11 weeks!

Baby Marshall is the size of a plum this week!! Also, baby is gaining more coordination and is starting to explore it's body a little more focusing on it's mouth. Baby Marshall is also developing it's swallow reflex!! It seems like baby is growing like crazy this week!!!!

I am exhausted!!! It seems like I could sleep all day long if I had the chance... sigh... but I can't! Other than the exhaustion that follows me through the day I am doing great! Looking forward to next week when I get to see my baby again at my ultrasound! I finally had to buy some maternity clothes because I was feeling too confined in my regular clothes.... now I just feel like I am swimming in my clothes... he he he. I am so looking forward to the energy that they say comes with the second trimester!

David is also doing great! He is working full time right now for summer quarter and he is loving it! He is going to be such a great daddy...he is already a great husband!! He is so good about taking care of me when I am not feeling well and also picking up the slack around the house when I don't.... which is often right now since I am so tired all the time!! Though I am sure he is looking forward to me having more energy too!!! :)

First Picture of Baby Marshall (10 weeks!)

We got to see our little baby for the first time this morning! It was amazing to see baby Marshall waving it's arms and legs and it's little heart was beating so fast! We were left speechless at the sight!!

This week Baby Marshall is forming bones and cartilage and small indentations on the legs that will soon be knees and ankles. Baby Marshall also has elbows now and can wave and flex it's arms (I got to see this!!!) Other systems are forming too, baby's stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing urine, and if it's a boy he is producing testosterone!!! All this and Baby is only the size of a PRUNE!!! How amazing!

I had my first Doctor's appointment today at 10 weeks. I think that I spent the last week nervous that I was going to be carrying sextuplets or that maybe all of my tests were fluke accidents and that I wasn't really pregnant... ha ha ha. But really once I saw the baby waving at me I felt relaxed and excited!!! I am also so excited to be almost done with my first trimester!!

David got to go with me this morning and he was just as amazed at the sight of our little one!! We are so blessed and already can't wait to see baby again!!!

P.S. There's only ONE baby in there!!! So sorry Reid!!

9 Weeks Today!!!!

I am nine weeks today and it seems like my body likes to celebrate the beginning of each week!

Baby Marshall is the size of a medium green olive, the head is straightened out and is more fully developed, the ears are more prominent now and some new organs (the liver, spleen and gallbladder) are forming. Baby Marshall is continuing to make spontaneous movements as some of it's miniscule muscles are beginning to form... movements are still too tiny to feel though.

I am feeling pretty good... though like I said my body likes to celebrate the beginning of each week... last night was a bad night for sleep and I am feeling a bit more tired than I ussually do. Other than that I am great! Getting more and more excited for our first doctor's appointment next week. It'll be our first ultrasound and we'll hear the heartbeat for the first time too!!

David is doing great! He just aced his final and is finishing his third quarter this Friday! He is also reading a book that teaches him what he can do to get ready for the baby and how to deal with the stages of pregnancy (which I am sure is really helpful when he has to listen to me whine). Dave says that he is also really excited to go to our first Doctor's appointment... I think it will make it even more real for him once he sees our peanut and hears the heartbeat.

We hope you are all doing great, we are really blessed to have you all reading this and keeping us in your prayers!! Many Blessings!

Yummy Homemade Pizza and Brownies

Pizza is one of my favorite foods, it has always been one of our go to foods when we have movie nights or on a day when we have been doing house work... it has served as something of a comfort food. So, when we decided to be healthier I had to find a way to be able to enjoy pizza and still be healthy. This is my veggie pizza, it has spinach, portabello mushrooms, zucchini, and red onion... (and there should be artichokes on it too but I forgot them at the store). The crust is a home made whole wheat and ground oat crust.... super yummy and filling.

I love the crust recipe because it is super simple and easy to make! Here is the recipe:

2/3 c. Milk
2 1/2Tbs. Olive oil
1tbs. honey
1 1/4c. whole wheat flour
3/4c. ground oat flour (you can buy it, or make it by grinding 1 1/4 c. rolled oats in blender)
1tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt


Add milk, oil, and honey to combined dry ingredients. Stir with fork until ball forms, turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 10 times. Roll out with a rolling pin to desired thickness. Shape edges to form crust.

Bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove, top with pizza toppings and bake for 8 minutes.


One of my other favorite 'comfort' foods is brownies... yummy! (Sorry there is no picture... they just go too fast he he he) Here is my modified brownie recipe... a 'healthier' version:

1c. organic evaporated cane juice
1/2c. pureed avocado (puree one medium avocado in food processor)
1tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2/3c whole wheat flour
1/2c cocoa
1/2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix avocado, vanilla, evaporated cane juice and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread into greased pan. Bake for about 25 minutes... and viola! Yummy brownies and you can't taste the avocado!!

Enjoy!

My Garden

This is a picture of my lettuce and tomato plants. I decided that I really wanted to try my hand at growing my own LITTLE garden... I am actually known for killing plants but, I wanted to commit to keeping something alive. The lettuce has been really fun to go out and pick as needed. Though you have to beware of the bugs and spiders... they will crawl out at you when you go to wash it!



The tomato plant just started blooming so it should grow some cherry tomatoes soon! As most of you know David used to like to dig up his mom's tomato plants when he was a little boy.... so he warned me and said that if I came home and I found him in the corner it was because he couldn't resist himself. he he he... I am looking forward to finally being able to eat some of the tomatoes that are soon to come!!!

New feature

I just wanted to let everyone that looks at our little blog that I added a feature on the right side. These are links to other blogs written by some of our family. I hope you enjoy looking at their posts and pictures as much as I do!

Blessings!!!

8 Weeks Today!!

Today is the first day of my eighth week, and I am FEELING it too!

Baby Marshall is about the size of a large raspberry right now and it's arms, legs, nose, eyelids and back are beginning to take shape so it is starting to look more human. Also this week Baby Marshall is making some movements... though they are way too tiny to feel.

I have been feeling pretty good for the most part. However, today I think that my body is 'celebrating' the beginning of my 8th week... I haven't been able to shake the nausea!!! Baby Marshall is really sucking me dry too... I can't seem to get enough sleep or food!! It is a strange feeling when you feel nauseous and hungry at the same time.

David is doing great! He is so excited for the baby... he usually refers to me in plural. Like: "How are my babies doing?" or he will pray that the Lord would bless his babies... it is quite cute. He is also very attentive and quick to jump up and get me water or food and the tums when they are needed . :)

We are feeling really blessed and more and more excited as the weeks go by!!!

'The Crib'

So, I know that I still have like 7 months... but isn't this pretty?? In my moments of boredom I will go online and start looking for nice baby furniture and all that they entail. This is the 'DaVinci Emily Convertible Baby Crib' in coffee. It is pretty cool because it goes from crib to toddler bed to a full size bed headboard. I really like the color of the wood because I think it will go with most themes... whether for a boy or girl.

Speaking of themes, David says that he wants a tool theme if it's a boy... I am not sure if he is serious or if he is kidding. However, there are some pretty cute cartoons out there like Bob the Builder, or Handy Manny... but they are more carpenter cartoons and I don't think there are any diesel mechaninc cartoons out there so I don't know how this will work. I would like to do a baby room that would work for a girl or a boy... one that will work for more kids to come.