NC "Baby Party"

J and I have been fortunate enough to have had two baby showers so far, and one more next week!  The first shower was in Maryland, at Grandma and Grandpa Lessens house on 1/19.  I don't have pictures from that night yet, but will post them soon!

This past weekend was our Durham Baby Shower!  It was lovely.  The theme was brunch; our favorite meal of the week.  Chef Katie Coleman, good friend and owner of Durham Spirits Company, cooked and threw the party at her house.  And, our favorite ginger Bridget, planned & hosted this amazing event!  No detail was left undone.  The invitations and decor were adorable, the food delicious and Lacy brought 10 bottles of champagne for Mimosas!

Menu: stacks of mini pancakes, sweet potato and bacon tart, sausage balls, apple fritter balls, sparkling lemonade, and mimosas!  And, some tasty beer for the fellas to supplement their mimosa habit.

Craft: Decorating shirts, burp clothes and a blanket with fabric and iron on adhesive.

I just want to say thank you to all of our friends that came, not only for your gifts for Baby Kron (Kristen + Jon = KRON), but for your support during this exciting time in our lives!  We are truly blessed and know how lucky we are to have such an amazing group of friends, to call our Durham Family.

xoxo,
kristen

Hypnobirthing

What is Hypnobirthing: A style of childbirth that focuses on relaxation, visualization and mediation. This allows a woman, her body, and her partner the opportunity to have a calm, drama-free and safe birth experience.  Hypnobithing can be thought of as a 'birth management' technique.  Acknowledging each step in the birthing process that the baby must go through to enter the world, respecting that advancement and not rushing through the process.

Hypnobirthing teaches you to trust your whole self, your inner strength, and your primal instincts.

Why J and I chose Hypnobirthing:  Since we got pregnant, we knew that we wanted a natural birth, or as close to one that we could get.  When you decide to go against the 'normal' way of birth (ie an epideral, OBGYN and a hospital bed), you need to be educated and prepared.  So, we began to educate ourselves on the different styles of birth, pain management and outcome - we found a comfort in the idea of Hypnobirthing.  A shared experience for us, as we become a family of 3.

J and I also decided that we wanted to have a Doula.  Some people said "Well, isn't that his job...?" (which was extremely annoying to hear)... but were first timers and want a great birth experience, so a little gentle, encouraging wisdom is needed and welcomed.  We decided that Elizabeth, who teaches Hypnobirthing and is a practicing Doula at Creating Your Calm, was a great fit.

Now we have two Hypno classes under our belt with 3 more classes to go.  We have been given a fair amount of homework; learning the different breathing styles, thinking of birth plans and practicing visualization techniques.  All of which are very exciting and give me many reassuring thoughts :)


xoxo,
kristen

belly shot: 24 weeks

Baby Lessen!

J and I had our 20 week ultra sound this week!  As many of you know, we don't want to know the sex of the baby...but man, it is getting tough!  J told the UltraSound Tech in the very beginning...no matter what she (being me) says, we DO NOT want to know.  He knows me so well, I definitely had a few moments of weakness during the appointment.  The Tech even offered to write it down and mail it to my best friend, which was a little far - but I appreciated her enthusiasm. 

Baby Lessen is very healthy; all fingers, toes and limbs.

Anyway, the pictures aren't very clear... apparently we have a mover and shaker on our hands :) 

 

Here they are! 

xoxo,

kristen 

Belly Shot: 19 weeks

Were growing!

xoxo,

kristen

Recipe #1: Beef and Broccoli

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips
1 cup beef consume
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)
Hot cooked rice

Directions
1. Place beef in a crock pot.
2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine.
4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).
6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

This was so easy to throw together for our impromptu dinner party!  I really recommend it!!  

xoxo,
kristen 

Halloween

I will make this one short and sweet.  I was a victim to the zombie baby...busting out of my stomach.  I made my costume with a little help from J.  

At work, I heard a lot of interesting comments on my costume.  Some people loved it & some people (mostly other women) thought it was 'just wrong.'  

The only reason I had the nerve to do this, was our midwife appointment the day before.  Baby Lessen had an outstanding review :)  

xoxo,
kristen 

Belly Shot: 17 weeks

I am not talented enough to take my own profile picture, one handed & smile.  :)  17 weeks

xoxo,
kristen

Belly Shot: 13 weeks

I look very pregnant in this picture, but I am only 13ish weeks! My sister said I am going to be a 'big momma'

xoxo,

kristen  

Adventure # 2. Dever part 2

I am just posting a few pictures instead of a real blog post! Bronto got a limo for our Denver dinner @ Vesta Dipping Grill in LoDo (the hip area of Denver).  I had an amazing time with great company.  I highly recommend it!

Bronto...always in style :)

the craziest limo I have ever been in... 

Steak toast with Brontonation at Vesta Dipping Grill was priceless. Look out for us on Travel Channels' Food Paradise someday!

4 fellow Bronto's, enjoying their delicious margaritas...





xoxo,
kristen 

Heart Beat Central!

Well, we had our first MidWife appointment,@ Durham Women's Clinic, on September 5.  It was emotionally intense and information overload!  Started with the new usual; peeing in cups, blood pressure, WEIGHING (I stood on the scale backwards), and health interrogation.

And then something magical happened.  We were walked into an ultrasound room!!  Of course, she made sure all of my 'bits and pieces' were good to go - then showed us our little nugget!!  I mouth fell open and I gasped.  J just smiled and squeezed my hand.

And it got better, much better.  She turned on the speakers and let us hear the heart beat!  Tears were streaming down my face, it was the most powerful sound I have ever heard...

Ms. MidWife let us know that we were 10 weeks and 3 days long, and our due date is 3/31/13 - Easter Sunday.  Amazing. 


xoxo,
kristen  

Knowing early...

I've decided that knowing so early has its down falls. I feel like this has been a really long few weeks. I just want to fast forward a few weeks and get to the doctors office :) We want to hear that little heart beat....

xoxo,
kristen

Well, hello there.

Hi y'all! This is my first blog post :) I am really excited to share this blog, because it is about our insanely exciting journey that J and I are about to embark on: our first pregnancy!! Its hard to believe huh!? The two of us, making a Little Lessen! There is a part of me that is FREAKING out & then there is a even bigger part of me that is ECSTATIC for this new chapter in our lives.

My goal of having this blog is to share this awesome experience with our families and friends (and strangers if they care to read it). I will also be typing about our adventures, projects, crafts, fav products, family, cooking and anything else that I feel like sharing! So, sit back and enjoy the reading...

xoxo,
kristen