How Does Your Garden Grow?

We failed at growing a simple herb garden in a kitchen pot this past winter...so figured, why not dig up a big plot of our backyard and give an entire garden a try! ;) Our gardening attempts haven't been devastatingly bad, but they are immature - so we spent the last month or two researching local gardening while we waited for the ground to thaw. There is nothing we eat fast in our house then fresh veggies, so why not grow our own? We settled on an organic garden with plants we didn't feel like we'd kill at our first try!

Last weekend we (when I say "we" in this post, keep in mind "we" was mostly Jon. I did help with the lighter activities, but otherwise gave direction and kept Jon company from the deck!) dug up the plot in the back center of our yard. After some advice from my Dad, we decided a raised bed might be a better solution. Jon built the bed and after a few "re-builds" they successfully had the raised bed ready to plant! We loaded up with all of our favorites at the Lowe's nursery; tomatos, cucumbers, peppers, jalapenos, carrots, brussel sprouts, lettuce, spinach, and of course some herbs. Now comes the hard part....Waiting! Most of the plants say 60-80 days to maturity, but sprouts within a couple weeks - so we'll keep our fingers crossed we see a few leaves poking through soon.

Baby Carhartt

Carhartt introduced it's first infant and toddler clothing line this summer. Who better to model this new line than G&L Clothing's resident web expert newest family addition - Baby Foss! See Jon's blog on the new line here and a sample of Carhartt's newest clothing additions (including diaper covers!) here .

Babe Stats

How Far Along: 33 Weeks, 2 Days

Weight Gain: +17 Lbs

Maternity Clothes: Mostly all now. I'm getting to the point where fashion is always sacrificed for comfort - so I live in my Olian Maternity slacks for work and Citizen Mat jeans. I have a few favorite Maternity tops, mostly from the Gap but still wear my normal cardigans with the cute tops to help add some pizazz. :) My winter coats no longer button or zip so I'm glad to have those packed away for the season and I've now traded Uggs for Reefs. My feet don't swell all the time, but have some growth by the end of the day and definitly after a walk. $15 Target Ballet flats are doing the trick this spring!

Sleep: Knock on wood - I'm still sleeping great! I get up 2 or 3 times a night still and have found I'm needing more around my "normal" 8 hours and less of my first trimester 10-12 hours.

Stretch Marks: Nope! My belly button ring scar is looking funny though. Mom - you were right, I should have never gotten that. :)

Best Moment of the Week: Easter in Houghton this past weekend was fun! It was great to see my Aunt Julianne and Uncle David and their kids and of course Grandma and Grandpa. I spent some time with my mom enjoying my last trip to Iowa City before delivery. Also Jon getting home from Arizona Monday! I was SO happy to see him.

Food Cravings: None, just lots and lots of water, all the time. I can't eat much at one sitting particularly in the evening. Late dinners do make it hard to sleep - baby is fighting for space!

Movement: Kicking hard and noticeably. I think strangers are starting to notice!

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are starting. I notice them mostly after my harder workouts and when I'm lifting and moving boxes, laundry, etc. This are starting to infuriate Jon because now my body is telling me to slow down in addition to him.

What I'm looking forward to: Baby shower this weekend! Yay! My Aunt Anne Lewis and cousin Libby are throwing a shower for me in Mason City Saturday. My cousin Libby is very excited for the baby, which makes me even more excited. I remember when she was a baby and my sister and I would love to spend time with her - so I'm anxious for her to spend time with my baby. :)

Milestones: Making it past 32 weeks (baby's after this point are almost always significantly healthier and less post birth issues).

What I miss most: Sushi, running, working out to exhaustion, being able to pick things up without squating and grunting, and using my stomach to help balance, move, lift, heave, etc. Alcohol (believe it or not). I have a skinny girl mojito night planned as soon as Baby Foss takes a bottle!

Fears: I've been having horrific pregnancy dreams. Sunday night after coming back to Des Moines alone I had a terrible one Jon left me and I have to finish out the pregnancy and raise the baby alone! I woke up to him gone (obviously still on his trip) and was terrified. In general I just don't like him to leave me for long periods of time now. Read: Needy!

Daffodils

I came home to this the other night. So pretty and spring-ish! Not only did Jon buy me flowers...he mimicked the centerpiece the florist was creating!

Easter and Passover

We celebrated the start of Passover Monday evening with a huge family dinner at Bob and Lisa's. Aunt Sally came to visit from Minneapolis and helped cook up some of the traditional Seder fare. Jon got his full of Matzo Ball soup and was a happy man. Brady after finding the Afikomen....

My favorite part was this delicious passover friendly tarte that Debbie and Molly baked. It was SO good! We will have to remember to re-create this one next year.

Jon spent Easter weekend with the boys in Scottsdale Arizona this year. He and three of his friends planned a trip for a long weekend of golfing - which left me to spend the weekend in Iowa City and Houghton! We spent the day at Grandma and Grandpa's; eating, walking; and chatting. The rest of the weekend was spent doing fun things in Iowa City. We had a little barbeque Sunday with a few of my mom's friends after church at the Newman Center and visited our usual favorites; the ped mall shops, Java House, and anything that involved shopping for Babe Foss. It was my last "trip" up there so I made sure to enjoy it! I won't be traveling again until Baby arrives.

What's Cookin'

7 Servings

Sometimes it's all too clear I have a dietitian for a mother....

When Jon came home with this steak, at a whopping 1.8 lbs I turned up my non-beef eating pregnancy nose in disgust. That steak could feed 7 people!

Well it didn't....it fed one husband. Mine. Lola was also QUITE interested!And for dessert at husband's request I made my first molten lava cake. Not as good as the Atlas in Iowa City...but at the same token, it's hard to go wrong with rich chocolate and vanilla bean ice cream.

Official Crib Tester

This little guy says the crib from Mima and Papa passes with flying colors! The nursery is close to complete...more photos to come soon.

Finishing Touches

It's down to crunch time! We made an appointment for carpet installation this Friday, meaning it was time to call in the painting reinforcements. Bob and Lisa spent Saturday afternoon putting on a first coat, while my Mom and Dean drove over from Iowa City Sunday to finish off the job. We felt a little guilty about inviting our guests to town and locking them in the basement, but they didn't seem to mind!

Boulder also came along for his first official West Des Moines visit. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to meet Boulder T. Ridgeback yet - he is a 130 LB version of Lola. He is NOT allowed on the furniture at home. Apparently Lola filled him in on the rules ( or lack there of ) in the Foss household. Boulder helped himself to a prime spot on the couch for most of the day.

Jon and Bob installed our built in cabinets in the basment and finished off the Baby's room Sunday afternoon as well. I am in LOVE with my new home additions and very thankful to our families for all of their hard work! Can't wait to share final photos!

Waiting for Baby Foss!

A few of the pregnancy blogs I read have weekly posts like the one below. I thought a little update might interest everyone as we enter into third trimesterdom!

How far along?: 29 weeks

Weight gain: +15 pounds

Maternity clothes: Pants=Yes, I really dislike the belly band adjuster for normal jeans so although I still wear them on the occassion, I prefer the elastic of mat pants! Tops= Mostly No. I wear all of my old cardigans and jackets to work with a maternity or longer tank top or T. In general I've really disliked the way maternity clothes fit and look so I've become a master of the wardrobe improvision! Molly loaned me a few nice tops that have helped expand my work wardrobe as well!

Sleep: I have been waking up at least 2 or 3 times a night to use the rest room, but otherwise I'm sleeping like a baby!
Stretch marks: Nope

Best moment of this week: Watching the baby move...feeling was great, but now seeing my shirt ripple below my desk with his post lunch movements really make my day! Jon also has the baby room almost completed, which will be by far one of the best moments this pregnancy!

Food cravings: Lots of warm sandwiches - Jon's mozzarella and pesto grilled cheese in particular. My diet is mostly back to what it was pre-pregnancy with a little less tolerance for plain protein.

Movement: He's apparently inherited his fathers kicking abilities. Ask Jon about his plan to go back and be the kicker for Iowa. :) Baby Foss moves ALL the time.

Labor signs: No

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery and our basement. Having my mom visit next weekend to put the final touches on the nursery and setting up the crib Bob and Lisa got us!

Milestones: Hello 3rd trimester!

What I Miss Most: I've looked at honeymoon and wedding photos a lot recently and miss being tanned and tone. Ah vanity! I consistently miss hard workouts and running - but all of these things don't compare to the end result I'll be enjoying in just a few months!

Seasons of Love....

While Jon's been spending his time downstairs, I've been getting crafty upstairs in the spirit of my second favorite (Christmas is first obviously) holiday. I cooked up some fortune cookies one evening and dusted with festive sprinkles. This weekend I made little gifts for our nephews. I think this would be so cute to send along to school with your little one! I'll have to keep them in our craft arsenal for when baby boy is off to preschool.

A flower pot for the base and some molding sponge in the base to start. I whipped up some easy rice crispy treats with red food coloring and sprinkles, cut with a heart cookie cutter and wrapped in baggies for freshness. After a few failed attempts with a green pipe cleaner for a stem, I resorted to our chop stick stash for better support. I filled the pots with chocolates and some ribbons for decoration...and grew this little heart with love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Progress Report

The Drywall is up and it's mudding and taping time! A few layers of this and we'll be on to texture and painting.

Here is the area where the built in shelves and cabinet will go...

The built in office and desk area's new home:

Same 'Ol

It's cold most days....really cold most days! We haven't had much exciting going on which has therefore led to a lack of blogging. The basement has consumed most of Jon, Bob, and Jud's weekends. These boys have made some serious progress! I've watched from framing, to insulating, and now the drywall is almost complete. It's been really fun to watch the form to take shape and to see Jon and his dad work so closely on such a great project! I've enjoyed helping to pick out cabinets and soon carpet, woodwork, and shelving. It makes us both very anxious for our next (hopefully custom built) home.

-

I had a fairly severe bout with the stomach flu last week which was our really only exciting event so far this month. Jon was an excellent nurse; sleeping with me on the bathroom floor, catering to my every need, and eventually taking me into the ER for an IV full of fluids. It was a bit scary, but also pretty neat that our trip caused us to be rushed up to a birthing suite (after 15 weeks they automatically take you into a delivery room). While the fluids were administered we had a chance to check out all the fun things that will help us bring baby boy into the world in a few months. We're also "pre-registered" at Mercy now with parts of my birthing plan on file, so we'll have an easier time being admitted when the time comes.

-

Jon and I are anxiously awaiting our vacation in a couple weeks! I'm sure I'll have exciting things to post at that time. Until then...here's what I've been up to behind my desk -

Winter Crafts

With positive temps being a rarity this past month, I've taken to DIY (do it yourself) projects around the house. A friend inspired this little creation...some thread, cute ribbon, and a Nuk or two and we're in business!

Another perk of having a mother that lives in the city of your Alma Mater - I requested she pick up a Hawkeye Pacifier if she stumbled upon one. True to Donna form - no more than 24 hours later a package was on my doorstep full of baby Tigerhawk goodies!

Here He Is!

Scanned ultrasound photos can be blurry...but you get the idea!

I LOVE his little nose! Not sure who he gets that from, but it's adorable all the same. I think he has Jon's lips, but that could have to do with the shape of his profile. Just 20 weeks or less until we get to meet him!

It's a.....

A healthy, 12 oz, little man! He was quite active in the ultrasound and a little stubborn about having his picture taken - but seeing his adorable little face was one of the best moments of our lives! He has a little nose and even a mohawk in the works!

Making Room

It's hard to imagine that our new "big" house we moved into last spring would start to feel like it needed additional space. Well, I guess a new family member will do that! We began construction this weekend on our basement addition. A new family room, office, and extra bedroom were in the works! The baby will take over Jon's office in the 3rd bedroom upstairs and we thought this was the perfect time to make some renovations. We're lucky to have family members to help us with this task and will complete most of the project ourselves.

Drew was a great help measuring the space! He likes to wear his hawkeye hat and carry around a tape measure just like his dad!

What's Been Cookin'

A birthday brunch for my dad brought my first run at quiche. Accompanied by Jon's delicious potatoes of course.

Our Favorite Go-To dinner - Salmon and Risotto
Donuts! Something we never eat...but LOVE! Jon made this from scratch Christmas morning. They might put Krispy Cremes out of business!

Have I mentioned I could eat breakfast for ever meal of the day? It's my most favorite type of food. Jon loves to surprise me with my favorites.....
I also attempted Challah this holiday season!