31 Weeks

We had an ultrasound done on Thursday. Everything looked good it seemed. We'll get a report from the doctor next week.
The baby seems to be measuring right on and weighing about 3 lbs 8 oz. We got a good view of the face. It looked chubby to me. We still don't know the gender, so don't ask. We all just have to wait.
I'm getting excited and ready to meet this little new person.

A VERY Good Girl

30 Weeks!

Can I just say it again. . . 30 Weeks!

I knew this was coming but holy cow it seems to have flown by. Now only 10 more weeks and we'll have a new little muffin to adore.

I am getting anxious to know the gender now. Boy? Girl? Boy? Girl? We won't know until this little one decides to come.

And boy oh boy does this baby move. I am just amazed at how much this baby bumps and rolls, that's what it feels like at least. I do hope this is not an indication of activity outside of the womb. I really need a calmer baby this time around.

I am increasingly uncomfortable. I sleep well most of the time. I am too tired not to. But it's hard to move and get up and down with Little Man. Of course he's so flexible and small, he wants me to crawl into his tent or tunnel of cushions but Mommy just doesn't move like that right now. I try to make him pick things up off the floor for me. Sometimes it works.

So on one hand I am ready to not be pregnant any more but on the other hand I am not ready for this little infant to be here yet.

I dream of what it will be like to hold a tiny little newborn again. To nurse it and rock it and change it. I also dream of how it will change our lives completely to have another child. What it will mean for Nicholas and our relationship with him. So many ups and downs. It's really best to just not think about it and let what come, come.

I had a doctor's visit today. Everything is looking good. Heartbeat was a cinch to find. They do think I am measuring a tad on the small side. But we're not really worried. I carried small with Nicholas too. However, we are doing an ultrasound next week just to check on the size of baby.
Good news: the head seems to be down. That's a relief to me because our ultrasound at 22 weeks showed the baby to be breech.
I've gained a total of 22 lbs. so we are right on track. The doctor's seem to think I am all belly. Which I suppose is a good thing.
And this baby is bumping away at me as I type this. I'll be curious to find out if the measurements show the baby to weigh more or less than average at this stage. Although I never fully trust them when they estimate, they never seem to be right.

Easy Beefy

I made this slow cooker beef last week. Out of it I made cheesesteak sandwiches then I used the leftover beef and juices to make a very good and simple Shepherd's Pie.
I wanted to share it all with all of you.
Here's a link to the original recipe for the slowcooker beef:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Italian-Beef-for-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx#

From this I made the Cheesesteak Sandwiches:
I sliced the beef and pulled it apart. Placed some on hoagie rolls. I sauteed some onions and green peppers, added those on top of the beef. Then some provolone cheese. Popped it under the broiler for just a minute or two (you have to watch it closely so it won't burn). We then dipped the sandwiches in some of the juice from the roast.

Then a few days later I made Shepherd's Pie from the leftover roast and juices.
I made a roux (take 2 tbls butter, melt in pan, add 2 tbls flour and wisk, let cook a minute or two) then wisk in the beef juices, keep wisking until thickened. Slice the beef and add to the gravy. Make mashed potatoes. Thaw some frozen vegetables. Pour the beef mixture into a baking dish, top with vegetables then potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.
Wah-lah! Wonderfully delicious

Welcome Third Trimester

27 weeks. The third trimester is here.
I'm tired. And I probably do too much. But hey, I have a 2 year old that doesn't stop and a house to take care of. Oh and there is also Christmas to prepare for, my favorite holiday. I always wish I could do more, but the energy level is just not there.

So onto the stats: According to babycenter.com the baby is measuring about 14.5 inches. That seems really long. Only 5 more inches to a birth length. And weighing about 2 lbs. I feel like I've already gained a ton of weight and the largest weight gain is yet to come. Maybe this will be a chunky baby.

This baby is such a mover. I just can't believe how much it moves. I would have to wake Nicholas with strong nudges just to make sure everything was okay. But once he was born he never stopped moving. So if this baby is even more active outside the womb, we're in trouble. We're hoping this one is more of a sleeper, though.
We have a doctor's visit this Friday. It seems like forever since we've been. This will start our bi-monthly visits though. So we will see a lot of the doctor.
I'll try to get some pics up in the coming weeks.

Can you believe it?

It's November 8th! We have snow on the ground. It's not a lot. But enough to cover the ground and the trees. Enough to have to scrape the car and turn the defrost on.
It's windy. It's 34 degrees.
I want to stay home.
I also want to pull out my Christmas decorations.

Halloween

Nicholas was a train engineer for Halloween. I made a train facade for his wagon. It was so cute. He had a great time and ate waaayyyy too much candy. But it was fun and only one night. The kitty cat in the pictures is the neighborhood girl we play with a lot. She was adorable.

New Cakes

Here are the cakes I just finished this morning.

Week 23: The Mango

So the little mango is doing well. We had a doctor check up yesterday and everything is on track and looking good.
Strong heartbeat. I only gained 4.5 pounds this month. Wahoo!!! So I am at about half of the weight I should gain. But I like to eat. My latest craving, milk.
So nothing else to report this week.

Spoiler Alert

If you are a fan of Project Runway and didn't catch the finale yet, stop reading.

I can not believe Gretchen won. I have hated her all season. Since the first show when she won and got all overconfident. She was mean to the others and always thought herself better than everyone else.
I hate her style. I thought her show looked like Southwest trailer trash. Put those clothes on the average woman and she will look dumpy.

I loved Mondo's clothes. Not that I would probably wear any of them because that is just not how I dress but I thought they were fashion.

So I was quite disappointed. But I never agree with the judges.

22 Weeks

Just some pictures this week.

Vacation

Vacation in Germany: wonderful. Nicholas came down with a cold the day before we left. But he did really great on the plane. He did transition pretty well to the 6 hour time change. Although Joe was the one up with him at 2 in the morning. Thanks, babe. Also for taking the hits on Sunday. Nicholas got really sick and was vomiting all morning...all over Joe. We aren't quite sure what was wrong but he snapped out of it and then we went to see a castle and have dinner. He's such a trooper.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous all week. We had sunshine and 60's. It rained the day we left. Our timing could not have been more perfect. The fall color was just beginning to show but mostly things were still green and the flowers were still in full bloom. I couldn't believe the geraniums.

Our hosts, Clayton and April, were fantastic. Thank you for opening your home and sharing your lives. I would say I am a little jealous that you get to stay there. We are so grateful for this opportunity and to have such great friends.

(Our hosts)

A quick rundown of events and highlights from the trip:

Day 1: Adjustment day. We took it pretty easy to adjust to the time change. Nicholas and I took naps. Joe powered through. We took a nice stroll into the Lynches town of Seeheim-Jugenheim. We had some wonderful ice cream and found a playground.

(Kathryn and Nicholas at the gate)

Day 2: Nicholas was sick 1/2 the day so we just hung around the house still settling in. Then we drove up to Castle Frankenstein located on the hill right behind their town. We couldn't see much of it because it was closed and set up for Halloween. But we had our first wonderful German dinner out and the kids didn't melt down too much.

Day 3: We drove north to Rudesheim am Rhein, it's on the Rhine River. It was so beautiful. We walked around, shopped, ate and then took a cable car ride up over the vineyards to the top of a hill. Nicholas kept yelling, "Heelllllooooo Down There" all the way up. It was great. The kids ran around in this cupola thing and we started walking back down through the vineyards. We stopped at a little Gasthaus for a snack and coffee. On our way down we ran into what we think was the owner or manager of the vineyard and his grape picking machine (photo below). Its wheels run between the rows (which are immaculately straight and clear) and the top skims over the top and sides of the plants picking the grapes. It was really cool to see.

Day 4: Our families split and we took the train into Darmstadt, a small city just north of them. We of course got lunch and shopped a little and just walked around. It was a nice family day out.

Day 5: We took off for the Weinstrasse, Wine Road. We headed to the southern tip of it to a town called Schweigen-Rechtenbach. It's right on the France border. We had a wonderful lunch in this little town. Joe got a very tender, flavorful pork roast in gravy with noodles. I had a wonderful spinach tortellini in cream sauce with red peppers, shallots and white asparagus. Since I can't indulge in the wine I had a glass of grape juice. It was yummy. We both said upon returning home that this was our favorite meal of the trip.


We continued to walk through the town into the surrounding vineyards and into France. We came to the town of Wissembourg (ca. 1500). It was gorgeous. The architecture and a small stream running through the town. We would have liked to have more time there but there just wasn't enough. Maybe someday we will get back.
We headed back to the Land Rover (our vehicle) for our drive down to Baden-Baden where we were to spend the night and had hotel reservations. Unfortunately the closest bridge over the Rhine River was closed and we were detoured. So trying to follow the not so well marked detour signs and looking at the map we came to ferry crossing to the south (we are now in France by the way). It's 8:30 at night and we pull up behind a waiting Porsche for the ferry. The ferry is on the other side of the river. We can see it. It's coming over. It's docked. It's lights go out. The drivers get off and head to their cars. What?!? The Porsche driver gets out and you can tell he is talking heatedly to these two men. Then they all get back in their cars and speed off. The ferry has shutdown for the night. Now what? We are still on the other side of this river. We are 20 minutes from Strasbourg, France and about 45 minutes from Baden-Baden. So a quick change of plans has us driving into Strasbourg to find a hotel for the night. We fortunately found one and got into our rooms at 9:30pm. The kids were troopers, I tell you. We settled for the "not-so-fast" French McDonald's for our bedtime meal. Oh, well. We woke up in France the next day.


Day 6: We spent in Strasbourg walking around this very nice city with the canal running through it. We took a boat tour on the canal and got to see a lot of the city and learned the home of the European Parliament is here. Some great architecture in this city of both the old and new.

(This is Nicholas dancing to the music on the boat)

A beautiful, humongous Catholic Church. We left the city late afternoon to finally drive to Baden-Baden (we switched our hotel res.). It was surprisingly easy to get across the river in the daylight. We enjoyed a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant in Baden-Baden.
Day 7: April and I got totally spoiled by our husbands and the Dorint Spa. We went for facials and I got a foot massage while April got a pedicure. We could have stayed there all day. We enjoyed a late lunch in the Dorint Hotel lounge while the kids played around. Then headed back to home that evening.
Day 8: Travel home day. Nicholas did really well on the plane ride given we were delayed 1 hour on the tarmac and he only had a 45 min. nap on the 8 hour flight. He did pee through his two outfits and ended up in his diaper for more than half the flight. The straps on his diaper kept getting twisted so once we looked over at him sitting in his seat with his diaper undone and him amusing himself, if you get what I mean. It was quite funny actually.
So other than that our trip home was uneventful and we made it.
A great week that went all too fast.

21 Weeks

We had our ultrasound this week. It was so ex.cit.ing!! The baby is weighing about a pound and right on schedule. We saw the spine looking so nice. The baby waved it's little fingers, opened and closed it's mouth and stretched it's leg which both were tucked up and folded. The baby is sitting breech at the moment. This was a concern of mine with Nicholas so I just hope the baby will turn in the next 18+ weeks. The heartbeat was strong at 150 bpm. It was just so cool. I forgot how cool it is to see your baby in the womb. The baby was so active too. It could have something to do with the breakfast sandwich and decaf I had on the way. Ha!!

We opted for not finding out the gender. Joe asked me moments before if I would cave. But I like not knowing. I want to push the baby out and then say, "what is it?" And call the baby by it's name. The technician said it might have been hard to see because of the legs being folded up, so it worked out perfectly.

Can you feel my excitement? I think I needed the confirmation also that everything with this baby is developing good. And it is. So it's good.

Okay, about me. I am feeling good. Feeling big. I probably gained a ton while we were on vacation. We ate all the time! I was so stuffed after about every meal. But the german food was so good and I wish I could still eat it. But more about that in another post. Joe says we were so active, walking everywhere that we burned it off any way. I hope that's true. We'll see next week at the doctor's visit how much I gained this month.

I'll try to get the ultrasound pics uploaded soon. Be patient with me.

Week 20: Halfway There

I've made it to the halfway mark. Only 20 (give or take) weeks until the birth of our new little one. If you would have asked me in month 1 or 2 I never thought I would get to this point alive. Well, not really but it was rough going there for a while.
According to babycenter.com, The baby is now weighing around 10.5 ounces! Wow!! How did it get that big? And measuring from head-heel 10 inches. It's amazing these little beings fit inside us and then come out of us through a not so large space. I think that's one of the most fascinating things about pregnancy.
And how nature takes over. If you think about how humans start (just 2 little cells) and what we end up as, it's pretty amazing. And a woman's body just knows how to do it all.
I try not to worry about all the things you can worry about during pregnancy and have faith in my body. Even with all the medical advances, it's not 100% accurate. We just have to trust that our body knows and will do what it needs to do. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the medical technologies we have for in case something does go terribly wrong we aren't dying in childbirth like they did ages again. Pardon me, I digress.
So the baby has started producing meconium, that black sticky stuff that is their first bowel movements. Nice stuff.
It's all pretty exciting. Joe and I were just discussing the birth of Little Man and how it happened. Pretty exciting. I am thankful to have this experience again.
All for this week. I really need to take a picture for you but I am bad about getting it uploaded. I'll have more from vacay in a couple of weeks.

More Cakes

I have been busy the last 4 days making 2 cake orders. Here they are.

I like this one.

Week 19: The Tomato

Well I am almost half way there. I feel like it's slowly but surely.
So the baby is about 8.5 ounces and 6 inches--the size of a large heirloom tomato. The hair is sprouting on its' head.
We had a doctor's visit this past week. Everything is looking and sounding good. I gained 8lbs in the last month. I know! I'm making up for the loss in the first trimester. I'm measuring 19 weeks and the heartbeat was strong. The baby actually kept moving everytime the doctor found the heartbeat. Ha! We are going for our first ultrasound on October 18th. It will be so cool to see this little peanut.
Questions I was asked this week:

Do you feel that you are carrying differently than you did with Nicholas?
This baby moves...ALOT! I can't believe how much I feel this baby. The baby feels like it is sitting low, as was Nicholas. He was always on my pelvis. But I suppose at this stage the baby would be sitting low because of size.
Any cravings?
Things I have been enjoying: breakfast sandwiches, cottage cheese, pretty much anything I can get out and not have to cook it. It's terrible but I just want food prepared for me. I don't want to have to work for it.

Not a lot to report this week. We are just chugging along, getting bigger.

Fashion Saavy

This is definitely not me. But a couple of questions for those of you out there that are.

1. Can one wear socks with mary jane type shoes? If so, do they have to be the same color as the shoe?

2. I have a pair of black leggings. Can I wear black ankle boots with them?

Thanks for the fashion tips.

A few side notes. When shopping I am drawn to the same color of clothing. Are you? I usually have to consciously pick a different color in something and ask myself, "Will I really like and wear this color? Do I have things to go with it?"

Also, I've become a Project Runway fan. The drama can be a bit annoying sometimes, but sometimes it makes me laugh. Also, I never agree with the judges. Obviously they are in the fashion industry and I tend to like the things I think the average American in my neighborhood would wear.

Week 18: The Bell Pepper

Well, the baby is now around 5.5 inches (the length of a bell pepper) and 7 ounces. Baby Martel is busy flexing arms and legs. I'll tell you I can feel it. I am just amazed at how much I can feel this baby moving already. If you remember me mentioning earlier I didn't even feel Nicholas moving at this stage and I've been feeling this one for over 2 weeks.

Not much to report this week so I won't do questions. I have been feeling pretty good. Over the cold I came down with last week, thank goodness. Feeling bigger and rounder and enjoying the new maternity clothes. Still eating like a mad woman but don't seem to be gaining much weight so far. We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so we'll see what that scale reads.

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have more next week and I'll try to get a picture too.

Must Love Dogs

I have been researching Germany due to our impending trip. I came across a zoo. So I googled it to check out times and prices and other such things. And upon review of the entrance fees noticed they charge 50 euro cents for dog entry. Cracks me up. Germans take their dogs Everywhere! Even to the zoo.

17 Weeks: The Turnip

So it appears that after only 2 weeks, I have become a bogging slacker...again. Sorry this is late. So let's begin.
Baby Facts: The baby is now around 5 inches long and 5 ounces, the weight of a turnip.
How are you feeling?
Pretty good this week. My hormones decided to take another roller coaster ride this week. And it's hard because I end up taking it out on the Little Man. He takes a lot of patience at times...and I don't always have it.
I haven't felt real positive about this pregnancy. I think that mostly has to do with the fact that I didn't physically feel well for many many many weeks. Well a pregnant friend of mine said this week that this may be her last pregnancy and she is enjoying all things "pregnant." That really struck me because this could possibly be my last pregnancy also. So I am trying to enjoy more. It's easier to do now that I am feeling well and nice to feel the baby move too.
Anything new?
Well, in fact, I can feel the baby move now. It started last Saturday. I lie down in bed for the night and start feeling the thump...thump...thump...I put my hand there and can even feel it through the skin. So I run downstairs to share the moment with Joe. He felt the baby "kick" twice. It was pretty awesome. I've felt the baby move since and sometimes it's just a pressure but sometimes it's little bumps. This is a whole 3 weeks earlier than I felt Nicholas move. Pretty cool!!
Are you feeling/looking bigger?
Well I don't have a picture for you this week but you can check out my fashion show done earlier in the week below. I am much smaller in the morning and getting dressed can be frustrating. Some clothes just make me look like I have a fat roll. By the end of the day I am looking (and feeling) quite round. So I did a little experiment one day. I measured and weighed myself in the morning and then again in the evening. I "grew" throughout the day a half inch and gained 2.5 lbs.
Any other pregnancy "symptoms"?
I am feeling quite nesty. I want this house organized. So I've been pulling things out of closets, purging like crazy and trying to organize. Part of this is that we need to make space in the spare room for another child and I am just tired of having stuff EVERYWHERE. This is a slow process because I just don't have the time or energy to do a lot. And I tend to start something then not get it finished, then it sits for a while. But I'm working on it....slowly.

Well I think that is all for this week. Ciao.

New Clothes

I feel a little foolish posting this but I was so excited today to get the box of clothes I ordered in the mail. And it was too much fun trying everything on. I am happy to report only 1 out of 15 items doesn't' work. I think that's a pretty good score. So here's the fashion show.

Black leggings with a purple shirt (not maternity shirt). I am holding my leg weird to try to show that there is a little metal eyelet detail at the bottom. But you can't see it.

LOVE LOVE LOVE these maternity gaucho pants in brown. I will live in these for the next 6 months (as long as I don't freeze). And a non-maternity hoodie shirt with a front pocket. I won't wear this very long for now.


Maternity khaki capris, very nice and non-maternity sweater, it's cut so long.

A maternity purple striped hoodie shirt with the khakis.

A green maternity shirt with the khakis.

Oh and one of my favorites. Gray leggings with a non-maternity knit dress with a cowl neck (which you can't see). Super fun. I never wear dresses b/c I never have reason to, but so fun.

I also bought some cardigan sweaters that are not pictured but should be versatile.

My next mission: shoes and boots! Wahoo!! Which I predict will be harder than the clothes. I can never find ones that fit and are comfortable. And I am all about comfort.

E.T.

I think he's cuter than that Extra Terrestrial.

Cakes

I haven't sent any cake pictures in a while and I don't think the flikr stream is working right. So here's some I've done lately.

This is the Marine Corp emblem. I did it all free hand. I think it came out pretty darn good.
Graduation Cake: I got a little wonky on my lettering. Oops!

Nicholas' 2nd Birthday Cake

Baby Stuff

I feel the need to buy things for this baby. Things that we will just need another of such as a monitor. And things I didn't have for Little Man that I think might make life a little easier when juggling two.
So one of the things I want is a bassinet. We started Nicholas out in his crib from day 1 (well when he wasn't sleeping on us which was the case for about the first 2 weeks).
So today, I am at this kids tag sale and I find a bassinet. I am so excited about this. It's nothing special and it is used but I really don't care.
So I am just hoping this baby likes it and we will like it too. I'll try to get a picture up sometime.
Some of my other finds: a baby food mill, a front carrier, a toddler harness, rain boots for N. and "mud shoes" for N. (these are shoes he can totally trash b/c they are used and I won't care so much) and 2 Melissa & Doug sound puzzles in trucks and construction.
Pretty good haul I think.

Little Man Update

I haven't posted any pictures of our Little Man in a while. But he is actually our Big Guy now. At least that's what I've started calling him. So here's a few of our recent adventures and some happenings around home.

We went to the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, RI. Grandma and Grandpa M. met us there.

This is waiting for G & G walking from the parking lot. Can you see that smile? He's also learned to wave hello.

We went to the Chester Fair. Nicholas rode his first pony. He fed baby goats. He loved walking/running through the animal barns. He played two games and rode a ride.

He loves to hula hoop. And hit a ball from a tee. I was trying to upload video but it's just not working. Sorry.

16 Weeks

Baby Facts: The baby is measuring about the size of an avocado this week and weighing in around 3 1/2 ounces. Wahoo!!

How are you feeling?

Physically? Medium energy, occasional nausea - mostly when I haven't eaten enough and I eat ALL.THE.TIME. Emotionally? Roller Coaster. Which quite frankly scares me. I was very hormonal after Nicholas was born and up until I stopped breast feeding at 6 mos. You could say I had post-partum depression. So I've been feeling hormonal lately. The other night I had a mini-breakdown which happened after I had another not so nice moment with the Porcelain King. Thoughts of: "I am tired of...: not having energy, feeling like yuck all the time, not being able to be everything I can for my son, for my husband, not having a clean house(or even some semblance of an orderly house), not connecting with my husband most of the time"...and the list went on and the tears flowed. Then I decided to make my mind go blank and fall asleep. I didn't wake up in the greatest of moods but the day started anyway. (Update: I wrote this several days ago and I am happy to report that my hormones have settled down....for now at least.)

Have you felt the baby move yet?

It's so hard to tell. The other day I thought I felt a bunch of flutters and another day I felt some little "punches." I definitely felt Nicholas at 19 weeks and it was a noticeable kick. So I am kind of waiting for that to say for sure.

Any other pregnancy symptons/signs?

Why, yes! First the good one, I have the baby bump. As you could probably tell from last week's photo I am getting a little "pouch" (as my mother put it). I didn't show with Nicholas until after 20 weeks for sure. And I was a little bummed about that. I wanted people to know I was pregnant. But now, oh, I don't know. I feel like I am getting big, fast and at this rate I will be HUGE come February. (Update: As I wrote the before stuff earlier in the week. Now, I feel like I can own this belly. Bring it on.)

Another not so fun sympton: heartburn. Why yes, I already have heartburn. I have identified at least one of the culprits: Tomatoes/tomato sauce. That's truly a bummer. Not that I love tomatoes themselves but I do love spaghetti and pizza. So for now, I am avoiding any tomato related foods and feeling heartburn free.

Any inkling to whether it's a boy or girl?

No! But I won't lie, we want a girl. So sometimes I think I am carrying a bit higher this time or think b/c of all the extra sickness (due to hormones) that it could be a girl. But in reality, there's no sure way to tell. So we'll just wait and see.

How are the clothes fitting?

Not so well since my bump arrived. I can still get into a few of my pre-pregnancy pants (ones that were big on me before). I look through my wardrobe for the longest tops I have. But I am feeling the itch for some new maternity clothes. I pulled my stash from last time and things just seem a little too big yet, especially the pants. So what did I do? I went online shopping. I am so excited b/c I ordered a TON of clothes, some sweaters for this winter and some leggings. I am going to try them. I even ordered a dress, not maternity, so I am hoping it will work. I'll keep you posted when the order comes in and maybe even do a photo fashion show, we'll see. For now, here's a belly picture.

I'm lovin' it

So there is a McDonald's right down from the doctor's office. I am not a huge Mickey D's fan but lately...

The strawberry banana smoothies!

And I'm diggin' the grilled chicken snack wraps and the grilled chicken sandwich.

It just hits the spot.

The New Arrival in 2011

Well as many of you probably already know, we are expecting Baby #2 in 2011. Yay! I have been really bad about keeping track of this pregnancy. So in an attempt to document more, I am following my good friend, Two Pretzel's, example and blogging about it. I'll try to update every week and keep it varied. But I'm not making any promises. I'll also try to add a question link so you can ask me questions. But I am a blogger novice so bear with me please. Okay let's first get down the basics.

When is the baby due? And how far along are you?

The baby is due February 24, 2011. That makes me 15 weeks along, only 25 more to go. I've hopped into my 2nd trimester. My weeks start on a Thursday so I'll try to post around that day.

This 15th week the baby is measuring 4 inches long and is about the size of an apple.

How have you been feeling?

I have to tell you, the first trimester was really really rough. I have never been so sick for so long in my entire life. I am so glad I am out of that phase. The 2nd trimester has been better. I still feel exhausted a lot of the time though...I doubt that will get any better. The vomiting has pretty much subsided. And as long as I eat, ALL THE TIME, I don't get too nauseous anymore. And seriously, I have to eat every 1-2 hours. I do best if I am just constantly snacking on something but that's not really a reality when chasing a 2 year old around.

How do you feel about the pregnancy?

Honestly, mixed. We planned this and we want another child. Nicholas is way too spoiled to not have a sibling. But this pregnancy has just been really rough. I LOVED being pregnant with Nicholas and thought it would be the same this time. But it's totally different. I do love knowing there is a human being growing inside of me and I am responsible for it. The miracle of growing life is amazing. For example, this little one is about the size of an apple but it has eyelashes, fingernails, and is "breathing". It's just amazing to think of this tiny little person, so miniscule and still developing.

Are you going to find out the gender of the baby?

We don't think so. I wanted to and hubby doesn't. He wants to leave something to a surprise. And I've come around to the idea. The planner in me wants to know. What if it's a girl? I'll need a ton of clothes and it would be lots of fun to start shopping (as would Grandma G.). We would redo the nursery (we want to move Little Man to the other room.) If it's a boy we wouldn't need to do as much. So we'll wait and be surprised. Grandma G. will just have to shop later.

Have you any cravings or aversions?

I crave different things at different times but I have been lovin' me some fruit and eggs. Also I really don't want much to do with vegetables. Which is a bad thing because they would be good for me. Oh and I am not doing spicy.

Okay here's a picture at 15 weeks.

Power of Suggestion

It's funny what you can accomplish with the power of suggestion.
We were having broccoli for dinner last night. I didn't even give any to my son because I didn't figure he would it. Well he saw we had it and wanted it but when I gave it to him he didn't touch it. Go figure.
Then I told him I was a Mama Dinosaur and I was eating the trees. I asked him if Baby Dinosaur could eat a tree? And he did!!!
He ate broccoli! And not just one piece either. As long as we told him they were trees he was good.
A small victory for Mom.

Kickin' It Polish Style

We are a meat-starch-veggie type family for dinners. But I get bored with starches.
Potato-rice-pasta-potato-rice-pasta
I throw in egg noodles every now and then. Sometimes couscous but it's not a favorite.
Well while looking for something on allrecipes.com, I came across baked peirogies.
Now we like peirogies but I usually only buy them when they are on sale, which isn't often.

So last night I made my own. This is what I did:

Made instant mashed potatoes (would work well with leftovers too) and added chives
Boiled some large shell pasta.
Coated a pan with butter, stuffed potatoes inside the pasta and placed in pan.
Sprinkled with cheese and baked at 350 for about 30 minutes (just so cheese is melted but they don't dry out).

Wah-lah!! Pierogies! They were good.

I'd try some different variations: sauteed onions, bacon, etc. You can also make with lasagne noodles and layer in baking dish. Or those canniloni noodles would work and pipe in the potatoes. How about sweet potoates even.

So if you are looking for something a little international and different. Give it a try.

You can't judge

So my son LOVES chicken nuggets. It's a staple in his diet. I know, worst mom ever! But seriously, if you don't have kids, you can't judge. Kids can be very picky eaters.

So we've tried several brands: Banquet (yuck!!! how can you remove all taste from a food?), Tyson (which wasn't bad...in the beginning, more on that later) and Yummy, Dinos.

Now we tried these Yummy, Dinos from BJ's Wholesale club because 1) they were cheap and 2) I had a coupon (always a reason to try something). And they were actually not bad. We all liked them. Then they ran out.

So I bought Tyson again because they were convenient and I had a coupon. They say 100% natural blah blah blah....they were SO GREASY. I couldn't believe it. We didn't notice before I guess. We struggled through the whole bag, Nicholas still liked them.

I bought the Yummy, Dinos again and started comparing the nutrition charts. OMG!! We'll break it down.

Tyson Nuggets Yummy, Dinos
Serving size 5 5
Calories 270 170
Cal from Fat 160 80
Fat 17g 9g
Sat Fat 4g 0.5g
Cholesterol 40mg 20mg
Sodium 470mg 360mg
Iron 0% 4%

Okay there you have it. Tyson is not so good even when it says All Natural, good for them and you. Check the labels carefully people.

Enough said.

To Sew

Sometimes I wish I had a sewing machine.

It's Functional

Our bathroom project is on the homestretch. We have running water again. We replaced our whole entire vanity. We ripped out the old one and replaced with a new cabinet, new countertop, tiled it, new Mexican sink (the one we bought in Cabo last year on vacation), and a new faucet. It only took one month! We still have some touchup work to do but at least we can use our bathroom again. So here are some before and after pictures.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This is the wall cabinet above the toliet.

There isn't a picture of the vanity cabinet because it doesn't have drawers in it yet. But it matches the wall cabinet.