bump day - 32 weeks

again... i can't believe i'm already 32 weeks!
it's super exciting! and a bit scary... i'm sure though that things will all come together. the baby won't really care about a lot of the things on my to-do list.
here are the things that i see as super important that NEED to be done pre-baby:

• someplace to sleep (bassinet is here, crib - on its way)
• diapers (have some disposable for the first little while and some cloth)
• clothes (don't have tons but i don't want to buy lots before the baby's here)
• food (yup. i have boobs. and i am not going to go down without a fight. i really want to breastfeed so i won't be buying formula unless i absolutely need to)
• blankets (thanks to my lovely friends - yup!)
• wash cloths, towels, burp cloths (again thank you to my lovely friends)
• car seat (not yet, but hopefully picking it up this week)
• stroller (thanks grandma llanes! )
• rocking chair (its getting refurbished as we speak)
• crib bedding (fabric is in a bin at home and i just need to get it to the lady sewing the sheets for me)

there are more things that i already have that i won't need for months... but nothing that i couldn't live without. i have a ton of stuff already and even though the baby's room is nowhere near being totally set up and perfect... i don't think the baby will care.
i know some people think that i am completely unprepared but i don't want to end up with a ton of stuff that i don't use. its wasteful and excessive i find.  i've already been given things that i can't imagine EVER using...

back to the real purpose of this post....

THE BUMP

it is growing... i think the sea monkey had a growth spurt since last week. people are finally realizing that i'm actually pregnant and not just fat!
some clothes make me look much more pregnant than i actually am...this one makes the belly bigger.... some make it look smaller.
hopefully once the baby is born i'll be able to rock this shirt looking more like the comparison picture at the bottom. FINGERS CROSSED!!

just for the record... i rarely straighten my hair... this will probably be the last time for a while.
so i felt inclined to immortalize my last attempt at styled hair.
its just too much effort. (aka i'm too lazy) 

should have held back the flap on the front of the dress... but i'm too lazy to retake a picture.
it adds a bit of volume to the front of my bump... but that's ok :)

yup... still there!

just for reference... this was 14 weeks in the same outfit. big difference!

tasty tuesday

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins




picture and recipe borrowed from HERE


















what you'll need:

1/3 c. butter, melted


1/2 c. sugar

1 egg (preferably room temperature)

1 1/2 c. AP flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 c. milk



Topping

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 tsp. cinnamon



Preheat oven to 350F.



In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until combined, but still a bit lumpy. Don't overmix. Scoop batter into muffin tins that have sprayed with cooking spray. Using a large ice cream scoop, I got 8 medium-large muffins out of this batter; I think you could get 10-12 muffins by distributing the batter a little less generously. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they just start to turn a bit golden at the edges.



For the topping, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl. Dip the warm muffins in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar.

YUM!!
 
I love this recipe, but there are a few things i do a bit differently.
 
i don't sift my dry ingredients. i don't have a clue where my flour sifter do-ma-hicky is and i am in no condition right now to search the back corner of the cupboard i know its in. that will be a post baby rescue mission.
 
i also don't use an ice cream scoop. i just use the spoon i stirred them with. one less thing to wash! 
 
i'll be honest... i don't trust my muffin pans to let the muffins out if i spray them... so i either use silicon pans, or muffin papers.

32 weeks - holy crap!

well i just had a little realization... sea monkey is considered full term at any time after 37 weeks. that could be 5 weeks from now!  or it could be 6, 7 or 8 weeks from now.
but 5 weeks seems like very little time. just over a month.

WOW.

the sea monkey will be out of the little tank in my belly and welcomed into the real world.




















i'm pretty sure as much of a realization this is for me, it is probably 100 times more scary for fernando.
i am wondering if i should get him this...

but... maybe babies are like dogs.... they sense fear.... this might just make it worse. HA!

back to the real update though...

the sea monkey will be gaining a third to one half its birth weight in the next seven weeks.

as of my last appointment at the doctor's on friday the baby is head down and in position so hopefully that's how it stays!

heartbeat was 160 again, i'm measuring right on schedule so everything is good.

23 more days left at the office (including today) so that is becoming more and more real... soon i will be a SAHM! i'm really excited to be at home.

foto friday

i have received this picture from three different people this week.

i have a feeling this could happen at my house...

thankful on thursday

Grandma Llanes strikes again.
with a little help from Fernando and Andrea.

i have been looking for a crib that i love.
it has been really difficult.
i am slightly picky and hugely in love with all things vintage and antique.

the dresser and chest of drawers for the baby's room are circa 1945-1955.
they are completely adorable and i LOVE them. thanks to the fresh coat of paint applied by the grandparents von Arx they are just like new.

they are white with black knobs. pretty freakin awesome.
i will try and remember to take pictures so i can post them up here.

back to the crib.

antique/vintage cribs are pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to find.

i had settled for a black crib i found... but the more i thought about it, the less i liked it. i'll be honest, i never loved it, but it was the best i could find that wasn't completely horrible.
all i wanted was something simple and well made. and white. not veneered, not particle board....
solid wood. and not super huge.

just when i was thinking i'd be better off just going to ikea and buying a cheap white crib there i found it.
THE ONE.

i was so in love with it.

then i finally found out the price of it.
i was shocked. (i'm kinda thrifty so it doesn't take much)

after i had a good cry about it (hello pregnancy hormones) i had pretty much resolved myself to just settling for a cheapo crib.

i told fernando about this and not a couple hours later his family was reassuring me that if that was the crib that i loved, then i should get it.
as hard as it was for me to swallow that price, apparently its not that bad.

a few things that i love about the crib (other than i think its freakin adorable)

- its made in Canada
- its solid wood
- it is made to order. my crib will be made just for me.
- vintage inspired is the next best thing to actual vintage in this case.

finding a quality piece of furniture these days is really hard. i will always prefer the old pieces, but i think i found a pretty good substitute here.

i can't wait to see it with the bedding in it!
6-8 weeks delivery though so the baby will probably arrive before the crib does.
good thing i'll be using the bassinet for the first little while.

bump day - week 31

each week its getting closer.
starting to get excited... and a bit nervous. we have a lot to do to get ready still!
i know that no matter how unprepared i think we are, we have everything that we absolutely need.

the extras can wait.

here's the bump picture for the week...

one picture is all you get this week...

i'm not feeling especially photogenic.

its supposed to be another gorgeous, hot day here so i'm hoping to get out of the office before it decides to thunder storm. seems that on the really nice days i spend the whole day cooped up in an arctic air conditioned office and then by the time i'm on my way home the clouds roll in and it starts storming.

i may be the only pregnant person that enjoys 28 degree weather... but i guess pregnant or not, some things never change.

i would take 35 degree weather over 20 degree weather ANY DAY.

unfortunately as the days get shorter, the nights get colder and soon our summer will be over.

already i'm finding that i have to bundle up to go to work in the morning. its freaking chilly out at 7am!

today i had to put on a sweater and a scarf. and since i wore a skirt, my legs froze!

i miss warm mornings.

but...

i'm ok with it. this year. normally i would be moping.

but the sooner summer ends, the sooner fall comes and the sooner we get to meet the sea monkey!

and then next summer i'll get to spend not working and being able to go outside and hang out with the sea monkey. i'm already planning outings for next summer and the summer after... i get to be a kid again.

i can't wait!

its gonna be fun.



tasty tuesday

today's tasty tuesday is just a link to a recipe that i REALLY want to try.
i've seen it twice already today and since i was without internet this morning i have a lot to do in a little time.

i just started following this blog and here is the recipe!

http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/2011/08/soft-pretzels.html

maybe i'll give these a try on the weekend!

they look delicious!

31 weeks!

the countdown is on!

the baby's arms, legs and body continue to fill out ... they are finally proportional in size to its head.
the sea monkey weighs about 3.3 pounds, looks more like a newborn and is about 16 inches from crown to toe.

lots to do in the next little while! i'm going to try and get most of it all done in the next 4 weeks. i don't want to be stressing out all of october trying to get things done when i'm roughly the size of a house.

everyone has their suggestions of what i need to do and when i should be doing it, but i am just doing things my way at my own pace. i know what works for me the best and i'm going to stick with it.

in the next couple weeks i am going to start making a few freezer meals... mostly soups and sauces for now. that way if i need to, i can just pull something out of the freezer. i know a lot of people make full frozen meals
but i'm not a huge fan of fully frozen meals. some things just don't freeze that well. i will definitely freeze some lasagna and closer to d-day i'll mooch a pan of lazy perogies (think perogie ingredients made into a super delicious version of lasagna) from my mom to freeze in portions. other than that though, i will make some pasta sauces and that sort of thing so all i'll need to do is heat up the sauce and make some pasta. i can handle that.
i am going through some websites to find new recipes to try. a few people have suggested this Martha Stewart freezer friendly foods.... click here to check it out.

another thing a lot of people are VERY opinionated about is that i do not have a detailed birth plan.
how i see it is that this baby is coming out of me one way or another. i am not going to plan out each detail because i am not setting myself up for disappointment if it doesn't go how i planned. i would like to think i can handle a natural child birth, but when push comes to shove who knows... i might want any and all drugs available. i am not going to be disappointed by that.... whatever happens happens. i am going to hope for a smooth and complication free delivery.
that's it.
that's all i want.
i'm not making a big list of other things that to me in the end really don't matter.
i want a healthy baby and however it makes its way out of my body i am ok with.

time to get ready...

this weekend the sea monkey will finally have a room! bye bye sewing room hello baby's room.

my parents and brother are bringing me the dresser and chest of drawers on sunday and helping move the futon and sewing table downstairs to the basement and taking the spare bed out of the basement. lots of work, but i have already been told SEVERAL times that i am not allowed to help with any of it. i will just supervise i guess.

tomorrow i have to get everything packed up that i need moved (a lot of fabric and such) so i'll have a busy day getting ready for the big move.

the smaller stuff i can keep moving bit by bit over the next couple weeks... still don't have a crib so i'm not super worried about getting the room completely emptied.

i am really excited to get the dresser and chest of drawers so i can go through all the clothes and blankets and random assorted baby stuff i already have (i've got some super awesome friends) and figure out exactly what i need still.

i'll post pictures of the old new furniture next week.

bump day - 30 weeks!!

OMG 30 weeks! OMG 30 weeks! OMG 30 weeks!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!! its going to be baby day before i know it!

well this week has been hectic so far, but i've gotten a lot done so i will just continue to look forward to my daily naps! have i mentioned that i LIVE FOR NAPS...

on monday morning i had a super fun photoshoot for Love Your Bump Maternity shot by Blackbird Photography... can't wait to see the pictures!

for now, these will have to do.

toes are still visible.



tasty tuesday - no recipe for you

i've been super busy the last week and didn't really have a chance to make anything fun or exciting so i thought i would do a quick recap of the sea monkey's favorites.


here's a top ten list of the cravings i've had:

1. steamed broccoli

2. grilled zucchini

3. corn on the cob

4. asparagus sauteed with garlic and black pepper

5. cucumbers

6. cilantro and hot sauce mixed on rice

7. a dish of pickles (mixed varieties - usually some dill, some sweet, maybe some olives or bean pickles)

8. sate chicken sub from the vietnamese sub place by my work.

9. poutine

10. plain waffle cones (not with ice cream)


i feel like i've had the most ridiculous cravings ever. this is supposed to be when i want to eat crazy junk food and random weird things. i don't. none of this is new. these are all things that i would eat before i was pregnant on a pretty regular basis. only change is that i eat larger/more portions of vegetables now.

take last night...

for dinner i had a small potato, a big pile of asparagus (about half a bunch) and a cob of corn. that was what i felt like.

i guess i should be grateful since i'm guessing my rabbit tendencies are a big factor in me not gaining huge amounts of weight.

a few more fun cravings thrown in would have been nice though.

New fabric for the sea monkey's sheets!

New fabric for the sea monkey's sheets!, a photo by Kabukikreations on Flickr.

red and aqua are the accent colors... i'm in lust with this combination.

30 weeks. HOLY CRAP that means only 10 more weeks!

hitting the 30 week mark has definitely made me think about how little time i have to get everything ready.

yikes!

i have already gotten quite a bit done, but i have a lot more to do.

the baby's dresser and chest of drawers is getting painted this week. it was my moms, Ashley and I had it in our room, and now the sea monkey will get it.

some people don't understand why i don't just get a new set....

i love furniture with history.

the dresser and chest of drawers will be painted with a fresh coat of white and the knobs will be black (fitting with the black and white theme i've got going on)

i was going to post a picture of the fabrics i've picked out to have fitted sheets made but for some reason i'm having technical difficulties getting the picture uploader to work.

lame.

i will try and post a picture of the fabrics later on, but for anyone who's curious... the accent colors to go with the black and white are red and aqua.

it was really hard not to keep shopping when i was at fabricland... the fabric was all 50% off... but i kept in mind the massive amount of fabric i'm currently in the process of moving from upstairs in my sewing room to make room for the sea monkey. my poor sewing room will be no more. its already a disaster! this is why i'm getting someone else to make the sheets for me even though i know i'm perfectly capable... i just don't have the time right now. if i start sewing i will lose motivation to pack everything up.

really not an option.

the dresser and chest of drawers are going to be moving to the house next weekend. the spare bed from the basement will be going away, my sewing table to the basement as well as the futon. fortunately i have lots of help and won't be actually moving anything substantial but i'm sure glad its getting done.
its hard not being able to move anything myself because i feel like it stalls my progress just knowing that i can't actually move it myself.

lots of packing up to do this week so i can be all ready for my helpers on sunday.

foto friday

i literally laughed out loud when i stumbled across this gem.

i forgot that i had saved it and what a pleasant little surprise it was when i found it as i cleaned up my random crap folder on my desktop.

i wish there were ads like this still.

i am sure that half the population of the planet would probably take offense, but personally i LOVE it.

and i apologize to anyone who is offended by that.

it makes me laugh.

when's the last time advertising made you laugh?

everything has to be so politically correct now there's no fun in it.



read me!

i don't normally insist on people reading the books i've read...

most of them are mindless drivel that i take out from the library by the dozens.

normally i don't read to think.... i read to relax and escape my brain constantly running through any possible thing it can.

give me a silly book and i forget about everything else for just a little while.

i always read before i go to sleep, whether it be a nap or for the night... 10 or 15 minutes of reading helps me relax.

i also like to read during commercials if i'm watching tv... or if i'm not really watching tv i will just read with the tv on (not sure what the point is of that, but thats just how i roll sometimes).

last weekend was pretty hectic for me and i ended up running around like a crazy person for most of it.
sunday i had to work in the morning then off to the lab to do my gestational diabetes test. for anyone that doesn't know what that entails, you drink a hideous orange flavored glucose drink and then sit. and sit. and sit some more...in the most uncomfortable chairs ever. an hour later you then get blood work done and are released to the outside world grumpy and starving.
to pass the time i took with me a book that was not my standard mindless fluff. i was not super optimistic. i'll be honest... i took a backup book in my purse. i sat down and started reading. i did not put the book down until they called me to get my blood taken.
then i went home, scarfed down some food while reading the book.
then i went up to bed and read the book for another half an hour before i took a nap
then i woke up and read for another 10 minutes
then i went downstairs to make dinner
then i ate my dinner while reading the book.
and pretended to watch tv while i read the book.
then i decided to go to bed. so i put the dogs outside and read the book while i waited for them to do their business.
then i set the book on my pillow and brushed my teeth... while thinking about the book.
then i read for half an hour.
then i put the book on my night table and turned out the light.
10 minutes passed
then i turned the light beside the bed back on and started reading again.
15 minutes go by...
by this point i have maybe 15 pages left.
what the hell... i'm just going to finish it. how could i leave it at that.
so needless to say, i went to bed a bit later than i had originally planned to...
still at a respectable time and only about half an hour later than normal since i had attempted to go to bed early that night... but when i find a book like that i just can't help myself.

wondering what book i was reading?

Water For Elephants

i absolutely LOVED this book.

the last time i read a book this obsessively was the second last harry potter book which i got at midnight, went home and read it until i was finished.

i don't know what exactly about it made me love this book so much, but i think i will actually go buy it and add it to my book collection. it totally captivated me.

i will definitely read it again. and probably again and again after that.

i am interested to see what the movie is like.

it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray the beginning of september and i am most likely going to add that to my collection too.

even if it is HALF as good as the book it will be a great movie.

bump day - week 29!

ta-daaaaaaaaaaa!

just because i'm pregnant doesn't mean i can't wear my favorite shoes!

you probably realize by now that i LOVE this belt.

they may be out of focus, but they're still there!

today was a glasses day... which is why i felt the need to compensate with the hot shoes.

tasty tuesday

 wait until you see all the technical words and fancy terminology i use for today's non-recipe.



Raspberry Soda

start with a nice big cup, a quarter or third of that cup filled with fresh raspberries.

next you're going to want to add grenadine and some simple syrup (however much you like)

i used sugar because i was too lazy to make simple syrup at 6:30 in the morning before work.

i used about a tablespoon of grenadine and a half a teaspoon of sugar

get a long handled spoon or a muddler (normally i use a muddler but it was not as handy and the spoon did the job) and smush it all up

i'll be honest here.... this is a super blurry picture. i took it while i was smushing. not my best idea.

if you don't smash it all up well enough it will be hard to drink through a straw.

next you're going to add your ice.

this step didn't really need its own picture, but why not.

fill your cup with club soda.

again.... not really needing a picture.... but damnit i want to be thorough! i never take pictures step by step so i'm taking the simplest thing ever and making it seem important.

voila!



29 weeks... SQUASH!

29 weeks... 76 more days to go until my due date.
the time is flying.

the sea monkey is weighing in at about 2.5 lbs and 15" from head to toe.

i'm feeling a LOT of kicks/punches/dancing the last few weeks. yesterday i amused myself by setting the house phone on my stomach while i was reading and letting the baby knock it off.

next week i am going to be doing a photoshoot for Love Your Bump Maternity.
i'm pretty excited for it!
i still want to get some other maternity photos... i just don't know exactly what i want. i guess i should get thinking on that before i run out of time!

Oh really?

Good to know my phone is keeping track of this for me...
Thanks for the notification. I was starting to get concerned. Ha!

i'm impressed.

listening to the radio this morning i heard something that really made me smile.

Helen Mirren was voted in a poll to have the best body of 2011.

take that to heart all you crazy, plastic surgery happy celebs!

i would be happy to look that good at the age of 66.

ok.... lets be honest.... i would be happy to look HALF that good when i'm 66!

runners up were Elle MacPherson, Kelly Brook, Jennifer Lopez, and Cheryl Cole.



and just for comparison....

the top male body of the year was voted David Beckham.



so kudos to you Helen Mirren.
Hot damn, you did good!

bump day - week 28

big exciting news!!

FERNANDO FINALLY FELT THE BABY MOVE!!!

he's been watching it kick me for weeks now, but he actually felt the sea monkey kick him in the hand this morning. maybe it was a little sea monkey high five... who knows.

after that bump pictures don't seem that exciting, but here they are.

toes are still there :)

tasty tuesday

well i am posting another non-recipe for your enjoyment....

that is just how i roll.

today's topic:

the Banana Boat

well.... that's not really what it looks like but i don't have a picture of a banana boat that i made and i didn't want to steal some random picture of a banana boat that was not mine because i would just know. and it wouldn't be as delicious looking as my own banana boat creations.

the banana boat is a pretty forgiving and flexible treat.... there are endless possibilities!

sunday at the grocery store i picked out the biggest bananas i could find (the more banana, the more room for goodies) and now i'm just patiently waiting for the damn things to ripen enough for me to want to eat them.

first things first...
you can make these over a fire, or if that is too much effort (which it is for me right now) you can use your bbq.
easy peasy.

what you're going to need:

foil
a banana (or multiples if you're sharing the deliciousness)
goodies - the sky is really the limit here.

what you're going to do:

wash the banana (that sounds dirty when i read it but maybe thats just me) because you're leaving the peel on.
slice the banana lengthwise and pry it open a bit (you need someplace to stash the goodies)
stuff the thing with your chosen goodies.

my next boat is going to include the following:
dark chocolate
marshmallows
skor bits
smushed graham wafers
a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar.

next you're going to wrap it up in foil keeping it right side up or you'll end up with a burnt mess.
if you're feeling ambitious you can make it into a fun shape

now put it on the bbq (i cook it on high - but i cook everything on high for the most part)
or if you're doing this on an open fire find a nice spot in the coals or on a grate if your fire pit has one

cook it until its a bit squishy (yes that is the technical cooking time... until its squishy)
its not an exact science.

variation:
get your boat drunk... once you've dressed your banana and gotten it almost wrapped up it is quite delicious to throw in a shot of spiced rum, butterscotch schnapps.... or some other random delicious liqueur of your choice.
i will not be enjoying this variety of banana boat in the near future, but that doesn't mean that you cant!

enjoy
xo



28 weeks

28 weeks has flown by soooooo quickly. 12 weeks left. Yikes!
Right now I am starting to focus more and more on my massive to-do list.

Please note...
Focusing on this list does not necessarily mean I am accomplishing the tasks I have set out for myself.

For example:
Right now I am sitting on the couch watching Fernando play video games while I eat pickles.
There are about 10 other things I should be doing but I just don't have the energy or motivation at the moment.

In my defense I did clean my car, weed the front flower bed, make platanos, eggs and beans for fernando's breakfast, prep dinner so it's all ready to go and run a few errands this morning.

If Fernando ever finishes the level he's trying to get past I said I'd get up and do at least one more thing before I have a nap. I think I'll just wait and see how long he takes before I decide if I should get one more thing checked off my list today.

As for the naps...

I LIVE FOR NAPS!!
Though I have been super lucky symptom-wise while brewing the sea monkey, I have definitely noticed a bit of a dip in my energy levels the last couple weeks. This is apparently normal for the third trimester.

I love naps even more than I did before. Naps have even beat out snacking and are now my very favorite thing to do. Snacking is still a close second though.
For those of you that don't know this about me... I am the MOST food motivated person I know.
The fact that naps have snacking beat is a pretty significant milestone.

Right this moment I'm debating starting my nap early.

Decisions, decisions....