To the Tree Farm

What a difference one year makes!! The first picture was Christmas 2010 where we went up in the woods up by Blewett Pass near Cle Elum and cut down a tree. This year the picture shows our new addition. This year with my parents we went out to a tree farm in Granite Falls. It was a beautiful drive but not really beautiful weather. 

I have been anxious to get all of our Christmas shopping and decorating done as soon as possible. You can chock it up to "nesting" but I just feel calmer when everything is done so whenever Baby Isaac decides to come we can just enjoy Christmas and not worry about a thing except for him.

I'm Thankful For

This year I have so much to be thankful for. I'm thankful for my Heavenly Father who guides me and gives me peace and strength. I am thankful for my husband who is my best friend. He is so supportive of me (especially in these past 9 mos.) he is my biggest fan and makes me laugh on a daily basis. He is going to be a great father. I feel so blessed to have been given the gift of a baby boy who so far is happy and healthy. We can't wait to start our new life as parents and for him to be here! I'm thankful for our wonderful families who are so supportive and have been great examples to us as parents and happy marriages. I'm thankful for all of our friends. We have been shown so much love and generosity with I think "6" showers. Peter even had one at work! We have hardly bought a single thing for Isaac and I think he has more than he will ever need during the first year. I'm thankful that in this economy we both have jobs and that I am able to live out my dream of being a stay at home mom. Both Peter and I feel so blessed with all we have been given and try everyday to give back and be there for others in our lives.

Babymoon to San Juan Island

A couple of weeks ago it dawned on me, we need one more trip before the baby comes. I guess it actually has a name Babymoon, like a honeymoon before the baby. We went to San Juan Island and stayed in Friday Harbor. The island is beautiful and we drove to Roche Harbor, which neither of us had been to. We immediately caught on to the contagious "island life" and had a really relaxing weekend.

7 Worst Foods & Why

1. Canned Tomatoes

They line the tin cans with resin that contains extremely high levels of BPA which is linked to reproductive problems, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. 

2. Corn Fed Beef

 researchers say that comparing corn fed to grass-fed beef that grass fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease.

3. Microwave Popcorn

Chemical line the inside of the bag and microwaving the bag causes the chemicals to vaporize and go into your system. The chemical is PFOA and may be linked to infertility. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. The chemicals can last in your system for years and build up over time. 

4. Non-organic Potatoes

 Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes-the nation’s most popular vegetable-they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting.

5. Farmed Salmon

 Farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

6. Non-organic Milk

Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. 

7. Non-organic Apples

If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. Increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.

Isaac's Nursery

Its been a fun little project. This room has evolved over time and its been fun to add things here and there and see it all come together. Its so hard because baby stuff is so cute but comes in such different color schemes but at the same time you don't want it to be too matchy matchy. The theme started out as a farm theme with the picture over the dresser. It was a picture that Peter loved to look at as a little boy in his Great Grandpa's house. But over time with the tree sticker the room took on more a NW nature theme. The glider chair was a 4 month long process of window shopping and craigslist stalking (mostly by Peter) but we got a great deal from a lady on craigslist and the chair is ridiculously comfortable because it reclines. She said she slept in the chair for about a week before her due date. The last little finishing touches will be a side table by the chair for my "must haves" while nursing and an ottoman for the chair. Peter built the shelf and he is very proud of it!

Fully Showered

I just had a shower with Peter's family. We got our car seat!! And of course some other super cute gifts. Elsa made little pies in jars, how clever.

Little Rachael tested out the car seat with a doll. Its so funny how babies love babies!

Pregnancy Photos

Peter's co-worker asked if we were interested in having pregnancy photos taken. He had a friend who specializes in babies, kids, and family photos, Pea Patch Photography. She was interested in branching out to maternity photos and needed some pictures to add to her portfolio. We said sure! She is so nice and made us so comfortable and we highly recommend her for any child and family shots as well.

Hang tight

I think this post is more for me than anyone else. I want to post all these pictures but they just aren't ready. Isaac's nursery pictures will should be up soon. Peter is finishing up a shelf that we are going to hang and we are tirelessly looking for the perfect glider, where we both plan to spend many hours in the future, so Peter says, "It has to be comfortable." Also I will post our favorite 3 pictures from our pregnancy photo shoot.

More gifts for Isaac

My friends threw me such a fun shower!  Everyone brought their favorite books and a pack of diapers, what a great idea! Here are some highlights.

They decorated one-zies and bibs with puff paint. My friend Anna made homemade chocolate suckers!

First time roasting sugar pumpkins

This turned out to be way easier than I thought it was going to be. I imagined having to scoop out the inside while raw and that is a lot of work. But you just roast the pumpkins whole and then it is a piece of cake to scrape out the inside when it is all soft. Once you have the insides scraped out you just food process it and viola....pumpkin puree. Then there was the tough decision of what to make with the puree. I wanted to make something right away to validate my hard work so I made pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips. Here is the recipe: http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/pumpkin-muffins and I just substituted chocolate chips for walnuts because every muffin should have chocolate chips in my book.