Hump Day Bump Report

I'm now 28 weeks pregnant and officially in the third and final trimester!  Yesterday I had my glucose test and I'm happy to report that I passed!  I have to admit, I was nervous about the idea of being gestational diabetic.  Even though I'm not, just getting nervous about the test reminds me I still need to watch what I'm eating.  Here are ten questions to let you know how my pregnancy is going:

• How far along?  28 weeks down - 12 to go!

• Baby size:  Eggplant

• Baby milestone:  Baby is breathing and showing signs of brain activity

• How does this pregnancy compare to LP's:  The pregnancies have been very similar.  I had minimal morning sickness with both and have felt pretty good the entire time.  I would have to say that MP is moving a little more than LP did.

• How do you think your parenting style will change with two kids in the house?  I think I'll probably be a little more laid back but I'm still planning on keeping a routine and schedule - I think that helped LP be a good baby and toddler (and everyone that knows me, knows I love to be scheduled!)

• Are you going to have a baby shower for MP?  I know some people have a baby shower for kids after the first-born but I am not going to.  I'm planning on getting a couple new things on my own for this baby, but other than that, the baby will use hand-me-downs and I'm excited for garage sale season this summer!

• Have you bought any new maternity clothes?  Not yet, but I probably will this spring, because I'll need some short-sleeve options.  LP was a winter baby so all of my maternity clothes from the first time around have worked well so far this winter.

• What is your favorite pregnancy book?  "Babywise" - I'm not sure it is a pregnancy book but it is a parenting book for sure.  I've continued using the "Babywise" series throughout LP's development and am currently starting to read "Pottywise"

• Food cravings:  Mug cakes - I have fallen in love with making my own individual coffee cake in the morning and if I'm craving something sweet at night I make my own chocolate chip cookie or chocolate cake

• Emotions:  Relieved and happy (that I'm not gestational diabetic).

Thank you to My Farmer for having way too much fun taking pictures for me!

Wordless Wednesday

A wonderful thing arrived in the mail today...

A new charger for my computer!!!

It seems like when you have a lot of work to do is when technology fails on you - whether that be your phone or your computer.  For me, it was Monday morning when my charger for my laptop literally broke - the cord ripped apart from the charger.  So, I've been patiently waiting till today for the arrival of my new charger!  I'm so excited to get to work on my growing to do list!

Hump Day Bump Report

LP and I at my doctor's appointment today
(Looks like I should have taken his stocking cap off sooner than I did...)

I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant and I had my last "monthly" check-up today.  It is crazy to think that now I start seeing the doctor every other week!  Realizing that today makes me think about how fast this baby really be here.  Here are ten questions to let you know how my pregnancy is going:

• How far along?  27 weeks down - 13 weeks to go

• Baby size:  Head of Cauliflower

• Baby milestone:  Baby is showing brain activity

• Weight gained in pregnancy:  I'm up 9 lbs so far, which I feel is pretty good

• Labor signs:  None yet but my doctor said I could start getting Braxton Hicks, which I had for probably a couple months prior to LP's birth

• How did you find out you were pregnant?  I took a home pregnancy test the day after a bachelorette party...  The test showed that I was pregnant so I called the doctor's office first thing on Monday morning and got in that week to double check

• What was your first reaction?  I immediately tried figuring out when the due date would be.  I guess it is the farmer in me but I found out I was pregnant during fall harvest and I checked to see if the baby would come after spring planting (which hopefully the baby will come after planting and before field work)

• Have you bought anything for the baby yet?  No I haven't but I have a couple things I'd like to get that I just need to sit down and actually order online - I have my eye on a fold and go bassinet that I think will be a good asset with a busy toddler to also take care of

• Food cravings:  Milk, milk and milk - I think I'm drinking two gallons myself a week!

• Emotions:  I do have to admit I got emotional today about something I really didn't need too - I think my pregnancy hormones got the best of me...

LP's 2nd Birthday Train Party

It is hard to believe it has already been a little over a week since LP turned 2 years old!  And today, depending on the weather, we are going to have LP's 2 year old photos taken by my college roommate who owns her own photography studio in Kansas City.  LP is one lucky guy, Anj has traveled almost 300 miles to take his photos - this morning we are just seeing if she can make it the last 70!

Anyways, last Sunday we had a family birthday party for LP.  Last year we had a tractor birthday party but we decided to move onto another form of transportation this year, so we moved to his second favorite thing with wheels - trains!  We based the whole birthday party off of one of LP's go-to books, Freight Train.

Anyone that knows me, knows I love to send cards, and now that LP is getting older, I love to make cards with him.  So LP and I made his birthday card by using his thumb and finger prints to create the Freight Train from the book.

Once we got the invites out, it was time to work on the birthday party decorations.  I do have to admit I had way too much fun putting all this together.  I guess it is the event planner in me that just loves doing things like this!  The first thing to make was a banner.  I just made this banner on my computer and I put it up behind our kitchen table, that way it'd be in the background of photos while LP was eating his cake and ice cream.

My Farmer, LP, Niece and Father-in-Law helping LP blow out his candles

Then the next must thing I feel like you need for a kid's birthday party is photos to show how they've grown over the year.  I continued the Freight Train theme by making each train car from the book out of card stock and then including a photo of LP on each car.  I put the photo train on top of our entertainment center because I knew LP would be opening his gifts in the living room.

Next, I made a couple "Welcome" signs for both of our front doors.  These are just something simple to make that hopefully gets all of our family ready and excited for the birthday party.  I just made these on my computer by using the same train I used for the banner and a scanned image from the Freight Train book for the other.

 

The last decor item I made was a "2 yr old crossing" sign.  I saw something similar to this in the background of a photo on Pinterest and I thought it was too cute not to make.  I used an entire sheet of poster board to make this and then but a yard stick behind it so it could be moved around.  LP really enjoyed the crossing sign and played with it before and after the party.

LP opening gifts next to the crossing sign
I'm not quite sure what is going on with his face, looks like he's getting ready to kiss someone

Now onto the food!  I was actually gone the weekend of LP's birthday so I decided to take it a little easy on the food.  We ordered pizza and had a popcorn bar for supper and then I made a couple kinds of cupcakes that I formed into a train for his cake and of course we made homemade ice cream to go with!

Popcorn bar on top of table cloth I simply made by using a large black marker

My Farmer, LP and I next to his train cupcakes
I made a "railroad track" out of kit-kats and frosting  in the shape of a 2
and I made train cars with graham crackers and oreos
that I placed on top of a poster board

LP enjoying his cupcake and ice cream

Overall, we had a great time celebrating LP's birthday!  All the things I did to create the train theme were very simple and fun to make.

What was your favorite birthday party as a child?  What made it so memorable?

Breakfast Battle Celebrates National Food Check-Out Week

Some of you may know that last week, February 17-23, was National Food Check-Out Week.  National Food Check-Out Week represents the short time-frame that it takes for the average American family to pay for their groceries in a year.  I am the PR chair for my local Franklin County Farm Bureau and this year we recognized Food Check-Out Week by hosting the 2nd Annual Breakfast Battle at our local Fareway grocery store in Hampton, Iowa on February 27 (It was originally on February 22 but due to snow got postponed to this past Wednesday).

This event not only raised knowledge of National Food Check-Out Week, it also increased awareness of finding solutions to eating healthy on a stretched budget by having twelve teams race around the grocery store finding breakfast, dinner and supper for a family of four between $45 and $50.

Members of the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and
First National Bank teams racing in the dairy and frozen sections

The Breakfast Battle included two races; the first was a competition between nine businesses and the second was a battle between two Tall Corn FFA chapter teams and a Fareway team.  Teams consisted of three members each.  Team members drew menus for breakfast, dinner and supper Wednesday morning and then raced around the grocery store getting all their recipe ingredients, plus adding in optional food and drinks for a day’s worth of meals to get their cart total between $45 and $50.  Teams were timed from the moment they left the cart area till they reached the checkout lane.  Time bonuses were given to those that answered agriculture and Farm Bureau trivia questions correctly before the race and there was a time bonus for the team having the most votes on the Franklin County Farm Bureau’s Facebook “Fan Favorite” team poll.  Time penalties were given for every dollar over or under the $45 to $50 cart total range.  Following the race, twelve Franklin County families that utilize the Franklin County Food Pantry in Hampton and the Immanuel UCC Food Pantry in Latimer received the bags of groceries, which included both perishable and non-perishable items.  Donations were also collected for both food pantries.

“We feel like everyone was a winner!” said Brook Boehmler, Executive Director of the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, who had a team in the business race.  “All nine teams (in the business race) are Chamber members and the food collected in the battle went to families who need it.  All the teams had a good time, and we really look forward to being a part of it next year.”

Members and Supporters of the
1st Place Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce team

In the business battle, the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce came in first place with a final time of 2:55.  Second place went to CellTech with a final time of 3:32 and third place went to Franklin County Extension with a final time of 3:36.  Other business teams that competed were Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, First National Bank, ABCM/Rehabilitation Center of Hampton, Farm Bureau Al Menning Insurance, United Bank & Trust and Immanuel UCC.

I had so much fun being a part of this event.  Did you celebrate National Food Check-Out Week?  If so, what did you do in your community?

Hump Day Bump Report

It is hard to believe that I am already 26 weeks pregnant!  At the very beginning of the pregnancy I thought it was taking a long time but now that our baby, MP, will be here Memorial Day/June-ish, I feel like time is starting to fly by!  Here are ten questions to let you know how my pregnancy is going:

How far along?  26 weeks or 14 weeks to go - whichever way you want to look at it

Baby Size:  Head of Lettuce

Baby Milestone:  Baby's eyes will open soon, eye lashes are now grown

Gender:  We'll see when MP arrives (we're the "surprise" type of people, or should I say I at least am...  My Farmer wanted to find out so I told him he could, he just couldn't tell anyone, and he decided he couldn't handle that pressure!)

Feelings on Gender:  My Farmer believes it is a girl and I don't have a feeling one way or the other.  I feel like both MP and LP's pregnancy have been very similar so far but I know that doesn't mean anything

Maternity Clothes:  Mixing and matching - pants are exclusively maternity, even though some are big, and I wear both maternity and regular shirts

Sleep:  I just got out my body pillow to help me sleep better, other than that I can make it all night without getting up.  I do have to admit I have went back to my old habits of staying up late and sleeping in that I was trying to stop at the beginning of the year.

Movement:  MP has "active" periods daily where I and others can feel the baby move

Food Cravings:  A Fighting Burrito from Ames (too bad that is an hour away) and warm chocolate cake or brownies with ice cream

Emotions:  I think I'm pretty much the same - enjoying life and having a good time

Thank you to My Farmer for having way too much fun taking pictures for me!

Goals from #ACFR13

Over this past weekend, I attended the AgChat Foundation Upper Midwest Regional Conference in Rochester, Minnesota.  This was a great opportunity to for me to focus on my personal agvocacy.  I attended breakout sessions that gave me new ideas for my blog, as well as how to utilize my facebook and twitter accounts better.  A highlight of the conference was getting to meet a few individuals who I had gotten to know through social media, but yet had never met in-person, such as Jenny Dewey, Katie Pinke and Emily Zweber.  I also got to connect with new people, which is probably one of my favorite past-times.

A fun side-note is that Franklin County, Iowa, where I am from, had a great representation in the crowd of 75 at the conference.  There were six of us, that as we all liked to say "live, work and play" in Franklin County.  From left to right is Larry Sailer (farmer and guest blogger who loves facebook), Deb Brown (communications guru who works for Franklin County's Chamber and Tourism), Shannon Latham, Laura Cunningham and Amy Hild (all who work for Latham Hi-Tech Seeds Communications and Marketing department), and then me!

I came home from the conference with several ideas, especially for blog posts, but I thought it would be good to create three goals, as a result from attending the event.  I think all of these goals go well with the beginning of year goals I created in January.

1. Start a Facebook page for my blog.  (I actually accomplished this yesterday during a disappointing over time of the ISU Cyclones basketball game.  Thanks to Sara Broers for her recommendations for starting this.)  So be sure to "Like" my Facebook page.
2. Start a regular post segment about my pregnancy.  I realized at the conference that I am 26 weeks pregnant and really haven't talked about it except in my initial announcement post.  Well this is going to change.  I love being pregnant and am happy that I am, so why am I not sharing this with everyone?  So look for my first installment of Hump Day Bump Report on Wednesday.
3. To actually read my camera manual, front to back, all the way through.  I love taking photos and actually carry my camera's manual in my camera bag but I only use it to look up what I have want to find information about.  So I have decided in order to understand and utilize my camera better I need to read my camera manual all the way through.

The AgChat Foundation's missing statement is: “Empowering farmers and ranchers to connect communities through social media platforms" and I think that is what this Upper Midwest Regional Conference was set-up to do.  This regional conference was the first in a series of regional conferences offered by the AgChat Foundation.  The Foundation decided to start hosting regional conferences so those who were unable to attend their national conference due to location or timing, had a chance to connect and learn about agriculture in social media.