The Sanfords

dance, dance

2011-03-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

I tried to post this awhile back, but for some reason I couldn't get it to work. Always brings a smile to my face though!

here goes nothing...

2011-03-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

Well, my friend Kristin and I did not win the lottery for Grandma's half marathon in June (kind of bummed), but in order to keep our momentum and spirits up, we've entered in the Eau Claire Half Marathon on May 1st. That give us 9 weeks to whip our butts in shape and build up to a daunting 13.1 miles! Neither of us have ever run any type of race before, so this should be a good challenge.

We met up at The Running Room in Woodbury after work yesterday and got fitted for some running shoes. This was a new experience for me - walking, squatting, etc. for the sales lady in order to determine the best shoes for me. In the past I've pretty much purchased my shoes based on 'looks'. Great, I know! Ha. Kristin has some over-pronation (basically she has flat feet, so they roll inward) so she was told to buy some 'stability' shoes. She picked hers out in about 30 seconds and fell in love with the first pair she tried on! I took a bit longer... Apparently I have have pretty normal feet and don't under or over-pronate so I got to choose from the 'cushioned' shoes. I tried on a few different brands, but definitely gravitated towards the Brooks ones - they were just so comfy! I ended up getting these beauties...

Inaugural run will be tonight after work. :o)

Any runners out there have recommendations for attire? Is it worth it to buy the expensive running clothes?

one-year-old vocabulary

2011-02-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Peyton's developing quite the vocabulary lately! Here are the words I could think of off the top of my head. Obviously some are clearer than others, but she still gets her point across. :o)

Dada/Mama
egg
Pooh (as in Winnie The)
pup/puppy/Chase
door
open
shoe
boot
coat
hat
Abby (from Sesame Street)
apple
banana
more (plus the sign)
kitty
key
poop
cheese
cook
no (and no-no-no with her finger pointing at Chase - SO funny!)
go
snow
up
hot (this one's hilarious because she does this little hand sign with it - think pulling your hand away from something hot)
bye-bye
Peyton (if you show her herself in the mirror)
shh
kick (as well as the action - thanks Dada!)
nice (as I'm attempting to teach her to be gentle when dealing with the puppy and babies)

She can also locate a variety of body parts when you ask her:
eyes
ears
hair
nose
mouth
fingers/hands
belly button
toes/feet

She also LOVES to help me with the laundry, which is great considering I hate doing laundry. :o) I can throw a pile of clothes on the floor and she'll load the washer (and even started it on me today while I was in the middle of adding the detergent) and she'll transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer. If only I could teach her to fold them and put them away...

29-er

2011-02-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I've officially entered the last year of my 20's. At this point, I'm not really sure how I feel about it - just feels like any other day. Come next year at this time though, we'll see...ha.

I had a very exciting day:
• Got up and worked out at Snap with Kristin
• Ben and I shot our bows at A-1 Archery in Hudson
• Grabbed an exciting Subway lunch and played with Peyton for awhile
• Baked cookies
• Took an AMAZING nap (sign of old age?)
• Went to Agave Kitchen in Hudson for dinner
• Grabbed Dairy Queen on the way home (as if I needed it after my big burger and onion petals)
• Put Peyton to bed

I know, I know, you are probably all very jealous after reading this. ;o)

Here's to another great year!

food? yes, please!

2011-02-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

Lately I've really been making an effort to find some new and exciting meal options for us - to get us out of the 3 meal rotation we've been in - and I've totally fallen in love with food blogs (hence my last post). One of my favorites so far is Ree Drummond's site, The Pioneer Woman. So far, we've tried the following:

The MM Sandwich, PW Style

Alissa & Ben approved (Cousin Gavin too). Get the Recipe.

Beef Fajita Nachos

Ben, Alissa & Peyton approved. Just to give you an idea - I made a sheet pan full, Peyton and I shared a small plate full and Ben killed the rest. :o) Get the Recipe.

Mushroom & Swiss Sliders with Spicy Fry Sauce

We both loved the sliders, but Ben was not a huge fan of the onion strings (he said they tasted 'oily'). I liked them. Get the Slider Recipe. Get the Onion String Recipe.

I also pulled a couple of recipes from other sites for the Superbowl party we went to at my brother-in-law's house. All were huge hits!
• Crack Potatoes from plainchicken.blogspot.com - These are your typical cheesy potatoes, amped up with ranch dressing and bacon - YUM! I adapted the recipe to make them in a crockpot for the event.
• Fudgy Brownie Cookies from lifesambrosia.com - A brownie in a neat little cookie package. What could be better? They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, especially if you love fudgy, gooey brownies as much as I do.
• Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies also from Pioneer Woman - Not spicy at all (even my sister-in-law ate them), but so tasty!

Hungry yet? You're welcome.

spicy mocha brownies

2011-02-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE to bake - A LOT - maybe too much according to my husband's expanding waistline! (He says I'm a 'feeder', but in reality he just can't resist the goodness that comes out of my oven.) Anywho...I was sitting there on Sunday trying to decide what to bake. I found a lot of great ideas online, but had to table them for later due to a lack of certain ingredients. So, I decided to make good old brownies, but not just any brownies, brownies with a twist! I had some white & semi-sweet chocolate chips in the freezer so I figured I'd throw them in. Somehow the combination of white and dark chocolate made me think of Caribou's Spicy Mocha (I developed a slight obsession with these this winter) and BAM! Spicy Mocha Brownies were born. Here's the recipe for anyone who'd like to try them. Enjoy.

Melt the butter in the microwave-safe bowl.

Add the granulated sugar and stir.

Mix in the eggs.

Next, add the vanilla.

Now let's make it a brownie by adding the cocoa powder!

Time for the spices! I used 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1tsp. of cayenne pepper, but if you don't like things really spicy, use less. And, if you can get your hands on ancho chile powder, give that a whirl (that's what Caribou uses, but I didn't have any at home). And then 2Tbsp. of instant coffee granules.

And finally, add the flour and give the batter a good stir.

Next, toss in 1 cup of chocolate chips or pieces (I did 1/2 white and 1/2 semi-sweet).

Choose your favorite brownie-cooking vessel and lightly grease it. I like thicker brownies so I always use an 8"x8" pan.

Pour your batter into the pan and pop it into your preheated oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until set.

Mmmm...my favorite, the ooey-gooey center pieces! :o)

SPICY MOCHA BROWNIES

1 cup Butter
2 cups White Sugar
4 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
⅔ cups Cocoa Powder
1 cup Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 tsp (or less) Cinnamon
1 tsp (or less) Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. Instant Coffee Granules
1 cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8"x8" or 9"x13" pan. Melt butter. Remove from heat and add ingredients in the order listed, stirring well by hand. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until set. Cut and serve.

SUPERBOWL

2011-01-24T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Packers are going to the Superbowl and I couldn't be more excited!!! I've been training my little cheerleader to recite the "Go Pack Go" chant and do the touchdown signal. Now I must find her a new Packer outfit for the big game (she's outgrown all her old outfits). I'll try to post a video of her soon. GO PACK!

what's new?

2011-01-19T06:55:00.000-08:00

1. Peyton is ONE! Well, technically almost 14 months now, but seriously where has the time gone?? We had a nice Pooh-themed party at the beginning of December for her and she had a great time. She absolutely loved the balloons Daddy picked out for her and they remained in our house for at least 3 weeks. :o) She's been a full-time walker since she was about 10 months and is enjoying running all around the house - pulling things out of every basket, cupboard, nook and cranny. She is right on track with her growth and development too. I believe at her one year appointment she was 50th percentile for her height, 75th for her weight and 100th for her head (poor kid got her parents' big head). She is talking up a storm too - mostly in 'alien' as I like to call it, but she usually attempts at least the first syllable of every word we teach her. Some of her more recognizable words are Pu-pup (puppy), A-pah (apple), Nana (banana) and she does a pretty good bye-bye. She also knows the sign for 'more.' She also learned about (and met) Santa this year and if you show her a picture of him or ask her what Santa says, she makes the cutest little "o" face and says "ho, ho, ho."

2. I got a new job! I now work for TwinCities.com (Pioneer Press website) in St. Paul. It's a bit of a commute compared to my old 10-minute jaunt across town, and with our extra snowy winter some days have been really crappy, but I really like the job and spring is just around the corner...right? ;o)

3. In less exciting news, I've also joined Snap fitness and have been going regularly thanks to my workout-buddy Kristin! It's so nice to have someone to keep you accountable for going. I'm ready to drop a couple of pounds and get myself back in shape finally!

we have a walker!

2010-10-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Please ignore my horrible voice on this...I should have removed the sound. :o)

crawling, standing, fishy-lipped baby

2010-07-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Peyon is now 7.5 months and changing every day. It's so fun to watch her grow and explore! Some of the things she's now doing:

- She has been sitting for awhile, but can now get herself to a seated position from crawling or laying down.
- She has mastered the army crawl and is ALL over the house
- Is obsessed with standing and pulls herself up on anything she can
- Walks along furniture
- Stands alone for a very short time (about 5 seconds - ha)
- Cut her first tooth about a week ago
- Says "ba-ba-ba" and "da-da-da", but no "m" sounds yet. :o/
- Makes an adorable fishy face (see previous post)
- Is also obsessed with our dog, Chase. If he lays down, she makes a bee-line for him. She loves to grab his tail and feet. He doesn't feel quite the same about these activities, however. :o)
- LOVES to jump/bounce in her jumperoo and doorway jumper. Seriously, she gets a little out of control sometimes. Ha!
- Also obsessed with electronic things - cell phones, remotes, etc.

recent pics

2010-07-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

A little wrong, but I LOVE her expression in this one.

Taking shelter from the storm last week with Grandma.

2010-04-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, I officially suck at blogging! Oh well...

Peyton is now 4 months old! Wow! She is rolling like champ, obsessed with blowing bubbles (raspberries) and we just started her on cereal (so far it's NOT going so well). Honestly though, it feels like just yesterday I was pregnant and wondering when our little bundle would arrive.

We just had her 4 month appointment on Monday and according to the doctor she's doing everything she should be at this point. She definitely still has her moments, but overall we can't complain. She has been sleeping through the night consistently for at least a month and she's really only crabby now when she's hungry or really tired. Almost makes me want another...ha, ALMOST being the key word. :o)

teething or growth spurt?

2010-02-23T04:15:00.000-08:00

Peyton is doing great in the sleeping department - up to even 9.5 hours a night this weekend - but she has been a bear during the day the past 3 days! SO fussy! If she's not eating or being changed, she's crying. She doesn't seem to be eating more than usual...actually less yesterday, and she's been sucking on her hands constantly, which makes me think teething. Isn't 3 months kind of early though? I don't SEE anything coming in, but I guess we'll see what happens in the next few days.

Here are a couple of new pics as well...

Fist bumps for all!

Ridiculous how much she looks like Ben. Good thing I carried her or there may be questions. :o)

pics

2010-02-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

Baby B'Gosh Jeans!

Watching me dry my hair - "What is that Mom?"

Hammin' it up for Daddy.

January recap

2010-02-03T16:21:00.001-08:00

January was a month of up's and down's for us...

I went back to work on January 4th, after 5 weeks off. It honestly wasn't all that hard for me as much as I love spending time with Peyton. a.) It was only part time and b.) Ben's mom was watching Peyton at our house. I think it would have been way harder to drop her off at a daycare with a bunch of strangers.

A week after I went back to work I was offered a full-time position! This was GREAT new considering I had been working full time since June of 2009. Come to think of it, I don't even know if I mentioned the job in the first place. I am working as a graphic/web designer for Rivertowns Newspaper Group - mainly the River Falls Journal, Hudson Star Observer and the Pierce County Herald. I really like it and it's SO convenient working here in town.

On the 13th, Ben's grandfather passed away. This was his second grandparent in 6 weeks (his grandmother from the other side of the family passed two days after Peyton was born). So, Monday and Tuesday of the next week were spent at the wake and funeral.

Then, that Thursday, the 21st, our dog Raven passed away. She hadn't really been herself since we brought Peyton home from the hospital, but we kind of expected that since she was a dog that craved a lot of attention. At that point she didn't seem 'sick' though, just a little distant. Then we started noticing she wasn't eating as much, but still we just assumed she was a little depressed. Then a week or two before she passed she started having some diarrhea. This is when we knew there was something more serious going on. We took her to the vet and he ran some tests and said her white blood cell count was high so we knew she was fighting some sort of infection. He gave us amoxicillin and some deworming meds to try over the weekend. We also took a urine sample in on Saturday. Monday the vet called with the results and said her billirubin levels were high so he thought it was liver related. We then had him run a blood test, which for some reason he sent out rather than doing in-house and it was going to take two days instead of one. On the second day we called and the results were in but the doctor was not so we had to wait another day. Raven passed early the next morning. Looking at her the night before I just knew she was going to make it. It was seriously the saddest thing ever! I know to some people dogs are just animals, but ours have always been like our kids and she was only four years old - way too young to be taken from us. We still have no real answer as to how she died. The vet is pretty sure it was kidney and/or liver failure, but we have no idea what caused it. We had her cremated and got a really nice photo memorial box for her. Chase (our other dog) is doing well, but life just isn't the same without her. :o(

December recap

2010-02-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm back as promised (for the one or two of you who care, LOL)! Let's see...

The first couple of weeks of December are kind of a blur. Peyton was a little jaundice after leaving the hospital so we ended up taking her back in a couple of times to check her levels. One night with the Wallaby blanket did the trick though. My mom stayed with us for the first week, which was a huge help, even just to have someone to talk to at 2am when Peyton decided to scream for 3 hours straight.

We headed over to Oshkosh for Christmas to see my family. Peyton did great on her first long car ride and slept the entire way (4-5 hours). We only had to stop once to feed her (and us). I also mastered pumping in a moving vehicle. :) Thank goodness for my Udder Cover! While in Oshkosh, Peyton got to meet two of her Great Grandma's, her Grandpa Kitz, her Auntie Kyra and a few of my aunts, uncles and cousins.

Peyton with her Auntie Kyra

Peyton and Great-Grandma Ruth

The Sunday after Christmas Ben and I met some friends of ours at Lambeau Field in Green Bay (only a 45 minute drive from my mom's house) to watch the Pack take on the Seahawks. We had a ton of fun and plan to make it a yearly thing! Ben and I went by ourselves last year, which was a blast, but it was WAY more fun this year with friends! Here are a few pics from the day...GO PACK GO!

2 months old

2010-02-03T03:36:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe Peyton is two months old already (and that I haven't blogged in that long either - I promise for a recap of the past couple months later today)!

Peyton is now 11lbs., 8oz. (95th percentile), 23in. long (75th percentile) an her head is 39cm (55th percentile). Little chunk. :o)

According to the little checklist the doctor used for things she should be doing, she's right on track or even a little ahead of schedule. She's eating 4-5oz. per feeding now and with an exception here or there we have her sleeping from about 10 or 11pm to 6 or 7am. Success in my book!

Peyton Nora

2009-12-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Our little girl arrived at 4:00am on Monday, November 30, 2009. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. :)

I went in on Sunday evening for a gel application to jump start things, and boy did it ever. They sent me home just after 9pm and told me to call whenever I woke up in the morning. Well, I woke up at 1:30am when my water broke and my contractions were already 4 minutes apart and pretty painful. We made it to the hospital about 2:00am and I was 4cm. At that point I was ready to give in to an epidural because all the contractions were in my back and extremely painful! When they checked me not even an hour later though I was 8cm so there was really no med option and just knowing that things were progressing that fast I knew I could do it. About 3 contractions later I was fully dilated and pushing. Everyone is right, pushing feels SO good at that point! Now quite sure how long I pushed, Ben and I are guessing maybe 20 minutes, and she was out and perfect. :)

Labor was the easy part...

A couple of hours later they had me up to go to the bathroom and I almost passed out. My bp was down to about 80/50 and I was bleeding a lot (more than normal that is). They put me on oxygen and started a catheter and waited for the doctor to come assess the situation. Apparently my uterus didn't stay firm enough as it contracted, which lead to excessive bleeding and clotting. So, he ended up massaging it down and manually working the clots out (AWFUL) and then they had me on several different IV meds throughout the day to keep my uterus firm. I am doing much better now, but my iron level is still extremely low and I'm on some supplements to get that back up. I am actually in the blood transfusion range, but I seemed to be doing well enough that they didn't think that was necessary. I just need to be careful to not over-do it right now.

We got discharged around lunch time today and are in the process of settling in at home. I am sure I will have plenty more pics to post in the coming days, but here are a few. I can't believe I'm a mommy!

the end is in sight!

2009-11-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Just got back from my 40 week appointment and nothing has changed since last week. Baby's head is still down and low and my cervix is thinned out, but no notable dilation. Doctor thinks there's a good chance she will come on her own this week, otherwise I will be going in on Sunday night to be induced. Baby Sanford will be here by Tuesday at the latest! Crazy!

39 weeks

2009-11-23T04:31:00.000-08:00

Again, a little late since I'm now 2 days away from my due date, but here is my 39 week picture from last week. Not much to report from my last appointment. Baby is in position and her head is really low (doc said he could feel it quite easily) and I was almost totally effaced, no dilation though. I go in again tomorrow.

I had LOTS of early labor signs last week - won't go into all the lovely details - and thought for sure I'd have her this past weekend, but then everything stopped and here I sit Monday morning, still pregnant. Oh well. I'm not really uncomfortable or anything (with the exception of a day here or there) so I really can't complain. The worst is having to go back to work everyday and hear, "Oh, you're still here?" :o/

I had a good weekend though. My sister came up to visit and that helped me keep my mind off of the fact that I wasn't in labor. Ha. We did a little shopping on Saturday - bought a pack 'n play and some slippers for the hospital - and I introduced Kyra to Potbelly (one of my favorite places to eat in Woodbury), otherwise we just laid low around the house. She left around lunch yesterday and I got the house all cleaned up again, got all the laundry done, baked a pumpkin pie and repainted my toenails. I'm all set now baby! *hint, hint*

38 weeks

2009-11-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my 38 week appointment yesterday and that was quite the ordeal! Started off normal - he measured me, listened to the heartbeat and checked my cervix. I am thinning out nicely, but he didn't mention anything about dilation so I'm guessing that's a no. Then he tells me that I am measuring a little small (most likely due to the fact her head is so far down the birth canal) so he'd like to do a quick ultrasound just to make sure everything's in check. My blood pressure has been up a little bit the past couple of weeks too, so that may have been another factor he wanted to check out. So, we go do the ultrasound and he's scanning back and forth, back and forth and not saying anything (starting to freak out a little at this point). And then he says, "Well, I'm not seeing what I'd like to on here." Basically, she wasn't moving at all at that point (probably due to the fact she had been moving like crazy all morning and even minutes before he came into the room and that I hadn't eaten lunch yet) so he decided to send me over to labor and delivery to be monitored, "just to be on the safe side". So, he walks me over there and they hook me up to one thing that monitors the heartbeat and another that monitors contractions (which I am having apparently even though I'm not really feeling them). All is well though and he saw what he needed to see on the charts so they let me go. Whew! I mean, I wasn't TOO worried since I knew she had been moving a lot earlier in the day, but it's still a little nerve-wracking. So, more waiting and back to the clinic on Tuesday. I still think a Friday the 13th baby would be cool...hint, hint little girl... :o) Not crossing my fingers though, since I really don't expect to go early.

38 weeks

my egg is hatching!

2009-10-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

Ha. I just noticed that the little egg on my pregnancy ticker is hatching. Too cute! Wow, I can't believe I only have 25 days left!!! I think this weekend is going to involve a lot of cleaning/organizing and then... BRING ON THIS BABY! :o)

36 weeks & nursery update

2009-10-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

36 weeks

34 weeks

2009-10-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

Well, technically 33 weeks and 5 days but it looks the same today.

job + car + babies

2009-10-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

Wow, I actually have a few exciting things to report since my last post a month ago!

First of all, I got a job (FINALLY) as a part-time designer for the newspaper in town. Well technically three papers - the River Falls Journal, Hudson Star Observer and Pierce County Herald - but I work in River Falls which is awesome. I'm doing mostly ads right now, but eventually may get to do some page layout. And, I'm hoping that it may turn in to full time down the road (probably after maternity leave). It's great to get out of the house and actually feel productive again.

Second, we bought a new vehicle! I didn't really WANT to for the fact that we just paid off my car and the no payment thing is really nice, BUT the thought of wrestling a car seat in and out of the back seat of a 2-door car makes me cringe. So, we did some looking and ended up buying a GMC Envoy. We just picked it up tonight in fact. It's definitely going to take some getting used to, but so far I like it a lot.

Finally, BABIES! Two friends of mine had their babies this week (one boy, one girl) which is so exciting and makes me really want mine to come...NOW! :) On a sad note, the baby girl was born with a heart defect and is up at Children's Hospital awaiting surgery. She is doing great and the doctors are very optimistic about the outcome, but it sucks just the same and my heart goes out her and her family. Please say a little prayer that all goes well this week! It just sucks that crappy stuff like this happens to good people...

I'll try to get a new pic up soon...promise. :o)

32 weeks

2009-10-11T20:14:00.001-07:00

This is a couple of weeks old now, but here's the 32 week belly shot. I will try to get a new one up this week!

bad blogger / 29 weeks

2009-09-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I really stink at this blogging thing. You'd think being unemployed and home all the time I'd have a million posts, but...not so much. Pregnancy is going great though and all is well with baby. I went in for my glucose screening and an ultrasound the other day. The ultrasound was fun as usual (love seeing my little peanut and I had the doc confirm that it is indeed a she), even the drink wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be, but I could have done without the multiple jabs I received. First, I got a flu shot (still need the H1N1 come October) and then I went to the lab to have my blood drawn for the screening. The tech starts with my right arm, ends up digging around for a minute or two trying to "catch" my moving vein and then decides to go with the left arm. I left there looking, and feeling, like a wounded soldier but it's all for a good cause, right? I swear I've had more blood drawn in the past year than I have in the previous 15!

My belly has really popped out the past couple of weeks, although I still get a lot of the "You're due when??? Oh my God, you're so tiny!" comments. Which, I guess I'd rather be tiny than a blimp, but some people just make me feel like I'm doing something wrong and starving my child. Trust me, I eat PLENTY people! And, none of my regular clothes fit making me feel more on the blimp side.

Belly at 29 weeks, 2 days

I'm also getting really excited for my upcoming showers! I have one with friends tomorrow and then a family one next Sunday – should be fun!

Also, today is archery deer opener so I'll be dragging my pregnant butt into the woods at some point to snag a big buck (hopefully before Ben, ha ha)! Don't worry, I wont be climbing into a tree stand or anything, we have a couple of ground blinds set up. :o)

nursery plan revised

2009-08-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

So scratch that previous post about me choosing bedding. I "decided" about 5 different times and then I decided to do my own thing. It's an ongoing process, but so far I have: the walls painted, little birds sewn, crib assembled, bedding waiting for a mattress and curtains arriving today. Very excited to see it all come together! Here are some preliminary pics...

24 weeks

2009-08-06T08:02:00.001-07:00

22 weeks

2009-07-24T07:21:00.001-07:00

bedding

2009-07-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, after countless hours searching online and one to-be-returned purchase, I've finally decided on bedding for our little girl's nursery.

Isn't it adorable?? I think it'll really pop against the chocolate colored crib and dresser we just bought.
And now the decorating fun begins. Too bad I can't do much yet since Ben still doesn't know it's a girl...

It's a girl!

2009-07-09T18:35:00.001-07:00

Well I just had my big ultrasound this evening and found out we're having a little girl! I am in total shock because all this time I had thought boy, but she is healthy and very active so I am happy. Ben stuck to his guns and chose not to find out the sex along with me. He turned around while the doctor made the determination and typed it for me to see. I will do my best to keep it a secret, but who am I kidding, I'll probably let it slip. He actually said he wants to see who slips up first and tells him, since I of course told everyone I know. Did I mention I'm not the best secret keeper? :) I'm also measuring farther along than I was at my first ultrasound, so we are sticking with my original due date of November 25th. I'm over halfway already! Crazy! I haven't taken a belly pic in a couple of weeks now so I'll have to do that soon. I've only gained about 5 pounds so far though so that's not too bad. I did break out the maternity pants this week, however, because my jeans are just not as comfortable as they once were. Oh the joys of pregnancy...

pop goes the belly

2009-06-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm between 16 and 17 weeks now and feeling good. I can't wait for my big ultrasound in 17 days!!! I just have to convince Ben to find out the sex because I want to know. :)

Saturday we went to Megan and Chris's wedding in Vesper/Marshfield, WI. It was a really nice wedding and it was great to see everyone! My dress really kept any baby bump I had under wraps, but between Saturday morning and evening, I definitely say I 'popped' some. What do you think? There's no sucking in the belly anymore!

Here's one of me, Nikki and Granger at Jo-Jo's between the wedding and reception. Love these girls!

the start of belly pics

2009-06-15T06:33:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I wasn't going to do this until I was reasonably showing, but who knows when that will happen. At least now you'll be able to see where I started and how much I've changed throughout the pregnancy. Here's the picture I took on Saturday at 15 weeks, followed by my 12 week picture (which looks just the same as my 11 week picture).

15 weeks

12 weeks

Can you see the ever-so-slight difference? Ha.

how far along am I anyway?

2009-05-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

So, I had my monthly doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything went great, but I'm just so confused on how far along I am! My original due date was November 25th, but after the first ultrasound they bumped it back to December 5th. Well, of course my chart still said the 25th and they congratulated me on making it through my first trimester (which I haven't). So, of course I questioned it and he's like "oh, well then, not quite but close." Anyway, he attempted to find the heartbeat with the doppler but didn't have much success. I have to laugh though because he tried for maybe 10 seconds before giving up. "Well, let's just do a quick ultrasound, " he says. Ha! So, we march down to the ultrasound room and I get settled there. Even though I knew everything was fine, I'll admit that I had a moment of paranoia before seeing the little heartbeat on the screen. What if something had happened in the past month? Everything was great though. Heart rate was 151 bpm and the baby measured at 11 weeks, thus confusing my due date even more (I thought I was 10 weeks, 3 days). The doctor said we'll leave it at the 5th though until my big 20 week ultrasound. So, right now I have like a 10-11 day due date window. LOL. I'm just glad everything is okay though.

10 weeks

2009-05-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday I also hit the 10 week mark, and despite the ongoing fatigue and food aversions I'm feeling good. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I can't wait!

Here's my Baby Center update for this week:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

mommy-to-be pampering

2009-05-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday my friend Jenna (18 weeks) and I had a little mommy-to-be pampering and shopping day. We started off with pedicures at the spa in town, then grabbed a bite to eat at Olive Garden, and finally headed to the Mall of America for some maternity clothes. No, I don't technically need them yet, but I will. And let me just say that I think the price of maternity clothes is ridiculous! You'd think they'd cut us all a break considering we can only wear the stuff for such a short time, but no... We of course spent too much money, but had a great time. Now I just want to start showing and "looking" pregnant. I know, I'll probably regret that statement when I'm 7 or 8 months along, huge and uncomfortable, but for now that's how I feel. :)

9 weeks

2009-05-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's just amazing to read about what is happening each week of this pregnancy. And, I'm hoping to start belly pics this Saturday at 10 weeks, although right now I just feel bloated and fat so I may not post them until there is something worthwhile to show.

Here is the week 9 rundown from Baby Center:
Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

And they say "she," but I have a hunch it's a "he." I guess we'll see, huh? ;)

the secret's out!

2009-05-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

My goal was to wait to announce this until the 2nd trimester, but who was I kidding? I can't keep a secret, especially something this big! So the secret's out and we're expecting a Sanford family addition on December 5th. So excited! I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago and got to see the little bean and healthy heartbeat. It was very cool and made everything that much more "real." My next appointment is Tuesday and I can't wait. Overall, I've been feeling great other than the fact I'm exhausted 24/7. No morning sickness though, woohoo!

our future children

2009-03-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

I found this hilarious site where you can upload photos of you and your significant other, or match yourself with a celebrity. Here are our future kids...

stressssssssed

2009-02-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

We've got a lot going on right now and I've made that worse by adding the stress of looking for a new house. When we bought our condo, the plan was to live there for a year or two and then buy a house. Well, almost four years later...we're still there! Ben and I plan to start a family SOON and there just isn't enough room. Like, the thought of trying to cram a crib, highchair, etc. into that little "crackerbox" of a condo makes me want to pull my hair out in clumps! Problem is that the market SUCKS right now. Sure, it'd be perfect if we were renting and just wanted to buy, but unfortunately that's not the case. So, we either stay there and play with my sanity or we take a loss (provided we can even find someone to buy the place) and buy a house. Of course, to add to the stress, we found the "perfect" house at an amazing price! Ugh. So now I have a million thoughts swirling around my head daily – "Will we be able to sell?", "How much of a loss will we have to take?", "How quickly will it go?", "Will our perfect house wait around that long?"...

The realtor is coming over this week to assess the condo and I guess we go from there. Please pray that our condo sells quickly and for a good price, and most importantly that our dream house waits for us!

25 things

2009-02-02T12:25:00.001-08:00

I stole this from Facebook, but I think they're fun to read...

1. I want a baby more than anything right now and most days that's all I can think about.

2. I would much rather be busy at work than have nothing to do.

3. I LOVE Red Lobster and Ben laughs at how engrossed I get in their commercials. :)

4. I truly believe I have an eating disorder – I think about food more than anyone should and sometimes I eat just to eat. I never "forget" to eat like some people claim to do.

5. I hate winter and often wonder why I live in Wisconsin. I would love to move somewhere warmer.

6. I believe that everything happens for a reason even though sometimes the reason is not clear.

7. I may not make as much money as I'd like, but I love my job.

8. I am extremely impatient and what little patience I have is tested daily.

9. I love shopping and don't get to do it nearly enough.

10. I am extremely competitive.

11. I am easily frustrated, but I rarely give up.

12. I own a bow and my husband and I are in an archery league together – two things I would have never imagined myself saying. I also just started hunting this year.

13. I am annoyed by bad spelling and grammar, although I'm sure I'm guilty of it from time to time.

14. I once made it to a regional spelling bee. I got knocked out on the word "guidance". I will never misspell that word again.

15. I am a perfectionist, but I'm messy.

16. My husband and I eat pizza at least twice a week. We also keep Buffalo Wild Wings and Barker's in business.

17. I grew up with cats, but now I couldn't imagine myself without a dog. My dogs are my babies.

18. I tell my beagle to "Shut the f*** up" at the top of my lungs at least once a day. I'm sure my neighbors love me...

19. I don't mind the washing and drying part of doing laundry, but I hate the folding and putting away part.

20. I'm a Mac girl and will probably never own a PC again.

21. I really want a Jeep Wrangler.

22. I hate Wal-Mart but I could spend hours wandering around Target.

23. I LOVE to cook and bake. My husband says I'm "a feeder."

24. My husband tells me that I'm "not right" at least every other day. :)

25. I make a mean tuna salad.

how much??

2009-01-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

I have quite a bit of money saved up in my HSA, so I decided that I would look into new glasses. I haven't gotten a new pair in probably 5 years since I avoid wearing them at all costs, but I could use an updated pair and a new style. So, Ben and I went to Pearle Vision last night to check out their selection (I got my last pair there and they cost me close to $300)...well, apparently the price of glasses has skyrocketed since my last purchase. Pretty much all the frames I looked at were $200-300 – just for the frames!!! Then you add another $150-200 for lenses. Ridiculous! They do have a buy one, get one free special but what would a person like me do with that? I have the night and day contacts so I even sleep in them. The only time I wear glasses is if my eyes hurt. I guess we'll see if it's really worth it to me...

where do I start?

2009-01-15T09:36:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been awhile! Let me try to recap the last 5 weeks (or at least the Holidays)...

We celebrated Christmas with Ben's mom on Christmas Eve Eve (Dec. 23) with a nice lasagna meal. Then, Christmas Eve we went to Mel's Midtowner for their annual Liquor Raffle. Since Ben and I had nothing better to do, we stayed out drinking well past the end of the raffle. Maybe it'll be our new tradition? :)

Christmas Day, we packed up the car and the dogs and headed to Oshkosh. After visiting with my dad's side of the family in my Grandma's room at the nursing home, we celebrated with my mom, her boyfriend and my sister. That Sunday we went to Green Bay for the last Packer game of the year. It was freezing but an AWESOME experience! Our seats were amazing and we're already planning a trip with friends for next year.

New Year's Eve we went to dinner with some family/friends at Acapulco's (a Mexican restaurant), then to the annual Jensen party and finally downtown. It was a good time.

I don't really have much else new to report. I had my one-year review at work last week. Good news is that they're keeping me on! Bad news is that there won't be any raises this year (not really surprised).

go pack go

2008-12-05T06:25:00.001-08:00

Oh, I almost forgot! Ben and I got Packer tickets for the Lions game on the 28th of this month. I am SO excited, as I've never been to a game at Lambeau! And, they are awesome tickets – 2nd row endzone!!! Lambeau Leap anyone? Yes, please!

We are going to go plenty early to tailgate/bar hop too. We have to get the FULL experience! ;)

playing ketchup

2008-12-05T06:17:00.001-08:00

Or catch up, but ketchup was a catchier title...

Wow! I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since I've written!

Honestly, not a whole lot new to share. Ben and I spent Thanksgiving with his family and then he headed back up north for a second weekend of deer hunting. My sister-in-law, Jana, and I went shopping on Black Friday, but not until lunch time because neither of us wanted to deal with the crowds. Even when we went the lines were ridiculous and wrapped halfway around the stores! We survived though and got some good stuff, had a nice lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings and got my Christmas tree decorated!

Saturday I went to a lovely dinner at Red Lobster with my good friends Nikki and Granger. After that we did some bowling and had a few drinks downtown River Falls.

Sunday was a relaxing day of football and not much else. :)

Nothing exciting to report this week. Ben's dad is staying with us through the weekend so they can hunt together. I have no major plans and that's okay with me. I could use a nice relaxing weekend at home.

2008-11-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

This has been a pretty uneventful week (hence the lack of posts), so I thought I'd start a list of Things I'm looking forward to:

1. Hanging out with the girls this weekend (and probably next weekend too since Ben will be up north hunting).
2. Decorating for Christmas (and yes I will probably do it before Thanksgiving)!
3. Thanksgiving Lunch/Dinner – yum!
4. Christmas – not so much for the presents, but for the fact I get to go home and see my family and friends. I don't get to Oshkosh very often anymore.
5. The Pure Romance party Jana and I are hosting in January.
6. Getting pregnant...whenever that may be. :)

Things I'm not looking forward to:
1. Ben leaving for two full weekends. :(

Pinz's Birthday

2008-11-10T07:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pics from Pinz's birthday party in Wisconsin Rapids. We all had a great time! Neither of them really give you the full effect of my haircut since it's shorter in the back, but you get the idea.

The Three Musketeers glammin' it up with our fake eyelashes.

The birthday girl and our "secret shot."

meatballs

2008-11-04T06:44:00.000-08:00

I know, you're probably wondering why I'm writing a post about meatballs, but I made the best ones last night and had to share. Trying to be healthful, I picked up some Jennie-O ground turkey (the Italian seasoned kind to go with my spaghetti). I've never made anything with ground turkey before but I know it's healthier than ground beef so I thought I'd give it a chance. I threw it together with one bunch of green onions chopped, 3 cloves of pressed garlic, a cup of seasoned breadcrumbs, a couple of small handfuls of grated parmesan (1/2 cup I'd guess), and an egg. Mixed that all up and cooked them in a skillet with olive oil (EVOO if you're a Rachael Ray fan). I tried one and was amazed at how good I'd done having no clue how to make a good turkey meatball. The true test though came when Ben tried them...I believe the quote was, "That is one tasty meatball!" Success! And for those of you who know Ben, I had to make them good because he hates spaghetti. I know, who hates spaghetti, right? But, he does. He didn't eat much of the spaghetti, but he did try it and he downed about 6 meatballs so at least he was adequately fed. :)

I will have hair pics soon, but I didn't take any pictures this weekend so I'm waiting for friends to post theirs.

pictures!!!

2008-10-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

After 5 long weeks of waiting, our wedding pictures are finally online and let me tell you it was well worth the wait! I absolutely LOVE them! Check them out here:
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/thumbpage.aspx?e=4248064

In other news, I chopped my hair off. It's the shortest I've had it in a long time, and I'm still adjusting, but I think it's cute. I should have some pictures to post after this weekend. A couple of friends and I are headed to Wisconsin Rapids for a birthday celebration. It should be a good time!

insurable?

2008-10-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

So, Ben and I have been meeting with a guy from Northwestern Mutual about life insurance, retirement funds, etc. We are horrible at saving unless it's for something specific, but we realize the importance of getting this stuff underway sooner rather than later, so we've enlisted help. We started by applying for life insurance which requires a small "physical" – urine and blood samples, blood pressure check, etc. Not a big deal for some, but I've always hated needles. When I was little it took my mom, a doctor, and two nurses to hold me down just to prick my finger. Well, I'm proud to say that I made it through – no tears, no fainting, and no one holding me down! It wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined, which is a huge relief knowing that I'll be doing it quite a bit once I start having babies. :)

Now we wait to see if we are approved...

end of wedding season

2008-10-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

We ended the wedding season at Dustin and Kelly Matzke's wedding this weekend. It was a good time as usual and here are a few pics from the day.

Cold Update: Sad to report that I still, yes STILL have a cough. Today is the 3 week mark. As I said in my last post, enough already!!!

enough already!

2008-10-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

I've had a cold for two weeks now and I'm sick of it! I guess, on the bright side, it's not the really plugged up and can't breathe kind and I don't look like Rudolph from blowing my nose – just a nasty cough that won't let up. But, nonetheless, I'm ready to be healthy again.

Despite my sickness, Ben and I had a fun weekend. We made the three-hour drive to Granite Falls, Minnesota for a wedding. We only knew a handful of people, and they were all in the wedding party (we were the losers at the table by ourselves), but once the drinks started flowing and the dance started we had a blast! Congrats Mike and Barbie!

One more wedding to go this weekend...

new camera

2008-10-08T10:15:00.001-07:00

I finally got a new digital camera! Mine was a bit outdated at 2.0 megapixels and it was time to upgrade. I ended up going with the Canon PowerShot A1000 IS. Now I just need to buy a larger memory card (the one that came with it only hold 9 pictures) and read the manual so I can take advantage of some of its great features and settings.

wedding

2008-10-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Ben and I got married on September 27. It was cloudy and a tad windy, but overall a beautiful day and everything went great! The professional pics won't be ready for another couple of weeks, but here are some shots of the day from our friends.

Headed down the aisle with my dad.

In our stretch Navigator headed to the reception.

With my sister and maid of honor, Kyra.

Toilet Paper game – we had to see who could get the TP off the roll the fastest. Kyra and I lost.