24 weeks

Even though my doctor says I'm a week ahead I am going to stick with the week that corresponds with my due date unless she changes it officially at my next appointment. I am not one for the "belly shots", but I figure that I may as well since this is the last time I will be pregnant.

For those of you who know what I mean .... I thought this looked unintentionally "Ollin Mills" with the strange fade at the bottom. The camera did it on it's own and I can't get rid of it. Whatever. I hate having my picture taken so moving on ....

The baby is moving so much! It is a nice change to go from a few movements at night to consistently throughout the day. I have been accumulating things to go in her room (IE: clothes hamper, a painting, a clock, etc) and have been storing them in her closet for now since we will be having some major work done on the floors in the upstairs over the next month or so. All the furniture will have to be removed and moved downstairs so any decorating I do right now will probably be undone with all the mess and moving around.

I don't know what in the HELL happened, but I put on like ... 3 freakin' pounds in the past few days. Not even kidding. HOW does that happen?!?!?! I feel like I am trying so hard to stay on track plus all the working out I do and I put on 3 pounds?!?! It's a little disheartening to say the least, but I guess that's just how it goes in the baby business.

Things seem to be going sort of slow for me right now, but when I look back at the 6 months that have gone by they have flown! I guess the days are long, but the months are fast. I will be in the delivery room before I know it!

Stuffed pasta shells

I am a planner. An organizer. I have more than one label maker and I'm not afraid to use them. My hospital bag is already packed and ready to go. I am starting to plan ahead by gathering recipes for dinners that I can pre-make and have available while I recover after giving birth that A) I can prepare ahead of time B) freeze and thaw well and don't taste like they were ever frozen. My Mom was so great about bringing us dinner for a week after Devon was born and I am hoping to ease the burden off myself and have meals prepared ahead of time to get us by for a week or so. I don't have a lot of freezer space, but I hope that I will be able to freeze SOME dinners so I don't have to be on my feet cooking. Cooking can be a struggle when Devon is this little so it is magical when I can get dinner put together while he's napping and pop it in the oven right before we eat. This is one of those recipes. It reminds me of lasagna, but SO much easier to make with a similar (maybe even better) flavor. I don't eat leftovers (like .... NEVER), but this dish is almost better the next day.


INGREDIENTS:
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper


3 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce *(I make my own sauce and skip buying a jar of it. SO worth the minimal extra effort)*
32 jumbo pasta shells, freshly cooked
Additional grated Parmesan

*I didn't take any pictures after I put the sauce on top. It just looked like a pan with sauce ... not a great picture.*

PREPARATION:
Squeeze spinach dry. Transfer spinach to large bowl. Add ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, fennel, basil and garlic to bowl. Season mixture with salt and pepper; blend.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce evenly over bottom of 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Fill each pasta shell with spinach mixture. Place shells, filling side up, in dish. Spoon remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

FOR FREEZING:
Line the pan with foil THEN ladle on the sauce, stuffed shells and cover with sauce and cheese. Freeze the food overnight in the pan. Remove food from the pan, cover with foil, write down oven temp. and cook time on the foil as well as what's inside. When you're ready to eat just pop the whole thing back into the pan, let it thaw, cook and voila! The foil helps to keep the mess to a minimum so you don't have to even wash the pan. If you are making this dish for someone else you don't have to give them your pan (with the hassle of having to get it back) and you don't have to buy a disposable one. How awesome is that?!?

Let me just say that I am not a fan of spinach. I have tried to get into it, but I just don't like it. I SWEAR you can't taste it at all and there is a lot of it in here. Devon inhaled this for dinner and even had it for lunch the next day. Joe loved it as well and told me I couldn't freeze any to save for later because he was going to eat the rest of the pan by today. It was a hit!

If you get a chance I would love to have yummy, freezable ideas to add to my growing list if you have any. (No soup or sea food please) I need leftovers people! Please send them my way to gotyoga@hotmail.com

So far I have:
stuffed pasta shells
spaghetti sauce
lasagna
shepherd's pie
enchiladas

23/24ish weeks

I am nearing the end of my 5th month and had a sonogram this past Friday. Everything looks normal and my placenta has shifted into a normal position so barring any complications I shouldn't need a C-section. The baby is getting so big that my doctor put me one week ahead of schedule so .... does that make me 24 weeks? She didn't change my due date, but did say that this might be an indication that the baby may come early which would be late July. Sweet!

(Little lady profile. Her hands are resting on her knees, but only for a second then she shifted around).

I have gained 15 pounds so far. She went through a growth spurt over the past month for sure. I guess she needed the extra calories because I was finally hungry! I am still on target with my weight even though my doctor's scale says I've gained more than my home scale says. I hate when people say, "You're pregnant .... this is your time to indulge!" Ummm yeah .... no it's not! Gaining too much weight can be just as damaging to the baby (and your own health) as not gaining enough weight. I was hoping to stay closer to 25 pounds this time around (since I gained 37 with Devon), but that will probably not happen at this stage of the game. I think I'll probably end up somewhere near 30 lbs. It doesn't seem like a big difference between 25 or 30 pounds, but YOU try loosing 5 pounds. It's HARD! Some weeks you gain more, some weeks less and that's just the way it goes. I am still running, though it is very slow and I only run 2 miles each time I get to the gym which is NOTHING compared to what I used to run. I am just happy to get my pregnant body moving like that at all without pain. I stopped running once I hit the 8th month with Devon so I hope to keep that up this time around.

(2 tiny feet. One a little blurry and the other so clear you can count the tiny toes).

I was working full-time when I was pregnant with Devon and was so sick and tired of the barrage of comments that I had to deal with day after day. I had tons of co-workers and since I taught group fitness I saw over 100 clients a day. They all seemed to have something to say about my growing belly and most of it was rude at best. Not all of it was bad, but I am always surprised how people go right to the negative. This time around it has been a dream. I teach 2 yoga classes on Sunday and all my students are just so excited for me they have been so sweet. They always say things like,"I haven't seen you in 2 weeks and your belly has grown ... you look so beautiful!" or "I hope I look like you when I get pregnant." Nice things a pregnant girl wants to hear. I am an old lady compared to the doe-eyed, 19 year old college students that pass through those walls, but it's nice just the same.

(2 little feet off to the left and a hand on the right. Look at those fingers!)

I am, however, tired of people asking me "how I'm feeling" and if one more person tells me that I will be "in my 3rd trimester through the hot, hot summer" I may have to strangle someone with my bare hands, but other than that I have been lucky. I live in the desert. I KNOW I will be pregnant through the summer. Even if I got pregnant in May I would be pregnant in the heat at some point since it's only actually "cold" for December and January. I dealt with the heat with Devon and it wasn't a big deal. Listen, when it's 110 degrees outside it's hot for everyone so you just deal with it. I would rather be pregnant in the summer with a full on belly than give birth in April and have to go through bikini season over weight and out of shape. THAT would suck.

Even though I have totally easy pregnancies being pregnant is hard work and it seems like everything is a little more difficult. Bringing in the groceries, taking out the garbage, hauling the laundry up and down the stairs .... makes me tired thinking about it. Even though it has been harder this time around I keep telling myself to enjoy being pregnant because this will be our last baby. We are a two kid family for sure. I do enjoy being pregnant .... really I do, but now that I know how great a baby can be I am just excited for her to arrive and get on with the fun! I can't believe I will have kids. Like .... more than one. Life just keeps getting better!

You kiss your mama with that mouth?

I am what I like to call an "assertive" driver. I don't dilly dally. I don't text or talk on my phone when I drive. I drive extra carefully with Devon in the car. I don't take chances. I am in my car to get from one place to the other as safely and (let's be honest) quickly as possible. Drivers who clearly don't share my same goals get on my nerves. That being said, I am fairly vocal when I drive. If another driver doesn't use his signal and makes a sharp turn, I "remind" him that he forgot to signal. Driving too slow, swerving into my lane, taking my parking spot, not letting me over, on your cell phone and oblivious .... I usually say something to them even though I know they can't hear me. Just a little tap on my horn, a glare, or a head shake. I know they don't notice or care, but it makes me feel better.

Today I realized that maybe I should cut back on my driver-to-bad-driver banter. I backed out of the garage, drove through the neighborhood and pulled into traffic and Devon says,"Go! (4 seconds later) Jeez!" I just about died. I know I say that ALL the time and he finally caught on.

I have to laugh because he says both words so clearly and he says them only when we are in the car. On the upside, at least I know that I don't swear at other drivers ;) Thanks for the reminder, baby Devon, that you understand more than you let on!

18 months: Devon (March)

We had to make our first trip to Urgent Care this month and it was the saddest thing ever. Devon got an ear infection and with that came congestion, high fever, loss of appetite, lots of slobber and runny nose and a general all over not-feeling-good. He slept in until 11:30 am (which sounds good, but really sucks since you know that means they must be really sick), but I was getting worried so I woke him up to give him a bottle .... that he didn't take. He sat propped up against my chest for 5 hours while we watched TV and he dozed in and out. I finally called the pediatrician since Devon hadn't eaten anything all day and only had 2 ounces of fluid. He said we should take him to Urgent Care where they gave him amoxicillan, an otter pop and he was on the mend two days later. Ahhh the magic of an otter pop! I left to go get the medicine before Devon went to sleep and Joe said he kept taking out his pacifier to say,"Mama" in his sad, sick, barely audible baby voice. This made me cry since he really needed me and I was gone for an hour (babies need their mama's when they're sick), but you do the best you can.

Less than a week later Joe and I both got sick ... really sick. I almost took Joe to the hospital he was so sick. Being sick and pregnant is no picnic either, but I wasn't as sick as Joe. At least we were sick together and he could help me take care of Devon since he was staying home to get better.

We started going to the Children's Museum and it has been so much fun. There are so many things to do there, it is different every time we go. There is a play kitchen and food stand, a train, an electronic section where you push buttons and stuff lights up, a vet clinic with stuffed animals, a firetruck with sirens and on and on and on. I have gone with different friends each time and I hope that they get an unlimited annual pass so we can go often. It is so cute to watch him play with older kids. Just when I think he is starting to look "old" I see him playing next to a 3 year old and I realize how truly little he is. I think I may have to give up one of our gym days so we can go once a week and work that into our routine even though it's a 30 minute drive.

Devon has started giving kisses to his stuffed animals and insists that you do the same. He has become transfixed with Winnie the Pooh (the new 3D ones) and will hand you the remote and say,"Pooh" until you turn on Tigger and Pooh. He loves all the songs and Tigger, but Pooh is the clear favorite. It is becoming more and more obvious that my relationship and Joe's relationship with Devon is completely different and we both get our special moments with him that the other may not. I'm sure this will become more and more apparent as he gets older and is able to do more things.

Devon loves to be on the computer and watch you tube videos of animals, play baby games and magically change all our settings. His was so into his color game he got closer to the screen by squatting instead of sitting on my lap. We don't let him stay on the computer for long, but he can be thoroughly entertained for 30 minutes. These new kids are so high tech!

Before: Sweetly playing in the sand.


After: Proudly showing his mouth full of sand .... gross.

Devon has hit that mimicking stage where he will say the last word or funny sound of a sentence he overheard as well as other, more challenging words you don't think he can say, but totally can! He will readily point out his no-no (nose), ear (by tugging on it), his tongue (by sticking it out at out), his toes (by lifting both feet into the air), his knee (by slapping it) and his little fingers by cupping them and putting them out so you can see them. He also lifts up his shirt to show you his belly. It's adorable. He is such a sponge and it is so amazing to see him learning a million things everyday.

He is learning to say,"Please" instead of whining as well as "thank you" and I make sure to readily give him what he's asking for (if it's something he can have) as well as heaping on the praise for using the word please in the first place. I am enjoying much less whining as a result of this new magic word. Plus, it's damn cute to hear him say an actual word.

Cooler than all the other kids ....

Baby girl update: 20 weeks

I am 20 weeks now so I am in the last week of my 4th month. It has gone by so quickly compared to being pregnant with Devon it has been a nice change. 2 weeks leading up to finding out the sex took FOREVER, but in general time is positively flying by. I have only gained 11 pounds so far so I am right on target and feel great. I am one of the lucky ones who have textbook, normal pregnancies with out morning sickness or stretch marks. I am still able to fit into all my clothes, but I am finding that it is starting to get a little hot (and not super comfortable) to wear pants. I have been trying to rest in the evenings after Devon goes to bed and have been working my way through a crocheted, pink afghan. I have been enjoying the time to just sit and unwind that I see more afghan making in my future.

I have been feeling her kick, but not a whole lot this time around. My placenta is near the front of my belly so that has been absorbing the kicks I would normally feel. It is totally normal and nothing to worry about and I should start to feel more kicking once it starts to shift into a better position.

I have been holding out on buying anything for this baby until I knew for sure what I was having and this past week, I broke the seal. I went shopping! I got tons of stuff for Devon at Gymboree (before I understood that kids grow out of clothes at warp speed) and about passed out at the prices. I can't believe I used to shop there. What a rip off! I went to Target and got a few dresses that I thought were pretty unique and got some non-pink outfits. I am not against pink for little girls, but some of it is just way too pink it's nauseating. Then I went to Savers and rounded out the day with Lil Traders (Buffalo Exchange for kids) and found some great deals. Can't beat a $.50 newborn onesie with the tags still on. I need to go through Devon's old clothes and pick out stuff that will work for the little lady, but I am planning on using his clothes to make him a "clothes from his first year" quilt so I don't want to share too much stuff between them.

Basic pot roast

I know pot roast is nothing fancy, but here is how I do it and I think it makes the pot roast more flavorful even though the crock pot keeps it moist.

Ingredients:
Roast (I buy the 2 pack at Costco and freeze one. I make sure to cook it within a month)
1 Onion, sliced thick
4-5 cloves chopped Garlic
2 cups Carrots (I use baby carrots and don't even bother to cut them)
4 potatoes, peeled and cut thick
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4-1/2 cup Red wine
1/4-1/2 cup water

SIDEBAR about wine: I NEVER use cooking wine. It's nasty. The rule with cooking with alcohol is to never cook with wine you wouldn't drink. If you don't drink .... never cook with wine you wouldn't serve to guests who DO drink ;) I buy the cheapest wine I can find and I think this bottle ran me about $4 on sale. I must admit I wouldn't drink a bottle of this wine (I don't care for shiraz), but it does the job with cooking. I'm not doing to waste a $30 on pot roast).

Preparation:
Season the meat with salt, pepper, rosemary, and oregano pressing the seasoning into the meat. Brown the meat on all sides and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce (about 1/4 cup) while cooking. Put the vegetables, garlic and onion in the crock pot and nestle the cooked meat down into the juices and veggies. Using the same pan you browned the meat in, add 1/4-1/2 red wine and 1/4 beef broth and scrape up brown bits while it boils for one minute on high. Drizzle wine and broth over the roast and veggies and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Halfway through cooking turn the meat over so it cooks evenly on both sides and doesn't dry out.

Joe said my food makes the house smell like a home. Nothing will do that easier than a crock pot-pot roast made first thing in the morning.