Library Days

Lately I have just wanted to get out of the house. I think Maya has been wanting out too because she sometimes just stands at the window by the front door tapping the glass and talking. 

So today we went to the library! It was the best hour I've spent with her all week, and I am thinking it should become a weekly trip. 

The library here (2 minutes driving time; we walked the 1-mile several times in the summer) has a cute little play area for little kids. We had never gone before when she was old enough to enjoy it. 

Not too long after we got there several other people came with their kids. Boys. All boys! Which is fine but it definitely made her stand out - not to mention how small she looks! She did great at "playing" nicely.

Of course there was a little time spent looking at books. 

And a drink break was necessary. 

Pardon the bathroom shot, but how cool is this seat?? Maybe they aren't a new thing, but I appreciated it. 

And so did she!

After an hour of fun at the library, we were both content to head back home. Boredom cured for one day. 

Yum yum

I haven't blogged about food in a long time (I guess my new obsession with a child has something to do with that), so I thought I would tonight!

My in-laws, Cindy and Berne, got me a pasta roller and cutters for my KitchenAid for Christmas. I. Love. Pasta. So this gift was perfect! 

We decided to try it out tonight. I had to add a lot more water to the dough than it called for, but we got it. The whole process was actually pretty easy! The recipe I had made a lot, so we dried and froze half

and ate the other half. 

I made homemade Italian bread to have with it, and the meal was perfect. And so fun to make! I look forward to doing it again and again!

Crazy Spectacular.

The last time I nursed Maya was on November 9th, her 11 month birthday. It was a hard decision for me, mainly because she and I both enjoyed that time together. But several factors led to the decision of weaning her. 

On November 26th I had a suspicion that something had happened. My suspicions were later confirmed:

I knew I was further along than just a few weeks because (warning: TMI) I took this test at 4 PM using very diluted pee. The line showed up right away, but it had only been 17 days since Maya was weaned. I hadn't had a period since before I got pregnant with Maya so I couldn't know for sure. 

My first reaction was, "Wow. Ok. That was fast." And then I was sad for a moment for Maya. Maybe that's silly, but it happened. 

Actually, it took me a few weeks to really accept it. Not because I didn't want it (it was planned), but because it just didn't seem real. My symptoms are very minimal. If I hadn't taken that test I would have had no idea until my pants started getting tighter. Which is AWESOME but made it seem even less real. 

My first OB appointment was January 2nd. We went in hoping to see a cute little bean with a rapid and strong heartbeat. This is what we saw:

That is not a bean! Haha! At my appointment I was 11 weeks 4 days, which means that I took that test when I was a little more than 6 weeks. Our little lime was twitching its tiny arms and looks great so far. I couldn't believe I got through the first trimester without knowing!

Our new baby is due on July 20th. Ryan thinks it is a boy, but I haven't a guess. I imagine we will know around the beginning of March! 

Now that I have a due date, it is much more real. And my baggy pants aren't so baggy anymore. We are so excited to add to our family!

Here I am at 14 weeks. (Jan. 19th) 26 weeks to go!

Christmas

This year Christmas was a little different. Well, actually a lot different.

We had plans to spend Christmas morning at our home with my parents and sister/bro-in-law. But on the morning of the 21st we received a call from my parents letting us know that my grandpa (Papa) passed away late the night before. We left the afternoon of Christmas Eve and spent 5 days in Utah celebrating the life of Papa and spending time with family. It was a very touching and memorable time, and I am so glad we were able to attend. 

The services were very nice, and I learned a lot about Papa's life while we were there. Maya also did fantastic on both flights and during the time we were there, even though her naps were rather sporadic most days. I was very glad to get her home and back into a routine. 

We celebrated Christmas with my parents in the evening of New Year's Eve this year. We did presents (I did a really bad job of photos and only took a few... I'm on my phone posting this and will need to add photos of the gift opening later), had kaese spaetzle for dinner (German version of Mac and cheese) and then played games until midnight, when we rang in 2014. 

Maya also took her first steps New Years Eve! It was so cute. I can't wait for her to be all-out walking, although many people have told me it will get a lot harder. 

Ryan's mom/stepdad got us an air swimmer for Christmas. Ryan was assembling it and holding the tail in his mouth. From where I was sitting it looked quite funny. 

Today we took Maya to her first movie theater film. We saw Frozen (so cute!). She loved it! It was right during her naptime (we were with Ryan's side of the family so we didn't choose the time), but she sat contentedly with Ryan or me and watched almost the entire thing. I loved it. It is so fun to be a parent. 

Happy new year everyone! May 2014 bring joy and laughter! I know I'm looking forward to it!!