Oh, The Holidays!

It is that time of year! The time when you get so caught up in the buying, packing, planning, and traveling that you forget the little things that fill the rest of your time.

It's been a while since I've written last, so I just want to take a little bit of time to write about the Kjar family happenings over the last month.

This is the time and season for sick bugs!! Ahhh! Not only have sicknesses been circling the families in our church, but it has been circling around our family as well. Ugh. Kaleb was sick the entire week before Thanksgiving with a stomach bug. Not fun. On multiple occasions I was called to go and pick up my husband from either school or work with the report that he was not going to make it through the day. I just hoped that he would get feeling better before our plane ride to California.

The time for travel arrived and Kaleb was feeling much better. Lilly was fantastic on the plane (she slept the entire time!!) and we enjoyed a week with family celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, Kaleb and I made a Cranberry Relish recipe that scored  with the family. This is a recipe that I've played around with a little after first receiving it from one of my friend's moms. If you're interested, I suggest you try it out!

Cranberry Relish

(Makes 3-4 Cups of Relish)

Ingredients:

• 2 green apples, peeled and diced
• 1/2 C orange marmalade
• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1 C frozen raspberries
• 1 C sugar
• Water

Instructions:

1. Chop apples and raspberries
2. Boil cranberries in sugar with enough water to keep them from burning (basically, enough to cover the bottom of the pot)
3. Once cranberries have popped and formed a thicker mixture, combine al ingredients and stir together.
4. Refrigerate until you serve!

Four Generations!

One of my favorite things to do when I am back home with my family is to have our Mario Kart marathon. We play every single level of Mario Kart and learn who is the overall best at the game. We love doing this and it just brings us all closer together. Also, for having not grown up with video games like I did, Kaleb did pretty well in the marathon and even beat me a handful of times! :)

While there, Lilly received no shortage of attention. People were coming over left and right just to see her. We got some really big smiles from our little girl this trip and she loved spending more time with Grandma and Grandpa :)

On the return trip back to Utah, Lilly wasn't nearly as happy. She actually made it through the entire plane ride okay, but our journey through the airport to the gate was horrendous. We barely made it on time due to the lines and how slow everyone was moving and Lilly screamed at the top of her lungs from check-in all the way to the gate. Needless to say, nobody was really itching to sit next to us. Too bad it was a full flight...

These past few weeks right before Christmas have been... interesting to say the least. However, we have started our December advent calendar and have been loving the activities for each day. I would tell you what our advent calendar is this year, but I keep that a surprise from Kaleb (since Lilly isn't old enough to care). And besides, he likes the surprise and the sporadic gift opening throughout the month as well. I will make sure to write another post about our Christmas traditions :)

What has made this month especially interesting is finding out that we had a lot less money in our bank accounts than he had hoped. Due to Kaleb being sick and missing a fair amount of work and our leaving over the holidays, our bank accounts are running dry--something that is pretty scary at any time of the year. But, in order to counter this and still feel in control, we have taken some precautions:

1. Create an Emergency Fund. Over the course of a year, Kaleb and I have been distributing our paychecks into various accounts, making especially sure that we have two emergency accounts; one for small emergencies (like, we temporarily can't pay our rent or we get into a fender bender) and one for large emergencies (like we are out of work for extended periods or we need to travel quickly due to a family emergency). 
2. Reevaluate your Budget. We have reevaluated time and time again our accounts and budgets, making sure that we are not spending more than we really need to in any area, especially in this time of low income.
3. Utilize your Resources. We have utilized our community and government resources. Things like WIC and Medicaid have been absolute lifesavers during this time and we are SO LUCKY to have such resources available to us. I mean, going to the doctor and not having to pay a dime is one of the biggest blessings that we could have had throughout my entire pregnancy and even now. 
4. Take out a Loan. For me, this is a last resort. I don't like the idea of owing a chunk of money to anybody, but, it is a great resource, especially for those still trying to pay their way through school. 

Even though sometimes it seems that life is a little rough, I know that I have been blessed beyond belief. If I ever doubt that, I just look at my little girl and remember that she is mine forever and ever. And who couldn't be grateful after knowing that?

Stop Growing Up!

Can I just say something? I remember when my grandma would tell me that she was going to put a brick on top of my head to keep me from growing and how my parents would say that we kids were all just growing up too fast. I always ignored those comments. Now that I am a parent, I understand what they were saying all too well.

You can believe me when I say that this little girl of ours gets cuter and cuter every single day. Her baby fat is rolling in and she has smiles (including little dimples) that just make me melt every time. 

After looking back on some of our pictures we took after she was born, we realized that she has already grown so much! Now it's my turn to be a parent and say, "I'm putting that brick on top of your cute little head!" 

I'm now starting to realize just how fast the time passes by and I am so grateful for the little moments that bring so much happiness into my life.

Family Home Evening at Cornbelly's

Cornbelly's

Halloween as Peter Pan, Wendy, and Tinkerbell

Too much Cuteness!

Date Night playing Mini Croquet

Cousins meeting for the First Time!

Being a Mom: The Best Job in the World

I've spent the last few posts talking about the blessings, but also complaining a little about the difficulties after having Lilly. For this post, however, I want to address a few of the precious joys of being a mom to my daughter.

1. Those morning stretches after she gets out of bed are so funny to watch, always starting my morning off with a smile.

2. Even if I don't always like it, Lilly loves breastfeeding so much that she starts smiling and flailing her legs and arms all around just in anticipation of getting some milk. 

3. We have dance parties at least once a day in which we turn up the Disney music and proceed to dance around the apartment while singing along.

Tongue Out!

4. Curious George is our favorite TV show, and sometimes Lilly even stays awake for a whole episode ;)

5. Every time she takes a nap or goes to sleep for the night we put on Pandora and let Lilly fall asleep to one of three stations: LDS Hymns, Steven Sharp Nelson, or John Schmidt. She tends to be in a happier mood and fall asleep easier while listening to their music.

6. Her little hiccups are the cutest darn things you've ever heard!

7. She makes the funniest little faces, my favorite being her "squished" face where she pulls her face into her neck and lets her little chin rolls come out. 

She LOVES that Baby Carrier

8. She's reached the stage that she will copy the faces and try to copy the sounds that you make. Her favorite is anything that requires sticking out her tongue.

9. If all else fails, put her in the baby carrier. She loves looking around for a few minutes until she falls asleep all squished up into your chest.

Practicing for the Teenage Eye-Rolling

10. When she starts to fall asleep, her eyes begin to roll into the back of her head while her eyes are still open. It is totally hilarious and adorable all at the same time.

11. Bows, flowers, and hats are so much fun to accessorize with. Little girls are so much fun to dress up!

12. I love it when she falls asleep while laying her head on my shoulder. Every time that happens, all I can do is let out a sigh and reflect on how everything that happens in one day is so worth it for just that one moment.

I love being a mom because it has really helped me realize just how much my mom and dad must have loved me when I was little and how they continue to love me just as I love my my little girl. This truly is the best job in the world. Nothing cold ever persuade me to choose a better profession than Mom.

Lots and Lots of Smiles

After those first few weeks of total chaos and less than the desired amounts of sleep, the smiles that come in later weeks make it all worth it.

Our little bean is now six weeks old. Six weeks!! I know that doesn't seem very old, but to us the time is just flying by. I'm not going to lie, those first few weeks were really rough. I was running on fumes and I'm sure Kaleb was doing the same but paired with going to school and work on top of it. 

All Smiles with Grandma Persson and Aunt Sarah

Now, it's six weeks later and we are getting the hang of things. Sure, we still don't get incredible amounts of sleep (that 3am feeding is really killer!) and we still struggle to soothe her cries sometimes, but when she wakes up in the morning and gives us that big grin we know that every tear, diaper, and waterfall of puke is all worth it.

We had the special opportunity to experience lots of things in the past few weeks. 

1. My parents and younger siblings were able to fly in, giving Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jared their first look at Lilly. They loved every minute and even helped babysit overnight!

2. Kaleb and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary and enjoyed our time at the Cheesecake Factory, watching the movie Pan (which was very good), and spending the evening at Anniversary Inn, especially enjoying the lack of a 3am feeding :)

Lilly with Uncle Josh

3. Kaleb's parents drove down for the weekend, giving Grandma Kjar her first moments with Lilly, grandchild #4. Watching her hold Lilly and just pour out her love was priceless.

4. Lilly was blessed at church on Sunday and was given a very special blessing by her daddy. We recorded and typed it up for her so she can look back on it when she's older. 

We are so blessed to have this little girl... Exhausted... But blessed :)

The First Weeks: Your World Flipped Upside Down

Throughout the nine months of pregnancy you figure that having a baby will be a challenge, but not too difficult. The reality is this...

everything you thought you knew about babies, everything you thought you knew about being a mom, everything you thought  you knew about your spouse is absolutely turned upside down. You learn you really don't know a whole lot until you are pushed to your emotional and mental limits. It's not until that moment that you start to realize one very important thing: you would never trade your life of upside downs and sideways for anything else. 

This week we had our fair share of trials and errors. Questions like who should wake up when she cries? How can I be a better mother and wife? How can I be a better father and husband? and what is our new routine? have been key this week as we have tried to figure out what works best for us as a new little family.

I'd be lying if I said this was easy. Nothing has ever been so emotionally and mentally taxing as becoming a new parent; however, like I said before, I wouldn't trade this for anything. I'm sure I can also speak for my husband when I say that we are completely smitten with this little girl of ours. Lilly has quite a personality that we are slowly discovering. She is so curious. When she is awake she likes to look at everything around her and move her hands and arms all around. She loves to stick out her tongue and has other priceless expressions, which make us giggle. Lilly sleeps. A lot. The outdoors calm her down and we can be sure that a walk in the stroller is welcomed, even if getting her into her carseat is a major struggle.

Another first for us this week was taking Lilly to her first professional photography session. Everything was fine, even blissful, until that first flash went off. After that, it was a race to see if we could get a decent picture before the crying set in. Although the session was only supposed to include Lilly, the photographer brought both me and Kaleb into the frame to help calm her so that we could get more pictures. Needless to say, the session didn't last too long. However, we were able to get a few adorable pictures of our screaming little angel ;)

Even amidst the screams, we do get quite a few laughs. The best happened last night as I brought Lilly into the shower with me. Since she isn't too favorable of baths, we thought maybe the shower would work, and it did! After a nice warm shower, she was ready to be handed out to Daddy to be dried off. Kaleb, however, was not fast enough, and before he could get the diaper on he instead had a nice long stream of pee all over him as well as the bathroom floor, counter, and sink. Understandably, I had a good laugh, especially since I wasn't the one with the pee all over me ;)

We love our little girl and, although she has presented us with more of a challenge than we could have possibly known, we are more than blessed to have her as part of our family. She certainly is perfect for us :)

The "How"

After a few trials of faith and a lot of support, we are so happy that we finally have our little girl.

These last two weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind. I am going to start at the beginning. 

Friday, August 28th, Kaleb and I headed to the Hospital because I was feeling really really sick. Turns out I had the stomach flu. Yuck. In order to make sure everything was a-okay with the baby, they did some tests and had me do 24-hour urine test as well. After turning in the results on Saturday, we were called back into the doctor’s office on Monday, August 31st, in order to discuss the results. The results were not ideal, to say the least. I was diagnosed with something called preeclampsia. This is a disease that manifests itself as high blood pressure and the tendency to have seizures in high-stress situations. The cure, however, was easy: delivery. After taking my blood pressure one last time, the doctor told us to go home, grab our bags, and return to the hospital that same day (Monday) and I would be induced (basically given a drug, Petocin, in order to speed up the labor process). 

When we arrived at the hospital on Monday, they hooked me up to the Petocin (to help speed up labor) and also on Magnesium (which slows down your system). Now, these two drugs work against one another. However, I needed the Magnesium because it would keep my blood pressure lower and prevent me from having a seizure. After 6 long hours, I hadn’t made any progress, still dilated at 4cm like when I arrived at the hospital. However, with a visit from the doctor and with a few changes made, labor started to speed up. 

After another 6 hours of labor, my body was finally ready and we welcomed Lilly Ruth Kjar at 12:56 am on Tuesday, September 1st. She was 7lbs. 7oz. and 18 inches long. Lots of light-colored brownish-red hair and the cutest little face you ever saw. 

The day after her arrival, we were informed that she had a little bit higher level of jaundice (the disease where your body doesn’t break down the red blood cells and can manifest itself in yellowish skin). She was taken back to the nursery and placed under these large UV lights in order to help her body break down those cells. We were only able to see her when she needed to be fed. It was hard, but we knew it would help her get better. Well, after two days under those lights, her levels continued to rise. So they sent us home with an at-home version of these lights (a bilibed and blanket) and told us that if she stayed under these lights as long as possible, she would eventually get her levels down. 

The concept was great! However, the implementation was less than favorable. Lilly hated the at-home version of the lights. She would basically just scream the entire time, preventing us and her from getting any sleep at all. After another trip to the doctor, Lilly’s levels had only risen and we were faced with a very difficult choice: try the lights at home for a little longer, or admit her to the hospital where she could be under the industrial hospital lights until her levels could lower. By this time, my mom and dad had arrived and they were our support as we admitted Lilly to the hospital and made ourselves comfortable for the stay. Mom, Dad, me, and Kaleb stayed in the hospital, taking sleep shifts as necessary, for the next 24 hours. Let me tell you, there is nothing harder or more emotionally draining than returning home without your little baby. This experience really was a trial of great faith. 

The good news arrived the following afternoon (Sunday, September 6th) when Lilly’s jaundice level lowered enough to return home. Gratitude could not even begin to express how I felt in that moment. We were bringing our baby home.

Since we returned home, we have enjoyed celebrating our little miracle with other family members and expressing gratitude for this little girl who is finally ours.

Drop, Baby, Drop

One more week down. 37 weeks never felt so good... Except for the fact that I am so ready to not be pregnant anymore. Haha.

Don't take that the wrong way. There are so many things that are sweet and only able to be experienced through pregnancy, however, when you reach the end, you are more than ready to welcome your new little edition to the family. In fact, let me share with you some of the sweetest moments of my pregnancy:

37 Weeks!

1. There is no better excuse to redecorate a room in your house (or, in our case, apartment)
2. Your husband will talk to your baby and hope for a little kick or nudge in return
3. The little rolls, kicks, punches, and other little movements become reassuring and you look forward to them
4. Those hiccups, even on the inside, are so stinkin' cute...and powerful!
5. You are always being served, whether it's getting first in line at a buffet-style meal or having someone there to pick up everything you drop on the floor
6. You won't have to do all the chores because there are just some that you can't do with a ginormous belly. Thanks be to your husband ;)
7. Baby showers are fun and really help you build your stock of things that you know you couldn't purchase or make all yourself
8. At family gatherings, people will flock to you because you are the woman with the belly ready to pop
9. You really become so excited (and terrified) to become a parent to this new little life over the course of your pregnancy
10. You will undoubtedly receive so much love and support from the people around you, finally understanding the love that your parents have had for you since the moment you were first born

Along with these sweet pregnancy moments, I actually made a meal this week that I would love to share! The name of the game is Tuscan Chicken Skillet. YUM.

Tuscan Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

My Tuscan Chicken Skillet served with Garlic Biscuits

• 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 lb. Chicken Breast Tenders (or chicken breast that has been cut into smaller chunks)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Thyme
• 1/2 Yellow Onion, diced (about 3/4 Cup)
• 3 Cloves (1 1/2 tsp) Garlic, minced
• 12 oz. Mushrooms, sliced
• 2/3 Cup Sundried Tomatoes (or Roasted Red Peppers), chopped
• 1 (15oz) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15oz) cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• Parsley for Garnish

Instructions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and brown (about 3 minutes) on each side
2. Remove chicken and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan with mushrooms. Brown mushrooms and set aside.
3. Add onion to skillet and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes and stir in diced tomatoes, spices, beans, and sugar.
4. Transfer chicken back into skillet and spoon some sauce and vegetables over the top. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Return mushrooms to the pan, and salt and pepper as needed.
5. Garnish with parsley and serve hot!

Oh! I got so wrapped up in the food that I forgot to tell about the most exciting news from this last week! 

My husband and I went to our regular doctor's visit and as the OBGYN was checking to make sure everything was on the right track for delivery, he was surprised to find that I was already dilated to 3cm! Normally, at 37 weeks, women are dilated only to maybe 1 cm. But with that news, the doctor informed us that everything was ready for delivery except that the baby needed to drop just a little bit more. Once she dropped, labor would most likely be started on its own before the due date! YAY! This, of course, was excellent news. 

If by chance, however, that labor does not start on its own, by 39 weeks, the doctor would probably be able to induce labor without have any complications. So, we will see what this next week brings (crossing our fingers for this baby!!) but we are hoping that at least by September 4th, we could have our little girl in our arms :)

Waiting

We are basically just waiting for this little girl to arrive...

We've done all of our purchases, we've set up the nursery, we've even washed all the baby clothes and cleaned all the pacifiers and bottles. Now all we need is Lilly...

This week was mostly filled with work for Kaleb and my History independent study class. Basically, largely uneventful. However, come the weekend, we headed to Salt Lake City and enjoyed exploring the City Creek Center. We had fun as we shared some memories with Kaleb's younger brother as well and enjoyed Chinese food (courtesy of Mom and Dad Kjar :) as well as a little treat from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. The day ended as we watched numerous small children play in the splash pad fountain at the mall. I think seeing all the giggles and screams just made me and Kaleb want this little girl to come even sooner!

As for myself and this pregnancy adventure, I have been experiencing some of the early signs of labor and an increased consistency of Braxton Hicks contractions. Though I am sure that we won't have Lilly tomorrow, I hope that the time is nearer than we expect. At 36+ weeks, I am ready for this healthy little girl to be ours :)

A Little Tongue

This last week was full of random happenings and lots of time with family--which we love!

Kaleb started his first day of work at his new job: BYU Information Technology Project Manager. With twice the amount of hours and a decent pay raise, we are feeling pretty good about this job change and are grateful for the financial boost :)

I started up my independent study History class again and am determined to finish before this little baby comes...which I may or may not be successful in. Wish me luck!

My old workplace threw a waffle breakfast for me as a going away party (even though I stopped working about a month before...) and it was fun revisiting coworkers and eating great food. Yum, waffles :P

Lilly at the 34 Week Ultrasound :)

We also had the special opportunity to get our very last ultrasound of Lilly before the big delivery day. At first it seemed that we weren't going to get a good look at her little face because her arms were covering it from all sides, however, in a split second she moved one of her arms and we got one of our very favorite pictures of Lilly--silly face, tongue out and everything :) We are indeed in love with this little girl. We cannot wait to hold her in our arms!
We also got the additional good news that she is right on target with her due date of September 11th and is head down (relieved about that...). At our next appointment next week the doctor will begin to look for dilation. We are so close!

Amelie and Uncle Kaleb

On Friday, Kaleb and I headed up to Farmington to celebrate our sister-in-law's brother's wedding. It was fun to see family members and catch up after several months of not seeing each other. One of my very favorite moments of the evening, however, was when we went out to a late dinner and smoothie run after the reception. Amelie (our adorable niece), got so comfortable as to fall asleep on Kaleb's lap for the entire evening. It was more than precious. By the time we had to leave, Kaleb was reluctant to let go and his desire to have our own little girl intensified. Needless to say, we are so ready to have Lilly :)

By the end of the night, my pregnant-lady feet had had enough. In fact, I normally have pretty slender feet. However, these last few weeks have been rotten in the way of swelling. I don't even have to be walking anymore to have my feet swell up like a balloon. I even discovered that my right leg and foot swell twice as much as my left leg and foot. I learned that, because of the pressure of your ever-growing baby onto your vena cava (the largest vein in your body that also happens to be on the right side), your right side will tend to swell more than your left side. Hmm. Good to know. That's another reason why it is preferable to sleep and lay down on your left side as opposed to your right.

On Saturday we spent our time with Kaleb's family (only missing a few of the whole family). We began the day in Salt Lake City and participated in an Escape Room. The basic premise of this "game" is to solve the clues in order to reach the end goal and get out of the room within 1 hour. With only 5 minutes to go, we reached the last clue and just barely didn't make it in time. But with us being so close, we considered it a win :) This was something that I had never experienced, however, it was so much fun! We also had a fun time discovering how well we all work with one another. I think we did pretty well :)

35 Weeks!!

Last, but not least, we returned to Salt Lake City on Sunday evening to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Joe Ostrander and Blake Bartter. We gathered with the Kjar family and enjoyed many conversations as well as games, food, and laughter. We are excited for these two to make that commitment to one another and enter into this new adventure called marriage :) This gathering, though mostly for the benefit of the two getting married, also benefitted me and Kaleb. During the gift-opening, each member of the family was to provide some marriage advice. On the drive home, Kaleb and I talked mostly about the advice given at the family event and discussed different areas that we were willing to work on in order to strengthen our relationship. What a blessing it is to be a part of a family that has such strong family values and understands the important of family relationships!

I am so grateful for my husband and his family. I am also so grateful for our opportunity to have our own family and add to it within the next few weeks (come on, Lilly!). This marriage truly has been an adventure worth taking :)

A Little Laughter and Swollen Feet

I feel like I very appropriately titled this post. With shopping, errands, and family adventures abound these last two weeks I am completely wiped out! I have also never seen my feet so swollen. Even Kaleb told me that they had looked as if I sprained or injured them because of how uncharacteristically large they were. However, with only 5 weeks and 4 days to go until the due date, I am just happy that I can walk at all :)

33 Weeks!

Since my family has been in town, we've been blessed to be treated many times to lunch and dinner, so we didn't do a whole lot of cooking, however, we have got some great recipes to share :)
Before those recipes, just an update on our family happenings...

Two weeks ago we went in for another OBGYN appointment and both my husband and I were laughing as the doctor couldn't get a good reading of Lilly's heartbeat. She was moving so much that even the doctor could see my belly moving and just had to laugh. The good news is, she is more that healthy.

The following Friday, Kaleb and I made an impromptu decision to spend the night with my family up in Park City. Decision = bad. We had fun staying up and playing with the family, however, because of my missing body pillow and even comfortable clothing to sleep in I got a total of maybe 3 hours of sleep. By morning (early morning), I had convinced Kaleb to come with me to Walmart so that I could purchase some comfy clothes that would help me get through that next day. Needless to say, sleepovers aren't really my thing right now. Haha.

34 Weeks with this Active Little Girl :)

Last Week we made an appointment to meet with our local WIC (Women Infants Children) Office and were deemed eligible for some aid throughout the remainder of the pregnancy and even for a few years after Lilly is born! This was a huge blessing to receive. Now living off of one very low paycheck, it is nice to know that we will at least have the aid necessary to get the basic foods we need and even healthcare assistance.

Last (but certainly not least) is our baby shower. This past weekend I enjoyed the company of many family members and friends for our second and last baby shower before Lilly arrives. We all had so much fun talking and catching up with one another as well as playing games that my mom had so creatively put together (judging play-doh babies and guessing how round my belly was). I am so grateful for the generosity of others, especially since we have so little.

Okay! Now for these killer recipes!

1. Homemade Garlic-Ranch Chicken Pizza

This pizza is worth every single bite. I don't think I've ever been more excited to eat leftovers! We used our own family pizza dough recipe, however the sauce on this pizza is to die for!! A must try.

2. Spicy Roasted Vegetable Mac & Cheese

This recipe was also super delicious! It is a pretty clever way to hide those vegetables into a meal and they taste so good! We did make a few changes to this recipe: only 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and no red pepper flakes (this gave it the perfect spicy kick without burning everything in your mouth) and we used regular pasta instead of whole-wheat. Overall, it is one meal we will definitely be making again :)

3. Apple Oven Pancake

This was a perfect meal for me and my husband. Along with a little bit of fruit, this "pancake" was eating in a matter of seconds (really...) and I was left wanting more. A definite keeper.

With some good recipes to share and lots of time with family, it has been an excellent two weeks full of laughter and swollen feet. But I'd say that the swollen feet were worth it :)