Prenatal Check-Up @ 14w5d

Everything is good. I've gained 6 pounds.

My iron is low. It's at 10.6, which should be remedied by be eating more iron-rich foods. If that doesn't fix it, I will have to be on iron supplements.

I don't remember what the baby's heartrate was. It was healthy, but in the lower ranges (like the 130s). Baby was probably napping because it's usually in the 140-150 range.

Back in 4 weeks. Hoping to schedule the BIG ultrasound then.

Two Thumbs Ranch Annual Cookout

We went to the annual Two Thumbs Ranch cookout, like we have for the past 6 years.



I thought dinner was at 5. It was at 6. I was a very hungry, pregnant lady. Did I mention that we didn't eat before we came because I knew there was gonna be a ton of food? But, I thought we were eating at 5, not 6. Torture!



Tres, the youngest human that lives at Two Thumbs.



There was a cow milking contest/demonstration set up that Lily absolutely loved. Several times, she would go over there to see if she could get any milk out of the cow. Minus the teet that was blocked, she didn't do bad for a 3-year-old.



We really looked forward to the hayride. The last couple of years, they haven't been able to have one. I think this may have been Lily's first one at the Ranch.



Cows! They came up to the fence expecting food, but all they got were people with cameras. Poor cows. Hopefully, Lily will get to pet one next time we go.



Lone, leafless tree in the middle of a hay field. Just a lovely evening for a hayride.



The only thing that would have made this bonfire better...S'MORES.

Not Me Monday! : A Picture's Worth 1,000 Words

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I would never post a picture of my child playing innocently on "the firefighter slide", only for it to be taken out of context. I, of course, got completely angry and lashed out at those who saw humor in the picture. I'm just that kind of Mom. I refuse to see the humor in it.

Doctor, Doctor

For Lily's appointment, we went to our family physician for her preschool physical. Her appointment was at 10:30 and they completely forgot her. I wasn't annoyed until they started calling people that arrived after we had. Then, she was back right away and we didn't even have to wait for the doctor or PA.

Her heart was checked and she got to pee in a "hat". That was the highlight of our trip. She'd already had the TB test back in March, so nothing exciting. Just getting the form signed pretty much.

Provided she doesn't get sick, she won't go back until her 4th birthday.

Intermission : Lunch.

For Lily's second appointment, it was a follow-up with Dr. Mike, the specialist. He's been treating Lily for severe temper tantrums for a couple of months now.

Currently, we are seeing some improvement in her behavior. However, her sleep is still off. She usually wakes up between 2-5a. She was up at 3 this morning and playing with magnets in the kitchen.

He ordered an EKG, which is a standard thing, so nothing to worry about. They just want to have something for comparison if she has an adverse reaction to her medication.

We're keeping the day medications the same, but increasing the night one. Hoping this will help with the sleep, which in turn will decrease the tantrums even more.

We go back in 4 weeks to see if the changes are helping or to try something new.

Spaghetti with Almost Homemade Sauce

I was going to make chicken, Lily wanted "uhpuhscetti". Rather than fight it, I just made "uhpuhscetti".

Simple meal, with a twist to use some things from our garden and make it a complete, well-rounded meal.



1/2 box of spaghetti, boiled, all that fun stuff.
1/2 jar of Ragu
1/2 pound of ground beef, browned & drained
4-5 grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 sweet banana pepper, sliced
1 handful of shredded cheese (I used Colby/Monterey)
Parm Cheese

I got the beef from Two Thumbs Ranch. It was weird because there was no need to drain. There is pretty much zero fat.

Tomatoes and the pepper came from our garden. The tomatoes added a sweet freshness to the jarred sauce. The meat made it a much heartier meal. Cheese is just good in pretty much anything.

After the spaghetti was plated with sauce on top, I sprinkled the top with some shredded parm cheese. So good!

Not Me Monday! : Paint, Stickers and Markers ... OH MY!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



I would never paint the hallway a bright shade of green, only to decide the very next day that it was the most hideous color that anyone ever mixed into a Satin medium base. And, I definitely wouldn't cry over it, thinking that the ugly color pretty much deemed that my house should be condemned.

Then, I wouldn't go get more paint (2 shades lighter) the very next day to paint over the nasty green. A nice minty shade of green. Then, when the freshly painted (and barely dry) wall was scratched with a ladder, I wouldn't yell that people really needed to be less careless.

Nope, not me. My prego hormones NEVER get to me. Ever!



I didn't neglect laundry ... all weekend ... to plan and do fun things with my preschooler. Like creating our own little DORA the Explorer adventure, complete with a map, binoculars, and a treat that the end.

Nope, clean clothes (which I make the aforementioned preschooler wear 100% of the time because she never runs around in just her panties) are much more important than spending time with my child. I'll have her for at least the next 15 years, so she and I have plenty of time to hang out.





While she was working on crafts, I was busy doing the dishes. If she's occupied, I don't need to sit next to her and be all up in her space watching her play with stickers. Let alone take pictures every time she made a cute or silly face. I have plenty of cute and silly faces.



And, because I'm currently up for a Mother of the Year nomination, would I never leave my little artist completely unattended with a BLACK marker. No, no, no! Crafty supplies stay on the craft or color tables at all times.

What didn't you do?! Don't be a chicken...SPILL!!!

String Bean

My Dad's house had been mostly white or off-white for the majority of my life. He went with a biege color in his room a couple years ago, and the trim in Lily's room is purple and pink. Yet, most of the walls lack color.

When I bought my house in November 2009, I really wanted to paint every room a different color. My sister had done it and I loved it, so I wanted to do it, too.

Lily's room is pink. The toy room (soon-to-be nursery) is yellow. The living room in a light brown. I'm still struggling on what color I want to paint mine.

I've been thinking about painting the upstairs hall for a while. I picked out the palest shade of green that I could find and still be considered a color other than white or off-white.

After getting to the store to pick out the paint, I decided to go darker. Much darker. The color is called "String Bean" and it is very green.



I looked at light fixtures, but there are so many and they require knowing at least the basics about electrical. Even though I know some things, I'm not going to chance doing any of it while I'm pregnant. Maybe I can get my Dad (or ab-fab BIL) to do the dangerous stuff.


Light fixture, circa 1967.

I'm hoping that with a couple of additions, like bright pictures of flowers and maybe a vase of Gerbera daisies (my fave flower), that the hall will look more complete and less like I've walking a pasture in "What Dreams May Come."

Not Me Monday! : Showers & Cupcakes

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



I'd never tell my 3-year-old to take a shower in the "geyser" so she wouldn't need a bath later. Not me! Bathing is for in the house only! Never outside, in the sprinkler on a wonderfully warm, sunny day.



I would most certainly never dress her up at Dora the Explorer to celebrate Dora's 10th birthday with free cupcakes and a picture at Walmart. Walmart is as evil as the processed sugary cupcakes they were giving away!

What didn't you do? I dare ya to spill to beans!!

Apple Dumplings

I bought apples yesterday, after we ate about 3/4 of the previous bag. Some of the apples had started to go bad, so I just grabbed another bag. Sad, it's cheaper to throw away 3-4 apples than it is to buy in bulk just what we need.

Anyway, to prevent some of our apples from becoming landfill compost, I was looking for new recipes, and I stumbled across Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings on All Recipes.

Of course, I don't have Granny Smith apples, pie crusts, brown sugar, cinnamon or nutmeg. So, time to improvise and see what I come up with...



INGREDIENTS
4 Washington apples, cored
8 ct. Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls
1/4 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
4 iced oatmeal cookies, ground up
1 egg white

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Core the apples, then set them aside to prepare the sugary filling.

2.) In a microwave safe bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and ground up oatmeal cookies. Microwave for about 30 seconds, or until butter is melted. Using a fork, mix until well blended.

3.) Take a cinnamon roll and flatten it out with your hands. (The cinnamon bits tend to stick to the non-stick rolling pin.) Smooth it out over the bottom of the apple.

4.) Fill the inside of the apple with the cookie/sugar mixture, packing it as best you can.

5.) Flatten a second cinnamon roll and cover the top of the apple. Brush the seams of the rolls so that they will stick better when cooking.

6.) Place the apples on a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Bake @ 400*F for 1 hour.

Serves 4

Homemade Baby Food

Experimenting with to consistancy of mashed avocado (which I then made into a weak guac).

I keep looking at the prices on jars of baby food. Forty or 50 cents doesn't seem like a lot, but I know that it's pricey when I can make my own, more nutritious, baby food at home.

I started looking online and found some nice, simple resources for making baby food. Some of which you can prepare in advance and it'll be easy to mix together when it's time for Baby's dinner.

Wholesome Homemade Baby Food Recipes
Making Your Own Baby Food, Mck Mama Style

I'm starting to collect recipes and websites with info. I don't want to attempt anything too complicated. I just know that if it's too overwhelming, that I won't be able to stick with it when I've got 2 kiddos to take care of.

Any other suggestions?
Websites?
Things you've done?

A Lesson in Being Grateful

Walmart recently had an event for Dora the Explorer's 10th birthday. Nothing extravagant. Just free cupcakes and a coupon to print off a photo with a Dora frame. I thought it'd be a fun event to take Lily to. She enhjoyed it and was very good through the whole store, patiently waiting until it was time.

When we got home, I read the comments from other parents about the event and was sad to see how greedy and selfish people were. The event pages, both on Facebook and Walmart's site, clearly stated that there would only be cupcakes and a photocard, only at Walmart Supercenters with a bakery.

So many parents were complaining that more wasn't done. That they'd expected Dora to be there and were disappointed when she wasn't. The page on Walmart makes it clear that there will be a special birthday doll for sale, as well as the "Dora's Big Birthday Adventure" DVD.

This has led me to think of the things that I'm grateful for...

1.) The person who left the Bounce Dryer Car coupon in the laundry aisle. I've been out for a couple of weeks and have been putting it off because they're pricey and I haven't had a coupon. Thank you for the coupon for $1.50 off. I really appreciated it!

2.) Walmart for having a fun, free event that my 3-year-old really looked forward to all week. She was so well behaved when we were in the store and so excited when her picture with the Dora birthday border printed.

3.) NIFL for not charging me a late fee, even though my bill was a month late. Sorry, I completely forgot to pay that. A check will be on the way on Monday. Thanks for not shutting the gas off, too!

This baby is dramz, I tell ya!

On Friday, Dad came to pick up Lily so I could venture back to the hospital. I'm becoming a frequent flyer there and the doctors' offices. I was spotting again.

Once I was admitted to the ER, I got into the lovely gown and proceeded to try to relax. Of course, that didn't happen.

The nurse took vitals. The PA came in and tried to find the heart on doppler, which he didn't. The PA (Tom) sucked! In terms of bedside manner, he was okay, but they didn't find the baby's heartbeat on a doppler when we had found it previously. He didn't order an ultrasound at all. Just told me that it may or may not be a miscarriage and that we need to just wait and see.

I gave the usual blood and urine samples. They were also going to do an hCG quantitative, just in case my doctor wanted to repeat it on Monday. Then, I waited. Trying not to focus on the fact that they couldn't find the baby's heart. Of course, that lead to a bunch of tears. On and off crying.

I went home, trying to be optimistic. I called my Mom and she helped calm me down, then she told me she loved me, which made me start crying all over again.

Once I got home, I went to bed. Physically and emotionally exhausted. All the time, worrying about the little baby in my belly. Was the baby okay? Did the baby go to Heaven? All sorts of things a pregnant mother-to-be doesn't want to think about. She'd much rather be thinking about all of the things the baby's going to need and what colors she's going to pick out.

So, I followed up with my doctor today. His PA, Amber, who is fabulous and super friendly couldn't find the heartbeat either. She tried 3 times. Once with the crappy doppler, twice with the good doppler. Nada. She was gonna send me for an ultrasound, but they probably couldn't do it until tomorrow, so she gave me the option of the doctor checking.

Yes, please!

We waited a couple of minutes, which, in the moment felt like an eternity. I was so nervous. My heart was racing. Then, there it was. There my BABY!!

I ordered a doppler from Belly Beats. Amber said not to worry as long as there wasn't significant cramping and clots. Basically nothing more than spotting. And, I will have a doppler, so I can find the baby's heartbeat on my own.

I go back on August 30th.

Not Me! Monday : Ultrasound Surprise!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



I would never break the news to the bulk of my family and friends that I am pregnant by posting an ultrasound picture on Facebook.

Facebook Profile Picture

Oh! Wait.

Lily's Vacation & Preschool

Lily spent 3 days with her Aunt Melody and cousins (Aleesha & Skylar). That's the longest I've been away from Lily her whole life. It would rough, but with the doctor having me on a weight and activity restriction, it was much needed.

Lily spent her days playing in the pool, going to the "beach" at my sister's father-in-law's house, jumping on the trampoline, going to the park, and playing in the sand. Not to mention, she came home with a silvery manicure and pedicure!

She had a great time, and I've heard all about Aleesa, Aunt Mel, and Skylar.

And then, there's the matter of school...

I originally signed Lily up for New Haven United Methodist. I'd heard so many great things about the program. Then, it's $70/month. She would go 2 days a week, for 3 hours, I believe.

Then, I heard about St. Mark's Preschool. They are pretty much the same hour wise, but only $40/month. Not to mention, I have a friend whose daughter is going to the same school. The only problem, their one class is full. We got wait-listed. If they get a couple more kids in the next week, they will open another class.

Fingers crossed!