Baby Update: Week 35

No pictures on this one, sorry! Next week I'll be displaying the 36-week belly. Only a few more of these photos to go before Baby W makes his debut into the world!

How far along?: 35w2d
How big is Baby?: He's about 18 inches long and 5.25 pounds. He's officially out of the preemie stage! If he were born today, he'd most likely be a well-developed little guy. Correction... I just read online that a preemie baby is one that is born prior to 37 weeks gestation. However... there are many babies born before this at 6-7 pounds and perfectly normal. So, I'm not sure about that!
Maternity clothes?: Yes. I have cleared out a few items to give back to a friend I've borrowed them from because she is pregnant now with her second and has informed me that she is feeling her clothes already tightening. I have about a month left (thankfully!) and will be sizing down from there. Once baby comes, I may just be wearing lots of yoga-ish pants. Preferred anyway.
Sleep?: Yeah. I attempted to use this pregnancy pillow wedge but hated it. So, that exited the bed after one night. It was to position me and provide support of my lower back and belly while sleeping-- it also kept me on my side rather than falling on my back, which isn't recommended. Regardless, it didn't work and I didn't like it. Sleeping on my side just as always is what is best for me.
Best moment of the week?: I went on a great walk (and actually sweat!) with my friend Jess today. So far, that was the moment. I can't say that subbing in 1st grade or kindergarten were really that enthralling, honestly. ;)
Movements?: Yes, he's moving, but not in the right places! We found out yesterday at my appointment that he is breech, head up! Yikes! He still moves plenty but now I hope he's channeling that energy to move down into the birth canal. Can't believe I just typed that. Woah.
Food cravings?: No. But thankfully there is only one Snicker's ice cream bar left in the freezer. I have eaten 11/12 myself-- but not in the same day. I'd say I've consumed them over the course of two weeks. Still, dangerous!
Aversions?: Nope.
What I miss?: I miss running again. I just feel so immobile not being able to move my body more. Walking was nice, but it's not running. I know... get over it. Soon I'll be able to run again and I won't want to. Haha.
What I'm looking forward to?: I'm looking forward to the weekend again. I see my husband more on weekends and love that. We signed up to volunteer at the food pantry we've volunteered at before this coming Saturday and we have plans with friends, too. It should be a nice weekend. I'm also looking forward to my next doctor's appointment (Tuesday) so we can continue investigating Baby W's breech position and talk about options. They said they generally do not do an external version on women in their first pregnancies because there is a concern of rupturing the placenta in the process. We'll see. I've started all kinds of weird things like lying on an ironing board with frozen veggies, shining flashlights, and crawling on all fours for about 15 minutes at a time. Not enjoyable... so I sure hope he makes the decision on his own! C'mon Baby! We are conscious, however, that no matter what happens, this little guy will be a joy to us and just having him will be wonderful. Sure... I'd love to avoid a c-section at all cost, but if that does come to be, I need to accept it, remain thankful, and carry on.
Anything else?: Not a whole lot in the baby department as far as development is concerned aside from added pounds and finishing touches. He looks pretty much as he will when he finally comes.
This week in history: How about some positive news: today we celebrate our Veterans. :)

What's going on this week (with us)?: We are having a fine week at the Wilson house. Tomorrow night Ray will be playing dodgeball for his Friday night sport since there is no volleyball tomorrow. I'll go and watch as usual. We have our weekend planned and it will include lots of socializing. I think we'll probably buy a few baby (etc.) items this weekend, too. Baby is getting closer and we could use a few more things that although aren't required, may make life easier post delivery. I have my prenatal massage tomorrow and I'm thrilled! It should be awesome. I hope that I can relax enough for the positions she'll probably put me in. No doubt it will be my first prenatal massage and that in itself is a bit weird. But, I love massages and will absolutely come away feeling more refreshed.

Christmas Card Dilemma

While it's not a huge dilemma... it's one I've thought about. Do we send out Christmas cards this year being 9+ months pregnant with our baby? Do we wait until he arrives and be fashionably late with a cutesy photo of him to adorn a photo card? Do we send regular cards... or try Shutterfly for the very first time?

While still deliberating, we're considering a Christmas card/birth announcement that we'll order post-delivery so our little guy can be shown to the world. It may turn into a sort-of "New Years" card rather than a Christmas card, but that might be fun. Are birth announcements a thing of the past? In this digital age, it does make me wonder...

I was searching through Shutterfly's website and saw this gorgeous one that I loved...

Of course it wouldn't hurt if Shutterfly wanted to gift us with some freebie cards either. I heard through my friend Alli that they will be giving away 50 freebie cards to some bloggers-- now if we're chosen, we'll be under obligation to pick out something fantastic and send away!

Cooking Machine

I've made a few recipes recently that we liked enough to blog about. I'll definitely be making these again soon.

First one... pot pies. I love pot pies but have an impossible time finding ones that are both vegetarian and not 100 grams of fat each. I had never attempted the creation of one myself, but felt that the fall weather we've been having was the perfect time.

I felt a bit like Sandra Lee of Semi-Homemade Cooking when making this meal because I used mostly store bought items to save time. The recipe follows the photo...

Using our Crate & Barrel ramekins I love so much, I made these. Here's the recipe:
Semi-Homemade Chicken & Veggie Pot Pies 
Ingredients:
Crust: 
1 can of 8 low-fat croissants
Filling: 
- 1 breast cooked/chopped chicken
- 4 cups of cooked vegetables (I used 2 sliced carrots, chopped broccoli, diced green bell pepper and sauteed them with a touch of soy sauce/covered to steam the rest of the way)
- 1 can Cream of Potato soup (eliminates the need to cook potatoes, too!)
- Cheese of your choice. I used mozzarella, cheddar, and parmesan
- Chives, pepper, salt, season to taste. I don't measure... I just throw in.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to whatever the croissant container tells you to. :) 350 degrees I believe.
2. Unravel croissants but do not separate. Leave as two long rectangles. Use a rolling pin to thin them out as much as possible. Cut your thinned dough into 8 squares total.
3. Line the bottoms of the ramekins with a square piece of dough in each. Cook for about 5 minutes until a hint of golden appears. This is done so the bottom does not stay soggy when you add ingredients and cook again.
4. In the meantime, cook veggies and chicken.
5. Mix veggies, chicken, can of soup, and just enough water to give a smooth but not soupy consistency (about 1/2-3/4 cup depending on how much of the other ingredients you've added). Add cheeses-- whatever amount you'd like. Eye-ball it. Heat in a saucepan altogether until cheese melts into mixture.
6. Spoon mixture into each ramekin (at this point the bottom dough is a bit cooked).
7. Use the remaining 4 squares of croissant dough and cover each top by pinching over just as you would in making an apple pie.
8. Bake until golden.

Yields 4, 10-ounce ramekins = 4 meals ... but in our case... 2 very, very full people who love croissants a whole lot. Haha.

The next recipe was born when my friend Liz asked me to make a "bean" salad to bring over for dinner at their house. Bean salad? I'd honestly never made one! She of course knew that I am a veggie and figured I would find this task easy. One would think. I quickly kicked into gear and wanted to use my absolute favorite new protein/grain, Quinoa. This stuff is delicious, versatile, and incredibly good for you. It tastes just like white rice and has an airy consistency. I am not a fan of brown rice and this far surpasses that and is still better for you! I found recipes on the internet for quinoa and black bean salads but wasn't entirely pleased with any of them. So... I used some of their ideas but made my own rendition.

Black Bean & Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 cans black beans, drained
- bell pepper, diced (any color--I used red)
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (Hint: I cook with 1 cube of boullion or some stock instead of plain water. It makes for a much tastier result)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 bunch chopped green onions
- 1 cup sliced or chopped black olives
- 1 cup corn
- Chopped jalapeno pepper (I also added some of the jalapeno juice to the dressing)
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3-4 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped/minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno juice (if using canned jalapenos, use jar juice-- or from peperoncinis jar)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients & serve cold

That evening, we had a great dinner at the Allen's house. We brought our salad and they made beef cabernet burgers with ciabbata bread as the buns (toasted and delicious), homemade spicy black bean veggie burger for me (SO delicious and so thoughtful), and spicy sweet potatoes (I don't like sweet potatoes but these were not sweet and I actually enjoyed them!).

...and let's not forget to mention a Thanksgiving package that showed up at our doorstep this week! Ray's parents sent some Thanksgiving love from Maryland. Thank you, MD Wilsons!

Baby Update: Week 34

It's been a great week here at the Wilson house. We've been quite productive and we're only "nesting" a little-- most of it is just preparing for winter!

Here are the updates before some fun photo updates:

How far along?: 34w5d
How big is Baby?: I read that he is between 4 pounds and 5 pounds at this point, erring on the side of 5 rather than 4! He's becoming a big boy! If born now, he would likely be fine with only a very short stay in NICU (surely we don't want that) and his lungs are just about fully developed and wouldn't require additional oxygen. He's also around 18 inches long!!!
Maternity clothes?: Yes, and I can't wait to be out of them. I know I'll still be wearing them post-birth for a bit, but at least I'll be able to fit into some of my other tops and slowly work my way back into normal clothes. Basically any clothes are uncomfortable at this point-- aside from Ray's shirts and sweatpants. Yes, I wear his shirts often... but only around the house.
Sleep?: Eh. Yes, I do, and no, it's not wonderful. I think those days are over! Sleeping in has been really difficult to do. But, the great thing is that when I am sleeping, neither my back nor ribs hurt. :)
Best moment of the week?: I really enjoyed having dinner at our friends Derrick & Liz's house along with our other great friends, Kristi, Jim, and Joel. And... Kristi announced she is pregnant with baby #2!
Movements?: I do believe he has moved from down (which was great) to the side (breech) again! I have become wider rather than further out. I used to be able to feel the hiccups in my lower belly, but now I am feeling what seems like his back and head in the center and extending to the left. But, he is surely moving a ton! Sometimes, I think he is physically carrying my organs to different places. Haha! My right rib has been quite sore this entire week. It's as if I have a bruise, but I know it's just the pressure from him pushing up.
Food cravings?: No, but please don't ask how much Halloween candy we had left over and hence have consumed as a result. The Twix, Kit Kat, and Reese's are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Aversions?: No. Not in the least.
What I miss?: Champagne. A friend mentioned it the other day and I wanted a glass. We have a bottle chilling in our fridge from Alison & Nic's visit that I will be consuming post delivery. It will be a Christmas present-- don't worry people... I will have a glass. My hope to breastfeed will not be compromised. Speaking of breastfeeding... man are those breastpumps expensive! Soon I shall invest in one. Soon.
What I'm looking forward to?: Well, I'm not looking forward to my weekly appointments starting this week! I had an appointment last week and they continue every single week until I deliver. I am, however, looking forward to finishing up all the purchases and little things before Baby W. We don't really need anything, but there are some things we're thinking about since our baby class this past weekend (like yellow washcloths designated for "dirty" jobs, baby wipe container, desitin... you know... the small stuff).
Anything else?: Like I said, I've started weekly doctor's appointments! It's becoming very real that next month (or anytime, really), we are going to be parents to a little boy! It's incredibly exciting and is giving us great anxiety all at the same time. We are blessed and can't wait to see what this little guy is like. At my doctor's appointment, I weighed in only .5 pounds more than 2 weeks prior and I am still under the 150 mark. I don't think I'll make it. As for Baby W, there isn't much going on other than adding extra poundage and final touches on organ development. But, in all the literature I've read, he would most likely be fine if born now or anytime after. Holy cow!
This week in history: Black Friday deals turning up early everywhere (we're interested in a couple things this year and plan to actually participate!), Obama in Asia, Daylight savings "fall back" occurred this morning at 2 a.m.-- love that extra hour usually... but when I'm pregnant and can't sleep anyway, it doesn't do much good. Haha.

What's going on this week (with us)?: We've been getting so much done around here. We washed both of our cars today. Mine hadn't been washed at all since we bought it in April and I wanted to touch up a few paint chips before the winter months = rust. We also purchased a few winter items like a snow shovel, ice, an oil space heater, and a firewood holder for our garage. We took our second baby class yesterday at the hospital called "Babycare Plus" that included information about when baby comes home and helpful tips (swaddling, diapering, Happiest Baby on the Block theories, carseat safety, vaccinations, pediatricians/doctors, infant CPR, etc.). It was okay. I heard amazing things about the class and while it was helpful to hear a few things, we didn't need the class. I guess we just felt that since we are first-time parents, we should take classes to educate ourselves despite the amount we've read in books and all over the Internet-- not to mention what we know from common sense and from friends with kids. Baby W does deserve the best, however, so we took the classes. Ray also played volleyball with our friends in the co-ed league (I go as a spectator) and won 2 of 3 games! They have now won more games than lost-- which is great! We had dinner with friends and that was wonderful as usual. It's just so nice having great friends.

Here are the monthly photos to compare:

Month 1, Month 2, Month 3, Month 4, Month 5, Month 5.5, Month 6, Month 6.5, Month 7, Month 7.5, Month 8

Here's the Month 8.5 photo:

Here are some nursery photo updates. We bought a new lamp and there's the bird I bought at the thrift store, sanded, stained, and painted. I love it. The lamp was a recommendation on behalf of my friend Alison whose son, Scotty, used the nursery when they visited. It was quite dark and we needed some light in there for middle-of-the-night feedings. This lamp is awesome because the base is a touch-base. You simply touch anywhere on the silver bottom and it turns on. No switches to fumble with and so easy! Considering that we would use this as we're tired, it's easiest to use.

At my shower last week, the ladies provided us with a few things we felt we "needed" like the changing pad and changing pad cover. We also got crib sheets and a bunch of items I have to wash before use. I'm waiting until it gets a bit closer to his arrival to throw in the load so they are nice and fresh.

This photo is to show the monkey. It's from our baby shower and it now has a home. :)

At our Babycare Plus class, we learned infant CPR. In order to do so, we had to blow up our "mini baby" they kept calling it. Ray was lucky enough to have that job. This came just a day after Ray took a two-day course of CPR at his work. He's pretty solid with knowledge.

Mini baby testing out the bassinet. Of course everyone else in the class deflated their mini baby. Oh no, not the Wilsons. 

And... the final pièce de résistance... this onesie. I was home the day UPS dropped this off at our doorstep. It came from a company called FansEdge, but with no information of whom sent it! We're still speculating who sent this our way, but either way, I love the LA pride! Thank you, friends, to those who sent this. I'll call the people I suspect were involved in this mystery present this week.

Overall, great and full week! Here's to the next one and a healthy baby boy growing strong!

Cookie Monster... er... Elephant?

Distribution at Ray's work had an excellent month's end. As a joke, they posted a sign on his office door stating that he promised to bake them cookies as a result of their progress. They even went as far to say that boxed cookies would not be acceptable. Haha. I love it. Of course... when Ray came home and told me, I insisted we he make cookies. I was insistent on only helping on the peripheral since this was a gift to his fellow employees. Since he would be distributing the cookies on Monday, he had to bake them the day before-- Sunday. Halloween. We had a good number of kidlets come by (tiny cool tidbit: our neighborhood has a strict policy of trick-or-treating during daylight from 3-7p.m. which is great for parents and great for the weather! It's warmer during sunlight hours!). So, Ray donned his elephant hat that we bought at Michael's a few months back and passed out candy as the little guys came by-- about 100+ kids!

Here's the beginning of the baking task.

I also have to acknowledge that my husband used our Kitchenaid (seen on the counter in the background) for the first time and loved it. Loved it I tell you! He has for years been making fun of the lovely, yet pretentious marriage symbol saying that it's simply a status symbol and has little value. Well, when it comes to baking, it has great value. He tested that out and was impressed. I smile.

Here are all 112 of the cookies baked that evening by my awesome husband.

The cookies were well-received by his colleagues and he was able to honestly say that he made them!