On The Sunny Side Of The Street

NAMI Walk 2011

2011-05-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

Norah and I will be participating in an event that is very important to me. NAMIWalks, the signature walkathon event of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is being held in Portland, OR.

WHERE: Vera Katz Eastbak Esplanade (SE Main at SE Water)
WHEN: Sunday, May 22, 2011
CHECK-IN: 12PM
START TIME: 1PM

WHY DO I PARTICIPATE?

My brother, Brent Slowik, had a mental illness called Paranoid Schizophrenia - "one of several types of schizophrenia, a chronic mental illness in which reality is interpreted abnormally. The classic features of paranoid schizophrenia are having beliefs that have no basis in reality and hearing things that aren't real."

Unfortunately in my brother's case this disease took his life by suicide. I walk every year in his memory and to help others like Brent.

I would like to ask you to come and walk with me and/or to donate to support my participation in this great event. Please visit the team page for Brent's Buddies and sign up:http://www.nami.org/namiwalks11/NOR/brentsbuddies. Donating online is fast and secure, and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.

WHAT IS NAMI?

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.

The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved, and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested.

Sincerely,

C h r i s t o p h e r S l o w i k

Happy Mother's Day Trista!!!

2011-05-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have the pleasure of seeing the best mother in action everyday. Norah Jane Slowik has the most loving, caring, thoughtful mother ever (besides her grandmothers, of course). Trista is one of those people who God has always planned on being a mother someday, and that someday came one and a half years ago on October 15th, 2009 when Norah was born and Trista became a mother. I have no doubt that no one loves Norah more than Trista and Norah love no one more than her "ma ma".

Here are some pictures of Norah and Trista over then last year and a half.

...and here's a teaser of the video I made of what Trista missed at the Easter 2011 celebration....

Looking so Grown Up!

2011-01-31T19:24:00.001-08:00

Just happened to have my camera with me the other day and when I uploaded these pictures I thought, "no way my baby is THAT big!" I can't stop it, she's growing up so fast. How blessed I am to get to watch her grow :)

Norah Climbs The Stairs

2010-12-27T12:08:00.000-08:00

I put together this epic video of Norah's triumph over the stairs. She prevailed.

-Chris

When Norah Met Santa

2010-12-12T21:24:00.001-08:00

It didn't go so well, but we got a killer picture!

Doesn't SC look like he'd had enough of this for the day? HAHA

Norah's getting strange before bed

2010-11-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

Two consecutive nights Norah has started some strange behavior before bed time, maybe this is the shape of things to come.

11/17/10 - Norah came up with this pacifier hiding game

11/18/10 - Norah turned into an elephant or a trumpet player.

Hope you enjoy,
Chris

Maui Baby

2010-11-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

*10 minutes before I finished this post Norah turned off the computer, mid keystroke! So it took a LOT to finally get this posted!!!*

I have seriously started this post 3 or 4 times in the last few weeks but technical difficulties, mommy duties and pure exhaustion have kept me from finishing it. It's not perfect, it's not beautifully laid out but I wanted to share some fun pictures from Norah's first vacation and her second trip to Maui! Photos from her first trip here.

At the Maui Ocean Center with Mom. She was so enthralled by this place, it was so much fun to see her experience something so new.

Waving to Dad while he goes snorkeling. This is at north Kaanapali beach RIGHT in front of the resort we stayed at. It was so perfect and beautiful.

Norah's first time in a hammock, I think she liked it.

Sweet little chubby cheeks :)

Hallway cruising with Daddy! Whee!!!!!!

Waving bye bye to the sun after a beautiful day

Little Slowik Family

Norah-1 Year

2010-11-15T21:48:00.000-08:00

You can see some of Norah's 1 year photo shoot here.
She is getting so big!

look who's walkin'

2010-11-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

New Computer!

2010-10-21T09:50:00.001-07:00

Hooray! We finally have a new computer so I can upload photos and carry on with the blog posts! We're in the process of transferring things over, so stay tuned! We'll be posting soon about Maui and our Norah's first birthday!

Catch up!

2010-07-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy lately, hence the lack of posting! Here is what we have been up to:

Playgroup trip to the pool! Norah, Kayleigh and Lana

Swingin' with Daddy :)

And here are her 8 month photos that I totally slacked on posting, it's getting harder and harder to get her to hold still for photos!!

And her 9 month photos! She is getting SO big!

19lb 10oz
28.5 inches long
She's crawling and cruising and getting into all sorts of things, she has 5 teeth and is working on #6! She is a delightful and joyful little girl and we are having so much fun watching her grow up.

This photo made me laugh, she was eating rose petals....crazy baby!

Vote for us!

2010-07-18T00:23:00.000-07:00

Norah had her 9 month photo shoot last Thursday, and one of her pics is in a little contest on the photographer's blog :)
To vote for us, visit their blog here and leave a comment saying that Norah's pic is your favorite!
Thanks! And we PROMISE to be updating the blog more often. Teething, crawling, cruising and more have kept us super busy so we have been short on time :)

Norah Learned to Wave Today!!

2010-06-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Please help out any way you can

2010-05-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

My brother, Brent Slowik, had a mental illness called Paranoid Schizophrenia - "one of several types of schizophrenia, a chronic mental illness in which reality is interpreted abnormally. The classic features of paranoid schizophrenia are having beliefs that have no basis in reality and hearing things that aren't real."

Unfortunately in my brother's case this disease took his life by suicide.

While it's too late to save Brent, you have the opportunity to help others like Brent who suffer from various mental illness diseases. I have started a team to walk at this years NAMI Northwest Walk by visiting this link you can donate to my team.

Thanks so much for your time.

Chris Slowik

Hello 7 Months!!!

2010-05-18T20:30:00.001-07:00

I don't know where she is getting the smile in the pictures below. We think she looks like a cuter and happier version of:
OK, maybe not quite, but here is our adorable little NJ with her new cheesy picture grin :)

Slowik Family Photo Shoot-Preview

2010-05-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Check it out!

Update

2010-04-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I have been thinking it's been a while since we've posted anything other than photos and captions, so here's a Slowik family update!

Our sweet little Norah is growing like a weed, weighing in at 16lbs 12oz (74%) and 27in (93%) at her 6 month doctor visit. She is sitting up independently, 'talking' to us more often, scooting backwards and inching forwards so almost crawling and is really getting into her toys! It's so fun to watch her discover new things. She is also eating oatmeal and veggies or fruit after her evening nursing every day now and she is loving it! She makes a giant mess and seems to be enjoying the new tastes. So far her favorites are sweet potatoes, squash, apples and bananas. We had her 6 month photos taken at Cooper Mountain Nature Park last Sunday, so those should be up on the blog within a couple of weeks. She's also gearing up to go to her first swim class. Lots of photo ops headed this way. Stay tuned :)

We have a HOA in our neighborhood that is supposed to do all of our front lawn maintenance but they have been doing a TERRIBLE job! A minor facelift is in progress, I'll post more pics when it's done, here's what we have right now, with the cutest little lawn ornament you've ever seen.

Chris is still working at the lab, nothing new there, and I'm still working in maternity at the hospital, night shift. It's going so well and I am learning something new pretty much every time I work so it's always exciting and never boring. We aren't quite yet in our busy season so I've been getting days off here and there so I'm only working 2 nights most weeks instead of 3, it's a welcome break before the madness of the summer season sets in :)

We've been cheering for the Trailblazers, who are in the playoffs again this year. Here is a sweet little pic of their most adorable little fan!

So I think that's it for now, hope you enjoyed the update and hopefully I will be posting more content along with the pictures :) Hope everyone is having a great week!

6 months old!

2010-04-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Little Slowik Family

2010-04-12T22:26:00.001-07:00

I'm sick right now, so there isn't a whole lot going on with our little family right now, I'll leave you with a few photos until I have something exciting to post :)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:22:00.001-07:00

Shout Out

2010-03-17T15:50:00.001-07:00

We have a new team member! Thank you Grandma Patty for joining Team Tim!

5 months old!

2010-03-15T22:13:00.001-07:00

We can't believe our sweet Norah Jane is 5 months old already! She is such a delightful little lady, here are a few pics from her 5 month photo shoot.

Those of you who have the pleasure of knowing her well, know that a fresh onsie doesn't last long with this kid..........

Shout Out!

2010-03-09T15:49:00.001-08:00

Thank you to Sally B for donating to Team Tim! We're getting closer!!

Norah gets her ears pierced

2010-03-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

I know EVERYONE has an opinion on piercing an infants ears but after doing much research and discussing it with our pediatrician we decided to have Norah's ears pierced. Dr Thomas recommended Nomad piercing, and we are so glad he did! Blake at Nomad is an expert in his field and takes piercing, especially for a baby, very seriously. Everything was sterile, and he took his time to get it just perfect. We did NOT want to take her to the mall and have some 18 year old with an unsterile gun shove a stud that is no better for piercing than a thumb tack through our precious daughter's ear. She has cute little hoops that are made of implant grade steel that allow for the inevitable swelling and carry no risk of getting embedded in her adorable little earlobe.

Marking the spot.....

She cried for just a minute, and soon was back to her happy self!

Ta Da!

Shout Outs!

2010-03-07T13:25:00.001-08:00

We got a few AWESOME donations to Team Tim! this last week and one that I missed a while back! Thank you so much to the Thompson family, the Bunch family, Aunt Tammy, Myrna (Nina :) and Mamanina Leonor!!!

Norah's a little bit upset......

2010-03-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

This is the face she made when I told her that there are only 5 people signed up to walk for her Grandpa Tim. She'd like you to sign up to walk, or donate today! Thank you!!!

To join Team Tim! click here.

To donate to Team Tim! click here.

Cute Cute Cute-Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, time to get serious people!

2010-03-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

I KNOW there are more people out there who are planning to join Team Tim! and do the MS Walk with me and the 4 other people who signed up!!!!

If you join Team Tim! by this Sunday March 7th I will personally donate $10 to your fundraising efforts!!!!!!!!

To join Team Tim! click here.

To donate to Team Tim! click here.

New Layout ...... finally!

2010-02-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

At Trista's request, like 6 months ago, I've finally gotten around to finding a swift layout for our blog. I used a template from http://www.ipietoon.com/ but had to modify it a bit to our liking. I couldn't imagine doing this without a strong knowledge of HTML, it took me some time scrolling though all the code to adjust and remove things. Glad to be done, what do you think??

-Chris

4 month stats and starting solids!

2010-02-24T16:07:00.001-08:00

Norah had her 4 month checkup today and she is doing great! She's growing like a cute little weed and weighs 15lb 4oz (89th percentile) and is 25 3/4in long (95th percentile). She's rolling over, babbles and squeals and giggles a ton! Especially at her Daddy! Here are some photos from her first stab at rice cereal last week. Enjoy!

Shout Out!

2010-02-23T04:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my mom and dad for joining Team Tim! It would be too bad if Tim himself wasn't on Team Tim! So good thing you signed up Dad! Love you both!

Shout Out!

2010-02-19T01:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks to David and Katie for joining Team Tim! 57 days until the MS Walk!

It's that time of year again........

2010-02-17T22:06:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It's time again to get into gear for the MS Walk 2010! Please join Team Tim! and walk with us, donate to the cause or both! I created Team Tim! for my AWESOME Dad who has had MS for 13 years now. He is one tough guy and is battling MS with more courage than I could ever have, so to show how much I love and support him, I'm setting my personal fund raising goal higher than in previous years, $1250!!

To join Team Tim! click here.

To donate to Team Tim! click here.

Love you Dad!

4 months old!

2010-02-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our sweet baby is 4 months old today! She has her checkup next week so we will be posting her stats and milestones then, for now please enjoy the photos :)

Happy Valentine's Day My Love!!!!

2010-02-13T22:31:00.001-08:00

Almost 5 years ago I married the love of my live - my true best friend. I love you so much Trista, you bring such a joy to my life. I enjoy making you smile and raising our sweet Norah together.

7 years ago we celebrated our first Valentine's Day together. I was living at Garden Home West Apartments in SW Portland and a young 18 year old Trista had the idea to make me diner at my place and decorate it in a special Trista way.

Look at how young we were!!

My love you so much sweetie,
Chris

Playgroup!

2010-02-11T17:18:00.000-08:00

There are a few girls from a local mommy and mommy to be message board that get together with their little ones and/or baby bumps and hang out! It's tons of fun and of course, we took pictures!!!!

Logan and Kayleigh

Norah, right before........

she puked all over her dress!

awwwwww, I love you too baby!

Norah's 3 month pics

2010-02-11T16:41:00.000-08:00

A preview of them is on the photographer's blog here...

This is one of our faves :)

Baby Talk

2010-02-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a video I took of Norah last weekend, she's starting to be quite the chatterbox! If only we knew what she was saying, maybe some of you can interpret her stories.

New picts of NJ

2010-01-31T15:00:00.001-08:00

The rest of the pictures can be seen by clicking here or entering this in your browser: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=140219&id=506229825&l=0ad7b9b924 )

I also caught this awesome pictures of Ruby and Diego during the Norah shoot....

Martha Washington

2010-01-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Striking the resemblance, no?

Goals

2010-01-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

The last post actually got me thinking about goals and dreams. Up until last year my goals and dreams were to graduate and become a nurse and start a family. Looks like those things are definitely checked off of my list but now I think I need some new aspirations. I of course want to pay off my student loans and car....blah blah blah but I need a more creative goal that is fun to work towards. I kind of get lazy if I'm not working towards something. I don't want to start school again just yet, and I am not ready to expand our sweet little family for a while..... :) Sounds like something to think and pray about!

Here's another sweet Norah Jane photo, just because :)

Tagged!

2010-01-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you Laura for the reason to blog! Here are my ONE WORD ANSWERS to these questions.

1. Where is your cell phone? table

2. Your hair? blonde

3. Your mother? Shelli

4. Your father? Tim

5. Your favorite food? Thai

6. Your dream last night? crazy

7. Your favorite drink? bubbly

8. Your dream/goal? hmmmmm

9. What room are you in? living

10. Your hobby? cooking

11. Your fear? blindness

12. Where do you want to be in six years? Maui

13. Where were you last night? Pool

14. Something that you aren't? sarcastic

15. Muffins? ick

16. Wish list item? biggerhouse (that's one word now right?)

17. Where did you grow up? Oregon

18. Last thing you did? Facebook

19. What are you wearing? Chris'sweatshirt

20. Your TV? old

21. Your pets? crazy

22. Friends? essential

23. Your life? blessed (totally stole this one from Laura)

24. Your mood? fabulous

25. Missing someone? sure

26. Vehicle? Suby!

27. Something you're not wearing? shoes

28. Your favorite store? Nordstrom

29. Your favorite color? Yellow

30. When was the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? idk

32. Your best friend? Chris

33. One place that I could go over and over? Mexico

34. One person who emails you regularly? DailyCandy

35. Favorite place to eat? Typhoon

If you're reading this, consider yourself TAGGED!

Give us your best 1 word answers......

Jumperoo!

2010-01-20T16:22:00.001-08:00

Norah tried out her jumperoo yesterday for the first time! She loved it! I'm so glad she can hold her head up so well! Our living room looks like a display area for Babies R Us but at least she will be well entertained :)

She's still a little short...

Much better!

Ruby decided that after Norah went to bed, the pillow was there for her.

Cutie Pie

2010-01-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

Here is Norah just shy of 3 months old! She's growing so fast, and we are having more and more fun every day! I started back to work on Tuesday night, it was a crazy night, but I made it through and Norah slept the whole time I was gone! Hopefully things continue to go smoothly :)

What have we been up to?-photo post

2010-01-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

Norah can hold her head up while sitting in her BUMBO! A Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa Gravdahl :)

Norah and Chris trying to look tough.....they might want to lose the pacis...

Cutest little farmer!

Dressed up for NYE, minus headband. Blurry pic and cranky face due to ceiling fan and time for a nap :)

Norah and Lana at Nordstrom during mom and Amy's trip to the mall!

And....we got a surprise snowstorm! How pretty!

Norah's First Christmas!

2009-12-26T10:00:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Here are a few pics of Norah in her Christmas long johns, notice the trap door! So cute! Thanks Uncle Ri and Auntie Jules! Thanks Nina for the Christmas-y socks :)

2 months!

2009-12-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

So I put Norah's one month snapshot first so you can see how much she has changed! It's so amazing how fast she changes and is growing! She had her 2 month checkup this week and she is doing great! She weighs 12lb 4oz, 97th percentile and 23.5in 93rd percentile! I'm still exclusively breastfeeding, and obviously that is going very well! This week she started sleeping through the night! She's smiling and cooing up a storm, which we can't get enough of! She is such a delightful little girl, and we are so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter.

Norah at 1 month

Norah at 2 months

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2009-12-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite shot, but not the one we are using for our Christmas card.
We've been doing great, just busy! I'm sure that's easy for all of you moms to understand :) Norah is 2 months old today! Her checkup is tomorrow so I will post her stats and pictures then. I can't believe she is growing up so fast!

Little Slowik Family All in One Post.....

2009-11-21T20:21:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of our favorites from Norah's first photo shoot!

Daddy's Girl

2009-11-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Another preview of Norah's newborn pics. Precious!

Some Norah pictures

2009-11-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Here's one picture from Norah's photo shoot with Bryan Rupp Photography

And here's some pictures of Norah in a onesie made by one of my co-workers. This onesie no longer fits her... she's growing so quickly!!

-Chris

New outdoor pictures of Norah

2009-11-05T13:47:00.001-08:00

Trista, Norah and I took a quick walk through our neighborhood yesterday with our camera, I think we hit our last nice fall day for quite some time. Here's some shots from our walk.

-Chris

Our baby is 2 weeks old!

2009-10-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Norah had her 2 week checkup today! Here's her stats...
Height: 21.5in
Weight: 8lb 13oz!
Overall health: Fab!
The doctor said she is doing great, not even a touch of jaundice and that she seems happy and healthy except one little thing...she has gained weight excessively! Our little or, not so little girl gained 12 oz in 10 days! I was afraid she wasn't gaining enough because she spits up A LOT every time she eats, but it turns out I am just a cow....literally. I produce too much milk for her. The pediatrician said I could probably successfully exclusively breastfeed triplets! Time to scale back the feedings just a bit! She's not the happiest about it but she is already spitting up less. Our washing machine is thankful for the much needed break! I haven't even had to do one load of laundry today!
Here she is after her appointment :)

Auntie Katie organized a nieces get together tonight, she and David came over for dinner along with her new niece Lana and her parents Amy and Danny. Amy and I were in the same pregnancy fitness class so NJ and Lana have been friends longer than they think :)

Norah also had a playdate with our neighbors Ryan and Allison's son Roman. He is 6 days older than NJ but was supposed to be 3 1/2 weeks younger! He came early! Allison was also in the same swim class as Amy and I!

Chris' coworker Elliott and his wife Leigh brought their one year old daughter Iris over for a play date......she is learning to gently touch babies, not smack them! It was cute to see her try and interact with Norah. They are almost exactly a year apart!

This is pretty much what I do all day.......just stare at her. She is amazing and we love her so so much!

Is it possible to have too much free time with a new baby in the house???

2009-10-25T22:44:00.001-07:00

The answer is somehow yes. Maybe too much extra time isn't the issue as much as too much extra diapers!! When faced with the dilemma of what to do with a large overstock of diapers many ideas can rush through your head and for some reason this was my best possible answer. I'll let the picture do the talking.

We love Diego for his willingness to participate and for being such a good sport. Trista had NOTHING to do with this.

-chris

Happy 30th Birthday Chris!!!!!!!!

2009-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday my love! I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man. You are amazing in so many ways and I love you so much!

and then there were 3!

2009-10-22T17:56:00.001-07:00

I think the word is out that our little bundle of joy has arrived.....almost 2 weeks early! We love her to pieces and are so happy! Stats: 8lbs 4oz 21in born 10/15 at 1:51am. As I'm sure most of you can imagine, we are strapped for time so a more thorough blog post is on it's way. Here are a few pics of our baby Norah Jane who is one week old today!

Picture Post!

2009-10-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Nursery! It's almost done. The crib is full of blankets, breastfeeding pillows, clothes that need to be washed and random other stuff, the curtains still need to be hemmed, the changing pad is on the table now but not in the pics and the walls are still kind of bare

The only picture I have on my cam from the baby shower, but it's a good one! These cupcakes were SO good!

38 weeks!

2009-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

How far along? 38 weeks, 1 day!!
Maternity clothes? mostly but I can still zip up my favorite hoodie, it looks kind of silly though
Stretch marks? still a lucky girl in this dept, but the last few weeks of pregnancy can be a bugger! Keeping my fingers crossed
Sleep: I slept SO good last night, it was a lovely!
Best moment this week: I got 2 low census days this week and we finished our childbirth classes!
Movement: like crazy
Food cravings: I've been getting up in the middle of the night STARVING! I usually bring a little bowl of cereal upstairs and crunch away....so I guess I'm craving cereal.
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: Same progress, still with the braxton hicks but they are not annoying or painful. More exciting! All contractions count!
Belly Button in or out? neither, it's flat
What I miss: many many things, but I'm still feeling great, not desperate for her to come out just yet
What I am looking forward to: Delivery I suppose :)
Milestones: Maternity photos are up! www.bryanruppphotographyblog.com

Full Term! 37 weeks!

2009-10-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

How far along? 37 weeks and 2 days!
Maternity clothes? mostly :)
Stretch marks? still a lucky girl in this dept, but the last few weeks of pregnancy can be a bugger! Keeping my fingers crossed
Sleep: some nights are better than others...getting up a lot!
Best moment this week: I got a low census day (day off work because there weren't that many patients) and I got all of NJ's laundry done and her diaper bag packed. Also ran all of my last minute errands
Movement: she's a kicker
Food cravings: starting to run out of room for food!
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: Contractions are continuing and I'm officially 2cm and 75% effaced, -1 station.
Belly Button in or out? neither, it's flat
What I miss: I get winded just standing around sometimes, it's the weirdest thing! I was drawing a kid's blood the other day and all of a sudden I was out of breath and feeling exhausted! I can't wait to not be so wiped out and tired.
What I am looking forward to: dressing NJ in her cute clothes!
Milestones: Well I'm not sure if this is a milestone but we did have a scare this week, but everything is ok! I was walking around a bright red icee spilled on the ground at Target and I slipped on some water spilled on the ground on the other side of the walkway. RIGHT BY THE BABY STUFF! I fell on my belly and couldn't catch myself because my hands were full. It scared me more than it hurt me, I went to LD for monitoring and was having regular contractions (!) but they were not changing my cervix and NJ's heartbeat looked fine, great actually, so they let me go home! Thank goodness! Thanks everyone for all of their prayers :)

David and Katie's Wedding!

2009-09-28T17:45:00.001-07:00

Mr. & Mrs. Gravdahl!

I love this picture of them, it's so....them :)

Me and hony

Katie's sister is also expecting, a little girl just 3 weeks before me! I thought this picture was cute.

Sibs :)

The fam, looking good!

36 weeks...getting closer :)

2009-09-28T02:50:00.000-07:00

How far along? 36 weeks!
Maternity clothes? mostly :)
Stretch marks? still none, bracing myself...I think I might get some soon, things are getting tight!Sleep: some nights are better than others...getting up a lot!
Best moment this week: had maternity photos Monday and a baby shower on Saturday! So much fuN!
Movement: This week, I actually stopped in the middle of a sentence and said, "ouch!" She is getting strong!
Food cravings: applesauce
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: more frequent braxton hicks AND I'm still progressing! 1-2cm, 70% effaced and -1 station!
Belly Button in or out? getting kind of flat-ish
What I miss: my pre-pg jeans
What I am looking forward to: next week we are considered full term!
Milestones: The nursery is pretty much complete! We will post pics soon!

Photoshop fun.

2009-09-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

Just tried out a new Photoshop tutorial for a selective sepia effect on a picture of Trista and I and wanted to share it. What do you think? It's pretty neat because you can select what color(s) you want to remain.

-Chris

35/35!

2009-09-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

How far along? 35 weeks!
Maternity clothes? mostly :)
Stretch marks? still none, bracing myself...I think I might get some soon, things are getting tight!
Sleep: other than my work schedule complicating my sleep schedule I'm sleeping well still!
Best moment this week: I went to Lupe's for dinner one night, MMMMmm Tijuana Torpedo!
Movement: she's an active little thing!-and getting very strong!
Food cravings: Thai food
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: nothing new
Belly Button in or out? getting kind of flat-ish
What I miss: sushi still, I've been craving it for weeks now
What I am looking forward to: a french 76
Milestones: 35/35! I've been so excited to get to 35 weeks, because it means I have 35 days left to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give or take of course. Going to start taking wagers soon on when she will actually decide to make an appearance!

34 weeks!

2009-09-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

How far along? 34 weeks, 2 days
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? still none, bracing myself...I think I might get some soon, things are getting tight!
Sleep: when I do sleep, I sleep great, having a crazy schedule and then a belly that gets in my way is making things more challenging.
Best moment this week: Last weekend we went to Cannon Beach for the weekend to celebrate my birthday, our anniversary and our last weekend away before we go from a family of 2 to a family of 3!!! More on this below :)
Movement: she's an active little thing!
Food cravings: cookies
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: having more contractions, and according to my midwife, things are starting to progress! I will spare you the details but YAY!!!!!
Belly Button in or out? still a halfie....it looks so funny!
What I miss: sushi!
What I am looking forward to: Almost done with the nursery, and having a couple baby showers soon!
Milestones: Little NJ isn't so little anymore! She weighs about 4 and 3/4 pounds!!!!

On our trip to the beach, we forgot our camera!!!!!! We were so sad but here are a few lovely pics from the internet! We spent a lot of time relaxing, walked on the beach down to Haystack Rock and beyond when I had the energy and ate some really great food! We stayed at the Surfsand Resort, it was so worth it, comfy beds and an amazing soaking tub! The view wasn't too shabby either! Chris and I can't wait until the next time we go to the beach because it will be with our baby girl!

This is the deck at the resort, they also had cabanas and windblocks they set up for guests, and had bonfires with smores every night! It was lovely!

Happy Anniversary!!

2009-09-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Happy 4 year anniversary my love! Can't believe how much joy the last 4 years have brought us, can't wait to see what the future holds! Every day I love you even more.

HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY TRISTA!

2009-09-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday my sweet wife! Next year for your 26th birthday, we can celebrate it with our almost 1 year old NJ.

Someday she might be a ballerina like you in this picture.

Love you so much,
Chris

32 weeks!

2009-08-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

How far along? 32 weeks
Maternity clothes? of course, my regular wardrobe would be what some consider slightly distasteful :)
Stretch marks? still none, bracing myself
Sleep: when I do sleep, I sleep great.
Best moment this week: went out for Thai food with Chris, then we got Cold Stone! We needed an official date night and it was SO WONDERFUL! Love you hony!
Movement: seemingly constant, and I love it. No she is not kicking me in the ribs! I love my long torso!!!!!!!!
Food cravings: chicken noodle soup. Mom: time to make your famous chicken and noodles!!!
Gender: I hope she's still a girl, she's got a LOT of pink clothes :)
Labor Signs: occasional contractions, but nothing regular.
Belly Button in or out? still a halfie....it looks so funny!
What I miss: pinot gris or chardonnay with spicy thai food. Delish!
What I am looking forward to: The nursery furniture is being delivered on Thursday! I am so excited!
Milestones: I'm measuring a week behind now, I was always measuring a week ahead until this week...my midwife thinks she is settling into my pelvis which is a good thing!

30 weeks/Cooper Mountain Nature Park

2009-08-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today was a lazy Sunday for sure! Chris and I spent some much needed time just relaxing together! We slept in, spent some time with the neighbors, went to Costco, took a nap then went for a lovely little hike/walk at the new Cooper Mountain Nature Park! It is so nice! We are so lucky to have it so close to our house. The park has 3 miles worth of trails and gorgeous views! We can't wait to take NJ there in her off road BOB stroller next spring!

How far along? 30 weeks!!! 3/4 of the way there!
Maternity clothes? biting the bullet, pretty much everything is maternity clothes now. Bring on the shopping!
Stretch marks? nada!
Sleep: still sleeping very well! Getting used to this nights to days thing
Best moment this week: Had my first baby shower this week hosted by my BFF Kari and her mom Fay.
Movement: she is always moving! The crazy thing is that while I'm working all night, she's up all night wiggling around, I wonder if she moves that much while I'm sleeping?
Food cravings:Fajita Salad aka hot meat and lettuce. lol
Gender: I hope she's still a girl, she's got a LOT of pink clothes :)
Labor Signs: couple of contractions....nothing to get excited about
Belly Button in or out? still a halfie
What I miss: lots of things. 10 more weeks :))
What I am looking forward to: ordering nursery furniture this weekend and going to the lake on Tuesday maybe!
Milestones: All of the baby books say her brain is starting to get all wrinkly! Increasing the surface area of her brain, making her even smarter!!

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Gravdahl!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day! Thank you for asking us to be a part of it!!!!! Hope you are having a blast in Oahu!!!!!!!!!!

weekly update, a little late this week

2009-08-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

How far along? 29 weeks, 4 days!!!
Maternity clothes? biting the bullet, pretty much everything is maternity clothes now. Bring on the shopping!
Stretch marks? nada!
Sleep: although it's on an altered schedule (I started working 12 hr nights 3d a week) I'm still sleeping pretty well!
Best moment this week: David and Katie's wedding weekend AND I started my new job!!!
Movement: I think she kicked my hip bone this week! Cool!
Food cravings: lean cuisine chicken carbonara. yum
Gender: girly
Labor Signs: none this week!
Belly Button in or out? still a halfie
What I miss: Chris, haven't seen him much this week. I left for work at 630pm, he gets off at 7pm, I get home at 8am, he leaves at 10am. It's kind of sad.
What I am looking forward to: ordering nursery furniture and sleeping during the night tonight!
Milestones: saw our midwife, everything still looks fantastic, and my baby brother got married last Sunday! He and his lovely bride are in Oahu for their honeymoon right now, we can't wait until they get back!!!!!!!!!!

Puppy update, baby update!

2009-08-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Since we found out we were expecting so quickly after getting Diego, he has kind of been left out of photo ops and blog updates. Here are a few shots of both of the pups. They are becoming great friends, and guess what!?! Diego is bigger than Ruby now!

He is such a wrinkly guy!

How far along? 28 weeks, 2 days!!!
Maternity clothes? still not full fledged maternity wardrobe but my pre pg options are dwindling.
Stretch marks? Nope! Thank goodness!
Sleep: still loving it, still getting a lot of it
Best moment this week: went to the lake on Saturday and floated around on the boat for a few hours, got a killer tan :) Tanned bump is cuter than not tanned bump for sure!
Movement: she is stretching out a lot! Her sweet little foot keeps jabbing out :)
Food cravings: frozen blueberries
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: had more BH contractions last night, did too much I suppose, and definitely didn't drink enough water!
Belly Button in or out? still a halfie
What I miss: stamina in the heat!
What I am looking forward to: finishing the nursery! At least we got started this week! Thank you Chris!
Weekly Wisdom: hmmmmm......can't think of anything
Milestones: Chris is no longer on crutches for the stress fracture in his foot! We can go for walks now! We also had an appt with our spectacular midwife and NJ is measuring right on schedule, and she weighs about 2 and a half lbs!

Here is an updated belly shot. Chris wasn't home yet and I got impatient so please excuse the camera face.

And here is NJ's piggy bank for her nursery! I saw it a while back, didn't get it, went back to get it and it was sold out!!!!! Thank goodness they got more in! I love it!

Third Tri!

2009-07-26T22:05:00.000-07:00

How far along? 27 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? just pants and skirts....the tops still look like tents!
Stretch marks? Nope! Thank goodness!
Sleep: still loving it, still getting a lot of it
Best moment this week: Passing my state boards!! AND going to happy hour today with my bro and his awesome soon to be wife. SO FUN and SUCH GOOD FOOD!
Movement: she's all over the place and keeps flipping from vertex to transverse......silly girl better not get used to all that space!
Food cravings: fresh berries and Mexican food
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: had some pretty strong and regular (every 2min!) contractions one night, it was kind of scary but I drank a TON of water, walked around the bedroom and prayed.....and they went away. phew! Chris was so sweet, he whipped out our copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting and was reading up on contractions, encouraging me to chug yet another glass of water. He's such a love.
Belly Button in or out? still a halfie
What I miss: I SoOoOo wanted a glass of wine at PCG tonight......soon enough
What I am looking forward to: starting the nursery....still!
Weekly Wisdom: drink lotsa water, I already knew that but it's so important!
Milestones: we are now officially in our third trimester! WOO HOO! Home stretch now :)

Trista Slowik, RN!

2009-07-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hola everyone, it's official, I passed! God is good :)

OWT

2009-07-22T18:02:00.001-07:00

Did you know that if you crave a certain food, and you resist the urge to eat it, your child will be born with a birth mark resembling that food you did not eat?

This is the craziest OWT I've heard yet! Anybody know a better one?

NCLEX

2009-07-21T16:31:00.001-07:00

I took my state boards for my nursing license today! It is a computer adaptive testing system and can be anywhere from 75 to over 250 questions. It shut off at 75 so I either aced it or bombed it! I'm guessing aced because I felt really good about it. Should find out tomorrow, maybe the next day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to everyone for their prayers! Watch for updates, yes I will post either way!

26 weeks!

2009-07-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

How far along? 26 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? just pants and skirts....the tops still look like tents!
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: like a rock, but with crazy vivid dreams!
Best moment this week: lounging by the pool overlooking Lake Oswego on Wed. with Andrea
Movement: She's getting pretty strong! The shakes my whole midsection when she's tumbling around in there!
Food cravings: fresh berries and diet coke......that's a new one!
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: none this week, maybe a BH contraction or two
Belly Button in or out? still a halfie
What I miss: my Joe's skirt
What I am looking forward to: starting the nursery....still!
Weekly Wisdom: no silly advice this week, lots of belly rubbing though. Starting to get used to it :)))
Milestones: decided the nursery will be in the other spare bedroom, have lots of organizing to do! Bought storage containers, paint for the nursery and her super awesome stroller!!!! See picture below. We got a great deal on it and were able to purchase it mostly with graduation money from Grandma Patty! Thank you Mama Patty!

25 weeks

2009-07-12T14:41:00.001-07:00

Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

How far along? 25 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? just pants and skirts....the tops still look like tents!
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping well, just wish I had time for more of it! I am starting to find it more difficult getting comfortable though!
Best moment this week: getting a job!
Movement: She's getting pretty strong! The shakes my whole midsection when she's tumbling around in there!
Food cravings: fresh berries and yesterday, spaghetti! I didn't eat any though......boo!
Gender: girl!
Labor Signs: got my first braxton hicks last week!
Belly Button in or out? starting to be a halfie.....tee hee. still waiting for the whole thing to poke out
What I miss: Dos Equis with my Mexican food
What I am looking forward to: starting the nursery....still!
Weekly Wisdom: no silly advice this week, lots of belly rubbing though. Starting to get used to it :)))
Milestones: bought her crib bedding and got a killer deal! Super cute from PBK. I'll post pics soon!

Mama got a JOB!

2009-07-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hooray! God is good! I had an interview in perinatal (maternity) at St. Vincent's and was hired on the spot! YAY! It will be night shift but it's just part time so I'm not too worried, plus we have people lining up around the block to babysit little NJ once she is born so things should work out great! I know I already said it but it can't hurt to say it again......God is good!!!!!!!!!

Berry Pickin'

2009-07-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

I went berry picking with my friend Andrea today and between the two of us we picked almost 2 flats! It was almost 90 degrees out but it was so worth it, they are delicious! Can't wait for blueberries to open tomorrow!!!

Bump Pic!

2009-06-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Finally a pic of the bump, for those of you who were asking :) It's a little one but it's there! I got my first comment from a stranger the other day, so I guess I'm starting to look pregnant. Woo hoo!

This week the baby is still papaya size, the weekly updates are becoming every few weeks on thebump.com.

How far along? 23 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? Just jeans and pants
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping well, just wish I had time for more of it! I am starting to find it more difficult getting comfortable though!
Best moment this week: Girls night with my mom and Katie. We watched Confessions of a Shopaholic! All of us had read the books so of course it wasn't nearly as good as the books, but still fun!
Movement: Dance parties on the hour, every hour :)
Food cravings: Going raspberry picking today for the first time! I LOVE raspberries!
Gender: chickie
Labor Signs: got my first braxton hicks last week!
Belly Button in or out? starting to be a halfie.....tee hee
What I miss: energy!
What I am looking forward to: starting the nursery
Weekly Wisdom: mod podge is not a 'new' craft. lol
Milestones: finally posted that belly pic!

Papaya!

2009-06-23T18:46:00.001-07:00

Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.
How far along? 22 weeks and 2 days!!!
Maternity clothes? Just jeans
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping well, just wish I had time for more of it! I am starting to find it more difficult getting comfortable though!
Best moment this week: Our very good friends and neighbors who are due just 3 weeks after we are found out they are having a boy! Woo hoo for playdates!
Movement: Sometimes it feels like she is going nuts in there!
Food cravings: Subway turkey sub mmmmmm
Gender: It's a GIRL
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? starting to be a halfie.....tee hee
What I miss: energy!
What I am looking forward to: Taking my NCLEX on July 21st!
Weekly Wisdom: no silly words of wisdom this week....
Milestones: We picked a crib! I think. :)

AND...to those who have commented on my lack of bump pics, I will try and get one up this week, just haven't taken one for a while. :)

Wedding Video (partial)

2009-06-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

For a birthday present for my mom, I finally got around to transferring our wedding video to the web. Here's what I've got... there's a few error blocks on the dvd so I have to figure out a work-around, but that's why this is only partial. I think we got all the good stuff though.
-chris

Chris and Trista Slowik Wedding Sept 10, 2005 part 1

Chris and Trista Slowik Wedding 2005 part 2

Graduation and 21 Weeks!!

2009-06-15T17:24:00.001-07:00

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch. :)

How far along? 21 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? Just jeans
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping well, just wish I had time for more of it!

Best moment this week: Graduating, wearing a non maternity dress for pinning....yeah!
Movement: more and more every day
Food cravings: Mexican food
Gender: It's a GIRL
Labor Signs: none

Belly Button in or out? starting to be a halfie.....tee hee
What I miss: staying out til 2am and not being exhausted for days afterward. Had fun though!

What I am looking forward to: still waiting for that belly to pop (think I'm getting closer!)
Weekly Wisdom: pregnant people can't ride mechanical bulls. Darn.

Milestones: I think we decided on how to paint the nursery!

And here is a photo of my pinning ceremony! My second year faculty advisor, Nancy Hutt was the RN who 'welcomed' me to the profession and gave me my pin. She has been a tremendous support, along with my wonderful family and friends! It was a great day!

I'm a NURSE!

2009-06-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

Officially I am now a graduate nurse! I passed my final today and graduation is this weekend! Phew! So glad to be done!

Halfway There!

2009-06-08T14:49:00.001-07:00

Little Bambina Slowik has reached the halfway point! She is growing like crazy and we are so excited to meet her!

How far along? 20 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? Just jeans
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping great 90% of the time...

Best moment this week: Went to the lake and hung out with the fam
Movement: HICCUPS!
Food cravings: fruit!
Gender: It's a GIRL
Labor Signs: none

Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: walking up from the lake without getting winded

What I am looking forward to: still waiting for that belly to pop and I'm graduating this week!!
Weekly Wisdom: No silly wives tales or words of wisdom that I can think of this week....

Milestones: She has a name!

Babyface

2009-06-03T20:55:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of our sweet baby! We had our big ultrasound to measure her and make sure she has all of the parts she needs and that they are in the right places :) Everything looks perfect and she is measuring one day ahead. The ultrasound tech said she weighs 12oz and is 10 inches long!

Her legs are getting long!

She is practicing her scary face! Looking straight at her skull in 2d makes her look like skeletor!

19 weeks!

2009-06-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

She is definitely getting bigger and starting to show some personality! She protests by kicking me like mad and thrashing about if I'm in a position that she doesn't like. The little update from the website we get the fruit pics from is kind of gross sounding this week, so I didn't post it. Just talked about vernix.......ick.

How far along? 19 weeks
Maternity clothes? Just jeans
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping great-as long as I don't get too hot. Thank God for AC!

Best moment this week: Still the feeling her move part!
Movement: getting more active every day
Cravings: strawberries
Gender: little girl
Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? In unless I push my belly out really far, then it pops out :)
What I miss: my Joe's denim skirt. It is now officially too tight. :(

What I am looking forward to: We have our big US tomorrow! Anatomy survey ect...praying for everything to be normal. We will post an update tomorrow!
Weekly Wisdom: if you have heartburn, the baby will have lots of hair. I have only had one bout of heartburn and I think it was because I was all scrunched up trying to watch a movie on a TV that was too close. Looks like she will be bald just like her momma was!

Milestones: she developed finger prints last week! I bet they are the cutest finger prints ever!

Finally......

2009-05-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Finally scanned Bambina's latest photo op :) Sweet little face!

Sweet Potato Baby

2009-05-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements too!

How far along? 18 weeks
Maternity clothes? Just jeans
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping great

Best moment this week: Chris felt her move!
Movement: getting more active every day
Cravings: Veggie corn dogs with Coney Island mustard and fresh fruit
Gender: little girly girl
Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Went up to our fave winery for the big Memorial Day shin-dig and felt pretty left out sans wine glass.......

What I am looking forward to: still waiting for that belly to pop!
Weekly Wisdom: leaned from experience today that hiking thru the woods uphill for an hour isn't as easy as it used to be!

Milestones: I finished my preceptorship this week! Not baby related but she was sure making the fatigue worse!

Done!

2009-05-22T17:45:00.001-07:00

I am done with everything but my final exams for nursing school!!!!!!!!!! I finished my preceptorship in perinatal yesterday and am now looking forward to a few days off! Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout the last 2 years!!!!!!! My pinning ceremony/graduation is on June 13th! Can't wait!

Update!

2009-05-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

Hey all, things are going great, I have a majorly busy week coming up and I'm exhausted just thinking about it so this is going to be just about it for the posting this week.....unless Chris decides to post something! We did the NAMI walk today and our team, Brent's Buddies raised very close to our goal of $1500 so YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who walked and/or contributed!

NAMI Walk Update

2009-05-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

A Big Up to all who have donated so far and joined the team this year, Brent's Buddies has so far raised $1,040!!!! That's 69% of our goal of $1,500!!

Thanks so so much to Trista, Mom Slowik, Kevin Carlson, Tim & Shelli Gravdahl, Elliot Fox, Michael Fousie, Lisa Larson, Lane Hickey, Colleen Pascuzzi, Jan Bergman, Sherry Davidson and Vince Montecalvo.

Your generosity is appreciated so very very mucho!!

www.nami.org/namiwalks09/NOR/brentsbuddies

Mahalo,
Chris

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T15:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! Not only to our wonderful mothers but also to the other wonderful women in our lives! We hope it's a great day for you all!
Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

How far along? 16 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? Just jeans
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Still sleeping great!

Best moment this week: Felt the baby move!! Also had an appt with the midwife and everything looks great!
Movement: see above :)
Food cravings:nothing particular
Gender: Team Pink!
Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss:sushi

What I am looking forward to: still waiting for that belly to pop!
Weekly Wisdom: I guess now I shouldn't be eating things with soy sauce...but I am not sure why.......anyone know??

Milestones: She can hear! So COOL!

Getting Bigger!

2009-05-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements!

A fun little poll. It's supposed to be weekly....we shall see if I stick it out. I already deleted the part about weight gain...tee hee!

How far along? 15 weeks!!!
Maternity clothes? busting out a few things...
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: like a baby. BEST SLEEP EVER! I will enjoy it while it lasts

Best moment this week: Got an A on my midterm! I know not bambina related but it was really great!
Movement: I don't think I feel anything yet....
Food cravings: grilled cheese and a Frosty!
Gender: Girly Girl!
Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: this week.....pinot noir

What I am looking forward to: tie between first kicks and actually looking pregnant! Still no belly!
Weekly Wisdom: someone told me not to raise my arms above my head or the umbilical cord would wrap around the baby's neck.......okaaaaaaaayyyyyy........

Milestones: I think baby has toenails now...!

NAMI Walk 2009

2009-04-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's almost time for the NAMI walk again - NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature walkathon event that is being held in Portland, OR at Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade Festival Area on Sunday, May 17, 2009. Check-in is at 12noon and the walk starts at 1pm.

I have created a team in support of my brother Brent who suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia.

How can you help? Two ways:

1) Head over to http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/NOR/brentsbuddies right now and click on "Join the Team!" to join as a walk and raise your own support money. Please do this if you plan on joining us at the walk on May 17th.

2) Head over to http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/NOR/brentsbuddies right now and click on "Slowik, Chris" under the walker section and then click on "sponsor me now!". Please do this if you won't be able to walk with us on May 17th.

Last year we were able to raise an amazing $1,080 that went towards fighting the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A+" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars. NAMI has also been given 4 out of 4 stars by The Charity Navigator for short-term spending practices and long-term sustainability.

-Chris

Ruby and the Bear + Weekly Baby Update!

2009-04-26T19:47:00.001-07:00

This morning while we were getting ready, we were interrupted by Ruby standing outside our bathroom door. Anyone who knows Ruby knows she will only come to you when she wants something, in this case she came in the need of help. Our dear fried Myrna had given us a present for Bambina Slowik - a stuffed bear. We still had the bear in the gift bag and apparently Ruby figured the only way to get to the bear would be to walk her way through the bag's handles so when she got to us she had the bag's handle around her.
Here are a few pics of the whole ordeal :)

Ruby with the handle around her ribs....the side with the bow!!!

The intended victim

Ruby looks so ashamed!

AND.......Baby Girl Update!

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo, (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

Ultrasound Pics!

2009-04-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

It's a.......

2009-04-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Girl! Team Pink for us! We will post US pics soon. :)))))

13 weeks!

2009-04-19T22:07:00.001-07:00

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy.

Sorry for the lack of exciting updates and pictures......been super busy! I started my preceptorship in post partum this week and will start my labor rotation in a few weeks. It's going really well! I remember more than I thought from when I had my first maternity rotation during the fall.

We also may have some big news come the end of the week, we are getting an early ultrasound at a specialty place to see if we can find out if we are having a boy or a girl! We will update as soon as we know :)

A Plum!

2009-04-12T21:44:00.001-07:00

As you move into the second trimester (!), baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

We also had our first appointment on Tuesday the 7th! Our midwife is lovely, I work with her at the hospital already so I felt like I got to make a very informed decision. She said everything looks wonderful so far and we got to see our little Bambino for the first time! She/he was waving and wiggling away which was so amazing to see! We are both looking forward to the second trimester! More energy and less nausea, along with the continued development of our precious little one is a wonderful thing!

We also hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful Easter! We are so blessed to serve the risen Lord! Surely He bore our grief, carried our sorrow though we'd gone astray, but it's by His stripes and wounds we were healed on that GLORIOUS day!