Watch What I'm Wearing

Thank goodness I've had my baby!  This picture is a week old so I'm still pregnant and just about 40 weeks along.  I honestly didn't think I would have to come up with another pregnancy outfit so these are just regular clothes I squeezed into.

My boys wanted to be matching.  They were sooo cute!

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Watch What I'm Wearing

I'm just about 36 weeks pregnant in these pictures. I've worn this a couple of times and I find that I have to adjust the belt tightness every time :)

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Baby Shower

We have quite a few pregnant people in our ward at church right now.  I think there was sixth (one had her baby).  Three of us were due pretty close to the same time and are all having our fifth babies so friends threw us a baby shower.  It was so nice of them!

Aren't these the cutest cookies?  Tishela makes the prettiest cookies, they always look flawless.

We played some fun games.  My favorite one was with the baby pictures.  The moms-to-be each sent in a baby picture of themselves, one of their previous babies, and their spouses.  Then the host added in some extras to make it harder and everyone had to guess which picture belonged to which person.  Can you guess mine?  I'll post the answer at the end of this.

We played another game where I had to guess the baby food flavors without looking.  I think I got about half right... maybe a little less than that.  It was tough.

 I took a picture of my stash after the shower Since we all already have four kids we asked for freezer meals or diapers instead of gifts.  I am so excited to have all those diapers!  Plus our freezer is stuffed full of meals, it is going to be great not to have to come up with dinner for a little while after the baby is born.  The baby also got a couple outfits, burp clothes, and a blanket.  I wish I took a better picture of it, but we even got a custom painting!  I love it and can't wait to put it up!

I am so grateful to the friends that threw the shower for me and for everyone who came.  I have so much support in my life I feel truly blessed.

Baby picture answers:

 1-Me  7-Tucker 11-Bob

Watch What I'm Wearing

I love this maternity shirt!  And I promise my hair wasn't that crazy, the sun sure does make it look that way in this picture though.  I'm about 35 weeks pregnant here.

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Watch What I'm Wearing

I borrowed this maternity dress and I am so grateful!  It is nice to wear something that actually fits!  I'm about 34 weeks pregnant in this picture.

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Watch What I'm Wearing

This is not a maternity dress and I really felt like I was stretching it to the max.  We will see if it still fits me in a couple of weeks.  In this picture I'm 33 weeks pregnant.

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Beauty by Miss L

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Gender Reveal

We found out a few weeks ago that we were having a girl.  I was almost 17 weeks at my doctors appointment and he did an ultrasound on the spot to check for me.  It was great.  I was so excited.  I would have been ok about having a boy but I really wanted a girl.  I think it mattered to me this time more than with all my other pregnancies.  

I wanted to tell the kids in a fun way so I made cupcakes and filled them with pink frosting. 

 It worked out great because even the kids who were sad about having a girl were happy to be eating a cupcake.  The treat softened the blow a bit for Tucker.  He was the only one upset.

We've already been shopping for girl clothes.  I love all the cute little baby stuff.

Baby Bump Cake Tutorial

We had a baby shower for a friend a few weeks ago.  Actually the baby was just born this week and he looks super cute in pictures (I haven't seen him in person yet).  Anyway, for the shower I made this baby bump, or pregnant belly, cake.  

Materials Needed:

two cake Mixes

One 9 inch pan

one 8 inch pan

two large muffin pans or ramekin dishes

frosting

fondant

1) Bake your cakes.  I used two mixes and made sure to put lots of the batter in the 9 inch pan.  I just had to keep checking to see if they were done yet.  Generally the larger the pan the longer it needed to cook.

2) Shape your belly.  I froze mine first and did this the next day.  It made shaping easier, but it isn't necessary.  Cut the top off your 9" so it is flat and stick the 8" on top.  You should already start to have a belly shape.  Then just use a knife to round it all out.

3) Place them on your tray and frost.  I used different frostings so people could have options.  I used store bought frosting for this.

4) Roll out your fondant and place it on top.  I love the marshmallow fondant recipe.  You can find it all over the internet if you do a quick search.

Next you just trim around the edges and decorate how you like.








5)  I added sleeves by cutting the fondant into this weird shape then folding them in half. I filled the sleeve with plastic wrap so it didn't compress.  I also added little fondant balls around the edges.

There you go, a nautical pregnant belly baby shower cake.

Maternity photos

I took some maternity photos for a friend a couple weeks ago.  She is doing great for how far along she is.  But I was still reminded of how uncomfortable it is to be pregnant and how happy I am that my baby is already here.

This first shot reminded us of a botched hide and seek.  Can you guess whose belly that is?

Leon's Birth Story

It started on Tuesday the 19th I went in for my weekly doctor's appointment at 9:30 in the morning.  I'm  actually not surprised that Leon was born that day.  I even booked the appointment in the morning so I wouldn't be in labor all night.  I also had bob stay home from work instead of getting a sitter, just in case.  All four of my kids were born right after my doctor's appointments so I was hoping that would be the case this time as well.  When I went in for my appointment I told the doctor I wanted to have the baby today and when he checked me he thought I was ready.  He also felt my stomach and guessed the baby would be 8lbs but no bigger.  I had been having small contractions that morning but starting just after 10 things started getting stronger and more regular.

I went home and told Bob to get things ready.  While he packed I tried to go on a walk to make sure the contractions didn't stop.  I didn't get very far when they started getting really strong.  It was crazy how fast they became painful.  I called my mom and a sitter and we were on the way to the hospital around 11.

Once we got there I couldn't get the epidural soon enough.  I had never had it hurt so badly before.  From about 11:30 to 12:30 I thought I wasn't going to make it.  Luckily the anesthesiologist pushed back the noon c-section so he could give me the epidural.  I got that at about 12:30 and was instantly feeling much much better.  Besides feeling itchy and shaky I didn't feel a thing until much after Leon was born.

At about 4:20 my doctor came and got me ready to push.  I have never had a doctor come before the pushing started.  Things were very calm and quiet.  It was almost strange.  I gave it one big hard, long push and his head was out.  Then the doctor told me to stop and had to clean out his nose and unwrap the cord.  Then one more push and he was out.

At 4:32 and 9 pounds 6 ounces Leon Chase was born, I don't think it could have gone any smoother.

I love the big windows in the hospital.  I actually requested room 14 because it is bigger than the rest.

My mom was nice enough to watch the older three kids and she brought them to the hospital to visit me and Leon before taking them back to her house.  Everyone was excited but Scarlett was very possessive of "her Baby."  She didn't want to stop holding him and cried when we made her.

Ok, so he wasn't born on the first day of spring (Tucker was born on the first day of Summer and Penelope the first day of Fall), but he was pretty close.  And this way we have one child born during each season of the year.

Watch What I'm Wearing

This is my last pregnant watch what I'm wearing.  I took this a few weeks ago and I think I am ready to start taking outfit pictures again.  I'm not sure what I am going to wear because most of my pre-pregnancy clothes don't fit.  But I will figure something out.  This particular maternity shirt was very tight making me uncomfortable all day.  I am just glad I don't have to wear it ever again!

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