"I will not complain...I will not complain..."
I have been waiting for this warm weather and sunshine for....well....a long time. Now that it's here...it is so great to be outside all the time and watch the garden grow. It has been hot though...which makes it hard for my kids to sleep....but I am refusing to complain......=)
Here's just a few random updates....
Brent took Friday and Monday (today) off of work so that we could go camping and have some family time. Well....the camping didn't last long....we made some really great memories....and experienced some moments of "NEVER AGAIN"!!!...which culminated in us packing up and coming home early. We went to Baker Lake, so we were just a quick drive home....I think we'll wait to go again till Gracie's a bit older...this "vacation" was more exhausting than being at home!
We went strawberry picking today....got 20 lbs of berries....that was fun. I love berry picking season. =) The kids did great, and ate their weight's worth of berries...
I'm further along than I thought I was....the belly is already starting to protrude, and I could have sworn that the baby jostled the glass of water that I had balancing on it....I guess we'll have to wait for an ultrasound to be certain. Right now, we're thinking I'm close to 12 weeks....making the due date in January! Yikes....ready or not here he/she comes! I think it's going to be a boy...but that's just me. We'll carry on the Rollins tradition of waiting to find out till the baby pops out! I'm not ready to tackle the name game....though the name "Jack" has been floating around recently....and if we give him Brent's Grandpa's name for the middle name...then we've got ourselves a Jack Daniel....and for some reason that combination of names has a familiar ring to it....
That's all for now....no eye candy photos....I can't find the camera...
No creative juices are flowing......though the iron is giving me more energy!!
I was looking through the old birth pictures of the kids and thought it would be fun to share them with you...
Just in case you didn't know....both kids were born on June 4, two years apart, two hours apart, in the same room (at a birth center)...so the following pictures are going to look awfully similar.
This one was right after Josiah was born...the afterglow still burning bright....I remember how Brent was so giddy and excited and amazed at the whole thing. He was quite a bit more calm with Gracie's arrival.
Josiah was born in the tub, and so after I had a few minutes to stare at this wonder, and the "I can't believe that just came out of me" had faded, they passed him off to Brent while I got out of the tub to dry off and get warm.
This one was from Gracie's birth...the final stages of labor were in the water, but she got stuck on my pubic bone, so they had to reach up and grab her!!
I love the difference in the looks on Brent's face between the two...one he's awestruck, the next, he's just plain beaming.
Introducing....baby sister....
What a precious, exhausting, time...
I found out last Wednesday night...so I don't think I'm very far along. I just had a feeling...and I was staying up really late to write the blog about how awful I was feeling....then it hit me that I should take another prego test. It was very positive and I just stood there for a minute letting it all sink in. By this time it was around midnight, and I didn't want to wake Brent up cause I knew we'd sit and talk about it for hours and he'd have to be at work early....so I went to bed and lay there myself awake for hours thinking and processing this news. After the alarm went off I told Brent that he needed to go to the bathroom....he kept insisting that he was warm and cozy and didn't need to go...befuddled as to why I was insistent...so then I said..."fine...I'm pregnant!". I loved the puzzled, smiling..."what..?" that came out next... the only bummer was that we had only about 10 minutes to talk before he had to leave.
Anyway, I will make an appointment with the midwife soon, and we'll get this due date settled....I'm thinking maybe March 09??
The reason I'm sharing so early is because I'm a bit scared/nervous/apprehensive....about the potential for having a miscarriage,(we had one before we got pregnant with Josiah) and I thought that if I shared this with all of you then I would - A. feel supported through whatever and B. know that there could be a few more prayer warriors fighting for the life of this baby.
This little one was a surprise, but then again, we weren't doing anything to prevent it....so I guess the potential was always there in my mind. I'm wondering how it will be with three....and if this time I'll figure out my health issues so that I'll produce enough breast milk....
I met with the naturopath Tuesday afternoon and I had low iron levels...so I got some liquid iron to drink with OJ, my thyroid levels with on the lower end of normal, so I have a few months supply of a natural supplement to support that, and I've got some killer prenatals......but I'm still left questioning the reason why I never was able to produce enough milk for either of my kids!!! That is so frustrating to me! I'm on a mission....and I have 9 ish?? months to figure this out....
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support!!
Here's the reason I've been feeling so "ugh, yuck, blah"....
I'M.....
This is little Grace, all dressed up on her birthday, posing with her Great Grandmother, whom we affectionately call GRAM. I love this photo...pretty in pink!
Here's a couple more...
WE LOVE YOU GRAM!
All words to describe how I've been feeling lately....I went to a naturopath last Tuesday because I think I have Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). She was great....drew blood...and I'll meet with her next week for the results. In the meantime....I think I'll go to bed...Sorry for being boring.
for Raw Milk Ice Cream!
This last Christmas my dear hubby gave me an ice cream maker, and now it seems like he's the one making all the scream!
This one, though is one of the few I've made....it was in response to one of Brent's sugar cravings, but he didn't want to go to the store to get cream. So I just threw a bunch of frozen fruit, some yogurt, raw honey, and raw milk into the blender...("someone" snuck in some sugar)....essentially it was a smoothie that we turned into ice cream! Super fast, super easy, and super yum!
I found this book at Ross for $5 and surprised Brent with it last month. Since then he has been busy creating delectable homemade frozen treats! My favorite thus far has been the Orange Cardamom ice cream with cold Italian hot chocolate.
Here's the recipe for
ORANGE CARDAMOM ICE CREAM
5 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
Zest stripped from 1 large orange (important to use organic when zesting!)
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the salt, and cardamom. Heat the milk, cream, orange zest, and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Slowly pour the milk and cream into the egg mixture, whisking as you pour. Return the egg-and-cream mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the custard reaches 175* F and lightly coats the spatula. Strain the custard into a clean bowl, discarding the orange zest, and cool over an ice bath until room temperature. Refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until scoopable, about 4 hours, depending on your freezer.
Enjoy....this is a new family favorite!
CONGRATULATIONS to my dear friend Heather....
ABRIELLE HOPE
was born today at 5:30pm...
they left for the hospital at 4:20pm, and she just popped right out!
6 lbs 12 oz 19 3/4 in. long!!!
I'm so thrilled for you, and I can't wait to meet your precious girl in person!
