thoughts at 20 weeks

Does it make me an awful mother that at 5 months pregnant I am more confused about this baby on the way than I am excited? Not confused about how it came to be, but confused about how I am feeling out of touch with this child inside me.

When I was pregnant with Evelyn, every feeling was new. I waited every week for those pregnancy newsletters to arrive in my inbox telling me that my child was now the length of a banana and weighed almost a pound. I read pregnancy and delivery books and was so intrigued with what my body was/would be going through. I lived for every kick and hiccup that I felt in the womb. This second time around, I have a decent idea of what I should be experiencing, no newsletters are coming to my inbox, and rather than sitting at my work desk all day with time to spare to daydream about this baby I would hold in my arms, I am now rocking my first baby thinking I'm rather scared at the possibility of loving another child this much. I feel like I've given all I have and more to Evelyn willingly. I love my days with just she and I. I feel like I can conquer anything in this world with my little sidekick beside me. It's amazing how someone so small can mold me into such a bigger person.

Is it possible to love more than one child? I know it is. I'm certain of it. I know when I hold this child in my arms those same feelings of overwhelming love, gratitude and humility will come over me just as they did with Evelyn. And for that I am astounded at the miracle of love and bonding between a mother and baby.

I am so thrilled this afternoon to find out the gender! I feel like that fact will allow my heart to connect on such a deeper level. That, and the fact that baby kicks and rolls have really been lively this week! The best part of the weekend was lying on the couch and Jared feeling the baby kick for the first time. Those moments are priceless. Those nudges make it a reality that soon our family of three will be a family of four. The more the merrier, right? :)

a rainy day with evelyn

Life on Leroy

It's always such fun getting to know women in this world wide web. Alli from Life on Leroy has a zest for life, her family and healthy cooking. Here's a little Q&A with Alli. 

What/where is your happy place? My happy place is my home. I am a huge homebody and proud of it! We have been in our home now for almost 4 years and I've truly enjoyed making it our own. When we first moved into our house something didn't feel right, it wasn't cozy, it wasn't our style. Then someone told me that your house will start to feel like a home when you bring the people you love into it, have celebrations in it and decorate it to your style. I've done just that and every time I walk through the doors to our home I am reminded how blessed we are to have such a happy home.

What's the #1 most played song on your itunes? Currently, it's I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz. I get chills when I hear that song. It really speaks to me.

Are you an indoorsy/outdoorsy girl? How so? I'm a huge outdoorsy girl! I grew up deep in the country and spent most of my childhood outside building forts with my brothers, hiking and exploring the woods. I love the calm that comes over me when I'm in nature and the sense of stability, peacefulness and freedom. I love hiking, rock climbing, hunting, fishing and kayaking.

If you could stay a certain age forever, what age would that be and why? Honestly, I don't think I've hit that age yet that I would want to stay at forever. I'm 28 years old and have had some great years and some not so great years, but I feel the best is yet to come. I'm actually really looking forward to my 30's. I think every year I grow a little more into who I am and who I hope to be and I've enjoyed finding out who I am. I think it's important to become the person that you want to be and grow from there. I don't ever want to feel like I've lived my best year because then I won't have anything to look forward to :)

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? I hate to be so boring, but it's vanilla. I know, I live on the wild side!!

The best part of waking up is...? I can't remember the last time I woke up on my own! Haha, being the mom of a toddler, I'm usually woken up by our son, Dayton. He is the best part of waking up! He is such a morning person that it makes my mornings much easier. I never was a morning person until I had Day and now that I get to spend my mornings with him, they aren't so bad. He always greets me by my bed with a huge smile on his face and stinky morning breath. It's a little weird, but sometimes I can't wait to smell that morning breath :)

I agree, vanilla ice cream is the best! You can spice it up in so many ways! Thanks Alli.

once upon a naptime...

I know, I know, how lucky am I that I get to claim that sleeping beauty as my own?

I always look forward to naptime so I can free my hands up for a bit, but then I find myself missing that little squealer {although, I have to admit that I love the break from reading the same 20 books every hour}. That spunky gal sure is my cup of tea.

Recipe for Divinity, a.k.a Sherbert Cake

Umm.. yesterday it was 44* and snowflurry-ish. Last week it was in the 70's. In an attempt to beckon back the sunshine, let me remind spring that two weeks ago I was partaking of this scrumptious sherbert dessert. It's my train of thought that if everyone makes this bright festive sweetness, spring will come come back with a vengeance.  Behold, the Sherbert Cake recipe.

Ingredients for cake:
2 tubs sherbert
1 box macaroons
some melted butter
springform pan

Ingredients for glaze:
2 tbsp hot water or milk
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar


*** The increments listed are for a full cake round. When I made this for Easter, I halved the recipe since I knew it would just be Jared and I eating it and formed the cake in a ziploc container so I could easily flip it over and squeeze it out. It worked just as well, but for bigger crowds, do the whole springform pan***

Directions:
1. Take sherbert out of freezer and let soften about 5 min
2. Meanwhile, crush macaroons until coarsely chopped.
3. Add melted butter to macaroons until they "hold" together. Maybe 4 tbsp? I dont know. Just until it holds.
4. Place 1/3 macaroons on the bottom of pan. Layer with sherbert > macaroons > sherbert > macaroons
5. Let it settle in freezer for atleast 2 hours +
6. Make glaze by stiring water and lemon juice into the sugar a few drops at a time.
7. Cut cake and drizzle glaze over each slice and enjoy heaven!

my life be like

My life is supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus. It really is. Jared and I have said countless times how blessed we are and we don't deserve it. Yesterday 2 little things and 1 big thing went differently than we had hoped. And that's ok, because it didn't hurt us in any way other than we'll have to make alternative plans for the future. Yesterday evening I thought I would have been more emotional, but I was at peace with everything and too busy counting all my blessings to even consider this disappointment as a set back. I felt the same this morning when I woke up. Then 1pm rolled around and I was so tired from chasing Evelyn since 6 am, hungry, staring at my messy home, and thinking about how all I really want is Jared to have a weekend home with us and then I cried. And I felt so selfish for crying.

My husband is a hard worker. He's going to grad school, juggling work and an internship and has been gone from 6am to 8pm and sometimes 10:30pm every night this week. If there's anyone who should be wanting a break it should be him, not me. But I'm the one begging him to take a break. Ever since we've been married he's always worked Saturdays. EVERY Saturday. This just seems like a crime to me but obviously he works for Ev and me. So how selfish is it for me to sob about never taking a vaca and crossing things off on our "places to go" list. We'll get out of this student life someday. Until then I need to grow a stronger backbone.

Moral of the story: Life is always good. Thank God for all your blessings. And cry every now and then too :)

Oh yeah, and as the cherry on top, my phone cracked on the pavement yesterday. I'm thinking about just dropping the smartphone gig so I'm not constantly tied to the internet, but I don't think I could live without my camera.

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In much better news, the giveaway winner has been announced! 

Check to see if it's you!

The Magnolia Pair

I'm so excited to have Britt from The Magnolia Pair here today!

She is quite the fashionista, and her blog proves it :)

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Hello Little Almanac friends! I am Britt, and I blog over at The Magnolia Pair! I adore Kendra and her adorable little family, so I am really excited to be guest posting here today! 

I am a southern girl blogging about my newlywed life. I enjoy talking about my life as a medical students wife, new puppy mom, and living in a brand new city!

Today, I will be talking to you about fashion & style! Spring is here and summer is coming soon. There are many new trends and fun outfits I want to share with you today. 

My Favorite Spring Trends: 

The color Mint 

& 

Scalloped Trim 

My next favorite trend is Colored Jeans ! 

I wish I could buy a pair in every color ! I currently have my eye on the mint colored jeans. Hopefully, I can get them before summer!

I couldn't help making a "Mommy & Baby Day Out" Board since I am writing over here at Kendra's blog today! I made this little board from power point (don't have photoshop yet) and put together some of my favorite outfits for a Mommy & Baby date ! I often day dream about the day I'll become a Mom and how much fun we'll have going to the park and zoo!

These pieces for baby are found at Janie & Jack, the Mommy outfit is Lily Pulitzer, and the bag is Coach. 

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed my post on style and fashion!

& Thank you Kendra for having me today !

 

the great discovery

Yesterday after dinner, Evelyn's tummy must have been super full and she noticed something was sticking out more than usual. So she pulled her shirt up, gave her tummy a long stare and poked at her belly button. Over and over and over and giggled. Good job, baby girl! You made the great discovery.

Tuesday Giveaway:: Little Light Prints {CLOSED}

I am so excited for today's giveaway from Carly at Little Light Prints! When I was perusing Etsy, I came across her beautiful shop and immediately fell in love! I am especially fond of this print, mostly because I could eat Evelyn's cheeks all day long :)  Wouldn't you love to have this incredible art displayed in your home? Little Light Prints is offering one lucky reader a complimentary print of choice! To enter:

Mandatory:
1. Must be a follower of Little Almanac
2. Favorite a design of Little Light Prints on Etsy and leave a comment telling which one

Additional:
+ Follow Carly's blog
+ Follow Carly on Twitter

Good luck! Giveaway ends Friday, April 20th!

And the winner is:

Congrats Ashley! Send me your email so I can put you in touch with Little Light Prints :)

Jumpin on the instagram wagon. {username updated}

I guess I forgot one of the important features of instagram when I posted this morning, my user name.

Here it is in all of it's glory: koakden.

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Also, baby names are proving to be harder for round two. On Saturday Jared vetoed 90% of my boy & girl names. This is different from when we decided on Evelyn. Basically I said "hey, the girl's name should be Evelyn" and he went with it. Why is that not working this time around? ;)

Funny Friday

A few things that are making me chuckle...

+ this tumblr
+ Evelyn playing peekaboo

+ with all the talk of everyone being on spring break, it reminded me of this gem I haven't watched in Fo- Eva! Is homestarrunner even cool anymore? Anyway, #5 is all about spring break and hilariously funny.

+I guess tumblrs are my thing these days, because the Willy Wonka ones are also killing me. Especially this one.

Happy Friday!

The Happy Hour.

Meg from The Happy Hour seriously has the charmed life. From her beachside abode, to her cleverness in the kitchen, this stylish lady always makes an entertaining read! Her photos are always so warm and make me nostalgic for my So Cal days. But enough about my envy. I'm so delighted to have her here today!

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hi there. i'm meg, i write silly and sometimes not so silly things on our blog the happy hour.  my husband and i live in southern california, we really love it here. but, you can't go wrong with sunny weather year round and beaches to ride your bike along, can you?

today i'm going to share with you one of my staple/favorite springtime dishes for you to easily whip up in your kitchen and have your tastebuds begging for more than just seconds! i hope you'll try it!

summertime bruschetta

you can spread baguettes with soft goat cheese, salty parmesan, olive oil, garlic & then broil, then pile on the tomato misture ~ experiment with it ;) 

1 cup fresh summer tomatoes, minced & drained

2 tablespoons fresh basil, slivered

2 tablespoons green onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

a splash of balsamic vinegar

pinch of red pepper (opt.)

salt & pepper

mix everything together & allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour or more ~ strain juices if you'd like before serving. pile mixture onto crisps, or crusty bread, or even pasta & salads.

i hope you enjoy, & happy spring! 

with love,

the happy hour

sherbert + evening sunshine

 

Last night after eating a delicious meal of bbq chicken, which I grilled myself btw, we decided to camp out on our teeny balcony, eat some sherbert cake and enjoy the spring evenin'. And someone did lots and lots of twirling :)

Easter happenings

We had a beautiful Easter Sunday. Our morning was complete with a scrumptious breakfast {where Evelyn didn't spit out her eggs! It was a triumphant event for all of us!}, followed by church, a nap, and an egg hunt. Jared and I were very surprised how quickly Evelyn caught on to the whole eggs in a basket thing, but then again she loves putting clothes in the laundry basket so it's the same thing on a mini scale, I suppose.

Let me tell you something else, that may look like a plain oatmeal up there, but goodness is it not and goodness is it divine. I'm sure the dish has a better name than "English Oatmeal," but when I was living in London our director's wife would make it for us, hence I've just deemed it English Oatmeal. Here's the scoop:

English Oatmeal
2/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
{mix}

3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup milk
3 cup quick oatmeal

Grease 9x13 dish. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Serve with half and half. Top with fruit.

Now we're off to patch a tire and pick up some snap peas! So far with each pregnancy I've had the opposite of food aversions, and rather been turned on to foods that I previously detested. Before Evelyn I would never ever touch an orange. I hated the feeling of stringy pulp in my mouth. But when I pregnant with her that was all I wanted. With this one, I am having a strong attraction to snap peas, which I again avoided before because I thought the pod was too stringy. I guess I like chewing on things when I'm pregnant.

Happy Easter!

I don't know if dying eggs is on our agenda this weekend, but I know eating lots of yummy food is on the menu. 

Hope your Easter weekend is hoppin ;)

Evelyn's Easter Dress :: Dream Catcher Baby

I grew up receiving a new dress on Easter each year, and it always made the day seem more special. I wanted to continue with that tradition, and I was so happy to find this gorgeous dress from Dream Catcher Baby. As if it wasn't already evident that my favorite color is mustard {one of you smart readers noticed that I wore the same mustard sweater in our 2012 photoshoot as I did in 2011. I love mustard!}, of course I had to snatch this one up for my Evy Rae.

Jessica, the designer behind this beaut, was so wonderful to work with! The dress is beautifully handcrafted and fits perfectly. With just one button on the back, it makes for an easy dressing and undressing, which is key when you have a wiggle worm on your hands!

Oh, and what I wouldn't give for her boy accessories! We find out what we're having on April 30th, and if it's a little guy I already told Jessica to be ready - I'm going to clear out her bow tie collection!  I'm particularly fond of this one.

Jessica is offering 15% off to Little Almanac Readers!

code: AlmanacApril 

at Dream Catcher Baby

Go snag yourself up some beauties! And thanks again Jessica!

awkward moments and a pony tail

I'm glad that now-a-days I can laugh at myself when I have an awkward moment and know that it will pass.
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I believe most would agree that one of the most embarrassing things you can bring to purchase at a register would be feminine products. Yesterday I think I topped that with presenting a plunger to the cashier. Something about the odd long handle just made it stick out in line, and Evelyn playing with it as well definitely drew the attention our way. I just felt raunchy having it in my possession. A solid awkward moment for me for sure.
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It's always a hard position to be in when a person I am having a conversation with has sunglasses on and I do not. The whole time I'm thinking, "ok, where do I look? I can't see their eyeballs!" and instead of focusing on the conversation I'm worried about where my point of focus should be. So this summer I am determined to have shades on at all times to avoid moments of eye contact uncertainty.
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Haha, this gets me pinned as a fool all too often. I went in for a hug when the other had no intention. This makes for twisted half hugs and uncomfortable laughter while I quickly think of something to converse about other than what I just awkwardly did.
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Stepping on the scale at the Doc's, trying to explain to her the reason for my 5 lbs weight gain in a month. I don't think she cared, but I felt like a beastly cow up there.

Despite all that, Evelyn's hair proves to be the most awkward yet lovely thing of all. Can we say business in the front, party in the back?! It's progress, people! Progress!

Oh, and I got over my fear of having a fb page for le blog. You can follow here!

thoughts on growing up

photo from yesterday's plane ride

Sometimes I am unsure about whether certain posts I write should be kept in my journal for me privately, or if what is in my heart should be shared with others. I tend to be a bit emotional these days, so bear with me over the next few months as I work out my hormones :)

Yesterday when Evelyn and I got off the plane in Virginia, there was mass excitement in my heart as I anticipated seeing my one and only. As we exited through baggage claim there we saw DaDa waiting for us. Tears swelled in my eyes as I put Evelyn down and she ran to the man she was so familiar with. When we got home Jared had a banner hanging up for us welcoming us home, with a caramel apple waiting for me on the counter {that man knows my weaknesses all to well}. We spent the evening with hands interlocked as we sat against the wall of all uncomfortable places, watching our little girl play. Occassionally she would run up to Dad and give him a hug and go back to playing. We were a happy family of three together again.

Being at my parents' for 2 weeks was amazing. I loved spending time with my siblings. And my parents proved to be interactive and giving grandparents, which I always knew they would be. My sister drove up one weekend from San Diego to make sure she got to see us. Time was spent laughing over family memories and making new ones with a first generation of grandchildren. Overall, Evelyn and I were showered with family love, which always does the soul good.

One Saturday we had a sisters day, where the 3 of us did girly things like give ourselves manicures. Amidst our chatter, we had Taylor Swift on. Her song "never grow up" circled about. Have you heard it? It's beautiful. As I listened to what she was saying, I obviously thought about what it takes to grow up.

I loved being a kid. I loved my wild forts in the backyard, riding my bike around the neighborhood with no hands, watering my mom's garden and thinking that the flowers could actually talk to me, having tea parties with my American Girl dolls, going fishing with Dad, making up songs with my sister and just being so so close to all my siblings. Those bonds can never be severed. But while childhood was fantastic and I wouldn't trade it for the world, I am so glad I grew up.

Had I not grown up, I would probably still be petty and teenage self-absorbed. I am so glad the days of friend cliques and Abercrombie clothing are behind me. Had I not grown up, I wouldn't know what true love feels like. Had I not grown up, I wouldn't know the joy and pain of child birth. The experience of watching Evelyn peacefully sleep in my arms or admiring her new found excitement for twirling {so darn cute!} would not be known to me. Had I not grown up, I would not have the appreciation I now do for my parents and their years of counsel and example. Had I not grown up, I would not understand the power and mercy of God. And had I not grown up I wouldn't know how strong I was capable of being.

Sure, the downside of growing up is getting older. I'm not saying that I'm excited to get to 50. I'm sure by then I'll be wishing for my younger body, but right now I'm happy to be growing up. Each new year, heck, each new day brings something better than before. But when it comes to Evelyn, that girl better NEVER grow up ;)