Lessons on Being Sick.

I learned something this week...
it's 100x's worse to be sick with a baby.
Because, no matter how you feel, there are no more:
 "I'm just going to lay in bed and sleep all day" days.

Micah left for Washington last Tuesday morning.
And last Tuesday morning I woke up with the flu.
So my whole day was not only spent taking care of Tessa,
but also taking extreme precautions in not letting Tessa get sick
and trying to get as much rest as I could so that the flu would not last a long time.
Luckily, Tessa decided that it was going to be a day where she took a 3 hour nap mid-afternoon...
something this mama desperately needed too!
So I got some good rest as my body worked to kill the virus.
I loaded my system up with Elderberry Syrup, Thieves Oil, and a homeopathic flu remedy,
and by the next morning I was all better!
A bit weak in the stomach, but for the most part, all better.

Recovery had it's perfect timing too,
since Tessa's Nana decided to make a spur-of-the-moment trip
to keep us company while Micah was gone!

 And of course we threw in a trip to the local market for buy a few pumpkins!

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

Did I ever tell you about the time I managed and cooked for a YWAM cafeteria?
Two days after returning from our honeymoon,
Micah and I jumped into the job of managing a cafeteria
that fed over 200+ YWAM students three times a day.
And, here's the kicker... I had never cooked before.
Sure I had learned how to do a few things (like cook rice) before getting married,
but apart from that, I knew nothing.
No joking.
Thank the Lord for places like Allrecipes.com
that will calculate just how much I need to feed 200 people.
I also had a ton of ladies (and a few gents) teach me some essential basics
(like how to make a roux or how to bake bread).
They also taught me a few yummy recipes.
One lady who came in to help me had lived in Thailand for many years,
and one day she taught me this Thai Coconut Curry Soup recipe.
Probably one of the easiest soups to make ever...
and SUPER delicious.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

What you'll need...

2 cans coconut milk (apx 15oz each)

2 cups chicken broth (or bone broth with a few tsp of chicken bouillon added)

2 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp freshly minced ginger

2 tbsp freshly minced garlic

apx. 2 tbsp red curry paste (I use the May Ploy brand)

salt and coarse ground pepper

1 onion, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms 

1/2 cup green peas

1 cup cubed potatoes

2 cups shredded green cabbage leaves

1 cup cooked rice

How it's done...

1. Cook the rice ahead of time, so that it has time to cool before the soup is done. I usually just cook it earlier in the day and leave it on the stove top. Plus, I don't need to worry about cooking one more thing at dinner time.

2. In a large stock pot,  heat the coconut oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken, onion, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Season generally with salt and pepper. And by generally, I mean at least a 1/2 tsp of salt and a 1/2 tsp of coarse ground pepper.

3. When the onions start to soften, add the curry paste and stir until the paste has broken down and is coating the chicken. (Towards the end of making the soup, you might need to add more curry paste. Curry is one of those seasonings that some people like hot and others like mild. So keep in mind you might need more than 2 tbsp. Also, if you use a different brand of curry, like Taste of Thai, you might need to start off with a bit less curry and adjust as you taste the soup towards the end.)

4. Once the curry has coated the chicken add the chicken broth and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. 

5. Add the peas and potatoes and simmer slowly until the potatoes and chicken have been fully cooked.

6. And lastly, taste to make sure the flavors are to your liking (adjust if needed), then add the shredded cabbage. Cook for another few minutes or until the cabbage has softened.

7. Serve hot topped with white rice.

Tessa - Three (and a half) Months

Holy lack of blogging!!!

Right after I gave birth to Tessa I said to myself...

"I'm gonna be so up to date on blogging everything about her.

I'll blog updates each month.

I'll blog and document all of her 'firsts'".

Well, lets just say that reality sunk in.

What was that "reality?

It's the reality that finding time to blog as a mom is hard!

I now have a whole new respect for you mom bloggers out there

who can do it and do it well.

I'll keep reading and fully enjoying your blogs,

dreaming of the day I'll find the time to post on mine.

But, now that I'm here...

Here's Tessa's three (and a half) month update!

Weight:

Tessa now weighs 11.5 lbs.

Which, by the way, is not even Tessa's cousin Cefwyn's birth weight!

My sister had her 5th baby 5 weeks before Tessa was born.

She had a home birth and her son weighed 11 lbs 8 oz.

She is my birthing role model!

Clothing Size:

She is wearing 0-3 month clothing now and I have to say,

packing up her newborn outfits one by one is such a sad thing.

Eye Color:

Her eyes are still blue.

Light blue in the center and darker towards the outside.

Hair:

It keeps getting lighter...

and a bit more strawberry too!

Movement:

She is moving and shaking that's for sure!

She loves to move in her bouncy chair and get that thing bouncing.

She also is super active when I'm changing her diaper on her changing table.

That is probably because I have her clothes hanging up above her

so she is able to stare at all the colorful dresses!

She's also doing great and lifting and balancing her head on tummy time.

Plus, she has started to balance her back upright while sitting on our laps.

Next step... rolling over and sitting up! Maybe next month?

Talking:

She has definitely got her "Ah-goos" and "Gaaas" solidified into her vocabulary.

And she just loves our "talking time".

That's when I prop her up on my lap and we just talk and talk and talk.

Playtime:

She is still loving her activity gym.

Plus, now she can actually reach out and grab the toys and try to bring them to her mouth.

We've also started "reading time" during the day.

She just loves to reach out and grab the book as I'm trying to read to her. :)

Sleeptime:

Whoever said that babies will start to sleep more as they hit three months

obviously did not take every baby into consideration...

because Tessa has definitely regressed on the sleeping routine.

At one point she slept about 5 hours straight, but unfortunately that's not the case anymore.

Our nightly routine goes like this:

1. Tessa will fall asleep around 8:00.

2. I wake her to nurse around 11 or 1130, right before I go to sleep.

3. Nurse again at 2:30.

4. At 3:00, place pacifier back in Tessa's mouth because she spit it out and has woken up.

5. Nurse again at 4:30.

6. Wake at 5:00 to place pacifier back in her mouth again.

7. Nurse AGAIN at 5:30. 

8. Somewhere in between 5:30 and 7:00 I either place paci back in her mouth or turn the sound soother back on agian... but I'm so tired I don't even check the time.

9. Finally, at 7:00, bring Tessa into the bed with me (because Micah just left for work) and nurse her till we both fall asleep.

10. Sleep soundly together a full 2 - 2 1/2 hours... or until around 9:00ish.

11. Wake up and make a TON of coffee.

Tessa's Favorites:

She finally doesn't protest when I put her in the wrap.

She will actually sit contently and eventually fall asleep!

She also LOVES the mirror and seeing her and mommy's reflection.

As a matter of fact, she love it when anyone looks at her.

If she sees someone looking at her (especially smiling at her)

she will just light up with a big toothless grin!

Mommy's favorites:

I love the smiles she gives me, especially when she is waking up from a nap or in the morning.

The moment she sees my face she will give the sweetest smile of happiness.

Happy 7th Anniversary

Just look at those youngsters!

It is such a true saying that as you grow older,

time seems to go by faster and faster.

I say to myself:

"Seven years! Really?!? It can't be that long already".

But at the same time it feels like life has always been this way.

Micah and I.

We met in the Fall of 2003... almost 10 years ago!

I was 22 at the time and Micah was 20 (I robbed the cradle...hehehe)

and I remember the exact spot where we were standing.

For you Lakeside Montana YWAM'ers reading,

we met in the Lecture Hall when we both joined a group to play the game "Signs".

Unfortunately it was not the "love at first sight" kinda moment.

It was more of the (and I quote)...

Micah: "I don't want to be your friend." 

... kinda moment.

But hey, I can get passed that.

And clearly we like each other now... we have a kid together. :)

And we have pictures, tons of pictures of our wedding day, seven years ago.

 

Tessa - One Month

Wait... what?!?!?

How has a month gone by already?

People keep telling me that time will go by so quickly now that I have a baby.

And you know what...

IT'S TRUE!

I swear this has been the quickest month of my life...

But it's been a wonderful month.

Weight:

Last weight check was on the 8th and she weighed 6lbs 10oz.

Woohoo for gaining weight!

Height:

19.5 inches

Clothing Size:

She finally fits well into newborn size clothing!

When she was born she was just slightly too big for the premie size,

yet slightly too small for newborn.

Eye Color:

Dark Blue.

It will be fun to see if they stay the same color or change.

Hair:

Both Micah and I were shocked when she was born with a TON of DARK hair.

We were both born with light hair, so we were kinda expecting that she would be the same.

Nope... dark brown!

But over the past month her hair has lightened up significantly.

Now it is much more of a medium auburn color... 

and, I'm happy to say, it has hints of red in there as well! 

Movement:

She's working on lifting her head.

If she's resting on our chest, then she'll definitely lift her head too see us.

But if she's spending some "tummy time" on the play mat,

then shes a bit more hesitant...

she's trying though.

And she is doing a great job at making eye contact and watching us...

which just melts my heart.

Talking:

I've heard some of the cutest squeals and coos when she is awake and playing around.

I have also heard some of the loudest screams when she is not so happy.

Playtime:

She has somewhat of a pattern now with when she is awake and when she is the most sleepy.

From around 11am to 12:30pm she is awake and ready to play!

And she seems to be content most of the time by entertaining herself.

During her awake times, if you hold her too much,

she will actually cry until to put her down right next to you,

so she can just watch you and her surrounding and kick her legs.

(she might look like her daddy, but I have a feeling she just might be an introvert like her mommy)

She also has a very alert time around 9pm - 11pm...

just about the time Micah and I are wanting to go to sleep.

Sleeptime:

She has been a good sleeper so far.

She usually has a pattern of sleeping for two or two and a half hours

before she wakes up to eat and have her diaper changed.

Then she will go right back to sleep.

There have only been a few nights (like last night)

where it seemed that she was wanting to eat ever hour!

Tessa's Favorites:

She's loving her activity gym!

Even though shes a bit to young still to reach out and grab the toys,

she will stare at them for a good 30 minutes when were playing.

Mommy's favorites:

Our little unofficial bedtime routine.

Since one of her most alert times is at night,

I love getting her all ready for bed (especially if its bath day),

bringing her into our bed for some playtime

(playtime being that she stares at us and makes cooing  noises),

turning on her sound soother,

then feeding her until she's in a cute little "milk coma"

and putting her to bed.

My 2 Weeks in Instagram

I am afraid to say this but...

I have turned into one of "those" Mom's.

You know, the ones that overload their Instagram feed with pictures of their baby.

I admit it... and I am unashamed about it too.

I now completely understand why other mom's do it.

So if you follow me on Instagram, I apologize ahead of time.

My days seem to be filled with Tessa's sweet little face

and it's hard not to take pictures of her every minute of the day.

Meet Tessa Anne

Tessa Anne Hanson

Born June 20th 2013 at 9:54am

6lbs 4oz

 

She surprised Micah and I by arriving 3 weeks early.

And when I say surprised, I mean SURPRISED!

I woke up at 4:30 am to my water breaking

(without having any prior contractions or signs that I was going to go into labor).

And at 9:54am she was born.

Even though I have nothing to compare this birth to,

I feel extremely blessed to have had a quick and easy labor.

EXTREMELY BLESSED.

Everyone (midwife, family, and friends) kept telling me to expect to go past my due date

and that first time moms usually had longer labors.

But with me, it was a different story.

By the time we arrived at the hospital (at 5am)

I was already dilated 4cm (without having painful contractions)...

and by 6:30am I was dilated to 6cm (which was when I began to feel the contractions).

And from then until Tessa was born it felt like it happened so quickly

that I didn't have time to really think of anything

(I didn't even have time to think about the option of an epidural!)...

she had a one track mind and it was to come out!

At around 9:15am I hit the "transition" phase of labor

and with maybe 4 contractions I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing.

(Crazy how your body tells you that your ready to push.

I didn't need anyone to tell me, my body just kinda took over

and started pushing automatically).

And with maybe 20 minutes of pushing, Tessa was born.

Micah was amazing during the whole process.

He stood right next to the midwife during the whole birth

and watched out little girl enter the world.

Him and my midwife kept telling me (while I was pushing)

that they could get a mirror for me to watch what was happening.

Of course my response was:

"Are you crazy! I'm trying to stay in "the zone" right now.

The last thing I want to see is what is happening 'down there'". 

That is when Micah says to the midwife:

"This is how she is stubborn".

Micah is lucky, because if I wasn't trying to concentrate on getting a baby out of me,

he would have been kicked in the face.

And now she is here.

Our little miracle baby girl is finally home and in our arms.

I don't think Micah and I ever really thought this day would happen.

We tried to keep hope up for years, all while trying to keep our hope in an open hand.

But God truly knew the desires of our heart.

He had a plan, a perfect plan, in mind for us...

and now his perfect blue eyed plan is sleeping on my lap.

Trish & Co.

If you know me at all, then you know how much I love to entertain people at my home.

Dinner parties, BBQ's, Girl's Nights...

pretty much anything that gets friends together to have a good time, I love!

And even though I haven't been able to entertain much recently

(and I am sure after Baby Girl gets here, I wont be throwing many parties for awhile)

I can't help but be envious of these gorgeous serving boards by trish & co.!

Aren't they just amazing.

Robedellarobi

Oh my obsession with cute baby clothes

has just grown and grown and grown.

Just look at that bonnet!!!

I am dying over this collection

created by robedellarobi.

I guess that is a normal thing when your expecting,

to be obsessed with all things baby.

Now that I am almost 37 weeks (only 3 more days!)

and almost officially "full term",

I have begun the "washing" process of all the cute baby clothes

that I have been given or have collected throughout the past few months.

But I'm wondering...

Should I wash just the "newborn" size?

Or should I wash the newborn AND the 0-3month size?

All you mama's out there, I would love your advice.

36 Week Update

Is that a basket ball under my shirt?

Nope, it's just my growing belly!

I can't even believe that I'm 36 weeks pregnant.

Last night, as I was trying to go to sleep,

I began to cry out of happiness at the goodness of God

and the miracle baby that he has given Micah and I.

Just to think that at this exact moment last year we were believing

that we would never be able to biologically have children.

And now, in less than a week, I'll be considered full term in my pregnancy.

God knew, of course.

How Far Along:
  36 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

Baby Girl is the size of a melon and weighs about 5-6lbs.

Maternity Clothes:

I bought a few tank tops at Target.

I normally wear a small and then a few months ago I needed to bump it up to a medium.

Well, today, I had to purchase a few in the large size.

Weight gain:

It fluctuates now between a 31 pound gain and a 33 pound gain

(depending on what I ate for dinner).

Sleep:

My hips, legs, and back get super achy when I lay on one side for two long.

So I'm constantly tossing back and forth all night.

But I haven't had any bouts of insomnia yet

(I hear they are more frequent in the last stages of pregnancy).

Best Moment of the Week:

My Maternity Photo Shoot!

 

Movement:

She's still moving around in there.

Luckily she is positioned with her head down

(please stay that way Baby Girl!)

so I feel her kicking her little feet toward the top of my belly and under my ribs.

Food Cravings:

Still no cravings.

But I have been drinking TONS of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea in preparation for birth.

I'll make a few cups at a time and put it in the fridge

so that I can have refreshing iced tea all day long.

Gender:

Baby Girl.

Belly Button in or out:

It's half-way out.

But you can definitely see it poking out now through my clothing.

Wedding ring on or off:

On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

I'm officially back to the "no eggs" diet again.

What I miss:

Easily getting out of bed or off the sofa...

Actually, I miss easily getting up from any sitting or laying position that I might be in.

What I am looking forward to:

I have been really curious lately as to what size my Midwives will predict
Baby Girl to be when she is born.
I really just want to know if all the cute newborn outfits will fit her!

Nursery:

All that is left to be done is the installment of a clothing rod in the closet.

I keep the door open to the nursery all the time

and I am constantly just walking in there and staring at everything. 

I will even sit in the rocker glider chair and just daydream or read.

Ways to Relax:

Almost done with Gone With The Wind.

Only 300 pages to go!

By far one of the biggest books I have ever read...

but sooooo worth it!

Love Where You Live

Today I am doing something that I haven't done in a while...

I'm linkin up with other blogs!

My good friend Mackenzie has been telling me

about The Influence Network for such a long time now

and today she linked up with their "Love Where You Live" post.

I loved reading her post (and the posts of many of the ladies who also linked up)

so much that I thought to myself...

"I have some energy today so I might as well have some fun and link up too!"

I hope you enjoy a little look into where I live,

which by the way...

I love.

I am originally from California but moved to NW Montana in 2004

to work with the Missions Organization YWAM.

Growing up, I never imagined that I would move outside of California.

I was a Cali girl at heart and always envisioned myself living in a big city

and somewhere closer to the beach.

But God had other plans.

In the summer of 2003 I undoubtedly felt God calling me to Missions,

and specifically YWAM Montana.

It was such a strong call that from the moment I set off in my car for the long 22 hour drive north, 

I knew that Montana would be my new home.

 

 

 So, I moved from the literal year-round sunny weather of California,

to Montana, where winter rules 7 months out of the year.

But the reward for winter is that we have the most spectacular summer months.

And we live about a mile away from the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi!

After almost 10 years of living in Montana I have grown to love it so much.

I love the small town that we live in (there's not even a stop light in the small little lake town!).

I love how we are considered "locals" when the tourist season comes around...

and the "locals" know who the tourists are. :)

I love that the people working at the grocery store (yep, there is only one),

the restaurants, the post office, and the bank,

all know me by name and chat with me about my pregnancy.

We feel so blessed to live in a comfortable home

with a decent sized backyard where Silas (and our chickens) can run around

and we can grow our summer garden.

And the Winter months are not so bad after all...

 

Summer Gardening - Maternity Photo Shoot

 

Micah and I were beyond blessed this week

to have two dear friends come stay with us for the weekend.

It was wonderful to catch up after a few years of not seeing them,

visit a few of our favorite summer restaurants,

and have a spontaneous maternity photo shoot!

Our friend Ean Perkins is such a gifted photographer.

So when he suggested doing a photo shoot

(which I had not even considered beforehand having maternity pictures),

I did not hesitate to say yes!

I am so amazed at how they turned out

and I am absolutely positive that we will be framing one for Baby Girl's room. 

Which one should we choose to frame??

 

35 Week Update

Wait!

What happened to weeks 32, 33, and 34?

Well, pregnancy brain happened...

I literally kept forgetting.

Each night I would think to myself:

"Tomorrow I must take a picture and blog!"

Then the following day I would completely forget... all day.

But hey... I remembered today!

So here's my 35 week update...

How Far Along:
  35 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

Baby Girl is around the size of a coconut...

apx 17-18 inches long and weighing in around 5lbs!

Maternity Clothes:

I haven't bought anything new recently,

but I did buy a super comfy skirt that my midwives recommended

is the perfect skirt to wear during labor.

Luckily I'm not required to wear the hospital gown if I don't want to.

Weight gain:

I'm now over the 30lb weight gain marker...

my total gain is now 31 pounds.

Sleep:

Sleep oh sleep, when will you return to me?

Best Moment of the Week:

My mom came to visit me this past week.

It was so wonderful to have her here,

give me advice and go shopping for baby girl with me. 

Such a blessing.

Movement:

  She's been having the hiccups a lot this week.

Crazy feeling to have a continual jolt in your belly for a long period of time.

Food Cravings:

I feel like I've been blessed by not really having

any "crazy cravings" during my pregnancy.

But watermelon has been sounding great this week.

To bad I have yet to find a super delicious one.

Gender:

Baby Girl.

Belly Button in or out:

It's half-way out.

My midwives said that they doubt it will pop out

anymore than it already has...

which is good because depending on the top I wear

you can't really tell through my clothing.

Wedding ring on or off:

On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

I don't like the flavor of eggs again.

What I miss:

Walking without...

1. Being tired after walking 5 minutes (basically to the lower YWAM campus and back).

2. Having a few Braxton Hicks contractions which makes me walk SUPER SLOWLY. 

3. Being able to breath. 

4. Wanting to come home and immediately take a nap.

What I am looking forward to:

Being able to hold my little girl.

I'm so ready!

Nursery:

The nursery is pretty much done!!!

We just have a few small things to add and fix,

then I'll show you pictures!

Ways to Relax:

I've been reading a ton of pregnancy/birthing/parenting books

to make myself feel more prepared.

Is it working and do I feel more prepared?... I have no idea. :/

But to relax I have been reading the massive classic novel Gone with the Wind.

It's one of those types of books that you are nervous when you first start

but within just a few pages you can't put it down.

Which is good, since the book is about 1300 pages!!!!

31 Week Update

How Far Along:
  31 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

Baby is the size of a Pineapple.

Maternity Clothes:

I am slowly growing out of my early pregnancy tops,

but luckily I still have a few great late pregnancy tops

with some growing room still in them.

Weight gain:

I may have had a growth spurt this week...

or lets just say that Baby Girl had a growth spurt. :)

I'm now up a total of 29 lbs.

Sleep:

Can you tell by my eyes in this picture?

I'm pretty much tired all the time.

Sleep is pretty off and on all night,

which causes me to take tons of naps during the day.

Like today for example,

I'm kinda embarrassed to say how long my nap was.

Best Moment of the Week:

Celebrating my very first Mother's Day!

Micah took me to breakfast at one of our favorite local restaurants

and then we went to buy me a huge hanging flower basket as my Mother's Day gift!

I think we're going to make that a yearly tradition.

Movement:

  She is still moving like crazy

and since she is getting so much bigger,

I can definitely see those movements very clearly.

Food Cravings:

I have been craving sweet desserts after dinner

(which may or may not be the reason for the weight gain).

Gender:

Baby Girl.

Belly Button in or out:

It's so close to being an outie!

I'm giving it another week or two before it pops.

Wedding ring on or off:

On

Anything making you queasy or sick:
Not really, but I have been getting a bit sick to my stomach a certain times of the day again.

Nothing too bad and no throwing up, just not pleasant.

What I miss:

Being able to sleep on my back.

That will be a glorious day... or I should say, night.

What I am looking forward to:

My Mom is coming to visit in 2 weeks.

I'm so excited!

Nursery:

No new progress this week.

But I have slowly started washing clothing and bedding

so that its all ready for when Baby Girl arrives.

Ways to Relax:

My friend Annie and I went to see The Great Gatsby this week (so good btw!)

and immediately after seeing it I had to start reading the book again.

30 Week Update

How Far Along:
  30 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

Baby is the size of a cucumber.

Maternity Clothes:

Nothing new this week.
I did buy this tank top that I'm wearing a few weeks ago
and it's finally warm enough to wear it!

Weight gain:

Gained a pound this week, so now I'm up 26lbs.

Sleep:

Still not much of a change,
but I have been having some crazy dreams.

Best Moment of the Week:
I have two highlights from this week...

1. We had a few BBQ's with friends over the weekend.

It is seriously the best time of the year when we start to eat outside again.

2. I was able to sit outside and begin to weed my flower garden.

I say "begin to weed" because it literally took me 3 days

to weed what normally would have taken me a few hours...

but hey, it was fun to get outside!

Movement:

 She's been super active lately,
probably because she is bigger and I can feel her more now.
Recently she has begun to shift her weight
(or maybe she is just pressing really hard)
to one side of my belly,
which makes my tummy look super uneven.

Food Cravings:
Nothing new this week,
but still loving my Iced Vanilla Lattes and Root Beer
(not mixed together... that would be gross).

Gender:

Baby Girl.

Belly Button in or out:

In... but it is on it's way out!

Wedding ring on or off:

On

Anything making you queasy or sick:
Nope (except the egg thing still).

What I miss:

Being able to sit outside for a short amount of time

without getting ridiculously sunburnt!

What is it with being pregnant and my skin being more sensitive... geesh.

What I am looking forward to:

Finally being able to celebrate Mother's Day this Sunday!
I never thought this day would come for me.

Nursery:

A few more amazing gifts came in the mail this week from friends and family!

Thank you all so much!

Ways to Relax:

So, even though I only have apx 50 pages left in Les Miserables,

I decided to put that book down for a second and focus on reading a birthing book.

I bought "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth"...

and it has been amazing!

My Week in Instagram

I had a bit of a pause in my Instagram postings a few weeks ago,

then this week, I feel like I practically photo bombed the site everyday. :)

There was just so many fun baby items to share with you,

a few garden prep photos...

and of course, Silas.

Have a great weekend!