Epcot World Showcase

Me in front of the big orb...

I know it's been a several weeks since we got back from our Florida vacation... but I wanted to post a few things about what we did.

I'm not a huge fan of theme parks, since I'm not crazy about heights or falling... I usually just end up be a nervous wreck on 2 or 3 rides, then just watch everyone else ride.  So, Epcot was a perfect park for me.  They do have a few rides, but I couldn't ride most of them anyway, being prego and all. No biggie.  We spent about 7 hours in the "World Showcase" area of Epcot, enjoying the exhibits and shows.  There were a couple of small flume type (water) rides that we rode... and being that we were there at the World Showcase when it opened at 11 a.m., there were no lines and no waiting.  Sweet.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

I had a craving for Chicken Parm last week... as in, I couldn't stop thinking about chicken and marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.  And when I can't stop thinking about it, I will inevitably make some variation of it.

I got the idea for this soup from a Pampered Chef party I went to a while back.   Their version included croutons made in the microwave, a special seasoning blend, mozzarella cheese and baking the whole thing in the oven.  It was pretty good.

For my version, I decided to keep things a little simpler and do the whole thing on the stove top.

Week 22

How far along? 22 weeks

Baby is the size of: A papaya (approximately 11 inches)

Maternity clothes? Mom sent some new maternity tops, including a nursing cami... that'll come in handy later.  Thanks, Mom!

V-Day

Jalapeno Popper Eggrolls

This year, I wanted to do something special and creative for Valentine's Day, but didn't want to spend a bundle of cash.  I did some checking around online and came up with some fun ideas...

I made a twist on M's favorite appetizer, Jalapeno Poppers...  I did a jalapeno and cheese filling stuffed into eggroll wrappers, then baked them like I did with the Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls a few weeks ago.  They turned out really good!!! M said he would have like it to be a bit spicier, so next time, I'll leave some of the jalapeno seeds and ribs in. Check out the recipe on my recipage, here.

Week 21

How far along? 21 weeks

Baby is the size of: A pomegranate (approximately 10.5 inches)

Baby weighs:  Approximately 14 ounces, according to my ultrasound this week.

Weight gain so far:  I am estimating 10 pounds.

Maternity clothes? MOST DEFINITELY! My midwife commented that she was surprised at how much my belly had grown since my last appointment. Thanks? I think?

Homemade Peanut Butter Hearts

Just like the delectable-ness that comes in the orange and brown wrappers.  Except better.

WAY better.

Like, won't give you a sugar crash after just one.  Like, I don't have to pack my guilt trip bags, because these really aren't that bad for you.

Ok, so they're still kind of  bad for you. They are a treat, after all.  But if you're looking for an alternative to sugar, soy and preservatives... these babies are your ticket!

Banana Bread Love

Banana bread is my comfort food... the aroma takes me back to childhood and simpler times.  It reminds me of good times laughing around a table with loved ones.  It reminds me of all the times my family showed love to a friend or neighbor by sharing a mini loaf of home baked banana bread goodness.

Banana bread was my first successful baking venture.  I won't go into the disaster cookies I baked previous to that first banana bread experience... who knew eggs were important?  Thank goodness for an almost 10-year old brother who would eat pretty much anything... I digress...

Week 20

How far along? 20 weeks

Baby is the size of:  A banana (approximately 6 to 6.5 inches)

Maternity clothes? Shhhh.... the denim skirt I'm wearing is NOT a maternity skirt.  Scandalous... my fly is unzipped and the top is held together with a rubber band between the button and buttonhole. I never thought I would purposely leave my fly unzipped; that's usually one of those middle school horror stories.  LOL.  You do what you gotta do.

Sleep: This morning, I gave up. I got up at 7 a.m. and half laid/half sat on the couch with a blanket and dozed for another hour until M got up.  It was nice to (sort of) lay on my back for a change.

Food cravings: Last night, it was marinara sauce and parmesan cheese.   But mostly, it's been strawberries.  Still.  In fact, we bought a flat of fresh strawberries at the produce market today.  MMMMMMmmmmmm..... 12 pints of strawberry awesomeness.  I may or may not have eaten an entire pint in one sitting.

Movement:  I'm noticing the baby is more active when I'm hungry!

Best moment of the week:  Went on a date night out with the Hubby last night.  Lasagna at Olive Garden, followed by a free concert.  Yep, we're big spenders!  It was fun to get dressed up.  I haven't worn heels since November, so this was a big deal.

Fun fact: The baby practice swallowing by ingesting amniotic fluid.  What I can't get over is that what I eat flavors the amniotic fluid, so the baby is tasting the same flavors I am since the tastebuds have now developed.  This kid's gonna really like strawberries.

Symptoms: More emotional and forgetful.

Wedding rings on or off? On... except for today... I forgot to put them on this morning! EEK!

Mood? Somewhat anxious.  I may be driving M nuts with all my questions.  I just want to make sure he's happy and content!  Thankfully, he's been very reassuring and understanding. 

Looking forward to: Valentine's Day, and another ultrasound next week.  Maybe we'll find out if this little one is a boy or a girl!

Buffalo Chicken Rides Again

M loves spicy Buffalo-style sauce.  We've had the zippy stuff several times... on sandwiches, pizza, and now.... (drumroll please)... Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls.

I was looking for something to serve at our Big Game party last weekend and came across a Buffalo Chicken Eggroll idea on Pinterest.  Hmmm.... the wheels started turning...

Prenatal Fitness

So, I'm a slacker... or that's what I felt like at my last prenatal appointment.  I was relating my symptoms and mentioned I get very out of breath going up stairs, etc. when my midwife told me that I needed to get off my backside and get my heart rate up.  Or at least it was something like that...

30-40 minutes of cardio at least 4 days a week. Which is about 3 days more a week than I was exercising at the time.

I'm up to 4 days a week (usually) of either brisk walking on my treadmill, or a prenatal pilates workout, or a little of both.  I've found that I don't get quite as out of breath on the stairs, but I do still "huff and puff".

Guess What?

adding on to our family...

I'm excited to announce that M and I are expecting our first baby, due June 24th.  I wanted to let you know there will be a few small changes to the blog as a result.


Check out the far right tab above.... Introducing masion|bebe!  I'll be posting any baby related items there.  I have some great ideas for posts... everything from prenatal journal entries, nutrition, exercise, book and product reviews, and more.  These posts will of course appear on the main page as well, intermingled with other posts, but just the baby related items will be grouped together on the new maison|bebe tab for easy reference.

Now that I'm feeling better, I hope to get back to a regular posting schedule. Pray for us as we grow and develop!

Week 19

How far along? 19 weeks

Baby is the size of:  A mango

Mango sized this week!

Maternity clothes?  I made the skirt I'm wearing. I needed a skirt with more stretch around the waist and maternity clothes are SO ridiculously expensive. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for good deals on more skirts for work. Someone graciously gave me a few maternity tops and a dress, so I at least have some options for work!

Sleep: Old news... still can't sleep.

Food cravings: Brownies. I finally gave in and made some semi-healthy nut-butter brownies. I'll post the recipe at some point, just in case you get a craving, too.

Movement:  I think this baby will be a kickboxer. The kicks and punches are not hard, but starting to be regular. More active at night!

Best moment of the week:  I had enough energy to prep most of next week's meals today (Saturday). Whoo hoo! Finally feel like I accomplished something.

Fun fact: Babies develop the vernix caseosa usually by this week. That's the scientific term for the white stuff that you sometimes see on newborns. It's a layer of fat and dead skin... sounds gross, but it's vital for protection of the baby's skin. Sitting in a "water" bath for 9 months can be rough on the skin, I'm sure!

Symptoms: It's getting hard to bend over.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood? Mostly happy. Stressed at work.

Looking forward to: Weekends!