Baby: Mama's Nesting

Dear Fields,

Made you a bunny. And a mobile. And Gramma bought you some cute outfits and cozy blankies. I have extra fluid, and you must feel that you are a fish in a tank. I never remember Hensley moving this much! It is crazy to watch from the outside, and feels so funny. Love you little stink. See ya in a few weeks. Ah, that's gonna be cool.

Love,

Mom

For the Mama: And Her Ears

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry? I've been on the hunt for some new earrings. In fact, I'll just be honest and say that I've wasted several hours of moonlight looking for earrings while I can't sleep.

Happy Thursday!

Kristyn

(All earrings sourced here.)

Dear Michael: Happy 7th Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, dear!  Seven years and a day ago we were skiing together at the lake! We were young and in love. Now we're almost 30, but we are still young and in love...just with a few miles under our belts.

Love you so much.

Kris

Fashion: For the Mama

 

I'm ready to cozy up in this outfit for fall. And drink chai lattes, and sit out back with my family (and possibly some friends) with our fire pit, and snuggle up with my bebe.

Bag, Zara. Sweatshirt, Madewell. Skirt and Kick Butt Sneaks, Humanoid...out of price range, humpf. Linked here.

Pregnancy: What's Up Doc?

A little update from my doc. 

(Good thing he's such a good doc, because he sure does keep ya waiting!)

Me: So when are we gonna get him outta here?

Doc: You'll stay on your contraction meds (Procardia) until 36 weeks, then we'll do another sonogram to see if you still have previa. If your previa has resolved, we wait until 39 weeks to schedule a c-section, or you can go into labor on your own. If your previa hasn't resolved, then we can do a growth scan and schedule it before 39 weeks. 

So that's that. I won't be 39 weeks until September 26th, so I ordered a jar of patience off Etsy. And I ordered a camo body suit so when I do go in public, I don't have to answer the kind inquisitive folks questions about twins, etc. 

My mom was just here for 4 days, and boy did we enjoy that. I have the kids and some books to keep me entertained during the day. And a really supportive husband who comes home after school. His dear class set up a meal schedule (mealbaby.com) for us during this time. 

Before we know it, Tegegne will be 5! (on Sept 20th) So we are discussing the details of his small but special birthday party. 

It's also quite exciting when Michael starts a new school year. The kids and I stop by the classroom, or pack lunches and join his class throughout the year. We love getting to know the students, too. He and I had a blast brainstorming decor for his classroom, and I love what he's done. 

Happy almost Friday to you.

Kristyn

(Etsy Honeycup.)

Baby Boy: Wants + Wishes

Wishes...

Simple little outfit by Mabo.

Winter knit hat from Zara.

This shirt comes in tiny 3-6 months and is only $7.90! Zara.

Blue skinny trousers. Zara.

Sweet little sneaks come in tiny size 2! Zara.

(Mabo, Zara) 

Wants... (I'd like to have the things below here when you come...which may be sooner than later!)

This little knot hat (want in black) is only $6.50! American Apparel.

An amazing Swedish snot sucker that several friends love. NoseFrida.

I love these blankets, but did you know there's like a super soft version and a sorta soft version? I think the super soft version is the bamboo collection and we can get them at Lauren Alexandra in Brookside! Aden + Anais.

A good friend got Hens one of these and woah soft and cozy. She sleeps with it every night. Little Giraffe.

American Apparel, NoseFrida, Aden + Anais, Little Giraffe

Dear Fields: Hey Big Boy

Pregnancy: Gestational Diabetes

Good morning! 

So here's what I learned from the dietitian I met with yesterday. "Getting gestational diabetes was not your fault. It was nothing that you did or didn't do. It will most likely go away once your baby is born. Here's the low down:
When you eat, your digestive system breaks most of your food down into a type of sugar called glucose. The glucose enters your bloodstream and then, with the help of insulin (a hormone made by your pancreas), your cells use the glucose as fuel. However, if your body doesn't produce enough insulin – or your cells have a problem responding to the insulin – too much glucose remains in your blood instead of moving into the cells and getting converted to energy.

When you're pregnant, hormonal changes can make your cells less responsive to insulin. For most moms-to-be, this isn't a problem: When the body needs additional insulin, the pancreas dutifully secretes more of it. But if your pancreas can't keep up with the increased insulin demand during pregnancy, your blood glucose levels rise too high, resulting in gestational diabetes.

I also learned that in order to get my glucose levels to lower I must start watching my carb levels. I learned that milk, yogurt, and fruit were carbs. She suggested that when I look at a food label I look at total carbs instead of sugars. Then she shared my doctor's recommendation for my diet. It goes a little something like this.

7:30am TEST (Meaning prick my finger with the monitoring system to see my blood sugar level after fasting (sleeping).)

Breakfast - 30 grams of carbs, + protein (no juice, fruit, milk)

8:30am TEST

9:30am Snack - 15 grams of carbs

11:30am-12pm Lunch - 30-45 grams of carbs

12:30-1pm TEST

3:00pm Snack - 30 grams of carbs

6-7pm Dinner - 30-45 grams of carbs

7-8 TEST

9:30 or later Snack - 30 grams of carbs + protein

Fifteen grams of carbs is like one slice of toast, one small piece of fruit, half cup of pasta, or a slice of thin crust pizza. Meats and vegetables do not count as carbs.  I must steer clear of white flour and white rice and Michael's chocolate chip cookies would probably send my number through the roof. Anywho, that's what I've learned. Now I've just got to be better at pricking my finger. This morning I couldn't get the thing to work and pricked 6 times for only two readings. 

Here's to soar fingers and a good day to you!

Kristyn

Interiors: Soft and Sweet

Writing on the wall, an old door, and a touch of blue...does this suit you?

Or pattern on the wall and a bit of bedding frou frou...

A "wound up" lamp, animals, and a gray hue...

Or a soft pastel pink...what do you think?

Love,

Kristyn

(ANOUKB STYLING PINTEREST)

A Party: With Pals & Pizza

Tegegne and Shanna making a pesto blueberry pineapple mozzarella pizza! 

Hello to some of our dear 'ol friends that we love spending time with. (Including those of you not in the above photos!) We miss you and look forward to hanging out soon!

Weekend: And Results

Cousins. Andrea and I.

I think you know these two.

My mama and Cousin Christina (who supplies most of Hensley's wardrobe...we are sooo grateful!) 

Happy Birthday Grandma! She got a Shirley Temple doll which took her back to childhood and telling stories! 

Cousins. Played so well together.

Andrea and her Boy Orien, just a month younger than Hensley. 

Andie and Bob's Strawbale house and a beautiful sky!

My Mama (Grandma Debby), Grandma Ileen, Aunt Donna, Aunt Deanna

We enjoyed our weekend. Did you? Although we missed the Jacob's Well Pilgrimage (which is usually the highlight of our year, seriously!) we did get to attend a lovely party in the country. Remember Andie and Bob and their straw bale house? They are still working hard on it, but this weekend they just had a party to celebrate the half way point. We also celebrated Grandma Ileen's birthday! 

Sunday we had a nice visit with the Joneses. Ababayeh thought he had to go back to work today, but got there and realized he starts tomorrow! So he gets another day at home and we are all so happy. Went to Soho Bakery for a breakfast treat and now he's tiling the bathroom floor. I must get down there and help, or at least be moral support!

Got the test results back and I do have gestational diabetes. I am hoping to meet with a dietitian soon to find out what kind of diet she suggests, and to get a few of my questions answered. In the mean time I'm trying to eat only whole grains for carbs and limit my sugar intake.  

That's all from this home front. May the start to your week be a good one!

Love,

Kristyn

Pregnancy: 32 Weeks

Dear Fields,

Hi there sweet baby. Here's the deal. I went to the doctor today and got an update. First of all, I got to see you in a sonogram and I love that. Secondly, you are 5 lbs 5 oz already and I have lots of extra amnionic fluid, so I'm taking the gestational diabetes 3 hour test tomorrow to see if I have that. I'll let you know what they say. If this is true, I'll have to adjust my diet and such. We'll figure it out though, no worries. I also still have partial placenta previa so this most likely means a c-section delivery.

And guess what else your dear 'ol mom gets to do first thing tomorrow morning. Have a root canal! I don't sit around eating lollipops or drinking juice, but I don't have the best luck when the dentists do those x-rays. Please inherit your father's tooth genes, (if, in fact these things are hereditary.)

Besides those wah-wah's we are doing well. Your pops is working night and day trying to get the first floor bathroom done before school starts Monday. I think he may have some form of superhero in his genes. He dreams of the day that you and Tegegne can help him on projects! Oh the things you two will learn.

We've had some sweet house guests, dear Kate, my college friend, and her 4 year old daughter, Norah. Kate's been cooking for all of us and Norah and Tegegne have been playing a ton. They screwed together those "drywall robots" with Ababayeh!

Love you little guy. Thanks for moving around all of the time. It brings me great joy.

Mom

Boxy Love: Mirrors And Stuff

Boxes. I love boxes. Thought these 3 wall hung box configurations were quite nice. The last one is quite cute for kids. I was thinking that a boxy composition like the first one would be interesting above our 4' farmhouse sink in our restroom with mirrors in the backs of two of the boxes. But a round mirror hung with rope like this one would also be cool. Or two tall skinny mirrors like these. Or a big gold-gilded mirror (which we found in our basement when we moved in!)


Michael is up the street helping with our neighborhood clean-up, and the kids and I are headed up there to join them for lunch. It's a bit overcast in Kansas City today, which is a great break from the heat. We enjoyed our first event at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center last night, and this morning Michael fed the kids breakfast so I could sleep in, then he made me blueberry pancakes. 


Here are some other things I've checked out recently:


An old friend just started selling her cute little illustrations on postcards.


Check out these uses of copper. Shiny and gorgeous. 


Wouldn't this spot be lovely for a little R&R?


Have a great day!


Love,


Kristyn


(boxes, boxes, more boxes)

A Getaway: St. Louis

Welp, we got out of town for a bit and I forgot to leave one of those sweet little notes here that said "See you in a week!" We first visited The Ranch, Big Sky Ranch, that is. Stayed there for a week and relaxed. Then visited Uncle Eric (my brother) and Aunt Erica in St. Louis. And now we're home. We really enjoyed ourselves. (Thanks for hosting us, dear family.)


Tegegne, you really wanted to see the cheetas at the St. Louis Zoo, as they are your favorite animal at the moment. They were hiding. Silly cheetas. You were quite understanding though. We did have a good time watching the penguins and puffins, elephants, and bears. 


Saturday we spent the morning at the South Tower Grove Farmers Market. The live music (Brothers Lazaroff), fountain/pool, and watermelon basil soda were quite awesome. 


The best part of the weekend was our time with Eric and Erica. Hensley was in Aunt Erica's arms most of the weekend, and Tegegne hung out in Uncle Eric's lap (by hung out I mean "jumped around"). A few more highlights were the wicked beats and fantastic sounds that Ababayeh and Hensley played on Eric's organ, and Erica's ceramics show. 


Did I mention that I love E & E's decor in their house? I would have taken more photos but Michael and I walked in and quickly re-arranged the place so Hensley didn't break any of Erica's one-of-a-kind works of art or Eric's antique banjo and other cool things.


Love,


Mom


P.S. Oh, and for the sake of remembering these little milestones...Hensley, while on our trip you made your way to the big toilet twice and with Ababayeh's help pooped and peed! Hooray!