Thoughts on my pregnancy

Hum... where to begin. I guess with "It's ALIIIIVE!!" This ultrasound is from 4/20... I was 12 weeks along and the baby had a heartbeat of 171. I sure do hope that the baby is still growing because my belly sure is.

So, the pregnany was unplanned -- "concieved in a moment of passion" as my mom puts it. I think it was Karma's way of punishing me for being so judgemental of people who have their kids close together. I was never going to be one of those crazy moms! (That's what I get). Grant and this baby will be 17 months apart. Aside from them being close together, I also really wanted to wait until the new hospital opened next May. Maybe other women will and I'll actually get a room to myself.

As Nick reminds me, we wanted more kids, so this isn't the end of the world. And, I'm pretty bored with just one. Maybe this really will be a good thing...

I am due November 9th. At least, that's what the doctor measured from the ultrasound. I thought it was closer to the 3rd. Maybe we didn't get pregnant when I thought we did (which means, it wasn't my fault). In any case, the baby will be delievered two weeks early, probably while my mom is in Hawaii. I may actually have to be a big girl this time and spend some time in the hospital alone.

It has been a fairly easy preganancy. I was a little bit icky feeling, but I have nothing to complain about really. I feel tired but sometimes I think it's because I'm sleeping too much (trying to bank it now before the baby comes) =)

I can't decide if I want a boy or a girl. I was thinking boy, especially because Grant will be so close in age, but I did this stupid "Chinese" predictor thing on the internet and it said boy and I was kind of dissapointed. Maybe that's just because I want all of my nieces' clothes. Do I really want to deal with a girl and hair and hormones and all that crap? Hum... good thing it's not really up to me.

Our busy weekend

Next Monday is my "super birthday" where I turn the same age as the date. According to a family in our ward, on this particular birthday, the person gets to do WHATEVER they want to. I want to camp. I love it and we don't go often. However, our little monkey is not a great sleeper, and usually doesn't sleep well around us because he just wants to play. So, Friday night, we had a trial run. We set up the tent in the back yard and camped out there. We made it until 3am, when some crazy college students starting making a rukus. Nick says that we were crowding him too. It was good to know that Grant will sleep, and that we will be able to make it work, even if it's not the best night of sleep we'll get.

Saturday, we went on the boat. I love my husband for supporting me and my obsession with my childhood boat. We brought a family from our ward and spent the afternoon cruising around. The kids went on the tube and Nick skied (and did really well)! It was a little cooler than I thought it would be, but it was a great day and I'm really glad we went out there.

Saturday night, Nick packed up Grant and headed down to Bakersfield. Sunday, Grant, Nick, and his dad and brother went to Fabulous Fords at Knott's Berry Farm in LA. It was nice to have Saturday night off and a night of completely uninterrupted sleep, but I miss Grant and Nick and am anxiously waiting for them to get home (about 3 more hours).

What happens when you leave Dad alone with the baby at a BBQ place?

A BIG FAT MESS!! I went to the bathroom and came back to find my child had been helping himself to BBQ sauce while Daddy was having a conversation with his grandma. He'd caught Grant with it right before I got back, but not before the little cup of sauce was emptied all over Grant. He was pretty proud of himself. He even licked his lips, but the camera wasn't fast enough to catch that one. What a mess!

Downloaded pictures

So, I finally downloaded pictures from my diaper bag camera and was reminded of the fun thigns I've done in the past few months (I think since mid-February. Maybe things do actually happen in my life (it doesn't feel like it most of the time).

Visiting with Grandpa Ron in Bakersfield while we were there visiting Grandma in the hospital. She had meningitis, and it was nasty, but she's all better now. Thank goodness! Happy Valentine's day for us!

Visiting with great-Grandpa Joe in Roseville. It was a fun trip -- we played Wii with Great Grandma and Gramps. Grandma is better than me at the table tilt game on Wii-fit.

With Grant's new mobility, he ends up sleeping in the strangest positions. I think he's actually on his knees in this picture.

Grant's first time on a swing. He wasn't quite sure what to think about it-- he pretty much just hung out, no smiles, no cries.

Diet Inspiration

A quite frightening picture. This was taken 2/10, the day after I started my diet. I'd just gotten my make up done (just for fun), so I think I look scary because of that too, but most pictures of me recently have just reminded me how much weight I've put on. This one was no exception.

So, it's been about 8 weeks and I've lost about a pound a week, unofficially on weight watchers. It's a slow but I'm doing good sticking to it (at least until the doughnuts and brownies I had today). My ultimate goal will be a loss of 30-35 pounds. I wasn't going to tell anyone I was doing it, but maybe I'll stick to it better if people are asking how it's going... anything to make me be good.

My college roommate and I on move-in day, September, 2000. I think this is the picture I should glue to my fridge. I was so thin (and tan too!) I also loved this haircut. This is the goal.

Having Fun!

Grant's new favorite thing to do is stick his hands in his mouth while he is eating. It is so much fun! We have to hose him down when he's done. He just figured out how to feed himself cheerios, and I think he's trying to help with the cereal and mashed fruits and veggies too. This particular day, he also felt the need to rub his eyes. What a mess!

This is a super-cute bomber jacket that Grandma Karen gave Grant before he was born. We've been waiting to grow into it, but it's still huge. I don't think Grant felt like he could move much.

We've noticed that after a certain point, the more tired he his, the happier he gets. Most of the time, he is Mr. Serious, although he laughs often for Daddy.

Grant loves to play with Lily, well, at least her tail and her collar. If she doesn't like it, she'll either get up and move, or kiss him until he stops.

I was having fun yesterday taking pictures of Grant in the tub. He can be super crabby and then you put him in the bath and he forgets what he was whining for. We LOVE bath time.

This week's recipes

I tried two new recipes since the last post. I wasn't a huge fan of either one, but I may try them again with some modifications.

The first I made because our friends were coming over for dinner and she is a vegetarian. It was totally different than anything I'd made before, but good for what it was.

Easy Mashed Potato and Vegetable Enchiladas (thanks allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
8 ounces whole button mushrooms (I used bell pepper instead)
3 small zucchini, chopped
2 cups chopped carrots
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 (7.6 ounce) package instant mashed potato flakes (I used potato pearls)
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
3 cups enchilada sauce
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Roast vegetables in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes; stir halfway through their cooking time. When finished cooking, remove from the oven, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring water, milk, and butter to a boil in a large pot. Remove the pot from heat, and mix in the mashed potato flakes. Let stand two minutes, then stir the mashed potatoes with a fork until they are smooth. Stir in roasted vegetables.
In a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat, quickly heat each tortilla on both sides to make pliable. Dip the tortillas in enchilada sauce. Put a large spoonful (approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup) of potato-veggie mixture into the center of each tortilla. Top mixture with about 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese, and roll tortillas. Place seam-side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour extra sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are heated through.

Recipe #2: Lemon Rosemary chicken with vegetables (Thanks Sara) -- I liked the flavor of the chicken but not the lemony potatoes.

Boil 1 lb of red potatoes and 1/2 pound carrots for 5 minutes.
Fry 4 chicken breast filets in 1 TB of oil for 5 minutes/side.
Add veggies to pan and add: 1/4 c lemon juice, 2 TB fresh rosemary, 1 TB honey, 1/4 t pepper, 1/2 t lemon zest, and cook for 5 more minutes.