last of DC.

After posting our video I forgot to carry on with our photos! Here are the last of our pictures from our DC holiday:

Squishing.

(This was taken directly after a crazy 10 minute rainstorm that we got caught in. I was so grateful it was finally over that I stood straight up, bonked my head on a tree branch, and was left with a nice little cut to prove it. I cried...)

I love these boys of mine.

Pre-storm love.

Yours truly. (This is my I-really-don't-want-to-take-this-picture smile)

1. The Potomac River

2. My pilot

3. Jenga & little hands

4. Plane with teeth

5. All you can ask for Taffy from Candi's Candies

6. MLK Jr.

7. Smithsonian Institute

8. D holding the Washington Monument

9. President Lincoln

10. A serious game of Corn Hole

11. All smiles

12. A seriously good burger

real simple.

Do you subscribe to Real Simple? I do, I do! It's my yearly birthday present from my sis-in-law. The gift that keeps on giving. Hollah!

Anyhow, as much as I love when my magazine gets squished through my little built in mail slot, I feel like the recipes lately have been less, well...simple. Anyone hear me?

I found two this week that I am trying, though! The first was this cheese tortellini with roasted mushrooms and butternut squash. (You know, in celebration of the butternut-squash-sized babe inside me right now!) Except, I made it the "simple" way, replacing Parmesan for fontina and using dried herbs instead of fresh (although I'm sure fresh would be incredible- I like spinning my wheel of herbs until I find the perfect concoction). The turnout? A success!

& tomorrow we're making these shrimp tacos. Not that it's anything that glamorous, I just never thought of making shrimp tacos myself (Note: I am new to the shrimp-eating world). However, I'll probably skip the frying this time around to honor my recent heartburn tendencies. Shrimp on the barbie will do just fine.

What have you been cooking these days? This momma needs some recipes. Preferably, real simple ones!

profile.

My little munckin's profile, somewhat blocked by his left hand. Is that a thumb sucker I see? Or maybe he was just deep in though, like his Daddy likes to think.

Yesterday I sewed in our back room while Danny sat in this chair (that is sadly yet to be recovered) and read to me from this book. Did you know that C.S. Lewis wrote a science fiction series!? It's my first book of this sort, and I am sort of all about it. We read and sewed until it was much too late. I love getting lost in my husband's voice, the rocking back and forth of the iron, and the clever thoughts of Mr. Lewis.

Anyhow, last night we were lying in bed watching the show (you know, the kick, stretch, and jab show) and either a bum or head poked straight out on my left side. Whoa. Pregnancy has been so many things: beautiful, wonderful, challenging, and sometimes just plain weird. I wouldn't change it for the world.

29 weeks.

Hello my sweet boy!

The season is changing over here and I couldn't be more grateful for the cooler, overcast weather. The leaves are changing, too! I can't wait to walk you around the neighborhood at this time next year to show you all of the beautiful colors that come out in fall. I am pretty positive that you'll love it.

This past week your daddy and I got to have another ultrasound! You were very serious about keeping your face blocked from us...were you sucking your thumb in there?! (It's okay if you were- I was a thumb sucker, too.) Seeing you is one of our favorite pastimes- what will we ever do when you're actually out here with us??? I am guessing that a clean house and washed dishes just won't matter quite as much when you're around for us to sit and stare at for hours. Anyway, the doctor is very happy with your growth and says that you're about 2 pounds and 10 ounces right now, a weight that we're hoping you'll triple by your birthday! You are so beautiful, my son. Keep up all of the hard work in there.

I am feeling more and more pregnant by the day. (Look at last week's picture- we've grown so much in one week!) I started having heartburn, which is no fun at all. But other than that, I feel so blessed to say we are both doing wonderfully. Your kicks are so hard that sometimes I gasp! Your daddy and I watch you move and laugh and laugh at the thought of you doing the worm or the wave in there. One of my favorite things is being at church on Sunday mornings. You wiggle and bounce the entire service! There are miraculous things happening in there, Graham. Thank you for being a reminder of God's great love and faithfulness.

All my love baby boy,

Momma

two.

Can you believe that this teeny tiny pup:

is now two??????

Happy birthday to our Denver Bear!

One of the most incredible things about ministry is watching students grow up.  To see them graduate high school and go off to college to work toward their dreams is as close to a momma-moment that I have been able to experience as of yet.  While I watch them grow into adults and see them use their gifts for the Lord, pride and joy pretty much ooze out of me.

So it has been with Christa, one of my former students and leaders.  She is just beautiful and talented and brings glory to God in the midst of it all.  This new little blog header is c/o the ever so talented Christa Jae.  Thank you, my dear friend.  You are cherished.

hunger.

Since day 1 of being pregnant, I have been hungry. And when I say hungry, I mean hungry. And word on the street says that the nursing season isn't going to ease up in the tummy grumbling department. Enter scene: snacks.

I have always been a snacker- preferring to graze on this and that throughout the day as opposed to eating large meals. So this is my snacking list. Hopefully it sparks some ideas if you are a fellow snacker, too.

Here are things I have loved the past 28 weeks:

-peanut butter on toast

-string cheese

-baby carrots

-yogurt covered pretzels

-Bolthouse Farms' Green Goodness smoothie (pictured above)

-tortilla chips & salsa or hummus or guacamole (depending on my mood)

-sweet potatoes

-Greek yogurt drizzled with honey and topped with homemade granola

-peanut butter & jelly sandwich (I am a 2:1 ratio of peanut butter to jelly kinda girl.)

-Nature Valley granola bars

-homemade popcorn

-half of an avocado either by itself or smashed onto a piece of toast

-a smoothie (a banana, yogurt, frozen fruit & splash of orange juice blended)

-chicken salad on bread or lettuce (recipe coming soon)

-hard boiled egg

-brown rice & quinoa (Fresh & Easy sells it in a little pouch that takes 90 seconds to heat up!)

-Granny Smith apples, either alone or paired with either peanut butter or cheddar cheese

-a small bowl of cereal (the good-for-you stuff, not the sugar-y stuff)

-Somersaults - love the salt & pepper or Santa Fe types

-lots of fruit: bananas, grapes, watermelon, etc.

That's my list. So please share, what are your favorite snacks???

28 weeks.

Hello my boy,

Welcome to the third trimester! This is the last and final stretch (no pun intended) of our belly journey together. That means only 12(ish) more weeks until you're here in our arms! While I can hardly wait for that day, being pregnant with you is one of the most beautiful and incredible gifts I could have ever imagined. We are one- you and I- and I love having you with me always. Your little jabs, kicks, and rolls make me smile like nothing else.

This past weekend your daddy and I had our last birth class (for now). We learned about things like the stages of labor, medical interventions, and the post-birth process. We left full of a lot of information, but also a lot of excitement for what's to come! The past 28 weeks have been an entirely new learning process for daddy and me. We love learning about you and what you're up to in there. For example, now you have eyelashes! You're also starting to accumulate all of that chub that we will love to tickle and kiss. Keep it up, honey!

I think it's about time you learn about this little family you're a part of. About your momma- I make a mean batch of pancakes, fall asleep during movies, get excited about cold weather, and love all things golden yellow, striped, and lemon-flavored. About your daddy- he can spin a pillow on one finger, is a rockstar when it comes to playing the guitar, loves to garden, and reads at least a book a month. Oh, and one other thing about this little family of ours? We love each other. A whole lot. I think the three of us are setting records here, my little love!

I love you Graham!

Momma

things.

-Meet Andy. Graham's giraffe. Some may think animal taxidermy in a nursery is just creepy. I, however, adore it. And so will Graham. And if by chance he doesn't, Andy will totally make his way into our room where he will watch me sleep and wink at me every now and again. Okay. So maybe it's creepy. I still love it.

-Last night was our first youth group of the year and, boy, was it a blast! I love what I do & am so thankful that I get to serve alongside such incredible leaders (including my love). Who knew junior high and high school students would be a part of what makes my life go round. (And who knew it would take me 2 full minutes to think of the word part. Oi!)

-I failed my 1-hour glucose test. Major bummer. Will be taking the 3-hour one tomorrow, if I can get my butt out of bed early enough! Going til noon without food or water is not an option. ever. again.

-We had an ultrasound appointment this morning, but it got postponed til next Thursday. What's with making pregnant women wait for things like food, water, and seeing their baby's face?!?!

-It sounds strange, but I am getting used to old men smiling at me. I used to frown and think What are you looking at you old pervert? Of course, they read my mind and made it clear that they were looking straight at this basketball of mine. So now I smile and rub my belly for them (you know, so they can live vicariously through me...because no old men need to be touching my stomach).

-Last night Danny told me I have never been more beautiful than now, as I carry his child. Love that man of mine. Especially because I was wearing a too-small-for-me t shirt with wild hair and could barely say Thank you in between bites of chips & salsa. (He, by the way, won the bet. My belly button is still an innie. For now...)

-& lastly, did you catch Up All Night last night? We did, we did!!! So thankful that it's on at 10-just in time for us to be at home and in our jammers with a snack in hand. The perfect way to de-compress from our evening with 80 teenagers, in my opinion.

coffee + clouds.

Pretty sure that these two things mean it's going to be a beautiful day.

27 weeks.

To our son,

It's momma and daddy here! This is our home in the background and that little furball is your best-friend-to-be, Denver. We had an exciting weekend here. First, we registered for a lot of really neat stuff for you! It was quite a process and dad got a little tired, but we were happy to be picking out your things. You are going to love all your new stuff! Your room is coming together nicely, too. We even hung Andy*, who you will come to love. Our next project is a picture collage above your crib- we can't wait to get started on it!

We also had our first birthing class this weekend. We learned how to tell when momma is in labor with you and how to breathe through contractions. (It's not as complicated as people have made it out to be in the past!) Momma also learned some breastfeeding basics, like how to hold you and how to make sure you're getting plenty to eat. We're already praying for an easy delivery. Please do what you can in the coming weeks to make sure you're nice to momma on the way out.

Yesterday we remembered a very important day in our nation's history. Ten years ago New York and Washington D.C. were attacked and the war on terrorism began. It's forever changed America and one day you'll read about it in all of your history books. But first, let's read about The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Goodnight Moon.

Stay safe in there, our little love. We are so proud of you.

Love,

Daddy & Momma

*To my blog readers, you will soon come to know Andy, too!

Today I take my glucose test. (As I type this, I am so hungry and thirsty I can hardly stand it!)

& tonight we register.

I tried to do my "homework" to prepare for tonight's expedition. I pre-registered with our information on-line, printed off the "what you need" lists, crossed off the things I don't think we'll need, and added a few that I think we will. Then it hit me.

I have no idea what in the world I'm doing.

I don't know what half of the things on this list are (neck wings? convertible car seat? what the...?), and to be honest with you, I felt overwhelmed, incompetent, and scared for the first time in my pregnancy. It wasn't at all about the registry, though that's what provoked the breakdown. I just finally realized that no "preparation" on my part is going to truly prepare me for what's to come.

So I spent the next 15 minutes pacing the church's nursery blubbering on the phone to my sister (literally...I'm pretty sure she had no idea what I was crying about for the first 60 seconds of our conversation), dabbing at my mascara runs, and holding tissues in between each of my arm pits (it was hot in there).

She told me sweet things about how every momma-to-be feels this way, that no one really knows what they're doing, and that once Graham is here it will all become more natural than I ever thought possible. She encouraged me and told me that I am going to be an amazing mother. And that our little family will be just fine. And that I'm not alone.

So I stopped crying and took a breath and said a prayer. I felt Graham kick me good and hard, as if to say It's okay, momma- we'll learn together. And today, I once again feel empowered for the journey that's ahead of me. (the child-raising, not the registering.)

This morning there are a few things that I'm grateful for:

-for my big sister, who has always been one step ahead of me in life but has always walked beside me

-that God created me just as I am, insecurities and all, so I can depend on his power to cover my weaknesses

-for the hope that these mother instincts truly will kick in once that babe is in my arms

-and for the fact that this happened yesterday afternoon and not tonight in the diaper rash cream aisle

Hope your weekend is full of things you're grateful for, too.

old & beautiful.

My aunt put some old family photos on Facebook this past week and I have been drooling over them since. There is something so, so beautiful about these. They make me smile and cry- all at the same time.

My Grandma...isn't she gorgeous?

My aunt with my dad. I see so much of myself in this picture of him!

My grandma & grandpa, ever so stylish and in love.

My grandma, her hair, my aunt, uncle, and dad (in that order).

A 3-year-old me on the day of my birthday party.

My grandma & grandpa again...so beautiful.

I wish my dad & grandparents were here now to see me & Danny & Graham, but looking at these beautiful pictures will have to do for now.

xo.

captured.

Our Holiday from Kaylyn Unterkofler on Vimeo.

We captured bits & pieces of our trip with the 8mm app for the iPhone. And boy, am I glad we did.

Things you'll see:

the Air & Space museum, complete with a space shuttle & Air France plane (ee!)

the littles feeding ducks on the Potomac

a little room full of a whole lot of Unterkofler's singing to Aunt Loretta

Uncle Carl mowing the lawn...a clip that makes me giggle & giggle

my favorite (ok, my only) nephew, who knows how to dance to Michael Jackson like no other

a fist-pumping husband

a really fast pup pushing a ball around the lawn

Danny rocking at corn hole

Washington Monument

President Lincoln

Civil War Memorial

the end.

26 weeks.

My son,

We spent the past 5 days in Virginia, where all of your Pop Pop's side of the family lives! Your great uncle Ed flew us out to celebrate your great aunt Loretta's 60th birthday. It was such a treat to be surrounded by all of our family. We did a lot of fun stuff on our own, too. We spent a day in Alexandria by the Potomac River, went to an air and space museum, and spent a day in Washington D.C. I promise that one day soon we'll take you there to experience it for yourself!

You are getting bigger by the day and I marvel at the reality that we are both going to keep growing for 3 1/2 more months. I saw a lot of pictures of your daddy as a little boy this weekend and it makes me so excited to see what you'll look like as a little guy. Will you have blue eyes or brown? Blond hair or brown or red? Freckles? Dimples? Will you be small or tall? (I bet tall- your daddy is 6'4 and I am 5'8!) However you look, you will be our idea of perfection.

Things on the outside are still going well, although by the end of the day I feel like a little old lady with a sore back. Other than that, I have luckily avoided swelling and some of the other unfortunate pregnancy side effects. I was on a burger strike for a few weeks, but that ended while we were on our trip. Boy, was your daddy glad! He sure does love a good cheeseburger and I'm sure you will, too.

I love you,

Momma

Hiya, September!

You guys. It's September!

September!

As a student, I always made little milestones that I looked forward to...you know, to break up the semester and make the end seem a little closer. My milestones would be, "after the midterm" or "after this 30 page paper" or "late October". They would come, they would go, and then I knew I was in the final stretch.

Well, September was one of my milestones for this babe. It's the start of fall (sort of). It's the first of the "-ber" months (the last of which will be birth month!). It's the month that will contain the beginning of my last trimester. And did I mention it's the start of Christmas shopping for us? (My goal is to have everything purchased/wrapped by Dec 1. 3 down as of yesterday, bay-bay!)

September, I am so glad you're here.

In other news, I woke up this morning. Did you hear that? I woke up this morning. Not in the middle of the night. That's right, folks! This mama made is through the night without a zombie walk to the toilet! My first thought this morning was Did I really make it through the night?!?!? and then Whoa, what is that thing by my ribs?!?!?! Seems that our little mister is making his way up north. My bladder welcomes the change.

Well, while G is moving up North, we'll be headed east for the next 5 days. I am looking forward to a little holiday with our family! I say cupcakes and bonfires and lots and lots of pictures are in order.

Have a safe weekend all!