Sarah's Letter to the Easter Bunny

This is a picture of this year's letter to the Easter Bunny from Sarah. In case you have trouble reading the letter, I've included a "translation" below. Note that Sarah specifically requests proof of the bunny by requiring the bunny's signature. Anyway, I'm sure the bunny will oblige!

Dear Easter Bunny,
Sign name here
______________
I love Easter, it's my 3rd favorite holiday. If it was in the Olympics, your holiday would win bronze. I ("hop") you get your letter and your treat.
Love,
Sarah
PS You would win gold, but Santa and silver b-day.

Cole Thomas at 35 Weeks

Here's this week's update from babycenter.com:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (the size of a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Yeay! 35 weeks! Bed rest is officially over. Sydney and I are still accepting help, though. I still can't pick her up, so little errands like going to Costco are difficult. This week, Mom is on spring break, so she took us grocery shopping yesterday and to Costco today. Thanks a bunch Momma! :) We love you.

Fun Times with Aunt Sarah

Today, Sarah and Syd hit the local inflatables fun palace. They went down the slides, they bounced all over, and had a great time. It was an incredible workout for Aunt Sarah (it's hard hauling a 30-pound Sydney up a slide), but I think she had just as much fun as Syd. It was really nice for me to get out of the house for a little while, too. And - bonus - I got some really good pictures.

More Potty Success

Today - all day, Sydney did not pee in her diaper. When she had to go, she went in the potty. Even with us being out of the house for a lot of the day, Syd held it until we got home and then used the potty in exchange for a jelly bean!

Filet-O-Fish Sliders

These fun sandwiches are delicious and easy to make!

Frozen fish sticks
Martins potato bread dinner rolls
American cheese
Tartar sauce

Bake fish sticks as directed. Slice and toast dinner rolls. Cut baked fish sticks in half. Place 2 half fish sticks on each roll, add cheese and tartar sauce. Serve immediately.

Two Mornings in a Row! Can I Get a Third?

For two mornings in a row, Sydney has woken up with a dry diaper! And - each morning, she went pee pee on the potty! This morning, I discovered the dry diaper, and asked her, "Sydney, would you like to go pee pee on the potty?" Sydney said, "No." So - I repackaged my question, "Sydney, would you like to go pee pee on the potty for a jelly bean?" Sydney said, "Yes!" Apparently, I just need to consider her motivation. Anyway, I'm still not really pushing things. I'm not convinced this is the right time for her to be potty trained (with Cole's arrival right around the corner). But - we'll definitely continue to try as long as there are dry diapers in the morning!

Thai Chicken with Broccoli

This is Tom's favorite dinner.

2 chicken breasts
spaghetti
broccoli
3/4 c Italian dressing
2 T honey
2 T crunchy peanut butter
2 T soy sauce

Use 1/4 c Italian dressing to marinate chicken. Bake or saute chicken and then cut into bite-size pieces.

Boil spaghetti. Add broccoli during last 4 minutes of boil.

Combine remaining ingredients to make sauce. Drain spaghetti and broccoli, add sauce and chicken. Mix well and serve.

Cole Thomas at 34 Weeks

Here's this week's update from babycenter.com:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor , you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Yeay for another week down!

Happy Birthday, Jodi!

We had a quick, but high-quality birthday party for Jodi this evening. We hosted - mostly because I can't really go anywhere - and Mom cooked. We had Jodi's favorite: sloppy joes! Jodi received enough in Barnes & Noble gift cards to last her at least through the weekend. :) Although it was subdued, the party was a good one!

Another Potty Success!

Slowly, but surely, we're having potty success! Sydney went pee pee on the potty again this morning. Woo hoo! She actually had a dry diaper all morning - from about 8:30 am to 1:00 pm! Anyway, I'm not really pushing it because I figure we'll have serious regression as soon as Cole arrives. But, we'll definitely take the little successes as they come. Good job, Sydney!

Holy Static!

The only way a girl can get this kind of static is from sticking her finger in an outlet (or rolling around on the couch)! Silly girl!

...What Are You Doing?

This afternoon, I put Syd down for her nap and came downstairs to assume the horizontal position. I turned on the monitor, and all the sudden things went silent. But, not the good kind of silent - the bad, trouble's brewing kind of silent. I figured I'd just go up and check on her, so I headed up the stairs. About three steps up, she came out to the landing and smiled - so happy with herself! I said, "What are you doing?" And, she replied, "Napping!" Right! Hardly! I had forgotten to close the door to the bathroom between Syd's room and the nursery. So - Sydney had helped herself into the nursery and caused a bunch of trouble (pulled things off the dresser and made a general mess). Then, as I came up the stairs, I guess she noticed that the door from the nursery to the hall was open, so she came out to greet me. What a stinker! I herded her back into her room, shut all the doors, and put her back to bed for her nap! Night night!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Crunch Truffles

So - one of the things I can't really do while on modified bed rest is cook. Boo! But, I can drool over fun recipes I want to make in the future. Here's a really fun one from Picky Palate! I have a feeling this will be a huge hit for Syd and Tom.

1/2 cup creamy or crunchy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup strawberry preserves, or your favorite jam or jelly

1 package Nature Valley Oats and Honey Crunchy Granola bars (1 package, 2 bars)

3/4 cup powdered sugar plus 1/4 cup for rolling truffles

1. Place peanut butter and jelly into a mixing bowl. Crush granola bars with a rolling pin while still in the package. Open and pour into peanut butter and jelly bowl. Mix until well combined and then slowly stir in 3/4 cup powdered sugar until combined. Take 1 inch pieces of mixture and roll into balls. Roll each ball into remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar and then place into paper cups. Refrigerate or serve room temperature.

Cole Thomas at 33 Weeks

Here's this week's update from Babycenter.com:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (about the size of a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Cole Thomas at 32 Weeks

Here's this week's update from babycenter.com:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

2-Year-Old Well Child Checkup

Sydney visited the doctor today for her 2-year-old well child checkup. Here are the particulars:

Height: 36 inches (91%)
Weight: 27 pounds (56%)
Head circumference: I don't remember the specific measurement (87%)

Anyway, the numbers are good. She's tall and slim - just like her daddy. Also like her daddy, she's very tall in her torso, but not so much in her legs. She's currently wearing a 3T on the top and 24 months on the bottom.

Although we have the choice to switch her from whole milk to 2%, I think we'll probably stick with whole for now. In other news, the doctor didn't seem too concerned about her floor-sleeping habits. He said that eventually, she'll learn that her bed is more comfortable. She didn't have to get any vaccines today and won't have to get any more until after the age of four! YEAY! Overall, it was a great checkup.

What a Week!

Wow - what a week. On Thursday morning, I just wasn't feeling quite right. I couldn't really put my finger on what was wrong, but figured I'd mention it during my regular OB appointment on Friday. I did just that, but because I wasn't really able to verbalize the problem, the doctor suggested it was round ligament pain and told me to take it easy. Anyway, Saturday was Syd's big day, and nothing much really bothered me. However, Sunday rolled around, and it was a different story. All the sudden, I was in a lot of pain. Tom took me to the hospital, but again, doctors weren't really able to diagnose the problem. After sitting in the triage room for several hours, my pain seemed to decrease, and I was sent home. But things didn't get better. Instead, the pain returned, and I ended up back at the hospital Monday morning. Several hours later, I was diagnosed with a kidney stone that needed to be surgically removed. Needless to say, things were a little touch and go for a while. I basically went into labor, and the doctors had to stop the contractions. Anyway, I spent the night in the hospital and was released on Tuesday evening.

Since then, I've been on what I like to call "family-insisted" bed rest. Jodi, Nina, both sets of parents, and Lorraine have made it their mission in life to keep me in a horizontal position. They've spoiled me with babysitting help, prepared meals, grocery shopping service, and various other household services. Tom's become quite good at laundry and changing waaay more diapers than normal. I am so lucky and blessed to have such a loving and supportive family! Thank you so much!

It is now my mission to keep from delivering this baby anytime in the next four weeks (at least). I am going to try to take it easy and enjoy the help of family and friends. Keep your fingers crossed that the next 30 days or so go quickly!

Cole Thomas at 31 Weeks

Here's this week's update from babycenter.com:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.