Weekly Pregnancy Highlight

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along: 14 weeks preggo (Tomorrow i'll be 15), which means my Due date is Dec 23rd.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: As of last doctor's visit (June 8th) i have gained 5 lbs. Tomorrow is my next visit...so we will see how many more i've gained!!! Yikes.

Maternity Clothes: Yes...i've inherited lots of clothes from my cousin-so i haven't really had to buy any...all of my jeans are maternity so far...and i'm sure i can fit into my 'Fat' jeans...but i'm not going to lie, maternity clothes are really comfy. It's like wearing pj's...except...jeans. And no one really notices the extra elastic. Mine aren't the really hight waisted elastic, just the band it...so it's pretty descrete.

Sleep: I'm not sleeping as much as i used to. I toss and turn a lot...and i wake up all the time to use the bathroom. Thank godness we have a bathroom in the same room...because if i had to go all the way downstairs, i would invest in a bed pan (HAHAHA, just kidding-that's pretty gross)

Best Moment this week: This is not pregnancy related...but i totally loved the fact that my uncle and hubby power washed my deck!!! Looks brand new. This weekend we (meaning, hubby) are going to paint it to prevent mildew and splinters. Yay for 4 day weekends. :)

Gender: We're not sure yet...but i'm thinking we might see something tomorrow. Hubby isn't really sure what he wants...he originally said "girl" and now he's going "boy"....i honestly don't have a preferance. Our nephew was born last year around the same time...so if it's a boy, we get lots of hand me downs---so that's a plus...but GIRLS are just sooooo cute to dress up!!

Movement: i haven't really felt anything...i keep thinking i do...but not sure what it feels like...we will see.

Food Cravings: I haven't really had a crazy craving for anything...i'm just eating a lot more than normal...so i'm trying to stay pretty health. I've gotton pretty lazy and haven't wanted to cook...but i'm forcing myself...since i know it's the healthiest choice.

Food Aversions: Pre-pregnancy-i was a big Dorito fan...and now, i can't even smell them. Isn't that weird?

How i'm feeling: I'm pretty good...no complaints. Well, ok, i lied... my back is actually starting to bother me...like a sharp pain in my lower back. It comes and goes, but mostly when i sit, or lay for long periods of time.

What I am looking forward to: actually LOOKING and FEELING pregnant. I just feel really bloated...and i'm looking forward to feeling kicks for the first time. Since i  haven't had any crazy symptoms...this will make it SUPER REAL.

Our Baby in Veggie/Fruit Terms: 

A lemon! Last week i was a peach...and a few days ago...i went to the fruit store and bought both (peaches and lemons)-and they were pretty much the same size...if not...the peach was bigger. Weird.

Weekly Thoughts:

Thinking of having a gender party. If any of you have done this...i would really like to know what you think about it. I think it would be kind of fun...to include friends and family. And since the weather is nice, we can always have some sort of outdoor party...which means...hubby can bbq and i don't really have to do much work (other than cleaning the dishes and making the cake/cupcakes).

Anyone have any thoughts or have any of you ever had a Gender party before?? It's when you reveal the gender of your baby with your guest in a fun creative way...like...baking the color into a cake/cupcake.

Arugula Pesto

I really suck as a blogger. Seriously. The whole time i was making this...i kept thinking to myself...this would make such a great Blog entry. FAIL. I'm a terrible multi-tasker (taking pics and cooking all at the same time)...and Hubby was off doing Man things (attending to his grass/changing the cat liter ;) ) so i couldn't even ask him to take pics for me.

The reason i chose to make this is because i don't know about you, but if you've ever bought Trader Joes fresh bag salads (any type), you usually have to eat them within the first 2 or 3 days. NO MORE. They spoil rather quickly...but the good thing is that you can always return the bag and get a fresh one...which is always great, but honestly...who wants to waste 1/2 hour out of there day to return a bag of salad? Not me.

Well, i bought a bag of arugula on Sunday. I made a salad for myself 2 days in a row, and i still had lots left. So i decided to make PESTO.

Here is how i made it:

Arugula Pesto Recipe

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup of shelled walnuts
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (i used TJ's spanish olive oil)
6 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1- In a frying pan, brown 6 garlic cloves over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool

2- Toast the walnuts in the same pan over medium heat until lightly brown.

3- In a food processor (I used my mini chopper): Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted garlic, and parmasean cheese. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor/chopper. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl.

and Voila! Pesto!

=

I made my pesto with mini whole wheat penne...and i also made chicken sausage, and cut into little pieces. Let me just tell you...hubby and i were licking our plates clean!! I even had enough to bring to work for lunch!

Betty, the lobster.

So, there is a lady i work with, her husband that is a big fisher. He has his own boat and goes out every weekend to catch fish. This is his hobby. He catches and brings home whatever he gets that day, and that's what they eat for dinner. She had mentioned to me that she was so sick of seafood and he always brings home lobsters and he has to give them away to the neighbors because you need to cook them right away. So, i tell her..."ohh lobsters, i LOVE lobster! Yum!"...and she says "Next time he brings some home, I'll have him give you a few!"..."SURE!".


She comes to work yesterday and hands me a cooler...inside...was Betty.


See, here is the thing. I love lobster. I really do. But i like them DEAD...NOT ALIVE. Who knows why i said that i liked it...and that i was willing to actually KILL this poor little guy. So of course, i said "OH THANK YOU!!! Yummy!!", trying to play cool. All day i was thinking about this thing, alive in this cooler. When i got in my car last night, i buckled Betty in...and drove home. At every light I'd make sure Betty was still alive. She really did look at me...and ask me to let her go!...and i felt terrible. :( Poor Betty. So, i drove straight to my uncles house (he was a chef at a restaurant)...and handed Betty over. "Please cook this for me".
He of course was like "sure! mmm, lobster." I had to sit outside for the next 1/2 hour, because i didn't want to hear her scream as she was slowly dying.  Then, Betty came out with a sunburn. I couldn't possibly eat her. It was too sad. She was dead. And it was all my fault.
I don't know why, but i really don't like killing things. I mean, i am a meat eater, i love steak and i love ham and i love chicken...but i don't like to see it alive...let alone, KILL IT.

Does anyone ever make kill lobster (or any animal?)? Do you feel as guilty as i felt? I felt really gross after eating Betty. She was pretty tasty, but i just kept thinking of her beety eyes. :(  I don't

Rest in Peace, Betty.

My secret.

I've been a little distant for a while now (13 weeks exactly)...and maybe this will make a little more sense as to why....

Please welcome, Baby Cole. :) Hubby and I are very thrilled with this new addition...and are both a little overwhelmed with emotions. I never knew how crazy my hormones would react to this...but let me just tell you, it's been a really crazy rollercoaster of emotions (Just ask my hubs). Lots of TEARS (yes, tears of..."holy freaken cow-my life is going to change in just a few months"), lots of smiles, and definitely, LOTS OF LOVE.  Don't get me wrong, I was freaking out when i found out...i mean, freaking out as in-"OMG, NO FREAKEN WAY!"...and that followed with lots of crazy tears...but in the end, i have the best husband and we've been blessed to have such a supportive family...and everyone is very happy for us.

It really is an indescribable feeling. I haven't had any morning sickness, and i've been feeling 100%. I'm happy and content and at peace with this. Sometimes, i don't even feel like i'm pregnant...because i've had 0 symptoms.  It really hits you when you hear the heart beat and it really just makes your heart just warm when you see what is inside you on a screen.  The whole process of life and what a miracle and what an amazing, incredible thing that's going on inside, just the growing and maturing of a baby.

So that's my secret. :)

Awesome-ness.

While blog stalking Today (this), i found this an AMAZINGLY AWESOME link to FREE ART DOWNLOADS!!!!!!! This website is super cool...so if you have a chance, check them out...and print a few pieces of art to put in a few of those blank frames you've had sitting around...

:)

Just a FYI. Hope you all are having a fab Tuesday!! :)

Kitchen Crap.

I opened my kitchen junk/gadgets draw last night looking for the potato peeler.  Do you think i found it? No. My drawer looks like a bomb exploded. I started to search frantically for this...because OBVIOUSLY my life will absolutely END if i don't find it, because...who ever peels potatoes with knives anymore? I mean, seriously. I really don't know where I'm going with this...because honestly...it's a little off topic...but let's just say i found the potato peeler about a mini mental breakdown later (6 minutes)...and it was sitting at the bottom of the sink (hubby had used it that morning, for GOD knows what!!).

All I'm saying is...I've got a lot of JUNK/CRAP that needs to go! I mean, i seriously have a bunch of useless gadgets that are pretty much garbage...all because the label said that it would make my cooking/kitchen experience better. Well...i don't think that having a drawer full of junk made that experience better...

So Today, i got to my computer...and started to think. I NEED TO GET RID OF THE CRAP IN THE CRAP DRAWER, ASAP. I came across this: to the point list.

I have a few things that I'm going to be putting in my "Goodwill/Garage sale bin" this weekend....

How about you? Do you have any unnecessary kitchen gadgets that you can toss? Or how about...do you have any that are absolutely NECESSARY??

Like seriously...you can't "EYE" your pasta?!

Really.

A few updates and some GREEN cleaning!

Yea, I suck, i need to finish writing part 2 of our SF trip! Sorry :(

There is so much going on in my life right now...we just got back from our yearly camping trip (Hubby and I met on a camping trip 6 years ago...and we've been together ever since)...and I went to Buffalo to watch a really good friend of mine graduate from College (Buffalo University). Both trips were lots of fun, but at the same time, extremely exhausting.

Buffalo was my first trip without Hubby since we've been married...and i missed him terribly :'( I'm not opposed to separate trips, i believe it's healthy for every relationship...and we both trust each other so much, that it's just a nice time of "missing" each other...but...i missed him so much. Every time i do something fun...i think "If hubs were here, he'd really like this ______". I guess, he's really is my other half. :)

I've been running around, doing things around the house too...like planting and sprucing up the yard in prep for the summer...and we finally finished our Dog run...which has been such a great blessing. Bailey can stay outside for hours (NY is finally getting warmer)...and since it's a shaded area...he doesn't even bark to come in. He LOVES being outside...i just make sure to put down plenty of water...and he's content.

We went camping for Memorial Day...and we had a blast. We went with a few (7 in total) really close friends...and it reminds me how simple life can be. We had such great conversations around the campfire every night...and we stayed near New Paltz (if you don't know where New Paltz is, it's upstate NY...and it's such a cute HIPPIE town...adorable...full of antique shops/thrift shops/used book stores/record stores..etc. They even had a store full of tie dye shirts...so now you KNOW it's a hippie town. We browsed all the stores...and it was a nice day of window shopping! I got a few knick knacks...and we also stopped at some flea markets/garage sales they had near the campground. All in all it was a great trip!

On another note, I've been trying to slowly "GO GREEN" the past few months. Ever since i started blogging, I've been purchasing cleaning supplies that aren't harmful to inhale (although, i still haven't found anything as good as my Lysol toilet cleaner). I've been using lots of vinegar and baking soda around the house. This morning, I added another cool GREEN recipe for carpet fresh...since this is something I'm always purchasing because of BAILEY!...I found it on Me and My Pink Mixer. It's really simple, and i have everything on hand at home...so I'm going to give it a whirl tonight. All you need is baking soda and a few drops of essential oil.  I have a few different scents of essential oil, since I've been mixing it with my vinegar around the house...so my home doesn't smell like a tossed salad! LOL.  I like that she put it in a  glass Parmesan cheese shaker from the Dollar Store....SUPER CUTE!!!

Do any of you have any home made remedies/recipes for GREEN cleaning products?? Have any of you tried out this carpet fresh yet? Let me know what you think!! ;)