Celebrations!

Well, it is almost September. How did that happen?? The last week of August is always fun around here since my birthday is on the 25th and our wedding anniversary is on the 28th. Since hubby had to work on our anniversary, we celebrated the week before by going to the monthly ‘Latin Nights’ event at Maestro’s in the Straz Center here in Tampa. It was a lot of fun but also really showed us how out of practice and out of SHAPE we both were. We also went to the same restaurant where we had our first date after moving to Tampa – the one downside was ordering the dish that I adored last time but having an aversion to the sauce this time around. It tasted burnt and the thought did cross my mind to send it back but I had Jesse try it and he said it tasted good so… pregnancy strikes again lol.

 live band and dance floor

For my birthday, we got to go to a MN Twins game! I really did try to like the Rays once we moved here, guys, I really did. But when the stadium is a little over an hour away and the whole thing costs close to $50 to go for one game, you tend to only go when you really want to…and I only really want to when the Twins are here lol. I also love that we actually get to see the games on TV when they play against the Rays so it’s always a three evening event and this time I totally got Andrew saying “Home Run” and clapping when the Twins did something good. He clapped for the Rays a few times too but he’s still learning ; )

After the Twins won the game!

We had meant to go to this Chinese buffet place that we’ve heard good things about but decided instead to use birthday freebies. So on my birthday, we went shopping at Old Navy with a birthday coupon, got a free brunch at Denny’s, a free blizzard and even have another freebie or two lined up! All in all, it was a really fun day.

AND to top it all off, last weekend, Andrew was invited to his first birthday party! Jesse's co-worker's son turned three and celebrated at Chuck E Cheese, so we went out to join in the fun - Andrew didn't really get much of a chance to interact with the other kids but did have a tiny little girl scoot up close to him at the table, had his finger held by a little baby girl, and rode in a truck ride with another little boy - hilarious by the way as he kept clinging to the dashboard and sitting down on the floor. Obviously a bit freaked out but was still smiling and having a good time. He won a bunch of tickets, played a bunch of games - even operated a bumper car! It was a lot of fun!

playing a game with daddy!

Well, here’s to 27! Someone, somewhere, please have a glass of Moscato for me! ;)

<3

Noodle and Sausage Skillet meal!

This is one of my favorite meals to make. It’s yummy, it’s a bit of a comfort food and it’s easy to make – not to mention it has veggies which is always a plus ;)

You will need:
• Smoked Sausage (I use Polska Kielbasa)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups (one package) of frozen broccoli/ cauliflower/ carrot mix – we use the ones in cheese sauce
• About 2 cups uncooked Rotoni – we use the veggie noodles by Barilla
• 1 can cream of chicken soup, condensed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¾ cup water
• Marjoram
• Black Pepper
- We also use seasoned salt, salt, oregano, garlic and a bit of paprika to season it.

You’ll want to sauté the onions and sausage (cut into small disks) in butter or oil until the onions are soft, then add everything else to it. You bring the whole mixture to a boil and then take it down to simmer with a lid on and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are cooked. Then enjoy! It’s so delicious! Hope you enjoy! And happy weekend!

<3

15 weeks and counting...

How far along?  15 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss:  Last appointment was negative 3 lbs

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. I've embraced them. Living in maternity leggings, yoga pants and shorts lately haha

Sleep: Good, but I have a hard time going to sleep. Once I'm out, I'm good. But always seem to wake up tired.

Best moment this week:  Date night with hubby for my birthday and seeing the Twins win! :)

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Lunch meat and hard cider.

Movement:  Again, I'm fairly certain that I'm feeling little pokes and movement but not 100% sure.

Food cravings: Fried pickles. Or really just pickles in general. Fruity things, and dairy.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Smells.

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes.

Gender prediction: I'm thinking boy, Jesse thinks girl

Belly Button in or out?  In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy.

Looking forward to: Going to see an OB again lol and also our ultrasound in October.

14 weeks

I mixed this up LOL 15 weeks is the size of an orange - 14 weeks is the size of a LEMON (just turned 15 weeks so I've got oranges on my brain apparently)

How far along?  14 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Negative 3 lbs last time I checked

Maternity clothes? Broke out those maternity leggings. The (last clean) pair of yoga pants I had put on one day were really uncomfortable because the waistband is tighter so I took the plunge and have worn them almost every day at home since haha

Sleep: Good, though as always if Jesse works overnight I have a terrible time getting to sleep. Definitely considering buying a pregnancy pillow this go around though.

Best moment this week:  Having a date night with hubby and remembering how comfy belly bands make my jeans haha

Have you told family and friends: Yes.

Miss Anything?  I woke up drooling over the thought of a turkey sandwich the other day. I don't care what you say, cooking the meat first is not the same.

Movement:  I'm pretty sure I'm feeling little pokes and flutters in there - usually right around when I'm settling down for the night.

Food cravings: Fried Pickles. OMG they're soooo good! And anything fruity.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smells of our washer, dishwasher and sinks.

Have you started to show yet: Yes

Gender prediction: I'm team boy, Jesse is team girl

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. I'm definitely feeling more energy which is really great too

Looking forward to: Finally getting in to see my new OB

Baby brother or sister is the size of a LEMON this week! :)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Since anything chocolate sounds delicious lately, here’s this yummy recipe from allrecipes.com. I haven’t tried it yet but banana bread and chocolate? What’s not to love???

• 2 cups flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 T milk
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, preferably glass.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir bananas, milk, and cinnamon in another bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a third bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs to butter mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir banana mixture into butter mixture. Stir in dry mixture until blended. Fold in chocolate chips until just combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

13 weeks!

Hey everybody! I forgot to take a picture last week so this week you just get the survey - next week I'll have a picture as well :)

How far along?  13 weeks

Total weight gain/loss:  Negative 3 pounds

Maternity clothes? None yet though I'd be lying if I said I'm not horribly tempting to dig out my maternity leggings. They are soooo comfy!

Sleep: Good when I get it but almost always wake up still tired.

Best moment this week:  Honestly, just hearing Andrew say more words/ put more sentences together. He's learning so fast!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Lunch meat, sushi, hard cider....

Movement:  I *think* I'm feeling little flutters here and there. They are rare and very small though

Food cravings: See *Miss Anything* haha. Otherwise, chocolate and anything cheesy is always good. I've also had way more milk so far this pregnancy than I think I had during my entire first pregnancy. I'm usually not a fan.

Anything making you queasy or sick: The smell of the dishwasher and faucets.

Have you started to show yet: Yes. Mainly looks like I'm just extra pudgy though haha

Gender prediction: I'm team boy, Jesse is team girl

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired.

Looking forward to: Hearing the heartbeat, changing OBs and learning the gender!

Finding the right OB

....When I first heard people talking about finding the 'right' OB, I always kind of shrugged and thought is it really that big of a deal? I saw one OB back in Minnesota with my first pregnancy and then after moving, was rotating between three doctors. The one I saw the most I was more comfortable with, but of course she was not available for delivering. And, I mean, when you're dealing with contractions and panicking and all that jazz, the thought of who was going to show up couldn't have been farther from my mind.

Now fast forward 2 1/2 years. The place I went when I was pregnant had closed, and my insurance had changed, so I ended up at a clinic near where we lived. I knew from the get-go that it was an odd place, but it wasn't until I started doing prenatal care there that I realized how much the place sucked.

The wait is always long, the nurses never know why you are there, they lay their equipment right on the counter, not on even a paper towel or anything (I made sure it was never a needle or anything). They also are terribly disorganized. One time I had to turn in a 24 hour urine collection and not only did they not know whose it was because they forgot to write my name on it, but they also almost forgot to take my blood and had to stop me and do it just before I left. 

Then they labeled me 'high risk' which I thought might have been because of my miscarriage but after I asked, the doctor said they have me labeled as a diabetic and that I'm still using alcohol. Did she remove either of those things after I firmly told her 'NO, those do not apply to me'? Nope. And then they lost my urine test results. Also, I have had three Ultrasounds and recently got a bill in the mail. Apparently my insurance does not cover those yet I was never made aware.

I have never been able to obtain the actual office's phone number, only the main office's. Their answering service is 100% useless and after some research, they have terrible reviews. Apparently just a month ago now a woman who was experiencing a miscarriage went in and they refused to treat her until she agreed to do all of her further care at that office. They agreed, but never went back.

Anyhoo, I did find a new place that looks better and just talking to the OB nurse makes me feel much better, but I have to be approved before I can go there. So now I am playing the waiting game. Fingers crossed I am approved and can get in there soon!

Long story short? I totally get the statement now that you need to find an OB you are comfortable with, and I couldn't agree more. :)

TTFN <3

Classic Shirley Temple

Since just thinking about booze of any sort makes me drool over the thought of a hard cider, I'm forgoing a Friday cocktail recipe for a sort of mock-tail. I had these as a kid, as an adult... they are always delicious.

*I copied this directly from USA Today, in an article by Ashley M. Williams.


"It is said that in the late 1930s, a bartender at Chasen's in Beverly Hills invented the cocktail. The bartender made the drink for the young actress during the pinnacle point of her fame.

The sweet concoction would later become a fun drink asked for by kids and adults alike.

The Shirley Temple recipe

Ingredients:

3 ounces lemon-lime soda

3 ounces ginger ale

Dash grenadine

Maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour lemon-lime soda and ginger ale into a glass with ice cubes. Then, add a dash of grenadine. Finally, stir your refreshing drink and top it off with a cherry."


Enjoy! And cheers to the weekend! Here's a photo of the young lady herself (in the 1930s):

P.s. Did you know there's a movie about her life? I've seen it, oh about a hundred times - and love it. Here's a link. TTFN <3

"Lazy Parenting"

Anybody else immediately panic when you read that kind of a title and wonder if you're going to read on and discover you're the worst parent ever? No? Just me? Okay.

Those were my thoughts when I saw this article on Facebook the other day.

And I feel so much better about life now. It's hard to not feel self-conscious about your parenting skills when you see those perfect Pinterest moms making their own play-doh every day and doing all these activities and stuff.... my kid is an independent soul. I try to play with him but once he's done, he leaves. And it's EXACTLY like I was as a kid. I just wanted to play on my own. I wasn't opposed to playing with others but when I wanted to do something else, I did. 

Andrew plays with his trains and trucks and books and blocks all day long. And while he runs up to me from time to time to show me something or 'talk' or have a cuddle (which I gladly indulge in), he ultimately leaves after a few moments to go do his own thing. It can make me feel like a bad mom but he's a happy, confident little boy. He's growing up to be very strong willed and independent and I kind of love it. So as long as he is happy, we will continue what we are doing :)

Just for giggles ;)

Date Night!

We kind of made a spur-of-the-moment decision and made arrangements for a date night this past Friday. Jesse has been working so much and I've been on toddler duty 24/7 almost entirely on my own and we both really needed a break.

SO, he called me from work one night and asked if I wanted to go see Dave Coulier / Joey from Full House do a comedy show at Improv - well, that's a no-brainer, right? ;) And since we are then right across from the movie theater, we decided to catch the last showing of "The Gift".

We dropped munchkin off at Granny's, and headed off. Improv was a blast! We ate fried pickles, laughed a bunch, and even got a picture with Dave!

Afterwards, we had to BOOK IT to the Theater across the street, grabbed a drink, and made it just in time for the movie. Jesse says it kind of fizzled at the end (and I do agree) but I thought it was pretty good. And the guy who played Gordo did an amazing job - so creepy! :)

Afterwards we went home to play video games, slept in and cleaned a bunch. Andrew stayed at Granny's longer than we had planned but it was so great getting him back. I missed that munchkin!!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! TTFN <3

TTC and pregnancy so far

So for those of you that don't know, I miscarried last year - blog post here. It was really hard on us both but after a few months we were both wanting to continue trying.

In January I started birth control again and it made me so irregular, I basically just spotted for two months. It made trying to keep track of everything a nightmare. Finally in March, we decided to stop and see what happens. Again, I was really irregular for the next two months and then in May, after a few bouts of some nausea and sore boobs, I got a few positive tests. 

We made an appointment as soon as we could, and while they couldn't see anything on an ultrasound yet, they were able to confirm the pregnancy. A week later, we got to see what the tech referred to as a "tic-tac" and got to see it's tiny heartbeat. It was such a relief to see, and each appointment I go to/ each week that passes calms me a little more. There's definitely a lot more anxiety in this pregnancy than my first, but I'm trying to stay calm and take it easy.

As for pregnancy itself, it's been rough. My boobs are out of control, I'm lazy beyond all belief, exhausted 24/7 and the nausea is extreme. I'm holding my record of not throwing up while pregnant but it's come close many times, haha. I've definitely kept peppermints and ginger ale in stock and have found that eating snacks throughout the day and eating smaller meals really does help.

Also, I have a super nose. Hubby has been made the official dish washer and gross diaper cleaner. If I even get near the sink or dishwasher I pick up on something... like a weird mildew type of smell and it makes me want to hurl. It makes it quite difficult to do things like diaper laundry and gathering the trash as well. Ah, the joys of pregnancy ;)

We told our parents early on, and got on as many prayer chains as we could, told our friends in late July and then made it public. I had wanted to wait longer, but hubby was pretty unhappy about that. And one day I realized I could probably come up with excuses to keep it a secret the whole time. I'm sure I'm going to be much more anxious and aware this time around, even once the baby is here.

Andrew, however, seems to be doing very well. He is giving us hugs and kisses all the time, talking up a storm, and other than a few tantrums here and there, being very helpful. He tucks in his toys and gives them kisses. Also after reading a new baby book I asked him if he wanted to be a big brother and he got a huge smile and said yes.

Anyways, that's about all that's going on for now. I'm not in any maternity wear but my jeans are a bit snug. Not feeling any movement yet, but I'm looking forward to it! Right now there's just some stretching pains, usually in the evenings towards the beginning of a new week (week 11, week 12, etc). Cravings have been spicy food, onion bagels, and milk. Aversions so far are just eggs.

Planning on starting weekly updates any day now so stay tuned :)

TTFN <3

Wee Baby Schmitt #2

Estimated arrival: Valentine's Day, 2016 <3