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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Well, it's Sunday October 30th so that means 2 things.  1. Tomorrow is Halloween and 2. I am 38 weeks pregnant!!

It is hard to believe tomorrow is the last day in October because that means it will be my birth month!  That also means that I will only have 11 days until I am due to have this baby.  Wow, that is crazy! With all the feelings I have been having lately I feel like this baby could come out at any moment but instead of thinking about it I am trying to be positive and enjoy the process for a few more days!  I had an appt last Monday and I was dilated to a 2 already!  Thankfully all the discomfort has been doing something!  

 Erica and I at 38 weeks! 
(We are due 2 days apart, me the 11th and her the 13th, I think this is probably our first pregnant picture together.  Great idea Brett!!!)

 This is a pretty typical occurrence at our house these days!

 38 weeks

Amy called me on Sunday afternoon and asked me if I wanted to go and do a painting class with her and a couple of her girlfriends.  I was hesitant because I don't have an artistic bone in my body but decided to go anyways because Amy assured me she didn't either.  Well, she lied and I still sucked.  Oh well, I had fun anyways!!!
 My "whimsical" tree
(I tried so hard to copy another painting there but let's just say they didn't end up looking very much alike)
Amy's super cute beachy picture!  She just dreamed it up.  I have a feeling she may get addicted!!



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Dinner

This is a meal I developed partly from a pinterest post and partly from my own arsenal of ideas!  I am happy to say it turned out great and Brett was so happy!!!  This was his kind of meal and after a long day at the hospital I think he was happy to have something homemade, warm and ready to eat!  I think it would be great for any occasion and even kids (with a few modifications!)

Bacon Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese with Homemade Spicy Tomato Soup and Croutons!

 Garlic, rosemary and chili powder croutons (pre-cooked)

 Croutons post oven.  Crunchy with a softer middle! So good

 THE bacon jalapeno popper grilled cheese! (it was hard to get a good picture because Brett ate it too fast!)
 See!

Homemade spicy tomato soup with the croutons!

These two things went together so well but honestly you could serve them alone or with something else!  Also, both could be made less spicy for kids or people who can't handle it! :)  I personally am trying to push a baby out so the spicier the better!  Email me for the recipe!  I am always happy to share!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

I never really thought I would say this but are any of you enjoying fall as much as I am?  Don't get me wrong, I miss the sunshine, warm weather and BBQ's on the deck with our families but there are a few things that I am really enjoying about fall!

1. Eggnog! I have had an eggnog latte every morning for the last week and I am sooooooo in love with it!  I make my own lattes at home so I can make them exactly how I want and let me tell you baby and I are happy happy happy!

2. Fall colors!  I have been trying to walk a little, in hopes of pushing this baby out, and the fall colors are so pretty!  The trees are so bright and fun to look at!  Along with the fall colors I love the crisp air.  It is very refreshing and always makes me feel so great during and after a walk!


3.  Being full-term! We only have a couple of weeks left before baby arrives!  I was officially full-term (37 weeks) along last Friday and thankfully I can say I am still feeling really good!  I have had a lot of contractions but really I am so thankful how this pregnancy has gone.  I am not interested in doing it again any time in the near future but compared to some people you read about I am feeling quite blessed and thankful!  I have an ultrasound on Friday (38 weeks) so we will get to see the babe one last time before he/she comes!
 
 37 Weeks

 4. Halloween!  I am not necessarily a huge fan of Halloween but I do love to carve pumpkins and have them on our doorstep!  Plus, I love all the fall decorations in our house! We went to some friends house and carved these cute little guys!  I made the bat kitty and Brett's is a spooky witch flying over a cemetery. 


5.  Pete!  I love Pete during all seasons but lately he has been extra cute!  Not only is he such a great buddy to have around but he is truly obsessed with Brett!  He loves him so much it makes me so happy!  Brett got home from a shift at the hospital the other day and after being cooped up all day in classes sitting and listening  (we all know how active this guy is so you can imagine he was a little restless) he decided to go for a quick jog.  Pete was so excited to see him and then so confused when he saw him leave again that he sat like this for the whole 30 minutes Brett was gone!  Such a loyal guy!

 6. Getting up at 5am with Brett!  Ok, this one sounds weird I know but there are a few things about it that do actually make sense.  I am pregnant so really I wake up quite easily.  I sleep very well at night but since I get to bed pretty early 5 am does not seem as crazy as it once did.  Once I hear Brett up and about I am quite happy to get up, make him some breakfast and send him off!  Plus, since I am up he doesn't have to worry about being extra quiet so as not to wake me!  Anyways, I am usually up for another half hour or so reading who knows what app on my phone about pregnancy and I have caught quite a few really beautiful sunrises!!!!!  This one below is proof!


I hope you are all enjoying fall as much as I am!  It has brought me some unexpected joy so far so lets just hope it continues on through winter and spring!


Sunday, October 9, 2011

This is going to be a bit of a random post but I wanted to give an update on some stuff going on in our household!  First, let me start but saying how much I love the new blogspot website and updates!  It makes life so much easier!  Now,  because it is officially fall and I am pregnant as all get out, I have been in the mood to bake fall treats and then unfortunately enjoy them all by myself.  Sad, I know but the baby is happy! Ok, now for something sweet!

I have been using a website called Pinterest and if you have never heard of it or checked it out you really should!  It is a total time waster but in such a great way.  You create a little miniature wesbite, per say, that keeps all the things you would like to look up and find later.  Your friends post stuff on the main page and you can choose to "repin" their stuff to your page and keep it for a later date.  You can also take websites or ideas that you like straight from the internet and keep them for later!  Sounds confusing but it's not!  I love that I can keep recipes, pictures, decoration ideas and silly other things at my fingertips for later browsing.  No need to go and hunt down the things you want back from internet land because let's be honest, you might never find it again!  All that being said, and hopefully clearly understood, lets get to my sweet treat from yesterday.  I saw this recipe someone else posted on Pinterest and knew I had to have it for my fall baking arsenal!

Pumpkin Muffins

 the dry ingredients

 adding the wet stuff to the dry!  Notice the yummy orange color... that's the pumpkin!

 Last but not least add some raisins (I also added craisins for good measure) and top these babies with a cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg mixture!  Bake and enjoy!  
Note... I would not put them in paper lines next time because they stuck to the bottom and sides.  Just grease your pans instead.  
Click below for the recipe:

Next sweet treat on the list was something very fall as well:

Spice Cake
 Not so pretty sitting in the pan but let me tell you, a slice of this stuff is Yummy!

 Isn't she pretty!  I later topped it with powdered sugar to serve to the ladies at the office!!
Again, click below for the recipe (courtesy of my favorite chef Ms. Giada)

Ok, so for dinner tonight I went even more fall and served these roasted brussel sprouts! Before you close my blog and consider me crazy you really should try these!  I happen to love brussel sprouts and I know others can learn to love them too!  These were roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper and then dusted with a little Parmesan cheese before serving!  Honestly, they are delicious!

 Pretty and roasted!

Since Brett and I have our first house, I thought it would be fun to do a little decorating for each holiday that we spend here!  I decided to embrace fall here in the Northwest and bring in some fun things to make our place more homey!


 I cannot resist these cute little pumpkins!  The little black and white ones are salt and pepper shakers!!

 Here is a photo of my trusty sidekick, Pete!  He sits in the kitchen so patiently while I bake and cook and then nabs up all the scraps faster than I can clean them up!!  He is great to have around especially on the days when Brett is working a 12 hour shift at the hospital!

I have not been as great as I would like to be about posting a weekly pregnancy picture, let alone taking one so here is my 35 weeks picture a few days late.  I am actually 35 weeks and 2 days in this picture but hey, who's counting... Well, I am darnit!  I have been having an interesting last few days in the pregnancy world filled with contractions, cramps, aches and pains.  Nothing is very severe or enough to warrant a trip to the hospital but I am hoping it does mean the process it getting start!  The baby also feels super low now because all the movements (and there are lots and lots of them) are jabbing me in the pelvis.  So, come on baby get out here and meet the world!  We want to know what you are!!!

35 weeks and 2 days.  
Please do not judge me for wearing PJ pants.  It's Sunday, I am 4 weeks away from giving birth and they are darn comfortable!!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011


So, I got hooked on this website, BzzAgent,  from a friend and I have finally seen the benefits!  I received a free full-size bottle of both a facial cleanser and daily moisturizer from Burt's Bees new sensitive skin care line.  All I have to do is try it out and then spread the word!  Well, here I am spreading the word with very exciting news!  I have used it now for a few days and I swear my skin already feels so much better!  I have been having a heck of a time getting my skin under control since being pregnant and I am happy to say I have found a solution! This is a great product not only for your skin but also for the environment and the little animals! I love that Burt's Bees does not test on animals and they use all natural ingredients! If you are having any skin trouble my advice would be to go and pick up a bottle of this stuff!  It is well worth the extra money!  Your face and the animals will be thanking you! :)