16 Weeks

Sunday, September 30, 2012

How far along? 16 weeks

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain: Up 1 pound this week for a total gain of +6 pounds

Maternity clothes? Rocking some leggings but for the most part still in my regular shirts, dresses, and pants with Bella Band assistance.

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: Slept through the night twice this week!  But other than that, still waking up once to use the bathroom.  I’ve always been a stomach sleeper, and that is still the most comfortable.  Wonder how much longer I’ll be able to get away with that…

Best moment this week: Having some help from my wonderful parents getting a few long-overdue projects done around this house.  (Gosh, my life is exciting…)

Miss Anything? Nothing new…    

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of an avocado.   This week Baby can start hearing our voices.  Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in and taste buds are starting to form.  Baby is about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces.  (Which, I know, is a lot bigger than it was, but seriously folks, I’ve gained 6 pounds and the baby isn’t even 1?  Not fair.)

Movement: According to The Bump, some moms-to-be start feeling movement in the 16^th week as tiny flutters.  It’s still pretty early though, especially for a first pregnancy, and I’ve felt nothing that I think is Baby moving yet.  Anxiously awaiting it though…

Food cravings: Still nothing. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Will be a surprise.

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Still not much to report here; although, I think my belly is starting to show a bit.  I don’t think to a stranger it would be obvious that I am pregnant, but to those that know me, I’ve certainly got more of a belly than I’ve ever had before.

Belly Button in or out? Most definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Still overall happy.  Just a few moments lately of getting quickly overwhelmed by how much normal, everyday stuff I have to do.  It’s a lot of work teaching full time, taking a class, keeping up with exercise, laundry, cooking, cleaning….. and you know, taking care of me to take care of Lucky…  Honestly though, I get overwhelmed by that stuff on a regular basis, so I don’t think I can actually blame the pregnancy hormones (although I totally still am!).

Looking forward to: Fall feels like it’s here!  Cooler weather, changing leaves, soups and chilies, pumpkin everything….  Hoping that the weather holds for this coming weekend, so we can take Lucky for a ‘first trip’ to the cider mill.  :)

15 Weeks

Sunday, September 23, 2012

How far along? 15 weeks

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain: No gain or loss this week.  Still up a total of 5 pounds.  I’m definitely eating plenty but also exercising a lot, and I’ve gained right in the middle of the recommended amount for this point in my pregnancy.  When a week comes along and I’ve gained 5 pounds overnight, I’ll remember these early weeks and not feel bad about it…

Maternity clothes? Technically, no.  But I’m in a weird place clothes wise.  Basically I’ve gained only enough weight that I notice, especially when getting dressed.  I’m not at all upset about the weight gain just frustrated with the in-between clothes phase that feels like it has been dragging on for weeks!   A good portion of my regular clothes still fit, but I’ve gained enough weight that they don’t look and feel like I am used to them looking and feeling.  So that’s fun.  And my maternity clothes (which are the only ‘new’ clothes I have) are still too big to be needed.  Getting dressed is pretty much the most frustrating part of my day (and I teach English to teenagers!), and I can’t wait for my belly to just pop already!

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: Waking up between 1:30 and 4:30.  Usually only once.  And falling back to sleep afterwards, which is nice, unless it’s a 4:30 wakeup on a weekday.  Hard to fall asleep when I know my alarm is going off in 30 minutes.  Sleeping on my stomach and right side are still the most comfortable.  I’ve tested out sleeping on my left side since that will eventually be considered ‘best.’  But I can’t seem to fall asleep on that side.  Odd…

Best moment this week: Spending Sunday with Amy!  It feels like forever since I’ve seen her and with Lucky and the new house, a lot has changed.

Miss Anything? It’s about time for pumpkin beer.  And pumpkin spice lattes.  And the pumpkin coffee for the Keurig.    

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of an orange.   Baby’s legs are now longer than its arms and all four limbs have functional joints.  Even though I can’t feel it, Baby Lucky is squirming and possibly even hiccupping.  Baby should weigh about 2.5 ounces and measure about 4 inches long (still so tiny!).

Movement: Nope.  I can’t wait for this!  According to The Bump this could start happening soon though…

Food cravings: Still nothing. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Will be a surprise.  One thing to note: my face is breaking out like crazy and old wives’ tales say that that means girl.  But I never really got sick and other old wives’ tales say that that means boy….  So still a toss up!

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Overall this still feels like the least symptomatic pregnancy ever.  Nothing super obvious.  A few headaches but still not bad and generally related to being hungry, so they are easy to handle and fix.   Still some stiffness in my upper back, but I’m still putting that down to work.  Depending on bladder, bloat, and recent food intake I sometimes look like I have a bit of a belly.  Mostly in the evening.  (Amy noticed it today as well, so I’m not just crazy.)  But it is still going away by the next morning.  The Bump says I may start to experience nosebleeds, swollen gums, heartburn, and/or indigestion, but I’ve been lucky on those counts so far.

Belly Button in or out? Most definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy happy and for the most part less stressed than I usually am about things like the start of the school year.  But if I get overwhelmed, I can’t not burst into tears.  It just seems like I have a much longer than normal breaking point….

Looking forward to: Keeping an eye out for movement.  And next weekend (as of right now), we have nothing planned in what seems like forever.  Maybe we can actually get a few projects done around the house…

Citrus Glazed Chicken

If the weather isn't quite up to grilling (fall wind and rain anyone?), but you want one last taste of summer, I recommend this recipe.

Recipe: (from Sweet Peas and Pumpkins)
juice of 2 oranges
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon honey (I skipped because the unprocessed honey I prefer is not good for Lucky)
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I used breasts, thighs work too)

In a glass baking dish, mix all ingredients except chicken.  Stir well to fully combine.

Add the chicken and move around to make sure it is fully coated in marinade.  Marinade in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  The recipe had directions to use jelly roll pans and oven racks and some such nonsense.  I just used a baking dish.  It worked.

Bake 40 minutes for breasts, 20-25 for thighs.

Verdict:
So moist and juicy.  And I only marinated for the 30 minutes because preggo was hungry!  Loved the citrus flavor and the blend of sweetness was perfect even without the honey.  In fact, I don't think I'll add the honey in the future.  It's not needed.  I' betting this could also be grilled if you're in the mood for it.  The only downside is that I don't typically buy oranges.  I just don't love eating them.  So I have to plan to make this even though 90% of the ingredients are always in my kitchen...

14 Weeks

I don't know, maybe I'm just being impatient, but 14 weeks feels like nothing, like I could still be imagining this whole thing...  And although I am happy that I haven't had any severe symptoms, I am anxious for the good stuff that will make it feel real: movement, looking pregnant and not like I just haven't exercised in several weeks, movement, feeling like I can buy stuff for baby, oh and did I mention movement...

But in the meantime, science tells me that this is in fact real, that there is a baby with a beating heart in there somewhere, and that this tiny little miracle is growing and moving away whether I can feel it or not!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

How far along? 14 weeks

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain: Up half a pound this week, for +5 pounds overall.

Maternity clothes? Regular dresses, shirts, and dress pants all still fit.  Rocking the Bella band with jeans and feeling like true maternity jeans won’t be far behind, at least for the comfort factor…  I don’t have anything like a true belly that requires maternity clothes yet.

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: Good.  Now waking up between 1:30 and 3:30.  Usually only once.  And falling back to sleep without a problem afterwards, which is nice.  The upside to the emotional and physical exhaustion that comes with full time teaching I guess!

Best moment this week: Taking Lucky to his “first” U of M game. J  It was a beautiful day, Alex was happy that Michigan won, and it was my first time at The Big House as a spectator.  Although, mental note: bleacher seats are not comfortable.  I had to move around and stretch a lot because my back and hips were getting sore and stiff.  I saw several women far more pregnant than I there, and I’m not sure how they stuck it out…  I told Alex that if we ever go to a game when I'm more pregnant than this, plan to leave early!

Miss Anything? Nothing new anyway… 

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a lemon.   Baby is wiggling its toes, sucking its thumb, making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid.  It is also growing lanugo, thin downy hair, all over its body for warmth.  Baby is 3.4 inches long and weights 1.5 ounces.

Movement: Nope.  I can’t wait for this!

Food cravings: Still nothing. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Will be a surprise.

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: Nothing super obvious.  A bit stiff between my shoulder blades, but I’m not sure if that’s pregnancy related or just a result of how much more time I spend at the computer now that I’m back to work and taking a class. Trying to make a point of sitting up as straight as possible when I do so.

I may also be getting some occasional headaches, but they aren’t bad and seem to occur only when I am really hungry – first thing in the morning, right before dinner etc.  As soon as I eat, the headache disappears, so I can’t really complain.

 Belly Button in or out? Most definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Still very happy.  I'm surprised since I tend to get moody when hormones start a raging.  I'll take it though!  However, when I do get upset, tears are pretty much instantaneous.

Looking forward to: Amy is coming for a MI visit in a week! Yay!

Busy Night Brussels Sprouts

School is starting... and for me that means busy days and little time at nights...  I still want to make home-cooked meals as healthfully and as often as possible, but I need to start looking for time savers.  I love these brussels sprouts.  But they take some time.  And several pots and pans. 

Enter frozen brussels sprouts.

Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

Toss into the same marinade for 30 minutes.

Skip the skewers and toss into a grilling basket (or pan).  Cook.  (Oh, even better, I lined the grilling tray with foil.  Toss.  Dishes done.  Love.)

Genius.

They were a bit mushier this time round.  For Alex this was a good thing; he likes mushy vegetables.  I still prefer the original, time-consuming variety, but this is a great busy night substitute.  The flavor was good.  Healthy vegetables on the plate (and feeding Lucky lots of vitamins!).  Less dishes to wash.

Winner.

Chicken Sausage with Peaches

I love peaches, and I love grilling, and the season for both is quickly coming to end....  Most area farms also lost about 90% of their peaches thanks to our freakish spring weather.  But we were lucky enough to score some fresh Romeo peaches over Labor Day weekend, and I found a new recipe to help us enjoy them.

Recipe: (from Real Simple) *This was originally a skewer recipe, but I modified it because I didn't have skewers; I also did not make the green beans.

2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
4 fully cooked chicken sausage links
2 peaches (or plums) pitted and cut into wedges

In a large bowl, toss the sausage and peaches with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.  (Actually, I think I was avoiding unnecessary dishes that night and just drizzled...)

Add the sausage and peaches to a grilling basket.

Place on grill.  Cook.

Enjoy!

Verdict:  Great!  And very simple.  Loved pairing the sweet peaches with the savory sausage.  Definitely would like to try on skewers some time, and the green beans look fabulous too.  But if you can get your hands on some peaches this year, give this recipe a try.

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage...

Then comes a baby in a baby carriage!

Yes, this is the real reason my posting was almost non-existent in July and August.  Turns out growing a peanut sized life-form is pretty hard work...  Too tired to explore new recipes, too tired to cook, and if either of those ever happened, opening up my computer past seven o'clock in the evening was so not happening...

But now I can share the exciting news with everyone!  We are expecting our first little bundle of joy with pretty much the greatest due date ever: March 17th.  (Maybe baby will be born soon enough for me to enjoy some Bailey's for the holiday...)

Other than being utterly exhausted, I've been feeling wonderfully, amazingly great!  If you get/got really sick during pregnancy, please don't hate me.  I'm sure I'll get it in some other way...

Here's how things are going in Week Thirteen:

Sunday, September 9, 2012

How far along? 13 weeks

Due Date: March 17th

Total weight gain: Up 4.4 pounds overall based on my home scale.  Feeling good about that amount since 3-5 is recommended in the first trimester.

Maternity clothes? I definitely need the Bella band in order to wear jeans, and even then, by the end of the day they are pretty uncomfortable.  Regular shirts and dresses are fine.  I bought some maternity bras.  Stylin.’  And a pair of jeans with an awesome panel.  I’m not wearing them yet, but after wearing my regular jeans all day today, I’m kinda looking forward to that hideous stretch…

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: Definitely not as tired as I have been, at least throughout the day.  In fact, only one nap this week.  I fall asleep quickly at night until sometime between 2:30 and 4:30.  Still not falling back to sleep after I get up then to use the bathroom.

Best moment this week: Hearing Lucky’s heartbeat!  The midwife picked it up immediately.  It was so surreal.  For most of this pregnancy I haven’t felt pregnant because I have almost no symptoms.  But for those seconds, it felt wonderfully real.  I started laughing, I think out of shock.  Then when I stopped laughing, I started crying.  Not emotional or anything…

Also, starting the second trimester.  Milestone!  They say that the first trimester is the toughest, and if that’s the case, I am so ready for the rest of this pregnancy.  Don’t hate me, but I really feel like this must have been the easiest first trimester ever.

Miss Anything? I’m just starting to understand the reality of surviving this school year without coffee.  Or wine.  This may not be pretty. 

What’s Baby Like? According to The Bump, Baby is now the size of a peach, 2.9 inches long, and weighs .81 ounces (that’s almost double in a week!).  Baby is forming teeth and vocal cords and its intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to its stomach.   The head is now just 1/3 the size of the body.

Movement: Nope.  I can’t wait for this!

Food cravings: No cravings or specific aversions and eating a more regular amount at dinner. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Will be a surprise.

Labor Signs: No.

Symptoms: My belly has started getting itchy in the last couple days.  Maybe it’s getting ready to stretch?  I also seem to have ‘disappearing baby’ syndrome: my stomach seems pretty flat in the morning but as the day progresses, it seems to become noticeably bigger.  Then the next morning?  Back to flat.

 Belly Button in or out? Most definitely in.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy happy and for the most part less stressed than I usually am about things like the start of the school year.

Looking forward to: The news is out to the world, and I’m looking forward to not having to hide it anymore.  Much more exciting when people know!   Also, taking Lucky to his/her first Michigan game on Saturday.  Hopefully he/she is the lucky charm they need to win.  :) 

Blue Moon Seasoning Mix

Apparently I haven't figured out this whole living in Michigan + keeping up with a new house + still finding time to cook new recipes not to mention blog about them thing....  Oh, and school starts soon.

Just goes to show you how much spare time I had last year...

I did try out a new recipe last week, which I will blog about soon.  Seriously.  I just have to remember to actually get the pictures off my camera and onto my computer.  Before I forget what the recipe tasted like.  Yeesh...

But for now, my parents brought back this Blue Moon seasoning mix from their trip to Colorado, and we tried it out on some steaks two weeks ago.  Or was it three?  Yes, yes, I am that behind.

Anyway.

If you like Blue Moon, you will probably like this seasoning mix.  It had a citrusy flavor - something a little different in a steak seasoning.  Definitely something we'll keep around and try again.

Grill something delicious this Labor Day weekend and enjoy the end of summer!