30 Easter Basket Stuffers for 2024
1 month ago
Sunday, November 29, 2009
time to pay the piper
So, not unlike the rest of the country I over-indulged over the past holiday weekend. Normally this wouldn't worry me too much but since i have my gestational diabetes test on Friday I'm a bit worried about all of that pumpkin and apple pie I've consumed. For the next 5 days I'm guzzling water like a camel and hoping for the best come Friday. Also, i have to get a blood draw and a shot - both things alone make me faint (literally...it's written in red sharpie on my med records) so I'm sure the combo happening within 15 minutes of one another is going to send me over the edge. Blech. On a more positive note i got an email from the stationer today saying that she would be dropping the baby shower invites and favors off at my office on Tuesday! Yay!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thanksgiving
We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving this year! This was the first holiday in our new house and it really made a difference having so much more space and a cozy fireplace and such. Also, after several years of hosting under my belt (this was my 4th) i have all of the kinks worked out and the meal was delicious and went smoothly. The menu? Spiced cranberry brined turkey roasted with salt pork and cheesecloth on the breast, fresh green beans with mushrooms, candied yams, pugliese apples & chestnut stuffing, yukon gold mashed potatoes, cider and spice cranberry relish, and warm rolls with pumpkin pie and caramel apple pie for dessert. It was soooo good but took me until 3:00am to digest! Eesh. Here are some pictures from the day (the guests, if you didnt know, are my parents, Tom & Meegan Watts, & Holly Streed) Please notice the one of my feet that was taken to show my barefoot and pregnant in te kitchen...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Week 28 begins
This week, your amazing baby has reached 2.5 pounds and may be almost 16 inches long. Baby's skill of the week: blinking. Yes, along with the other tricks in a growing repertoire that already includes coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breathes, your baby can now blink those sweet little eyes. Dreaming about your baby? Baby may be dreaming, you, too, courtesy of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep that he or she has already started getting. But this little dreamer isn't ready for birth day just yet. Though his or her lungs are nearly fully mature by now (making it easier for your baby - and you - to breath a little easier if he or she were born now), your baby still has a lot of growing to do.
Monday, November 23, 2009
That time of year...
With Thanksgiving just a few days away i have made a list of the things in my life that I am most grateful for. I went with a bakers dozen because it's my favorite quantity and im posting it now because with a house full of people to cook for on Thursday im afraid i wont have time on the actual day of giving thanks...
1. My awesome husband: who makes me laugh constantly and because of whom I never doubt how loved I am.
2. My family: though many of them make, me nuts at times I have nothing but love and admiration for all of them
3. My amazing friends: who know me better then many family members and love me in spite of what they know.
4. My adorable pets
5. My healthy pregnancy: already feisty baby, and my 1st trimester becoming a more distant memory each day.
6. A cozy home: that makes me breathe a sigh of comfort every morning when I wake up and every evening when I get home.
7. My job: that allows me to be around friends all day and bosses (N & L) that are more like family than the traditional idea of "boss".
8. Never to be forgotten, my other love, Portland. I love this city and am so grateful to live here and to get to raise my children here.
9. Chocolate milk & Tums: thank you for being my cocktail of choice in my GERD-filled pregnancy.
10. My brain: though recently thanks to a healthy dose of pregnancy hormones I haven't seen you all that much, I'm proud to say that I have a brain and i know how to use it. No shrinking violet am I and I'm very proud of it!
11. Because it's Thanksgiving it must be said (in the most liberal non-right wing conservative way) Being an American: Taking nothing away from any other country, I'm just being thankful for my own. It may not be perfect--what place is?--but I love it nonetheless.
12. The hard times: Because they've made me stronger and wiser, and the good times even better.
13. Rainy days: I love knowing the world around me is getting watered. Rainy days are also a great excuse to curl up with a blanket and a good book
1. My awesome husband: who makes me laugh constantly and because of whom I never doubt how loved I am.
2. My family: though many of them make, me nuts at times I have nothing but love and admiration for all of them
3. My amazing friends: who know me better then many family members and love me in spite of what they know.
4. My adorable pets
5. My healthy pregnancy: already feisty baby, and my 1st trimester becoming a more distant memory each day.
6. A cozy home: that makes me breathe a sigh of comfort every morning when I wake up and every evening when I get home.
7. My job: that allows me to be around friends all day and bosses (N & L) that are more like family than the traditional idea of "boss".
8. Never to be forgotten, my other love, Portland. I love this city and am so grateful to live here and to get to raise my children here.
9. Chocolate milk & Tums: thank you for being my cocktail of choice in my GERD-filled pregnancy.
10. My brain: though recently thanks to a healthy dose of pregnancy hormones I haven't seen you all that much, I'm proud to say that I have a brain and i know how to use it. No shrinking violet am I and I'm very proud of it!
11. Because it's Thanksgiving it must be said (in the most liberal non-right wing conservative way) Being an American: Taking nothing away from any other country, I'm just being thankful for my own. It may not be perfect--what place is?--but I love it nonetheless.
12. The hard times: Because they've made me stronger and wiser, and the good times even better.
13. Rainy days: I love knowing the world around me is getting watered. Rainy days are also a great excuse to curl up with a blanket and a good book
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
We've picked a pediatrician...
After an interview and such we have decided to go with Dr. Mari Smith-Evans at Pediatric Associates of the NorthwestThe clinic is great and we really like Dr. Evans-Smith. Here are the questions we asked and the answers that we got from her:
1. What are your hours? Do you offer evenings or weekends?
The office is open Monday – Friday from 8:30am-5:00pm and on weekends in the mornings (though this is mostly for sick children only, well-baby appointments are to be scheduled Monday-Friday). Dr. Smith-Evans is in the Portland office 2 days a week and in the Lake Oswego office 2 days a week. Dr. Pilar Buerk is her partner doctor and they always have one of them in each office and work very well together. Dr. Buerk would be the one to help if Dr. Smith-Evans is on vacation/busy/in the other office. For after hours calls late at night the clinic’s office sends their pediatric RN’s to Emmanuel Hospital to answer calls.
2. Do you offer same day sick appointments? How far in advance should well baby appointments be made?
If your baby is sick the office will make sure to get you in that day. If it sounds urgent they will get your baby in within the hour, if getting your baby in within the hour isn’t possible but sounds necessary then you would be sent to another doctor in the practice or (emergency only) to the hospital. Most appointments in the first year at at predictable increments and you will be asked to make those appointments when checking out from the one that you are at (for example if we are at our 2 month appointment we would be asked to make our 4 month appointment upon checking out) to ensure that we get a time and day that works. Summertime (July & August specifically) are the busiest times of year.
3. Do you respond to email questions? Do you accept calls for non-emergency and/or routine questions? If I leave a message how long does it take you to respond?
Yes she has email that she responds to. If an email is sent a response will be given by the end of the day. If the matter is urgent or if there is time please call instead. If a message is left then either the doctor or an RN will call back within an hour unless the message states that it is not needing an immediate response.
4. Will your initial meeting with my baby be at the hospital or at the 1st check-up? If it will be at the hospital, how soon after birth will you arrive?
If it is a normal vaginal delivery and the baby does not have complications then Dr. Smith-Evans will come for a check up the following day and Dr. Buerk will come by the day after. The first well baby check-up will be on day 5 or 6 at the clinic. If you have a c-section or the baby has complications then both Dr. Smith-Evans & Dr. Buerk will come to the hospital 3-4 times (total) as well as the follow up well baby appointment at the clinic.
5. What is your schedule for well baby check-ups? How often do you typically see a baby in the first year & why?
5th or 6th day, 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 24 months, and then yearly from then on for general check-ups and immunizations. Obviously this is a generalization and there may be more appointments if your child needs to come in due to illness or something unexpected.
6. What is the normal length of an appointment? Are they 15-20 minutes apart or 20-30?
There is not a general length. When you make your appointment the receptionist will ask you if you have a lot of questions or will need extra time to speak with the doctor and will block out the time accordingly. If you want a longer than “normal” appointment then you will easily be accommodated and if you are running behind and need to be quick this will also be accommodated.
7. Is there an extra charge for advice calls? No. Is there an extra charge for after hours calls? No. Medication refills? No. Filling out forms? No. Are immunizations extra or part of the visit? This is based on your insurance and you would need to ask them.
8. How often do you send patients to the emergency room? How often do you prescribe antibiotics? Do you support natural and/or homeopathic alternatives?
A child is not sent to the emergency room unless the doctor truly believes that it is an emergency that cannot be handled in clinic. Antibiotics are NOT the first line in defense but are prescribed if they are deemed necessary. Dr. Smith-Evans supports homeopathic and natural alternatives but having no training in them specifically she would suggest an outside homeopathic practitioner.
9. What are your views on breast feeding? Do you have a lactation consultant that you refer people to?
Yes she VERY STRONGLY supports and suggests exclusive breast feeding for at least the first year, however, if for some reason that should not be an option she will not put unwarranted pressure or judgment on me and would help choose a formula that would come as close to breast milk as possible. There is a certified lactation consultant who works full time at the clinic (she’s one of the RNs that works at Emmanuel).
10. If I suspect that I have PPD do I bring that up with you?
You may, as a pediatrician Dr. Smith-Evans wouldn’t be able to help MUCH but she has several people that she could/would refer me to.
11. What tests are handled in office and which are handled outside of the office?
With a full lab in office all blood work can be done right there, other tests would go through St. Vincent’s or Legacy Good Samaritan.
12. How long have you been at this practice and how long do you plan to stay here?
Dr. Smith-Evans has been at this practice for 17+ years and plans on staying for another 20+.
1. What are your hours? Do you offer evenings or weekends?
The office is open Monday – Friday from 8:30am-5:00pm and on weekends in the mornings (though this is mostly for sick children only, well-baby appointments are to be scheduled Monday-Friday). Dr. Smith-Evans is in the Portland office 2 days a week and in the Lake Oswego office 2 days a week. Dr. Pilar Buerk is her partner doctor and they always have one of them in each office and work very well together. Dr. Buerk would be the one to help if Dr. Smith-Evans is on vacation/busy/in the other office. For after hours calls late at night the clinic’s office sends their pediatric RN’s to Emmanuel Hospital to answer calls.
2. Do you offer same day sick appointments? How far in advance should well baby appointments be made?
If your baby is sick the office will make sure to get you in that day. If it sounds urgent they will get your baby in within the hour, if getting your baby in within the hour isn’t possible but sounds necessary then you would be sent to another doctor in the practice or (emergency only) to the hospital. Most appointments in the first year at at predictable increments and you will be asked to make those appointments when checking out from the one that you are at (for example if we are at our 2 month appointment we would be asked to make our 4 month appointment upon checking out) to ensure that we get a time and day that works. Summertime (July & August specifically) are the busiest times of year.
3. Do you respond to email questions? Do you accept calls for non-emergency and/or routine questions? If I leave a message how long does it take you to respond?
Yes she has email that she responds to. If an email is sent a response will be given by the end of the day. If the matter is urgent or if there is time please call instead. If a message is left then either the doctor or an RN will call back within an hour unless the message states that it is not needing an immediate response.
4. Will your initial meeting with my baby be at the hospital or at the 1st check-up? If it will be at the hospital, how soon after birth will you arrive?
If it is a normal vaginal delivery and the baby does not have complications then Dr. Smith-Evans will come for a check up the following day and Dr. Buerk will come by the day after. The first well baby check-up will be on day 5 or 6 at the clinic. If you have a c-section or the baby has complications then both Dr. Smith-Evans & Dr. Buerk will come to the hospital 3-4 times (total) as well as the follow up well baby appointment at the clinic.
5. What is your schedule for well baby check-ups? How often do you typically see a baby in the first year & why?
5th or 6th day, 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 24 months, and then yearly from then on for general check-ups and immunizations. Obviously this is a generalization and there may be more appointments if your child needs to come in due to illness or something unexpected.
6. What is the normal length of an appointment? Are they 15-20 minutes apart or 20-30?
There is not a general length. When you make your appointment the receptionist will ask you if you have a lot of questions or will need extra time to speak with the doctor and will block out the time accordingly. If you want a longer than “normal” appointment then you will easily be accommodated and if you are running behind and need to be quick this will also be accommodated.
7. Is there an extra charge for advice calls? No. Is there an extra charge for after hours calls? No. Medication refills? No. Filling out forms? No. Are immunizations extra or part of the visit? This is based on your insurance and you would need to ask them.
8. How often do you send patients to the emergency room? How often do you prescribe antibiotics? Do you support natural and/or homeopathic alternatives?
A child is not sent to the emergency room unless the doctor truly believes that it is an emergency that cannot be handled in clinic. Antibiotics are NOT the first line in defense but are prescribed if they are deemed necessary. Dr. Smith-Evans supports homeopathic and natural alternatives but having no training in them specifically she would suggest an outside homeopathic practitioner.
9. What are your views on breast feeding? Do you have a lactation consultant that you refer people to?
Yes she VERY STRONGLY supports and suggests exclusive breast feeding for at least the first year, however, if for some reason that should not be an option she will not put unwarranted pressure or judgment on me and would help choose a formula that would come as close to breast milk as possible. There is a certified lactation consultant who works full time at the clinic (she’s one of the RNs that works at Emmanuel).
10. If I suspect that I have PPD do I bring that up with you?
You may, as a pediatrician Dr. Smith-Evans wouldn’t be able to help MUCH but she has several people that she could/would refer me to.
11. What tests are handled in office and which are handled outside of the office?
With a full lab in office all blood work can be done right there, other tests would go through St. Vincent’s or Legacy Good Samaritan.
12. How long have you been at this practice and how long do you plan to stay here?
Dr. Smith-Evans has been at this practice for 17+ years and plans on staying for another 20+.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Week 27 begins...
Your baby graduates onto a new growth chart this week. No longer will he or she be measured crown to rump but rather from head to toe. And this week that head to toe length is a full 15 inches (more than a foot long)! Your baby's weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over 2 pounds this week. And here's an interesting fetal factoid: your baby has more taste buds now than he or she will have at birth (and beyond). Which means that not only is your baby able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid when you eat different foods, he or she might even react to it. For instance, some babies respond to spicy foods by hiccuping. Or by kicking when they get that spicy kick.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
It's the little things....
I just got the proof for the baby shower invitation suite and favors from my stationer and i could simply not be more pleased. they are beautiful and perfect and just exactly what i wanted! I cannot wait for them to be done and sent out so that everyone can see them! I also finalized the menu for the shower (which is listed on the baby's website under "baby shower") so it seems as though it's all coming together and im so excited!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Week 26 begins
Next time you're browsing through the meat department, pick up a 2 pound chuck roast. No, not for dinner - just so that you can get a sense of how big your baby is this week. That's right - your baby weighs a full 2 pounds and measures in at 9 inches long. Another momentous development this week: your baby's eyes are beginning to open. The eyelids have been fused for the past few months (so the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop). the colored part of the eye (the iris) still doesn't have much pigmentation, so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Still, your baby is now able to see - though there is not much to see in the dark confines of his or her uterine home. But with the heightened sense of sight and hearing that your baby now possesses, you may notice an increase in activity when your baby sees a bright light or hears a loud noise. In fact, if a loud vibrating noise is brought close to your belly, your baby will respond by blinking and startling.
Dreams
So it should come as no surprise that of course i have been having bizarre baby related dreams (2 nights ago i dreamt that i gave birth to our dog). However, it would seem that the baby lust/dream situation is affecting others as well. I got an email from my mom today saying that she had had a funny dream about the Clarkling and it was so funny/cute/sweet to me that i think it deserves it's own post. Here it is in my mother's own words:
"Ok, well first of all it was a girl. I was at the hospital when you gave birth and Cheyenne brought the baby out into the hall all wrapped up in a pink blanket and it had a head full of soft dark blond hair that was styled in a bouffant. Much like that portrait of you when you were little in the red skirt/pink shirt. It was perfectly styled and dry although it had just come from your womb. I touched it and played with it a little then asked Cheyenne if you had seen her hair yet and what you thought. Cheyenne reported that you were very upset by it but you were sure I would be pleased. It was a cute baby but it had old lady hair and it didn't seem aware of it because she was smiling and laughing. I loved her."
First of all the mental image of this baby is beyond hilarious to me, but the sweet affection that she had for the baby is (to me and my pregnant hormones) so adorably touching.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
25 weeks & some change...
I am in the depths of a cold so please don't judge me on my make-upless pasty skin and lack of happiness.
p.s. for my grandparents that wont know: if you click on the picture it will enlarge for you
Saturday, November 7, 2009
A little bit like Daddy & a little bit like Mama
So, I have a cold...booo. It's nothing too terrible but it comes with an annoying cough. The devil child seems to find comfort in this and, no joke, is lulled to sleep my my coughing spasms. Already enjoying my mild discomfort...just like Daddy (joking only).
Tonight, thanks to my cold i am on the couch bored and downloading music. The baby had been enjoying a nice cough induced nap until i started playing some of the Tony Bennett & K.D. Lang duet of an old Cole Porter song (dream a little dream of me) because these are two of my favorite singers and one of my favorite songs. The baby got to dancing and on a lark i made Chey come over and try to feel the kicking (our child also likes to annoy it's father and although i have felt progressively harder kicks for over a month now, they always stop when i try and give Chey a feel) and of course i had taken my earphones out to tell him to come over for a feel, upon doing this the dancing stopped and it looked like yet another close call that would end with "sorry honey, maybe next time". But on a lark i put the earphones back in and made him keep his hand on the tummy, as soon as the music started again so did the dancing and Cheyenne got to feel his baby kick for the first time. Turns out our child (like it's mama) has excellent taste in music.
Tonight, thanks to my cold i am on the couch bored and downloading music. The baby had been enjoying a nice cough induced nap until i started playing some of the Tony Bennett & K.D. Lang duet of an old Cole Porter song (dream a little dream of me) because these are two of my favorite singers and one of my favorite songs. The baby got to dancing and on a lark i made Chey come over and try to feel the kicking (our child also likes to annoy it's father and although i have felt progressively harder kicks for over a month now, they always stop when i try and give Chey a feel) and of course i had taken my earphones out to tell him to come over for a feel, upon doing this the dancing stopped and it looked like yet another close call that would end with "sorry honey, maybe next time". But on a lark i put the earphones back in and made him keep his hand on the tummy, as soon as the music started again so did the dancing and Cheyenne got to feel his baby kick for the first time. Turns out our child (like it's mama) has excellent taste in music.
Friday, November 6, 2009
25 week OB check up...
We had our 25 week check up today and all is well. I have gained just 4 pounds since last months check up which brings my total to a six pound weight gain...woo hoo for throwing up every single thing that went into my mouth for the entire first trimester! The baby's heartbeat is perfectly healthy as is it's position and my tummy circumference...though I'll admit, it's odd to have someone ask you to lie down while they take a measuring tape to your belly (which is a sight to behold). Our doctor says everything is perfectly exactly as it should be.
Our next appointment is on December 4th where i have to drink the vile gestational diabetes juice (please read this in the Wilfred Brimley voice from his unintentionally hilarious diabetes commercials) for a blood test and i have to get a shot to keep me and my O negative blood safe from my baby (who probably has the more common blood of my A positive husband). So yeah...that should be super fun (insert my famous sarcasm here).
Since I am on the cusp of my third trimester(noooooooooo!!!! the second has been great and i wont give it up without a fight) after the December 4th appointment i will have to go every 2 weeks and then later on that will change to every 1 week...all of this means that we really don't have THAT much longer until the baby gets here and while my husband isn't looking I'm bound to have a panic attack about that little fact.
Our next appointment is on December 4th where i have to drink the vile gestational diabetes juice (please read this in the Wilfred Brimley voice from his unintentionally hilarious diabetes commercials) for a blood test and i have to get a shot to keep me and my O negative blood safe from my baby (who probably has the more common blood of my A positive husband). So yeah...that should be super fun (insert my famous sarcasm here).
Since I am on the cusp of my third trimester(noooooooooo!!!! the second has been great and i wont give it up without a fight) after the December 4th appointment i will have to go every 2 weeks and then later on that will change to every 1 week...all of this means that we really don't have THAT much longer until the baby gets here and while my husband isn't looking I'm bound to have a panic attack about that little fact.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Week 25 begins...
Baby's growing by leaps and bounds (and inches and ounces), this week reaching nine inches in length and more than one and half pounds in weight. And there are exciting developments on the horizon, too. Capillaries are forming under the skin and filling with blood. By weeks end, air sacs lined with capillaries will also develop in your baby's lungs, and getting them ready for their first breath of fresh air. Mind you, those lungs aren't ready for prime time breathing yet - and have a lot of maturing left to do before they will be. Though they're already developing surfactant, a substance that will help them expand after birth, your baby's lungs are still underdeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide from the blood (aka breathe). And talking about breathing, your baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open up this week. This enables your baby to begin taking practice "breaths". Your baby's vocals cords are functioning now, leading to occasional hiccups (which you'll certainly be feeling).
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Damn & Blast
So after getting in touch with both insurance companies and my HR rep it turns out that I can go to Good Sam for the birth but that it would be financially stupid and thus not really what I want/should do.
The thorn is back in my craw where it shall stay for another 102 days (but who's counting).
The good thing in all of this is that Good Sam has put their maternity ward on lock down due to the H1N1 paranoia and no one is allowed on the entire floor unless you work at the hospital, are having a baby, or are the partner of a woman having a baby. And we all know that my parents are not about to be kept out of the waiting room and nursery when our wee one comes (this is also true for the various aunties and uncles that will be desperate for a visit). Since St. Vincent's does not have this same rule it may actually be better in the long run (cant you all just imagine our motley crew of friends and family demanding entrance like angry villagers?).
The thorn is back in my craw where it shall stay for another 102 days (but who's counting).
The good thing in all of this is that Good Sam has put their maternity ward on lock down due to the H1N1 paranoia and no one is allowed on the entire floor unless you work at the hospital, are having a baby, or are the partner of a woman having a baby. And we all know that my parents are not about to be kept out of the waiting room and nursery when our wee one comes (this is also true for the various aunties and uncles that will be desperate for a visit). Since St. Vincent's does not have this same rule it may actually be better in the long run (cant you all just imagine our motley crew of friends and family demanding entrance like angry villagers?).
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