Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s any denying that I look pregnant now.
21 Weeks Pregnant
Perhaps baby is going through a growth spurt; perhaps it’s just time I caught up with all of the other ladies in their second trimester. Because HELLO, belly; it’s nice to meet you. I feel like it has really popped out within just the past two weeks. I know I have wayyyy more growing to do, but it’s already kind of amazing to see the changes that have taken place in such a short time. I mean, look at me at 18 weeks (which was really almost 19). And then look at me again now. Whoa, baby!
I had my 20 week appointment on Friday, which went well. I don’t really have anything new to report, as it was completely routine. I’ve gained between 7-8 lbs. so far. I’m thinking that if the growth of my belly is any indication, that number might start increasing more steadily now. Craziness.
Baby is getting bigger, and according to my weekly e-mails, is working on closing in on 1 lb. A few more weeks and I’m sure he/she will be there. Right now, I’m looking forward to 24 weeks, when we’ve reached the point of viability. Obviously we want baby to stay in there for much, much longer, but it’d be nice to reach 24 weeks and know that baby would at least have a chance outside of the womb.
Last week, I had one evening of pretty bad back pain, that seemed to be coupled with some round ligament pain in the front. It scared me a little bit, but I relaxed in bed for a while and it seemed to subside. Other than that, I really can’t complain about my pregnancy so far at all! I’ve been really lucky.
The only other thing going on is that I’ve acquired a pesky cold. I’m feeling very congested and my sinuses hurt. Ouch! I blame Michael, as he picked up a cold while we were in Florida. Clearly, he has passed it to me now. Thanks, Honey! ;) Even though I can’t turn to my trusty Nyquil and Dayquil remedies, I found out this morning that I can take Sudafed (for you pregnant ladies–only allowed after 14 weeks!), so at least it’s something. Here’s hoping this goes away soon!
We had a pretty good Mother’s Day in these parts. Even though I’m not officially a mother yet, I still received a lot of well wishes from others, and my mom even got me a little gift (a nice cardigan for summer).
Oh, and for all of the mothers out there… HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
We treated my mom to lunch, then took a drive to a large Joann Fabrics store together. I’ve been wanting to go shop for fabric for the baby’s bedding, but haven’t yet, since I’ve been needing my mom’s help! She’s the sewing expert in the family, and also has an eye for this stuff. I’d like to think I have an eye for it, too, but I can also be indecisive, so I needed a second opinion. Michael was a good sport and came along, and it was nice to have him weigh in as well. Too boy, too girl… we needed to strike a balance.
As a team, we picked out a bunch of different fabrics that we thought might work, then laid them out and put together several combinations until we came up with “the one.” It’s hard to make decisions like this, because I’ve had so many different ideas floating around in my head for so long that it feels a little strange to finally pick just one. We actually ended up with something a little different than I was originally picturing, but I love it!
Here are the fabrics we’ll be using for the bumper (don’t worry, we’re not going to use it for the first several months, since we’re well aware it’s an increased SIDS risk) and the crib skirt. For the crib sheets, we’ll be picking out coordinating solid colors from Babies ‘R’ Us. As previously discussed, we plan to paint the walls a shade of aqua blue. It’s funny, because after originally trying to stay away from green and yellow, we came back to green and yellow. But we came back to it in a way that I think is different than what is traditional, bringing in the aqua blue as well.
Also, the nursery furniture is in already! Holy crap, JCPenney is FAST! Now the only problem is that I’m super excited to get started on everything, but we’re not ready to give up our den yet. :( So, I’ll have to hold back until at least Memorial Day weekend before I set myself loose. We figure it’s probably a good idea to put together the crib and double-check the measurements before making the bedding, even though we have a pattern we can use. I don’t want to spend all of that time only to find out our crib is a little different, you know?
My mom and I are going to schedule a day to get together to crank out the bedding. I’ll make sure to take a bunch of pictures of the process and eventually post about it, but I’m not sure I’ll do it until after the big, finished nursery reveal. Until then… this sneak peek may be all that you get! :)
P.S. After two weeks of being behind and trying to catch up on my blog, I am FINALLY caught up!
We had to leave Tessa at home for several hours today while we attended a funeral about an hour away from here. We weren’t gone for an abnormally long time–it was actually shorter than a typical work day.
The Little Girl managed to get herself into a little bit of trouble, though! Although she’s four years old, we still crate her when she’s home alone, since she still can’t be trusted not to get into things she shouldn’t.
When we got home and I went to let her out, I noticed she was all wrapped up her blankets. This isn’t unusual, especially when it’s cold (and boy, is it cold!). But as she tried to come out, I realized she was struggling a little bit. It took me just a few seconds to realize that she had chewed/ripped a big hole in her blanket, then at some point, tried to fit through said hole. She managed to get her head, neck, chest, and one of her front legs through, but then got stuck. She was pitiful! I had to struggle to get it back up over her head to get it off of her. It was funny, though, because she had clearly given up on trying to get herself out and just laid down to relax. Who knows how long she was wrapped up like that!
It actually scares us a little, because now we worry she could hurt herself. But we can’t very well remove the blankets, either, as she loves to be able to burrow and snuggle up with them. Since she’s had four years of crate time without issue, we’re going to chalk this one up to a freak accident, but I’m going to be monitoring the holes in her blankets a lot more closely now!
For all of you who curse me on a regular basis because of all of the yummy and (sometimes) not-so-healthy recipes I post… this one is for you.
Because y’all, I have good news. Snickers Pie?… is a Weight Watchers recipe.
Awwww yeeaaah.
I came across this gem way back in 2006, during my Weight Watchers days. I made it a few times and it was always well-received because it’s pretty scrumptious for being relatively “good” for you. A few years back, I whipped it up for Mother’s Day, when we hosted both of our mothers over at our house for dinner.
Well, my mother-in-law hasn’t stopped talking about it since. :) Unfortunately for her, I don’t repeat recipes very often (especially not dessert ones!) because there are always so many that I want to try, and have limited opportunities to do so. But when we made plans to go to my in-laws’ for dinner tomorrow night to celebrate Mother’s Day, I knew I just HAD to finally give into her requests to make this again. She’s going to be sooo happy.
This is amazingly easy to whip up. It can be made in advance, but you can always throw it together last minute should you need a dessert in a pinch.
Somehow, frozen yogurt + pudding mix + cool whip + peanut butter + Grape Nuts cereal, of all things = something that tastes strikingly similar to a frozen Snickers bar. Don’t ask me how or why… just call it a foodie miracle. Then go and make some for yourself.
Snickers Pie
(Source: Hungry Girl)
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt, softened
– 1 cup fat-free whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
– 1 small box fat-free, sugar-free instant chocolate pudding mix
– 1/4 cup reduced fat peanut butter (chunky)
– 3 oz. Grape Nuts cereal
– Hershey’s Lite Chocolate Syrup, for drizzling
Directions:
1. Microwave peanut butter for 20-30 seconds to soften it enough to stir easily.
2. Combine all ingredients (except chocolate syrup), and mix together well. Pour into 8″ dish. Freeze for 20-30 minutes.
3. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Jazz it up with a few extra dollops of whipped topping, and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc.
4. Freeze until ready to serve. Remove from freezer 5-10 minutes before serving.
Last minute, we invited my sister-in-law over for dinner tonight. She just returned home from college today (can’t believe she is already done with her freshman year!), so we were looking forward to seeing her. However, the last-minute nature of the plans required coming up with an alternative meal plan, as what we were originally planning doesn’t really make enough food for three.
I turned to my starred recipes to see if there was anything new to try. I wanted something pretty easy for a weeknight, and something that required minimal ingredients to pick up at the store. When I saw Annie’s recent post about Creamy Taco Mac, I knew it was the one. And hey, it was timely, too–perfect for Cinco de Mayo! :) (I know it is completely unauthentic, but at least the flavors are Mexican inspired!)
I suppose Annie is correct in describing this as a homemade version of Hamburger Helper, but I don’t remember any Hamburger Helper tasting this good! Annie used ground turkey in her version, but we stuck with ground beef. We also adjusted ingredients to use a whole box of pasta instead of half, since we had to feed a guest and also like to have leftovers. I’ve included these adjustments in the recipe below.
If you’re short on time, and looking for a meal that requires very little effort but doesn’t come from a box, this is your recipe. And if you have kids, they’re sure to love it, too.
Creamy Taco Mac
(Source: Adapted from Annie’s Eats)
Ingredients:
– 1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
– 1 box dry pasta shapes (approx. 13-16 oz.)
– 1 onion, diced
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 1-2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, drained (If you’re not big on tomatoes, use 1 can. Use 2 if you want more!)
– 5-6 tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
– 4 oz. cream cheese (light)
– 3/4 cup sour cream (light)
– Salt and pepper
– Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and serve. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.
About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
