Chicken Caccitore

This week bountiful baskets had mushrooms and tomatoes. Not gonna lie, i dont actually like either. Jesse loves mushrooms tho, and i love italian so i decided to make Chicken Caccitore. I had never attempted it before and it came out really good. It was really easy to make also. I didnt have a recipe and since i hadnt made it before i decided to mostly follow this one http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,2373,155181-232201,00.html  I tend to only use recipes to get the general idea of what to use. I changed this one up a bit. Instead of using wine i used chicken broth, and i didnt have any bell peppers so i just skipped that. After making it without the peppers i dont really feel like the recipe NEEDS them, but i am sure they would be good if added. Also, i think it calls for a little too much red pepper. If you dont like spicy i'd cut back a little.  I used my dried oregano and frozen basil from the herb pack a few weeks back :)

Rosemary and lemon pepper chicken

INSPIRED BY BOUNTIFUL BASKETS, OF COURSE! THIS WEEK I GOT LEMONS, GARLIC, AND ROSEMARY SO I PUT THEM TO USE!!

PREHEAT OVEN TO 450 

                                                                           INGREDIENTS: 

 3 TBSP FRESH ROSEMARY SPRIGS

6 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED

1 TBSP STEAK SEASON (or salt and pepper)

1/2 CUP CHICKEN BROTH (or white wine) 

3 TBSP EVOO

THE ZEST AND JUICE OF ONE LEMON 

IN A GLASS 13X9 PLACE ABOUT 2 1/2 LBS CHICKEN BREAST 

ADD ROSEMARY, STEAK SEASON, GARLIC, LEMON ZEST, AND EVOO

TOSS CHICKEN AND SEASONS TO COAT 

BAKE AT 450 FOR ABOUT 25 MIN UNTIL CHICKEN IS FULLY COOKED 

TURN OVEN OFF

 REMOVE CHICKEN FROM OVEN

ADD LEMON JUICE AND BROTH TO PAN DRIPPINGS AND STIR TO COMBINE

SPOON JUICE ONTO CHICKEN

RETURN TO OVEN FOR 10 MIN

ITS DONE!!



PLACE OVEN ON A TRIVET AND SERVE FROM DISH. SPOON JUICE ONTO CHICKEN WHEN SERVING. I SERVED IT WITH RICE AND BROCCOLI BECAUSE MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER EAT IT WELL. WE ALSO SPOON THE CHICKEN JUICE ONTO THE RICE FOR EXTRA FLAVOR!! YUMMMMMMMM

ALWAYS HANDLE CHICKEN SAFELY AND WASH HANDS OFTEN.

Preserve the Herbs

 This week in my bountiful basket i ordered the herb pack for an additional $10 here is what  i got:

dill, rosemary, oregano, sage, cilantro, parsley, basil, 2 cloves garlic

I knew i would get a good helping of herbs but my good it was a BUNCH. I've never seen more basil in my life (except of course on the plants). I put everything in the fridge and it nearly filled my tiny apartment refrigerator and i knew i couldnt use it all before it went bad so i decided to start researching! 

Drying would be appropriate for the herbs, but you need a cool, dry, dark place and lots of patience as it can take 2 weeks or more for them to dry- this girl isnt that patient. 

The oregano and sage are best preserved dry so i did a quick dry with them. 

1. spread out flat on cookie sheet

2. turn oven to bake at the lowest temp you have

3. place herbs on middle rack

4. Leave to bake for 1 hour with the door slightly ajar

5. turn oven off and allow to sit overnight with the door cracked. 

6. pluck now dry leaves from their stems and store in an air tight container

most herbs are good for about a year when properly dried. If not properly dried that can mold and mildew so be careful! 

The leafy herbs like basil, cilantro, and even the rosemary freeze really well. i made herb cubes with the rest of my herbs...

Herb Cubes

Basil leaves, plucked, washed, and pat dry

                                whatever herb u use needs to be clean if you are going to freeze it. 

roughly chopped and coated with olive oil 

after washing and patting dry, use a food processor or a good knife to roughly chop your herb if its leafy like basil is. Place in a bowl and coat well with olive oil. This will preserve the color of your herb. 

Transfer your coated herb into ice trays. The bottom row i filled completely, the top row i filled about halfway so i can have a lot or just a little basil whenever i need it. Fill the trays the rest of the way with water, broth, olive or vegetable oil, or room temp melted butter. I just use water as its most universal for future use. Freeze overnight. 

dont forget to label the bag! 

After the cubes have frozen solid, remove from the ice trays and place in a freezer bag or other air tight freezer worthy container! These are super easy to take out and use in any recipe! 

you can make cubes of cilantro and parsley or any other small leaf herb without chopping them, just remember to wash them well. :)

 

Bountiful Baskets

I learned about Bountiful Baskets through the online garage sale site for hunt county of all places. At first i thought it was probably too good to be true and that i would receive old, gross, never heard of produce, but i am thrilled to say that i was wrong!! Here's what i got this week:

THE FRUIT

huge pineapple, 9 bananas, grapes, 2 pomegranates, 4 apple pears

  THE VEGGIES  

lettuce, kale, celery, onions, cherry tomatoes, acorn squash

                                                                   BREAD 

in addition to the basket you can get bread! i got the assortment
3 loaves 9 grain
1 artisan loaf
1 sourdough loaf

So how does it work??? It's super easy! visit www.bountifulbaskets.org between noon monday and 10pm tuesday to place your order. Print your reciept and take it to your pickup location at the specified time. In greenville, pick up is every saturday at 10:45 at the mall. Dont forget to bring something to tote your produce home in! 

Here are the prices! 

1 regular basket $15 

1 all organic basket $25 

Bread is available for an additional cost and that varies by what u get. Bulk items are also offered when available :)

Bountiful Baskets is a volunteer organization and they encourage anyone who can help to come to the pick up location 1 hour prior to pick up time to help set the baskets up and to clean up afterwards.

Why we switched to cloth diapers

Jesse and I have decided to use cloth diapers. It's something i was interested in doing throughout my pregnancy but looking at the cost of most cloth diapers i thought i would have to be rich to afford enough diapers to not need  to buy disposables. With this in mind i decided maybe we wouldnt or couldnt cloth diaper. We were fortunate to be given a good assortment of diapers from the baby shower, family, and colleges at work. When little Owen was born we started using those diapers. He is just about 4 months now and we still have a partial box left so we have not had to purchase any disposables with the exception of 2 boxes of newborn size diapers.

While on facebook i noticed that a friend had switched her two youngest girls to cloth diapers. The designs in the pictures were ADORABLE!! I talked to her about them and found that she was buying them for cheap!! I bought 2 from her to try out. I paid $16 for 2 pocket diapers and 2 inserts. I took them home and prepped them as she suggested and tried them out!! They were so easy to use, easy to clean, AND Owen had a cute fluffy butt! 

Jesse was hesitant at first about the diapers until i showed him how soft they are, and how easy they are to use. It doesnt take forever to get them on as he thought it would, and you really dont "handle" any more poo than you would with disposables. In fact, with Owen being breastfed and only pooping every couple of days we ALWAYS had poo explosions in disposables. It would be all in the bed, all over his clothes, up his back,  and everywhere in between!! I slowly began ordering more diapers from a buy sell trade group on facebook. I bought all new never used diapers. The more i bought and started using the more Jesse came to see how nice these really were. He finally came to me one day and said that he really wanted to use the cloth diapers since they were so easy to use and so much more friendly to Owen's little booty. 

If you didnt know, here are the common ingredients in disposables that make them absorbent: 

The cloth diapers we use are Sunbaby diapers. These are manufactured in China which is why they cost so much less. One Sunbaby diaper with insert bought directly from Sunbaby costs about $5  bought locally from A re-seller costs $8-$10. I decided to do a little research on these diapers before purchasing my stash since they come from china and here is what i found. 

*The owner and creater Sun Pei has 2 children and has diapered them both in Sunbaby's

* they are made in Shanghai which actually enforces labor laws 

* the "factory" consists of about 40-50 workers

*Sun Pei is completely transparent and upfront about where these diapers come from and how they are                                         made. She has done several interviews, and provides info. on her website. 

I know some people will turn their nose up about them being made in China but to those people i say google Fisher Price and see where your child's toy's come from....

THE COST BREAKDOWN 
* these are my personal costs starting at 4 months to 2 years of age. i started at 4 months since we are just now completely switching over

Disposables 
1 box Pampers Swaddlers $25 lasts 1 week
1 month's worth = $100

Total disposable expense $2,000

My Sunbaby stash
12 diapers and inserts bought from re-sellers= $96
24 diapers with inserts + 12 extra inserts= $132

Total cloth diaper expense $228 

some of my sunbaby's the others are in the wash

For the environmentally conscience the benefits of using cloth are obvious:

i know this has been long winded, but we really love our cloth diapers and we are both glad that we switched! Owen seems to like them too!

Since switching we havent had a single rash nor leak! I do an extra 2 loads of laundry per week and make my own detergent that costs $.05 per load. For us the benefits are many and i wanted to share that with you!! Comment with any questions :)

When i grow up...

As a child everyone always asks you what you want to be when you grow up. I can remember always answering that i wanted to be a teacher, or sometimes a ballerina, but sitting here now at 25 years old i still cant give a confident answer. It;s been weighing heavily on my mind lately. i dont dislike my job, but i know it isnt the career for me. I wouldnt mind working the same job until i do decide what my career will be, but eventually i want to move on. I think my problem is that i genuinely love to learn. i love going to school. Learning is an amazing gift to me and i want to know everything!! I have several ideas in mind of things i would like to do.
 1. Teach high school level math or chemistry. I think i would be a decent teacher. I've had some really amazing teachers in school and i think teaching with the love and passion that they teach with is honorable. Teachers are looked over, under paid and under appreciated and i think it's pathetic. I have doubts about it. What if i cant find a job, what if it turns out that i'm no good at it, what if i get bored after 2 years and dont want to do it anymore?
 2. computer science/ software engineering. i think this comes also from the math/science part of my brain. Computers arent going anywhere and tho i dont know much about the technical aspect of computers now i think it would be cool to learn!
3. Get a BSN (bachelors of science in nursing) and eventually become a CNM (certified nurse midwife) To some people this may come as a surprise but i've always liked learning about pregnancy and birth and it's my opinion that the "birthing system" in the US is utter chaos. So many unnecessary medical procedures are done everyday and in my opinion these women are being taken advantage of all for the sake of profit. I would love to help women experience birth the way it is naturally intended to be.
4. Lactation consultant. This is usually a part time type job but  i would love it. In the short time i have been breastfeeding my little owen i have learned so much about the nutritional, physical, and emotional benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and child. The rate of which mothers breastfeed now is so low and i would love to help educate and encourage women to breastfeed and be there to help with the trials and learning curve to make it a lasting relationship between themselves and their child.
5. nurtition/food science. its no secret that i love food!! i like the food science aspect because i think so many of us dont know what we put into our bodies everyday. i believe that many diseases and illnesses can be prevented through good diet!
6. Environmental science. Again, something i'm passionate about. I want to provide a better environment for my children and the children of the future and i would love to learn how to be a bigger part of ensuring safe renewable resources are discovered and used to protect our planet and hopefully to slow the downward spiral

As you can see its a pretty long list. I've got an associates degree with concentration in chemistry. It just so happened to work out that way due to a scheduling error on my part... an associates is a start( i managed to keep a 4.0 and graduate with honors), but its not enough for me. i want to do something, but i dont want to waste my time and money going to school when i cant decide what i want to do. Its hard because my job offers tuition assistance if its a company related field which is wonderful, but if i choose one of the other fields i'm on my own. commerce doesnt yet offer the BSN program but will be soon. UGH i want to have a carreer by the time i'm 30! Thats the goal... to finish by the time i'm 30. If i choose the nursing route that would be pretty much impossible to make it to midwife by then, but i want to AT LEAST know what i want and be diligently pursuing that choice.  

time is already flying

on aunt ray ray's lap 

       Owen is already a month old!! i cant believe how fast the time has past. I've only got 10 more days before i have to go back to work. this makes me very sad. i dont want to leave him. i know he will be in good hands at home with jesse. it may be a little rough for the two of them at first, but they will adjust and eventually so will i. Abigale is such a big help and she is so sweet to him. I couldn't ask for a more perfect little family.
      Owen has changed so much in so little time. I'm not exactly sure what he weighs now. He is sleeping at the moment or i would weigh him. i'm guessing he weighs 11 pounds or so. He is a chunk for sure. He just started smiling and accidently coo's on occasion. His eyes are still very blue and i'm betting they stay that way. He has a good amount of hair but its so blonde he looks bald in pictures. i just love looking at him. He is so spoiled because we all hold him so much. 
     Breast feeding has become pretty normal now i guess. it's not been too hard, but has been challenging at times. I'm still trying to figure out how to have enough milk stored for the days i'm at work. I had never really paid much attention to the way society views breastfeeding until now. it's crazy to me that people seem to act like it's strange and not something you are supposed to do in public or talk about. I think it's funny that we drink cow's milk like it's no big deal yet there's awkwardness if you talk about our own species ability to produce milk. Now i'm not saying i want to go to dinner and have some lady whip her boobs out in front of me and my family while we eat, but with proper coverage i don't see why its a problem. Furthermore i don't see why there aren't nursing stations in public places where there are bathrooms. its not like breastfeeding is a new phenomenon, its been around a while...  Thankfully it seems president Obama did one thing right and created federal laws protecting a mothers right to breastfeed at work. http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.pdf State laws regarding breastfeeding can be found here http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx However i still see it being a strange conversation to have with my boss who happens to be male...

this is a pretty cool website for moms or moms to be if considering breast feeding. http://tayelor.blogspot.com/2012/07/time-is-already-flying.html

also i wish every hospital had lactation consultants or la leche league people or both

that is all...

   

The arrival of our little Owen

Its taken me a week to find enough time to write this blog but here goes... So the plan was to show up at the hospital at 10pm on the 26th and be induced the next morning. It was our option, though highly suggested by my doctor to induce. I was nervous about it and hoping that it wouldn't have to come to that. Modern medicine is an amazing thing, but to me less is best when it comes to medicine. I had given up on Owen coming on his own and was as relaxed as i could be about the induction.

Tuesday was a regular ole day like the other's. I wasn't feeling great but who does at 40 weeks pregnant. I spent most of the day trying to clean up the house and i began packing my bag for the hospital and trying not forget things like toothpaste. Abigale and i were cleaning up her room when Jesse gave us a surprise and came home from work early(good thing too). He and Abigale played games while i was laying in bed resting.  I got up just before 2pm and went to the restroom and FINALLY the mucus plug came out! I found that to be exciting so i ran to tell Jesse. 

Within minutes i was having contractions but i just laid in bed texting friends and timing the contractions. They were coming 4 minutes apart and pretty painful. i figured they were false so i just waited it out for a bit. After 30 minutes i decided we probably should go to the doctor. Even if it was false it hurt way more than it should  so i figured it was best to go. I went into the living room and told Jesse "you need to go take a shower" he immediately jumped up to reassure that i was ok. He took a lightening fast shower and got ready to go. I decided to take a shower as well still thinking they could be false contractions. 

We dropped abigale off at his mom's house and were at the hospital by 3:30. We made it to labor and delivery and they got me into a room and in a gown and on the monitors. My contractions were now coming every 2 minutes. The nurse decided to check me before doing paperwork since they were coming so fast. I was 6cm dilated and fully effaced. We didnt have time to do anything. They rushed in and put in my IV and drew some blood. Within minutes i was feeling pressure and the nurse checked again. I was 9cm. I was answering questions between contractions and filing out the paperwork. 

They called in Dr. Zapata and she came and broke my water. My uterus contracted some back to 8cm but again within minutes it was time to push! I've never felt anything even somewhat comparable to the pain i was feeling. I felt like i no longer had control of my body. it was hard to comprehend what the doctor and nurses were saying. i remember saying i cant do it and Dr Zapata calling my name repeatedly and telling me to focus and push. Grab the handles, breathe, push count to 10.... its alot harder in the moment for sure. I managed to push enough to get his head out but he had turned and his shoulder was stuck. Even i could feel the mood change. You could hear the seriousness in Dr Zapata's voice telling the nurses to do this and that and stand here. 

Those few seconds in my mind were like hours. I cant imagine anything hurting more than it hurt for her to have to force his shoulders out. Luckily after that he came the rest of the way out and i had a beautiful perfect baby boy laying on me. His face and mouth were very swollen and he didn't cry immediately. Jesse cut the cord and the nurses suctioned his mouth and nose and he was crying a good healthy cry. The indescribable pain was followed immediately by the most amazingly overwhelming happiness you can feel. The pain was no where on my mind after they bundled him up and gave him to me. 

He was born at 4:55pm and weighed 7lbs and 15oz my entire labor was less than three hours and i am sooooo thankful for that! Everyone was so happy. The joy on Jesse's face was priceless. We let the family come in and meet him quickly and then they left so i could try to feed him as quickly as possible. He took to feeding like he had been doing it all along and i was so relieved. I'm glad he came on his own and i'm glad that i have an awesome doctor that knew what to do under pressure. 

My blood pressure went crazy high during delivery (174/116) but everything happened so fast so there was no time to treat it during the delivery. Afterwards i was given magnesium sulfate which was like pumping hell into my veins. It literally felt like i was on fire. Luckily after 20 minutes they turned the drip down enough so that i felt mostly normal. I still felt like i was on drugs but it was a step up. The first night and most of the next day were pretty rough on the meds but i immediately felt better when they started taking me off of them. 

Now he is a week old and i cant believe it. He is weighing 8lbs 2oz and healthy as can be. I feel so lucky and so happy and complete to have this little boy. Its an overwhelming kind of happiness. 

Last day with the bump

it's officially my last day with the baby bump. I'm so very excited and anxious to get this show on the road and finally meet my son. Jesse is thrilled too. As happy as i am that this is all finally happening; there's just something i'll miss about being pregnant. its a weird feeling really because i've been so miserable lately. My back hurts literally all the time no matter what i do, i pee every 30 minutes, cant sleep, ankles swell, food isn't the least bit appetizing, and my ribs are so so sore... but there's just something about it that i'll miss. i cant describe it, but i bet most mother's feel it at some point. It's also weird knowing this is my last day being pregnant and not just going into labor out of the blue. i'm nervous but i actually like that i have time to calmly gather my things, shower and have everything the way i want it before going to the hospital. Abigale is going to spend the night with her mee mee (jesses mother) and Jesse is going to stay with me at the hospital. I know i wont sleep tonight even though i also know i'll regret it in the morning. I could barely sleep last night just thinking about gathering my things together today and not wanting to forget anything. I've been debating silly things like should i eat a huge meal before we go or should i only eat a light something or nothing at all. They didn't give me any instructions not to eat but i have a feeling that once i get there it'll be only ice chips even though i'm not being induced until morning.

I found my digital camera!! Finally :) so i'm gonna try to take a few more pictures before the belly is no more.

 Everyone keeps asking if we want any more kids after this one comes. My best answer for that is really i don't know. Children are amazing and i love being a mom. i want to experience life with two kids before i decide if there are more to come. Jesse is content with two children, and we are very blessed to have one of each so i'm not sure what the future will hold for us there. I can say that we are both still young and aren't going to do anything that would take more kids completely out of the picture. I've been reading recently about a hormone free IUD called Paragurad that can be used for up to 10 years. I don't know enough about it yet to decide if its something i'll use, but whatever method i do use will be hormone free for sure. i don't like fixing things that aren't broken and i don't like the thought of pumping my body full of synthetic hormones instead of just being more careful.

Abigale is so excited! She has been frantically cleaning her room today so her brother can see it when we bring him home :) In fact, she is calling me now saying she is all finished and wants me to come look!! Maybe i'll post a few more pictures later.

This whole this still doesn't feel quite real yet but i'm sure it will when the contractions kick in!!

Today's doctor visit :)

Just got back from seeing Dr. Zapata (she's awesome btw). Though i haven't gained weight in two weeks it turns out some progress has been made!!!  As of right now i am 3cm dilated but only about 10-15% effaced but favorable. That's the best news I've heard!! I haven't been having any contractions today so no baby just yet, but doc says it could literally start any minute. IF by Tuesday my labor has not begun i will report to the hospital at 10pm to begin antibiotics, and then begin the induction process at 5am Wednesday. I've been preparing myself for natural labor, knowing what to expect and telling myself i can do it. If i am induced however, i will be given pitocin and pitocin tends to make contractions more painful and last longer so who knows what i will decide when the time comes. Really all i can ask for is a happy healthy little boy :) i cant wait to see him. My ribs cant wait to be able to heal and not be so sore all the time.

It ain't over til its over (39 weeks)

So much for Owen coming early... he is being stubborn already!! Doc said on Thursday that he is weighing at least 7 pounds. Boys are usually bigger than girls. Abigale was 6 pounds 10 oz. Doc is suggesting we induce if he isn't born by the 27th and after talking to Jesse i think that's what we're gonna do. Having an induction can increase the need to c-section, but if i wait and he is too big i would have to have one anyway. My hope is that he decides to come on his own before then, but if he doesn't i will be induced Wednesday the 27th. I have another appointment in the morning and i guess we'll know if anything has changed then. Jesse starts his new job Monday July 2nd so if i am induced he will be able to take off and have 4 days with us then begin the new job on Monday evening. He is very excited about the new job and i am very happy for him. It means no more blistering sun all day, no more pesticides, no more grass mowing for hours at a time, and should offer some relief for his neck pain. Working second shift will allow him to be home all day with the kids and me, and make doctor appointments so much easier. We can take little day trips to the aquarium or wherever and be home in time for him to work. Also, its Monday through Thursday so he will be off when i am working so no stress in the babysitter department. I'm so very ready for this little one to be here. I think we all are at this point. I've prepared just about as much as i can but i know it will be an adjustment for all of us. Abigale talks about him and to him every single day. Yesterday we made him a tie blanket and she told him it was special because she made it just for him. aww... Still been having braxton hicks. I've gotten to where i dont even try to time them anymore. i figure if its false they'll stop and if its real they wont!! I was and still am hoping he is born before this weekend (i really dont want to work).

38 weeks ugh...

photo by Emily Hillman

Ok so now its week 38. This child needs to come on with it! Last Thursday Dr. Zapata said i was 1cm dilated but 0% effaced and still posterior. UGH.... i really want him to be born already!! I try to remain in good spirits and not complain but i'm very uncomfortable 90% of the time now. Jesse is starting a new job and new shift at work beginning the 29th so i really hope he is born before then. I'm surprisingly calm about the upcoming labor. I know it will be intense, but it'll be so worth it. I am nervous, but not about the labor itself. Unfortunately things don't always present an ideal situation, and anything can happen. The possibility of a C-section scares me some. I've never had a major surgery like that, and i hope to avoid it.  I've said it before but if you have never seen The Business of Being Born i HIGHLY suggest it.  The good thing about my job is that i will get at least 6 weeks off and still get a paycheck (thank goodness) I finally got bottles! My mom bought him some and i bought him some. I decided to go with the Playtex premium nurser drop-in's. The great thing about them is that if you breastfeed you can pump directly into the liners and they come with seals for storage. Besides that the disposable liner's make for less dish washing and sanitizing. I didn't know it at first but they're one of the highest rated bottles out there and they're reasonably priced.

Exciting event of the day... Emily came and did some preggo pictures of me and some of abigale and I! The picture at top is a preview... I cant wait to see them all!

36 weeks

only 1 to 4 more weeks... thats what i keep telling myself. I'm absolutely thrilled to be having this baby but being pregnant at this point isnt fun. Being big and round is kinda fun, people know you're pregnant and always ask about the baby and thats special, but just about everything else about being 36 weeks pregnant isnt fun. As of Thursday i wasn't dilated any but he is head down and low. i go to see the doctor every Thursday now.  Abigale was born one week before her due date with no unnatural help so im hoping little Owen will decide to come early as well. Between the stuff jesse and i have bought and the gracious gifts from others i think we have just about everything we need for him. There are some things i havent bought... like bottles, but i'm hoping he will breastfeed easily and bottles wont be a high demand. I'm still gonna get some though just in case. I just haven't made up my mind on which one's i want yet. "they" say that almost every woman CAN breastfeed regardless of size or shape so long as there is nothing wrong with their supply, but with abigale it was very frustrating and it didnt take long for me to change my mind. Maybe this time will be different since there wont be such stress and i'm older and more educated about it now. Heat+pregnant=suck so if you at some point try to get pregnant consider when the kid will be born. I sympathize with my mother for having me in September in Texas because its not even June yet and its freaking hot. Also, eating is MISERABLE!!! you get hungry and you have to eat, you want to eat but as soon as ya do you cant breathe, your belly is all tight and full and if you're me you have indigestion something awful. ok ok no more complaining, it really doesn't help anything anyway. This morning i'm washing all of his clothes and blankets so they will be ready :) using baby safe detergent really is a good idea. Some babies, my little niece especially, are born with REALLY sensitive skin. I buy ALL clear and free instead of Dreft. Its cheaper and i honestly like it better. Tomorrow we are going to Sam's for diapers. I've been comparing prices lately and turns out buying pamper's at Sam's is about seven cents cheaper per diaper than buying them at wal-mart. I've looked into cloth diapers, and even seriously considered buying some. Cloth diapering may be less expensive in the long run but its quite an investment to get started. I also hate the thought of washing the inserts in the same washer that i wash my clothes in. I know there are many many different products that are supposed to make everything completely sanitary, but the thought still bothers me. Its also pretty inconvenient too. I cant imagine being at walmart and Owen having the runs and having to clean the insert off then carrying it with me in a wet bag while i continue my shopping.... ewwweeee maybe if we didnt poop it wouldnt be so bad, but we do poop so i'm going for pamper's brand diapers. The swaddlers are pretty darn soft and they work well and if you change your kid like you should rashes are fairly avoidable. Every kid will get them even with cloth diapers. Just putting my thoughts out there.... thats all for now i guess.

i'm round and i know it! (33 weeks)

well not much has changed in the past few weeks. i gained exactly 2 pounds (15 total now) and my belly measurements are just where they should be. I got the crib bedding in and i love it! on my days off this week i am working on getting his room situated for real this time. i had it all cleaned up but then we got more stuff and now its a mess again. My mom and cousin are throwing a baby shower for me soon. i'm pretty excited about it. Though it'll be my second shower, the first one was 6 years ago and for a girl so it feels brand new again. I've got tons of family coming in from Mississippi and other places for the shower so i want his room to be ready for everyone to see. i'm becoming miserable. Indigestion is my biggest complaint but maybe that'll mean he will have lots of hair, dark hair like mine please.... there is a foot constantly at my right rib. Poor rib, the left one is fine but the right one is pretty angry at Owen. I feel very round... not unattractive just round. i bought some dresses so i can avoid pants whenever possible. Advise for first time pregnancies: maternity clothes are a waste of money. They cost more because people are silly and will pay more, but if you just look around you can buy regular clothes that work just as well and are much cheaper. At target they wanted 50 bucks for a cotton dress just because it was maternity... i ended up buying 3 dresses that were NOT maternity for less than 50 and fit just as well and ill be able to use them after owen is born. I guess the exception to that would be pants or jeans because maternity jeans are much more comfy than regular jeans even if you buy the belly band(also waste of money) but shop around. I got my maternity jeans online from old navy for 16 dollars on sale. If you don't spend all that money on clothes you'll only wear for a short time you can spend it on lasting stuff like good quality maternity photos that'll last a life time. ok well thats enough of my rant for now i could go on forever....

week #30 (so i'm running behind)

Oh man all i can say is its been a very busy week!! We have been trying to make Owens room look more like a nursery than just a half empty room with random boxes here and there. I received and awesome surprise from my mom and cousin this week. They chipped in together and bought us the crib we were wanting!! My dad even came over and put it together for us! I had every intention of having a friend make the bedding for his crib and even had all the fabrics picked out but then i found this  http://www.ebay.com/itm/10PC-Frog-Nursery-Discount-Designer-Crib-Bedding-Set-Brown-Green-NEW-Unique-/251032871425?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a72b9a201#ht_5264wt_1084 10 piece set for a steal!!! i ordered it this morning and should be here within a week. Even got free shipping!! I hope it looks as bright as it does in the pictures. i really dont like the typical pastel baby colors. Theyre boring.

Anyway it seems we are finally in the home stretch and actually getting ready for his arrival now. I went to the doctor thursday(a week ago) and i was excited to hear Dr. Zapata say that we can most likely expect him to come before his due date which is very ok with me! Abigale was 6 days early and most of the time the second baby comes earlier than the first.  Rest assured as soon as week 37 gets here i will be doing some major powerwalking and whatever else i can come up with to encourage his arrival!

I love reading about babies and pregnancy not just because i'm pregnant but because i'm a woman and that's what we were designed for. Lately i've been reading that in most cases labor and delivery is easier the second time around. And that makes sense since your body knows what to do this time. That doesn't mean less pain, but rather the same or more pain but for a shorter length of time. Typically first time mothers push for close to an hour where as second time moms are closer to 20 minutes. Thats fine by me! Labor from start to finish is usually shorter for second time moms too. But where there are ups there are downs and i'm hearing and reading that recovery after birth is usually harder for second time mothers. the discomfort, back pain, and uterine contractions are usually more intense.  Not really looking forward to that part but at least i will have a cute little boy to take my mind off of the discomfort.

Physically and emotionally i'm not doing as well as i have been in weeks past, but thats normal. I'm pretty tired most of the time and my back hurts almost constantly. Owen kicks me in the ribs or bladder many many times a day and that can be pretty uncomfortable too. Emotionally i can tell the hormone levels are on the rise again. Little things make me feel very emotional. I'm not liking being home by myself for 4 days in a row. its nice to be able to have time to do housework as i am able, but it doesnt take much to make me tired and i get bored and lonely and lack motivation. Jesse and i have been doing our best to focus on abigale and while the talk of her brother is increasing as we prepare for his arrival we are trying to tell her things about when we were getting ready for her to be born. Showing her pictures and explaining things to her and telling her how excited we were to be having a little girl. She is still seeming to be very excited about being a big sister and im glad for that. She will make a great big sister.

28 weeks :)

only 12 more to go!! is it bad that im hoping for only 9 more instead of 12?? They say you are full term at 37 weeks so why wait for 40? i mean i wouldnt induce just for the heck of it but if he happened to decide on his own i surely wouldnt mind!! in the past two weeks i've done the ever so lovely glucose test. Orange flavored water with 50 grams of sugar!!! While it did make me light headed to have that much sugar in so little time, i passed the test. High is over 140 mine was 115. I hate that they compare fetus sizes to food... at 27 weeks he is the size of your average head of coli-flour.... how do u compare a baby to coli-flour... and at 28 weeks he is the size of a Chinese cabbage... he has eye lashes and can open and close his eyes and sense light and sounds.
He has grown enough to put pressure on my diaphragm making me feel out of breath REALLY easy. I'm weighing right at 130 now so the doctor should be happy with me when i go back next week!

26 weeks

my camera lens is so scratched up but
here is the stroller we picked out :)
its brown and blue and green
not grey lol 

Well today makes 26 weeks. As each week passes i feel a little less nervous and a little more excited. The survival rate of a fetus born at 26 weeks is 80% or better. Of course there are always exceptions to statistics, but the further along i get the better i feel about our little Owen being born. His wake and sleep patterns are pretty noticeable now. He always wants to squirm around at bed time especially. He gets the hiccups on occasion and that's always funny. i still occasionally wake up flat on my back which i don't like, but i just roll to the side and go back to sleep.

We still havent bought Owens baby bed yet nor have i ordered the fabrics to make the bedding. I'm really excited and anxious to get all that stuff but realistically he cant sleep in it right away anyway. this website has pretty awesome fabrics for a less babyish feel in the nursery http://premierprintsfabric.com/collection.shtml i'm planning to order the fabrics i need from here unless of course i find it cheaper elsewhere. The crib i'm imagining is a cross between two different pinterest designs i've come across. The modern bedding here http://pinterest.com/pin/156289049538323292/ minus the ruffles, and the woven bottom part here http://projectnursery.com/projects/prices-bright-and-modern-circus-nursery/ if you click through the pics on either of these links there are some pretty cute nursery ideas for boys or girls rooms.

i just cant wait to meet him. To hold him and decide who he looks like. I hope breastfeeding works better for me this time around. It was a total chore with abigale and i didnt do it as long as i would have liked to. Luckily then we qualified for WIC so i didnt have to pay for her formula. This time that isnt the case and formula runs about 15 dollars a can and lasts no time at all.

Jesse has been such awesome support lately. He always tells me i'm beautiful and makes me feel so special. Sometimes its hard to feel attractive with the growing stretching belly and hormones but he has done an amazing job of continually making me feel good. He doesnt complain when i make him hold everything at the store so i can go pee every five minutes, he deals with all the changes and ups and downs like a champ and i am so greatful and lucky to have his constant love and support.

25 weeks

         so today i'm 25 or maybe 26 weeks pregnant. Doctor says 25 sonographer says 26 so i guess Owen will decide for himself! i started out weighing 125 pounds. due to morning sickness i lost down to 121 pounds, and i now weigh 126 pounds. That counts as 5 pounds gained. most people who experience morning sickness loose weight as a result and its perfectly ok. Dr Zapata wasnt terribly concerned that ive only gained 5 pounds however she did say that i need to gain 1 pound each week from now until birth (15 pounds total). i love having a female doctor. she is the greatest. a male doctor can train and study his whole life but he will never be able to fully understand what it is like to have a baby. its just impossible. Anyway, i feel pretty good most of the time and i'm always hungry.
        I guess my main worry in this whole new adventure is Abigale. She has been the center of attention for 6 years. She hasnt had to share her stuff or our attention. She is very much excited to be having a brother, and she talks to him all the time. I just dont want her to feel left out. Newborns are demanding. Some can be VERY demanding and i dont want her to feel left out or less important. Ive done my best to prepare her for what is to come. She knows he will cry alot and need to be held and fed and changed constantly, but i dont know if she really understands that some of that time that would be given to her will now have to be given to her brother. She will be a great helper. i plan to let her help as much as she would like to and include her so she feels important. It does worry me though, i dont want her to ever think i love her any less. She's my big girl.
      i guess thats all for now, i am trying to do this more often....

Owen :)

Yayyyy its a boy!! Owen will be the first grandson on both sides of our family. He will be one spoiled little boy. here are some pics