't keep his eyes off his brothers if they are in the room with him. Watching them is one of the easiest ways to keep him entertained! He loves "talking" to us, too. He has also started to play with the toys that are attached to his bouncer and his carseat. He'll bat at them and grasp them to hold them now, normally trying to pull them to his mouth. ;)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2d0_wQB1J7Y/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2d0_wQB1J7Y?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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As you can see in the video, he <i>really</i> loves hanging out in his new activity center <i>(thanks Grandpa and Grandma Seeley!) </i>and being right up in the mix of things, sitting in his bumbo seat. He's quite the little supervisor while Mommy tries to get things accomplished. ;) We also got the high chair out for him. Though he hasn't started eating yet, he likes sitting at the table with the rest of us as we eat. He does sit there and drool and make eating motions as he watches us, so it may be time sooner than later to let him start! <i>Haha!</i><br />
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Sadly, Levi has taken his first round of antibiotics already. All 3 of the other boys have been sick on and off with colds, ear infections and strep throat this winter, and it seems like Levi caught something. We didn't test him for strep, but he had been running a low-grade fever for awhile and was just super sleepy and out of it during the day, so we tried a round of antibiotics to see if that made a difference. It did seem to perk him up pretty quickly, despite the fact that he hated the super yummy pink medicine!<br />
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I wish I could report that Levi was sleeping through the night, but he's still not consistently. He'll sleep anywhere from 2.5 to 11.5 hours straight though! He did hit a new record of 11.5 hours near the end of January. I wish he could have kept that up, but it was short-lived! <i>Sigh. </i>I've continued to nurse him every 2-3 hours during the day for 15-20 minutes, and that almost always puts him to sleep, so that's when he naps!<br />
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Life is a bit slower now that we're through the holidays and Ethan's birthday, so maybe I'll actually get his 5-month update done at a reasonable time?!?<br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-28837468102725577922018-02-07T13:11:00.000-05:002018-02-07T13:11:12.356-05:00Levi is Three Months Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 3 months<br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzNX-G4ihiCqmH0eXsVSojHJFSsy6x9QfCJW6hpBEHhEcnpqqutgCkkvwohUE70cJfWQX-VZzbszW0bvJs1aRVS4c9vH4mxljOVpjIurOQcgtsMhzHmi8EYLqhAZ2ur3SyJZ_7hpox9vi/s1600/File+Feb+07%252C+12+57+42+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzNX-G4ihiCqmH0eXsVSojHJFSsy6x9QfCJW6hpBEHhEcnpqqutgCkkvwohUE70cJfWQX-VZzbszW0bvJs1aRVS4c9vH4mxljOVpjIurOQcgtsMhzHmi8EYLqhAZ2ur3SyJZ_7hpox9vi/s320/File+Feb+07%252C+12+57+42+PM.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a>
<li><i>Weight</i>: 14 lbs 9 oz <i>(down to the 62nd percentile)</i>, +14 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 23.5 inches <i>(down to the 20th percentile)</i>, +1 inches from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: not measured</li>
</ul>
Levi has still been wearing a size 1 diaper, though only to use them up, as they were getting a bit snug! He was wearing 0-3 month clothes, but those will soon be added to the donation box! He wears a size 2 shoe.<br />
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>None</li>
</ul>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
<br />
No visit this month.<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 3-month picture in the 12-month onesie. His eyes are still blue at this point. He's lost most of his hair up top, but not from the back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1g8heeTN39-A5GZb3SSOpQYcJoI1V9jL1nMqADaVdhVpiv31ICdfP6KiPyGkhyphenhyphenuLxBu7UW9kNWJ66F-8_r6DFAV_XEGjW86obXT1bFww65BWUjYgRqHopTcdWTH5vSU_Ndx1CU9Gv-wA/s1600/Three+Months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1g8heeTN39-A5GZb3SSOpQYcJoI1V9jL1nMqADaVdhVpiv31ICdfP6KiPyGkhyphenhyphenuLxBu7UW9kNWJ66F-8_r6DFAV_XEGjW86obXT1bFww65BWUjYgRqHopTcdWTH5vSU_Ndx1CU9Gv-wA/s640/Three+Months.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is a comparison of all four at three months, just for fun. I would have to say he's looking more and more like Noah's little twin! He definitely has his size! <i>Haha!</i> He weighed in at just one ounce less than Noah at this point, but 1/2" shorter, too. Amos was a full 2 pounds smaller and Ethan was in the middle of the pack.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_W3hXMTUOaQ_oI4_ewpcR8mVYlg2S-nZTxsQ5Cu563qI2Dndbz-6KVoIzJccfePbn8a7nNU9tmjOlS-pxPWAnC0oe7sW3pFiL0ut1l11sp6HqAyIb-zYae1b5kzdCVC_bicatXxhyWB7/s1600/3+Months+-+4+boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_W3hXMTUOaQ_oI4_ewpcR8mVYlg2S-nZTxsQ5Cu563qI2Dndbz-6KVoIzJccfePbn8a7nNU9tmjOlS-pxPWAnC0oe7sW3pFiL0ut1l11sp6HqAyIb-zYae1b5kzdCVC_bicatXxhyWB7/s640/3+Months+-+4+boys.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this month</i></b>:</div>
<ul>
<li>Laughing</li>
<li>Rolling from back to side</li>
<li>First movie in the theater</li>
<li>His first Christmas!</li>
<li>First road trip</li>
<li>Met more cousins and uncles</li>
<li>First day trip to Biltmore</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DyhnXJCzyeV0hKQzAyrRgQ1YzycebMPovjSPVWeERtJlRHxPcOIVpI5uhqVf1w614ugW_AK85yfNrhdvbOqFVx6AMmIEXR_RP8HZdIo_jOZCvDxmmXSUOpo-WSWIOL8VBzOOxcTOHGxj/s1600/File+Feb+07%252C+12+45+39+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DyhnXJCzyeV0hKQzAyrRgQ1YzycebMPovjSPVWeERtJlRHxPcOIVpI5uhqVf1w614ugW_AK85yfNrhdvbOqFVx6AMmIEXR_RP8HZdIo_jOZCvDxmmXSUOpo-WSWIOL8VBzOOxcTOHGxj/s200/File+Feb+07%252C+12+45+39+PM.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Levi has continued to be a pretty great baby. He loves to laugh, especially if he hears me do it. And just as his brothers before him, he loves getting naked. He can't stop smiling once you start taking his clothes off to change his diaper, or put on his jammies! He also loves chewing on his hands. You would think he's starving the way he gnaws away at them all the time. <i>Seriously, kid, I feed you.</i> He can almost roll from his back to his belly now. He gets to his side, then stays there, instead of rolling all the way over. It won't be long.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34AZdm2FUbohroSbKuOq1Ux_pN6xjVlarP9mPnHTsR3_5aitgeSmohZu4SE3Jnt0ZDSfFGQ7mPDIkfDUzitWVuPU8AzO_Fx87SVnrz1OuQxvXD8bPJQoQKLPKEaXqh1NS2aAtndSuWBvL/s1600/File+Feb+07%252C+12+49+05+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34AZdm2FUbohroSbKuOq1Ux_pN6xjVlarP9mPnHTsR3_5aitgeSmohZu4SE3Jnt0ZDSfFGQ7mPDIkfDUzitWVuPU8AzO_Fx87SVnrz1OuQxvXD8bPJQoQKLPKEaXqh1NS2aAtndSuWBvL/s200/File+Feb+07%252C+12+49+05+PM.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJSkiZemfPxQ4ExFtwPcBjwQWKLTvVu89V7pca_lMdKApGlhHT-qVCxc2BrPKYXVnabDIbxXRVwmX9FihtNNsMCyjFh4O8hLVPS7G2UF9NqOC87N8LzhuldECDGoJqptQtrWsHf3F6x5W/s1600/File+Feb+07%252C+12+50+26+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJSkiZemfPxQ4ExFtwPcBjwQWKLTvVu89V7pca_lMdKApGlhHT-qVCxc2BrPKYXVnabDIbxXRVwmX9FihtNNsMCyjFh4O8hLVPS7G2UF9NqOC87N8LzhuldECDGoJqptQtrWsHf3F6x5W/s200/File+Feb+07%252C+12+50+26+PM.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Levi is still setting all kinds of records as the 4th child. <i>Surprise, surprise!</i> He went to see a movie in the theater for the very first time. We all enjoyed <i>The Last Jedi</i>, but I'm hoping that the fact that he nursed, then slept through the entire movie is no indication of his future feelings towards Star Wars. <i>Ha!</i> The reclining seats with foot rests were a must with a little one in tow.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxHllaepvYegeB12ic_JD_eEeP8MnCc1j5oalxCG-nE9llB6Qxo8KQE7QWHByU2av0ppl-YP8uZmlfuQDrt8GSfLGizxZTnVMEZq5KyX76wUD-IgDhGy2e-Y6UX1VRtvycbCJqMjIv_S5/s1600/File+Feb+07%252C+12+51+06+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxHllaepvYegeB12ic_JD_eEeP8MnCc1j5oalxCG-nE9llB6Qxo8KQE7QWHByU2av0ppl-YP8uZmlfuQDrt8GSfLGizxZTnVMEZq5KyX76wUD-IgDhGy2e-Y6UX1VRtvycbCJqMjIv_S5/s200/File+Feb+07%252C+12+51+06+PM.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" width="199" /></a><i><br /></i>After enjoying his first Christmas at home, Levi was able to meet four more of his cousins <i>(on the Seeley side)</i> when he took his first road trip! It was quite the trip, too. We made the approximate 6-hour trip to the East Coast to visit my sister and her crew first. From there, we headed back west to Josh's parent's house, an approximate 7-hour trip. Both of these trips were, of course, made longer due to a baby wanting to eat every 2-3 hours. In Ohio, Levi met his Uncle Jared, who flew in from Phoenix, and his Uncle Aaron, his wife, Dena, and their four kids! It was a pretty quick trip and we were back home to Tennessee in less than a week. Levi did a pretty great job traveling though! He only fussed when it was time to eat and slept most of the way otherwise!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkD31KrfjccOTbUVMH_uCTrnRpIwoR0GRqsDPXgTVL56YPEHO-qrshYQ9ZbQo4eb2qQaYEOOk35JoanfY70Er3KOkkGDzx4PVTTDQHMRYY4tqUZPIldf4dffp5UZffINQOZBgvzVJX-X_/s1600/File+Feb+07%252C+12+55+15+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkD31KrfjccOTbUVMH_uCTrnRpIwoR0GRqsDPXgTVL56YPEHO-qrshYQ9ZbQo4eb2qQaYEOOk35JoanfY70Er3KOkkGDzx4PVTTDQHMRYY4tqUZPIldf4dffp5UZffINQOZBgvzVJX-X_/s200/File+Feb+07%252C+12+55+15+PM.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Levi made his first trip to Biltmore with us on a very cold day in January! He rode in the Ergo for the house tour and managed to sleep through all of that, too. <i>Ha! </i>Someday he will be awake and appreciate it more. ;) All of the boys loved seeing all of the Christmas trees and lights. It was truly beautiful!<br />
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I know I said this last month, but hopefully I'll get back on track and post his 4-month update in a more timely manner! We are talking about the fourth child here though. He should just be happy I'm posting at all, right? ;) I realize this is wishful thinking with Ethan's 9th birthday (!!!) creeping up on me now and Valentine's Day just around the corner! Seriously, where it 2018 going already?!?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s1600/kristy+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s200/kristy+signature.png" width="160" /></a></div>
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-65414259415338836462018-01-11T23:16:00.001-05:002018-01-11T23:21:30.269-05:00Levi is Two Months Old!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WXGOYqsaGgp8EbUss0caF7LY2ZUvBGov5zi4xDhhq6cfUS2uM6HdCTHgUnxHg5QpWDWlMccoVBVCM5a5mQO4NNTBTpgfM89k4wNKAZMH2zY2ijHrgacNtP7JKE0IW17Bn1XEeLzoY4SG/s1600/Baby+Update.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WXGOYqsaGgp8EbUss0caF7LY2ZUvBGov5zi4xDhhq6cfUS2uM6HdCTHgUnxHg5QpWDWlMccoVBVCM5a5mQO4NNTBTpgfM89k4wNKAZMH2zY2ijHrgacNtP7JKE0IW17Bn1XEeLzoY4SG/s1600/Baby+Update.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 2 months...Seeing as how he'll be 3 months old on Saturday, I figured it was time to post this! <i>Oops!</i> December was crazy between the holidays, traveling and sick kids. <i>Sigh</i>.<br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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<ul>
<li><i>Weight</i>: 13 lbs 11 oz <i>(down to the 75th percentile)</i>, +2 lbs 11 oz from last month</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 22.5 inches <i>(up to the 25th percentile)</i>, +1.5 inches from last month</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: 15.5 inches <i>(down to the 57th percentile)</i>, +0.75 inches from last month</li>
</ul>
Levi is wearing a size 1 diaper and 0-3 month clothes. He wears a size 1 shoe.<br />
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXhCl6UrT9MRTu3mqHDD1bgTqdi2u3XxDQ0Z-Tn0eoizc7QRRra9bhwHAEBQ68CdsszAtBuo85aafDaDk1askcccYNosyBhP_kg9gtABR3ctvUIFB7ToJhtWhqcktMM0LfQ9fp9VTLkOX/s1600/Photo+Dec+07%252C+1+57+34+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXhCl6UrT9MRTu3mqHDD1bgTqdi2u3XxDQ0Z-Tn0eoizc7QRRra9bhwHAEBQ68CdsszAtBuo85aafDaDk1askcccYNosyBhP_kg9gtABR3ctvUIFB7ToJhtWhqcktMM0LfQ9fp9VTLkOX/s320/Photo+Dec+07%252C+1+57+34+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>DTap</li>
<li>Hib</li>
<li>Hepatitis B</li>
<li>PCV13</li>
<li>Polio</li>
<li>Rotavirus</li>
</ul>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
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We went to his doctor's appointment for his well-check, but he hadn't been feeling great <i>(super sleepy, running a low-grade fever)</i>, so we decided to wait on his immunizations for a week. With two of his big brothers sick, we were afraid maybe he had also come down with whatever they had. When we went back the following week, he still wasn't doing well, so still no shots, and we started him on a round of the yummy pink medicine <i>(aka amoxicillin)</i>, just in case. That seemed to help, as he did perk up after starting that, so we finally did his immunizations a week and a half ago!<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Here is Levi's 2-month picture in the 12-month onesie. Though it's hard to tell here, his eyes are still blue and he still has most of his hair as well!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFO_ui9-w1-J73JOZP9ddtQV0H92QydiAu_xFKzwslFDmcWKHUf1zNm_i1Ha4yR5lAiufeNVy-qDVnxI9_T_vfVtsnyak5DdsMC_gRhxzAdA7HgS4LlO6SAe1yGGVfB5jwLR5b9qXCUcpP/s1600/Two+Months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFO_ui9-w1-J73JOZP9ddtQV0H92QydiAu_xFKzwslFDmcWKHUf1zNm_i1Ha4yR5lAiufeNVy-qDVnxI9_T_vfVtsnyak5DdsMC_gRhxzAdA7HgS4LlO6SAe1yGGVfB5jwLR5b9qXCUcpP/s640/Two+Months.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is a comparison of all four at two months, just for fun. I still think he's favoring Noah or Amos most. He definitely has Noah's size! <i>Haha!</i> I think it's funny that again he is the heaviest of the four at 2 months, and also tied with Amos for the shortest. ;) Those cheeks though. He's storing some extra there!! <i>Haha!</i></div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this month</i></b>:</div>
<ul>
<li>Sleeping through the night</li>
<li>First babysitter</li>
<li>Cooing and smiling</li>
<li>Meeting some of his cousins</li>
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Levi has continued to be a pretty great baby. He is getting better at entertaining himself instead of needing constant attention, or being held 24/7. He even managed to sleep through the night for the first time! <i>Woo hoo!</i> First he hit almost 7.5 hours straight, then a couple days later he had an almost 9 hour stretch! His record stands at 9.5 hours, but he hasn't been able to keep up with it consistently. I'm hoping we'll get there sooner than later. ;)</div>
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Levi is setting all kinds of records as the 4th child. He had his first ever babysitter at just 8 weeks old. It just so happened to be the first babysitter <i>(other than family) </i>for all 4 boys. <i>Ha!</i> We had Amos's assistant preschool teacher watch them while we attended a neighborhood holiday hop. So yes, we were literally right next door all night, but resisted the urge to check in hourly! ;) They loved her and did great for her, so it's something we'll have to do more often! :)<br />
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I love when they're coming out of that newborn stage and start to actually interact with you a bit. Levi adores big brother Noah <i>(probably since he's the only brother that pays much attention to him)</i> and started smiling and cooing at him when Noah talks to him. <i>Swoon.</i><br />
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Levi was able to meet five of his eight <i>(at that time)</i> cousins for Thanksgiving when the Corbett crew came to visit! It was madness as always <i>(um, hello nine children age 10 and below under one roof)</i>, but they sure enjoyed loving on a new baby and trying to convince their mama to have another. ;)<br />
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Hopefully I'll get back on track and post his 3-month update in a more timely manner!<br />
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<b><i>Age of Baby</i></b>: 1 month<br />
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<b><i>Size of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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<li><i>Weight</i>: 11 lbs 0 oz <i>(up to the 80th percentile)</i>, +2 lbs 12 oz from birth</li>
<li><i>Length</i>: 21 inches <i>(down to the 24th percentile)</i>, +1 inch from birth</li>
<li><i>Head circumference</i>: not measured</li>
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That means he has gained about 2 oz per day since his two week visit! Of the four boys, he is the heaviest and shortest at one month. He's definitely an adorable little ball of chub. <i>Haha! </i>Levi is wearing a size newborn diaper and newborn clothes, though they are getting snug. He wears a size 0 shoe.<br />
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<b><i>Immunizations</i></b>:<br />
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None this month.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Doctor's Visit Summary</i>:<br />
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No visit this month, so I collected his stats myself.<br />
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<b><i>Picture of Baby</i></b>:<br />
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Below is a pic of Levi at one month, wearing a 12-month onesie. I will be taking a pic each month in this onesie to show how much he grows each month, just as I did for all the others. We'll see if it still fits at a year! The others all have, but it does get pretty tight by then.<br />
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Levi has been a pretty great baby so far. He does love to be held at any hour of the day <i>(and sometimes insists on it)</i>, but here at the end of the first month, he's getting pretty good at sleeping without being held, too. He actually gave me his longest stretch of sleep yet, the night before last, at just shy of 5 hours! <i>Woo hoo!</i> But, he followed that up last night with a pretty crappy night, so we're not quite there yet. :/ He has been averaging about 16 hours of sleep a day this first month. He nurses about every 2.5 hours for around 15-20 minutes. The first 2-3 weeks, Josh tried to help out when he could by giving him a bottle around midnight, so that I could get a longer stretch of sleep. Lately, I've been able to get him to sleep from at least 10 pm to 2 am, so he's been getting fewer bottles.<br />
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He is quite the noisy little guy. If he isn't squeaking out one end, then he's squeaking out the other! <i>Haha!</i> I know the others made little noises as newborns, but they were nothing like this guy! Some nights he can be quite loud, so he may be making his way to his own room soon. He'd already be there if our bedroom was on the same floor, but I don't feel like making multiple trips up the stairs at night yet. He's also pretty gassy. Not as much as Noah was, but a close second. It's hilarious to listen to him sit there and keep tooting for minutes at a time!<br />
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Here is a comparison of all four at one month, just for fun. It's hard to say who he'll favor more at this point, because they don't really look the same at a month as they do a couple months from now. But, judging by these pics, I'd say he favors Amos or Noah the most.</div>
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<b><i>Accomplishments this month</i></b>:</div>
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<li>Holding his head up</li>
<li>First bottle</li>
<li>First bath</li>
<li>First blowout</li>
<li>First trips to grocery store, restaurants, shopping...</li>
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Our boys have all had freakishly strong necks. So strong that they have all been able to hold up their heads within a week after being born. <i>It's pretty crazy.</i> If you remember from <a href="https://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/levis-birth-story.html" target="_blank">his birth story</a>, Levi actually held his up within an hour of being born! <i>Insane.</i></div>
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While Ethan was pretty good about taking a bottle, we did <i>not</i> do a great job with Noah and Amos. If you miss that window of opportunity the first couple of months, it's really hard to get them to ever take one, which guarantees I am <strike>chained</strike> attached to them <i>(literally) </i>24/7 for that first year. <i>Ha!</i> It took a bit for my milk to come in this time, though, so Levi actually got his first bottle at just a couple days old. For the first 2-3 weeks, we continued to give him at least one feeding with a bottle, while I pumped, or just got some extra sleep. This was fun for the boys, as they each had an opportunity to feed their new little brother! That was something none of them had ever done. </div>
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Levi lucked out and had his first bath much sooner than Amos had his first! <i>Oops! </i>He wasn't a super huge fan, but he tolerated it. Of all four, this one has probably peed and poo'd on me at changing time more than the other 3 combined did. So, his baths have been a necessity! I'll spare you the pictures of his first blowout. I can happily say that it was on Daddy's lap though, and not mine! ;) I'd just say we lucked out that it wasn't in his carseat. <i>Fun times.</i><br />
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Levi has made lots of trips already to restaurants, Target, the grocery store, mall, etc. He's not a big fan of shopping and usually ends up screaming his head off halfway through a shopping trip. <i>I think Daddy has been coaching him when Mommy isn't listening.</i> :( Fortunately, he normally stops if you just get him out of his carseat and hold him, but that makes it interesting. I guess he just wants to be a high-maintenance baby outside of the womb as well!<br />
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We'll hopefully be settling into somewhat of a routine with this little guy soon as he starts to be awake more during the day. Hopefully he'll be good about going with the flow as he accompanies me as "taxi driver mama." ;) I'm looking forward to what the next month brings and trying to soak up all of these last firsts!</div>
Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-49502931481235766342017-11-10T11:18:00.000-05:002017-11-10T11:18:22.519-05:00Levi's Birth StoryIt's time for a final birth story. Our little family is now complete. It's been four weeks today since the birth, so I want to try to get all the details down in print before they are fading memories! For a look back at the others, you can find Ethan's story <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/two-years-old.html" target="_blank">here</a>, Noah's <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/noahs-birth-story.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and Amos's <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/amoss-birth-story.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This will be pretty detailed, so read on at your own risk!! ;)<br />
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As I posted in my last bump update, at 36 weeks, things were getting crazy, as we discovered that I had extra amniotic fluid and would require weekly ultrasounds and non-stress tests to monitor the baby. <i>I was spending a lot of my time at the doctor's office! </i>Then, just before 38 weeks, the ultrasound revealed that baby had turned and was now positioned frank breech, instead of head down. <i>Ugh, not good.</i> To avoid scheduling a C-section, we set up an appointment to go to the hospital the morning I was 38 weeks to try an external cephalic version, or ECV. They like to do those by 38 weeks at the latest, so that was going to be my one chance to get baby turned back around. Since baby was frank breech instead of completely breech, and given the extra fluid I had, it should have had a better likelihood of being successful. In we went at 6 am to wait for the doctor to arrive. We discussed everything, then he started the ultrasound to check baby's position that day. <i>Wouldn't you know that stubborn little booger had turned again and was head down again?!?</i> So yeah, that was quick - we got to go home without needing to do anything after all. <i>Sigh of relief.</i> At that point, I needed to try to do what I could to keep baby head down, which meant a lot of sitting on my big exercise ball, and trying to bind my belly with a maternity support binder. <i>That was not fun.</i><br />
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At my next appointment the following Tuesday, at 38.5 weeks, we discussed induction. As much as I wanted baby to come on its own, I was absolutely miserable, in pain, and with the extra fluid, ok'd for an early delivery. So, we set up the induction for 39 weeks, on Friday the 13th. <i>Yes, Friday the 13th.</i> I wasn't thrilled about the date, but my midwife was on call that day. I had reached the point where I just wanted baby out, and I didn't care what day it was going to be anymore!! So there we were, one week later at the hospital, checking in again to head to labor & delivery.<br />
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I gowned up and we started the party. Pitocin was started at 7:30 am, at which time I was dilated only 3 cm. I was having fairly regular contractions, but they weren't really getting closer or more intense. My midwife broke my water at 11:45 am, at which time I was dilated just 4 cm. That was fun thanks to the extra fluid!! <i>No, no it was not. </i>I just kept leaking and leaking and leaking, which made things interesting for trying to get up and walk around when I was tired of sitting.<br />
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Things were still moving super slowly, so I got an epidural at 1:45 pm. I was hoping to relax my body and speed things along a bit! Like the epidural I had with Amos, it took pretty well, with no feeling on the left side, but enough feeling on the right side to experience some of the pain of the contractions. It also caused my blood pressure to drop super low, but we were able to get it evened back out within the hour. By 2:30 pm, I was dilated 6 cm and by 5 pm, I was still dilated just 7 cm. <i>Sigh.</i> I was starting to think this baby may not be born on the 13th after all!! And then things started moving really fast. My epidural was wearing off and I had called to get more medicine, but they were really busy on the floor by that point, and I never did get any, so by the time they came in to check me again, it was go time and I was feeling everything! <i>Yikes!</i> Fortunately, it only took about 5 minutes of pushing and baby had arrived...<br />
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Born at 6:12 pm was our <b>FOURTH BOY</b>!!! I kind of thought maybe Josh was joking when he told me it was another boy, haha! I was seriously convinced this one was a girl after how different everything was with this pregnancy, but alas, I was wrong. At 8 pounds, 4.1 ounces, 20 inches long, with a 14-inch head circumference, he was our second biggest baby. Born earlier than the rest though, he would've been the biggest had he cooked another 2.5 weeks like Ethan did! ;)<br />
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He was perfect!!</div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Sadly, Josh and I had actually agreed on a girl's name that day as we hung out all day at the hospital, but we were still struggling with a boy's name. <i>It's hard when you're on number four!</i> We had narrowed it down to two choices and decided to put it to a family vote once the boys arrived to meet their little brother. :) After a 3-2 decision, Levi Frank received his name. Frank is my maiden name, and had been the plan for the middle name all along, so that part was easy! We require many things when picking a name for our children though <i>(must be a two syllable first name and a one syllable middle name, can't start with the same letter as a sibling, and must be biblical; I also love that they all have different ending sounds, so when I'm yelling their names, they can better hear which one I'm yelling - haha!)</i>, so it was rough finding one that fit the bill! Also, the name had to fit into our scrabble board <i>(preferably in order of arrival)</i>, which was harder than I thought it'd be! <i>Ha!</i></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I got to snuggle the little guy for awhile and feed him before they took him away to get him all cleaned up. It was nice that at this hospital, I was able to stay in the same room from beginning to end, instead of needing to move rooms after delivering. <i>That was a first!</i></span><br />
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Check out that dark hair! We'll see if it stays that way, or falls out and comes back blond like the other three. Another strong Seeley boy to join the bunch though! Like big brothers, he was holding his head up on his own a mere hour after being born! Our boys seriously have freakishly strong neck muscles. Levi is all-around strong though. He sucks so "ferociously" <i>(words of the lactation consultant that first week) </i>that he can hold up a bottle without his hands, just by sucking. <i>It's quite impressive.</i> Hopefully it will help him hold his own in a couple years when he has to defend himself from his big brothers! ;)<br />
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Once we were all settled back in, my mom brought the boys to the hospital to meet their new sibling! Unfortunately, their reaction to the gender reveal <i>(I had them open packets with blue confetti) </i>wasn't as exciting as I had anticipated. <i>Ha!</i> They were happy, though, to meet their new little brother. I was unsure how Amos would react to having a little brother. <i>He's been the baby for 4 years!</i> I couldn't have been more happy about how excited he was to have a new little brother though. He absolutely adored him from day one!</div>
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<i><br /></i>That evening, and then again the next day, on Saturday morning, Levi was checked out by the on-call pediatrician from our peds office. He looked great and was given the go ahead to head home after his bloodwork was checked at 24 hours. We had to wait around until nearly 7 pm for that, but then we were finally able to pack up and head home around 8 pm that evening. It's always nice to be back at home and the boys were super excited to have us all back there.<br />
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The Monday after coming home, we were scheduled to visit our pediatrician's office to be sure that he still looked good, with no signs of jaundice. He looked great, but they wanted to see him again in a couple days to be sure he was gaining enough weight. He was discharged from the hospital at 7 lbs, 12 oz, and had dropped again to 7 lbs, 7 oz at the Monday appointment. My milk hadn't come in yet, so he had lost almost a pound since delivery. So, we supplemented with some formula that day while I pumped, and my milk came in by the end of the day. That Wednesday, he was up to 7 lbs, 15 oz, so we were headed in the right direction. By his 2-week appointment, he was up to a whopping 9 lbs 4 oz! They like to see them gain an ounce a day, so putting on 21 ounces in just 12 days was amazing! <i>The boy likes to eat!</i><br />
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We're now adjusting to life as a family of six. <i>It is definitely an adjustment!</i> I think the hardest part is having two of them in school now. When Amos was born, Ethan and Noah were still just in preschool. When you roll into the parking lot late there, it's no big deal. Getting the big two on the bus daily, on time, and keeping up with homework and activities makes things a lot harder now! We'll manage, and I'm sure it will get easier, but it's definitely a team effort. <i>Super thankful for the school cafeteria and their "grab 'n go" options, which my boys will eat daily if they need to! Ha! </i>Fortunately, the boys have been great with helping out and <i>mostly</i> understanding when I need to tend to Levi first.<br />
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Welcome to the family, Levi! You complete us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my very own "five guys!" ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like the "four seasons," I have my four "See(ley) sons." ;)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLEvxFMV56EstwLvMGJ3m6V4fM3y4KbZ_VzS6CQMXGB52tDzm8wZNU0LVn50h8OIwEsN5dB5MCc-wWxeG93NIlCM6kWjrZoXK9YGDpDYqrDafosgb6ClNDjOiWN7x5HYDBfnBNNGRfBqw/s1600/Baby+Bump+Update.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLEvxFMV56EstwLvMGJ3m6V4fM3y4KbZ_VzS6CQMXGB52tDzm8wZNU0LVn50h8OIwEsN5dB5MCc-wWxeG93NIlCM6kWjrZoXK9YGDpDYqrDafosgb6ClNDjOiWN7x5HYDBfnBNNGRfBqw/s640/Baby+Bump+Update.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><i>Week of Pregnancy</i>:</b> 36 weeks, 4 days<br />
<b><br /></b><b><i>Baby size</i></b>: Baby is about the size of a head of romaine lettuce this week!<br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><br />
<i style="font-family: inherit;">Baby is now <span style="background-color: white;">around 18 1/2 inches long from head to heel and weighs almost 6 pounds! In the funnier, <a href="http://pregnant.thebump.com/new-mom-new-dad/new-dad-daddy-to-be/articles/how-big-is-baby-dad-to-be-edition.aspx?page=22" target="_blank">Dad-to-Be Edition of How Big is Baby?</a> that I discovered, our little one is as long as a ukulele this week!</span></i><br />
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<i>A fun website, <a href="http://babysizer.com/">babysizer.com</a>, also states that the baby is the size of a footlong sub, a 2L bottle of pop, or a power drill!</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fun times getting a NST this morning!</i></td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Appointment Notes: </i>So I went for a check-up last Tuesday, at 35.5 weeks. Since they needed to do a Group B strep test, my midwife went ahead and checked for dilation and I was 2 cm dilated, but just at the opening. <i>Sigh.</i> Baby's heartbeat sounded good in the 130s, but my midwife was afraid that baby was lying transverse, instead of head down, so she wanted to do an ultrasound to check. Fortunately, the ultrasound revealed that baby was indeed head down, but the tech discovered that I had a lot of extra amniotic fluid <i>(<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polyhydramnios/basics/definition/con-20034451" target="_blank">polyhydramnios</a>)</i>, which can become problematic. The doctor decided he wanted me to have weekly biophysical profile checks, which means ultrasounds and non-stress tests (NST). So, I went back today and the ultrasound looked good, in that the fluid had remained stable, instead of increasing, but we'll continue to check it for changes. If it gets worse, they will want to induce at 39 weeks, but if all stays ok, I won't have to unless I want to. Also today, I had what should be a 20 minute non-stress tests (NST) to check baby's movements and heart rate to make sure things look good there, too. The test today ended up being more like 45 minutes since baby decided to take a nap halfway through, but they decided everything looked ok with that, too. <i>Whew! What a high maintenance baby!</i> I guess that's what I get for having a baby in my elderly state and all. ;) So, back I go this Friday for another NST and check, and again 2 times next week for a NST, ultrasound and check! Hopefully all remains ok and this little one hangs in there a bit longer. I definitely want to make it until October, but the idea of inducing at 39 weeks <i>(which would be around the 14th)</i> this time is quite enticing. I was measuring at about 37 weeks at the 35.5 week appt and ultrasound was measuring baby at around 6.5 pounds already, so maybe he or she will be early regardless!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHRBk1pukCocVpOWFy5uk3KsCV8dDGWo09QeVRNteuwQKVDbgoE2yj9byFk6ECDuKIHkvjCaYDenSgG1Fl6KltfC9BI5otZJ9MNXkZv45faVLdaCFGMZJFSpjq4XEUxgdZH6MRkTvIsnn/s1600/Photo+Sep+21%252C+6+08+03+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="1248" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHRBk1pukCocVpOWFy5uk3KsCV8dDGWo09QeVRNteuwQKVDbgoE2yj9byFk6ECDuKIHkvjCaYDenSgG1Fl6KltfC9BI5otZJ9MNXkZv45faVLdaCFGMZJFSpjq4XEUxgdZH6MRkTvIsnn/s200/Photo+Sep+21%252C+6+08+03+PM.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Before and after!</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMADu6fzbEoo3KEK47LNLyPe-2BjkHzbv_2WCdAAyeK1poa4Edt74CCneY8Zo9Hx7LpvPVnuTBDREZujOc8Vr5RaRmaH5JpEactdrLPnBzowt9yIYnnmWbGS5Q1_rsreNeH9Z72YzSlT5/s1600/Photo+Sep+23%252C+1+26+36+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1248" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMADu6fzbEoo3KEK47LNLyPe-2BjkHzbv_2WCdAAyeK1poa4Edt74CCneY8Zo9Hx7LpvPVnuTBDREZujOc8Vr5RaRmaH5JpEactdrLPnBzowt9yIYnnmWbGS5Q1_rsreNeH9Z72YzSlT5/s200/Photo+Sep+23%252C+1+26+36+PM.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><i><br /></i></b><b><i>Symptoms</i></b>: Back and hip pain have actually not been too terrible lately. Weekly chiropractic adjustments have probably helped with that! Trying to turn from side to side at night brings much pain though. Mainly my belly is just so big at this point that it's hard to do much of anything. :( Fortunately, we have finally resolved my heartburn!! I'm now taking Nexium 24 hr, twice a day, and I haven't had a single issue since starting. <i>What a relief!</i> I've had some Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing too terrible, or concerning, yet. The nurses at my appointment today said I had a few during the NST, but I didn't realize it! <i>Ha!</i> I did experience some really bad swelling last week - something new to me. My poor feet looked like sausages and bending my ankles to go up and down stairs actually hurt a bit. I was just overdoing it though. After some much-needed rest and elevation this weekend, they are looking much better again! :)<br />
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<b><i>Food cravings</i></b>: Food? <i>Ugh</i>. Back to nothing sounding good because there's no room left for food!<br />
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<b><i>Food aversions</i></b>: I finally enjoy hot coffee again! <i>Woohoo!</i> I don't want it every day, but definitely drinking it on a fairly regular basis again.<br />
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<b><i>What I'm excited about</i></b>: The end is in sight!! Also, a couple of weeks ago, I toured the hospital I will be giving birth at this time. It looks fantastic. Unfortunately, I couldn't go there when I delivered Amos due to insurance company issues, but those have since been resolved, and this hospital is back on our plan again. <i>Yay!</i> I love that everything is done in one room (labor, delivery and recovery) and they are really big on getting as much skin to skin contact as possible at the beginning. They don't whisk baby away after birth like other hospitals, but instead do as much as possible bedside, in the room.<br />
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<b><i>What I've done to prepare for baby</i></b>: Yeah...I have bought some newborn clothes, but haven't gone through the boxes of old clothes yet, nor have I washed anything up. :/ I also need to think about things like diapers, a swing, bouncer, etc. On the plus side, we did purchase a car seat, so we can at least get baby home from the hospital! ;) I'm hoping to accomplish a lot next week while the boys are on fall break. The nursery hasn't been painted, but I think at this point, Josh will be doing it after the baby has arrived and he is off work for a couple weeks.<br />
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<b><i>Funny moment</i></b>: Though he was sure baby was a boy before, Amos has been referring to the baby as "her" for several weeks now. <i>Does he know something we don't?!?</i> Also, a big surprise we discovered during my ultrasound last week...this baby has hair!!! All 3 of my boys were born bald and remained that way for their first year, like I did as a child. I was informed by both the tech last week and this week that the fuzzy white stuff you see in the photo below is indeed hair. I can't wait to see it!! I also got a look at baby's face in 3D today. So sweet!!<br />
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So here I am at 36 weeks with each of my pregnancies. Definitely bigger each time! <i>Haha!</i> I do think I am carrying different this time though, and much lower already. I'm wearing the same top for the last 2 pics and it is definitely getting too small to adequately cover my belly this time!</div>
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It's been an interesting couple of weeks, but hopefully things will calm a bit before the storm. I feel like I am ready to meet this little one, but I know it will be quite the adjustment for all of us having a newborn again!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s1600/kristy+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s200/kristy+signature.png" width="160" /></a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-76993492678499865572017-08-01T17:09:00.000-04:002017-08-01T17:09:32.414-04:00Baby Bump Update: Week 28<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Week of Pregnancy</i>:</b> 28 weeks, 4 days<br />
<b><br /></b><b><i>Baby size</i></b>: Baby is about the size of a large eggplant this week!<br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;">Baby is <span style="background-color: white;">almost 15 inches long from head to heel and weighs around 2 1/4 pounds. In the funnier, <a href="http://pregnant.thebump.com/new-mom-new-dad/new-dad-daddy-to-be/articles/how-big-is-baby-dad-to-be-edition.aspx?page=20" target="_blank">Dad-to-Be Edition of How Big is Baby?</a>, baby is as big as a kid's lunchbox this week! Wow!</span></i><br />
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<i>A fun website, <a href="http://babysizer.com/">babysizer.com</a>, also states that the baby is the size of a 1 pound basket of wings, a Nintendo, or a baseball cap!</i><br />
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<b><i>Appointment Notes: </i></b>Everything looked/sounded great at my OB appointment on Friday. Baby's heartbeat was strong at 148 and I was measuring right on target for 28 weeks. Now it's time to start bi-monthly appointments. <i>It's starting to get real!</i><br />
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<b><i>Symptoms</i></b>: Back and hip pain are still probably my biggest complaints. Trying to turn from side to side at night brings much pain. My back is also getting worse again, with sciatica kicking in - pain shooting down my left leg <i>(funny that looking back, it was my right with Amos!)</i>, and making it difficult to walk at times. <i>Ugh.</i> Also a big complaint, heartburn. I'm taking maximum strength famotodine twice a day right now, and that sometimes isn't enough. :( One of the midwives at the OB office suggested her home remedy of a shot of 1 part baking soda to 2 parts water. I've tried it once. <i>Whew!</i> It was rough, but is now my back-up plan if the OTC meds can't keep up. <i>I guess it's comforting to know that I was experiencing these same things at this point in my pregnancy with Amos, nearly 4 years ago. So, I may be "elderly" now, but apparently not any worse than I was at that point. ;)</i><br />
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<b><i>Food cravings</i></b>: I have been wanting fruit and salads! <i>Say what??</i> Yep, I often find myself reaching for a bowl of cherries when I'm hungry now. I've also been wanting salad more as a dinner option. As my belly expands, my desire for dinner decreases. <i>How much longer now??</i><br />
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<b><i>Food aversions</i></b>: I can't believe that I still don't want hot coffee in the mornings, but I guess it's probably better that way. When I do get my caffeine fix with an iced drink, it unfortunately doesn't help to keep me awake during the day...just at night, when I'm trying to sleep!!<br />
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<b><i>What I'm excited about</i></b>: The boys heading back to school this week, so hopefully I'll manage to start tackling some baby projects around the house!<br />
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<b><i>What I've done to prepare for baby</i></b>: Still nothing, but I think I've finally decided on a color for the nursery walls. <i>Yay! </i>And, I think I'm going to risk it and use a beautiful fabric that I have to make the curtains, bedding, etc. for the room. It's a girly print/colors, so I guess my backup plan will be to purchase an alternative set if it's a boy, and sell the girly items!<br />
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<b><i>Funny moment</i></b>: The other day, Amos noticed my belly button sticking out under my shirt and he pushed it and called it my baby button! He wanted to push it to make the baby come out. <i>Oh how I wish!</i> He also informed me today that the baby is a boy. Because "Ethan is a boy, Noah is a boy, I am a boy....the baby is a boy." <i>We shall see!!!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s1600/kristy+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s200/kristy+signature.png" width="160" /></a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-19123970430341705892017-07-17T11:45:00.000-04:002020-06-09T15:30:13.644-04:00Noah's {Mad Science Themed} 6th Birthday Party<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">I'm pretty sure this is the quickest I have managed to post about a birthday party!! I'm so excited to share this one though - it was so fun!! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">When I asked Noah what he wanted for his birthday party theme for his 6th birthday, he told me he wanted a mad science party. <i>The inner geek in me squealed with delight!!</i> Away I went planning an adorable mad science party for my little guy. I tend to go "all out" for Noah's parties. I think this is because 1) they are in the summer, so I have more time to plan and execute, and 2) having a summer birthday myself, I know what a bummer it is to not be able to celebrate at school like most kids do. So, all out I went! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">First on the agenda, the invitations. We needed to pass these out before school let out in May! I actually found inspiration from some <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/271467416/mad-science-party-balloons-pack-of-8" target="_blank">party balloons</a> and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/504824331/science-test-tubes-with-corks-set-of-10" target="_blank">test tubes</a> that I found on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/NerdyWordsGifts" target="_blank">Etsy, from NerdyWordsGifts</a>. Noah picked three colors he wanted for the balloons (aqua, blue and red), and I based the rest of the party design on the design printed on those! I also couldn't resist a few of the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/289108511/mad-science-party-helium-element" target="_blank">"Helium" balloons</a> that she offered as well. <i>Too cute!</i> I ran with the element theme for the letters and used these for multiple aspects of the party. Since we were handing out the invites at school, I made labels of each child's name like I did Noah's on the invite. <i>So fun!!</i> I had the invites printed at my local Office Depot store. They have a nice thicker cardstock that looks great printed on their laser printer. I also printed "Come have a BLAST!" labels to seal the envelopes on <a href="https://amzn.to/2Upx6w7" target="_blank">Avery's 2" glossy round labels</a>. Those print beautifully right at home!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">After the invitations were delivered, I started brainstorming </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">(aka, browsing Pinterest and Google) </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">ideas for the party. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">I made a custom banner that read "Happy 6th Birthday Noah" using the same element letters.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Here's an example of the banner letters, close-up. Each letter was an element, except for a couple letters that I combined because it worked out ("Ir" and "Th"). I used tiny clothespins to hang the letters on jute rope.</span></div>
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My friend, Sarah, made Noah's birthday T-shirt. It was perfect! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AllinGoodFont" target="_blank">Check out her shop on Etsy - All in Good Font</a>!</div>
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For the dinner menu, we chose:</div>
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<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitucxKouc2FRZE0CL9wbWmCZlRN4sLq-SLw1rcchVUZGDAJ2RBNO3RGg5AcBPIkElMYVuxKjCj28KoqZm8uNm6LIBxBitzxEoD2kQ8_xwxB7wC-MgalWtfiBRAUwnxQBkaLOMpm6U7VrDY/s1600/Food+Tags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitucxKouc2FRZE0CL9wbWmCZlRN4sLq-SLw1rcchVUZGDAJ2RBNO3RGg5AcBPIkElMYVuxKjCj28KoqZm8uNm6LIBxBitzxEoD2kQ8_xwxB7wC-MgalWtfiBRAUwnxQBkaLOMpm6U7VrDY/s400/Food+Tags.jpg" width="300" /></a>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">A HOT DOG bar, where guests could create their own style of dog:</li>
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<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">All American Dog <i>(ketchup + mustard)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">BBQ Dog <i>(BBQ sauce + peppers)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Chili Dog <i>(chili + cheese)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fiesta Dog <i>(salsa + cheese)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">New York Dog <i>(spicy brown mustard + sauerkraut)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Surf Dog <i>(pineapple salsa + teriyaki sauce)</i></li>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">DNA pasta </span></span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">(homemade white cheddar mac 'n cheese using rotini </i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;"><i>pasta noodles)</i></span></span></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fruit molecules <i>(grapes + berries)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2Aj36vf" target="_blank">Petri dishes</a> <i>(strawberry Jell-O with "bacteria" sprinkles)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">A BEVERAGE lab, where guests could mix their own creations:</li>
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<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Cranberry juice</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Blue Hawaiian punch</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Lemonade</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Pineapple juice</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sprite</li>
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<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Bottles of H</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">O</span></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">An ICE CREAM SUNDAE bar, where guests could choose their own toppings:</li>
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<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Salted caramel</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Hot fudge</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Maraschino cherries</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Peanuts</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Sprinkles</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'open sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Strawberry syrup</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks6VrgofASQ9C8dyLIB_iBe6qFuhStM7lsMOCIiaY_lFvwXsJ4rHHWypN-NSqk0cUIA3y8qbGQUsdZcm2kqz02ZINlt31cYziQEEYreFclEGRJGxJzRMylUfvzKsfpXOVuQag_GHktK1I/s1600/Ice+Cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="1600" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks6VrgofASQ9C8dyLIB_iBe6qFuhStM7lsMOCIiaY_lFvwXsJ4rHHWypN-NSqk0cUIA3y8qbGQUsdZcm2kqz02ZINlt31cYziQEEYreFclEGRJGxJzRMylUfvzKsfpXOVuQag_GHktK1I/s640/Ice+Cream.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I used mason jars for the beverage lab and added kraft paper straws with some cute, personalized straw flags to complete the look. This is a great way to "label" drinks when you have 15 kids at a party and don't want to mix everyone's drinks up!! ;) I love <a href="https://amzn.to/3dPHsx0" target="_blank">Avery's water bottle labels</a>. They print beautifully and don't smudge as the bottles sweat! What better way to label water than by using it's chemical name? ;) The kids had a blast using <a href="https://amzn.to/2UslxEN" target="_blank">funnels</a> to fill their jars with their own drink concoctions!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvRmwca-zIWDILpVO3CjzYOghUdgIWIqhWMLj3WeyaBOo1nUZVgmJ1sN41qCoFi2JKCySSwwCL90e6X4fxfYHubJPD9u4IZcrMBF1LWW5w-wD-rOg0zvdZk4v2SmtYx2e8q_ifLI-iIQb/s1600/Drink+mixing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvRmwca-zIWDILpVO3CjzYOghUdgIWIqhWMLj3WeyaBOo1nUZVgmJ1sN41qCoFi2JKCySSwwCL90e6X4fxfYHubJPD9u4IZcrMBF1LWW5w-wD-rOg0zvdZk4v2SmtYx2e8q_ifLI-iIQb/s640/Drink+mixing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After everyone filled up, we moved on to the experiments. I browsed through a couple kids' science books (<a href="https://amzn.to/2XKwweB" target="_blank">365 Awesome Science Experiments</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/2Unei0L" target="_blank">Pop Bottle Science</a>) and picked 6 experiments that I thought would be fairly easy and fun for 5/6-year-olds to do:</div>
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<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ne_Lalf9VK90ZpwOBWM10zrVNnfwzD2NWmN1RW-BMBUI2BrxTjXiTgpccYe4fdAv_Zh9iuaeVJflRcTzjeFLvEFNIKZOcQ3GNN0z2s6FpCbbVrArh6GXpjgrzzPu7vPfUeURuwqawd75/s1600/Experiments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1392" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ne_Lalf9VK90ZpwOBWM10zrVNnfwzD2NWmN1RW-BMBUI2BrxTjXiTgpccYe4fdAv_Zh9iuaeVJflRcTzjeFLvEFNIKZOcQ3GNN0z2s6FpCbbVrArh6GXpjgrzzPu7vPfUeURuwqawd75/s320/Experiments.jpg" width="278" /></a>
<li><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Drop It: <i>will a full bottle fall twice as fast as a half-full bottle?</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Metal Boat: <i>can you make a metal boat float?</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Acid or Base?: <i>make colors change as if by magic!</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Gas Balloon: <i>an acid and a base make gas</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Corny Goo: <i>make a goo with strange habits</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Squishy Ice Cream: <i>make your own ice cream!</i></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">I created my own science lab notebook that included detailed instructions for the experiments we were conducting. Each child received one of these. For Noah's party with friends, I had the kids pair up and work together, making 7 groups. Each group had a pan full of the supplies they would need to conduct the experiments.</span><br />
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I think it went pretty well, aside from most of the parents having to complete the ice cream experiment for the kids by the end of it. ;) In their defense, they were distracted by the large amount of ducks in our backyard, and they were all more interested in feeding them at that point. <i>Haha!</i></div>
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Noah requested a Reese cake this year for his party, so to tie in to the theme, we made it "explode" with Reese's pieces when you cut into the cake! I made a cake topper to put in the top.</div>
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I also ordered these adorable cookies from my friend, Amanda, of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SweetHadleyB/" target="_blank">Sweet Hadley B Cookies</a>. She is the best!!!</div>
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For the party favors, I bought plain white paper bags at Michaels and assigned an element that represented each child attending (i.e. Ra = Radium = Rachel, Am = Americum = Amos, Lu = Lutetium = Lucas, etc). I made a personalized ID badge for each child to wear, using these <a href="https://amzn.to/2MGSjxB" target="_blank">badge holders and lanyards</a>. Each child also received <a href="https://amzn.to/37eirJs" target="_blank">a pair of safety glasses</a> for the experiments, the notebook with instructions for the 6 experiments we conducted at the party, a pen, another Science notebook <i>(from the Target dollar spot!)</i>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3dMcfeo" target="_blank">an atomic bouncy ball</a>, and a <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/504824331/science-test-tubes-with-corks-set-of-10" target="_blank">test tube</a> full of sixlets candy.</div>
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Here are some pics of the birthday boy enjoying his parties!! :) </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">The final item to take care of was the thank you notes. I made a simple flat 4" x 6" card to go with the theme. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Because who doesn't love getting something sweet in the mail instead of bills? ;) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">It was an adorable, FUN party! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Happy 6th Birthday to our little middle!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;"><i>If you're interested in purchasing any of the Mad Science printables, please visit my website at <a href="http://www.seeleylanedesign.com/" target="_blank">www.seeleylanedesign.com</a>, or contact me via <a href="http://www.thekreationsbykristy.etsy.com/" target="_blank">my Etsy </a></i></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "open sans";"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;"><i><a href="http://www.thekreationsbykristy.etsy.com/" target="_blank">shop</a>. Don't forget to check out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SweetHadleyB/" target="_blank">Sweet Hadley B Cookies </a>(she ships cookies all over the U.S.) and custom vinyl t-shirts by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AllinGoodFont" target="_blank">All in Good Font!</a></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 44px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 916px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 44px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 916px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-61313622165230360822017-07-03T19:24:00.001-04:002017-07-03T19:24:56.331-04:00Baby Bump Update: Week 24<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLEvxFMV56EstwLvMGJ3m6V4fM3y4KbZ_VzS6CQMXGB52tDzm8wZNU0LVn50h8OIwEsN5dB5MCc-wWxeG93NIlCM6kWjrZoXK9YGDpDYqrDafosgb6ClNDjOiWN7x5HYDBfnBNNGRfBqw/s1600/Baby+Bump+Update.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLEvxFMV56EstwLvMGJ3m6V4fM3y4KbZ_VzS6CQMXGB52tDzm8wZNU0LVn50h8OIwEsN5dB5MCc-wWxeG93NIlCM6kWjrZoXK9YGDpDYqrDafosgb6ClNDjOiWN7x5HYDBfnBNNGRfBqw/s640/Baby+Bump+Update.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><i>Week of Pregnancy</i>:</b> 24 weeks, 3 days<br />
<b><br /></b><b><i>Baby size</i></b>: Baby is the length of an ear of corn this week!<br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;">B</i><i style="font-family: inherit;">aby is <span style="background-color: white;">about a foot long from head to heel and weighs around 1 1/4 pounds.</span></i><br />
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<i>A fun website, <a href="http://babysizer.com/">babysizer.com</a>, also states that the baby is the size of a package of Oreos, Mr. Burns' teddy bear, Bobo (the Simpsons), or a Philly cheesesteak. Yuuummm.</i><br />
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<b><i>Appointment Notes: </i></b>Everything looked/sounded great at my OB appointment this morning. Baby's heartbeat was strong at 142 and he/she was actually weighing in at 1 lb 12 oz by U/S, so a "healthy" 76th percentile. ;) They were able to view the heart vessels this time and all looks good there as well. I also had my glucose testing this morning and managed to just squeak through that one! <i>Whew!</i><br />
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<b><i>Symptoms</i></b>: Hip/pelvic/low back pain is my biggest complaint right now. It's hard to get comfortable most nights and trying to get up from sitting on the floor is probably quite amusing for others to watch. <i>Sigh.</i> Heartburn is still mostly under control now with OTC meds. Hoping it stays that way!<br />
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<b><i>Food cravings</i></b>: Still cereal!<br />
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<b><i>Food aversions</i></b>: Still coffee. <i>Sigh.</i> I'm fine with the iced stuff, but still zero interest in hot coffee!<br />
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<b><i>What I'm excited about</i></b>: Passing my glucose test! I was so worried about failing it this time that I'd even had dreams about it this past week. I needed to stay below 130 mg/dL, and I slid in at 121. Probably means I should be a bit more careful about my diet now though.<br />
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<b><i>What I've done to prepare for baby</i></b>: I think we may have names picked out?!? Pretty solid on a girl's name, but boy's name may still be up for debate...I'm still trying to get maternity workouts in as much as I can handle. I've been seriously exhausted this past month though. Lab results today also showed I have some pregnancy anemia, so that may be the culprit! I think I've found a cute gender neutral bedding set that I like at Target. <i>Surprise!</i> With an aqua, green, yellow and gray patchwork design, it will be cute for either a boy or a girl. Part of me still wonders if I want to wait until after baby is born to pick, so I can go super girly if that's the case! ;)<br />
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<b><i>Funny moment</i></b>: Looking back at my pregnancy with Amos, Ethan had wanted a little sister and was sad when we found out it was going to be another boy. This time, all three boys are wanting yet another brother!!<br />
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Here's a fun look back at each of my pregnancies at 24 weeks! Definitely bigger with each baby, except maybe a tie between the last two?? My weight is actually quite a bit more than it was at this point with Amos though. :( I'm just going to say it's due to the increased muscle I had built up before this pregnancy. ;) <i>Right?!?</i> I guess it's the added four years <i>(you know, in my elderly pregnancy state now, haha) </i>that are making this one even rougher than the previous pregnancies on my body. It's going to be a long 16 weeks!<br />
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Happy 4th tomorrow!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s1600/kristy+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s200/kristy+signature.png" width="160" /></a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-76699574788905189602017-06-03T14:41:00.000-04:002017-06-03T14:45:28.776-04:00Baby Bump Update: Week 20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Week of Pregnancy</i>:</b> 20 weeks, 1 day<br />
<b><br /></b><b><i>Baby size</i></b>: Baby is the length of a banana this week!<br />
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<i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></i><i style="font-family: inherit;">Baby is <span style="background-color: white;">about 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom, and 10 inches from head to heel. Baby weighs between 1/2 and 3/4 pound.</span></i><br />
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<i>A fun website, <a href="http://babysizer.com/">babysizer.com</a>, also states that the baby is the size of a pint of root beer, or a red Swingline stapler (yay Office Space!), or a fat stack of cash. Haha.</i><br />
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<b><i>Symptoms</i></b>: It appears that the nausea may have <i>finally</i> subsided within the last week. <i>Whew. </i>I've definitely had some nice long stretches where I haven't needed to chew gum at least. It's still iffy after dinner most nights, but much better during the daytime now. <i>Yay! </i>Hip/pelvic pain is probably my biggest complaint right now. I guess everything is getting roomier to get ready for delivery already and it kind of feels like it's being ripped apart some days. <i>Fun stuff.</i> I've been battling the acid reflux with some OTC heartburn meds. That, and using 2 pillows at night, has helped a lot.<br />
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<b><i>Food cravings</i></b>: Still cereal and now cookie dough ice cream!! Fortunately, Halo Top makes a pretty decent one, so when I eat a pint <i>(oops!)</i>, I don't have to feel quite as bad. ;) I was in a bad habit of buying Kroger's soft top cranberry-orange cookies every week at the store, but have since traded those in for my <i>Shakeology</i> shakes again. Chocolate PB and chocolate-covered cherry are my favorites. Fortunately, those are pretty much satisfying my sweet tooth now, with only the occasional need for other desserts. ;)<br />
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<b><i>Food aversions</i></b>: Still coffee. <i>Sigh.</i> I have had some iced caramel macchiatos and I do fine with those, but I'm still not wanting anything to do with hot coffee. By this point with Amos, I was drinking it again, so we shall see. My body has actually adjusted to no caffeine at this point, so it may be best to save it for when I'm not sleeping much at night once baby arrives! <i>Haha.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReiogatVWSLEjo6kg22VxlA9Huz9Ym_9iiX1rpb9JIeBPu1qPwVnfMZSfNKo97RWiZFh0McQ4YeqIDnVjCangc_mgM1nX3ihHHITB9le5jrG8k2m02_C_gVkAUqR7QUSNZUf-nlA491rK/s1600/SEELEYKRISTY20170526135529340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReiogatVWSLEjo6kg22VxlA9Huz9Ym_9iiX1rpb9JIeBPu1qPwVnfMZSfNKo97RWiZFh0McQ4YeqIDnVjCangc_mgM1nX3ihHHITB9le5jrG8k2m02_C_gVkAUqR7QUSNZUf-nlA491rK/s320/SEELEYKRISTY20170526135529340.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><i>What I'm excited about</i></b>: I had my ultrasound last week at 19 weeks! I actually kept my eyes closed for almost the entire time, and only peeked when she told me it was safe. I wanted to be sure to not accidentally see any parts that would reveal the gender! Baby Seeley #4 looked great and weighed in at 10 ounces. The only anatomy they couldn't get a look at were the vessels coming out of the heart, so I'll have another quick ultrasound at 24 weeks to be sure those aren't transposed. The doctor thinks they are probably fine given there were no defects within the chambers of the heart, but they like to see them just to be sure. I'll also get to do the fun glucose test at that appointment. Hopefully, I pass again, so I can enjoy my birthday sweets later that week! ;) I love that they did some 3D ultrasound at this visit. Check out that adorable baby yawn! <i>Swoon.</i><br />
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<b><i>What I've done to prepare for baby</i></b>: I'm still trying to decide how I want to decorate the nursery. Once I choose fabric/bedding, then I'll decide on wall colors and hopefully start painting. I'd love to have the room done before I get super huge! I have done a pretty good job keeping up with my maternity workouts. I'm hoping that is helping my body feel better this time and will make for a super easy delivery! <i>A girl can dream, right?</i><br />
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<b><i>Funny moment</i></b>: Earlier in the week, Noah was doing my maternity workout with me and during a boat pose, he was making me look bad with how easily he could do it. I told him I was struggling to hold my legs up that long and he responded matter-of-factly, "Probably because they're heavy. Daddy's are even bigger and I have trouble holding them up with both arms." <i>LOL.</i> I can always count on Noah to tell it like it is. ;)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s1600/kristy+signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3atL79UGuvMdXYtKaA3s5Qo3jhpWQsTz3RNTEAHOxRjSFIqHMivwwDg7fN7emc0QJWkdlJxrZMkYfQsVrzCocZe0MpDYPahYzuTB1PoudpNBiFDBhEpOSyDzcswHgd5kzjw8HeUe18v/s200/kristy+signature.png" width="160" /></a>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-55283222712554652212017-05-04T12:28:00.002-04:002017-05-04T12:28:59.097-04:00May the Fourth be With UsI originally wanted to wait until today to make the big announcement...I mean, what would have been more perfect than announcing on May the Fourth, aka Star Wars day?!?<br />
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But, I couldn't wait another month, so I had to announce last month to family and friends! Haha!<br />
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I'm due October 21st, so I will be 16 weeks tomorrow...time for a bump update! :)<br />
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<b><i>Week of Pregnancy</i>:</b> 16 weeks<br />
<b><br /></b><b><i>Baby size</i></b>: Baby is the size of an avocado this week!<br />
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<i><br /></i><i><br /></i><i><br /></i><i>Baby is 4 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and weighs ~3 1/2 ounces. </i><br />
<i><br />A fun website, <a href="http://babysizer.com/">babysizer.com</a>, also states that the baby is the size of a can of pop, or a can of SPAM, or a duct tape cardboard roll. Haha.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously?!? I'm 35...</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlMAJtU-b7ivdyqKKTGA1FpNOg8t233m7WMh9UCb8oeo9mOKkThHWb-hY5Egv6nzdb7GS2shPXSab1Nm2COURUIcaFwqiS9zgbP5A8T8hR5QvtlSsVMujylzJ5VnMM0-0ued3sc-A8J1y/s1600/Photo+May+04%252C+10+03+21+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlMAJtU-b7ivdyqKKTGA1FpNOg8t233m7WMh9UCb8oeo9mOKkThHWb-hY5Egv6nzdb7GS2shPXSab1Nm2COURUIcaFwqiS9zgbP5A8T8hR5QvtlSsVMujylzJ5VnMM0-0ued3sc-A8J1y/s200/Photo+May+04%252C+10+03+21+AM.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlMAJtU-b7ivdyqKKTGA1FpNOg8t233m7WMh9UCb8oeo9mOKkThHWb-hY5Egv6nzdb7GS2shPXSab1Nm2COURUIcaFwqiS9zgbP5A8T8hR5QvtlSsVMujylzJ5VnMM0-0ued3sc-A8J1y/s1600/Photo+May+04%252C+10+03+21+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><br />
<b><i>Symptoms</i></b>: Nausea hit me hard just after week 6. <i>Ugh.</i> What's more fun than a Caribbean cruise while you feel sick to your stomach 24/7?? <i>Pretty much anything.</i> So, not the vacation I had in mind, but we still managed to have a good time. I never actually get sick when I'm pregnant, but sometimes I think that would be easier than feeling sick all day if it would make that nausea go away! So I tried both Phenergan and Zofran, but neither provided much relief. Jolly ranchers helped some, but continually popping those all day got old. Ginger beer wasn't bad, but not something I wanted all the time either. Finally, Ethan's teacher gave me the idea of chewing gum <i>(she's also preggo - due today!!)</i>! I don't know why I had never heard of that one in my 3 previous pregnancies, or tried it, but I'm so glad she clued me in. I've been chewing gum pretty much non-stop since then and that has been the biggest help! I am finally getting to the point now where I don't feel like I need it all the time, but I'm still chewing my fair share. Hopefully, complete relief will come soon as I progress farther into this 2nd trimester. The 1st trimester left me exhausted as well. I don't remember being so tired with the others, but this time I was going to bed by 9 pm and still needed an afternoon nap daily! I guess given my "elderly" status this time around, I shouldn't be surprised. <i>Hahahaha. </i>Fortunately, I have more energy now and I'm not requiring as much sleep. I even started my maternity workouts again today! <i>Go me!</i> With most of the nausea and exhaustion behind me, I'd like to start eating better again and working out more regularly. I still have my <i>Beachbody on Demand </i>membership, and Autumn has a great <i>Active Maternity</i> workout. I'd love to go into this delivery in better shape than I usually do. Here's hoping I can keep it up.<br />
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<b><i>Food cravings</i></b>: Cereal. Cereal. Cereal. This seems to be a trend for me while preggo, but even more so this time around. With Amos, I craved eggs, over easy in the mornings, but this time, I just want a big ol' bowl of cereal. Preferably <i>LIFE</i> right now. I normally crave the sugary kids stuff <i>(i.e., Captain Crunch, Apple Jacks, Sugar Crisp, etc)</i>, but this time, adult cereal does the trick. <i>Haha. </i>Add to the list fruit, especially grapes, and all things lemon <i>(I craved lemon with Noah and Amos, too!). </i>I've had to start avoiding the bakery section at Kroger. Their soft top cranberry-orange cookies are my weakness. I'm trying to do better now. I love a glass of ice cold milk with dinner <i>(it literally needs ice cubes in it)</i> and a glass of grape-orange juice at night before bed. A glass of lemonade during the day is awesome, too. <i>Need to work on that sugar intake before gestational diabetes testing time...</i><br />
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<b><i>Food aversions</i></b>: Coffee!! :'( So, so sad. I went from drinking my fair share every day to none at week 6. I can't even stand smelling Josh's coffee brew in the morning. Ten weeks later and I'm still not interested. I guess that's good for baby, and I seem to have adjusted to the lack of daily caffeine. With the others, I was still good with my favorite, iced caramel macchiatos, but this time even those don't sound great. I also despised water at the beginning. <i>Not good.</i> Finally a couple weeks ago, I was able to start drinking it again without issues. It just has to be very cold. :)<br />
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<b><i>What I'm excited about</i></b>: Meeting this little guy/gal! Despite my sister's lack of faith in my ability to go this entire pregnancy without finding out the sex, I am determined. We found out for all 3 of the boys, and with this definitely being our last, it's my final chance to be surprised in the delivery room, so I want to do it. It will probably drive the OCD planner in me insane, but hopefully I'll manage. :)<br />
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<b><i>What I've done to prepare for baby</i></b>: I've purchased a few gender neutral clothing items. Given the fact that I donated all of the newborn and 0-3 month baby clothes I had<i> (when I thought I didn't want any more babies, sigh)</i>, we will need to get some things. <i>Oops!</i> Fortunately, my sister still had all the bigger items that Amos had outgrown, so I'm holding on to those now. ;) I guess it won't matter if it's a girl, but I have a gut feeling this is boy #4!<br />
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<b><i>Funny moment</i></b>: Amos's preschool teacher let me know that Amos has been talking about being a big brother and that he was going to get the baby out of my belly for me. He's been pretending to get babies out of bellies at school, too. I guess I don't need that midwife. Amos will be a pro after practicing for another ~5 months! <i>LOL.</i><br />
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Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-26235601718267840982017-05-02T12:56:00.000-04:002017-05-02T12:56:31.062-04:00Amos's {Burlap and Bowties} 1st Birthday PartyWow. So, looking back through my posts, I see that I never posted about Amos's 1st birthday party!! <i>#thirdbabyproblems</i> In my defense, it all went down not long before Josh left to work in VA, leaving me with the 3 boys by myself during the week for the next 4.5 months. <i>I don't miss that!</i> I guess I should probably post about this one before I post about his 3rd birthday...it appears I had most of it ready to go, so I'll fill in the blanks now! :)<br />
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Now that I've updated you about <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/amos-is-one.html" target="_blank">Amos's 1st year</a>, it's time to talk about the party!! On my 3rd boy now, I decided it was time to finally do a "little man" bash. So, away I went planning an adorable navy blue, aqua, and lime green "little man"/bowtie-themed party for my little guy. I decided to incorporate burlap to the theme, too, for a <i>"burlap and bowties"</i> party. First on the agenda, the invitations.<br />
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I love including photos of the birthday boy on the invites, and I thought it might be fun to make this a 3-D invite, so I added the bowties <i>(made from lime green grosgrain ribbon)</i> with hot glue. :) I also decided to mount the invites on pieces of burlap, to complete the 3-D effect. I was very happy with how they turned out!<br />
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After the invitations were mailed, I started brainstorming<i> </i>ideas for the party. To decorate the house, I bought some navy blue, aqua and lime green latex balloons <i>(inflated with helium and hi-float)</i> at the local party supply store. I also bought a 1st birthday balloon and lucked out that the colors coordinated fairly well! I made a custom banner that read "Happy 1st Birthday Amos" using the same bowtie/color theme. I used aqua baker's twine to string together the pendants and made the bowties from burlap. It worked well and looked great! I also made a coordinating banner for his highchair that read "I am 1".</div>
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From the mantle, I hung a string of pictures from Amos's first year - the monthly pics I took throughout the year. I decorated this banner with more bowties and put it on a burlap background. I also framed the print I made summarizing his first year.<br />
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For the party favors, I bought little burlap bags<i> (from Michaels)</i> and added personalized tags<i> </i>to them. Inside the bags, I added little bags of bright blue, aqua and kelly green chocolate candies <i>(from Fresh Market)</i>. I also made clip-on bowties for the boys and bow barrettes for the girls, and added these to the bags. To help decorate the room, I set the bags on our bookshelves and tied a balloon to each one.</div>
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This year, I made cake bites for the party guests and a small smash cake for Amos. I used aqua blue candy melts for the vanilla cake bites. I purchased the lime green cupcake liners, to hold the cake bites, from our local party store. All of the plates, bowls, napkins and utensils were purchased at our local party store. I wrapped the utensils in a napkin, then taped a piece of ribbon around the middle to make them look like bowties. For the tables, I used dark blue plastic tablecloths, then draped pieces of burlap on top as table runners. I placed more of the colored chocolate candies in candle holders to make for a colorful centerpiece.</div>
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For the dinner menu, I chose:</div>
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<li>Burger Bites <i>(beef patty sliders on Hawaiian sweet rolls)</i></li>
<li>'Lil Smokies <i>('Lil Smokies cooked in Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce)</i></li>
<li>Sweet Tator Tots <i>(homemade roasted sweet potatoes cubes)</i></li>
<li>Caprese Skewer Bites <i>(cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls and basil)</i></li>
<li>Bowtie Pasta Salad <i>(bowtie pasta, Italian dressing, mini pepperoni, roasted red bell peppers, shredded parmesan)</i></li>
<li>Bowtie Pasta Crunchies <i>(fried bowtie pasta with roasted red pepper hummus)</i></li>
<li>Mini Fruit Pizzas <i>(mixed berries and homemade whipped cream in deep dish sugar cookie)</i></li>
<li>Baby Carrots <i>(served with ranch dressing)</i></li>
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I wanted the food to go with the party theme, which is why I chose the "little" items for our little man. :) <i>Thanks to my sister for helping me get all of the food ready, as usual!</i> We also had homemade vanilla ice cream <i>(courtesy of my dad!)</i> to go with the cake bites. Yum!</div>
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Here are some pics of the birthday boy enjoying his day!! :) I sewed the suspenders and bowtie to his plain white onesie for his party outfit. He also wore it for the one-year pics that we had done.<br />
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The final item to take care of was the thank you notes. I added one of the professional pics to a simple thank you note matching the theme. Plenty of room for a sweet thank you for friends and family!<br />
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It was an adorable, fun party for my tiniest little man!<br />
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Happy 1st Birthday, Amos!<br />
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<i>All items you see above are available for customization and purchase. Please contact me via my <a href="http://www.thekreationsbykristy.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>.</i>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-79966349426519686132017-04-29T17:11:00.001-04:002017-04-29T17:11:42.790-04:00Noah's {Mixels-Themed} 5th Birthday Party<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">I can't believe that I only posted 3 times in 2016. :( I'm not sure what happened. I guess life got in the way. It could have had something to do with the fact that we moved again, right after Noah's birthday, a couple weeks before school started in Tennessee. Crazy times. I finally feel like we are mostly settled in now, but of course, things will be crazy again soon! More about that later.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Today it's time to catch up on the boys' birthday parties. First up, Noah's 5th birthday. Almost a year behind here, but that's ok. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">When I asked Noah what he wanted for his birthday party theme for his 5th birthday, he told me he wanted <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/mixels" target="_blank">Lego Mixels</a>. In case you don't know what those are, they are adorable little Lego creatures that come in sets of 3. So, away I went planning an adorable Mixels-themed party for my little guy. First on the agenda, the invitations. I love including photos of the birthday boy on the invites, and of course, it also had to include his favorite Mixels guys.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">After the invitations were mailed, I started brainstorming </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">(aka, browsing Pinterest and Google) </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">ideas for the party. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">I made a custom banner that read "Happy 5th Birthday Noah" using the same Mixels theme and decorated with red, yellow and blue balloons. I also used the Mixels themselves to help decorate the room.</span></span></span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Open Sans;"><span style="font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Here's an example of the banner letters, close-up. Each letter featured a Mixel character starting with that same letter (i.e., H was Hoogi, A was Aquad, etc). I threaded jute rope through the pendant pieces to hang it. It worked well and looked great!</span></span></span><br />
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For the party favors, I bought plain black paper bags and added "Nixels" (the enemies of the Mixels) faces. Inside the bag, there was a bag of "Mixels mix," which I packaged in clear, plastic bags and topped them with tags. The mix consisted of all kinds of brightly colored candy, to represent all the colors of the Mixels. There were also Mixels fake tattoos for the kids to wear.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf3Wd7cyawbwfihHas-CYF8QIBadxHug_C5QTQHGELQBo1NHBS3WdRp7iTQQLijC5tovh7TKkmF8p-ez4rMoX6pMiLnBaSej70gTgWWtx3n5ldc4-Ua1TLcp0AErcO6ZOPbc6QsMy9Jp-/s1600/Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf3Wd7cyawbwfihHas-CYF8QIBadxHug_C5QTQHGELQBo1NHBS3WdRp7iTQQLijC5tovh7TKkmF8p-ez4rMoX6pMiLnBaSej70gTgWWtx3n5ldc4-Ua1TLcp0AErcO6ZOPbc6QsMy9Jp-/s640/Cupcakes.jpg" width="640" /></a>I made cupcakes for the party again this year. I didn't want to attempt any elaborate decorating of the cupcakes on the day of the party, so I made cupcake wrappers ahead of time to coordinate with the banner and invite elements. Then as part of the fun, the kids got to decorate their own cupcake..."Make-A-Mixadel"! I bought various candies, including candy eyes, so they could have fun with their creations.</div>
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I used mason jars for drinks and added kraft paper straws with some cute MIX, MAX and MURP straw flags to complete the look. More Mixels and Nixels to decorate the HYDRO-tion station. :)</div>
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For the dinner menu, we chose:</div>
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<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">ZORCH sliders <i>(grilled pork tenderloin on Hawaiian sweet rolls served with a BBQ-ranch sauce)</i></li>
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<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">VULK 'n cheese <i>(homemade mac 'n cheese)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">BALK beans <i>(baked beans)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">LEWT berry salad <i>(fruit salad)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fruit GLORP <i>(homemade fruit dip)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Fried SPUGS <i>(potato chips)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Tomatoes + BUSTO <i>(tomatoes with homemade basil pesto)</i></li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">SNAX Station</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Make-A-Mixadel Cupcakes</li>
<li style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Ice KRAMM <i>(vanilla + salted caramel ice creams)</i></li>
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To drink, I had SPLASH punch for the kids <i>(apple juice + Sprite)</i>, and AQUAD <i>(water) </i>for the adults. Noah chose all of his favorites for the menu and we worked together to come up with the names for them. :) Yes, I know I have waaaaay too much fun with this.</div>
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Here are some pics of the birthday boy enjoying his parties!! :) </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">The final item to take care of was the thank you notes. I made a simple flat 4" x 6" card to go with the theme.</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Because who doesn't love getting something sweet in the mail instead of bills? ;) It was an adorable, fun party for a little guy who loves his Mixels!!</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><br style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 17.600000381469727px;">Happy (belated) 5th Birthday to our little middle!</span>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-74433663259575312852016-08-27T11:41:00.001-04:002016-08-27T11:41:50.460-04:00Win some Shakeology!<a href="http://www.shakeology.com/kristyseeley" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6O0W5-fcID140bWcbiLcxXGX62RgDl5hafP7KW6hiJ5vYqyNdmc-TnI8Dt8LawCOS6qPyMfMKq6odSWtVLnDXqFqqjejUBsAzsL7n4EoilH_xo-XvNsfmU1bafwgPOPQECJmLaTeJ0bG/s1600/Shakeology_Chocolate_Vanilla_and_Latte_BuyNow_Thumb.png" /></a>Don't miss out! As I stated in my live Facebook video <i>(you can watch below!)</i>, I'm giving away 2 <a href="http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=1041929" target="_blank">Shakeology</a> sample packs! Each pack includes a <a href="http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=1041929" target="_blank">Shakeology</a> bottle, and a vanilla, chocolate, and cafe latte shake packet! Visit the linked site to learn about all the awesome benefits of <a href="http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=1041929" target="_blank">Shakeology</a>. Contest is open to anyone in the U.S. who is not already a <a href="https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=1041929" target="_blank">Beachbody </a>customer. Contest runs now through midnight on September 3rd. Two winners will be selected to each win one <a href="http://teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/MDSUSH311G?referringRepId=1041929" target="_blank">Shakeology </a>pack. Good luck!! :)<br />
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Just follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter widget to enter. You can enter daily by sharing <a href="https://www.facebook.com/coachingbykristy/" target="_blank">my new Facebook page, Coaching by Kristy</a>!<br />
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<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4662817847756891881.post-2087224062371481192016-05-04T11:58:00.001-04:002020-06-09T15:01:45.076-04:00Ethan's {Lego Star Wars Themed} 7th Birthday PartyI'm starting to fall behind here, but figured what better day than <i>"May the Fourth be with You"</i> Day to share about Ethan's Star Wars Lego themed birthday parties this year! I haven't updated you about Ethan's 7th year yet either <i>(hopefully I will soon!)</i>, but here are the details <i>(finally)</i> from his parties 2 months ago. Better late than never, right??<br />
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He had a <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/ethan-is-six.html" target="_blank">Lego Movie theme last year</a>, and <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/ethans-star-wars-themed-5th-birthday.html" target="_blank">Star Wars the year before that</a>, so I guess this was a good mix of the two. ;) Definitely two of his most favorite things anyway! First on the agenda, the invitations. Ethan ended up having <i>three</i> different parties <i>(and I wonder why my boys are spoiled?!?)</i> this year, so I had to make several versions of the invite. The first party was with his classmates from school. We had it at a local bowling alley/laser tag venue. The kids <i>loved</i> it and it was super easy for me! I just showed up with cupcakes and favors and that was it. The kids ate pizza, bowled for awhile, played arcade games, then played a game of laser tag. <i>Tons of fun.</i><br />
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His next party was at our house with my family. My niece, Hannah, had just turned 4 a couple weeks before Ethan's birthday, so we had a fun combined party for the two of them. Luckily, they both love Star Wars and legos, so it made for a fun dark side/light side theme. :) I just printed on both sides of the invite. And yes, as you can see, I have entirely too much fun putting the kids' faces on invites <i>(like I did with <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/noahs-firetruck-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">Noah and the firetruck</a> a couple years ago)</i>. Haha! I used their favorite characters and made them each into tiny legos as well. His final party was with Josh's parents the following weekend. We were all partied out by mid-March, and still recovering a bit now. ;)</div>
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To decorate the house, I made a custom banner that read "Happy 7th Birthday Ethan" using the same theme from the invites. Ethan and I worked together to create the banner, selecting characters for each letter - i.e., Han Solo for H, Admiral Ackbar for A, etc. <span style="text-align: center;">You can see all the characters below. I strung the pendants together with black yarn and used black glittery cardstock for the spacers. It worked well and looked great! For Hannah, I made one that said "Hannah is 4!" :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xH6WTiFxP0v06JYYu2Uo6L2OebVjFqVnwol50_RK-0hMfvItb8q6DCGp_klVupXQdT887pBV5evcdfD3BBfeb4bPV6KtATjGOd4B9cJ6KC-Ooj3qMJuEPG0_IuSWbGhGJ0i0OXbuEmS5/s1600/Banner+display+-+blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xH6WTiFxP0v06JYYu2Uo6L2OebVjFqVnwol50_RK-0hMfvItb8q6DCGp_klVupXQdT887pBV5evcdfD3BBfeb4bPV6KtATjGOd4B9cJ6KC-Ooj3qMJuEPG0_IuSWbGhGJ0i0OXbuEmS5/s640/Banner+display+-+blog.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the party favors, I lucked out and found huge bubble wands that were red and blue light sabers at the dollar spot at Target. <i>Perfect!</i> I made little tags to tie to the handles. Amos was a big fan of those, so I'll let him model them. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcoqO2vEhXBpgtCBYel4-tSXqukWGVA_JgFoN4RxVA0UNDDF1SWwqvbv0xlODK8wCUs-5_ElVsYZe6KZRrrFeBN9JYvifKAkQBKa8ciiXcIEiE2LX4p371zjftFVwjyPKeWfSNBZe3yKx/s1600/IMG_0162+-+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcoqO2vEhXBpgtCBYel4-tSXqukWGVA_JgFoN4RxVA0UNDDF1SWwqvbv0xlODK8wCUs-5_ElVsYZe6KZRrrFeBN9JYvifKAkQBKa8ciiXcIEiE2LX4p371zjftFVwjyPKeWfSNBZe3yKx/s320/IMG_0162+-+blog.jpg" width="234" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJLBY1hHjEeV2NBIHUeZaZFG_8nfbdBOCC-ZlgCA8ojNahkduQbZ_mk-2drf6Z30SFL3pTQA_TgI0OVcAMhkCySGjFMVxQ9NDBwtM7c3q8IOKp09paEQH5WyTXhfzbc1vNHHjGQ2-yWRg/s1600/Favor+Tags+-+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJLBY1hHjEeV2NBIHUeZaZFG_8nfbdBOCC-ZlgCA8ojNahkduQbZ_mk-2drf6Z30SFL3pTQA_TgI0OVcAMhkCySGjFMVxQ9NDBwtM7c3q8IOKp09paEQH5WyTXhfzbc1vNHHjGQ2-yWRg/s320/Favor+Tags+-+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This year, I made simple cupcakes for his party with friends. Half had black wrappers and half had silver. The frosting was decorated with edible spray-on color in silver or black. For his party with my family, I made death star cake pops. I hadn't made cake pops in a looooong time, and they are something I still need to work on. :/ They still tasted great though, so no one seemed to mind their lumpiness. :)</div>
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The following week, I went back to cupcakes. I had finally received some molds I ordered, so I used candy melts to make Darth Vader and stormtrooper heads to decorate the cupcakes. <i>Yay sugar!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7kXLMf1tM_O8-4PToZK00TQRv32LeVv1zZHEtmVc1PUca9jSg18HQhdwHBMRu17kHwRJ9wlKN_LoKIlMOvNxokC7tCbv3wF0hXiGkw6lUZ5x44zZTmbfjjyMWu6UAqICF_xVi5OCJvFm/s1600/IMG_0385+-+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7kXLMf1tM_O8-4PToZK00TQRv32LeVv1zZHEtmVc1PUca9jSg18HQhdwHBMRu17kHwRJ9wlKN_LoKIlMOvNxokC7tCbv3wF0hXiGkw6lUZ5x44zZTmbfjjyMWu6UAqICF_xVi5OCJvFm/s640/IMG_0385+-+blog.jpg" width="468" /></a></div>
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I made light sabers out of the napkins, forks and spoons again. I had done this for <a href="http://seeleyfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/ethans-star-wars-themed-5th-birthday.html" target="_blank">his other Star Wars party</a> as well. I found cute Star Wars plates <i>(simple black with silver writing)</i> at Target, as well as the coordinating tablecloth. Unfortunately, most of the pictures I took didn't turn out great because we had just purchased our new camera and I was apparently having focusing issues. <i>Sigh.</i> </div>
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I love a good pun, so for the dinner menu, Ethan and I chose:</div>
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<li>Pizza the HUTT <i>(Jabba the Hutt)</i></li>
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<li>CHEWIE'S cheese pizza <i>(Chewbacca)</i></li>
<li>SITH 'shroom pizza <i>(a sith)</i></li>
<li>HAN'S Hawaiian pizza <i>(Han Solo)</i></li>
<li>VADER'S veggie pizza <i>(Darth Vader)</i></li>
</ul>
<li>BOBA-que chips <i>(Boba Fett)</i></li>
<li>PRINCESS Lays <i>(Princess Leia)</i></li>
<li>FALCON fruit <i>(Millenium falcon)</i></li>
<li>g-REY-pe sabers <i>(Rey)</i></li>
<li>DROIDIKA dip <i>(a droidika)</i></li>
<li>DEATH STAR cake pops <i>(the death star)</i></li>
<li>JAR JAR drinks <i>(Jar Jar Binks) - drinks were served in mason jars</i></li>
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<li>Milk in a JAR JAR</li>
<li>JANGO mango juice <i>(Jango Fett)</i></li>
<li>LUKE skywater <i>(Luke Skywalker)</i></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bp1ph0_MjziNN4r5Swyi5s3Mwb0vI2TlBwTSpRcs5TthS1fimEkT0ifxmh5HjcGH7YiAWKAamqdJGaF9KBYRIfu4-SCYKIe8SaouWHDZiUvnNVlb1bDssA70wlUHp8gbQ3y0SywYqJo9/s1600/Star+Wars+Lego+Food+Tag+display+-+blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bp1ph0_MjziNN4r5Swyi5s3Mwb0vI2TlBwTSpRcs5TthS1fimEkT0ifxmh5HjcGH7YiAWKAamqdJGaF9KBYRIfu4-SCYKIe8SaouWHDZiUvnNVlb1bDssA70wlUHp8gbQ3y0SywYqJo9/s640/Star+Wars+Lego+Food+Tag+display+-+blog.png" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDhBPRaoMpwTDIEixZiFw1mUWYomLWzPwg5w-HsLvNz4EYvSGhBlbkhuKHPvxVvUUKKgKo6wlJE4hiLZr1rE_DbbJ_tLh5o3LXk3w92V4qxClEwZbr2tD8zL5mYzH0NCpRP40WDuyGOfa/s1600/Star+Wars+Lego+Food+Tag+display2+-+blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDhBPRaoMpwTDIEixZiFw1mUWYomLWzPwg5w-HsLvNz4EYvSGhBlbkhuKHPvxVvUUKKgKo6wlJE4hiLZr1rE_DbbJ_tLh5o3LXk3w92V4qxClEwZbr2tD8zL5mYzH0NCpRP40WDuyGOfa/s640/Star+Wars+Lego+Food+Tag+display2+-+blog.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Here are some pics of the birthday boy enjoying his THREE parties!! :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20FeS_BOjWvKaPas2eAm9mv64d-Q8o7SK4mJatsCKULroMQEKYAUs3LyUAuJGMIgBBckR_yVDjz2nIOBol8sT7xlTCRbOMVyr21D23_lIYud_duNNjXAZhIgUSdpiw1ACYwF5biBxL5zS/s1600/Birthday+party+pics+collage+-+12+x+12+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20FeS_BOjWvKaPas2eAm9mv64d-Q8o7SK4mJatsCKULroMQEKYAUs3LyUAuJGMIgBBckR_yVDjz2nIOBol8sT7xlTCRbOMVyr21D23_lIYud_duNNjXAZhIgUSdpiw1ACYwF5biBxL5zS/s640/Birthday+party+pics+collage+-+12+x+12+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The final item to take care of was the thank you notes. I made a simple flat 4" x 6" card for his friends and added his pic with the present since he opened them at home instead of at his party. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhYdjFnroW8jSE7-Ki48rW9JV2n37KmQ9GJ_AJegkRyVnkpTc_nmuDoEIPzOtgW-vXiH_wiTbxhqPHQkyEprGkXwoPzdznqMXJ1dOVRLVH6-kwCY9XFDeyMaty_84rD3zL4RnzbuucyMU/s1600/Thank+You+note+-+Walker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhYdjFnroW8jSE7-Ki48rW9JV2n37KmQ9GJ_AJegkRyVnkpTc_nmuDoEIPzOtgW-vXiH_wiTbxhqPHQkyEprGkXwoPzdznqMXJ1dOVRLVH6-kwCY9XFDeyMaty_84rD3zL4RnzbuucyMU/s640/Thank+You+note+-+Walker.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy 7th Birthday to our biggest little man!<br />
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<i>All items you see above are available for customization and purchase through <a href="http://www.thekreationsbykristy.etsy.com/" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a>. You can also visit <a href="http://www.seeleylanedesign.com/" target="_blank">my website</a>, or find me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kreationsbykristy" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</i>Kristyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10238143056858340975noreply@blogger.com0