Doctor's Appointment

I had my second midwive's appointment today. I have a love/hate relationship with prenatal visits. I love them because it is always so reassuring to hear that heartbeat. I hate them because that heartbeat is the only useful thing that comes of them, and that thirty second span of time is not enough to make me feel like the hour-long wait is justified. Plus you have to get weighed fully clothed (which just isn't fair, but I guess I don't want to get naked for that every time either), and then have that weight recorded in history.* FUN!

So I am at 13 weeks and today the baby's heartbeat was 150, and she found it right away, which furthers my fantasy about having twins in there. Yeah, maybe I will tell you about that sometime. For the record, I gained SIX lbs since my last appointment, which is really absurd, but I don't mind too much for two reasons. #1 Last time I was wearing light summer clothes and flip-flops. This time I was wearing jeans, a sweater, shoes...etc. #2 I am not throwing up as much anymore, but still nauseated enough that not everything sounds yummy, so I am always trying to eat something to see if it will make me feel better. As long as it isn't coming back up, whatevs. Chicken pot pie for dinner peeps!

Anyway, I am not one to post belly pictures because my belly is no cuter pregnant than it is non-pregnant, but here is a nice picture of my face. Why your face? you might ask. Well, this is to document the increase in cheek size and overall ballooning that takes place in my face over the course of my pregnancy. It's really amazing folks :o)

My next visit isn't for five weeks, so that I will be 18 weeks and get my ultrasound the same day! Woohoo! YES, we are finding out the gender. HECK YES.

*A note about weight. With my first two boys I say a regular OB, and every single visit they made a point to talk about my weight gain and whether it was the proper weight gain or not. By the end of my pregnancies they were always a little like, hmmm, you might want to watch that, because I have always gained more than 40 lbs each pregnancy. With Oliver and this pregnancy I have seen midwives and I have not heard a single word about my weight. Never. I am sure if it would come up it if was indicating some problem, but otherwise, they don't give a darn!

Cravings Part I

Over a week ago, I was hit with a swedish meatballs craving. I was planning our menu for the weekly, so I immediately looked up a recipe and added the ingredients to my shopping list. While I was at the store, I saw canned pumpkin and thought a pie would be a nice dessert for the meal, so I added those ingredients to my cart as well.

And then, it was hot all week. You can't have that meal with summer-like weather.

Finally the heat broke on Sunday. It was rainy. Almost fall-like. Close enough for swedish meatballs.

I used Alton Brown's Swedish Meatball recipe and it did not disappoint. If you like Ikea swedish meatballs, these ones will knock your stockings off. We served them on top of Chaddy's delicious mashed potatoes with cranberry sauce on the side. Don't skip the cranberry sauce (with berries - don't just buy the jelly-like stuff) - mix a little in for full effect, or even run to Ikea and get some lingonberry sauce instead.

Yes, I am commanding you to make these. Soon. Do it.

If you are pregnant, just don't eat too much or you might regret it later.

Earned

Two soccer games last Saturday, both played at 1:00 pm, when it was sunny and 95 degrees. Everyone involved needed a cold swim after that was over. Of course our pool has been closed for weeks, because it is almost October, for crying out loud, so that wasn't possible. Instead we went to Sonic and got half-off Cream Slushes for everyone, eaten indoors of course. Oh my. So good.

(even if they took 16 minutes to serve us after ordering. C'mon Sonic!)

President Monson...

was just something else last night, wasn't he? Watch this talk today, and I promise you will not be disappointed......especially with his little hand flourish.

Part of the 2010 General Relief Society Meeting.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday was not a good one, and I blame no one but myself. I woke up feeling exhausted and couldn't shake the feeling all through my morning routine. I came home from the school drop-off and plopped in front of the computer and only talked myself into getting up to do a load of laundry and to load the dishwasher. Oliver and Gabe came to me with their various complaints and requests, and I fulfilled them, but I did very little else.

Did vegging out make me feel better? Hardly. It just made me feel completely brain-dead.

I had this feeling that I needed to just get everyone out the door and go somewhere, anywhere, but I talked myself out it, citing responsibilities here at the house.

I was hot too. I have really had it with 90 degree weather. Give me a crisp in the air, please.

I tried to put Oliver down for an early nap. He and I have been short on sleep as we try transitioning him into the big boys' room. I almost fell asleep but he came nowhere close. Two and a half hours later I gave up.

The blessing of my bad mood was that I saw it clearly for what it was: my problem. If the boys were getting on my nerves it was definitely ME, not them. Really, my boys seemed angelic to me. Little glowing bodies so quick to smile and engage me in their innocent conversations while I lay around silent and unshowered.

The afternoon demanded more action with dinner to make and two soccer practices. I turned the computer off. I was forced to move and I immediately started to feel better.

I know this about myself - that the times when I don't feel like doing anything are the times when I most need to get up and just take some postive action, even when I am pregnant and have a reason to be exhausted. I know that my energy levels, which are usually at slug levels anyway compared to someone like Chad, tend to get lower and lower with inactivity. I know what I need to do to.

Have I mentioned that I haven't been to the gym in weeks because of runny noses and coughs? Not helping.

Today is better. I will take the kids for a walk and shower and turn off the computer see what else the day holds. And I will appreciate those glowing smiles.

Did you know? I like Masaman

I was at Harris Teeter the other day. For those of you who aren't from around here, I know it sounds funny, but it is just a grocery store. I haven't really gone there since I quit couponing because it's, you know, nice. Dim lighting, olive bar, people bagging your groceries for you - all that fancy stuff. Anyway, I had to check out the Asian food section, since my usual store is somewhat lacking in that department (okay, they don't even have soy sauce!).

I was excited to see this new Masaman Curry from World Foods. We have tried have a dozen different masamans and masaman pastes, never homemade because I simply cannot buy the right spices for it, but I have never seen this version. Had to buy it. We tried it tonight and it did not disappoint. It wasn't the least bit spicy but some of the flavors were quite pungent, so Colin, who normally likes masaman, wasn't too pleased, but Chad and I were. We just let the kids go crazy with the pad thai and now we still have leftover curry. Boo-yah! So if you ever happen to see this stuff at your fancy grocery store, give it a try.

Number Five

Gabe played his first soccer game yesterday. He has been going to practice for weeks, and it is a delight to see him running 'til his face his red, listening carefully to his coach, and venturing into conversations with his teammates. It has been a fun experience for him, you can tell, and he often asks me questions about the rules of the game when we are hanging out.

He was excited to get his jersey at practice on Thursday and excited to play his first game, but about five minutes in I could tell that we were going to have trouble. Everyone was yelling directions to him "Move forward Gabe!" "Go after the ball Gabe." "Come this way Gabe." And each time his name was called out, I saw a his head droop, with the corners of his mouth following. He is very self-conscience. I think he had a physical and emotional reaction to having everyone yell at him and draw attention to him, even if it was done cheerfully and with good intentions. I could just see the enthusiasm melting away and being replaced by anxiety. During the second quarter he was knocked onto his behind and the tears erupted. His coach tried to pick him and playfully guide him around the field while he was crying to get him to shake it off, but it only made it worse. He ended up sitting the rest of the game out with us.

I am hoping that next week Gabe will be better prepared for the noise, crowds, and the feeling of the game. I am hoping that he braces himself for it and prepares mentally. While I could understand perfectly what he was feeling out there on the field, to the point of feeling anxiety with him, I want him to understand that he can overcome those feelings to go on and have the fun that he has at practices. Maybe Chad can play with him a little this week to prepare him more with what happens during a game. Maybe it is just how he feels right now and he will grow out of it naturally. Anyone have any ideas to help him?

The Happy Birthday Give-Away Winner Is....

My Aunt Sharon*!

She guessed April 1, only one day off from my due date, Saturday, April 2nd...which also happens to be Colin's 8th birthday. Remember Colin? The one whose first day of kindergarten was also the day his little brother Oliver was born? Yep, that guy! Colin is actually pretty excited that the new one is due on his special day, and although I know the chances of me going into labor on Colin's birthday are slim, we will definitely be planning his baptism for a later date to avoid all the anxiety we felt while waiting for Oliver.

So, I am 12 weeks today. I have been exhausted, nauseated, and exhausted for the last month and a half, but it could've been a lot worse, and I am looking forward to starting my second trimester soon!

Thanks to everyone who guessed and thank you for all of the congratulations.

*Do you have a Red Robin anywhere nearby Sharon? I can get you a gift card for somewhere else instead!

The Birthday Girl

My mom had her birthday on Wednesday. One of the best parts of having my parents in town is being able to celebrate special occasions with them. It was so nice to get together for tacos of every kind, good conversation, and lots of craziness from the kids.

All the Jeppson siblings went together this year and bought my mom a new camera, which immediately sent her into tears. She loved it! Thanks to my brother Levi who searched Charlotte for the perfect camera. We also got her tickets to see Mary Poppins with my dad last night and to have dinner uptown beforehand. I talked to my dad today and he said they had a great time. Thank you so much to all my siblings who pulled together so quickly and easily. I really think she felt the love! We DO love you Mom! So much!



I didn't get many pictures of the night. Colin took my camera and he and the cousins had a good time capturing their goofiness on for me. Here are a few shots that made me laugh. Especially the first one with Callie - she usually such a quiet little girl and there she is lookin' all saucy for the camera. This is what our gathering looks like:

Lucky Me!

Back in June, Lindsay Hart from Hart to Hart Digital Design held a give-way. She was looking for new location ideas for photo shoots. I immediately thought of two of our family's favorite spots, the garden, and Copperhead Island. Copperhead Island ended up winning so we got a free family photo session there last Wednesday!

I can't tell you how fun it was to have someone else worrying about getting the right shot for once - and a professional, not just crazy ol' mom with the camera. Lindsay was relaxed, efficient, fun, enthusiatic.....so much so that the kids barely realized that we were there to take pictures - they were completely relaxed. Lindsay spent an hour acting as our paparazzi, and I couldn't be happier with the shots (plus she complimented my "styling" on her blog so that wins extra points :o) S We will always cherish these pictures. There are some of Chad and the boys that I just can't get enough of.

Check out Lindsay's blog if you are in need of a photographer! (Plus there are a few more shots of us to see!)

Thanks again Lindsay!

Happy Birthday Give-Away

Happy 3rd Birthday Ingleside!

To commemorate the event, I have an announcement, and a contest!

The announcement:
The Colemans will be celebrating a new birthday next year.

Yes, we are expecting Coleman kid #4 in the year 2011.

The contest:
Guess my due date!

The commenter who guesses closest to my due date will win a $20 gift card to

Because, of course, where else would the Colemans celebrate a birthday?

Leave your comment/guess by this Friday, Sept. 17, 11:59 EST.

Sorry to those who already know...yes, you are ineligible for the Red Robin prize, but leave a comment anyway and I will choose one of you "knowers" randomly for the "consolation prize." If you want you can even throw in a fake guess to try and throw people off ;o)

HAPPY GUESSING!

Check out the other guessing game going on at my sister Ashley's blog!

Blog Anniversary!

Today marks three years since my first blog post.

Tomorrow I will announce a little contest and give-away to celebrate.

Stay tuned!

Labor Day Weekend

It could have been a disaster.
(13 kids and 7 adults staying in a three bedroom house)

Instead, it was pretty perfect.

Levi's family, Bobby's family, Bryce, and my family headed up to stay in Audra's parent's guest house in the Virginia mountains. With that many kids around, plus cousins on Audra's side at her mom's house, the kids didn't need any entertaining by adults.

They had each other, the chicken coop, air-soft guns, rolling hills, cows, apple trees, marshmallow roasts, and Kubota rides to keep them busy and as happy as they will ever be.

We adults sat around all day in the beautiful weather, eating, chatting, and laughing at the rascals. And yawning. No matter how much you sit around in the mountains, you always still feel like curling up for a nap on the green grass under the sunny sky.

As always, we left asking ourselves when we could go back.

Just because these pictures make me laugh

No, he doesn't want something from the fridge. He's just climbing it because he can.

Back to School

Yesterday was the first day of school. Colin was complaining that his stomach hurt the night before and even asked, "If I throw up, do I still have to go tomorrow?" so I was worried about how he was going to be, but he was excited and happy. I am doing the morning carpool duties, which means I have to have all three boys dressed, fed, and out the door by 7:25am. I have been sleeping in a bit over the summer (Colin is old enough to get himself cereal now) so the change has been worrying me. We made it yesterday without tears, and Colin had such a good time joking around with his cousins on the way to school that I don't think he even said goodbye when I dropped them off.

Good first day, but he was up for a good part of last night with croup, so he missed the second day!

Isn't he handsome and grown up? Yes, he is still stickin' with the camo.

We had our annual Back-to-School Dinner the night before. Colin chose the menu again and we had curry, pad thai, and homemade egg-rolls with sweet and sour dipping sauce. Yum! We also rolled out this year's family motto: I Believe in Christ - He is my King!, inspired by one of my favorite hymns.