MOPS!




My devoted blog readers will remember my disastrous MOPS experience last year (where I was literally left standing in the corner with no one talking to me!) Well, I've decided to give another MOPS group a chance after hearing good things about it. I already received a really nice note from the director of tomorrow's group, so hopefully that means this group will be better!! I think Grant will love playing in their childcare program at least! :) I'll let you know how it goes!

Team Pink!




Well, even though we found that the baby is a girl awhile ago, yesterday was my "big" ultrasound at 20 weeks where people *usually* find out the gender. (ya know, non-hyperemesis, non-contracting, non-pulmonary-embolism people ).

So, I thought it'd be fun to track back to the post when we found out Grant was going to be a boy:

http://journey2guat.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

I was going to have the ultrasound tech take a picture of us yesterday, but I forgot the camera! bummer!

Anyway - it feels so "complete" knowing we'll have one boy and one girl. I cannot explain how much Matt and I are praying for the next 4 months to be so uneventful and smooth and lead to a healthy baby girl in late May!

Making Cookies!




Grant and I made cookies for the first time together yesterday. He LOVED it. After he figured out how to dump stuff into the bowl, he was SO into it! And, he was just mesmerized by the KitchenAid mixer - he kept saying "wow...wow".

And, he also figured out fast what the best part of making cookies is! Look at his little finger:



(the quality's low because it was my phone)

"New Woman"




Yesterday at our appointment the hematologist walked in the room, said hi, and said "wow, you look like a new woman!" I think that was just code for "wow, you looked really BAD last week in the hospital!"

25 Random Things About Me




So, I posted this on Facebook, but for those of you not on there, I thought I'd post it here, too. It's just 25 Random things about me, that you might or might not have wanted to know. ;)


1. I LOVE to be organized. Even though my house doesn't always reflect it, something just seems better in the world when I'm organized. I LOVE the Container Store - I could get so excited about closet systems and pantry dividers!

2. On the same note, I hate clutter. I try to remove it as much as possible, as fast as possible. Whatever the opposite of a pack-rat is, I am.

3. I de-stress by getting out of the house by myself (with or with out Grant), and shopping. I don't have to buy anything - there's just something about walking around the mall and even just browsing that makes me feel calmer, less-stressed, and more at peace. That's got to be weird, I know, but it's true. I feel much more sane after being out of the house for a couple of hours. Grant and I have this whole routine for each mall that we go to - I know what food kiosks to stop at for a snack and Diet Coke - the kiosks are about half-way through the mall so on my return lap I can get a free refill. :D

4. I love Pottery Barn. Love, love, love it. I love to dream through their catalogs. However, I have a Target budget. ;) So, I try to re-create their looks for less - and, Target usually has pretty good Pottery Barn knock-offs!

5. I enjoy trying to decorate my house. My current project is the mantel that Matt just built for me. I love the mantle, but now have to get stuff on it!

6. When I'm not pregnant, I really love Starbucks. When I am pregnant, just the thought of coffee makes my stomach ick.

7. This is the last pregnancy for us. No questions asked.

8. I love to run. I never, ever thought I'd enjoy running, but once I started, I found I really, really like it. And, I love the way it makes my legs look! ;-)

9. I think part of the reason I like to run is I like the cute exercise clothes. :)

10. I love pasta and could eat it almost every day.

11. I think Weight Watchers is the greatest "diet" program ever invented. I lost 88 pounds (shocking, I know!) of pregnancy weight while following WW online after I had Grant. (It was bout 70 pounds of pregnancy weight and 15ish more pounds that I should've lost before him! ;-)) I'm already looking forward to doing WW and running again after I have this baby - being in control of my food and exercise just made me feel so healthy.

12. On that note, the pulmonologist said that being in such great shape before this pregnancy probably really helped my lungs process this clot. So, that I'm thankful for! All the more reason to exercise.

13. I have a special shampoo that I use just after running- almost like my reward for running. It's Aveda's Rosemary Mint Shampoo, and it just smells heavenly. It's way too expensive, though, for daily use, so 3-4x/week after running is my treat. :)

14. I started going seriously gray this past year and had to start coloring my hair regularly.

15. Hair is very important to me. I can't tell you the amount of tears I've cried over my hair! Fortunately I've learned what cuts do and don't work, and that my husband is usually my best hair-cutter!

16. This past year has probably been one of the hardest of my life. Losing baby Josie at 11 weeks last spring, dealing with hyperemesis this past fall and now this lung clot...I'm so, so ready for life and health to be back to "normal", whatever that is!

17. Although I currently love being a stay-at-home-wife-and-mom, I really, really miss teaching. I miss the creativity involved in lesson planning, and I miss just being in front of the classroom, interacting with my students. I definitely hope to go back to part-time teaching when our kids are in school. My heart will miss the classroom until then, I think.

18. I will always have a special place in my heart for the city of Dallas and our time there. Although we had our difficulties, we met some of our best friends in the world and just have such wonderful memories of them and Dallas. I miss Chuy's, the best Mexican restaurant ever! Our "Dallas" friends are now pretty much spread through out the US, and I miss them!

19. I really, really like to paint. I LOVE looking at paint samples!

20. I love fall and winter. Fall is probably my favorite, but I actually enjoy the cold and snow, too! I

21. I love to cook but hate to bake.

22. I love to get my toenails done.

23. It's slightly embarrassing to admit, but I like reality TV. I also like the Unit, 24, Grey's Anatomy, and Lipstick Jungle.

24. I think Bobbi Brown make-up is the best ever!

25. My husband needs a medal of honor, or something even higher, for all he's done for me the past year. For 2 months this past fall I was on the couch either throwing up or feeling like I was going to die, and he selflessly took care of me, Grant, the house and everything else. His commitment through "in sickness and health" has been put to the test way more than a couple married 6 1/2 years should be, and I love him so much.

Only 2 more notches!




I have only 2 more "levels" to drop down to until we can possibly turn my Zofran pump off! We just turned it down to 20mg/day, and Friday if I still feel okay (fingers crossed!), we'll drop it to 16mg/day. Then, once I get to 12mg/day and still feel okay, we can turn the pump off! Then, ideally, I'll still feel okay with the pump off and then we can get the PICC line out!!!

Now, I have been SO thankful for the picc line because it's given me some sense of normalcy, but I'm SOO ready to have it OUT! To be able to shower with out covering my arm, to be able to sleep with out tubes coming out of me - I'm so ready!!! So, hopefully soon!!!

Tuesday Morning




It's a chilly Tuesday morning, and Grant and I are snuggled on the couch, sharing a cinnamon-raisin bagel. (He especially likes the raisin bits!) Grant woke up this morning singing "e-i-e-i-e", his version of Old Macdonald.

Matt's the Best!




So, I'm nauseas again today, for the first time in awhile. But, Matt's just the absolute best, once again!

The only thing that sounded good to me was cornbread - so, he made it for me! From scratch! and, it's soooooo good!

What a great husband!

And, here's the recipe, if any one is interested! It's easy, and just sooo much better than the boxed mix.

Golden Corn Bread


* 1 cup yellow Corn Meal
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil



1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In large bowl, combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Add milk, egg and oil. Beat until fairly smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Bake in greased or sprayed 8-inch square baking pan 20 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Christmas Quiche






Here's the quiche recipe we ate on Christmas morning. It's terrific! And, at least we're getting some sort of veggie in! :)


Spinach-Bacon Quiche


4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell


1. Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, beat eggs; whisk in milk, 1 cup cheese,
onion, bacon, salt, mustard and paprika.
2. Add spinach.
3. Pour into pie shell.
4. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40-50minutes or until a knife inserted halfway
between the center and the edge comes out clean.

Merry Christmas!




---





This gift is too hard to open, Mom!





I'll really try to get it!




Yay, I'm getting close!



Dad will help me learn how to play the recorder!



Merry Christmas to all!

She's a GIRL!




I am still processing the fact that this little baby is a GIRL! After buying boy stuff for over 2 years, it's hard to wrap my mind around PINK!

Here's a picture that she's going to love when she's 15. lol!



And a profile picture - I think she's cute already!

Happy Thanksgiving!




After a restful trip to my parent's house, we're glad to be back home! One major thing that I'm thankful for is that I'm now in the 2nd trimester, which means I've survived 14 weeks of pregnancy! Well, I should say that WE - Matt, Grant, and my family - have survived 14 weeks of pregnancy! Hopefully only a few more weeks until this hyperemesis fades away...

Hope your Thanksgiving was full of good food and good family!

Hamburgers! Tacos! Steak!




So, after being semi-vegetarian for almost 6 months, the baby has decided that it needs BEEF! After we left the hospital Monday night and I felt SO GOOD after all the meds I had in me, we decided to order take-out. Well, the only thing that sounded good was Texas Roadhouse! So, though I cringed when I ordered my steak, let me tell you how GOOD it was! My goodness that steak was excellent! I still feel badly for that poor cow, but what can you do when the baby wants beef?

9w6d pregnant...




...and still sick! Hence the lack of blogging. I *think* we're closer to figuring out a protocol that will help, so hopefully soon I can function again!

9 weeks pregnant and...




Photobucket

Gobble, gobble, gobble!




Nope, not a turkey post - "gobble" is the word Grant calls his vitamins!

If he sees his vitamins on the counter, he'll start saying "gobble gobble gobble" and pointing at them!

Sparkly Helmets!




I'm sure it's because my brain cells are slowly atrophying after weeks of barfing my brains out, but I think that Ohio State's helmets are so neat! They're silver, and they SPARKLE! How cool is that? Matt is not so impressed with my fascination!

I support Animal Rights!




Yes on Prop 2


Preposition Confusion!




Sweet Grant is gaining more words almost daily, which I just love, but he's getting his prepositions a tad confused. It's so cute, though! He says "down" for up - as in, he'll stand by me, holding his arms up, saying "down, down". :) I'll say "you mean UP" and he'll grin at me like "oh, yeah, UP!". When he awakes in the morning I'll hear "momma! off! off! momma!!" I'll go into his room and say "do you mean DOWN?" and he'll grin and say "down". :) He says "out" for "down" and "up" for "out". :) He'll get it one of these days!! We can figure it at least. :) I just love hearing him talk!!

Date Night!




Popcorn, caffeine-free Diet Coke, sweats, and a good movie with a great husband! Couldn't ask for a better Saturday night!