You've Got Mail

I love getting mail.  I love checking the mail each day.

Of course, there's rarely mail for me.  If there is it's either junk or bills.  No fun at all.

Today, though, was different.  There was one piece of mail and it was for me!  Not only was it for me, but it was fun mail!

Hooray!

Actually, it was a gift for the baby, which still counts as mail for me since his residence is currently My Uterus.

So what did he get?

[Via]

My friend Amanda, whom I have known since literally the 3rd or 4th grade, made these socks for our little man!  They're Socktopus Socks!  This isn't the pair she made.  Mine are navy blue, but it's dark and I was excited to show them off.  They will keep our little guy's toes warm this winter.

Freezer Food

I have read in several places that the last thing I am going to want to do following the birth of my child is cook.  I'm going to be happy just being able to take the occasional shower.  Many of those books and articles recommend cooking meals ahead of time and freezing them to use once you're home.

This is a brilliant idea, except I am having the toughest time thinking of things to make.  A lot of people have suggested lasagna or some other pasta-filled dish.  While I love pasta, I refuse to live on it.  I require a bit more variety than that.  Plus, my husband will quickly grow tired of it and choose to live on peanut butter sandwiches, leaving me stuck to eat the entire pan.

So I need some suggestions.  I am limited to the freezer space on my refrigerator.  I've wanted a small chest freezer forever, but so far the hubs has not agreed to it.

Here's the list of things I'm already planning to make:

-- Chicken enchiladas -- I will probably make two batches (16 enchiladas) and freeze them in fours, which is more than enough for Mike and I to have for dinner and lunch the next day.

-- Muffins -- quick and easy, both to make and to grab as a small breakfast and snack.  Plus, I have what feels like a zillion apples to use up.

-- Pasta Sauce -- My husband hates chunky pasta sauce, so I'm considering giving this recipe a try.  I think I could manage to boil pasta and take care of an infant.

-- Pizza dough -- I actually already have some of this in my freezer.  It's an easy recipe and makes two balls of dough.  

Seriously, though.  What else should I make?  Space is at a premium, so whatever I make has to be something that we'll actually eat and enjoy.  Leave me links in your comments with your suggestions!!!

Baby Gear: Needs vs. Wants

We've tried to be pretty thrifty where the baby is concerned.  Babies are notoriously expensive.  You could easily go bankrupt paying full-price for clothes and buying a bunch of stuff you don't actually need.

Michael and I are proud of all the money we've saved preparing for our little guy.  We spent the summer going to yard sales.  We were able to get tons of clothes for a fraction of what we would have paid had we purchased them from the store.  We bought our rocking chair used on Craigslist.  We used gift cards from family and friends to buy our travel system.

The point is, nearly everything we bought was secondhand or on sale/clearance.

A couple of months ago we were at Target and Mike saw this little lamb that played soothing music.  He thought it was neat and would pause to look at it every few trips to Target.

This weekend he got really excited and insisted we stop in front of the soothing lambs.  Something was different.

They had a giraffe.

((At this point in the story it might be helpful to mention that our bedding has animals on it, including giraffes.  It's not a jungle theme, though.))

My husband announced that the toy was amazing, we were buying it, and put it into the cart.

So we are now the proud owners of the Gentle Giraffe On the Go.

This definitely does not fall under the category of things we need for the baby, but it's cute to see my husband get excited about baby stuff.  :0)

2 on Tuesday -- Canceled Shows

Welcome to another week of Andrea's 2 on Tuesday link-up party!

This week's topic, like last week, deals with television.  Here it is:

What two television shows that have gone off the air do you miss?

#1  Friends

Who didn't love Friends?  Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross.  You laughed with them.  You cried with them.  You wondered if Rachel and Ross were ever going to realize they needed to be together.

It went off of the air my senior year of high school.  My boss really liked me, so she gave me Thursdays off in the spring so that I could be at home to watch it.

The hubs and I own all 10 seasons on DVD.  We've seen every single episode, which seems kind of crazy.

#2 Veronica Mars

This is a silly show to miss.  It wasn't that great and I never watched it while it was on the air.  I actually watched it during the spring on Netflix.  It's on this list because of how it ended.  I can't stand it when shows are canceled unexpectedly and don't have time to film an ending with any sort of closure.  I'm not a fan of cliffhangers that are never resolved. 

What about you?  What shows do you miss?

37 Weeks!!!

How far along? Today I am 37 weeks 1 day pregnant.  Um, I'm considered full-term now.  Holy cow.

Weight gain: At last week's appointment I was up 10 lbs from my February 1st weight.

Cravings:  The little candy corn pumpkins.  SO yummy!

Aversions:  Nothing anymore.  I ate yogurt the other day!!!  I hadn't had any in six months.  It was quite tasty.

Movement:  He seems to enjoy pushing his feet into my rib cage.  At the moment he's kicking my ribs and punching me in the hip.

Sleep:  I am looking forward to waking up every two hours to feed a baby, not because need to pee or try and flip over.

Other glamorous symptoms: This carpal tunnel is ridiculous.  I can't even talk about it.

I still feel really good.  This weekend we cleaned our filthy basement, shopped, went to an apple orchard, and worked on our house.  I took plenty of little breaks and put my feet up, but I'm not worn out by it.  I'm invigorated.  It feels so good to have accomplished so much in two days.

The Mega To Do list is coming along nicely.  I'm dating things as we check them off so that I can scan it later and show you how we progressed.  I'm avoiding the urge to add new things to the list, but I might add the extra things that Michael has been working on.

Since you all are so nice and have read this far, I have a picture this week!  I know this is why you're still reading.

Apple Picking

I've done the corn maze thing and I've done the hayride thing.  I've never done the apple picking thing.

Until today, that is.

There is a big apple orchard/pumpkin patch 45 minutes from our house, so we set out just before lunch.  On the way there, my husband commented that it looked rainy.  I assured him it was not raining because the radar on my phone showed no precipitation near where we were going.

By the time we arrived, there was a pretty substantial, though misty, rain falling.  Awesome.

Being 132 months pregnant, I decided a trip to the bathroom was in order before we ventured off into the orchard. When I got back outside, the rain had stopped.  Awesome!

We bought our bag and ventured off into the orchard.  We left with a 1/2 peck bag of fruit. 

Now comes the million dollar question...

What should we make?

Who'd Have Thought?

February 2004

Who'd have thought that these two would one day fall in love, get married, and start a family?

April 2004

I am not even kidding you when I say that I was shocked he was interested in going out with me.

February 2007

I'm really glad that he did, though.

October 2007

I can't imagine my life without him.

March 2008

Want to hear a little secret, though?

June 2008

I called him first.  :)

Okay, okay, I'll give a few more details about the last part...

You see, Michael and I had a class together in the spring of 2003.  He was a senior and I was a junior.  He sat in front of me and we flirted.  A lot.

The problem?

This gal had a boyfriend.

Michael asked me once every week or two if I was "still dating that red-headed guy," and I always said, "C, stop it!" (I called him by his last name until we started dating) and swatted him on the arm.  

Fast-forward to the fall.  He e-mailed me a few times asking how life was and telling me about college.  My boyfriend decided, once again, that he wanted to see if I was the best he could do and broke things off for a week or so.  

What's a newly-single girl to do?  Duh, I e-mailed Michael to see if he was going to be at the football game on Friday night.  He wasn't and I ended up getting back together with my boyfriend for a while.

But finally, finally the stars aligned in December 2003.

I'd had enough.  I dumped my boyfriend.  I was really upset about hurting him, but enough was enough.  Shockingly, I woke up the next day and felt great.  I was relieved.

I got out the phone book and gave Michael a call (yes, the day after I dumped my boyfriend, don't judge me).  He was busy that night, but we made plans for the following weekend...

...and we've never looked back.

Nursery: Sneak Peek

The nursery still isn't finished.  We have all of the big stuff -- furniture, clothes, diapers.  We just need to put a few finishing touches on the room before I declare it D-O-N-E.

Yesterday I finished ironing and hanging the curtains.  It takes quite a while to iron 84" curtain panels when you have four windows in the room.  I tried tumbling the wrinkles out in the dryer, but ended up using starch to get rid of some of the stubborn ones.  Penelope was quite helpful throughout the entire process.  She was my personal cheerleader.  Each time I said I would stop and finish later, she said, "Girl, you pick up that iron and finish that or I'll eat your flip flops!"  It was enough to keep me going.

Here's the only sneak peek you're going to get.  I love the color of the curtains with the wall color.  The crib is full of blankets that either need to be washed or folded and put away.  There really are only a couple of small things left to do, so expect a nursery reveal very soon!

Tasty Thursday -- Turkey & Noodles

I posted yesterday that I used the leftover turkey breast to make turkey and noodles.  Sarah requested that I post the recipe, so here it is, my top secret, super-fancy turkey and noodles recipe.  I'll post the turkey breast recipe and the turkey and noodles recipe.  It's a great way to make two hearty meals out of one dish.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

-- 5-6 lb turkey breast, thawed

-- Butter

-- Onion soup mix

-- Rub butter over the surface of the turkey and place in your slow cooker.  Sprinkle one packet of onion soup mix over the surface.

-- Cook on HIGH one hour and then turn down to LOW and cook an additional seven hours.

Turkey & Noodles

-- Leftover slow cooker turkey

-- 32 oz box chicken stock

-- 24 oz Reames frozen egg noodles

-- 1 envelope turkey gravy mix

-- Salt and pepper (to taste)

-- Cook noodles according to package instructions.  Reames need to boil for 20 minutes.  Drain and set off to the side.

-- Put turkey meat, gravy mix, salt, pepper, and chicken stock into a large pot; Stir. ((I should mention that the turkey I used was roughly half of the meat that came off of the bird, so probably around 2 lbs. It was quite meaty.)) Add the cooked noodles back in and stir again.

-- Simmer until it thickens to desired consistency.  I cook ours for about 20 minutes.  We like ours nice and thick.  We aren't a fan of it being soupy.

OH!  In case you aren't sure what egg noodles I'm referring to (I had no idea when Michael first asked me to make beef and noodles), here's a picture:

These are located in the freezer section of the grocery store, generally near the frozen bread and other frozen pasta.  These are nothing like the thin egg noodles from the pasta aisle.  It's a thick pasta.

I've also made this dish with beef and chicken.  You just purchase the appropriate gravy mix and stock to go with the meat.

So anyway, there you have it.  Sorry I don't have a picture.  My husband was so excited about this meal that I couldn't get it on the table fast enough.  If you make it, please, let me know what you thought of it!!!

Midweek Randoms

-- One letter can entirely change the context of a comment.  In a moment of serious sleep deprivation I checked my e-mail and saw a new comment.  I added in the word 'a' and it made the positive message a negative one.  It bugged me for several hours until I went back and reread it.  I think it may be wise to stop reading my e-mail when I'm exhausted.

-- I had my 36 week appointment today.  I had my Group B strep test done, which was no big deal.  I also had my first internal exam performed.  Wow.  It was kind of intense for about a minute, but it was better than getting a pap smear.  Oh, and in case you care, there's nothing exciting to report.  There's nothing going on down there.

-- My doctor hinted at inducing me at 39 weeks*, even though, at this point, is medically unnecessary.  I've been telling him for the last 9 months that I want a natural labor and delivery, so to hear him mention pitocin and induction during my appointment was a bit bothersome.  I guess next time I'll have to be a bit more clear on what exactly I mean by "natural" birth.

-- I told my doctor that my carpal tunnel is bad and that my hands get numb and fall asleep.  He started explaining what was going on inside of my wrists.  When he stopped to take a breath, I said, "I'm aware of what's going on inside of my body, what can I do to relieve it?"  I don't think he was expecting me to be so outspoken.  But hey, I'm 9 months pregnant, I'm getting uncomfortable.  I don't have the patience to politely listen to you tell me something I already know.

-- Yesterday I caught Penelope hiding from me.  She often likes to pretend she's asleep when I want her to do something.  She'll peek at me, turn her head away, and close her eyes.  This time she was actually trying to hide.  

-- Michael ordered me some new shoes the other day!  That man certainly knows the way to this gal's heart.  It'll be nice to have something other than flip flops to wear.

-- Last week's turkey breast became turkey and noodles the other day.  It was delicious and incredibly easy to make.  I don't have any pictures, but let me know if you think I ought to post the recipe.

-- Carpal tunnel is making sewing difficult, but I'm trying to push through it.  I'll try and post some pictures soon of what I've been working on!

*I'm so thankful that I realize I am allowed to refuse any medical procedure.

2 on Tuesday -- TV

Happy 2 on Tuesday!  Andrea from My Chihuahua Bites (one guess as to what drew me to this blog) is at it again with another exciting topic.  As many of you know, fall television programming returns this week, so the topic is geared toward that.

What two television shows are you most looking forward to?

We don't actually have cable at our house and haven't since July 2010.  However, that doesn't stop us from watching some of our favorite television shows on our computer.  I actually prefer the convenience of watching online because not only can I watch it when I want, but I don't have to watch 175 commercials.

#1 Grey's Anatomy

Seriously?  Seriously!  

I've been watching this show from the beginning.  Who wouldn't?  I mean, just look at Patrick Dempsey's hair, for crying out loud!  I would tune in every week just to see his perfectly-styled tresses.

But I digress.  At the end of last season, it was discovered that Meredith had messed with Derek's Alzheimer's trial and he left her.  Then the hospital sent her home with a baby.  Meredith.  With a baby.  Meredith, whose own mother lacked that maternal instinct.  Like everyone else, I'm eager to see how the whole Mer-Der situation plays out.  Remember when Derek first approached Meredith about adopting the baby?  If I hadn't already been pregnant when that happened, seeing McDreamy holding a little baby would have made my ovaries cry.

Have you seen the preview for this week's two-hour premier?  Meredith gets fired.  Alex appears to be dead.  There are cars falling into the earth.  Typical week on Grey's, if you ask me.  I.  Can't.  Wait.

#2 Nothing else I watch starts this week!!!

There are a couple of other shows that I watch, but neither of them start this week.  I'll talk about them anyway.

BONES

Anyone else adore this show?  It doesn't return until November 3 because Emily Deschanel is pregnant.  Of course, if you watch, you know that Bones told Booth at the end of the last season that she is pregnant.  WITH.  HIS.  CHILD.  Be still, my beating heart!

I'm actually quite eager to see how the whole baby storyline plays out.  Bones and Booth are polar opposites, yet they work so well together.  Bones doesn't strike me as incredibly maternal, though.  She'll try and use logic to explain why the baby shouldn't be crying or something.

MAD MEN

I just got into this show and have Netflix to thank for it.  Everyone on the show is immoral, yet I can't stop watching.  They just recently started filming the latest season because January Jones was having a baby.  I could honestly do without Betty Draper on the show.  She's a total Debbie Downer.  She's one breakdown away from eating her young.  Anyone else notice she doesn't seem to like her children?  Or her new husband?  Or anyone for that matter?

I am anxious to see if Don Draper leaves behind his man-whore ways now that he's engaged to his secretary, but I doubt that will happen.  Look at his lifestyle.  There is nothing honest going on in his life.  Not only is he using another man's name, but he's in advertising.  

And what about sweet, innocent Peggy Olson?  She's smoking marijuana, drinking like a fish, and hanging out with that strange lesbian girl from LIFE magazine.  Oh, how far she has fallen from her Catholic upbringing.  I blame Peter Campbell.  I mean, he did manage to get her pregnant the night of his bachelor party.  It ruined her.  She's been on a downward spiral ever since, though her career has taken off.

Anyway, enough about my television choices.  What shows are you looking forward to this season?

36 Weeks!

How far along? Today I am 36 weeks 1 day pregnant.  Ohmyword.

Baby size: 19 to 22 inches long and 6.5 lbs according to the What to Expect app on my phone.

Weight gain: I weighed myself this morning and I was 9 lbs heavier than I was on February 1st.

Cravings:  I'm still eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches several times a week.  I actually think I had two today.  I guess that officially qualifies it as a craving.

Aversions:  I made a can of spaghetti o's the other day.  When I went to eat them, they didn't look as appetizing.

Movement:  Still plenty of movement.  I remember a couple of months ago when I'd feel his kicks and punches.  Now I can tell when he's turned and is sticking his butt out on one side of my belly.

Sleep:  I cannot wait until I can roll over in bed without having to wake up or feel as though I'm getting a serious workout.  I've noticed I'm not rolling over as much right now because it takes so much effort.  Being nine months pregnant with a pillow-top mattress is tough.

Other glamorous symptoms:  I'm still suffering with serious carpal tunnel.  I have an appointment on Wednesday and definitely plan to bring it up.  I'm also using the bathroom 187 times a day.  This kid is sitting on top of my bladder.  I make sure and use the bathroom before I leave the house and generally have to go again when I get to my destination.  I nearly wet my pants in the truck last night after laughing at my husband.

I told my husband the other day that I'm going to start walking 24/7 while eating jalapenos and sipping on castor oil cocktails.  He looked at me like I was nuts.

I decided this weekend that our house is a disaster and that something needs to be done about it before our baby arrives.  I made a Mega To Do list.  It's broken down by room.  I already have one thing checked off.  We'll see how much of it I get done before the baby gets here.

Fall Feast

Last week I spent an entire day cooking a nice dinner for my husband.  That night we ate a feast.  I wanted to share the recipes with you in case this beautiful fall weather is making you hungry for Thanksgiving.

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

-- 6 lb turkey breast, thawed

-- 1 packet onion soup mix

-- Butter

-- Rub butter onto outside of turkey and then sprinkle onion soup mix over it.

-- Cook on HIGH in slow cooker for 1 hour then cook on LOW for 7 hours.

Seriously.  The meat is that easy.  It comes out so juicy and yummy.

Dinner Rolls

-- I used Betty Crocker's classic dinner roll recipe, which can be found by clicking this link.  I made clover leaf rolls, though.  After you let the dough rise the first time, you split the dough into 24 equal sized chunks.  Split each chunk into three smaller bits and roll into balls.  Place three dough balls into each cup of a greased muffin pan.  Cover with plastic and allow to rise an additional 20 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes with Turkey Gravy

-- Nothing fancy here.  I'm not too proud to admit that these were instant mashed potatoes and the gravy was Heinz turkey gravy.  I could have easily made mashed potatoes, but I'm trying to use up the food in our pantry.

German Apple Pie

-- Heaven on a plate!  This recipe is from Taste of Home.  My house smelled like apple pie all day long.  

This is about the time of year that my husband begins asking for turkey.  He wasn't disappointed.  

What are your favorite fall recipes?

NoReply-Comment

As I mentioned yesterday, I l-o-v-e responding to comments for all of you.  Unfortunately, not everyone has their accounts set up so that I can.  What if I think of something witty and brilliant to say in response to your comment?  What if I just want to thank you for your thoughtful comment?

If your blogger account isn't set up for e-mail, your e-mail address shows up as "noreply-comment at blogger.com."  Countless times I have been in the midst of composing some amazing response only to notice that darn return e-mail address.  Other times I have actually sent the e-mail before noticing.

So why the rant?  I've realized that some of you may not know how to optimize your blogger account to allow for e-mail responses.  I'm even going to include diagrams!

On your dashboard, look at the section under your name.  Click on 'Edit Profile.'

In the box under the Privacy heading, you'll see a line that says 'Show my e-mail address.'  Make sure this box is checked.

Scroll further down the same page to the Identity section.  The second line is where you enter your e-mail address.  It doesn't have to be the same e-mail address you use to sign in to blogger.  I actually have an address separate from my personal address that I use for blog comments.

If you've been commenting on my blog and haven't heard back from me, check out your settings.  Chances are pretty good that they aren't set up like the should be.  This will open up a whole new level of your blogging experience.  You won't be disappointed!

Confessional Friday

1.  This is my 700th post!  It's not really important or relevant, but I thought I would share that little tidbit with you.

2.  Visits to my little corner of the blog-o-sphere are up 8.54%*.  Comments have also increased.  The hubs asked me about it last night.  I give credit to the 2 on Tuesday link up from My Chihuahua Bites.  I love hearing from people who read my blog.  Seriously.  It makes my day to check my e-mail and see all of the new comments.

3.  I suppose this could also be Confession 2b.  It bugs me when I go to respond to a comment and there is no e-mail address attached to the profile.  I answer every comment, but can't do so unless your account is set up for me to do so.

4.  Re-Pete has suddenly been scratching like crazy.  It's driving me bonkers.  I gave him a bath yesterday in case he had rolled in something out in the yard, but it didn't do much good.  I just gave him a flea treatment, though, so hopefully that will help.  The other dogs aren't itchy, though.

5.  Speaking of the dogs, they've been banished from the couch.  The Hubs is having a tough time adjusting, but it's for the best.  We don't need them jumping up on us while we're holding the baby.  They still get plenty of love, but from the floor.

6.  I'm ready to have this baby.  I told the Hubs last night that the novelty of being pregnant has officially worn off.  I'm not miserable or particularly uncomfortable, I'm just ready to move on to the next phase of my life.  Also, rolling over in bed is increasingly difficult.  

7.  Yes, we have a name for the baby.  Most of our family and friends know, but we haven't posted it all over the internet.  We probably won't do so until after he's born.  I had actually given serious thought to not sharing his name with anyone, but my friend Melissa pointed out that some people (her) like to give personalized gifts.

8.  I love fall weather and cooler temperatures, but I could do without the gloomy clouds.  

9.  The only clothes I currently own that fit are the following: athletic shorts, tank tops, summer dresses, shorts, and flip flops.  My feet don't look particularly swollen, but none of my shoes fit.  I only have a month left until my due date, so I'm trying really hard to not buy any more maternity clothes.

10.  I haven't fixed my hair all week and I feel pretty frumpy as a result.  Of course, it doesn't help that I'm wearing a pair of sweatpants, a bathrobe, and my glasses.  At this point, though, I'm just feeling frumpy in general.

*This info is from Google Analytics

Out of This World

Since the day I brought her home without permission, we've noticed there's something different about Penelope.  Something undog-like.

Sure, she looked like a dog and she walked like a dog, but she had an... attitude.

She's always talking back and making snarky comments and walking all over Re-Pete.

I've had a hunch for some time now about where she really comes from (the trailer park was just a cover up!)

Penelope is, in fact, an alien from outer space.  Think about it.  It explains her above-average intelligence, (why else would her eyes glow so much?) her dislike for other dogs, and her affinity for junk food (I'm sure she'd love to get her paws on Reese's Pieces).

Unfortunately, it looks like poor Wally (who is her offspring) has inherited the gene from his mama.

Midweek Randoms

-- The weather today is SO gloomy.  There was a bit of light rain earlier, but it's mostly just overcast and cool.  Don't get me wrong, I love that it's only 68F outside, but I'd like a bit of sunshine.  It's caused me to just lounge around all day, which is not good for keeping my house clean and tidy.

-- I installed the car seat yesterday.  I had to read through a 52 page manual.  Using the LATCH system, you just click it in and tighten the belts.  Why 52 pages?  Anyway.  I got it installed, but the hubs is going to have to tighten it up.  Crawling around the backseat isn't especially easy.

-- I miss wearing my wedding rings.  I took them off back in May because it was getting warm and my fingers were getting a little puffy as a result.  Now, however, my fingers are just fat and swollen, regardless of the temperature.  I can't believe I'm posting this picture, but here it is.  The rings go on a bit more, but I didn't want to get them stuck.

-- I found this cute picture of me with my nephew, Adrian, in my photobucket album.  It's from a year and a half ago.  He recently started kindergarten AND lost his first tooth.  How is that possible?  Soon he'll be too old to want to snuggle up on the sofa and let me give him lots of hugs and kisses.  I don't like it.

-- I found out yesterday that a friend of mine passed away over the weekend.  She was 95.  I took care of her for the few months she was a resident at the nursing home I work at.  Once she left, I continued to visit her every few weeks.  She was such a funny lady.  She was so excited about the baby and would ask all kinds of questions when I saw her.  I am quite sad about her passing, but I know she's in a better place.  She's probably already asked God where the white wine is. :)

-- My husband has been working long hours this week.  A project he's been working on all year is finally coming to fruition this week.  It's been pretty quiet around the house, but I'm glad that it will be finished before the baby gets here.

2 on Tuesday -- Deserted Island

Andrea at My Chihuahua Bites is doing her weekly 2 on Tuesday link-up party again this week.

This week's topic is...

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what two items would you want with you?

This is a tough one!  In our society we're surrounded by objects that provide us with comfort and luxury -- cosmetics, electronics, indoor plumbing.  

#1 Lip balm

I don't know how I'd function without lip balm of some sort.  I hate having chapped lips and lip gloss is too sticky.  Like most women, I have a dozen tubes of lip balm and I can only ever find one or two.  The picture above is my latest find.  It's the EOS lip sphere in Summer Fruit.

#2  Toilet Paper

I'd also want an unlimited supply of toilet paper.  I know, I know... I could just use leaves, but with my luck I'd end up using something that would cause me to break out in a rash.  A rash is bad enough, but a rash south of the border on a deserted island with no air conditioning?  No, thank you!

Honorable Mention

My sunglasses came in a very close third.  I am rarely without them if I am outdoors.  I'm sure I'd be able to figure out how to weave a big hat to take care of my problem.

What about you?  What two items would you want if you were stranded?

35 Weeks!!!

How far along? Today I am 35 weeks 1 day pregnant.  Oh my.

Baby size: 19 to 22 inches long and 6 lbs!

Weight gain: At my 34 week appointment my weight was the same as my 32 week appointment.  Since I'm on the fluffy side and the baby is measuring right on track, my doctor is fine about the number.  At this point I am 7 lbs heavier than the day after finding out I was pregnant.  If I continue to watch what I eat and stay active, it's possible I could come home from the hospital weighing less than before we conceived.

Cravings:  I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I'm not sure if this is an actual craving or if I'm just too lazy to make anything fancy for lunch.

Aversions: I'm not brave enough to try yogurt, though I miss its yummy goodness.

Movement:  The baby was nice enough to stick his foot under my rib cage the other day while attempting to straighten out his leg.  I was not happy.  We had a chat about it.  Otherwise I just have elbows and toes assaulting my insides.

Sleep: It would be amazing if I could sleep considering soon I'll be waking up every few hours to feed a newborn.  It was well after 11 before I fell asleep last night and then I was wide awake at 5:08AM this morning.  I'm not happy about it.  I get a lot done when I wake up at 5, but today I do not feel refreshed.

Other glamorous symptoms: I am so over pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel.  A lot of times I feel like an 87 year old woman with arthritis.  It makes gripping things a little difficult sometimes.  (I have a friend who said opening door knobs was torture at the end of her pregnancy)  If the swelling is particularly bad my hands get tingly from the fluid compressing the nerves.  Fun, right?  This is not a symptom I was familiar with prior to getting pregnant.

Since I've been such a slacker lately, here's a picture of me in all my glowing glory.  It was taken last Wednesday.

Fat Puppy

My sweet Wally has a bit of a weight problem.

Al, Wally, & Hazel

He was nice and trim like a typical chihuahua until November 2009.  That was when we had him neutered.  After that he became an eater.

His weight gain was gradual, but he was definitely gaining.  At his last appointment with the vet in May, he weighed in at a staggering 8.9 pounds.  Dr. R proclaimed that he looked like a potato with legs.  She said he was adorable, but that his weight was a problem.

It's tough to put one dog on a diet and not the other two.  It's also difficult to put chihuahuas like ours on a diet because they are snackers.  They don't like to eat their meals all at once, but rather graze throughout the day.  If we allow them to free feed, Wally ends up in the kitchen more than the other two dogs.

We finally have a schedule down for feeding the dogs.  We feed the dogs once in the morning and once n the evening.  Wally's dog food intake has been reduced.  It's heartbreaking to watch.  He looks so sad when his bowl is empty (the pooch inhales his food).  We also give the dogs cooked rice with their morning feeding.  They love it.  It's like Christmas for them.  Of course, we give more to Wally.  The rice helps fill up his belly while reducing his overall calorie intake.

We could just let Wally continue to eat as much as he wants, but that would be irresponsible.  We want him to be alive and healthy as long as possible. 

Sewing Diapers

Earlier this summer I decided I was going to sew some cute fitted diapers for our baby.  There are tons of boutique diaper makers out there that sell adorable products, but at $30+ for one, I decided to give it a shot myself.  Besides, my kid is going to poop in this, why should it cost so much?

My first couple of attempts were sad.  I mean s-a-d.

I basically had no idea what I was doing.  I couldn't figure out exactly how to insert the elastic.  I was sewing with stretchy fabrics and trying to stretch the elastic at the same time.  I managed to finish a diaper or two, but I wasn't exactly proud of them.

However, I kept trying.  I'd take a few days off to try and quell my frustrations and brainstorm better ways to assemble the diapers.  Obviously the way I was doing it wasn't working for me, so there had to be a better way.

I found that using a woven, quilting fabric worked better for me than using a knit fabric as I had for my first diaper.  It was a bit easier to keep things lined up when both of the fabrics weren't stretching and moving all over the place.

Then one day this last week, I found things that really worked for me.  Using my new serger, a new pattern (one whose curves aren't as sharp), and a lot of trial and error, I made diapers that appeared to be functional.

I attribute my new-found success to conversations I had with two wonderful gals.  Gretchen, the creator and own of Twinkie Tush diapers, gave me advice on how to successfully use my serger to sew my diapers.  

 

My biggest breakthrough, however, came from a Twitter conversation Jennifer Labit.  She is the owner of Cotton Babies and the creator of the bumGenius, Flip, and Econobum diapers.  She is my new hero.  She gave me a few tips on adding the elastic.  After my chat with her, along with several YouTube video tutorials, I found a method that worked for me.

And it did work.  I was so excited to have a diaper that was not only functional, but it looked good.  I'm finally getting the hang of using my new serger, too.  It's really encouraging.  

My ultimate goal is to try and sell some of my diapers.  Hopefully my diapers continue to improve to a quality that I think people would be happy to purchase.  Of course, I should also figure out some sort of closure system...

Mega Swagbucks Friday

I've mentioned Swagbucks a few times here, but I wanted to explain a few of the ways you can win.

Searching

You use Swagbucks like a search engine.  Every once in a while, a search will result in a win.  On an average day, you can get three wins throughout the day.  Thursday I earned 44 swagbucks from searches.  This is one of the easiest ways to earn swagbucks.

On Fridays, there is a potential for greater earnings through searches.  It's called Mega Swagbucks Friday and swagbuck denominations are higher than other days.  Several weeks I've earned anywhere from 20 to 30 bucks at a time.

Swag Codes

Occasionally, Swagbucks will release a Swag code.  Sometimes the code is posted at the bottom of a blog, other times you can find it on the Swidget (check the bottom of my blog to see mine), and sometimes you search for them using various clues.  

Referrals

This is a great way to earn extra Swagbucks.  You can send invitations to friends and family and allow them to sign up for Swagbucks.  For each buck your referral earns through searches, you also earn equal bucks.  The more referrals you have, the more bucks you can potentially earn.

Excuse my shameless plug of Swagbucks.  It actually works.  I cash in my bucks for Amazon gift cards in $5 increments and have earned $115 since September 2010.  I was only using it casually, though, until June of this year when I decided to start saving up for baby gear.  I've earned $65 in Amazon gift cards (which never expire, by the way) since June.  I've already cashed in for two gift cards this month and almost have enough for a third.  Now that we have most of what we need for the baby, I am saving them up for Christmas.  They'll definitely help since I'll be on maternity leave this fall.

To sign up, click on the word 'Swagbucks' anywhere in this post.  By signing up, you'll be helping me buy Christmas gifts for my family!

Tasty Thursday -- Beefy Spanish Rice

The summer after my freshman year of college I worked in a short-term health care facility in the kitchen.  There was a Spanish rice entree we made with beef in it.  It was delicious.  It took me a while, but I finally found a recipe that closely resembled the dish we made at the hospital.  

The last time I remember making this dish was 2008 just after our wedding.  My copy of the recipe has since disappeared and I haven't been able to find a replacement recipe.

The other day I had a burst of culinary genius.  I decided to just make up a new recipe.

So that's exactly what I did.  And now I'm going to share it with you!  I know, I'm generous like that.  :0)

BEEFY SPANISH RICE

-- 2 cups white rice

-- 1/4 cup oil

-- 4 cups chicken stock

-- 8 oz can tomato sauce (the tiny ones)

-- 1 lb ground beef

-- Taco seasoning

-- 1 can diced tomatoes

-- 1 can sweet corn, drained

-- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add rice and cook until lightly browned.  Stir in tomato sauce and chicken stock.  Heat until boiling.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid and cook an additional 5 minutes until the remaining liquid is cooked off.

-- Meanwhile, brown beef over a medium heat until cooked through.  Drain.  Stir in taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, and corn.  Add rice to beef mixture.  Cook 5-10 minutes until heated through.

I topped mine with some shredded cheese and it was delicious.  You could also add sour cream and eat over tortilla chips like a taco salad.

This recipe makes a boat load of food.  Be prepared to eat leftovers for a few days or consider freezing half of the recipe.

Midweek Randoms

Happy Wednesday everyone!  For many of you, today is Day 2 of a four day work week.  Thank goodness for the occasional federal holiday, right?  

-- Welcome to all of my new readers!  Yesterday's 2 on Tuesday post increased the traffic to my little corner of the Internet, bringing with it loads of comments and several new followers.  I hope you all will stick around and continue to comment!  I love reading all of your comments and respond to as many as I can.

-- Fall has arrived!  Well, compared to what it was.  Late last week the temperatures were hovering around 100F and now the afternoon highs are in the upper 70s.  It felt amazing to wake up this morning and feel that cool, 48F air chilling our house.

-- Today is my 34 week appointment with my OB.  I'm a little nervous to see what my weight has done since I've had a pretty healthy appetite the last week or so.  Before that it was a struggle to eat because my little guy was camped out way up in my ribs.

Here I am on August 27th.  I was 32w6d in this picture.  I sort of feel like a cow... and soon I will mean that very literally.

-- I had a nightmare about the baby.  We brought him home from the hospital and put him in his crib.  12 hours later I realized that I hadn't fed him, changed his diaper, or checked on him.  Can you say epic mommy fail?  In my dream I remember being shocked that his cloth diaper hadn't leaked.  Oh, and he had dark hair like me.

I started having bad dreams about our wedding the month leading up to the big day, so I suppose this is no different.  I'm sure there are many more where that one came from.

-- I've had my new serger for nearly two weeks now and L-O-V-E it!  So far I've made a stack of cloth wipes and a couple of fitted diapers.  The fitteds are definitely a work in progress.  Trying to figure out my new machine and work with elastic is tough.

2 on Tuesday -- Fall!

AndreaLeigh from My Chihuahua Bites is hosting a weekly linky party that starts today.  It's called '2 on Tuesday' and there will be a new topic each week.

This week's topic is... Two things you love about the fall!

Ooooh, I love fall.  There are a lot of activities to do during the summer that I enjoy, but I LOVE fall.  You cannot imagine just how happy I am that today's temperature never touched 80F.

Anyway... here are my two things:

MIZZOU FOOTBALL!!!

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that the hubster and I attended the University of Missouri and bleed black and gold.

Unfortunately, we no longer live in Missouri.  We don't even live in a state with a Big 12 team.  Not that it matters, though, because we don't have cable, so we can't watch the games on television.

I recently found out that this year is the 100th anniversary of Mizzou Homecoming.  That would be such a fun event to attend.  Of course, Columbia is more than four hours away and homecoming is October 15th.  My estimated due date is October 16th.

Fall foliage!!!

I love seeing the trees change color in the fall -- the reds, yellows, and oranges.  The tree in our front yard doesn't change.  It's disappointing.  They just fall off and make a mess of our yard.  Our neighbors across the street have a tree that turns the most beautiful shade of orange.  Their yard ends up coated in a blanket of colorful leaves.