This and That

Off to grandma's!

2012-01-24T13:31:00.001-08:00

Lucky baby spends every Tuesday with Grandma Barbara!

Enjoying breakfast together.

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Back at work

2012-01-23T13:22:00.001-08:00

My glorious stint as a SAHM ended on January 3. :( I miss my baby during the day and worry about her more than I should, but all in all the transition back has been good. Sometimes I feel like half my day is spent pumping. I thought I'd share with you my "mother's room".

That's when I'm not pumping in the car. Joy!

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Sorry friends

2012-01-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

I have been a horrible blogger these days... My computer has been on the fritz so I haven't been able to post pictures. The good news is that I'll be getting a new one soon so I'll be all over this blog - look out ;-)

I don't have the Christmas pictures right now but it was a WONDERFUL first Christmas with Eliana. We were lucky to spend Christmas with Grandma Barbara, Grandpa Roger AND Sitti and Giddi, as well as Aunties and Uncles from both sides. It was lots of fun and we made wonderful memories. Geoff and I were filled with love this Christmas - feeling so lucky to have such an amazing daughter and family surrounding us.

Speaking of family, one of Eliana's FAVORITE person these days is her niece, Kaira. The two are absolute love bugs together. I love that they are growing up together - so very special.

Holiday Season

2011-12-24T16:17:00.001-08:00

We are loving this time of year... it's chilly outside, warm and cozy inside, lots of time with family, and best of all Geoff is home on Christmas vacation!

Getting read to see Santa with Cousin Kaira - neither of the girls were too thrilled to see the big man.

Eliana finally meets Erica!

2011-12-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

And I think they're in love...

Beginning to feel...

2011-12-09T22:29:00.001-08:00

A lot like Christmas!

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Seattle!

2011-12-07T11:56:00.001-08:00

It was a wonderful Thankgsiving ~ SO much to be thankful for this year, and family is definitely at the top of that list! We missed Geoff's family but were happy to head to Seattle/Whidbey to celebrate with the Abo's.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

2011-12-07T11:40:00.001-08:00

We took the trip down to Monterey with our friends to visit the aquarium! It was a beautiful day for a trip down the coast ~ the babies were happy and the mommies even enjoyed a leisurely lunch on cannery row.

The jelly fish were SO fun to watch!

And she really liked watching the fish, sharks & turtle swim by in the "open sea" tank!

Geoff and I can't wait to take her back this summer - she'll LOVE it!

Happy babies & happy mommies... I'm going to miss these days!

7 months!

2011-12-03T20:06:00.000-08:00

Eliana turned 7 months old last weekend! Where does the time go?!?!

It continues to amaze us how much we can LOVE this little girl! She has won Geoff over with her constant babbling of "dadda" and that look in her eyes when he walks in the room. I adore her smiles in the morning, her sweet face while she nurses and her chuckles when I kiss her neck.

We LOVE you bunny!

Just lovin' life

2011-11-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

(First off, remember when I used to blog about things OTHER than baby? Ya, me neither.)

We have been having so much fun the last few weeks! Every day I am adding to our list of fun things I want to do with Eliana before I have to go back to work :( Sigh. Let's not talk about that now.

Our days continue to be filled with play dates, coffee dates, (I REALLY need to STOP buying coffee), stroller runs/walks and best of all lots of kisses, giggles, smiles and snuggles.

Eliana rarely falls asleep on me... it was heavenly!

Eliana's newest trick is sitting up on her own! She is so proud of herself and loves to play with her toys while sitting. I would say it's her favorite position but she still really loves being on her back playing with her toes. In fact, sometimes if she is in a bad mood I take her socks off and put her on her back... she becomes a much happier girl!

Sitting with daddy, playing the guitar before bed.

2011-11-16T18:29:00.001-08:00

We signed up for 4 classes of Gymboree play & music from a groupon that I bought. We went with 4 of our friends & had a great time. It's super cheesy but we had a good time and are looking forward to our next class.

Eliana & mommy enjoying the bubbles after the parachute fun!

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Location:Gymboree!

First solid

2011-11-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

A few days after her 6 month birthday we gave Eliana her first bite of solid food! We decided to start with Avocado (mixed with breastmilk)... I mean, who doesn't like Avocado?! Well, apparently this child...

Here is where I insert a cute picture of Eliana warming up to and loving her first food. Nope. Never really happened. Today is day 4 of Avocado and she is a little more excited about it all. I'll give it another day or two then move on to another food. It's hard to tell at this point if she just isn't sure about the whole eating thing, or if she just doesn't like Avocado. Either way, we are having fun with it and not putting any pressure on her (or us). She's still got plenty of the good stuff flowing ;-)

Life of a SAHM

2011-11-02T10:54:00.001-07:00

I had to take a picture. Yes, that's a breast pad.

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6 months!

2011-10-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Eliana has been with us for 1/2 a year and it is impossible to imagine our life without her. She has brought us so much joy and each month things are getting more fun. Her smile absolutely warms our hearts, her giggle is contagious and her toes are nibble worthy. She is very social these days, LOVES going out with mom and dad and meeting new people. Today was her first day in the gym day care and she had a great time ~ the sitter kept going on about what a happy baby I have!

It is definitely time for Eliana to get some grub in her belly! She stares at us when we eat and you can see it in her eyes that she wants it BAD! She'll have her first solids this weekend, so stay tuned for some updates on that.

Uh, mom, why do you put these silly stickers on me every month?

Oh well, it's one more thing for me to put in my mouth!

Great visit

2011-10-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

My dearest childhood friends just left after a perfect (but too short) visit. Having them visit was SO good for the soul - these ladies are exactly the type of people you need in your life - loyal, fun, honest, open, caring and just oozing GOODNESS! It was as if we hadn't been apart for one day since we first met in 5th grade. We chatted, shopped, ate ourselves sick (that pound of sees chocolate went down FAST!), lazed around, and still had time for a trip to the beach.

Special time

2011-10-23T21:25:00.001-07:00

I love these three.

Good times

2011-10-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

We have been having so much fun lately that I haven't had any time to post!

Lately Eliana has been obsessed with anything that WE have. She is in love with my orange cup and wants that straw in her mouth SO bad. In fact, tonight during the oh so fun "witching hour" I gave Eliana the orange cup and it seemed to solve her world's problems.

My good friend from high school was in the bay area for her husbands job, so her and her precious 5 month old, Lyla, came to play!

Perhaps Eliana was a little TOO welcoming...!

In other news on the home front, I have been busy crafting. Believe it or not. (I know most of you don't...) But I am currently obsessed with Pinterest and it has totally inspired me to be crafty. I look at all the precious things that my mom made me that I have kept and even passed on to Eliana and I want to be able to give the same thing to my children. No better time to start, right!? So my sweet friend Laurie brought over her sewing machine, gave me a lesson and away I went!

Eliana loves her new mobile! Oh, and, I totally teared up when she first looked at it, flapped her arms and grinned with happiness!

Auntie time

2011-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

Eliana was being a little grumpy with mom and dad today ~ then Auntie Mo showed up and she was full of smiles and giggles.

Shower fun

2011-10-08T16:46:00.001-07:00

It has become our little ritual for Eliana to shower with daddy on the weekends. She LOVES it... today I recorded this cuteness.

YouTube Video

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Apparently shower water is just as good as bath water! Yum!

What are you doing in here, mom?

Look at my big girl!

2011-10-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

My baby is such a big girl in this picture, I just can't believe it!

Baby roles

2011-10-01T09:28:00.001-07:00

Look at this breastfed bod! LOVE IT.

Daddy love

2011-10-01T09:19:00.001-07:00

Eliana loves when Daddy puts her to bed!

Too precious.

A day at the beach

2011-09-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our friend's mom has a beautiful house on the beach in Aptos, so we packed up the babies (and the million things that 5 new moms bring along, including margaritas) and headed out for a day in the sun (actually, shade). The day went remarkably well - the babies were all on the same eat - play - nap schedule, the weather was gorgeous and the company was delightful.

Do your ovaries hurt?! Yup, baby cuteness explosion.

5 months!

2011-09-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Happy 5 month birthday to baby Eliana!

(Boo, camera/computer malfunction - hopefully I can post better pics soon!)

If only I had a quarter for every time Geoff or I said "oh cute, hun look" or "she's sooo cute when she..." we'd be rich and I wouldn't have to go back to work. :-)

She has been such a good girl lately and is so interested in the world around here. Watching her learn and take it all in is fascinating - what a little sponge. Eliana and I have so much fun during the days and are always so excited when daddy gets home so we can show him our newest trick or just smile and laugh together.

We keep our days busy with play dates (we have made a great group of friends from the mom's group), coffee outings, long walks, and getting errands done. She loves her johnny jump-up and her floor play time with mommy and daddy. Oh, and she just mastered rolling both ways! She has been sleeping great - she'll typically go about 8 or 9 hours, eat and then another 3 or 4. Can't complain about that, especially because she is the sweetest sleepy baby when she gets up to eat. Some nights I rock her just a few minute longer to get some extra snuggles... yes, she's even cute at 4am.

Visit

2011-09-23T20:32:00.001-07:00

We surprised daddy at work today & brought him a coffee. The students LOVED meeting Eliana & really got a kick out of Mr.Beckstrom talking baby talk!

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High Chair practice

2011-09-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

Our pediatrician gave us the green light to start solid foods - yikes! Already...!? Crazy. So in anticipation (and while mom gets more used to the idea of her baby growing up...) we have been hanging out in the high chair and playing with spoons!

When Geoff started solid foods he grabbed the spoon from first bite and shoved it in his mouth. I wouldn't be surprised if Eliana did the same thing! Will keep you posted...

Baby dilemma

2011-09-21T11:19:00.001-07:00

Eliana is a PRO at rolling from her back to her stomach now. In fact, she usually only stays on her back for about 30 seconds before she flips herself over onto her stomach. This is where the problem begins. She's stuck. And tummy time is only fun for so long...

So the last two nights her cry has woken me up and I see her like this.

Now what, mom?

She CAN roll over from her stomach to her back, it's just not all that easy and usually takes lots of encouraging from mom and dad, and usually an enticing toy.

I'm hoping she learns quickly how to flip herself over, or (as I've heard from other moms) she gets comfy on her stomach and sleeps like that.

I know I love sleeping on my tummy - give it a try baby girl!

Worn out

2011-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

For my birthday my parents got me a gift certificate for Mommy and Baby Yoga class! We have a great time when we go - I get to stretch out a bit and Eliana is engaged and having a great time. Yesterday was the first time she was interested in all the other babies and it was so cute - she loved watching them.

Eliana worked SO hard in class that she actually fell asleep in my lap! No bouncing, rocking or shushing. It was a first so I made my friend snap a picture. Oh, and I guess it could have something to do with the fact that she had been fighting crib naps all day. Either way, happy mommy and happy baby.

That's how we roll

2011-09-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

We're working on rolling over here at the Beckstrom house.

You want me to do what, Mommy?

Ok, I think I can do that!

Like this?! I got it!

You want me to go the OTHER WAY too?

Okay, here goes!

Nope... Let me try again.

I can't do it mom, I'll just stay here for now

New toy

2011-09-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

Uhh, Dad, how does this thing work?

Ohhh, like this! I get it!

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Flying solo

2011-09-02T16:29:00.001-07:00

Geoff couldn't stay long in Seattle because he had to come back for the start of the school year, so Eliana & I stayed a few extra days. This meant I had to fly alone with her! I was so anxious that I hardly slept the night before - of course envisioning the worst! I'm happy to report it went great, we both survived, and I didn't even have to pass out earplugs to the neighbors.

Thankfully we had a whole row to ourselves so plenty of room to nurse, play, change a poopy diaper (just my luck) & bounce to sleep in the carrier.

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Dinner date with the Johnson's

2011-08-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

We love enjoying summer evenings outside with good friends!

A big day of firsts

2011-08-29T18:25:00.001-07:00

Went for a ride in her first swing at the park!

Got her first haircut! (The random long strands finally got to me.)

Bounced for the first time in her new johnny jump-up!

On top of all these firsts Eliana also celebrated her beautiful niece's 2nd birthday! We LOVE you Kaira Moon. (Picture is post-party exhaustion... reading books with sitti.)

Phew.... No wonder why she went out like a light tonight!

4 months!

2011-08-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sweet Eliana turned 4 months on the 27th of this month! She is the absolute light of our lives. I'm totally that mom who instantly says "do you want to see a picture?" and proceeds to go through all 1,000 Iphone pictures of her daughter.

Eliana blesses almost everyone she meets with a smile ~ she loves being out and about, meeting new people and is so curious about the world around her. She has eyes for her mom and dad but quickly warms up to everyone after a few minutes.

We love you baby girl!

Cousins

2011-08-26T19:48:00.001-07:00

Eliana & Porter already have a special connection!

I loved spending time with these two! Keaton is so precious! I can't wait for more cousin play dates.

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Dru & Amber get hitched

2011-08-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Geoff, Eliana and I went up to Seattle to see my dear friend Dru get married. Dru and I have been BF's since 1993 (he hated me when we first met in '92, but I won him over within a year) and I was lucky enough to have him stand up for me in my wedding and honored to do the same for him! Not only was this a fabulous night because two awesome people got married, but it was also our FIRST OVER NIGHT DATE since our sweet baby was born! Eliana hung out with her sitti & giddi for 24 hours while Geoff and I partied through the night (uh, and day). I can't believe we all survived :-) Actually, I had no doubt Eliana would survive (well, thrive) but I was slightly concerned about my well being seeing as I hadn't let loose for over a year. Good thing I got right back into the swing of it!

New friends!

2011-08-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Eliana loves hangin' out with Quinn.... he loves her too and usually shows her how much by rolling on top of her at Yoga or during Mom's Group. We had Q, Matt and Melissa (check her out over at A Wide Line) over for dinner the other night - so fun connecting with other new parents.

Family Camp

2011-08-25T20:49:00.001-07:00

We headed up to Family Camp again this year but decided to only go for 2 nights since we weren't sure how it would go with Eliana. We all had a great time (despite not sleeping well - boo) and Geoff was so happy to share his favorite place with his favorite daughter ;-)

Our 5 minute debut at the chilly evening campfire!

The fam :-)

Morning cuddles with Auntie Mo.

If only you were here...

2011-08-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

You'd see this....

And I swear my pump talks to me. Tonight it's saying "thank you, thank you, thank you". Anyone else experience the talking pump?

2 year Anniversary!

2011-08-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I celebrated our two year anniversary last week. It's unbelievable how much our lives have changed since we got married in 2009! To celebrate we went to San Luis Obispo for 3 nights. We knew it would be best to have a place with a kitchen and some outdoor space to accomodate travel with Eliana, so we rented a cottage with a patio and a hot tub! It was lovely to enjoy the space outside while Eliana was napping or when she went to bed in the evenings. Hot tubbing and star gazing on our 2nd anniversary... very romantic ;-)

Breakfast at home before morning nap!

Our cute little cottage.

Exploring the grounds at our favorite winery - Still Waters.

AFH 5

2011-08-08T18:10:00.002-07:00

Each year we have Abo Family Holiday during the summer. It's always fun to have everyone together and this year was just as great and even more special since our family is growing!

Green Eggs & Ham with Sitti.

Admiring Eliana. :-)

Porter & Kaira spent lots of time learning to share things, including their Sitti & Giddi.

The lady cousins in special white dresses!

Jam session at the campfire.

Dearest friends

2011-08-08T17:49:00.001-07:00

It's always nice to see childhood friends while we are in town... and it was even more special this time since I was able to introduce them to Eliana!

We were also able to catch up with Lacey, Jason and Lola who moved near Seattle from the bay area! We miss them!

Oh how times have changed

2011-08-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

Geoff and I visited my college bestie, Stacey, and her hubby and 11 month old precious boy, Mason. Times have changed since our partying days at our college house, 120th & 12th :-) We still managed to have a glass or two of wine, but ended the night early to accomodate bed times. Gone are the days of staying out until the bar closes and then coming home, brushing out my hair and taking pictures. :-) Ahhh, I miss college.

Seattle

2011-08-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy that I haven't had much time to blog, other than the quick post from my Iphone!

We spent 12 days in Seattle this summer and had a wonderful time with my family and old friends. It was so nice to introduce Eliana to everyone and it was also wonderful to share her love with family (AKA, baby free time for us) :-)

Our family is expanding with 4 grandkids, all under the age of 27 months! Fun times!

We also saw lots of friends while we were in Seattle. It's always so great to catch up with my childhood friends ~ I'm such a lucky girl to have such great friends!

Val, baby Lyla and Patrice came downtown and we went to Local 360 (yum) for lunch. We had lunch & beers while the babies slept - perfect. :-)

Jana (AKA Whooge) visited us at the condo!

More friend pics in the next post!

2011-08-02T17:57:00.001-07:00

It has been 2 amazing years with my love, and we are away for a few days to celebrate. Eliana is having a great trip with mom & dad! She has enjoyed wine tasting & relaxing/napping. Doesn't get much better!

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She laughs!

2011-07-29T18:30:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

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3 months!

2011-07-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

Now I get it... This motherhood thing IS wonderful. So lucky to be her mama....

Love you to the moon baby girl!

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AFH 5

2011-07-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

Having a great time in Seattle & loving the chaos of our growing family!

More updates & pictures to come once we get home next week!

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Summer activities

2011-07-10T17:28:00.001-07:00

We continue to be busy, busy, busy and really enjoying our summer with our little bunny.

Jena drove all the way from Sacramento to meet Eliana!

We had friends over for dinner the other night. Eliana loves hanging out outside ~ especially on her play mat ~ so she really enjoyed dining outside with our friends that evening. Both of our friends are expecting so it was fun to "talk shop".

Geoff has been brewing his own beer and Eliana has been a huge help. She can't wait to try it. ;-)

She rolled over!

2011-07-08T18:07:00.001-07:00

Eliana rolled over today & I caught it on my iPhone!

It was more like a tumble... But I think it counts!!

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Chatterbox!

2011-07-05T19:06:00.001-07:00

Eliana has been talking up a storm the last 2 days. It's so fun!

YouTube Video

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2011-07-05T02:13:00.001-07:00

Eliana partied so hard on the 4th at the park with her friends that she could barely keep her eyes open!

Hope you had a great one!

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Warm summer days

2011-07-02T20:57:00.001-07:00

Today we enjoyed a BBQ with the family at Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Roger's house. Eliana is becoming a real fish! ;-)

Geoff and his cousin Nate, swimming with their daughters. Cute.

2 months!

2011-06-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Eliana's 2 month birthday! This month has brought lots of new things for us... including lots of smiles and coos. Her smiles melt our heart... we can't get enough. Especially the ones where you can see her gums. To die for. She often has conversations with us and her toys (through cooing), also to die for.
Life is seeming to become a bit more normal... well, it's a new normal, but it's a good one. One that has taught me patience and flexibility, and a love that is different than any I have ever experienced. Amazing that a 2 month old baby can teach us such important life lessons.

Dad finished work for the summer and we have been doing lots of outings, lunches, picnics and happy hours. Eliana loves being out and about and has been enjoying our beautiful California weather.

Picnic with Eliana's boyfriend, Brody and his mom and dad!

Swimming at Adam's house with our friends Trip and Kieran.

Day in Santa Cruz with Auntie Michelle and Cousin Kaira.

Eliana's FAVORITE place these days.... naked in the atrium under her play mat!

Play date with my friend, Emry.

Pool time!

2011-06-23T18:33:00.001-07:00

Eliana loved her first dip in the pool!

Summer time in Cali is the best!

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2011-06-19T14:30:00.001-07:00

Eliana and I are soooo lucky to have such an amazing man in our lives. He has amazed me with his love, patience & kindness for our daughter. He had been my rock over the last 7 weeks... Lifting me up when I needed it & saying just the right things at the right time.
Eliana adores her daddy. I'll never forget right after she was born & he took her off my chest to hold her for the first time... It was love & an immediate bond that was so strong that everyone in the room could see. It was beautiful.

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Test

2011-06-16T21:27:00.001-07:00

I'm testing out an app so I can post while nursing since that is when I have free time... If you can call it that. We'll see how good I get at typing one handed on my iPhone!

Getting Eliana's birth certificate!

Out with daddy - enjoying the summer weather!

Morning smiles!

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Sitti & Giddi Abo visit

2011-06-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Sitti (grandma) and Giddi (grandpa) Abo came for a visit. Eliana & Mommy were VERY sad to see them leave :( Eliana has requested that they moved to California....

The magic touch!

6 weeks

2011-06-09T15:58:00.001-07:00

Eliana turned 6 weeks yesterday and we have had some major milestones! She's smiling (for real smiles) and cooing and being (at times) that cutest little bundle ever. She has been awake more and we are loving that she can interact more and enjoy her surroundings and even a few toys! The other MAJOR milestone is Eliana has successfully slept in her crib the last 2 nights! This has made mommy, daddy and even baby MUCH happier! We're so proud of her!

Enjoying bath with her cousin Kaira!

Hanging out with Auntie Mo!

First family photo!

2011-06-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

1 month!

2011-05-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

Happy ONE MONTH birthday to our baby girl! I cannot even put into words what the last month has been like. In fact, I thought about not even doing a post because it is so hard to articulate how I am feeling. Such a mixture of emotions over the last month. Each day over the last month I have fallen more in love with Eliana. Each day of the last month has been hard. Really hard. Some more difficult than others, but it is safe to say that being a mother is hard work. I have had some very low moments where I don't feel cut out to be her mom. I have also had some high moments where I feel that I am meant to be her mom. Each feeling brings such a rush of emotion and it's sometimes hard to handle... but I deal because I know I have to for my sweet daughter.

We have come a long way in the last month and we are starting to understand each other better. Each day one little thing clicks for me and I have a small "ah-ha" moment, and I think it's the same for her.

I feel SO blessed to have Eliana in my life and to be going through these amazing, challenging, special times with such a sweet little one. I can't wait to see what the months ahead bring!

(I hope this post does not seem too dark... I just think it's important to write about these feelings not only for my healing but also to validate what I know other new moms are also feeling.)

Great grandma Beulah

2011-05-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

Eliana met her GREAT grandma over the weekend and it was very special for both of them!

A very special visitor

2011-05-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Eliana's Uncle JJ came to the bay area for work and stopped by for a visit! JJ and Piper are expecting baby #2 next month so JJ spent some time refining his daddy skills. Eliana was having a particularly fussy evening (we think she has her first cold - sad) so he had lots of practice to prepare for those not so pleasant newborn moments.

Do we have an Abo on our hands, or what?!

So smart!

2011-05-20T20:20:00.001-07:00

Eliana loves her reading time with mommy!

Daddy time

2011-05-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Love these two.

Bath time

2011-05-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Eliana LOVES bath time! We drape her in wash clothes and it's like an evening at the spa.

Eliana's Birth Story

2011-05-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

(I'm writing this post with minimal sleep, so please excuse anything that may be out of order or just not make any sense at all! I also have some WWW approved pictures from her birth that I'll post soon!)

The night of Tuesday April 26 I was having what I kept calling "braxton hicks" from about dinner time through the evening. Around 9pm I got in the birthing tub to relax and take some pressure off of braxton hicks. When I got out of the tub I asked Geoff to drain it so we could put fresh water in the following day. I headed to bed that night and had a restless night because I was waking up for every contraction - I continued to think they were braxton hicks :-) I remember them getting to the point where I would hold on to my dresser during the contraction because it was so intense. Again... not really believing it was labor and that I was having REAL contractions, I let Geoff sleep and tried to stay as relaxed as possible. A few times that night/early morning I got up to reheat my heating bad, walk around a bit and lie on the couch - all things that made me feel better and stay relaxed. Around 4:45am I was laying on the couch and I decided to write down the contractions to see how far apart they were. 3 minutes. Hmmmmm.... All I could think was "these sure are strong braxton hicks". Around 5:15 I woke Geoff up to ask him to refill the tub. He shot out of bed and said "IS IT TIME?" I tried my hardest to convince him that I was just having braxton hicks and that he should fill the tub and go to work. He started timing them and realized quickly that it was go time. I promised him it wasn't. I knew something was happening but I was in total control of each contraction and they weren't painful, so I figured it was my body progressing but not at all close to labor time. From about 5:30 on Geoff tried to convince me to call my Midwife. Worried about waking her up I waited until 6am.
After a long phone conversation with my Midwife about my sensations, her listening to several contraction (THIS is when I realized they were actually contractions) and coaching me through different breaths we hung up with the plan to call her back if anything changes or if I have questions OR within an hour to update her. She joked "I think Geoff should call his sub!" He just gave me the "told you so" look. :-)
Meanwhile, Geoff filled the tub and once I was off the phone with my Midwife I got in. I was only in there for about 20 minutes and I quickly realized it was NOT the place for me to labor. I felt like I just didn't have enough traction and with nothing to hold on to the contractions seemed more intense. While in the tub I told Geoff that I was hungry and that I wanted a rice cake with peanut butter and banana (WEIRD request). I took one bite and almost puked.
After I got out of the tub I wrapped in my robe and got directly into bed. I continued to have contractions at about 3 to 5 minutes apart lasting about 30 to 45 seconds. At about 7:30 we called my Midwife because I was starting to have more sensation in my lower back and I could tell things were really progressing. Again, we talked through the sensations and breathed together through each contraction. She was calming and reassuring. It was just what I needed. We made the same plan - call if anything changes or within the hour to update. I continued to do my thing...

Around 8:15 my "pre-waters" broke - it wasn't much (infact, I wondered if it was pee...?) but I knew it was time to call my Midwife again. After a few minutes on the phone she asked what I wanted our next plan to be and I told her "I think you should come over." She agreed, knowing we were heading into Active Labor.
I continued to labor on my bed. At this point I calmly told Geoff that I wanted to be alone. I really wanted to sleep in between each contraction and I knew I needed space. He came to the living room (he mentioned that it was weird to be checking Facebook and Giants website while his wife was laboring in the other room!) and let me do my thing - working through each contraction and resting/sleeping in between them.
I called Geoff back into the room around 9:15 because things were getting REALLY intense. I was holding (actually, death gripping) his hand through each contraction and about 5 minutes before my Midwife came in I yelled during a contraction "I HOPE SHE'S CLOSE." She came in at 9:45 and I couldn't stop telling her how happy I was to see her. :-) About 30 minutes after she got there she checked me to find that I was 10 centimeters dilated!

It was GO TIME!

From that point on it was intense, amazing, powerful and an out of this world experience. Between 10:20 and when she was born at 11:29 I "worked up an appetite" as I said right before she was born :-)
(I called my sister at 8:15 and told her to head over - she got there at 11am and almost missed it! As soon as I saw her I said "good job Sis, just in time!")

Miss Eliana Sophiea Beckstrom was born at 11:29am on April 27, 2011, weighing exactly 9 pounds. With her cord wrapped around her neck three times and her shoulders stuck in the posterior position, my Midwife had her work cut out for her, but Eliana was PERFECT. She didn't cry a bit - had her first breath on my chest while looking up at me and her daddy. In her home.

Family

2011-05-06T16:55:00.001-07:00

Eliana has been blessed with family visitors over the last week. She's so lucky!

Eliana's first week

2011-05-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

Today is Eliana's one week birth day! She's celebrating by sleeping a lot (you know, making up for NOT sleeping last night) AND with her first outing to Whole Foods! What a big day for our girl!

We are madly in love with her. Take a look... I think you'll see why.

Welcome, baby girl!

2011-05-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

Eliana Sophiea Beckstrom

9lbs, almost 23 inches long

Born at home on April 27 at 11:29am

We are in love with our baby girl. Everyone is feeling good and we're just so happy to have her in our arms.

Pictures and updates to come...

Happy due-date-day Baby girl

2011-04-25T09:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Baby girl's due date and, obviously, she decided she wasn't quite ready. We knew we needed a project to keep our mind off of "DUE DATE" so we made Kaak... Lebanese sweet bread! My mom makes Kaak once a year, around Easter, and it's very special to our family. Geoff surprised me one year with it (I went to work and he spent ALL day making it - it's a full day project) and it was the sweetest thing ever, although didn't quite turn out. Flat kaak. Oops. So anyways, we worked on it together yesterday and my sister and Kaira joined us. We even dyed eggs & had an Easter egg hunt as we were both feeling nostalgic. It was a great day and only one thing could have made it better. Soon, soon... (right??)

Photoshoot

2011-04-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful day in Santa Cruz and my sis took some pictures of us! Due date is only 5 days away ~ wonder when she'll be ready?!

And here's a picture of Geoff putting together our birthing tub. Yup, you heard that right ~ a birthing tub in our home! I don't think I've blogged about it yet, but we're having a home birth! Once I get the energy I'll do a longer post on that, but for now enjoy a picture of Geoff hard at work.

SAHM

2011-04-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

I really have no excuse as to why I haven't blogged in awhile... seeing as I'm as Stay At Home Mom now. Well, for 9 months atleast. Yup, you heard that right... after lots of weighing the pros and cons Geoff and I decided it would be best for our soon to be family of three for me to take first semester off next year. So I'm a SAHM until January 2012! I am SO excited and falling into my new profession quite nicely. For example, this morning I have had my breakfast and tea, made dinner (crockpot masterpiece), cleaned the dishes and started the dishwasher, and now I'm watching the Today show with a cup of decaf coffee. I mean, if that doesn't have SAHM written all over it. HAH! I know the reality of it though... it will only be days (or maybe weeks) before me REAL SAHM job starts, because technically you can't be a SAHM without a child :-) But needless to say I'm really enjoying Maternity Leave and taking in every second of my freedom, peace and lack of responsibilities! I have pretty much gone psycho on just about every closet and every drawer (is this nesting?) and today I have big plans for my shoe closet. Goodwill is making out this week.

We are fast approaching 39 weeks! It's hard to believe that this pregnancy is coming to an end and we'll soon be blessed with our baby girl. A friend of mine asked me if I was "over" being pregnant and, believe it or not, I'm actually not entirely over being pregnant. Yes, there are some things that I'd rather live without and I'll be happy to leave behind, but these things are quite minor actually. For example, I wake up in the morning and I am SO sore I feel like I've run a marathon the day before. Also, it'll be nice to not get completely out of breath when I tie my shoes. So a few minor complaints, but I'm doing quite well for being almost 39 weeks preggers.

The only picture I have to post right now is me topless, so I'll wait and take some pics this weekend that are more internet approved & post this weekend!

Cousin love

2011-04-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Kaira cannot wait to meet her "baby"!

A visit from a bestie

2011-03-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Cameron visited us last weekend from New Zealand! It was so great to have girl time with her, catch up on life and of course put some womanly touches on the nursery!

Cameron joined us in celebrating St. Patrick's Day at our friends annual party. As you may remember, St. Patrick's Day is a special day for Geoff and I because we met on this day 5 years ago! What a love.

(Side note: These pictures were taken the same day, but either baby had a growth spurt between the afternoon and the evening OR it's the way the tops fit... not sure which one.)

34 weeks!

2011-03-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday marked 34 weeks growth for baby girl. Is it totally crazy that I'm PROUD of my unborn child? Shows what's to come, I guess!

Things continue to go great and I'm still feeling really good. My drop in energy (since about 30 weeks or so) continues to haunt me but it's actually quite nice to be taking naps again (like I did at the beginning). Even a 20 minute snooze seems to help a lot. Baby's movements are definitely changing - I can tell that she's starting to get a little tight in there and instead of jabbing movements it's more like stretching or pushing. It is hard to explain... but when she's moving around I get this feeling she's also thinking "give me some room in here!" She's also hiccuping more now. I've never heard anyone complain about the baby hiccups, so maybe I'm the first, but they drive me insane! Could be because she's so low but I like to explain it to Geoff as a heartbeat in my crotch. Odd. And annoying. But still cute, because everything she does is cute. :-)

We're moving along with the nursery and I am loving it. My parents came last weekend for my shower here (pics and post to come soon!) and we spent lots of time putting things together and organizing - it's getting exciting!!

Here's a pic for you all to enjoy. Keep in mind this photo shoot took a good 20 minutes because Geoff and I don't agree on flattering angles. This one will have to do....

Seattle

2011-03-08T12:21:00.000-08:00

The mamas to be! So excited that baby girl will have a niece or nephew only 2 months younger than her!

Yummy breakfast with a great friend, Joey D

This was our last trip to Seattle with just the two of us! So exciting to think about all the changes that are about to take place!

We had a great time and were really happy to be able to spend lots of family time, including time with Porter man. He is such an amazing little man.... so much spunk and wise beyond his 22 months if you ask me!

Email from student

2011-03-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

hi Deedee how are you and how is your vacation i did find a names but if you didn't like it please lat me know and i will think about another names

Names

Kirsten

Lease

Rose

Elisabeth

Julia

Sara

Chantal

Lie

Sandy

Sophia

Maria

Sonia

Lena

Thanks and have a great day

M

Seattle Baby Shower

2011-03-01T11:58:00.001-08:00

A sweet sweater that my mom made for baby!

Last weekend Geoff and I had a short trip to Seattle to spend time with some family and friends and celebrate baby girl's arrival in April!

As you can see, no detail was left behind! My sister-in-law, BF Stacey and mother all went above and beyond and hosted a wonderful shower for me and baby girl. It was SO great to catch up with some very special ladies and celebrate this little one that will be joining us soon!

Baby girl's room

2011-02-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

Geoff put together our new dresser last night taking us one step closer to the nursery being completed! The dresser was a bit of a fiasco. We bought another one (that I LOVED) but it ended up being WAY too short to change diapers on. So, we returned that one (not without any hassle, of course) and ordered this one. The height is perfect - well, for Geoff. So, it's actually ideal because I figured when we are in disagreement about who will change baby's diaper I can say "the changing table height is perfect for you, you do it!" :-)

Oh! And if you look closely at the pic you can see our new bedding sitting in our crib (along with other crap - it's kind of our holding place for now!).

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

Geoff and I celebrated Vday last week and had a GREAT date night. We figured it would be the last time to have a quiet one, so we did it up!

A fondue date night!

Good times with a great husband!

30 weeks!

2011-02-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday marked 30 weeks for baby girl. She's getting so big & strong... I'm such a proud mommy already!

More stuff seems to be goin' on with my bod, so I guess you could say I'm starting to feel pretty pregnant. By the end of the day I'm totally beat and usually don't feel like doing much more than getting into my PJ's, putting my feet up and watching TV or reading. I am thorough enjoying each moment I do this because I know these opportunities will be far & few between once baby arrives!
My work-outs are getting more difficult and I cannot do what I used to. But it still feels GREAT to go and I'm thankful that I have been able to keep up the routine. Most of my ailments are in my lower back & hips. It feels like I need to get a really good stretch but I just can't seem to get to it. Luckily, I had a gift certificate from my sweet MIL to a fancy spa which does "motherhood massages". The masseuse really got to those trouble spots... It was amazing and I seriously felt like it was needed, not just a splurge. Oh, and I wish I could buy one of those mats that they used - the one with the boobs and belly sections cut out - helllllo, brilliant for us stomach sleepers!

She is moving around a ton in there and Geoff gets to feel her too, which is so fun. Last week when I was taking a bath she was happily squirming around and I could feel her little butt pop up! If was soooo cute! Feeling her body parts?!? It's still crazy to me!

Heading into into my 31st week with a trip to Seattle - can't wait!

Little miss

2011-02-14T17:25:00.001-08:00

Enjoying a BBQ at auntie's house!

On the nightstand

2011-02-12T19:26:00.001-08:00

Yes, that is a lot of books to be reading at once. I just cannot get enough though - so much to learn, and so little time! And the strong, passionate, raw birth stories are awesome. I'm soakin' it up.

I'm never far....

2011-02-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

from the BATHROOM. So I pretty much plan my day around where my next bathroom stop will be able to be. It's kinda out of control. I love water, love being hydrated but do NOT love having to use every bathroom in the bay area. (Did you know Baby Gap has a bathroom? That was one of my best finds thanks to my friend Sara.)

I recently upped my water intake to about 90 ounces of water. That's kinda ridiculous.... but it does make me feel good and I have noticed that awful swelling that was happening to my ankles not occur as often. (Did you know that water helps flush the body and reduce water retention? Seems odd, but it's brilliant really.)

Okay, but let's go back - NINETY OUNCES of water. That's over 2.5 liters. Then, let's remember that my bladder is currently being crushed by a three pound (give or take a bit) princess. No wonder why I pee so much.

My girl

2011-01-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I've posted about Kaira! We continue to have play dates and I'm so amazed but how much of a little girl she is now. She is so fun to be with, getting more independent and just LOVES being with me and Geoff!

Today we had some lunch with our friends Trip, Joy and Kieran and after a long walk we hung around the house playing with all the hand-me-down toys that have been given to us! Love her!

3rd trimester!

2011-01-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

We're sailing into 3rd trimester and I'm feeling great! Baby girl continues to be doing her somersaults and staying active. As the weeks go on I'm feeling much more pregnant (I guess this is a good thing!) and have to just laugh at myself when I do things like nearly fall over when picking up one foot to put my pants on. Thankfully not much to report - feeling good, healthy and energized.

Here we are; 27 weeks! (Geoff said "give me attitude in this pic". I think I gave him my best creeper look!)

Census

2011-01-22T20:01:00.001-08:00

Check it out. Fun to see what's goin' on in your 'hood!

http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/explorer

So impressive

2011-01-13T21:06:00.001-08:00

My nephew is amazing! What a little man! Can't WAIT to see him in February.

http://absolutelyabo.blogspot.com/2011/01/porter-skiis-and-loves-it.html

Our crib!

2011-01-13T19:23:00.001-08:00

I came home the other day to a wonderful surprise ~ hubby was putting together baby girl's crib! We bought it way back on Cyber Monday because it was on major sale and it ended up being a wonderful Christmas gift from Geoff's mom and step-dad. Sweetest. It had been sitting in the box cluttering the room for almost two months so it was so lovely to come home to this surprise.

It's finished!

And as you can see we have a nice pile of hand-me-downs and gifts awaiting baby girl's arrival. I can't wait to get this room in order and now we are one step closer!

Growing baby

2011-01-09T20:48:00.001-08:00

Baby and I are doing great! Feeling really good - infact, I have very minimal to report on. For awhile my hip and back were bothering me and after meeting with my midwife and going over my posture, I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better. As long as keep focused on good posture and walking correctly I notice that my body feels a TON better.

I can tell baby girl is growing and getting strong everyday! Some days I wonder if she sleeps AT ALL because it feels like she is constantly moving around. I must say I absolutely love it! (Except for what seems like a good elbow to my vagina ~ I could live without those!)

Geoff feels her all the time and we watch her dance around. She especially loves when I talk to her and when her dad tells her secrets. :-)

Here's a shot of me in all my glory - a day at the beach. She LOVED the sun, just like her mama!

A pic before going out last night (25 weeks)

href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T-m2i2ZJZF8/TSqPxAm7sxI/AAAAAAAAJhw/A6ZhKk7SKXQ/s1600/P1100173.JPG">

Sleepy Beckstroms

2011-01-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

After getting home around 11pm on Sunday and waking up at 6am on Monday we knew it would be the start of a very long week ~ and we were right! It was busy at work and we just never seemed to catch up on anything. Luckily we had some free time this weekend to pay the bills and get the house organized a bit. I was finally able to go through all of the ADORABLE and sweet Christmas cards from friends and family. Thank you everyone! As you probably figured out, we didn't send a card this year. We figured we'd save a tree or two and wait to send out our well wishes with our baby announcement once our little princess joins us! Anyways, it was nice to have a weekend at home to get our heads back on straight and catch up on some sleep.

Last night we met up with our dear friends who were in town for one short evening. It was great to have dinner together and we really wish Brian and Steph lived here! Great people.

Brian, Geoff & I at dinner

What a vacay...

2011-01-04T20:20:00.001-08:00

We had 2 blissful weeks in Mexico and we're happy to be home and back to the grind - well the working part sucks, but being home sure is nice.

We spent the first week exploring inland and REALLY loved soaking up Mexican culture, the people, food and the sights. A beautiful part of the country and a perfect place to explore.

The second week was mostly relaxation - my dear friend gave us a week at her time share and we were living in style in our one bedroom apartment. We did more exploring, beach laying and of course, eating.

All in all it was a GREAT trip and a perfect way to finish our travels with just the two of us. Geoff was making a list of things we want to remember to bring on our next trip and he added "baby". Cute.

I'll post more about how baby and mommy are doing...

Virgin margarita, por favor

2010-12-16T19:17:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last 3 hours in my room sorting through borrowed maternity clothes to find some clothes (that fit and flatter the bump) for our VACATION! We're headed to sunny Mexico on Saturday ~ it has been a whole of 5 months since we last left the country so we're both getting the itch. The trip has come at a perfect time! I feel energized and healthy, ready for some sunshine and excited to spend time with my husband, just the two of us with no other responsibility.

I had a self photo shoot the other day. I found my picture quite artistic. Geoff laughed at me.

(A little shout out to my friends who passed on bags of maternity clothes ~ it really helps a lady feel better about herself when she can do a shopping spree without spending a penny.)

Almost 22 weeks

Half way cooked!

2010-12-05T11:06:00.001-08:00

Baby girl is half way baked and she's celebrating this morning with lots of kicks! Definitely a party in my belly - how fun!

To celebrate our Baby Is Half Way Cooked Day I put the maternity jeans on for the first time and documented it with a picture ~

So, how DO you stand to take the best belly pic? Hand up? To the side? Hmmmm....

(That really wasn't the best place for a photo for many reasons, including showing the mess. Sorry fans.)

Maternity Jeans

2010-12-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

OH MY GOODNESS! Yesterday I spent a good three hours at the mall and it was like learning how to walk again. So many new things to learn!

At nearly 20 weeks my regular jeans are just NOT working for me. The bella band and the rubber band move were cool for awhile (a very short while), but I'm sure my co-worker was sick of looking at my crack so I figured it was time to jump into the maternity jeans world. I had NO idea there were so many options! I walked away with one of everything for a few reasons - 1, it was 50% off at the Gap and 2, I have NO idea what is really going to work for me.

We have three types of panels to choose from ~

No Panel: These are meant to go under the belly. They don't have a visible panel, but the waistband is elastic and will stretch with your growing bump.

Full Panel: One thing I noticed is that Gap's Full Panel is MASSIVE, while Old Navy's Full Panel is not as long.

The Demi-Panel/ Under Belly Panel: Hugs the bottom of your belly. Kind of gives me a case of the muffin-top, but I think it might be nice not to have the big panel on my belly sometimes.

And then there is the CUT of the jean. All ladies know how many options out there for a cut of a jean - almost too many, but of course never the perfect one, right??

The other stress of yesterday's shopping extravaganza is that I really do not know how I'm going to grow from here on out, making it difficult to find just the right size. Obviously I know the belly is going to pop (which there will be plenty of room for with my new pants), but are my hips and butt going to follow suit or stay the size they are now? Hoping for the latter, obviously ;-)

Speaking of which, off to the gym now! Have a great weekend!

Weeks 15 - 18

2010-11-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Not much to report in Prego Land, which I see as a great thing really! The biggest change over the last month has probably been emotional. Each day that passes and as I watch my belly grow I get more excited to hold my little miss. I find myself day dreaming about what she's going to be like, what kind of mom I'll be and what kind of family we'll become.

No Fun: Not fitting into my regular clothes very well, but being too small for maternity clothes. Oh, and the bella band, totally over it. People saying "you don't look pregnant!" Really, well, I've put on weight and it's going somewhere, so I must just look fat. Great. :-)

Loves: Feeling my baby kick/stretch/punch... whatever it is she's doing in there! Now, I must say I'm like 98% sure it's baby girl I've been feeling... but sometimes I wonder if it's just gas or something. Hmmmm.

Aversions: Still not enjoying meat all that much, but it has been a lot better. Chicken is probably the only real no-no at this point. Stinky people is still high on this list as well.

IT'S A....

2010-11-25T09:59:00.001-08:00

GIRL! A sweet, precious, healthy baby GIRL!

Let me back up....

A few days ago we had our 18 week Ultrasound and it was AMAZING! We were absolutely in awe of our little baby girl squirming and moving all around! She is perfectly healthy and measuring exactly to date (even her head size, yay!).

When we went in we really did not know if we wanted to find out the gender. We KEPT going back and forth and so we decided to have the tech write it down and seal it in an envelope. Going in we had three options set; 1. Open that evening, just the two of us sharing the moment together. 2. Wait and open on Christmas morning! 3. Keep the envelope sealed.

I am so happy we did it this way. We were on such a high after the ultrasound just for the fact that we could see our little one moving all around and that everything looked just as it should! It was so special and great to ride that out while awaiting another great surprise.

So that evening, after dinner, we looked at each other and decided we REALLY wanted to know! Our ultrasound was all recorded and given to us on a DVD so we decided to find out that way. It was really a great moment. Baby girl was very cooperative and appeared to spread eagle when the tech went down south. Cutest little vagina ever! :-) BTW, I knew it was a girl all along... she let me know early on :-)

(My ultrasound pics are on PDF and I can't figure out how to post them... I'll work on it.)

THE bella band

2010-11-19T14:34:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day for this mama-to-be. I wore the BELLA BAND for the first time! It was official this morning when my jeans would not comfortably button (and my student told me that I looked like a football player yesterday...), I knew it was time to put it on.

It's GREAT! It is basically a stretchy band of material that fits around your regular jeans concealing the unbuttoned top button and making an all around better fit. I mean, who wouldn't want a bella band - pregnant or not! Indulged in Halloween candy? Had a few too many servings at Thanksgiving? Can't fit into your wedding summer jeans (yes, this is me.) Try the bella band!

So, nearly 18 weeks into this pregnancy I think it's time to switch up the wardrobe!