Baby Cooking

We didn't do a lot of cooking and freezing when Little Miss came, and it wasn't a problem.  We survived just fine.  Our freezer isn't too big, and we're not big freezer people, but it's good in a pinch so I figured why not.  We still have pierogies and kielbasa in the freezer from Christmas.  So, that will provide us with a few meals as it is.  I also frozen leftover Easter ham which can be another meal with a few simple sides.  Then, I did some actual cooking.

First, I made some meatballs.

Meatballs
Ingredients 

• 2 1/2 lbs hamburger 
• 5 eggs, beaten 
• 1 1/4 cups milk 
• 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese 
• 2 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs {or regular w/ added Italian seasonings} 
• 6 crushed garlic cloves 
• 2 small onions, finely diced 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper 
• 3 teaspoons salt 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Roll into golf ball sized meatballs {makes about 30}. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. Place in Ziploc freezer bags. To reheat simply microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm, or 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I actually put mine into plastic containers and not freezer bags.  They tasted ok, but I think when I add them to something, they'll be perfect.  Mine also made a lot more than 30.

I also made Chicken Teriyaki.  

Chicken Teriyaki
Ingredients

• 6-8 Bonesless, Skinless Chicken Thighs 
• 1 Cup Teriyaki Sauce 
• 1 Cup Water 
• 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar 
• 3 Cloves Garlic 
• A few slices of of Ginger 

Directions
Add all ingredients to a Freezer Gallon Ziplock Bag! Once bag is closed with all the air out use your hands to mix all the ingredients and make sure the Thighs are sitting in a good sauce!! To cook: Take the Freezer Meal out of the Freezer and hour before starting OR run it under some room temperature water for about 30 seconds. Dump meal in the a Crockpot and cook on Low for 4-6 hours!de some

I used chicken breasts because Husband prefers them, but I don't mind thighs.  You do what you prefer.  I worry the brown sugar will make it too sweet, but I put a little less than 2/3 cup in so we'll see.  This is a new-to-me recipe.

Lastly, I'm going to make meatloaf and Macaroni and Cheese. The mac and cheese was decent last time, but this time I'm going to make it with two different kinds of cheese and see if that makes it tastier. Then, I'll be done because I don't want to do anymore and because I don't think our freezer can take anymore food.

Easter Cooking

First of all, last weekend, I made The Pioneer Woman's potatoes au gratin which were fantastic. The cream, the garlic, the cheese!

Potatoes Au Gratin

Ingredients

• 4 whole Russet Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean 
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened 
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream 
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk 
• 2 Tablespoons Flour 
• 4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced 
• 1 teaspoon Salt 
• Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste 
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese Freshly Grated 

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish. Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

For appetizers, I brought store-bought hummus, baby carrots, pretzel chips and cucumbers. I made crab dip with crackers. I also made Balsamic Bruschetta. This is not my favorite bruschetta recipe, but it was one I had handy. I was too lazy to search for the other. 

Balsamic Bruschetta
Ingredients 

• 8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced 
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil 
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced 

In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Serve on toasted bread slices.

38 Weeks

I'm writing this one earlier than the end of the week just in case.  We're in the 38th week.  You can read more here though not much changes with the baby from here on out.  The baby is the size of a pumpkin which Little Miss likes to tell everyone from the head of Housekeeping in our building to random people on the street. 

I'm much more uncomfortable, and the body will complain if I overdo anything with contractions or aches and pains.  Minor swelling with the hands and feet, but it goes away when I rest.  Last time, I grew out of my rings in the second trimester so it was nice to wear jewelry throughout this time.

So, at this point, it's a waiting game.  I'm hoping the little guy waits until Monday at noon.  If not, we're ready for him.  Little Miss came early (38 weeks + 5 days) which would put us at a Friday delivery if he copies his sister.  There's a little more cooking, some cleaning and laundry, but none of that is taking a very high priority over doing nothing.  Bottles are cleaned.  Diapers are purchased.  The important furniture, toys and clothes are laundered.  I even mostly have a suitcase packed.  I just need to remember to grab the camera and chargers.

Things I wonder:

1. Will he have wavy hair like Little Miss?
2. Will he be a good sleeper?
3. Will he fit into the newborn or preemie clothes (I packed both)?

Things we learned the last time:

1. If offered pain medication after surgery, I should say yes or have someone say yes on my behalf.  Last time, in a drug-induced haze, I said no.
2. If he is jaundice, we do not leave the hospital until it is gone.  Last time, we left and two days later were in the ER with Little Miss and had a 3-day stay.
3. When the hospital offers to do handprints and footprints, you say yes.  OK, I didn't have to learn this one, but it is clear instructions for Husband this time around.

Either way, new child, new set of rules, and we'll learn as we go.  A friend asked if we were ready for the baby last weekend.  I said we were prepared, but I wouldn't say we're ready.  We know there are tons that we have forgotten or that we have to learn.  We'll figure it out as we meet him!

Weekend Update - Easter

Easter weekend was super busy.  I had a doctor appointment on Friday morning, went to work for a few hours and the office closed early.  I went home and took a brief nap, and it was glorious.  After, Little Miss and I went grocery shopping.  I figured I'd cook and freeze some food for after the baby is born, and I've been putting it off since forever.  

On Saturday, I actually did some cooking.  It was our job to bring appetizers Saturday night and Sunday so I did one batch of cooking and split it all up.  I'll put recipes in a separate post.  So, Saturday, we celebrated Easter with the In-Laws at Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's place.  It was relaxing especially after all the cooking earlier in the day.  I may have overdone it a bit and my body kind of hated me, but it had to be done.  We got to bed very late, but that's how I've found I can sleep through the night.  I stay up late so I don't wake up repeatedly.

On Sunday, Little Miss woke me up by whispering, "There are eggs everywhere!"  The Easter Bunny had visited and left eggs everywhere and presents (Frozen, a big girl watch, popsicle molds and a popsicle "cookbook" and lots of chocolate).  We made quick work with presents and, while Husband made us French Toast, Little Miss and I snacked on some Easter chocolate.  Then, the entire family watched Frozen while we ate breakfast.  After, Little Miss went for some quiet, resting time while I did some more cooking and baking.  Then, we went to my parents' house for dinner.

We came home relatively early because it was a school night, and we all settled down for the evening.  It was a good weekend if not a little too busy.

Little Miss

As the baby gets ready to join the outside world, Little Miss is on Baby Watch all the time.  She's always asked how big he is and is interested in his status, but now that we're closer, she is much more vigilant.  Every little twinge, movement or Braxton-Hicks has her running to get Husband.  She is so excited.  She's tried out all his toys and stuffed animals and deemed them acceptable.  She picked out his Coming Home Outfit (though there is a back up in case it doesn't fit). 


We're still trying to adjust her expectations, but it's nice that she's so excited.  She's already taking her responsibilities very seriously.  She's kept up with all her cleaning and tidying.  Her room has remained the cleaned of all.  Husband and I aren't naive though.  We know there will be adjustment for all of us, but it should be short-term and, as with many things, the good will outweigh any of the inconveniences and mood swings.

Week 37

2 more weeks (though, by the time this posts, it'll be closer to 1 more week)!  We'll see if I make it.  As of today (early in the week), I have a few odds and ends to put away and then I want to dust the bedroom and clean the bathroom.  No reason why I couldn't do that any time, but I've been procrastinating.  The good news is that I've been pretty good at maintaining what I have cleaned already. 




All the baby laundry has been done up through 3 months clothing.  I should probably throw the blankets in though.  I forgot those because they are stored in a separate drawer.  Crib and portable crib in our room are all set up.  Car seat base is installed.  I should probably put together the diaper bag.  I need to clean/sterilize all the feeding equipment.  Still, things are in good shape and the balance is arriving this week including the Big Sister present. 




Basically, according to here, the baby is full term.  He definitely seems big enough based on the size of my belly.  I've hit the point where strangers just give me a pitiful stare and a lot of room to pass like I'm contagious.  At least when people assume it's any day, it could be any day.  Nothing like hearing that a month or two before the due date. 


Oh, and the big item I keep putting off is packing the hospital bag.  I did pre-register last week so that's done.  I kept saying I was waiting for the laundry to be done and to buy toiletries, but I'm just procrastinating - especially because both have been done. 


I'm having trouble sleeping and going to the bathroom constantly which I didn't do as much with Little Miss.  I don't get as much heartburn as with her, but when I do, it's bad.  I do wonder if he'll be as active outside as he is inside.  I wonder if Little Miss will calm him as much as she seems to calm when she talks to him.  Whenever she pats my belly or talks to it, there's less movement almost automatically.  It's the oddest thing. 


The end of this week has been rough.  I've had a lot of lower abdomen discomfort and contractions.  The contractions are intermittent at best, but yesterday, I was very uncomfortable.  I seem to do best in the morning, a little sore but better once I get moving.  Then, I just go downhill throughout the day.  I'm positive this has to do with the fact that my belly is gigantic. 


Last night, I went to bed before Little Miss but then I woke up before dawn.  I see a nap in my future.


The doctor went well.  My weight, blood pressure and size remained the same.  Here's hoping we can go another week!

Weekend Update - Making the Most of Our Time

This past weekend was nice overall.  You can't argue with the weather.  It was glorious.


On Saturday, Little Miss and I spent the entire day together.  We got up and played some board games despite the fact that I was super tired.  We went to grab some Mother's Day presents for the grandmas.  Then, the two of us went to lunch.  We ended up at Applebee's which isn't my favorite, but it was cheap.  The menu was all updated since the last time I went, and we were happy enough with the food.  Dessert was delicious so it had that going for it - and our server was super friendly and doted all over Little Miss.  Then, the two of us went to the salon to get our nails done.  All the Asian folk gushed all over her.  She did say they spoke "weird", but I just explained that they know more than one language which just makes it different and not weird.  She was weird for only knowing English.  Nail salons will, almost every time, ask me where I'm from which usually means they hope I'm from the same country as they are and speak their language (or they're asking so they can see how free they are to speak in front of me in their own language).  So, when we got home, Little Miss asked "Where am I from?  They kept asking me."  We spent the rest of the night home putting together baby stuff. 


I put the sheets on the crib and put clean fabric on everything I stripped earlier in the week.  Little Miss helped me put together all the toys and accessories.  She was actually quite helpful because I have trouble following instructions, and she is always eager to help.  We ended up both going to bed very late, but we had a very productive day.


On Sunday, Little Miss woke up at her regular time (which is still hours after many other children).  She watched some video while I tried to wake up.  Then, we pretty much just went to skating.  Little Miss did fantastic in skating.  She got to skip the third level and go straight to the next level.  She worked really hard on her lesson which is huge because she hates working hard at anything.  She fell a couple of times and got right back up, but she was pretty tired of falling after awhile.  When we got home, I took a nap, promising to play more board games if she gave me a half hour to sleep.  To the minute, she gave me a half hour.  Then, she fell asleep around dinnertime.


So, it was a good start to Spring Break.  Little Miss has been staying up late, but she's been pushing through the day with great behavior except for her little nap last night. 

Week 36

Week 36?! That's insane! You can read more here. Not much new. I feel like he dropped in the last day or so, but I still feel big. Sometimes, I don't but then I catch myself sideways in a mirror. He's still pretty active, and I've been having some ouchiness like he's settling himself on my hip bones. This is new because Little Miss loved to hang out around the ribs. This lower discomfort is new, but he's always been much lower than she was. My appetite seems to have lessened which is good only in that I couldn't have possibly eaten more than I did the last couple of weeks. I haven't wanted unlimited ice cream (hold the pickles), but I've been trying to limit the mass quantities. Otherwise, no real complaints. I'm now big enough that people keep asking me if it's any day, and people have been offering me seats on the Metro. Yesterday marks the first time a man has gotten up so chivalry isn't completely dead.


Last weekend, in a realization that I haven't really done much to get ready for the baby except clean and strategize, I purchased a bunch of things just in case. My parents gave us a stroller and car seat, but I picked up a new Pack and Play and a few other items that were on sale and we'd need down the line. I really just need to dust the bedroom, put away my clean clothes, and I want to go through the DVDs and CDs. Then, there's just a bit of laundry, and we'll be mostly ready. I planned to do a lot of cooking and freezing, but I put all my energy into organizing gifts instead - Easter Bunny gifts, birthday gifts, Mother's Day gifts. I'm all set through May except for the Nephew who hasn't told me what he wanted. I may get to some cooking, but I wanted to do the things that could be forgotten. I'm not going to forget to eat. Plus, Husband can cook. He has a rocky track record with gifts.


Little Miss is very excited. It was her turn to describe her family and her "almost-here baby brother" was the first member she listed. She has tried out all his new or new-to-him toys. I'm curious to see how she'll react in reality though not curious enough to rush the process. Still hoping to make it to April 28!


UPDATE:  Yes, I write most of these blogs ahead of time and schedule them so it looks I'm a better blogger than I actually am.  Anyway, appointment went well this morning.  I gained a pound which, this time, probably went all to me as the belly didn't grow at all.  Baby is still quite active.  Heart, brain and liver looked good after a quick scan, and he's still doing ok on the fluid front.  This week, the doctor felt more confident that I'll make it to April 28 at least.  I mean, we'll see.  Neither of us has any control over that, but I'd like to make it through the next week at the very least!  I did pre-register at the hospital today.  It's all done online now.  That tells you how long it's been since our last "baby".

Confession

My confession is that I'm not one of those people who takes pictures of myself.  I'll do family pictures and the occasional selfie with the kid, but I took maybe 3 pictures while pregnant with Little Miss (not counting pictures others took during the baby showers).  I've had a couple of pictures taken this time around but not too many.  So, here are a couple.  Nothing like the pictures during the last month! The one above is with presents from my mom.  I coincidentally wore my Very Hungry Caterpillar t-shirt which went nicely with the gifts.

Mom was really trying to get a solo picture of my belly from the side and me, but Little Miss couldn't stay out of a picture.  I like it much better with her in it. 

Loopholes

Little Miss was invited over for a sleepover awhile ago.  I was a little uncomfortable letting her have a sleepover with a non-relative in kindergarten.  So, I said we could certainly have playdates or maybe a sleepover when she gets a little older. 


Fast forward to yesterday.  She informs me that two boy classmates are coming to sleep over.  This brings up a whole different set of rules and concerns, but I keep them to myself.  She told me if she was too young to sleep over other people's houses, all her friends would just come to our house.  She's a sneaky one.

Kids are Mean.

Seriously, though.  This one classmate has been trouble since the first day of school.  She's always telling Little Miss what to do or how to do things.  We've talked it out, and Little Miss ignores most of what she says.  To be petty, this girl is totally annoying, and her parents were totally annoying the very few times we've interacted, but apples rarely fall far from the tree.


Anyway, yesterday, this girl told Little Miss that another girl was cuter than she was.  First of all, shut your face.  Second of all, look who's talking.  Third of all, that's just not nice.  I kept the first two parts of that to myself when talking to Little Miss, but both of the girls she mentioned are cuter than she is no matter how you look at things.  Little Miss told the teacher.  She seemed ok.  We told her there will always be people who aren't nice and say bad things.  They do it because they're mean, jealous or just feel good when other people feel bad.  She said she didn't believe her, but she also said her feelings were hurt.  And then I wrapped her in bubble wrap and kept her home from school today.  OK, I didn't, but I kind of wanted to. 

Weekend Update - The Very Busy Little Miss

We had an incredibly busy weekend! I did very little on Friday. The evenings have been rough for me. I rush to pick up Little Miss from school from work, and it involves a lot of brisk walking and driving and pressure to get there on time. Plus, I'm tired after a long week. So, I try to take it easy on Friday nights, but it doesn't always work out (sometimes, it does though). 

On Saturday, I got up with Little Miss. It makes it easy to get up with her when I'm not sleeping too well. I either go to bed early and wake up early or go to bed late and wake up normal time at best. Little Miss and I had our Saturday routine of playing board games before we got ready to go to our first baseball game. My parents met us there to watch her. Considering the team had one practice and Little Miss had never played before, they did great. She had two hits. It was a long two hours, but she was so excited. After, she went with the Inlaws and Nephew to the carnival and out to dinner. I think I took a brief nap and then did a lot around the apartment to get ready for the baby - cleaned toys and organized clothes and just straightened up in general. I have the fine tuning left to go this weekend though. Little Miss came home and went straight to bed, but I stayed up late cleaning and then watching tv.

On Sunday, I woke up before Little Miss, but she was right behind me. Husband had plans with a friend, but Little Miss and I went to her ice skating lesson where she did great. She's learning to glide, but she's also working hard and listening well to the teacher. We had a snack before she did a turn or two around the rink during Public Skate. Then, we drove out to my parents' house for dinner. We celebrated my mom's birthday (a bit late) and my dad's retirement. We had some Chinese delivery, but it was nice to have some family time, a low-key evening before Mom's surgery this week and the new baby. We went home and pretty much collapsed. Little Miss went straight to bed, and I have to admit I wasn't far behind her.

Books Read in March 2014

1. Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of her Lucky Harbor series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is part of her In Death series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. Rushing Amy by Julie Brannaugh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order of which can be found at Julie's website. This is the second book.)

I read a few non-romance books last month so I was ready to delve back into the genre. I picked some good ones. I was impressed and swept up in all three. I also started Nora Roberts's latest at the end of the month (but it won't show up until next month's list), and I'm really enjoying it.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Poor Little Miss.  She likes to run along the curb at the Metro stop (it's maybe 3-5 inches off the sidewalk).  She likes to walk along higher routes as well, but she's not allowed to run on those.  Yesterday, she tripped and fell while running.  I thought she was more shocked than hurt - worst case, she had a couple of skinned knees.  I calmed her down, though she was still half-crying, and kept her moving so no one had to hear her cry for too long.  Here's how the conversation went on the way home:


"What happened?"  I asked.
"I tried to stop my feet, but they didn't."
"Oh, no!  How did you stop?"  I asked her.
"The sidewalk stopped me."


I may have giggled.  Even though I don't doubt her knees smart a bit, they were barely scratched.  Her arm took the brunt of the fall.  I tried to stay calm, but she saw my face when I took a peek.  Luckily, she can't see it because the scrape isn't deep, but she has a decent size patch of skin missing.  She was very brave while we cleaned it out and bandaged it up.  We had some ice cream because, in our house, ice cream makes everything better.  We'll see how she does tonight during the bath.  I expect it won't go well between the water hitting the wound and the removal of the Band-Aid.  When asked, she's already told us she "might" be ok to play in her baseball game tomorrow.  I do feel bad, but I told her none of us get out of childhood without a couple of scraped knees and elbows.  It happens, and it stinks.  Also, now she knows not to run on the curbs because some lessons you learn the hard way.

Spring Training - One of the Boys

Well, baseball has begun.  Yes, the MLB has started playing this week, but I couldn't care less about those teams.  Little Miss asked to play baseball so her Cardinals (complete with St. Louis hat and mini uniform) have its very first game on Saturday.  Because Spring was late in coming, there was only one practice before the first game.  It was a busy day of school, Extended Day and then baseball practice, but Little Miss was a trooper. 


Little Miss did fantastic for her first practice and first real "training".  She listened well to her coaches.  She put forth effort.  She came home wanting to practice her swing.  The coach said a couple of times how well she did (though it irked me that he was so surprised).  She does have a great arm and can hit the ball though she does need to practice her stance and focus. 


When we got home, we just got her a little pizza for a quick dinner.  When she was done, she just got her dessert and then got herself ready for bed.  She only came to us to help get her baseball cleats off and to ask for assistance brushing her teeth.  By the time I finished cleaning up the bathroom, she was in bed. 


If this is how it goes after one one-hour practice, the weekends should be very tiring for her between this, regular weekend plans and ice skating.  We have a pretty good idea that the first game will be a bit of organized chaos, but it should be fun.  Little Miss goes to school with 2 of the kids on her team (though she's the only girl), and one little boy waved and said goodbye to her as she left.  He called out "See ya at the Big Game!"  It was kind of adorable. 


As much as Little Miss is one of the boys a lot of times (she taunts the girls with the boys and all her stories and "best friends" are boys), the girl showed up to baseball in her pink butterfly cap, a pink sequin top, pink shorts and pink glove.  I kind of like the mix in her personality though.  She owns it all.

Update

I really need to start posting the baby posts on Fridays instead of Thursdays as Friday is the day I visit the doctor.

It went well.  There's still a baby in there.  I lost a half a pound this week.  That said, I expanded by another 2 centimeters.  I'm now 2 centimeters beyond full term in size.  Though there's no sign of it, the doctor believes I may go into labor before our scheduled c-section.  We've all been expecting that as that's how it worked the first time around, but you never know.  

In the meantime, I guess I'll do the finishing touches at home and work on wrapping things up at work.  Everyone is mostly prepared there so it shouldn't be that bad, but there is a bit of housekeeping that needs to be done for my own well being.

In the meantime, just hanging in there.  I should probably take a picture of my belly.  I'm not good at that.  I think I have 2 which is maybe 2 less than I took last time. 

Week 35

You can find out more here, but I can just give you a brief overview that I'm huge. I'm one giant, awkward ache. Truthfully, I feel like I've kind of hit a plateau in the last couple of weeks. I'm fully in maternity clothes, but I can fit into non-maternity tops and sweaters depending on their length. LOVE these long-sleeved t-shirts from The Gap and am tempted to buy them in every color. The weather is finally getting nicer so I may be able to wear some of the capris that I had from the last pregnancy or maybe some dresses if they are stretchy enough. There's still a lot of movement. I feel like he'll be all leg like Little Miss was, but his arms are very active more so than his legs. I get contractions if I am at rest too long or if I'm overly active, but otherwise, it's not too bad. So, mostly some time in the evening or if I'm running late during my commutes.


We're in the home stretch in terms of preparation. I'd like to get a little more cleaning done this weekend - mostly putting away some laundry, a good dusting and going through some odds and ends. Then, it'll be maintenance from here on out. We'll need to do a lot bit of baby laundry, too. I have a list of things we need to purchase yet, but nothing is immediate, and I've been putting aside gift cards so we're in good shape. Really, I just need the car seat and to charge my camera battery (and remember my camera), and we're good to go. Last time, I forgot my glasses, the camera and the car seat when we left for the hospital. This time, there is a chance those items are the only things I bring. So, we're slightly behind schedule, but my schedule was on the early side anyway. I'm definitely feeling more confident than I was a month ago.


So, everything is going well enough.  Going into the final stretch now though!

Weekend Update - Where's Spring?

The fatigue has definitely set in.  The problem is that, if I go to bed early, I wake up obscenely early so I've been making myself stay up so I can sleep through the night.  This past weekend had some pretty horrible weather.  On Friday, we mostly hung out, and I went to bed early. 


On Saturday, Little Miss came in at 8AM but said she was busy and that she would come back to wake me at 8:30.  I was ok with that.  We cuddled on the couch most of the day, and then I started cleaning our room.  The bulk of the work was our closet which became the place to put everything.  It wasn't as bad as I expected.  I'll still have some more to do, but that was the worst of it.  In the evening, the In-Laws came over.  They had stored a bunch of things for the baby and came over to help install the crib and move furniture.  Then, we ordered some dinner and relaxed and stayed up too late after they left. 


On Sunday, I woke up early despite my best intentions.  Little Miss woke up shortly after.  I had brunch plans so I got her situated before I left.  From what I understand, she got all dressed and ready and presented herself to Husband all set ... almost 3 hours before her skating lesson.  A friend and I had a delicious brunch and then went to the salon for pedicures.  It was a nice afternoon despite the awful, horrible weather.  It was sleeting, snowing and all sorts of slippery and freezing.  I hit the store on the way home and then proceeded to nap when I got home.  It was the most glorious nap I've ever had.  Then, dinner and bed time routine before going to bed to start another week. 


This week, and the upcoming weeks, should be fun but busy.  Of course, starting in April, the plans become more flexible just in case, but we're trying to make the most of them!  *g*

Ice Skating

Little Miss had her ice skating assessment in Snowplow Sam II (she passed Snowplow Sam I with flying colors about a month ago).  She passed all of Snowplow Sam II and is even proficient in one of the items in Snowplow Sam III.  She now has the option of going forward with Snowplow Sam III or Beginning Hockey.  She notified us that she wanted to learn hockey and be the "girl Ryan McDonough" (a player on the New York Rangers). 


She is also signed up for baseball which hasn't had one practice or game yet because of the weather, but hopefully this week, we'll kick off the season!  She's gotten quite good at playing catch so we'll see if she takes to it.  After she suffered through soccer, it's nice to see enthusiasm for an activity outside of school.  There is a slim to no chance that this will lead to a professional career, but we do believe team sports are important (especially because Little Miss hates to lose).  It's always fascinating to see what sparks kids' interest and makes them light up.  It's sometimes a big gamble but we just ask that she tries and finishes out a season or lesson before moving on to something new. 

Late Blog - One Smart Cookie

In the beginning of March, Husband and I went to Little Miss's Parent-Teacher Conference.  This is on the heels of the trouble at school and a whole mess of snow days.  The teacher said all good things about Laura.  Even her constructive words had meaning and certainly didn't contain any new news for us.  We were surprised to hear how smart she was though.

Level 4 Reading is expected when you leave Kindergarten for First Grade, and she is at a Level 12.  Of course, we have to work on reading comprehension so there's no rush to skip grades or anything.  Hearing she's a great reader isn't new either.  Ever since she taught herself to read, she works to become better and better and pretty much reads everything.  Her reading comprehension has noticeably improved in the last couple of months, too.

In terms of handwriting, she started the year at Level 1A.  Most kids progress to Level 2A at the end of Kindergarten, but she was at Level 4A.  She still has some issues with some letters and numbers, but she can recognize when something is incorrect.  It frustrates her knowing something is wrong which just motivates her to do better.  She definitely doesn't get any of her motivation or determination from us.  I suppose it's an offshoot of stubborness which she may get from both of us though.

For the math section, she got an 87%.  This is misleading because there weren't many questions.  She got 10 of 13 correct.  Of the 3 questions she had incorrect, the entire class got wrong.  This was mostly due to the massive amounts of snow days and disruption of teaching.  The other area of weakness was money and change which she has been working on everyday since.  She just hates to be wrong so she has been determined to understand money.  She's almost there, but she second-guesses herself.  

Last weekend, she wanted to learn time so we spent all weekend working on that, and she asks to be "quizzed" at every possible second of the day.  It's great that she has such motivation, but it's so tiring on my brain.  I hope she never stops her quest for knowledge.  We try to encourage it even though it puzzles us because we are lazy humans.  She's the type of girl who does the week's homework on Monday and then asks to do it again every day during the week and/or during the weekend.  I mean, seriously, who does that?

Week 34

Not much new since last week (and really the changes week-to-week are small from this point forward), but you can find out more here.  Lots of movement and some contractions, but nothing alarming.  I seem to be more uncomfortable than last time, but I don't feel the heartburn is as bad as last time.  That said, I drove to work so the activity and train-riding adds a different aspect this time around.  Also, as Husband put it, I'm not as young as I was which was annoying but true. 


I officially hate all my clothes.  I can fit into very few things, but I'd be in better shape if the weather would be nicer.  I have some dresses and khakis from the last pregnancy (where I was pregnant during much warmer weather), but it's been cold.  For instance, right now it's snowing. 


I have a pretty good list of things needed for the baby.  There isn't too much thankfully.  Also, thanks to my gift card hoarding, there shouldn't be too much we have to physically purchase.  Husband has strong feelings that the little guy is going to come early, earlier than April 28.  We'll see.  There was no indication that Little Miss would come early so you never know.  I'd like to get through Easter at the very least, but as with all aspects of parenting, there's not as much control as you hope.

Champion!

I picked up Little Miss from school yesterday.  She was playing Connect 4 against an older boy.  I came up just in time to see her win.  The boy's friends cheered her and then told the boy that he "just got beat by a KINDERGARTENER!"  The older boy didn't seem upset, but he did walk away.  Little Miss did say that he played easy, medium and hard, but she won 4 games.  Poor kid was probably trying to be nice and got hustled.  That said, it took some time for Little Miss to become proficient at Connect 4.  She lost a lot of games before she learned to anticipate moves and see the entire board. 

Weekend Update - Making Progress

Last Saturday, we all got up and packed up 2 carloads of stuff to bring to my parents' house. We're hoping to sell all of our girl items from Little Miss or at least donate or at the very least clear our apartment. While there, Sister's friend took some for her little daughter. On the way home, we stopped at Carter's where I bought the first items for the baby, a little something for Little Miss and presents. It was a long day. Plus, when I got home, I realized I forgot a whole bunch of things from my parents' house. It's ok because I'll be out in a couple of weeks anyway.


On Sunday, we mostly hung around the apartment until ice skating. Little Miss has been learning a lot and doing well. She didn't stay too long at Public Skate, but she came home to practice some baseball with Husband while I napped. She's been anxious to play baseball but, because of the weather, the fields have been closed every practice date so far. It's not looking good for this week either.


We've done a great job keeping the apartment clean, but I haven't gone through the DVDs, CDs or our room yet. It shouldn't take me long. I just keep procrastinating. I just cleaned out the DVDs so that shouldn't take long at all, just a matter of straightening. The CDs haven't been touched in quite some time, but I can't seem to get rid of them. I'll purge at least a handful at least. Our room is more daunting. It was just completely purged so it shouldn't be bad, but it's a matter of moving things and organizing. Our previous form of organizing was throwing everything in the closet until we can shut the door.  Either way, once that's done, we'll be able to maintain and just do actual cleaning.   

Week 33

33 weeks! Where has the time gone? Of course, this last month is the longest. I no longer care what fruit or vegetable the baby resembles because he's huge. I get shortness of breath. I had a bit of swelling last weekend, but that's rare for me, and I haven't had any since. My leg cramps have even lightened up. The baby has been pretty active as he has been the entire pregnancy - rolling and kicking and what seems like head butting me.


I have weekly doctor appointments now to check on movement and amniotic fluid. It's not a full ultrasound, but it's nice to take a peek inside, see he has enough fluid to swim and still has a heart and brain and all the important stuff. We're definitely in trouble because I've never captured a still image of him. He's always moving - or he's super camera shy.


As for the home front, we've made progress. I made a strict schedule and the hard dates have been made so far. It's a three-leg process and the first was completed. I have limited time to complete the second leg, but I'm confidentish. Once we have the next two weeks done, we'll be in good shape to see what we need even though I have a small list set up already of things we need and things I'd like. So, it's coming together. Now, if the baby would just be patient and 1. not be born on or before Easter or, even better, 2. wait until April 28, the scheduled date for his birth. That would be great. Or he could take cues from his sister and come whenever he darn well feels like it. *g* UPDATE: The doctor visit went well. It was the first weekly visit so it was abbreviated as I was just there. I gained a pound from last week which pleased the doctor and is creeping me out. I got a nice view today where there was little movement which was nice. It was also a clear visual that it is, indeed, a boy growing inside. We are having a repeat C-section which is being scheduled today unless he is as impatient as he feels. So, April 28 is the big day (6 months after Little Miss's birthday to the day) if he makes it that long. I hope he does!

Recipe

I've been baking.  A lot.  Although, any baking for me is a lot.  I baked a batch of Williams Sonoma sugar cookies.  We made them green for St. Patrick's Day and Snow White because that's the cookie cutter Little Miss chose. 




Then, we had a billion bananas so I made chocolate chip banana bread last night.  The recipe is below:


Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter (at room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 tablespoons milk
•  ripened bananas
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• About 1/2 bag chocolate chips (totally your preference on how much you like)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


In a large bowl, combine the sugar and the butter.  Use a mixer on low until combined.  Add eggs and blend.  Add milk and the bananas and mix for about 1 minute.  The batter may look at little lumpy – that’s ok!  Add the flour and the baking soda and mix until blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips.


Spray 2 loaf pans with non-cook spray and divide the batter among the two pans.


Bake for 45 minutes. You should be able to insert a knife into the middle of the loaf and the knife should come out clean.


I baked mine for a bit longer as the blogger did.  Also, as with every new recipe, I messed something up.  I read 1 1/2 CUPS of sugar and then 1 1/3 TBS of milk as both cups.  I poured the milk in and was like that seems like a lot.  So, I strained out the milk and figured the batter was moist enough and kept going.  It was cheaper to continue on than it was to start over.  I tested a piece out of the oven, and it came out fine if not a little too moist.  *g*  I froze one loaf and kept the other out to snack on this week.  I may not like baking, but I'd like to do it more.  Also, when they told new moms to have a lot of food in the freezer, I don't know if chocolate chip banana bread was the original intent.

"Teaching Responsibility"

Little Miss is learning about money - its value and meaning.  So, we've let her know that she can earn money by doing chores.  We haven't made this a mandatory action.  She is responsible for a lot and time is limited.  We expect her to help and do as asked though on a daily basis.  The rules were that if she did a job that she normally doesn't do and it's not something fun (aka "helping" me bake cookies), she can get some monetary reward.  Last Monday, during the snow day, she folded all the laundry.  Originally, as with other chores in the past, she was just going to do it for all the change in my wallet.  This is a gamble because it can be $5 or 18 cents.  This past Monday, it was 18 cents, and she was still excited.  She did such a good job, Husband gave her a dollar.  Yesterday, he gave her another basket and gave her another dollar.  She's now a money-hungry monster.  In the meantime, we get lazier.

Weekend Update - Nesting

Do not get the idea that I'm nesting.  If anything, I'm anti-nesting.  That said, we needed to clean and purge.  This past weekend, Little Miss spent the weekend with the In-Laws while we cleaned out our storage unit.  We had a lot more items than we thought.  Some were for the new baby and some were kept in case we had a girl.  Because we are not, we now have quite a bit of things to sell or donate.  When we got home, I started to clean Little Miss's room.  My goal was to take out all of the toys from her room and put them all in the living room and also purge quite a bit.  We've also used her closet as storage of sorts so I wanted to make the closet for the kids.  I made progress although I had a giant headache so I didn't make as much progress as I had hoped.

On Sunday, the In-laws came to watch Little Miss skate and do the hand-off back to us.  Then, we came back home, and I finished up Little Miss's bedroom and went through all her toys.  I didn't finish putting the toys away, but her room is complete - for now.  Because she was tired from her sleepover, she was a little sensitive, and she was was upset that there were so many changes.  We talked them through, and it's all good.  She even handled the purging of her toys well.  Mostly her biggest issue was placement so we worked with her where could.  Because everything is tidied, she also has a lot of toys she hasn't seen in awhile which is like getting all new toys so she didn't miss the things we are getting rid of as much.

This week, I need to finish up in the living room - all the odds and ends.  Most importantly, I need to clean our room specifically our closet.  It shouldn't be that bad, but it's the room I've been putting off.  Then, it's just a matter of going to my parents' house, getting the last of the baby items from them and getting everything ready for the tag sale because I don't anticipate having time until after it's over.  It'll come together.  My plan shifted, but the big steps have been met.  I'm thankful for a snow day today though because I stayed up late to finish Little Miss's room.  It looks so good.  It hasn't been this clean since before she was born.  I have all the baby items put away (though not cleaned yet) and a fairly good stash of diapers and wipes started.  Of course, this is before we added actual baby items which will change everything, but there is more room than there used to be for them!

Weekend Update - Busy Weekend

The second weekend in March is the only weekend I did not plan on cleaning or tidying - and for good reason.  I decided to get a manicure to use up some Groupons that I had.  Then, we had dinner with the In-Laws, Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law, Nephew and Mother-in-Law's cousin and his wife.  Little Miss took an instant liking to them both.  It was a yummy restaurant at a place near to us that we have never visited.  I think it's safe to say we may be going back.  After, we went back to the In-Laws for awhile so the kids could play, and we could visit longer.

On Sunday, we were all a bit slow-moving after a late night.  I had book club and met the girls at Clyde's in Alexandria.  We talked about the book which was really good and had brunch which was excellent.  The waiter was doing us a favor and left us alone, but it made me late to see Little Miss ice skating.  I still got to pick Husband and Little Miss up at the rink though.  

Meanwhile, I had a lot of cleaning still to do and there was a lot little anxiety over the growing list of things to do. 

Weekend Update - In Like a Lion

March started with a busy weekend!  I had slowly started cleaning - mostly easy things like tidying the closets and desk.  There wasn't anything challenging being done.  I also organized under the sink in my bathroom.  All the things needed to be done, but they weren't the most pressing.  However, we do try to put Little Miss's activities first if we can.  So, on Saturday, we woke up and met a bus stop friend and her mother to visit the National History Museum.  It is the last month before the dinosaur exhibit is closed for 5 years.  It turned out the kids didn't really care.  They were happy to just run around and hang out.

She was so brave at the museum though!  She held the biggest beetle that I've ever seen and some sort of green insect.  She got nose to nose with a tarantula (didn't hold her because she was busy eating though). 

We stayed at the hotel straight through lunch and then hit up IHOP on the way home for a quick but late lunch.  Then, I dropped off Little Miss and got ready to go out for the evening.  I met some friends for some Mexican which was delicious.  I bet it tasted better with a margarita, but I did not have one.  The guacamole was delicious though.  On the way home, I stopped across the street to bring home some homemade pop tarts and a chocolate donut for breakfast.

On Sunday, I woke up with Little Miss, and we had a delicious sugar-filled breakfast.  Then, after lunch, we went to the first ice skating lesson of the next level up.  Husband went to play golf and met us there afterwards, but Little Miss and I had a good time.  There were only 2 kids in her class so she got a lot of attention and really learned a lot in one lesson.  

In the evening, Husband and I settled in for a nice dinner while we watched the Oscar ceremony.  It wasn't the best program and we saw very few movies, but it was still a nice evening.

Weekend Update - Everything is (Not) Awesome

I had grand plans to start cleaning this weekend.  My "official" cleaning schedule hadn't started yet, but I had no plans so I thought I would get a little out of the way.  I did not.  I did nothing.  And it was glorious.  Little Miss woke us up early in the morning sick to her stomach in bed, but she was a champ.  We all kind of just sat on the couch all day.  In the afternoon, I dragged myself out to go grocery shopping before dropping Husband off to play poker.  Little Miss was starting to feel better so I took her out of the house for some fresh air.  Unfortunately, because she was sick, Little Miss missed out on her last week of ice skating lessons and a playdate and sleepover with her cousin.  

On Sunday, to make up for the missed sleepover, we met Sister-in-Law and Nephew at the movies.  Little Miss loved The Lego Movie.  It perked her up, and the weather was beautiful.  It was a good afternoon.  In the evening, Husband went to a friend's house so it was just the two of us.  All in all, a good lazy weekend.

Weekend Update - President's Day Weekend

As we almost always do, on President's Day weekend, we went to my parents' vacation townhome. It snowed all weekend long. ALL. WEEKEND. LONG. I had just twisted my ankle the week before so it was a whole lot of nothing, but it was a fun weekend. Little Miss went out to play in the snow (and found a huge icicle - below). She played a bit with Nephew. Sister and her boyfriend also made the trip. Husband took her, in the snow, to go ice skating. She stayed out there for hours. The girl so loves her ice skating. She found an adult woman who also was on her skating level and accompanied her around the rink.

Friday Catch All

Here is a Friday catch all:

1. Over a week ago, Little Miss got in trouble.  She has rarely gotten in trouble.  She gets chastised and there are some small punishments here and there as with any child, but there have only been a couple of serious infractions.  So, she had her television severely restricted for almost 2 weeks.  Worst of all, she's had to TALK to us and discuss feelings and actions.  We ceased the punishment a day early after one final talk for various reasons, but talking about how she disappointed us and others and how we have seen her exhibit better behavior and know she can do better still makes her cry so the lesson is getting through short-term.
2. I gained 3 pounds in 2 weeks which is a lot for me.  The benefit of having gestational diabetes last time (versus not having it this time) is that it really limited my weight gain.  It'll be interesting to see how it goes this time.  I'm still on the low side in terms of weight gain based on charts, but we'll see.  I'm measuring typical to 35 weeks regardless of the fact that I'm only in my 32nd week.  Baby is moving quite a bit and often.  Blood pressure is still very low.   Plus, we have an approximate date for the C-section.  Of course, many things could change before then - the hospital may not have an opening, the baby may decide to come earlier.  If all goes to plan (babies and life have a habit of throwing a good plan out the window as we all know), he'll have a birthday 6 months apart from Little Miss.
3. The weather is ridiculous!  It's cold.  It's warm.  It's freezing.  It's slightly warmer.  All the rain and snow melt has delayed baseball considerably.  Little Miss is taking baseball and ice skating this Spring.  She has loved ice skating so far so we want to foster that as much as possible.  She's super excited to start baseball, but we'll see how she likes it.  It's twice a week and will definitely make things challenging.  It'll be worth it if she likes it though.  She is coordinated enough to do well if she wants.

Week 32

Let's see. Week 32 (and really the coming weeks) won't have too much differences. The baby is the size of a squash though it doesn't say what kind according to this site. Based on my size, I'm going to go a freakishly-huge, prize-winning-at-the-county-fair big. You know, technical term, of course. The site goes on to say that the baby is moving to head down, but mine has been head down for quite some time with very active arms and legs.


I finally had to give up and go all maternity pants which is unfortunate because I really only have a couple of pairs. My pre-pregnancy shirts (if long enough) mostly fit, and I have a handful of maternity tops, so that should carry me through. Just last weekend, I just started to feel huge overnight. Just moving is a challenge. Plus, now I get those looks of sympathy though still not always a seat on the train which is fine as long as I have room to read.


We've made a little progress with the apartment. I'm still just barely on schedule. No one in the household is sleeping well which is making us all a little grumpy. I need to finish up Little Miss's room this week and then our closet. Once that's done, toys and miscellaneous items can be sorted through next week. I've found doing a little during the week is actually easier than leaving it all to the weekend. Of course, once I finish all this tidying (and then subsequent deep cleaning), it'll be time to start doing it all over again. Still, I'm happy with the progress. Well, satisfied at the very least.


My next doctor appointment is Friday as I'm every two weeks now. We'll see if we can do better with the non-stress test and continue to stay ok with the amniotic fluid index and all the other check-in points. I feel like I keep eating my weight every day so hopefully, my weight hasn't reflected that. A woman at the grocery store said I was bigger with Little Miss yesterday which made me feel a little better though I don't know if I felt bigger with her. I don't remember my measurements with her, but I know she (and, therefore, I) measured large with her, too.

Week 31

Week 31 has no big changes from Week 30. According to this site, the baby is the size of a pineapple, 15-16 inches and a little over 3 pounds. So, basically, at this point, he'll be packing on weight from this point forward.


I feel like I've hit a plateau in terms of size. I haven't had a ton of swelling, but I was on my feet a lot last weekend. My feet were a little swollen on Sunday, but it was hardly noticeable. I fell again on Saturday so that may also result in a little swelling of the ankle from aggravating the sprain a bit. Either way, it was fine by Monday. The movement hasn't been as routine, but the baby is definitely more active than Little Miss at least at this stage. Obviously, at this stage, there's a discomfort level. I'm getting around ok, just a lot a little slower. I'm sleeping ok, but I find if I stay up later, I sleep better for consecutive hours.


We've started doing a full Spring Cleaning. I've done two closets, the bathroom and the majority of the living room. I know it doesn't seem like a lot. I don't purge often, but when I do, I go through everything and reorganize everything so I picked through make up, coats, broken hangars, everything. I consolidated bottles of liquor and organized all of Little Miss's arts and crafts. It's an undertaking. The biggest tasks still loom though - Little Miss's bedroom and our closet. I just purged most of my things last year so that shouldn't take long, just some straightening. Husband is on his own with his things. Plus, I recently reorganized the kitchen which is coming in handy at this point. I plan to do all of that within the next week. Starting next weekend, we're doing actual preparation which shouldn't take long - just a trip to storage and then we work on what is out at my parents' basement and then the finishing touches. All should be ready by early April though so I can figure out what needs to be purchased.


We have generous family and friends and co-workers though so some of the gifts have been coming in which helps curb my buying. I've not bought anything yet. Little socks are killing me! They're just precious. If they weren't so impractical, I think I'd have a billion tiny socks.

Movies Watched in February 2014

1. Monsters University
2. The Lego Movie

I recorded Monsters University when it premiered on cable, and Little Miss watched it with me. It was really cute. I don't think she's ever watched Monsters, Inc. or didn't love it, but she liked this one. It also had us talking about school and bullies which made for an interesting movie experience with her. She really liked The Lego Movie. She didn't like it as much as Frozen, but she enjoyed herself immensely. I'm a few Weekend Updates behind, but we went with Sister-in-Law and Nephew so it was a nice afternoon out for us all.

Books Read in February 2014

1. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The months where I read non-romance books are always a bit lighter in quantity.  I also didn't do any reading when I wasn't commuting which adds to the time it takes me to finish a book.  That said, this month had quality (which is not to say other months did not).  Wild is non-fiction, and I had mixed feelings throughout, but I ended up enjoying the author's journey.  The Night Circus isn't for everyone, but I loved the storytelling and found it very charming.  So, no complaints for my February reading.

30 Weeks (Bonus)

I had my doctor appointment this morning.  We had a little non-stress test to see the heartbeat versus movement.  He was contrary as usual, only moving enough to "voice" his unhappiness.  The doctor declared the results "so so".  We got a quick sonogram to measure heart, brain and amniotic fluid.  He's got a heart and brain, and the doctor was pleased enough with the fluid levels. 


He seems to be growing.  I'm still measuring consistently on the large side, but I'm not really gaining much weight which doesn't concern the doctor so it doesn't concern me.  It's not for lack of eating.  As it is, I've had to hold back because I feel like I could just be a constant eating machine if I let myself. 


I start going in every 2 weeks at this point, but it's just so inconvenient.  Still, it's a bonus to get to peek inside each time which I didn't get to do last time.  The benefit of being considered high risk, I suppose.  It amused me that my blood pressure is the same every single time I visit.  That's never been an issue before at least.  If anything, on rare occasions, it drops low, but it's usually pretty steady and on the lower side of normal. 


So, knock wood that things continue to go smoothly.  His head is very low so it's a little uncomfortable, and I can get some contractions if I push myself too hard so it's been a balancing act getting ready for his arrival and resting at the same time.  We'll see how that goes in the next few weeks.  I hope (and need) to get a lot accomplished this weekend.  Also, I should start thinking about getting the few things we need for the baby.  We need only 2 big things, but there are a few wants thrown in there as well.  As with the first time, my restraint in purchasing things is overwhelming considering that I don't usually have a lot of willpower when it comes to shopping usually.

Tough Questions

Husband had a going-away event for a co-worker this week.  Very briefly, this week, he was the favorite parent.  Little Miss was disappointed he couldn't pick her up after extended day.  So, she just looks at him and says:


"Well, Daddy, who's more important?"


That certainly put him in the hot spot.

30 Weeks

I wrote this post and it disappeared.  It was a lengthy one, too. Anyway, here it goes again. We're at 30 weeks which is just ridiculous.  I have my doctor appointment on Friday before I start going every two weeks.

I believe I'll be able to go a mixture of non-maternity and maternity clothes for the rest of the time.  My shirts have been working hard, but maternity clothes just fit me so poorly.  I'm hoping that my co-workers aren't too tired of the same old same old.  I'd at least have some more options if the weather warmed up a little for dresses.

Luckily, no heartburn this time around which is nice.  It was so bad with Little Miss.  I do have shortness of breath which I didn't have before.  No swelling, and I've been sleeping fine which is good.  I do have an itchy belly, but I've been trying to moisturize which helps. 

I have a fairly aggressive March getting everything ready because, so far, we haven't done anything to prepare for the baby.  Unless you count actively denying that time is passing quickly.  We do that quite a bit.  We don't need too much other than a car seat and a monitor.  There are a few other wants, but the car seat is a priority.  

The baby is very active though getting quite cramped.  There is a lot more stretching than kicking lately.  I'm hoping he stays in there a good while or, even better, until his scheduled date which would be a new development in this house.  Little Miss beat her c-section date by a couple of days.  Either way, we'll see!

Must Be the Home Stretch

Little bonus baby post this week.

Last Friday, I found out that I passed my 3-hour glucose test!  This basically means I don't have gestational diabetes this time.  I'm still going to try to stay a little disciplined with my eating schedule, but it means I don't have to be as crazy vigilant as I'd have to be if I failed the test.  I rewarded myself with not testing over the weekend. 


Last night, Little Miss sat on my lap and looked at me seriously.  "Momma, I need to talk to you," she said, and I braced myself for whatever was going to come out of her mouth next.  "You haven't taken your diabetes test lately."


I explained that I didn't have to, but I could occasionally if it made her feel better.  She's a very good nurse and has always looked out for me and the baby throughout this entire process.  It was super sweet.  She actually went with me for the glucose test and was all right up in the nurse's business while the blood was being drawn.


A woman gave me her seat on the Metro today.  So, I figure that officially marks the fact that I'm huge.  I don't always accept it depending on when a seat becomes free, but I did today.  I appreciate it more on the way home, but it was nice of her.  A woman touched my belly today, too.  Normally, people don't though or without permission (not including family which I give a begrudging pass to). 

Week 29

Baby is the size of an acorn squash so says this site. I don't need a website to tell me that he's moving a lot more. 2 hours straight last night was constant movement and kicking. I think it wore him out because today has been quieter, much closer to the regular schedule. I actually don't feel like I've grown any though this is the week a lot of people have commented on the size. I have grown much more awkward and slow - though this is also in part due to my sprained ankle. It's functioning, but I still walk a little gingerly just in case.


Based on conversations with my doctor, we'll be doing a C-section again.  Most likely, I estimate that we will be the last week in April some time unless the baby decides to come early like Little Miss did.  My plan is to be done with preparations by the end of March, possibly that first weekend in April depending on how things go.  That should be plenty of time regardless for upkeep of the household and maybe start freezing some dinners and foods.


The website also says now is the time to start finalizing preparations. In my case, I should start doing any preparation. I do have a pretty strict schedule in March, but there's the possibility that I can start a little this weekend. I did all this earlier last time so being so pregnant and doing everything is taking a little assistance, and I'm not the best at asking for help. Plus, I like to plan everything out in my head before acting on a plan. It'll come together.


It's always hard for me to prepare because I'm not really the person who bonds with a baby until I'm holding he/she. So, it's very abstract until then and then you hit the ground running so there's no thought process. It'll be an interesting ride, that's for sure!

Conversations with a 6-year-old

The car ride home from school is when all the magic happens.  Little Miss is still excited from school, she's not tired yet, and actual conversation happens before the fatigue attitude sets in. Last night, we couldn't leave school until a little boy's father came so we could all walk out together.  Luckily, we were parked next to each other so the kids held hands and crossed the street together.  They said goodbye and, once the car door closed, this is how it went down:


Little Miss:  When we're 18, [Boy in Class] and I are going on a date. 
Me:  Oh, really?  What are you going to do on your date?
Little Miss:  Probably go out to dinner, but he doesn't know that yet.
Me:  Whose idea was the date?



At this point, I'm thinking it's all imagined in her head and this poor boy has no idea what's in store.


Little Miss:  The date was [Boy in Class's] idea.  He may have a better idea what to do though.


Well, at least the kids are waiting until they're 18.  Earlier this week, she told us another boy tries to kiss her and only her. 

Weekend Update - Marathon

I'm a weekend update behind, but two weekends ago, we ran around like crazy people.  We had a quiet Friday.  Then, on Saturday, we were up for skating and then, I visited my mom.  Mom fell skiing and did all kinds of damage to her knee.  So, I went to visit and see if she needed anything while recuperating.  Then, I rushed home to change and go out to dinner with the In-Laws for Father-in-Law's birthday.  We got home late and were exhausted!  It was a good day though, just packed full.


On Sunday, we were up early to go to brunch with Husband's friends.  Little Miss loved being the center of attention, and the food was delicious.  She took a nap when we got home, and we just relaxed.  I think I wanted to nap but didn't.  Either way, it was a relaxing afternoon before an odd week full of sprained ankles and snow days.