Baby Babble - Week 13

Went to the doctor today for regular a check-up. Still haven't met my actual doctor though. I hope I like her when I finally do meet her. Instead, I was examined my the new doctor in the office. She was very pleasant, so I guess if I don't like my doctor I can asked to be switched. Anyway, everything is looking great and the baby's heartbeat was in the 150s. That is on the fast end because fetal heart rates are usually between 120 and 160. Some people like to predict gender based on the heart rate, but it is said to be an old wives tales. Landry's changed each visit so I think it just depended on what I ate or drank right before. Anyway, here is a picture of a 13-week fetus. In my baby e-mail this week, it compared the baby's length with a medium-sized shrimp. Last week it was a lime, so to me, it would seem as though the baby is shrinking. But that is definitely not the case.

Pumpkin Pal

Fall is coming and I couldn't be more excited! I love Fall for so many reasons. I'll spare you and not list all those reasons for now. However, I spotted one of the first signs of Fall in the grocery store the other day and couldn't resist. There was a bin of mini pumpkins so I thought it would be fun to let Landry pick one out. She thought it was pretty neat for a while, but then she just gave it back to me because she didn't really know what she was supposed to do with it. This gave me a mission...to find something creative for Landry to do with this pumpkin. So today, I went to Michaels and picked up some WASHABLE paint, paint brushes, and some pipe cleaners. I let Landry paint her pumpkin with as many colors as she wanted.

Just look at that concentration.

You can tell she is very pleased with her work.

Once the pumpkin dried I added pipe-cleaner hair. I let Landry glue eyes on the pumpkin. This took a while because she kept putting them on and taking them back off. I also had her help me draw a mouth.

Last, I had to put a bow in her hair. Here is our finished pumpkin pal!

Chuckwagon Chili Mac

I think of this recipe as chili mac with a kick. I found it in a Kraft Magazine and it has been one of my FAVORITE recipes. It is VERY easy. It takes only about 15 minutes to make. It is soooo good, especially on cold days. And there are always lots of left-overs which Cory and I fight over for the next couple of days. I thought I'd share it with you guys since I have enjoyed it so much.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes or 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained

1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, drained

Toppings: Shredded Cheese and Sour Cream, as much as desired

Prepare Macaroni and Cheese as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown meat with chili powder and cumin in large nonstick skillet on medium heat (I also add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Tony's. Just season according to your taste). Add tomatoes with their liquid and the beans; simmer 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in prepared dinner; cook 3-5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Top with shredded cheddar and Sour Cream. I also like to chop up Jalapeno peppers and add it to mine.

It's always a crowd pleaser as Landry is demonstrating so beautifully.

Baby Babble

I thought I'd give you guys a little baby update in case you were wondering about the newest little Veuleman. The biggest news is that I am almost done with my first trimester!!! Only 3 days to go. So far, I have been feeling great. This pregnancy pretty much feels like a repeat of Landry's. Some people say that means I'll have another girl, but I'm not placing too much stock in that. One thing that is a little different is that I am showing a little earlier. Just take a look at the picture to see my growing baby bump.

I keep saying I'm going to have a BIG boy, like Cory, this time. He weighed almost 10 pounds at birth. However, right now the baby is probably about the size of a lime and weighs only 1/2 an ounce.

Oh, and I am pretty sure I have felt some flutters. Some people would say it's too early, but since this is my second baby, I'm a little more sure of what it feels like.

I have a doctor's appointment Thursday, so I am anxious to hear the little heartbeat. I'll make sure to give a quick update after the appointment.

Game Day!

It's Game Day and Landry is Ready! Just hear that tiger roar......

Be Afraid!!! Be Very Afraid!!!

Signs

Cory and I decided to teach Landry some basic signs to make communication a little easier for her before she could talk. We knew some friends who did this and it made feeding times and bedtime a little easier, because the child could actually let them know when she wanted to eat, when she was thirsty, or when she was tired. So when Landry was little bitty, we began to sign, "more", "eat", "drink", and "all done" as we would feed her. We would also sign "sleep" when we put her to bed. She really did well with it. She also has a few Baby Einstein videos that teach basic signs, and we would let Landry watch them every so often. I have been amazed at what she has picked up from those videos. There have been many times when I have been talking and suddenly Landry would sign one of the words I said. Words I had no idea she knew. It's pretty neat. Here is a video of Landry signing some of the words she knows.

For those of you who know sign language, you will notice that she does not do the exact sign. She has modified the signs on her own.

I haven't decided whether or not to teach the next baby sign language. It has been a great way for Landry to communicate with less frustration. And I have been able to teach her to use her manners by signing "please" and "thank you." However if she knows the sign for a word, she will not even attempt to say it. What are your thoughts? Have any other of you moms had any experience with baby sign language?

Table Time

I try to have a short table-time activity for Landry everyday. It is just a way to add a little structure to our day and to give Landry the chance to focus on one specific task. Usually it is just coloring or doing a puzzle. But every once in a while, we'll do something a little different, like finger painting or making cards for the grandparents. A couple of days ago, I thought we'd do something a little fun and make a pig mask. Not the most creative idea in the world, but there cannot be too many steps involved when working with a 19-month old. I simply cut out two triangle ears and a round snout. I cut circles in the plate for eye-holes and drew a smile. I let Landry glue on the ears and snout and color a little on the plate. Voila, we were done. Nothing too fancy, but Landry was proud of it and thought it was fun to look through the holes.