This is the Title of an Uncreative Violinist.:)

I've been up since 5:00AM with the usual pumping/feeding schedule and am just sitting around watching Maddie in the swing, hoping she'll fall asleep soon.  In the meantime, I figured I should just go ahead and drink some coffee since I most likely won't be getting any good sleep right now.  What better time than to write a long overdue blog post! So Maddie's 5th month birthday has passed and we're inching closer to six months. So fast :(. She isn't sitting up yet, but we're getting there.  She has started some solids, like avocado and banana, but after some constipation I decided to hold off until six months when we'll start solids for real.  We both feel like there is no rush on the solid food.  I'm still producing and supplement with formula when needed, and she seems to be happy with that. She is the happiest baby ever (no, it's true! Even strangers notice when we're out and about!) and absolutely loves riding in the car and going plac...

I really should start writing more about things other than baby stuff--but who am I kidding: nothing else is going on in my life, really!! But I'll try :) So I'll admit, since having the baby, my culinary chops have decreased due to just being exhausted and not having enough time to both grocery shop and/or prepare restaurant-worthy meals.  Now, it's all about what is easiest and least time-consuming while also being somewhat healthy at the same time. Now, I'd normally resort to the crock pot, but I've also been avoiding using any kind of cookware that is heavy due to my baby related tendonitis (aren't I making motherhood sound awful? but I swear, there are upsides to this and it is SO worth the pain. I swear.) so lately I've been making a lot of easy chicken, fish and beef dishes.  I never really used to cook with ground beef a whole lot, but I recently tried it in fried rice and it is yummy, I must say. Some of the more common meals I've been ma...

Well, I really wish I could be better about blogging more regularly, but truthfully, every minute of each day seems to be going towards domestic and baby duties.  Every day is just me hoping to get through the day, but also trying to enjoy this time and not miss out on how quickly Madeline is growing up. So, monthly updates will have to do.  Tomorrow, my baby girl is 4 months old!!!  Seriously, each month brings so much giddiness at her mile-stones, as tiny as they might seem.  She can now hold her head very steady and can face outward on the Baby Bjorn (funny how I thought she'd be such a big kid when that day would come), which her dad just LOVES to use on the weekends by taking her to local trails and going for 2-3 mile hikes or walks around the neighborhood. She continues to smile constantly and laugh all the time.  She's "talking" more also; I'm not quite sure, though, if her babbling would sound different if she didn't have a cleft palate.  It's ...

Well, it's time for another monthly update on Maddie. She turned 3 months on the 1st and each month that passes we are seeing something new. Now she's discovered her feet and is constantly in the 'happy baby' yoga pose! She is also still the happiest baby ever and smiles through tears even. She'll let milk dribble out the corners of her mouth so she can take a second to return your smile. I love it and her SO much!!! Despite the tendonitis I developed in my left hand from handling her constantly and getting a little weary of the constant pumping every few hours (I'm super grateful, though, to even still have milk to pump) I am thoroughly enjoying being home with my daughter and getting to see her change before my eyes.

Within the last few weeks, Maddie has started smiling, laughing and observing things around her more. She turned 2 months yesterday and got her first round of vaccinations, poor baby. She slept (and cried!) a lot once we got home. Her pediatrician would like to see her gain more weight, but honestly, I think she's just petite like her mama (but probably will be taller than me eventually). She weighed in at 9 lbs, 4.5oz. Her birth weight was 5 lbs, 12oz. She grew 3 inches. Despite the cleft palate, she eats pretty well. Can't wait to see what other milestones are ahead in the coming months!!!

And I thought I had time to write a post update...and of course, Maddie starts stirring once I sit down! So I'll make this quick:  It's been a month since this little girl came into our lives and changed it forever.  I know it's so cliche, but of course, now I completely understand what every parent has ever told me.  I can't imagine my life without her.  I get teary-eyed when I look at her because I can't believe she's here and she's mine!  I also get a little emotional when I imagine all the babies out there that aren't wanted--either in utero or once they are born-- and can't fathom any baby being abandoned or gotten rid of.  I had that stance before, but now, it's completely close to my heart. So I had mentioned that there was more to the story of my time in the hospital.  During my pregnancy, we had had two ultrasounds; the first, to confirm my pregnancy, and the second was at 20 weeks for the anatomy scan and to find out the gender.  Th...

Exactly 15 days ago, I woke up around 7am feeling a little crampy.  It wasn't painful, and it was very faint.  But I remember wondering if today would be "the day".  I told Ryan about it and he didn't say anything much because for the past several days I'd had false alarms, and obviously since this was my first child, I had no clue what going into labor would really feel like. But on this day, since I had what we figured would be my last midwife follow up before Madeline's due date on July 3rd, Ryan took the day off work (ahhhh, thank the LORD!) to accompany me to the appointment.  We went to lunch at a Mediterranean place around noon, and I started feeling uncomfortable, but still believed they were only false contractions.  Just a tightening in my stomach that came and went.  At my appointment, the midwife checked my cervix and it was up to 5 cm from 4cm at the previous week's appointment.  I told her about a bloody show and more frequent "false...

Madeline Viola. Born July 1st at 8:02pm, 5 lbs, 12oz.

Sooo, no baby yet:(  I really thought she'd be early but she seems to like it in there. I can't tell you how SLOW each day seems as we get closer to her EDD. It will drive me crazy if I go significantly past the due date, and I definitely don't want to be induced. But we'll just have to see, I guess. That's about it for now. Mostly I'm taking cat naps, doing light housework and errands, and a lot of waiting:p Happy Tuesday!

Ahhh, I am almost done with this pregnancy journey!!!  Just got back from one of my last few prenatal checkups with the midwife, and I'm glad I agreed to a cervical check when she asked, because she said I'm 4cm dilated and 80% effaced already :P. Now, I realize I could stay stuck at these measurements for awhile...or not.  But I did NOT realize I was even dilated already, so that is a promising sign that things are moving along.  She may even make her appearance this weekend rather than next (although we were all hoping for an Independence baby, I'm eager to see her whenever she is ready!) This past weekend, I had experienced contractions (the "false" ones) and they were so frequent that I was starting to think that this was it.  I started timing them and was getting ready to call the midwives until they became more irregular and then finally went away.  That's when I knew it was probably not real labor.  I've been experiencing Braxton-Hicks for pro...

Today was a pretty boring day.  Got up, made some coffee (limiting myself to one cup in the morning and that's all I need. I try to offset it by drinking more water, too), had one fried egg and some nectarine for breakfast.  Talked to my mom on the phone for a very long time.  I call her every day, even if I have nothing special to say :). I actually have been doing that ever since the day I found out I was pregnant.  They enjoy the updates (I think) and are eager to see their first grandchild. I read a little; currently, I'm reading a horror novel by Joe Hill--son of Stephen King--called Heart Shaped Box.  It's not bad. It's the kind of book I could probably finish in one sitting except that I felt pretty fatigued today and my eyes kept getting blurry and droopy.  I've had to take a lot of breaks from household activities recently, whether it's washing dishes, laundry or whatever. I tried taking my dogs for a walk but it was too hot for them.  We ...

I had a menu planned out for this week but it didn't really work out as I hadn't gathered quite everything I needed in one grocery trip and, well, this 9 months pregnant lady just doesn't feel like going out multiple times a week.  So I had to get creative again. Last night, I made braised vinegar chicken which is one of Ryan's favorites.  I served it with rice and roasted veggies.  I couldn't find pearl onions anywhere so I just chopped up regular onions and that really was kind of the same in the end. Tonight, I had boneless skinless chicken that I wasn't sure what I'd do with, and then remembered this restaurant my husband took me to long ago when we first started dating, called The Grand Finale.  Good memories of that place.  I always got their Ginger Chicken.  I couldn't remember all what was in it so I looked up their menu online and was relieved that I had all the ingredients on hand:  Sherry, soy sauce, ginger, honey and pecans.  I mix...

So since staying at home full time, I've had the chance to plan out meals more and have the time to get them ready in time for when Ryan arrives home from work.  My first week home, we ate a lot of leftovers from the baby shower (I knew I made too much); this second week, I got inspired by The Pioneer Woman cooking show that's available on Netflix, and binge-watched several episodes.  I used to follow her blog religiously many years ago, but then fell off that wagon and moved on.  I still make Pastor Ryan's Chicken Tikka Masala from her blog several times and know the recipe by heart.  Several other recipes that I think I only made once, but remember them being scrumptious. So I revisited her blog to get inspired again and decided to make some recipes this week.  On Monday, I made Chicken Spaghetti --incredibly easy and reminds me of my own Chicken Pot Pie.  The verdict: probably would have been tastier if I had added more salt, and also I only had one ca...

I'm currently in Week 2 of staying home full time and just a few weeks away from meeting this creature moving inside of me right now :) I had one of my weekly appointments with my midwife this afternoon.  Pretty quick since I have no complications.  Little girl's heart beat is still good and healthy; my weight gain (although appalling to me when I see the # on the scale) is apparently on target and normal for me.  Since I am petite to begin with, some family members (*cough* my mother) had expressed concern that this baby would be "too big" for me to push out, lol.  I brought this up to my midwife and she guess-timated based on my weight gain and measurements that this baby would be perfectly average and definitely not "too big" to come out of my body.  Maybe 6 1/2- 7 pounds.  That is kind of what I figured myself (and am hoping for). I wish people would stop comparing pregnant women to other pregnant women, too.  Someone on facebook had left an ann...

So it's my first day as a stay-at-home-wifey (soon to be SAHM)...and it is WEIRD.  My parents left not long ago after going to my 35 week midwife appointment with me (husband is swamped with work) and I'm just sitting here in a quiet house with the dogs. I remember yearning for this.  I am definitely a homebody and love doing things at home like cooking, cleaning and all that.  I'd get upset when I would have to put something on hold to go teach. And now, I feel guilty.  It's a little scary losing that second income.  I feel like I'm really going to have to work hard to carry my weight and justify staying at home.  I mean, we talked about this for years and years and are on the same page...but still.  It is now a reality (albeit, only Day One of this reality) and it is strange. I cannot believe that in about a month or so our lives will be so different and will have a third member of this family.  It is mind blowing to me.  Ryan and I ha...

Time to jump on the "Friday Favorites" bandwagon.  That is literally how uncreative I'm being right now. *33 weeks pregnant today.  Feet starting to hurt a little and belly is definitely running out of room for baby as I'm feeling a little huge now.  Other than that, still functioning and still working for a few more weeks before I go on leave! * Trader Joe's new Half-Caff coffee is easing my guilt for my caffeine cravings.  As I've gotten further along this pregnancy I've realized that a small portion of something is not really harmful...it's really when one does anything to the extreme (drinking 8-12 cups a day, for example) that it becomes an issue.  I've been making a french press once or twice a week and drink one cup with cream and a little sugar.  That's all I need! 2.  I just ordered these Sanuk sandals since DSW didn't have the color I wanted in stock.  I tried the ones they did have in store and wow!  SO comfy.  A st...

So it's almost May and the whole month of April FLEW by faster than anything I can recall.  I am done with all student recitals (had the last one ever *sniff* on the 18th) and this past weekend, attended baby shower #1 at my mother's house.  There was so much anticipation for all events in April and now it's over.  I can't believe it. Playing the fist movement of the Bach Double with six of my students and some musician friends helping us out at the very last spring recital of the year.  I've wanted to do this for years.  My students helped me fulfill my dream! One of my few piano students (I mostly teach violin) who performed the "Moonlight" Sonata at the spring recital and has now moved on to another teacher.  We had our last lesson this week.  I loved teaching him. And some pictures from my mom's baby shower this past weekend! A delicious gluten-free cake (no, I'm not allergic to anything and am not really into the gluten-f...

Ohhhh, cannot wait to get back to my usual self so I can sleep on my tummy again!  I had my first experience with slight heartburn last night and didn't fall asleep until 5am.  Then woke up to my husband saying the next door neighbor's kid missed her bus and needed a ride to school.  I really don't mind doing that, but wish I'd already been up.  I do have a lot to practice today so I'm glad she missed the bus and gave me that much needed wake-up call :) On the way home, made a pit stop to Starbucks with one of my dogs for a breakfast sandwich and a cup of whipped cream, which my other dog devoured (and is now throwing up as a result. Lesson learned): The month of April is definitely going to fly by for me.  Last weekend was the first of three spring recitals I'll be going to for my students.  In past years, I've complained a little about the disorganization of the studios that hold them every spring.  This year, though, since it's my last one w...

Happy first day of Spring!!!  I've always said that Fall is my favorite season, but Spring is a pretty close second.  I think I'm partial to "introductory" seasons...full of hope and eagerness for what's ahead. I stepped out my door a few days ago and noticed some flowers sprouting out from underneath the brown dead leaves leftover from last fall.  Purple flowers, although I'm not sure what type; there are still so many things the previous owner planted that I'm not familiar with, but I'm really looking forward to adding to the landscape and re-doing the backyard.  She hadn't done much in the back due to her arthritis, so it's kind of a blank canvas right now.  There are two raised garden beds she used for herbs and then wild flowers.  I didn't prepare for winter and now they both look like a mess.  I think I'll have to totally uproot one of them and turn it into a vegetable garden.  I won't get rid of the herbs, since those are a...

Good morning! 24 weeks today and Maddie is kicking me as I type.  I think she's got a sense of humor because every time I catch her kicking (and now it's visible, I can see my stomach moving everywhere...it's amazing) and yell for Ryan to "quick, come look!"  she stops immediately.  And he thinks I'm a crazy pregnant person (even though I am). At six months, the kicks and jabs still feel "cute" and don't bother me at all...more like a very tiny person is playing ping pong in my stomach! I'm curious what they're going to feel like as they get stronger. I've heard that they can sometimes take your breath away.  Buuut, so far at this point, I get it: there is just no way anymore that I can take someone else's experience and think the same will happen to me.  The horrid stories you hear from most pregnant women have not happened to me for the most part.  It's so hard to say what causes that, but I'll just say that I'm ...