Salmon Run

Yesterday Tim, Lilybelle, and I went up to Lake Tahoe to see the Kokanee Salmon swim upstream. We went with Tim's family and spent the afternoon at Taylor Creek. It was really cool to see the salmon swim upstream to lay their eggs. When it is time for the salmon to lay their eggs they swim upstream to Taylor Creek where they were born to lay and fertilize their eggs. During this process they also turn a bright red. I haven't gone up to Taylor Creek to see the salmon since I was a kid, so it was really cool to go up and see them again. Lilybelle enjoyed her outing too. So much so that she slept the entire time. But despite her sleeping the whole time, it was her first trip to Lake Tahoe. We even walked down to the beach so she can say that she saw the lake. She is doing better in the car too. She slept the entire way up there, and on the way home she mostly just took in the scenery. I'm hoping that this is just one of many sights that we take Lilybelle to see.

I couldn't believe how red the salmon got. You can't tell it from this picture, but the salmon jump and make quite a splash in their quest to swim upstream.

We all decided to walk down to the lake after seeing the fish swim upstream. This is the three of us enjoying the view on the walk down to Lake Tahoe.

Tim decided that despite the fact that it is October and it's Lake Tahoe to find a few rocks in the cold lake to skip.

2 week check up

Today Lilybelle had her two week check up. She did good. She still has a little more weight to gain for the doctor to be happy, but overall she seems to be doing good.  So she needs to go back to the doctor in ten days to make sure she is gaining weight.  After the doctor appointment this morning, we went for a walk around the Sparks Marina with my sisters-in-law and their kids. She slept the whole time. It was nice to get out and walk with her. She really likes her baby bjorn.  She is such a little gem.  Every time I look at her I think "how lucky I am that she is my little girl."  Below are some pictures of her. I especially like the one where she is smiling.  I like to think that she is smiling because she is happy and not because she has gas.

Smiling in her sleep

Lilybelle sleeping

Lilybelle after her walk today

Lilybelle Lee

Our baby girl has finally arrived! Lilybelle Lee Simpson made her appearance in the world on September 12, 2012 at 8:06 pm. Tim and I went to the hospital on Tuesday night, and 23 hours later Lilybelle was here! She weighed in at 8 pounds 12 ounces, and was 20.25 inches long. It took a long time to finally meet her, but it was worth it. I happen to think she is perfect. I just can't get over what a beautiful baby she is. Maybe I'm biased, but it doesn't matter.

Lilybelle's first photo

Lilybelle getting ready to go home in the same outfit I came home in

Waiting for baby

 Well my due date has come and gone, and baby still hasn't come. After my doctor's appointment last Friday, it was decided that I would be induced Tuesday, September 11, 2012 in the evening. It was nice to finally know when this was going to all end. So now we are just playing the waiting game. I can't wait to meet our little girl, and I hope that the dogs are excited too. Below are pictures of me and the dogs waiting for Lilybelle's arrival. Only a few more days to go.

Sunny waiting it out on the car cover

Sophie waiting it out on the couch

Me at 41 weeks and 1 day,waiting for baby

3 days and nothing

Today I had my latest doctor appointment and nothing. I'm three days from my due date and little miss still doesn't want to come out.  I'm ready to be done, but apparently Miss Lilybelle is determined to stay inside. I was hoping that I would be further along, but it was not to be. So to make me feel better, Tim went and got me some yummy, yummy ribs from the annual Nugget Rib Cook-Off. It's amazing how a few ribs can make the world of difference. Now I need some cookies. Cookies and ribs make the world all better. So I'll cross my fingers and hope that something happens within the next few days. I can only hope.

Yummy, yummy ribs

Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch

A month ago my parents gave us their bread maker.  I've let it sit in our kitchen still in the bag unused until a week ago.  I made some bread, and after that success I decided to try to make cinnamon rolls yesterday.  This is the first time that I've ever made them from scratch.  I've made them from a box and a can, but never from scratch. So yesterday early morning when I couldn't sleep, I loaded up the ingredients in the bread maker and let it make the dough. After that I kneaded the dough, made cinnamon rolls, and let them rise one more time before I baked them. I think they turned out pretty good.

Dough resting

Fresh from the oven

Ready to eat - yummy!

Yesterday was also one year ago that we brought Sophie home. She's been such an energy in our house ( a crazy one), and we've all enjoyed seeing her grow up. 

1 year ago - home for only  a few hours

Sophie July 2012 - posing on her chair

 On the baby front - she's still in there. I'm only six days away from my due date, and definitely feeling very pregnant. I could hope that she comes this week, but I have a feeling that she will be late. I just can't wait to meet her and hold her for the first time. Also I would like my feet back. I'm tired of swollen feet.

It's a girl, new floors, and a new car oh my!

The past few months have been really busy for us, which in part explains why I haven't written in a while...sorry. In April Tim and I found out that we are having a little girl...Lilybelle. It was a cool experience and comforting that everything came back normal on the ultrasound. I never thought I'd be so happy to hear the word normal. We kept it under wraps for about a week, (so long I know) and revealed it to Tim's family with a cake (as seen below). She also got a closet full of dresses courtesy of her Nana who kept all of my dresses from when I was a baby. Thanks Mom! All I can say is, it's a good thing that her closet is bigger than mine.

Pink Cake!

Not all her dresses...we ran out of hangers

Also in April, Tim decided to rip up our carpet in our living room/dining room to reveal the not so pretty hardwood floors underneath. That's what I get for working a Saturday. A few weeks later though I had very pretty hardwood floors. But it's not a process I recommend. The stuff you put on the floors to seal them stinks so bad, so I spent a week at my parents house. It was nice to be back home, and I had a good visit with my parents.

Old Floors

New Floors

In May my new car arrived. Yep we finally did it. I upgraded from my 1996 Saturn to a new 2012 Subaru. Such a difference! We had planned on getting a new car at the end of this year, but moved it up so that Lilybelle would come home in the new car, plus I didn't want to have to change out the car seat after a few months.

I'll try to keep everyone better updated in the summer, but for now here's a baby bump picture.

Almost 28 weeks here