Weeks Twenty Three and Twenty Four: Happy Anniversary!

And what a past two weeks it has been! I have been dealing with yet another HG relapse for the past few days, but am finally starting to feel better, thanks to my new favorite secret weapons that I'll share with you, because I know I have some readers who are fellow HGers.

Grape Powerade popsicles, and peanut butter Power Bars. Powerade, unlike Gatorade (as far as I know), has a healthy dose of vitamin B6, which as most of us with HG know, can help with nausea...when our bodies cooperate. My sweet hubby has been pouring the Powerade into an ice cube tray, and bringing me a "Powersicle" whenever I'm thirsty and feel like I might be able to stomach more than the teensiest drop of water. Usually, it's successful, and it's way more tasty and satisfying than swallowing B6 supplement pills!

The peanut butter Power Bars are great for middle of the night and early morning snacking to keep nausea at bay on good days. They are much more filling (for much longer periods) than saltines, and you don't get crumbs in your bed. A word of caution, however: Every once in awhile, they give me the heartburn from hell, but it usually goes away quickly with a swig of water (weird), or a few Gaviscon tablets if it's really persistent.

This relapse has been pretty bad. My has weight fluctuated by 6 pounds over the past few days (it finally stabilized and is back above my pre-pregnancy weight again), and I've seen more bile than I'd dare to think most people's livers produce in a lifetime. Needless to say, I am extremely grateful that it started letting up late last night. I avoided the hospital, too. Score!

In other news, my family and I had a nice trip up to Lake Benton, Minnesota the weekend following Independence Day. The men worked on staining the dock, hauling branches, and various other projects. My mom, sister, grandpa's wife Karen, and I went into some of the neighboring towns to shop at the many secondhand stores. I scored a vintage dress, a scarf, a new make-up case, and a tutu for Kate all for under $25. I also got a new set of pajamas and two pairs of shorts for Justin for free, just because of minor damage like broken belt loops, and a couple of stains that came out in one load of laundry.

Yes, it's technically Kate's, but I couldn't help myself!

Before heading back to Iowa, we made our way to my aunt and uncle's farm for a birthday celebration for my aunt. It got a little rainy and the mosquitos were hungry, but it was blast! There was great food, fireworks, and a beautiful rainbow:

Sadie and Leroy also had a great time exploring the farm and running out in the open. Sadie needs the adventure, and Mr. Leroy definitely needs the exercise!

Back to the present, tomorrow (or today rather, since it's after midnight in Iowa) marks the one year anniversary of our wedding! Justin and I are heading up to Wisconsin to visit the Dells tomorrow for a few days to celebrate. We plan on hiking, taking a few boat tours, and possibly going to a waterpark if we have some extra time. No crazy water slides for me (boo), but I can relax in the lazy river while Justin slides to his heart's content - and possibly get some amusing pictures of him, too!

And yes, we're going to be super gross and take along our year old cake topper from our wedding reception...and EAT IT. EAT IT ALL. We each only got the little bit we had during our cake cutting at our reception since we were so busy mingling with guests, so we are determined to finally have some flipping wedding cake! Om nom nom nom nom. Only God can judge us!

Sadie will be coming along as well, since our hotel takes doggies for only ten extra dollars, and there are several activities we are planning on doing that allow dogs, too. She's a little nervous right now since the suitcases are sitting out (still not packed...oops), but as soon as she sees us pull out her leash tomorrow morning, I'm sure we'll have one excited little labradoodle!

Now, off to (finally) start packing...we've got a busy day tomorrow!

Happy Independence Day!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY PB AND JELLIE READERS!!! We hope that those of our readers who live in the United States found many reasons to celebrate the wonderful country we are so privileged to live in!

Among all the reasons I love Independence Day (a reason to celebrate the amazing men and women who fight so hard for our freedom, gorgeous fireworks, and quality family time), I am ashamed to admit that one of my favorite things about the day is that I can get away with wearing blue sparkly eye makeup and fire engine red lipstick outside of a theatrical setting, and without a time machine to take me back to decades past.

SPARKLY BLUE EYELINER - YAY!

I didn't sleep well last night, so Justin and I were slow to get moving today. We eventually made our way over to my parents' place, and went to the Plymouth County Historical Museum with my mom. There was a nice "garage sale", a watermelon feed, and root beer floats.

This evening, we had a lovely time waiting for the fireworks to start at the Le Mars Mutual. Sadie and Leroy (my family's dog) were friendly with each and every stranger they came across, and Justin and I played guitar and sang some of our favorite music until after dusk.

Hipster Hubby!

The fireworks show was shorter than last year, as far as I can remember, but still enjoyable. Sadie was a little scared, but eventually calmed down when Justin and I moved from our chairs back down to our blankets and she could sit between us. Baby Kate didn't squirm too much during the show, but during the Ice Cream Days fireworks show, which we were much closer to, she kicked up a storm.

'splosions!

Tomorrow we head to Lake Benton for a couple of days, and then we'll go over to my Uncle Sonny and Aunt Nancy's for more celebration on Sunday.

We have a busy set of days ahead of us, but hopefully we'll check in soon!

23 weeks tomorrow!

Love,

Ellie

Weeks Twenty One and Twenty Two

I am proud to announce that I am finally sporting an authentic baby bump, and not a bloated tummy full of Mexican food! People can finally tell that I'm pregnant, although, most wouldn't ever guess I'm 22 weeks along.

As for sweet little Jellie Bean, she finally has been named, as you can see from the bump shots. Catherine Victoria, Kate for short. :) Oddly enough, I was originally supposed to be named Catherine, but my parents switched it out for Eleanor instead, shortly before I was born.

Kate is one active little girl, kicking away each morning, noon, and night. She was kicking almost non-stop from 6:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. the next day on Monday and Tuesday of this week - I got absolutely no sleep, but it was still amusing. She finally conked out and wasn't really active again until the next afternoon. I wonder if she's practicing Tae Kwon Do in there, like her daddy, or swimming (or even cheerleading!) like her mommy. Any guesses?

Itty bitty baby tootsies!

Our next regular appointment is next week. We'll see the OB for a checkup and to hear Kate's heartbeat on the doppler. We also see the perinatologist again on the 17th for another ultrasound. We're hoping she is growing and developing well - as this will be a very positive sign after our scary quad screen results from a few weeks ago. If she's not doing well, we will proceed with the MaterniT21 screen (a more active blood test). The perinatologist called us a few days after our appointment and offered us the test, and we were so excited for the opportunity to take it if need be, as we didn't think it was available in our area. If the results from the MaterniT21 test aren't good, we will proceed with an amniocentesis. This is all very scary for Justin and I, but we have faith that little Kate is healthy and strong.

In addition to all the baby stuff surrounding us lately, Justin and I are also on quite an adventure to find housing starting in the fall. School is looking like a no-go this year as tuition is just outrageous at CUI and we aren't getting the financial aid we need. We plan to pick up where we left off and finish school as soon as possible, but for now, a year off is the best choice for us - so long as we can find a place to call home! We have a found a few interesting options, but haven't quite found the best deal that will be the best for our family yet. We ask for your prayers (and welcome your suggestions) as we continue our search!

Tomorrow is the Independence Day, and we are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying gorgeous fireworks in the evening. On Friday, we head up to my grandpa's cabin in Lake Benton, Minnesota, one of my favorite places in the world. It's so peaceful up there.

Grandpa's Cabin

We were there a few weeks ago for Father's Day so Justin, my dad, and my brother-in-law Matt could put the dock in. It was a beautiful day, and everyone had a great time, especially sweet little Sadie:

Chasing after her daddy!

Determined doodle on bird watch.

She ran around the lawn all day, fetched sticks, and chased any bird that dared to fly too low. This little furball is my pride and joy. <3

I'm not sure what this trip's project will be, but I'm excited to go back and spend some quality time with my family.

That's all for now. We will keep you posted on appointments with updates and ultrasound pictures.

Blessings and love,

Ellie, Justin, Baby Kate, and Sadie Lou, too