1 Year Ago...

One year ago (plus a couple days) I was attending my first of two wedding showers. WOW. Never did I think, "one year from now, I will be pregnant!" ....are you kidding me!? And the even scarier part is, I never thought, "I'm going to be pregnant because I want to be!" Lets compare what pregnancy has done to me compared to one year ago...Wow I was so slim (compared to now!) and TAN. I will get there again darn it, sometime after this little baby girl has made her appearance.

Soon to be newlywed....

Pregnant newlywed!...23 weeks, 5 days pregnant.

So one year ago...Tatiana's room was our 'junk' room. Bjorn had his clothes in the closet in there, and one year ago I was putting all my wedding shower gifts in there so I could organize and put them away. Never at that time did I think there would be a crib in that room! Let alone all the other adorable things that have taken over the 'junk' room. 

So now a days everyone does the baby name over the crib thing...you know white letters, or cute painted letters hung above the crib. This past weekend we looked at a some remodeled homes on the remodelers showcase tour. These were houses that people currently lived in, and it seemed that just about every house that had a nursery had the letters above the crib... just off the top of my head I definitely remember seeing 'Oliver' and 'Charlotte'....anyway I wanted to find a different way to do this, my own way. I almost thought about not doing it at all since it's so trendy, but lets face it, I picked our daughters name and I love it. So I've been brainstorming a bit over the past couple weeks, and decided I wanted to use fabric to display Tatiana's name. One trip to the craft store, one trip to my favorite fabric store on Grand Avenue, and four hours later...

Seven Amy Butler fabrics (which the letters are on), and one Michael Miller fabric (the border). I love this line of Amy Butler fabrics, because even though they all look so different they are indeed meant to go together and they all draw in colors from one another. Even better this line of fabric is called "Love."

Now I have to share some cute photos of clothing....

I love the onesies with cute stuff on the butt. The one on the right is from our friends, John and Jaclyn.

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Baby Gap? Seriously, they have the cutest baby clothes. And even more specifically, I love the clearance section at Baby Gap. I waited quite awhile for those strawberry leggings and teal blue bunny onesie to hit the clearance section!

JEANS! So cute. :) Mom and Nana have been busy shopping for little T!

When Bjorn and I went back to Illinois to help my grandparents prepare for an estate sale, I came across a sterling silver dish that was my great grandmas. It's from about 1880 - 1890. I swooned over it, not only because it's beautiful, but because my great grandma shares the exact same first and middle name as I do. I'm the 6th female in the family to have this exact name. The name goes so far back that Christina used to be 'Lady Christina' when her husband was the Earl of Stirling in Scotland. So I was absolutely head over heels when my grandma told me I could have the dish. For now it's in Tatiana's room where I think it may remain.

Picture Post

Thursday I decided it was time to make homemade pizza... so I stopped at the store and picked up some fresh mozzarella balls, a pizza dough mix, sauce, etc... then I noticed all the pretty Easter flowers were out. I couldn't help myself so I picked up a pretty delft blue hyacinth that hadn't quite yet started to bloom. I put it in the center of our dining room table...which really, should have happened a lot sooner, because I still had a display of fall gourds in a trifle dish in the middle of the table.

Speaking of things that bloom and grow...my greenhouse seed kit has already started sprouting little seedlings! Although now I'm worried that they're going to start growing too fast and I'll have to replant them in pots in the house before they can be planted outside. Hurry up first spring frost, I want to plant my garden!

Oh yeah...so back to the pizza....mmm! Definitely use fresh mozzarella balls, it makes a HUGE difference! Just slice them up and then put them between paper towels and squeeze to get some of the excess liquid out. I also used sausage from the farmers market. I brushed the crust with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and some Italian seasoning and then cooked it for about 8 minutes before piling on the sauce and toppings. it may not have been super healthy, but it was made with fresh ingredients! I had some left over dough so I made some cheese bread as well.

I started my morning out with some rowdy dogs...I'm so glad they have each other to play with.

Our First Baby Girl

After graduating from college I did something I'd wanted to do for along time, and also something that my mom was not too happy about. She told me if I did this, if I got this thing, and I brought it to her house (I had just graduated from college and moved back home) I would be out of there. Well this thing I brought home turned out to be more than a thing to her, and she totally fell in love, as did Bjorn and I.

Vesper Lynd was born on July 27th, 2007. I had decided I wanted a papillon, because besides being adorable, they were a natural toy breed (not bred too become smaller and smaller like some toy breeds), intelligent, liked the outdoors, and their lineage went back as far as to Marie Antoinette owning one. Papillon means "butterfly" in french, and this breed received the name because of it's large ears, that are supposedly reminiscent of butterfly wings. They are also known as the Continental Toy Spaniel, and there's also a variation on the breed, where it's the same breed but the ears don't stand erect, and this breed variation is called Phalene (which means moth).

I got Vesper from a breeder in Wisconsin, a gruff lady who worked at the airport. Vesper was part of a litter of only 2 dogs. Her sister was already paid for, so the woman handed me Vesper. She was only 4 or so weeks old. She was nervous and I cuddled her up by my chest and she nervously kept licking me. When I first met Vesper her little ears where flopped down, which is normal for a newborn papillon. When I finally got to go back a month later to pick her up one of her ears was still flopped down and the other was standing straight up...ADORABLE. After I'd had her for about a week I went to get her out of her kennel in the morning and her other ear was standing straight up, and they never went back down again.

The first day we got Vesper I was excited, but kind of a mess. I didn't know what to do with her...then bed time came...Bjorn and I put her in her kennel and layed on my bed for a bit before he went home. Well Vesper was scared to death alone in her little kennel and barked and barked. When I left the room to take a shower and then came back she was still in her kennel barking and then when I entered the room it scared her and she started growling at me. I couldn't sleep and had to work the next day, but Bjorn didn't have to work. So he took her to his house where she kept him up most of the night. Seriously, puppies are kind of like newborns... Once I got more used to the idea of a barking puppy in a kennel she came back to my house. When it was bed time we would leave her in her kennel in the basement (because her barking was so loud and shrill), then once she managed to reduce her barking to less than an hour at bedtime she was moved to the kitchen and I would play some soft music (specifically John Mayer haha). Well to make a long story short, once she graduated from kennel sleeping (and was potty trained) she was moved to my bed and hasn't left since.

This little dog brings me so much joy...although she barks out the window like there's no tomorrow and the only way to get her to stop is to spray her with a water bottle, I love her to death. She is my little buddy...she's a perfect little lady on walks...never barking or acting out (unlike her brother, Tater, but that's a story for another day). She listens attentively when I talk to her and cocks her head to the side. She knows when she sees me with the camera that it's photo time, and she listens carefully and poses, because I've been taking pictures of her since the day I got her. Did I mention how much my mom and dad love her? Yes, the same mom that said I was going to get kicked out of the house if I brought a puppy home now sneaks over to my house while I'm at work and kidnaps my dogs for the day.

This post was prompted by some photos I accidentally came across this morning of Vesper as a puppy. She is now 2 years and 8 months old. Her third birthday will be 5 days after my due date with Tatiana.

Our little girl as a mischievous puppy.

Our perfect little lady all grown up!

Pregnancy Progress....23 Weeks

Pregnancy progress! We've got  23 weeks down (as of tomorrow), and 17 weeks to go.

Maternity Clothes: Yes...but actually I found some regular clothes that are great for maternity at H&M today
Stretch Marks: Nope...praying it doesn't happen, but not feeling totally optimistic!
Sleep: Atleast 2, sometimes 3 potty breaks in the middle of the night
Movement: Busy baby this week...well she's probably always been busy, but I am feeling her consistently disco dancing in my belly, and did I mention I  LOOOVE it. :)
Food Cravings/Aversions: Icees....and as of lastnight, water with lemon and cucumber slices
Gender: Pink.Pink.Pink.
Belly Button In or Out: In...and so is my belly ring...hmmm should probably take that out soon.
What I Miss: A nice glass of dry red wine, fitting into normal clothes and feeling cute.
What I am Looking Forward To: The weekend...lots of fun stuff coming up.
Best Moment This Week: So far...Getting a hair cut for the first time in 23 weeks/5 months (I found out I was pregnant a couple days after my last haircut). My head felt 10lbs lighter...I have really thick hair so if I don't get it thinned out and trimmed it gets to be too much.

So how funny is this...23 weeks ago when I was getting my hair cut I was talking to my hair stylist about how I had just had a miscarriage about 2 weeks previous and how we were really hoping to get pregnant again soon. So she was telling me how she was ready to have her second baby soon. So last night I go in and she walks out from behind the counter, and bam, she's pregnant too! We are about 2 weeks apart... so last time we chatted I was actually pregnant and didn't know it yet, and she was 2 weeks away from being pregnant. There are so many pregnant ladies all around! :)

Time to start getting the garden ready...

Last night I put my greenhouse seeding kit into business.

Here's what I planted:
Beefsteak Tomato
Best Boy Tomato
Zucchini
Carrots
Green Beans
Pepper
Lettuce
Radishes
Sweet Pea Flowers
Cosmos Flowers

I'm really really really hoping this turns out successful, because I would love to start my garden this year from little plants that I started from seed, as opposed to buying tomato plants and what not. I used organic seeding mix and organic plant food (which contains pasteurized poultry manure, mmm!...wait does that mean that the chickens were organic and they ate organic food...thus making their manure organic?...), but more than half of my seeds were not organic. I also have a whole lot of onion bulbs to plant (I had a lot of success with them last year, and still have frozen chopped up green and white onion in my freezer that I use), and I plan on planting yukon gold potatoes after the organic potatoes I bought at Whole Foods start growing those ugly little sprouts. I will also most likely buy basil and cilantro plants from the same vendor I got them from last year at the farmers market. I love when I'm cooking and I can just run out to my garden and pluck some basil leaves or a bit of fresh cilantro. I froze my basil at the end of the season last year...I just coated it lightly in olive oil, and now if I want a more fresh version of basil (as opposed to dried) I just grab some out of the freezer. It's nice, I throw it in spaghetti sauce, white sauce, beef stew, etc...

I've got the seed kit near a window and resting on top of a heating pad kept on low. Anyone have any seeding kit or gardening tips for me? I'm a little concerned about tending to the garden once I'm in my third trimester of the pregnancy. Weeding and what not is an exhausting task in the heat when not pregnant, so I can only imagine the joys it will bring while 8 to 9 months pregnant.

Ready to go.

All done.

"What's this?...I think I smell pasteurized poultry manure...hmmm..."

"Maybe I should just give it a little lick...tastes like dirt..."

"I will bask in the evening sun while Vesper eats dirt..."

Tea Time

We started our Sunday out with pecan almond pancakes...small ones for the dogs, regular ones for Bjorn, and a chocolate chip one for me. Then some meat from the farmers market. Then it was laundry time for me and time for Bjorn to finish putting together Tatiana's dresser! Our unborn daughter has nicer furniture than we do. :)

Then it was off to a tea party for a sweet little five year old girl. It was an Alice in Wonderland themed party. There were a total of three 5 year olds and one 2 year old. It was pretty tame, and everyone was adorable and well behaved.

Please excuse the tiara, I'm in costume. :) ....22 weeks, 3 days. Looking and feeling huge.

Alissa was a wonderful hostess and so good with the kids.

You can never have too much sugar for a kids party...

Planting flower bulbs in pink mugs to take home.

 

Sara making a headband.

Tater and Vesper made an appearance and the girls loved it.

Foodie Post

Our dark chocolate mocha and latte from Kopplin's Coffee

On Friday my mother in law and I stopped at Kopplin's Coffee in St.Paul, a small independently owned shop. I was happy to see that they appear to be doing a great business! Even though the shop is fairly small inside, just about every seat was taken. People had their laptops out and were working, or chatting in groups. I had the best espresso based drink I have ever tasted! The menu is basic. Coffee, and some espresso based drinks. No flavor shots...the only flavorings available are milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and honey. They have two sizes, 8oz or 12 oz. My favorite part is that they use good creamy milk from small local dairies. If you order a cup of coffee it is made to order! This place is bringing back the coffee shop concept in it's purest infant form, and I LOVE it!

On Friday we also did some shopping at the Whole Foods on Grand Avenue. I would love to do my normal, all the time, grocery shopping here, but I'd be totally broke if I did. So I get a few (okay maybe more than a few) special items when I shop there. I also get my pre-natal vitamins here. I spotted something this time I'd never noticed before. Scones in a can...just like those biscuits and cinnamon rolls that come in a can in the refrigerated area of the grocery store. They were organic, and actually really good. Open the can, put them on a cookie sheet and pop them in oven for 15 minutes...and they make your whole house smell really yummy.

Saturday we hit up the farmers market...in St.Paul they still have it during the winter, but it's mostly meat, cheese, honey, tea, etc... It's fun too because often times the vendors will remember you. It's nice to buy products you know aren't full of chemicals and who knows what else, plus you're supporting a small independent business.

Saturday night we had dinner with another couple, John and Jaclyn. We ate at the Chatterbox in St.Paul. The best parts about the restaurant are:

1.) House brews on tap
2.) The decore' is an awesome mish-mash of vintage lamps and furniture

3.) They have all kinds of board games and what not you can play at your table...we played Clue and Apples to Apples

4.) They have little areas setup all over with couches and chairs where you can play vintage Nintendo and Sega games...we played Mario for a bit. :)

Spring is Here! (Lets hope this doesn't jinx it!)

When we got back from Chicago Sunday night I was pleasantly surprised to see that all the snow had melted and that the weather had actually been warmer and nicer then the Chicago weather! To remind myself what my vegetable garden looked like 30 days ago as compared to now...

The dogs were lovin' it! They were outside for a good part of the evening running around and such. Vesper likes to just stand and sniff the fresh spring air. They chased each other around the yard, which they don't really do in the winter when the snow is over a foot deep. They also greeted the neighbor dogs on both sides of the fence.

It felt great to come home from work and open windows to let fresh air in! I got the baking itch again, and spent the evening baking some treats. I also made homemade hamburgers (the only way to go, and they're so easy to make) and Bjorn pulled the grill out of the garage...by the way our grill was the best deal ever! It was a $200 grill for sale at Target. I kept my eye on it last year as summer was coming to an end. Then finally they put it on clearance, but only the floor model was available. So for $95 we got a $200 grill already assembled.

Now onto baking...

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

This is a recipe I snagged from Mrs. F's blog. It's actually intended to be a muffin you can eat on weight watchers, counting each muffin as 1 point each. They were super easy to make and actually taste good!

Ingredients:
1 box of spice cake mix
15 oz can of pumpkin
1 cup of chocolate chips

Mix the spice cake mix (do not add any of the ingredients, such as oil and eggs, that the spice cake mix tells you to add) and pumpkin together until well blended and not lumpy. Using a stand mixer or electric beater helps a lot. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Divide batter into 24 muffins. Bake at 350 for 18 - 22 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This one is most definitely not Weight Watchers approved! The recipe can be found here, at all AllRecipes.com. I cooked mine in a bundt cake pan, but you could cook it in a different style pan(s) as well.

Italian Herb Bread

I used a different recipe this time and it turned out much better then last time. So I guess I'll be ditching the recipe from my "Mixer Bible" cookbook (which actually has excellent recipes in it, minus the 'farmhouse white bread!').

Out for the weekend...

I'm in the car right now on the way to Illinois with my dad and Bjorn. My grandparents are moving to Florida so my dad is going to help them downsize and have an estate sale. Bjorn and are coming down just for the weekend and then flying back home on Sunday. I'm excited to see family!

So yesterday I went maternity clothes shopping and was feeling down and disgusted by my pregnant body. I went to check out and the people infront of me were taking forever so I sat down in a chair to sulk about how gross I felt. Then the baby started kicking and moving and all was well in the world again.

Nesting in full swing? Or my suppressed creative brain just exploding?

First off...I'm pretty sure God saved Tatiana and I from being totally plowed by a car today. I was sitting at the left turn arrow to turn into my work...all the stop lights, all four ways, had been sitting red for at least 30 seconds. I, along with a few other cars were patiently waiting at our respective lights waiting for something to turn green. Then a car coming 55+ mph comes straight ahead right through a red light, not a newly red light, but a stale red light, that had been red for more than 20 seconds. I glanced over quickly with my mouth agape and noticed the woman had a cell phone directly in front of her face and wasn't looking at the road at all. Then my light turned green. Had my left turn arrow turned green 10 seconds sooner I would totally have been plowed by this woman who was way too busy focusing on her cell phone to even look up at the light to see if it was green, yellow, or red. I definitely said a prayer of thanks, so again, thank you God!

Now, back to the title of this entry... yesterday morning I got all these creative decore' ideas for the nursery swimming around in my head. Here's the thing with my creative urges, when I get one, I want to do it NOW and finish it NOW. So after a trip to Michael's and a fabric store out on Grand Avenue I feverishly worked away. By bedtime last night, what had just been a small vision in my head, was a completed product propped up on the crib in the nursery.

Cupcakes! I love cupcakes...making them, eating them, and associated imagery of cupcakes. Bjorn's mom has been referring to Tatiana as "cupcake!" since the day she found out we were expecting. So what could be more perfect?

I made a template of a cupcake in several different pieces, traced them on felt, cut them out, and put them together. Then I went fabric shopping and got some really nice batik fabrics (fabric made using a wax-resist dyeing process) and stretched them over some canvas stretcher bars. Attached the cupcakes, and voila.

While I was fabric shopping I also picked up a fabric with a cute print and some coordinating ribbons so I could make a hair bow holder.

I love the ribbons...'Oooh La La,' the Eiffel tower, and cute little owls.

Baby Kicks, Sewing Projects, and Novels

First of all...yesterday I was just complaining that I hadn't really felt the baby move yet, or at least not movements where I could clearly say, "that's it!" Well yesterday I was sitting at my desk at work and totally felt her kicking me by my bellybutton! I was so excited, and I didn't want to move or leave my chair or miss a moment of it. So hooray, Tatiana, your bones are getting stronger, and I encourage you to keep moving around and saying hello to me throughout the day. :)

Another hand embroidered onesie for our little girl. I did not crochet that adorable hat, it's from an Etsy seller.

Whenever I get a pattern and I follow it fairly easily I tend to remake the same item a lot. Which would explain why I have the same baby blanket x5 (of course with different fabrics). Lately I've been making the same tote bag... this time around I switched it up and instead of making coordinating fabric handles I used seatbelt material. It proved to be a bit of a struggle though...after a couple bent and broken needles and wasted thread, my mother in law suggested a needle used for sewing denim...the denim needle along with my walking foot (as opposed to a normal sewing foot) worked like a charm (although I did break one of the denim needles, and a shard of the metal came flying at my face, but luckily missed my eyeballs). This is a fun functional tote and it has two pockets inside.

Dog in a bag. ;)

Same tote, different fabric.

Same tote, owl fabric.

Books....

Just finished:

By the same author of 'The Other Boleyn Girl'... Book 1 of 3...not for the faint of heart, has some pretty disturbing stuff in it and the main character is most definitely an ANTI-heroine!

Just started:

Book 2 of 3...not that far into yet, so I'm not sure if the main character will be an anti-heroine like her ancestor in the previous book or a true heroine.

Starting soon:

This is for my book club. I haven't picked it up yet.