Grace turns ONE!

You would wonder what keeps me from doing more than one or two posts a year anymore - well shoot I can barely keep up with brushing my teeth (don't tell my dentist) :)  Just HAD to post some pictures of my amazing little lady who turns ONE this Saturday! She is incredibly smart, sweet, dramatic, beautiful and so full of life. At least once I day, I wonder what I did with my time before she was born. Stephen and I can't imagine what our life would be or was without her. She is our everything!

Grace Elizabeth Field - Birth Story

Holy cow. I guess its about time I share Grace's birth story, since you know, she has been here over 5 months now!! Needless to say, my life is way more insane than I ever imagined, but I love being that little girls mama! Here is our story!

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Grace Elizabeth Field Birth Story

It was a week and a day before my due date with Grace and I was at one of Stephen's football games. Something felt different,  I knew that it was going to be less than a week before I saw my baby girl face to face. I increasingly was becoming more and more uncomfortable.  Pressure, back pain, exhausted and walking like a penguin that I always dress up as! 

On Sept 24, my mom and I went up to SLO for lunch at Village Host with Alyssa. I remember walking to the restroom at the restaurant and felt like I weighed 1,000 lbs. My mom warned me "the last meal I ate before I had you was pizza." Well after lunch we then headed for a much needed foot massage.  During the massage, I told my mom I felt something pop...but never thought to much of it...just that it felt like I kept peeing in my pants throughout the night and couldn't control it. Amazing. 

The next morning, Sept 25, after I got out of the shower and was getting ready to go grab a smoothie with Melissa, something was definitely off. Good thing we didn't go on the walk like we had been planning on doing. I text Stephen and said I thought something was strange, like maybe my water was breaking. We'll less than 5 minutes after I sent that text, it was like the movies, my water broke in a huge gush!! I yelled for my mom to grab me a towel as I called the doctor and continued to sop up the incredible amount of amniotic fluid now soaking into my mom's carpet. My poor poor mom's carpet!

Within an hour, I was being shuttled by my parents to meet Stephen at the high school where he drove me up to Sierra Vista hospital. I was immediately admitted and labor begins! When I got there, they checked me and I was only 1 cm dilated.  So long to still go! I labored for 6 hours and decided enough was enough, I needed an epidural. They gave me the epidural and then checked me and I was only 1.5 cm ...are you kidding me?! Shortly after the epidural, my blood pressure dropped, I got nauseous and they had to give me medication to get me back to normal.That was fun...

Stephen was beyond amazing throughout the entire labor. The best coach (duh) I could ask for, supportive, hugged me when I needed it, kissed me when I needed it, gave me some space when I needed it and stayed by my side the entire time. By the way, he also had been working on a Pandora station for us so it was the perfect music for us the whole night, I loved it. The nurses always liked coming into our room too because we had the best music :) 

The epidural ended up stalling my labor. Prior to getting it, I was contracting every 2-3 minutes and then after went to 5-7 minutes. So they ended up giving me Pitocin to help speed it all up. At 7pm (10 hours after my water broke) we got an amazing nurse,  Heather. I can't imagine having a better nurse. She was phenomenal and helped walk us through everything. She would go above and beyond to answer our questions, made us feel comfortable with the whole process and really made the entire process a joy (yes a joy). 

One eventful moment throughout the night was when Grace's heart rate sky rocketed and we didn't know why. Well Heather guessed it might be the 3 HUGE Sierra mist, cranberry and orange juice mocktails I had been consuming. I was only allowed to have water from there on out and fortunately that is what happened. Little Grace resumed back to normal heart rate after a few big glasses of water. At that point, we should have known how sensitive to everything our little Gracie would be (sensitive or dramatic.. take your pic). 

​After 22.5 hours, Grace decided it was time to arrive. I all of a sudden got the feeling like I wanted to push, so Heather said she wanted me to push and see how I did - a practice so to say. Well, I ended up being so strong, and so good at pushing (thank you Obsidian CrossFit) that she frantically called the doctor and told him he better hurry up! There were several contractions that I couldn't push- I just had to grunt through it because the doctor wasn't there. Let me tell you, not being able to push was the absolute worst part of my entire labor. Up until that point, it was easy. Pretty sure at that point I would have welcomed the laundry man to come in and deliver her if the doctor didn't get there.

My mom was also amazing through all of this. At one point also helping me hold my legs, all while taking some amazing photos. Poor thing, I am sure she was stressed out I gave her that task. I was so glad she was there with us!

At one point, Heather said "I can see her head!!" my first question was.. Does she have hair?! and boy did she!!

When Grace arrived, it was like a huge wave ran over me, they immediately put her on top of me... her little purple body started to turn a soft pink as she tried to cry (actually she was more of grunting than crying). I said "Hi my baby girl" and she looked right at me... I looked at Stephen and we both started to cry. What an overwhelming miracle she was. ​

Before labor, Stephen had said he wasn't sure he wanted to watch Grace as she entered the world. Well between him having to help me hold up my legs and coach me, he saw it all. He still talks about what an incredible experience it was to see. That never in his life did he imagine he would be so moved. 

The next two nights at the hospital were a blur. With trying to learn how to nurse, all the standard tests being done, trying to make it to the bathroom in my adult diaper, and getting next to no sleep. We were so happy to head home on September 28!

Top 10 Things I Love About My Amazing Husband Project

Post I never posted but meant to...

I want to make something special for Stephen that I could give him after the birth of our baby girl. Something small, sentimental, and would remind him every time he read it that I loved him. That even in those moments of struggle that I am sure to come in the next several years, and moments when he might not remember the amazing things I see in him, that he could look back and read these little reminders. Needless to say, I loved this project and I can't wait to share it with him.

I designed a little card ring and wrote "I Love" on each one of the cards.. then decided I wanted to hand write every little love I had for him to make it more personal and special. These are super easy, if anyone wants the PDF, I am happy to share!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

I was watching Tricia Yearwood one morning and she made these. I thought they sounded pretty amazing and they definitely were!! I took them to a CrossFit competition as an after work out goodie and then gave Stephen some to take to the football office- they were all gobbled up right away! I am not one to continue to make the same thing over and over, but I must admit I couldn't get enough of these :) Definitely recommend!

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

2 cups pretzel rods, crushed into crumbs

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup plus 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (I actually did 2 cups)

Directions: 

• Crush pretzels into crumbs (I just used my vitamix and pulsed twice)
• In a bowl, combine pretzels, butter, 1 cup peanut butter and sugar and mix thoroughly
• In an ungreased 9x13 dish, press the pb mix evenly. 
• In a microwave safe bowl, put chocolate chops and 1/4 cup peanut butter and put in microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir each time. 
• When chocolate is glossy and melted, spread over the pb layer
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting into squares!

Almost 39 Weeks & Home Progress!

Stephen and I had our 38+ week doctor's appointment today and stopped by the house to check on the progress. Its moving along- drywall is all up, stucco is up, it is getting pretty exciting!! Had to get our obligatory belly/house photo of course! Unfortunately, at this moment in time, baby is moving along as much - after the check I am not dilated at all yet - but I am measuring full term. Apparently, baby girl is completely content with where she is :)

38 Weeks, 5 days!

Little Baby Book

Made a simple little photo book to celebrate our little girl! Maternity pics, baby shower pics and baby shower WOD pics :)

Click Here

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

My mom ran across this recipe and we decided we had to make it... right away! We made it for dinner last Sunday and the boys and us included absolutely loved it! We made a few modifications from the original recipe here. So below is our version (and it was doubled from the original recipe)! We definitely recommend this recipe!

1 1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup milk

1 cup grated white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Directions: 

• Cook pasta according to instructions, drain and don't rinse
• While pasta is cooking, put butternut squash in a bowl with a little water and microwave about 10 minutes. You want it to be tender before you add it to the pan. You can also use pre-cooked and frozen butternut squash in this recipe, but I prefer fresh. 
• When squash is tender, add to a large pan with the chicken stock, milk, cheddar cheese, parmesan and bring to a boil.
• Simmer and start to let the sauce thicken, breaking down the squash as much as possible. 
• When everything is cooked down, add the spices and then put everything in a large blender to make as smooth as possible. This is an optional step, but I found it made the dish WAY more creamy. 
• Pour the sauce back in the pan and add the chicken. Let it cook and get warm about 5-10 minutes. 
• Add the sauce to the noodles. 
• Garnish with parmesan!

Pregnancy Power Food

Just had to get a snap shot of the dinner we had tonight - sooo yummy!! Steak, sautéed asparagus and mushrooms with garlic and a delicious spinach salad with homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette!

Baby Log: Weeks 29 - 37

The final countdown... I am only 3 weeks away from meeting our beautiful baby girl and Stephen and I both couldn't be more thrilled. Hospital bag is packed, birth plan (eh a few little notes not really a plan) is ready, list of people to contact for Stephen, car seat is installed, we are ready to go!!

Food cravings: As always, toast and chocolate cake... darn those carbs!  Wine... is it acceptable to bring a bottle with me in my hospital bag?

Food Aversions: Still no zucchini...unless in the form of chocolate zucchini bread :) I am really hoping this goes away. Now the thought of it doesn't disgust me anymore... I did eat one piece when my dad made kabobs over Labor Day weekend, but that was about all I could muster.

What I am feeling: So much better than I ever imagined. I am more and more tired as the weeks go on, but I am still able to CrossFit a couple times a week and I am trying to keep walking here and there! I actually did go on an amazing hike on August 31. We hiked Avila Ridge, which is a pretty darn good hike. Never thought I would be able to do it at 36 weeks!

Looking down from Avila Ridge!

I am also constantly overwhelmed with thankfulness. Sometimes I sit back and wonder what Stephen and I did to be so incredibly blessed. We are surrounded by some of the most amazing family and friends we could ever ask for, and I am so looking forward for each and every one of them to meet our precious little girl. From the 2 amazing baby showers we were thrown, to the special cake and goodies at one of my "last" coalition meetings for work, to the insane number of homemade quilts and blankets we were given - we truly have been blessed by God to be surrounded by amazing people. Bring on the tears... they seem to flow extremely easily these days :)

Baby Movement: She is a little dancing machine! Always moving. Below are a few videos I got of her in action- they are pretty quick because she would always stop when I actually had the camera ready to go.

On August 18, Stephen really got to feel her in action before we went to bed. Sometimes I wonder what the heck is going on in there. I told him that her day consisted of "A marathon, 5 rounds of hiccups, kick boxing lessons, 1 more round of hiccups, a kettlebell swing seminar, and jazzercise" - this girl is SO active and I love every second of it. The moments she isn't moving, all I want her to do is give me a good jolt!

Video on July 28, 2014 at 9:09 pm

Baby Hiccups on August 25, 2014 at 10:43 am

Baby Roll on Sept 5, 2014 at 2:30 pm (Last day before maternity leave!)

Next Steps: I am now officially on maternity leave- nuts! I am really fortunate to get a pretty good maternity leave - off until mid January then part time until mid-March. It helps when I have tons of vacation and sick time saved up! I must say, this is the first time since I was 15 that I didn't have to worry about waking up for work - I am not sure what I think about it. Hopefully this little girl comes pretty close to her due date to give me some much needed time off before sleep as I know it is no more!

I am now also in my weekly doctors appointment phase! 

Baby Girl Pics from September 4

The beginning of our weekly doctors appointments! We had our last ultrasound before meeting our little girl face to face!!

Her little face!! The white circle near the right is her nose, darker areas next to it are her eyes
she is frowning :) 

Her little hands- giving "knuckles" already!

Belly is officially out of control!!!

It's official...

I have found a new cup holder :) I also must say, Red Dirt Coffee House is by far my favorite coffeehouse. Coffee and drinks are amazing with a Hawaiian flare you won't get anywhere else. Delicious food, and they start making my coffee when they see me walk in. I <3 them!

Sausage & Veggie Brown Rice Pasta

This dish turned out excellent. The broth was delicious, veggie mix was perfect, it was incredibly easy! I will definitely be making it again! My mom got the sausage from a local grocery store and it was fresh, I think that is what made all the difference in this dish, so if you have it available, get fresh sausage!! If you are looking for a similar recipe to this, I made a different Hot Italian Sausage dish back in January, it was also delicious and a bit of a change up from the below recipe.

1 pound spicy Italian sausage

1 pound mild Italian sausage (can do all spicy if you want)

2 -3 cups cut green beans

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped small

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons minced dehydrated onions

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 pint mushrooms, chopped

Brown Rice Pasta

Baby spinach

Chopped mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions:

• Remove Italian sausage from casing and brown in a large pan.
• Add diced tomatoes, mushrooms, chicken stock, green beans, Swiss chard and seasonings and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes to let all the flavors incorporate and to let the Swiss chard cook down and green beans get softer.
• Cook pasta according to directions.
• Layer some pasta in a bowl, then cover with about a 1/4 cup of fresh baby spinach. Then cover with the sauce!
• You can also top with a few small chunks of mozzarella cheese, however if you are doing paleo, that is of course a no-no. 



Maternity Pictures!!

So in love with all of these photos! A HUGE thank you to Weston Neuschafer Photography for doing an amazing job, as always!!

Paleo Zucchini Banana Bread

Well the food challenge is over, but my family wants to keep going to some extent! My mom really wanted to make another zucchini bread so we had some healthy snack we could go to. However, we wanted to try a different one than the last time because although the guys loved it, my mom and I both thought it was a little too chocolatey :)  We got this recipe from a friend at the gym and make some of our own modifications/changes/additions. Here is the recipe we came up with and this yielded 2 loaves.

2 1/2 cups almond meal

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda 

4 eggs

4 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cup zucchini, grated

1 banana, mushed 

1 1/2 cups pecans (my moms idea and DEFINITELY a must!)

Directions: 

• Grate zucchini over a paper towel so that some of the liquid is soaked up
• Put dry ingredients (meal, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts) in a bowl and stir
• Put all the wet ingredients in a blender, including the zucchini and banana, and pulse for about 10 seconds. 
• Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix thoroughly
• Put in a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes until the bread is firm to the touch in the middle. 
• Enjoy!!

Building our Home

Stopped by to see the progress on the house today. Although from first glance it didn't seem like a ton of stuff had been done, all the electrical is done, drywall has been delivered and all the windows. They are working on the back retaining wall too! Stephen's brother Chris was there with us this time, so we were actually able to get a picture together! This picture is us standing in sort of the dining room - looking towards where the kitchen will be. Chris is standing in what will be the living room :)

Our little place coming together - 32 weeks!!

Beautiful Baby Shower

This past weekend my friends and family all joined to celebrate Stephen & I and our little nugget! It was an absolutely gorgeous shower. My mom did an insane amount of work to get the house ready, make gorgeous decorations, and make it a day I will never forget. A special thank you to my friend Alyssa who helped with the preparations and Doreen who got us a very cute cake for the shower!

Here are a few pictures from the day. I really was overwhelmed with the love that everyone showed us. There were several times during the day I had to step back and just think how incredibly blessed Stephen and I are to have such loving friends and family.

Sign in table - including the AMAZING homemade diaper giraffes my mom made!!

Shower favors :)

Can't wait to read all the fun notes everyone left when we are changing diapers.

Cute cake!

So many blessings!

Of course you need a man zone for the men to congregate

Baby girls first proposal - Mason made a "Future Mrs. Lewis"
onesie... complete with a ring pop!

My amazing husband!

Beautiful, loving and generous mama!

Sisters!!!!

Peggy & Kyle <3

Mama and Pops!

Wonderful friend Alyssa