Wordless Wednesday: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year... when these are back on the shelves!

Preggers Post: Week 16

Good morning everyone!  Hope wherever you are you are staying nice and dry!  It's been raining here for a couple of days now, and it starts to play with your mood after a while.  :)

We're on Week 16 people!  What's so funny is that before you enter into this whole Pregnancy World, when you ask someone who is expecting how far along they are and they tell you their "Week", I'd give a blank stare.  Now that we're fully inundated with it, I get it.  Every week something really cool happens with Baby's development.  But, for everyone else's sake, I'm 4 months now.  (Insert excited squeal here.)

Baby Smith

This week, Baby Smith grows to the size of an avocado.  Also, the ear bones are in place this week, meaning Baby Smith can hear me talk, sing in the car, sing in the shower, sing while cooking, etc. Which leads me to stronger facial expressions by Baby Smith this week, that are probably along the lines of grimacing at the sound of my singing voice.  :)

Also, Baby Smith's backbone is stronger, letting him/her work on straightening its head.  Eyebrows and eyelashes are also in place this week.  

Momma Smith

Have had some serious food cravings over the past week.  Ranging from Sister's Buffalo Chicken Dip (which I made last night), to Mexican food, to Krystal's hamburgers.  Who knew? 

Still missing a full night's sleep, as I am still visiting the bathroom twice a night.  Also am getting pretty sick (literally and figuratively) of getting sick with the morning teeth brushing.  Gross. 

Started this last night, as a precaution.  I'll give a full review, say May 2011. 

Thinking I'm on the last week of fitting into current work pants; however, cannot wear maternity pants.  Suggestions? 

In Other News

Mr. Smith and I went nursery furniture shopping on Saturday and picked out a set we really liked!  The set I had originally picked out had already been sold, but Mr. Smith managed to find another one at the Showroom.  Only double what I had originally budgeted.  Did I mention he has expensive taste?  Only the best for Baby Smith, per Daddy Smith. 

I've also picked out my crib bedding, one for a girl and one for a boy.  I may or may not have already ordered the girl crib bedding, as it was on Sale with the Target Baby Sale.  It's the only one I've liked, okay people?  If Baby Smith is a boy, I'll just take it back. 

Speaking of Gender Revelation... we find out in less than 2 weeks!  Are you as excited as I am? 

We visited another "early learning center" last week.  Our goal is to still have one selected by year's end, so fingers crossed. 

(Note: if you are in college and wanting to make lots of money with your future career path, open an "early learning center," call it something prestigious, and watch the moola roll in.) 

Life is Precious.

Pardon this post while I get something off my mind....  in the past few weeks I've had two people I know die unexpectedly in car accidents.  Although they didn't know each other, they both shared a commonality - both were taken much too quickly from us.  And while I hadn't spoken to either in a while, both's accidents stopped me in my tracks to say, "Why?" 

I know death is hard for anyone, at any age.  It tears someone away from us, no matter if we're ready or not.  And while we can take comfort knowing where that person's soul is and that we'll see them again one day, it is still the void of silence that we must deal with until then that makes the journey to reunification so much harder. 

It just always seems particularly harder when it is someone so young, so full of life, and who you just knew was going to make such a positive difference in this world.

Life.  Is.  Precious.

And as we sometimes get consumed in the day-to-day "To Do" lists, the seemingly never-ending chores around the house, or disgruntled by the little unexpected things like purchasing new dishwashers (ahem, I'm talking to myself here, more than anyone else), it is important to take a pause, give thanks, and realize just how blessed we are.  Because life is precious, and you never know when someone you cherish will be ripped from your comfort zone of life. 

As we enter into this season of Thanksgiving, I'm challenging myself to not only "give thanks" but to truly take the time to be thankful.  I heard someone say not to long ago that she silences the radio on the way to work, and just meditates and prays on the many blessings in her life.  Today was Day 1 of this little task for me, and it was amazing how many things came flooding in as I just drove in silence. 

Life.  Is.  Precious. 

Italian Ravioli Stew

Mr. Smith and I tried this Italian Ravioli Stew last weekend from Pillsbury.

You'll Need:

4 medium carrots, sliced (approx. 2 cups)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes with Italian-style herbs, undrained

2 cans chicken broth

1 can cannellini beans, drained

2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1 package (9 oz) refrigerated Italian sausage or cheese-filled ravioli (We used the cheese-filled.)

Hopefully you'll have a helper like I did... 

Dump everything in your crock pot, except the ravioli noodles. 

It says cook on Low for about 6 hours, but I would give it another hour, as our veggies weren't quite tender after 6 hours. 

Increase heat setting to High.  Stir in Ravioli.  Cover and cook about 10 minutes or until Ravioli are tender. 



Guess what...

... Sister's joined the blogging world!  If you need some new reading material, head on over to Weekdays with the Whitfield's.

P.S.  Sister is really my Sister-in-Law, but we're close enough to be real sisters, hence the dropping of the "in-Law" portion of her title. 

P.P.S.  I think she's really cute and sassy, don't you?

Preggers Post: Week 15

Baby Smith

Baby Smith grows to the size of an apple this week. 

You'd think you could feel an apple moving around inside of you, but nope.  Nothing.  However, sometimes when I lay on my side, I do feel a pressure like something's slid down that way and pressing on that side's organs.  Not uncomfortable, just weird.

Baby Smith can also move all of his/her joints, can sense light, and is forming taste buds this week. 

Momma Smith

Sinuses = Major Inconvenience.  We're still trying to take the "No Medicine Route" but that Approved Medicine List is looking better and better.  Direct from BabyCenter.com: If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose.  Awesome.  I hope my co-workers won't mind if I sit here with two tissues stuffed up my nose.  I hear that's really professional.

By now I'm suppose to have gained 5 pounds.  This is a bold-faced lie, as I am 10 pounds heavier and can no longer fit into all but two of my work pants.  However, over the past couple of weeks I've hit a plateau with belly growth.  I hear this is normal, but once I hit the 20-week mark, all bets are off. 

This 20-week mark is supposedly a Big Deal.  Major belly growth, gender knowledge, and feeling the baby kick are all right around this time. 

I have now had my first "Hormonal Rage" experience of this pregnancy, and it happened at the Wal-Mart on Lakeshore last night.  Look, I get it.  It's Wal-Mart and you kind of "assume the risk" of shopping there, but I can also do our weekly grocery shopping for less than $100/week there, so it's a trade-off. 

Until last night.

When I snapped.

Two fella's that worked there were just standing in the aisle - one of the main ones, might I add - openly and inappropriately checking out the female customers.  And making inappropriate comments that were loud enough to overhear.  And I know this because I had to walk past them twice. 

And on the second time past, one fella was just hanging out in the middle of the aisle, where I had to say "Um, excuse me please" just to get by. 

Look, I just want to get in and get out with my checked off list of weekly grocery items.  Not have to hear Wal-Mart's version of the Roxbury Guys - a cruder version, that is. 

This citizen called the Store Manager.  It's not something I'm proud of.  I never do that kind of thing, but I was taking a stand.

A stand for all women who just want to get their weekly grocery shopping done and home to fix dinner on a Monday evening.

I kind of think the Store Manager got a kick out of my dramatic interpretation.  We were fast friends, and he promised to address the issue.  And I believe him, because that's what friends do. 

Don't judge me. 

Day Care Update

I now know the feeling of "Absolutely not." for a particular day care.  I won't name any names, but when you've got a feeling, girlfirend's got a feeling.  I think maybe my first day care visit just spoiled me!  We're hoping to have reserved and paid for "our spot" for next Summer by the end of this year. 

In Other News

Mr. Smith and I may have picked out our nursery furniture, and might be sauntering down this Saturday morning to check it out.  It's on Sale (Really?  Are you surprised by this with me?) and within my budget for nursery furniture, unless we get hit by something unexpectedly with its purchase.

Speaking of unexpectedly, our dishwasher started leaking last night. 

I mean, when it rains, it pours, doesn't it? 



Bragging Rights...

... please pardon me as I brag on my hubs, Mr. Smith, who went above and beyond this weekend to help his wife around the house.  Whilst I was busy attending a baby shower Saturday morning for a sweet friend from graduate school, I returned home to find clothes folded, air filter changed, litterbox emptied, bedrooms vacuumed, and kitchen cleaned.  Mr. Smith also cooked some corn dip for the football funeral viewing party we later attended at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wise.

On Sunday, I was not feeling so hot.  At all.  Dang you sinus problems!  I laid up (or was I stove up?  That's for you, Suz!) all day - literally all day - in the bed with some self-prescribed bed rest.  At various points of the day I held a cold washcloth on my little nose, who was so sick of the sinus problems it decided to have some awesome nosebleeds.  During this time, Mr. Smith made a quick run to Home Depot, worked outside securing the fence for Coop Dawg, ordered us some dinner, and then helped me put clean sheets on the bed (since I had been a sloth on them all day and I just knew they were germy). 

Now, it's Monday and it's back to business as usual.  Grocery store run, weekly dinner menu to organize, and Christmas shopping (which I've already knocked out pretty much... once I get on a roll I can be done within 1-2 hours online - I'm a tag it, bag it, and bring it home kind of girl).

How was your weekend?  I have a new recipe to share - Italian Ravioli Stew - later on!