Week 38

How Far Along:  38 weeks

Size of Baby:  “Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she’s over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you’ll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.”  -babycenter.com

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Sadly, I finally weighed myself and I’m up about 40 pounds.  Too many sweets!  And it doesn’t help that Chick Fil A is right next door to my work.  Looks like I’m going to have a challenge on my hands after I have this baby, but I’m up to it!  Hello, Weight Watchers!  (No more maintenance weeks, Kristy!  )

Maternity Clothes:  Today I am wearing my standard maternity jeans (that I finally repaired) and a regular tank top and sweater.  I have found tanks are very comfortable and I have several stretchy sweaters that accommodate my ever growing belly!  But other than that, I gravitate towards my maternity clothes.  I’m just too big for anything else!

Gender:  A boy!

Movement:  Oh the movement!  I used to think all his flips and flops were cute.  Now, they are still cute, but also huge!  He likes to burrow up under my ribcage on my left side a lot, so I find myself stretching out reaaaaaaal long when he does this.  I still love feeling him move because that means he’s happy and healthy, but I’m not going to be sad when I can watch him stretch instead of just feeling him!

Food Cravings:  Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates.  My doctor not-so-subtly told me I needed to watch my carb and sugar intake because the boy was growing in leaps and bounds, so I haven’t had a Starbucks drink since last Tuesday.  Yes, I know that’s only one week, but I used to get one every few days!  It’s definitely healthier to not get one, but that doesn’t make me miss it much less.  I would guess 10 of the 40 pounds I’ve put on can be broken down into Starbucks syrups and toppings!

(Please excuse the nasty stretch marks.  I was going to Photoshop them out, but then I wouldn’t be being 100% authentic, would I?  Badges of motherhood…)

What I Miss:  Feeling like myself.  I think I’ve said this for the past few weeks, but I am so ready to feel normal again.  You know, being able to sleep on my stomach, tie my shoes without seeing stars, that sort of thing…

Sleep:  For the most part I’m sleeping really well still.  The only thing that’s changed has happened in the past few days.  I wake up around 1am with a pain in my lower back on my right side.  I’m wondering if this is how I’m sleeping or if it’s a back labor contraction.  I am inclined to think it’s the first answer, but who knows.

Symptoms:  As with last week, my symptoms are pretty consistent with pregnancy…sore feet, some back pain, frequent urination, breathlessness, heartburn, etc.  I worked Thanksgiving and Black Friday last week and by the time I got home on Friday afternoon I was so tired I slept off and on from 5p to about 6:30a.  I was beat!  I’m trying to make it through work until I go into labor, but each day it gets a little more challenging!

Best Moment This Week:  Getting the nursery cleaned up and buying the last items needed for our little man!  I have been in the habit of just putting everything we have purchased or received in the nursery in no particular spot.  Today, I finally organized everything and put things away in the closet.  I will probably end up moving things after he’s born, but for now I can live with the placement of everything.

What I Am Looking Forward To:  Seeing my doctor on Wednesday and getting an update on my progress.  Well, that and meeting Mr. Peanut for the first time.  I’m still nervous as hell for labor and I’m pretty sure that’s not going to change, but I’ll handle it one moment at a time.  Jeff is really good in calming me down and I just need to focus on not stressing as much.  It’s so hard because I not only worry about the labor, but about being prepared for everything both in the hospital and after.  I think I’ve done everything I can at this point and we are just waiting for those telltale signs of labor to begin.

Any Fun Gifts/Purchases Received/Made:  OK, so you guys are going to laugh, but remember how last week I said I found the shelf I was looking for at Home Depot?  Well…when Jeff went to put it up, I decided I didn’t like it!  How fully was that?  Instead, we went to Michael’s and picked up some letters to hang on the wall.  I’m trying to decide if I want to leave them white, paint them, or cover them in decorative paper.  For now, I think I’ll leave them white, but I have a feeling they will change in time.  I’m thinking I may get some jungle themed stickers to put on the letters if I can find the kind I’m imagining.

So, there’s week 38!  Only a few weeks to go.  All the grandparents are getting so excited to meet the little guy, not to mention lots of coworkers and friends.  And of course Jeff and I are over the moon excited and anxious.  Not too much longer now!

PS…don’t forget to check out my Healthy Hydration post and enter to win my Crystal Light giveaway!  Keep yourself hydrated for all that holiday baking that’s sure to start soon!

Healthy Hydration (A Giveaway!)

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One of the main things they tell you when you’re pregnant is drink water. Lots and lots of water. While we should all be drinking as much water as we can stand, I find it hard sometimes. I am one of those people who doesn’t feel thirsty very often. I’m sure I am more thirsty than I realize, but I never find myself thinking, “Oh my gosh, I need something to drink NOW!”

Another reason I find drinking water hard is that I just don’t think about it that much. I guess that goes hand in hand with the above statement of never getting thirst. Let me explain. I am a manager at a retail chain, therefore I am constantly moving. I stock items, help customers, do returns, etc. Basically I don’t have the luxury of having a bottle of water right in front of my for 8 hours of my day as with many office jobs. When I am able to sit down for a few minutes, I try as hard as I can to drink my water like a good girl. It’s much easier when it’s right there in front of you!

A third reason I find water consumption difficult is, well, the flavor. Sometimes I have no problem with the cool, crisp “flavor” of water and other times the thought of a flavorless liquid sends my stomach turning. I can’t explain it. Today for instance, I didn’t want water very much at all, but the image of a tall glass of ice cold Coke Zero never left my thoughts!

When I get to this place, I reach for one of the best inventions of the 21st century: Crystal Light On the Go packets! A while back I was contacted by a member of Kraft Foods asking if I wanted to receive a few samples of Crystal Light Pure to try. I accepted as I already liked the Crystal Light packets I had tried in the past and had wanted to try the Pure ones as well! I received three different flavors and liked them all! They were all light and refreshing while still providing the hydration my body needed. Perfect!

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Here are some of the hydration tips RD Molly Kimball, the Crystal Light Pure spokesperson, has to offer:

1. Keep a Tally
We can’t actually tell how well we’re hydrated by how thirsty we feel. For many of us, by the time we start to feel thirsty, we’re already dehydrated, but just how much water is enough when it comes to staying hydrated? Keep a running tally of how much fluid you’re getting and aim for half of your body weight in ounces of fluid per day, plus an extra 16 ounces for every pound of sweat lost during exercise or work in the heat.

2. Flavor Up to Drink Up
Want to drink water to stay hydrated, but hate the boring taste? Add the flavor you want and none of what you don’t by sipping on naturally sweetened Crystal Light Pure. It’s got no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives and is sweetened with sugar and Truvia, a natural sweetener derived from the stevia plant. It’ll give your water light, refreshing flavor with just 15 calories and 4 grams of sugar per serving. And the Grape and Strawberry Kiwi flavors have the added bonus of electrolytes!

3. Don’t Forget about Food
Staying well-hydrated is essential for maintaining optimal energy levels, preventing muscle cramping and headaches, and more serious issues like heatstroke. But that doesn’t mean you have to force down gallons of water or bottles of sugary sports drinks. Any type of alcohol-free beverage can count toward your fluid intake – and even some foods! Some of the top electrolyte-rich, hydrating foods include all types of fresh fruit, soups like gazpacho and Greek yogurt.

4. Watch the Caffeine
For years, the widely-held belief was that caffeinated beverages were dehydrating. An abundance of research has proven otherwise, however. The amount of caffeine typically found in standard servings of tea, coffee, and soft drinks appears to have no diuretic effect, meaning that these beverages don’t cause us to lose more fluid than they provide. But remember that you don’t want the majority of your fluids to come from caffeinated drinks since most health organizations recommend we limit our caffeine intake. Instead, try to vary what you’re drinking.

I wanted to share this great product with you guys as well! I’m going to give away a few boxes of Crystal Light Pure to one lucky reader! You have three opportunities to enter to win:

1. Leave a comment below telling me your best tip for staying hydrated.
2. Tweet the following: “Stay hydrated! Enter @OneGirlsTaste ‘s Crystal Light giveaway! #CrystalLight #samp”
3. Follow One Girl’s Taste on Life on Facebook

(Please leave a separate comment below if you decide to do options 2 or 3)

You will have until midnight on Saturday, December 3rd to enter! Good luck!

*In full disclosure, I did receive samples from Kraft Foods, but all the opinions I have given in this blog post are my own. Also, Kraft Foods is not sponsoring this giveaway. It is purely my decision to do so.*

Baked Penne with Chicken & Sundried Tomatoes

Say what you want about Martha Stewart, but you gotta give the woman credit.  Girl knows how to cook.  And bake.  And decorate.  A while back I was on her website looking at various one pot and slow cooker meals, when I found this little gem.

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Penne pasta in a cream sauce mixed with chicken, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes? Oh, and cheese?  Uh, YUM!  I immediately pinned it on one of my Pinterest boards to make later.

Later came and I found myself perusing my boards for cooking ideas.  I saw this picture and decided it was time to test it out!  I made a batch to freeze and a couple small ramekins for Jeff and I to try out. (BTW, these ramekins make a great holiday gift!  I have a set of two and I use them all. the. time.  They work perfectly in a toaster oven to sample dishes as I did here!)

The verdict?  Great same day meal!  Frozen, the noodles can get a bit mushy, so make sure you don’t overcook them as I did this time.  Using the correct noodle cooking time, I’m sure this recipe would freeze beautifully!

I also used a Garden Vegetable penne instead of a regular penne as it was the only thing I had on hand at the time.  I think the regular penne would be much better in this dish.  But you decide!  Get Martha’s recipe here!

 

Week 37

Unfortunately no pictures this week…not enough time! But I assure you I look pretty much the same as last week!

How Far Along: 37 weeks (well, I guess to be more accurate, I’m 37.5 weeks now)

Size of Baby: “Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel.” -babycenter.com. I can disagree with this though. I know for a fact that my baby is at least 6.5 pounds. More on that later.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I haven’t weighed myself in a while, so I really don’t know. At least 35 pounds gained so far though!

Maternity Clothes: I am obviously still in maternity clothes as it would be a pretty odd thing for me to lose weight at this point. I have started wearing my yoga pants again, which I had stopped for a while because they didn’t feel as comfortable. Oddly enough my bigger PJ pants don’t feel quite as right as my yoga pants do! Also, I am trying my darnedest not to buy any more maternity pants. I have two pairs of khakis I wear to work, a pair of black pants (that I really never wear) and a pair of jeans. The jeans need a little maintenance on the seaming of the full panel top, but other than that everything still fits and is manageable. I think I can eek out another three weeks in them…unless I eat too much Thanksgiving dinner!

Gender: Again, I can guarantee that he is a boy!

Movement: He isn’t as active as he used to be, but that’s normal since he is running out of room in there! I haven’t noticed any “lightening” (where the baby drops, thus relieving pressure on the lungs, but putting more pressure on the lower areas) yet, but I still have some pressure in the lower parts of my body sometimes. According to the OB, this is all normal. I go back to her today in a few hours, so I’m anxious to see if anything has changed since the last visit.

Food Cravings: Nope. None. In fact, I’m having a hard time thinking of anything that sounds good. Apparently this is normal too. With the baby being so big and taking up so much space, there isn’t as much room in there for my stomach. Sitting here this morning, I honestly can’t think of anything that sounds good. It’s funny I feel this way as Thanksgiving is right around the corner, though to be honest Thanksgiving was never my favorite meal…

What I Miss: Not being in pain every time I roll over in the middle of the night. The baby is in the correct position to be born, meaning his head is down in my pelvis. Every time I turn over, try to get up, etc, I have a painful sensation. It goes away quickly, but I dread moving because I know I’ll feel it. Only a few more weeks and then I’ll start to get back to normal!

Sleep: Aside from the pain I feel, and the bathroom breaks, I’m sleeping pretty well. I’m still snoring according to Jeff, but my friend Abby said that would hopefully go away a few weeks after birth. I told Jeff I hoped it did and he said, “Why? You aren’t awake to hear it!” Very good point, Jeffrey!

I’m not finding myself more or less tired for the most part, though last night I fell asleep around 8:30p and woke up around 5:45a. I have since spent the morning laying on the couch watching TV. I really wish you could store up sleep hours for when my little bundle comes, but you can’t, so I’m just enjoying the quiet and laziness right now.

Symptoms: Nothing out of the ordinary…pain when moving, snoring, slight itching (though thank goodness that went away eventually!), more frequent urination. My back actually feels pretty good most of the time and I really can’t complain too much about anything else. I have some pain in my feet from carrying around extra weight on my already flat feet, but that’s to be expected I think. All in all, I’d say I’m pretty lucky!

I don’t really know whether to classify this as a symptom or what, but I’m starting to feel what I’ll lovingly call the “mommy panic”. I have witnessed a couple women go into mommy panic mode towards the end of their pregnancy, where they are nervous if they really can handle being a parent and feeling responsible for their child. Some women are so excited to meet their baby that that’s all they think about. Some women are excited, but scared out of their minds at the same time. I fall into the second category. Don’t get me wrong…I’m looking forward to meeting my little guy, but sometimes it all feels like it’s not really happening to me. I see the pack and play sitting in the corner of my living room, the crib and dresser in the nursery, and the whale of a tub in the guest bath, but right now it’s all just stuff. Items that have migrated from the baby store to my house. They have no real significance and won’t until they are filled with a baby.

Now everyone tells me the minute I see my child, the world changes. You go from caring primarily about yourself and your spouse to not in a nanosecond. Everything revolves around this little human you have felt growing and kicking you for the last several months. I can’t wait for that to happen to me, because if we are being completely honest (and I know I can be with you guys), right now I’m just terrified and as nervous as I possibly could be. I’m sure it will go away with time (and with birth), but until then I will keep having mini panic attacks. Don’t worry, though. They only last a few minutes and then they pass. Usually after I look at the little baby socks in the dresser. As Chandler says, “How can anything this small be scary?”

Best Moment This Week: Getting to see my little guy again! I went to the doctor last Tuesday and after she measured me, she said there was a lot of fluid around the baby and couldn’t really tell how big he was. She decided she wanted another ultrasound performed, so I went out to the desk to schedule it. Turns out, the ultrasound tech had had a cancellation right then and I was able to squeeze in! I got to see the little guy unexpectedly and it was really a nice surprise. I couldn’t see as much as during the 20 week ultrasound though because he’s so scrunched up in there! The tech did confirm he was a boy…quite clearly…and that he is approximately 6.5 pounds! She said it was too hard to tell how long he was since there’s not a good way to measure him right now, but he seems healthy! That’s all that matters!

Something else small and insignificant…I found the shelf I wanted for the nursery! We found it at Home Depot of all places! I swear I looked there a few months back when I was trying to find decorations, but I guess either I didn’t or I skipped over that aisle.

We also put our Christmas tree up this past weekend. I know it’s a little early, but I had the time off and didn’t know how good I’d be feeling in the coming weeks, so I went ahead and did it. I’m nearly done decorating and will be happy when it’s finished. One less thing to think about!

Oh yeah, and finally filling out and mailing the thank you notes! That’s a BIG task I got to cross off my list this week.

What I Am Looking Forward To: I’ve been talking about this for a few weeks, but I will be happy when my hospital bag is completely packed. I have been gathering things for a while now and think I’m finally ready to pack the bag. I bought some items from Walmart.com and they arrived, but are way too big, so I am going to have to order the smaller size. The only bad part is how long shipping will take. I really would like to go full term with this baby, not because I want to remain pregnant, but because I want to have enough time to get everything completed that needs to be completed! My mom, in addition to others, have told me the baby won’t care if the nursery is done or if the house is immaculate, but after I get home from the hospital I won’t be able to do a lot of that stuff for a while. I’m sure everything will find a way to work out, but until then I will probably keep stressing about it. Hey, it’s what I do!

Any Fun Gifts/Purchases Received/Made: Baby shower gifts keep trickling in and those are always fun to get! I think the biggest purchase I made this week was the last few things off the registry like a nursing cover, lanolin, and a nursing bra. The last thing I think I have left to purchase is a car seat cover, which they didn’t have in stock at BRU. I’ll probably order it on amazon.com though since it’s cheaper and I don’t have to go to the store that way!

So as you can see this week was relatively calm and unexciting, which is just fine by me. My doctor had said last week I was no where near delivering, which helps me complete my tasks without worrying that I’m going to be stranded in the mall parking lot, cell phone clutched in one hand, gritting my teeth through contractions, yelling at Jeff to come pick me up. This of course could happen, but I’m trying not to think about it too much.

To be extremely honest, I am still terrified of going into labor and giving birth. I think most of it is the unknown of how I will handle the situation and what it will feel like. People call tell me over and over again what it feels like, but until I experience it myself, I will still want to huddle in the corner with my hands over my ears and my eyes shut tight singing Jack Johnson songs over and over again to calm myself down. Who knows…this may happen in the labor and delivery room…

I was going to gloss over this little tidbit of information, but I wanted to at least give the situation the respect it is due. Today marks the one year anniversary of our miscarriage. It’s amazing how things can change in a year. I am forever thankful for going through that, even though at the time it felt like a cruel joke. It made me realize just how much I wanted a little baby and I felt like it was the universe’s way of preparing me for being a parent.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf 2.0

You may remember my original post for my Brown Sugar Meatloaf.  Well, it’s been upgraded.

The past few times I’ve made this meatloaf, it has been a little…different.  And not good different.  I have tweaked it a lot (omitting the red pepper, grating the onion, increasing the amount of sauce, etc).  I finally think I’ve perfected it!  Here is the new, updated, more tasty version of my meatloaf.  Commence salivation now.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf 2.0

For the loaf:
2 pounds ground sirloin
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1.5 sleeves Saltines, crushed

For the sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

For the loaf, start by combining the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, onion, ginger, and Saltines in a mixing bowl.  For convenience, I used my stand mixer.  Once everything is well mixed, add your meat and mix slowly until well combined.

In my previous post I demonstrated how not to squeeze the meat as it would compact it, resulting in a much denser, therefore drier meatloaf.  When using the stand mixer, you don’t have to worry about that as much and you keep your hands clean!  Bonus!

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients above and mix well.
Complicated, right?

To assemble your loaves, start by putting a cooling rack over a baking sheet.  Then, to prevent sticking, I cut some foil to the approximate size I wanted our loaves to be.  I then sprayed them with cooking spray.

The reason I used a cooling rack over a baking sheet was to encourage the “drippings” to run away from the meet.  The meatloaf is moist enough without it and sometimes when the drippings are allowed to stay close to the loaves, it actually results in soggier meatloaf.  Not very tasty.

After your rack is prepared, form your loaves.  I got three two person loaves from 2 pounds.  Shape them to approximately the same size as your foil.  Cover each loaf with a generous amount of sauce.  I used a pastry brush to do this, but you could just use a spoon.  It’s up to you.

Bake at 400º for about an hour, or until the middle reaches 165º.  The reason I like to use a baking sheet instead of a loaf pan is because you can put the sauce on the top, which creates sort of a crust that keeps the meat tender and juicy.  Plus it gets slightly caramelized which, let’s face it, is never a bad thing!

I will probably continue to fool around with this recipe because I can never leave well enough alone.  I have thought about adding garlic, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, ground sage, etc to the meatloaf.  Maybe in time there will be a Version 3.0!

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Week 36

How Far Along:   36 Weeks!!!

Size of Baby:  “She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long.” -babycenter.com

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  Holding strong at 35 pounds.  Maybe I’ll keep this up until labor??

Maternity Clothes:  Still in them.  And, to be honest, I cannot wait to wear my old clothes again!  My maternity clothes are starting to get to be a tad too tight, but at this point I am. not. buying. new. clothes.  The little guy will just have to make due!

Gender:  Boy!

Movement:  His movements are bigger and more uncomfortable.  When he moves it’s like an Olympic event and it’s more like localized pressure than anything else.  Also, he has been having more and more bouts of what I can only imagine are hiccups.  I guess I need to stop drinking the booze!  KIDDING!

Food Cravings:  None, really.  In fact, I am starting to lose my appetite at times.  I can’t figure out what I want to eat so I’ll stare at the pantry or fridge for a while and then just either give up and go sit down or grab something that only sounds partially appealing.  Well, let me change my answer…Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolates are amazing and I want one every day, so I guess that’s a craving.  Though I think I would say the same thing even if I wasn’t pregnant.  Love me some Starbucks, especially when it comes in a festive holiday cup!

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What I Miss:  FEELING NORMAL!  I really just want to be able to get out of bed/off the couch/out of the car without feeling like I’m hauling 8x my body weight with me.  I want to be able to go a full night without getting up to pee (of course this will be replaced by getting up even more often to nurse/change/calm a baby.  Yay.)  I guess I’m just feeling my pregnancy.  Blah.

Sleep:  Most days I really can’t complain about my sleep.  I was so tired when I got home from work last night at 11p that I immediately went to bed (usually I stay up and watch TV or just relax for a bit first) and slept until 7a only waking once to go to the bathroom.  The other night, I had eaten some chocolate before bed and it gave me acid reflux.  I kept waking up in the middle of the night with that warm, vomit-y feeling in my throat.  (Yum…)  I would use the bathroom trying to give the food more room to work it’s way down.  I’d also drink more water, which led me to have to pee more often.  It wasn’t the most productive night’s sleep I’d ever had…  But honestly I really can’t complain about sleep.  I’m just hoping Peanut is a good sleeper when he’s born too!

Symptoms:  As I mentioned above, acid reflux is still around, plus his good friend heartburn.  I always carry a bottle of Tums with me though, so typically they can be combated quite easily.  One symptom that has been around a while but I keep forgetting to mention is something that angers me…sort of.  According to Jeff, for the past several months, I have been…..SNORING!  Ah, geez!  I abhor snoring.  My mom snores.  My dad snores.  My sister snores…sometimes.  I am one of those people who cannot sleep when someone is snoring.  In fact, when my mom and I went to visit my sister a few months ago we shared a bed.  I agreed to this before I remembered she snored.  The entire night I was rolling in bed, pushing her, or telling her she was snoring.  I did not get great sleep that night.  The next day I bought some ear plugs at Walgreens.  My mom and sister gave me a hard time about it, but they worked like a charm!  Hmm…maybe I should give Jeff a pair…  Anyhow, I’m hoping this is due to the baby being high up around my lungs and my nose being slightly clogged at night, which will go away after he’s born.  If not, I may have to buy stock in the Mack’s Earplug company…

Another symptom I am experiencing is Braxton Hicks contractions.  Lovely.  They are only noticeable if I have been a bad girl and haven’t had enough water.  The other day I woke up and felt relatively intense cramps in my lower abdomen.  Like a good little student, I filled a big glass of water and downed it, then laid on the couch for about 1/2 an hour.  They eventually went away so I knew they were BH and not something else.  It got me thinking though…I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to tell when a real contraction is starting and when it’s over.  I know I’m supposed to measure the contractions from the beginning of one to the beginning of another, but what if I don’t realize my contractions are starting until they are halfway through?  That will throw off the timing.  I have pains in my uterus at some point every day.  What if I don’t know what pain is the real pain?  I plan to discuss this with my doctor tomorrow (love Dr. Patel!), who will no doubt ease my fears.  She is good about that.  I’m sure I’ll know the difference, but I am a worrier and will think about this at some point every day until I go into labor just like I think about my water breaking in the middle of the sales floor at work every day…

Best Moment This Week:  Finally finishing a big project at work so I can slow down and get back to normal.  We had inventory at work last Thursday.  The weeks leading up to it had me skimping on my housework and cooking.  Now that inventory is over, I can get my house back in order (90% done with this!), get the baby’s room finalized (75% done), and stock my freezer with lots of yummy foods for after the birth (~50% done here).

My wonderful manager gave me last Friday and Saturday off, so I was able to make a few dishes, clean a few messes, and start getting back to normal.  I washed a bunch of Peanut’s stuff and put several things away in his room.  I was planning on putting the carseat and mat in the car, but I have been having car problems lately.  I’m going to be without my car for at least a week, so I don’t really want to be putting a carseat in a car that won’t be in my possession.  Don’t even get me started on my car debacle…I am beyond frustrated.  Car problems occurring a month before a baby comes is not a fun predicament to be in!

What I Am Looking Forward To:  Being done with pregnancy.  Have I mentioned this already?  OK, OK, if I have to pick something else it’s meeting my little man and spending Christmas with him and Jeff.  We started playing Christmas music at work yesterday and I got to thinking about all the different Christmas movies I watch every year.  For some reason, every time I watch The Polar Express and hear Josh Groban sing, I get weepy.  There is another song the little girl sings called “When Christmas Comes to Town” that talks about spending time with family and how she looks forward to it every year.  Yeah, I lose it then too.  Of course then I turn on Christmas Vacation and laugh my butt off!  I think I especially love that movie because of Aunt Bethany.

“Grace!  The blessing!”

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Any Fun Gifts/Purchases Received/Made:  I went to Kohl’s the other day to find a nightgown, robe, and nursing bras for when I’m in the hospital.  First off, can you believe that I don’t own a robe?  I think everyone in America has a robe except me.  And Jeff.

Second, it is so stinkin’ hard to find a nightgown that buttons down the front that does not look like something my grandmother would wear!  Everything I saw at Kohl’s (aside from a plaid sleep shirt that was too small) came in horrible pastel floral print.  I even looked in the maternity section and NOTHING!  I ended up buying the sleep shirt (which I have to return) and a jersey knit robe with a hood (that I will not be returning).  After a few days of searching, I finally found something I hope will work at Walmart.com of all places!  I am currently waiting for it to be shipped.  If it doesn’t work, I have no idea what I’ll do.

Anyhow…that was a long winded way of getting to my point about my fun things I purchased while I was looking for nightgowns.  During my search, I found myself at Target.  I had read online that several people got their nursing bras at Target, so I checked it out.  (PS, they do have a pretty significant nursing bra section if you’re curious.)  While there, I wandered over to the baby section.  I still was looking for something I could bring the little man home from the hospital in.  To be honest, I’m not hugely concerned about this because of a few things:  a. he’ll probably be wrapped in a blanket anyways and b. he’ll probably spit up on whatever outfit I love before we make it off of the maternity ward floor…  Maybe not…

Anyhow, so I found a coming home outfit and I also found these!

How cute are they?  I can’t wait to dress him up in his little Christmas outfits.

I love the little reindeer feets!

I just wish I could find one that said “Best Christmas Present” or something like that.  I haven’t searched the internet yet, but I may be doing that this morning!

So, as you can see, things are progressing quite nicely in my opinion.  Now it’s just a waiting game.  In four days, I will be 37 weeks, which means little Peanut will be considered “full term” according to babycenter.com.  I like the sound of that.  With that being said, even though I complain about being ready to not be pregnant anymore, I would really like to carry him through to 40 weeks.  Know what would be funny?  If he was born on the same day I completed my miscarriage last year…

One last thing.  I want to wish Bonnie a big GOOD LUCK today.  She was induced last night after being overdue 12 days!  Can’t wait to meet Baby J!!!

By the time I got this written, pictures taken, and ready to hit “Publish” Bonnie had had her baby!  Welcome to the world, Baby Justice!  We’ve been waiting a looooong time for you!  Congrats, Bonnie, Josh, and the rest of your family!

What a Crock (Pot Roast)

As you all know, Jeff and I are expecting our first little one in about a month, so I have been scouring the internet for all kinds of easy recipes.  The other day I stumbled (literally…using stumbleupon.com) on a recipe that sounded really good!  Since I was off Friday, I decided to test it out.

This is a quick, simple recipe you can easily throw together in the morning and let simmer all day!  It’s especially good as leftovers, so go ahead and use up that big cut of roast you got on sale the other day.

Marie’s Best Ever Pot Roast

2-5 pound pot roast (any kind)
1 envelope dried ranch dressing mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
Desired veg (She used potatoes and carrots, I added sweet potatoes)
1 to 1.5 cups water

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or use Reynold’s Slow Cooker Liners.  Trust me…it makes clean up so much easier!  Chop your veg into big chunks and place them in the bottom of the pan.

Top your veg with the roast and cover with packets of seasonings and water.  *Last time I didn’t mix the seasonings and water together, but I will the next time I make this.  I found chunks of seasoning on certain parts of the roast and it was just a little overstimulating.  I think mixing all the seasonings and the water together would help distribute the flavors.

Cook on low for 6 hours or until the meat falls apart.

I just picked out what I wanted to eat instead of plating a whole meal (Jeff had already eaten), but if I were to serve this to guests I would probably lift out the meat and veg and place on a serving dish.  Then, I would strain the liquids from the bottom of the pan and turn it into a gravy.  (You can do this easily by combining a tbsp of cornstarch to about 1/2 cup water and whisking it together to remove lumps.  Then add the mixture to the sauce.  Heat the sauce over medium heat while whisking until the gravy is as thick as you’d like.)

One other tip I have for you (and I wish I had taken a picture) is the sandwich I made with the leftovers yesterday!  I had picked up a salted bagel from Dorothy Lane Market, so I turned the bagel into a pot roast sammie.  I cut the bagel in half, topped it with the meat, some worchestershire and provolone, and warmed it in the microwave to melt the cheese.  It was so good!  I think next time I’ll try it with A1 sauce though.  Or horseradish sauce…mmmm…

So, if you’re looking for a quick, easy, crock pot recipe, this one has tons of flavor!  Plus think of all the things you can use the leftover meat for!  Enjoy!

 

Death by Scotcharoo

I have an addiction.  And it’s bad.

The other day a girl from work brought in a pan of these babies.  It took all my self control and will power to not steal the entire pan and sit, wild eyed, in a corner of the store eating my weight in Scotcharoos.

I could have done it too.  And I wouldn’t have felt a teensy bit bad about it.

You see, I have this addiction to peanut butter…

If it’s around, I eat it.  In oatmeal, in desserts, on toast, on my fingers…  It really doesn’t matter.  Well, after I tried her Scotcharoos for the first time and tasted the sweet peanut butter mixed with crunchy cereal and chocolatey topping, I was hooked.  I begged and pleaded for the recipe (which she gave me in about 1.2 seconds) and decided today was the perfect time to make them.

Now, some of you out there are thinking, “Yeah?  What’s the big deal?  They’re Scotcharoos.  They are basically Rice Krispie Treats’ bad boy cousin.”  Well, until a few months ago, I had never had them.  I had no idea what I’d been missing…

Scotcharoos (from Kelloggs)

1 cup white sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Over medium heat, melt the sugar and karo syrup together until sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil.

Turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter.

Add the cereal and mix well to combine.  Spread evenly in a greased 13×9 inch baking dish.

As the cook, enjoy the little bitties that cling to the spatula as your treat.  You’ve worked hard.  You deserve it.

Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave.  To do this you want to heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each session.  Otherwise, your chocolate will not heat evenly and you could burn it which, let’s face it, is a sin.  Don’t do it.  To melt my chips, it took 1.5 minutes.

Once your chocolate chips are melted, add the butterscotch chips and stir to melt.  This process is referred to as tempering, which results in the chocolate hardening nicer.

After your chips are melted, spread over cereal mixture.

Let harden…if you can.  I could not wait and ended up with chocolate all over my fingers.  This is not a bad thing, my friends.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go overdose on my pan of peanut buttery goodness.

Ignore the wild eyes…they’ll go away eventually.

Baby Shower

It’s been over a week since the baby shower (I’ve been a little preoccupied with getting last minute prep done as well as things being a little hectic at work), but I still wanted to share my experience with you guys!

The baby shower was held Saturday, October 29, at our house and was hosted by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.  They did a really great job planning it and it was a treat to have them plan it!

Teri, my mother-in-law, was in charge of the invitations and decorations.  Together, we chose these invitations from Party City and then ran with that theme throughout the rest of the party.

(source)

She bought plates, napkins, cups, and tablecloths in this same theme, not to mention these balloons!  I loved them!

She is very skilled in finding things on Ebay that coordinate with the theme she is working with, so one of the other decorations we had for the table were these adorable candles!  We didn’t light them…they were too cute!

Finally, in addition to all this, she found the cutest suckers!  They were in jungle animal shapes and were the perfect addition to the decor!

Shannon, my sister-in-law, was in charge of drinks, cupcakes, and games.  She brewed the most delicious apple cider (made with Williams Sonoma mulling spices…YUM!).  What a great idea to keep it in a crock pot so it stays nice and warm!

The cupcakes she ordered were from Yummy Ever After and were absolutely scrumptious!  I had picked out yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and chocolate cake filled with raspberry filling topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting.  They were both outstanding, but I think I preferred the chocolate raspberry ones over the vanilla ones.  The woman who does the cupcakes was able to mimic the shower theme on the cupcakes.  LOVED THEM!

I was in charge of the food and I know what you all are thinking.  Why would I want to make the food for my own shower when I could just sit back and let everyone else do it?  I’ll tell you why.  I love making party food!  It gives me a chance to try out some recipes I have had in my arsenal to make.

In addition to the fruit and veggie trays Teri got from Dorothy Lane, we had Mini Ham, Swiss, and Dijon Mustard Sammies, Sausage Balls (a Christmastime staple of mine), Veggie Pizza, Teriyaki Chicken Skewers,

Balsamic Parmesan and Garlic Asiago cheese spreads from DLM, Sabra Pine Nut hummus, and Spinach Artichoke Wonton cups.

The food got rave reviews (especially the veggie pizza and the wonton cups).  I loved all of it, but that’s not surprising since I chose the menu!

After eating and talking, we decided to play some shower games hosted by Shannon.  The first game we played was Baby Word Scramble.  Basically, you are given a list of words that are all jumbled up.  They all have something to do with babies.  You have a set amount of time to unscramble as many as you can and whomever has the most after the time is up wins a prize!  Very fun!

Look at that concentration!

Even the little bitties wanted to join in!

Somehow these girls tied with the same amount of words and ended up winning the game.  I have no idea how that happened but I suspect teamwork was involved…

After the scramble game came the “Guess How Big Her Belly Is” game.  In this game, you are given a roll of ribbon and visually try to guess how big the preggo lady’s belly is.

Some people used themselves as measurements.

Some people guessed a tad too big (thanks, Chrissy!  ).

But Miss Sydney ended up guessing within an inch of my belly!  She’s the little one in front.  Awesome job, Syd!

Next came Baby Shower Bingo.  This game involved getting a 5×5 grid handed to you and entering various presents in each square.  Then, as the preggo lady opens her gifts, you can mark through the gifts on your board.  The first one to get bingo wins!  My aunt Ellie ended up winning this game, though several people were very close!

My generous friends and family brought a ton of items for me to open!  I felt very blessed!  Here is a sampling of the items the little guy received that day:

After I opened presents, people started trickling out.  I made a grand announcement that everyone had to take their picture with me before they left so I could capture the day in my scrapbook.  Most people took standard pictures with me,

but the class clowns had to ham it up a little bit!

After everyone left, I finally got to sample one of the cupcakes.

So cute!  Almost too cute to eat.  Almost…

The next morning, Jeff and I couldn’t resist putting some items together for our little boy.  It was like Christmas morning!

Afterwards, mom, Jen, Carolyn, and I went to breakfast at First Watch.  When we got home, we all just kind of crashed.  Some of us crashed a little harder than others!

It was a great, fun-filled, but exhausting weekend!  Thanks to everyone who helped out with the shower and thanks to those of you who traveled to be here!  I love all you guys and I can’t wait to introduce you to our little Peanut when he arrives. 

Week 35

How Far Along:  35 weeks

Size of Baby:  “Your baby doesn’t have much room to maneuver now that he’s over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). “  -babycenter.com

Total Weight Gain/Loss:  I’m right around 35 pounds.  Ick.

Maternity Clothes:  Yep, still wearing them!  I found a VS nightgown in my dresser last night and wore that to bed instead of the PJ pants I was wearing.  It’s amazing how much more comfortable it is!  lol

Gender:  A little boy!  And I have lots of boy clothes to prove it.

Movement:  He is moving all over…well, as much as he can!  He likes to wedge up right under my ribs and make it a little painful for me to breath.  He is very comfortable in there, though.  I think he likes it. 

Food Cravings:  Hot chocolate!  I tried Starbucks’ Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate the other day (followed by the SC Mocha a few days later) and fell in love.  I want hot chocolate all the time now!

What I Miss:  Stomach sleeping.  And not thinking about what else I need to do all the time to prepare for the little guy.  (Yes, I’m quite aware this will never change.  But I still miss feeling care free on my days off!)

Sleep:  Still pretty decent!  I only woke up once last night to use the bathroom and for the most part my back still doesn’t hurt.  I’m wondering how much longer I get to enjoy this!

Symptoms:  The biggest symptom this week was probably sore feet!  Of course, this may have something to do with all the extra hours I put in at work.  We are getting ready for inventory which takes a little extra effort.  I was able to put my feet up and relax a little this weekend though, so as of right now I’m back to normal.  Ask me again after Thursday though!

PS…I also noticed some stretch marks on my belly today.  BOO!  Maybe they weren’t really stretch marks…just my eyes playing tricks on me.  I can hope, right?

Best Moment This Week:  Getting about 90% of our items purchased off the list.  We got a great amount of stuff for little Peanut at the baby shower, but were still missing some things like bibs, crib sheets, and car seat pads.  Jeff and I went out yesterday and picked up lots and lots of items we were missing as well as ordered a bunch of things from Amazon.com (my new favorite website).  We’ll probably be getting packages from now until the little guy is born! 

What I Am Looking Forward To:  Getting the hospital bag packed, the car seat checked, and finishing setting up the room.  I like to feel as prepared as possible and right now I’m still somewhat in panic mode.  I’m afraid we are overlooking things that we will need (show up at the hospital with no nightgown for mommy or no going home outfit for Peanut) so I’m really trying to figure everything out now.  I keep saying I’ll get to it, but we’re running out of time!

Any Fun Gifts/Purchases Received/Made:  Like I said above, we bought a ton of things this past weekend, but I guess I’m really interested in the Moby wrap I ordered last week.  It should be here today.  I am excited to try it out and see exactly how it’s supposed to work.  Of course, having a giant belly won’t really help things!  Eh, I’ll get the jist I’m sure.