:: 29 Weeks ::

January 24, 2014

:: Butternut squash ::

{  17 inches long  }

 -  3.1 lbs.  -
Actual Weight / 70th Percentile
Go Baby J!!  

My belly's increasing, size is a definite clue that our baby is getting bigger every day, weighing in at over three pounds now (he'll be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks).

Growing daily is his brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles.  And now that our little genius can regulate his own body temperature and turn up the heat, he'll start shedding lanugo, the downy body hair that's been keeping him warm up until now.

Jordan's sucking his little fingers 

(or should I say BIG since that is what we see and were advised at the specialist - lol)  

Looks like he is following Daddy and Jaiden's genes in hand size! 

Peek-A-Boo...

Jordan is facing you!

In this image you can see his nose and mouth facing toward you.  

He was slightly hidden behind the placenta.

:: 28 Weeks ::

January 17, 2014

:: Small cabbage ::

{  17 inches long  }

 -  2.9 lbs.  -  

He weighs nearly 3 lbs now and measures about 17 inches.  Although Jordan is getting pretty close to his birth length, he still has to chub up a bit.

Over the next 11 weeks, he will more then double -- or even come close to tripling his weight!  

As Jordan grows and the room in my womb gets tighter, I will be less likely to feel the big kicks and more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee 

(Is that what I felt in my rib the other day? 

Is that what Rod and I were watching in Church Sunday?

lol the adventure of baby love love love)

Thank you Grammy: "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" Jordan's 1st Book.Thank you Auntie Julie: Jordan's 1st Easter Basket

- AND - 

here it is, the published version 

and the life of Jaime version...

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie…

If You Give Mommy A Cookie…

If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.

If you give me a cookie, I'm going to ask for Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream.

When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask for a straw.

When you give me the Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream, I'll probably ask for peanut butter.

When he's finished, he'll ask for a napkin.  

Then he'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache.

When I'm finished, I'll probably ask for a second serving with whip cream.  Then I won't want to look in a mirror or stand on the scale to allow time to make up for it at the gym! lol

When he looks into the mirror, he might notice his hair needs a trim.  So he'll probably ask for a pair of nail scissors.  When he's finished giving himself a trim, he'll want a broom to sweep up.

When I look into the mirror, I might notice my tummy is fully extended.  So I'll probably change into my yoga pants and seek Daddy support for comfort.  When I seek Daddy support for comfort he will then ask: "Did you eat your Blue Bell?" and I will have to admit: "Those pints JUST don't last in our freezer!"

He'll start sweeping.  He might get carried away and sweep every room in the house.  He may even end up washing the floors as well!  When he's done, he'll probably want to take a nap.

I'll start weeping.  I might admit Jordan got carried away - lol - and request Daddy to no longer buy Blue Bell Ice Cream at the store.  I may even end up eating Daddy's pint as well!  When I'm done, I'll probably want to go to bed.

You'll have to fix up a little box for him with a blanket and a pillow.  He'll crawl right in, make himself comfortable and fluff the pillow a few times.

He'll (Daddy) have to fix up a little spot on the sofa for me with a blanket and pillow.  I'll crawl right in (occupying his spot on the sofa), make myself comfortable and fluff the pillow a few times.

He'll probably ask you to read him a story.  So you'll read to him from one of your books, and he'll ask to see the pictures.

I'll probably ask to go to bed.  So Daddy will do this all over again for me in our room!

So…

You get the picture,

If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk.

If you give me a cookie, I'm going to ask for Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream + Peanut Butter + Whip Cream

THE END.

A Week in the life of Rod, Jaime, Jaiden and Jordan

I like to include them all in my raving craving this week!! 

HaHa :-)

:: 27 Weeks ::

January 10, 2014

:: Head of cauliflower ::

{  16 inches long  }

 -  2.5 lbs.  -  

Jordan is settling into the proper position for birth, with his head facing downward (toward my body's nearest exit!).  Our little work in progress is now about 2.5 lbs and almost 16 inches long.

He is busy adding new skills such as blinking to an already impressive repertoire of tricks like coughing, sucking, hiccuping, and taking practice breaths.

Jordan sleep now includes the REM (rapid eye movement) phase -- meaning that he could be dreaming already (what do you suppose he is dreaming about?  Oh boy! lol it could be many things if he listens to Daddy, Jaiden and I all day - we are quite the adventurous crew!!)

:: 26 Weeks ::

January 3, 2014

:: cucumber ::

{  15 inches long  }

 -  2.2 lbs.  -  

Baby is now triple (or even quadruple) what he was in week 12.

His weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over two pounds.  More big news: He may recognize our voices by now.  Jaiden, he hears you looking for him every day! :-)  

Time for mommy to start Jordan's lullabies.

' ' ' Zoolights 2013 ' ' '

December 30, 2013

We are bundled up and ready to go for our stroll through the Zoo, 

aglow with more than a half-million lights! 

Animal-themed displays 

Off to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for…

Zoolights 2013

The Strilcov Family  |  The Poling Family  |  The Bailey Family

Thank you Auntie Ris!  

She ensured all of the little kiddos: 

Dela  |  Miles  |  TJ  |  Olivia  |  Jaiden 

had a light up toy for their Zoolight Adventure!! :-)

All 5 of the kiddos snuggled together in the giant nest.

Olivia, Dela, Jaiden, TJ and Miles

Spiders

Zoolove!

17-foot tall Sumatran tiger head

Reindeer romping on a hillside

Mount Rainier's Glorious Majesty

Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located 54 miles southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington.  It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of 14,411 ft.  Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list.  Because of its large amount of glacial ice, Mt. Rainier could potentially produce massive lahars that would threaten the whole Puyallup River Valley.

Regal polar bear family, frolicking on an ice floe

K I S S I N G   B O O T H 

Mommy & Jaiden

#Zoolove

Warm snuggle break outside of the Aquarium

South Pacific Aquarium

100-foot octopus lounging atop the South Pacific Aquarium 

{  C O U S I N   L O V E  }

TJ - Jaiden - Olivia

<3 <3 <3

Shark mouth photo shoot

Learn about - and touch - sleek stingrays @ stingray cove

Scuba diving Santa

Scuba Santa diving with the sharks

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge

A pair of twin suspension bridges that span the Tacoma Narrows strait of Puget Sound 

in Pierce County, Washington.  The bridges connect the city of Tacoma with the 

Kitsap Peninsula and carry State Route 16 over the strait.

Jaiden Owen Bailey's Holiday Art Portfolio

November - December 2013

Jaiden Owen Bailey's

Holiday Art Portfolio

At Northway Christian Day School Jaiden favors his little artist spot...at the table!  

Ms. Marissa: "Jaiden just loves to sit at the table" :-)   

Please enjoy a sampling of his hard work to date!  These are pieces that he has made over Thanksgiving and Christmas.  He came home so proud to show Daddy and I, we treasured every moment of opportunity to celebrate each piece and showcase it in our home!  

Jaiden, 

We truly treasure your hard work and dedication to these pieces 

that you have craftily created at school.  We love you!  

- Daddy and Mommy

Thanksgiving

Foot Turkey

 Feathered Turkey

 Hand Turkey

Christmas

 Fingerprint Tree

 Christmas Stocking

 Rudolf the Red-Nosed Handeer

Snowprint Ornament

 Snow Globe!

Momma's Day Out!

December 30, 2013

It's a Momma's Day Out!

Julie Strilcov    |    Jaime Elmore    |    Marisa Poling

Babes are all covered and cared for...  

9:30am - 1:30pm

Mommy Julie

TJ & Olivia 

Daddy Day Care @ Hand's On Children's Museum - Olympia, WA

Mommy Jaime

Jaiden

Grammy and Jaiden Day!

Mommy Marisa

Dela & Miles

Auntie Jacy Day!

1st Stop…

Nordstrom Rack

Photoshoot #1:  Marisa and Jaime

We lost Julie to instant retail therapy! :-)

Photoshoot #2:  Baby Jordan!

So...I guess after all I wasn't completely off of the hook since I do have Baby Jordan with me, lol, but he is an easy shopping buddy so he is more then welcome to join us on our 

Momma's Day Out Adventure!

"Basketball Jordan" 

- Cousin TJ

2nd Stop…

Brank's BBQ

I have FINALLY experienced the official Brank's BBQ!  

It seems I am always just a phone call away, well I should say a few states as well - lol - when Mom and Julie share their mouthwatering experience with me about Brank's BBQ.  For some reason, the past few times I have been home to visit we just hadn't yet made it there.  

Today…it is official, I am ALL on board to ensure this is included in our WA itinerary every trip going forward!!  There wasn't one thing about my food that I didn't like.  

Heavenly Homemade Sweet Iced Tea + Brisket Schooner Green Salad + BBQ Beef Sandwich + Cowboy Beans + Potato Salad + Cornbread

= AMAZING!

I can only imagine the All You Can Eat Buffet on Wednesdays!  Whew, the thought just warms my soul and makes my mouth water!!

www.branksbbq.com

Brank's BBQ is a locally owned and family operated real, 

honest-to-goodness, southern style BBQ restaurant 

in Sumner, WA since 1995.

"Our menu items are made daily.  We use dry rub on fresh meat, smoked with 

apple or wild cherry wood in our Ole Hickory Pits."

Now home to the kiddos / back to mommy duty we go!  

We had a very enjoyable few hours visiting and sharing our ladies time with one another.  Julie, Marisa and I had it a long time coming to embrace some one on one moments together.  

We are refreshed and ready to go home and snuggle our munchkins!  

#mommylife