Oh Twelve!

This past Thursday was a big day for us, we hit our 12 week mark. It truly seemed like we would never get past that important mark. I have a tiny bit left in my first trimester, but hitting week 12 is always a great sign! CP is not kickin' my tail quite as badly these days, and I feel like my energy may SLOWLY be making an appearance again. I'm sure my husband will be THRILLED to have his wife back. I want to document some things so I'll be sure to remember the good, the bad, and the ugly.

CP- Even though you are still pretty tiny, you have DEFINTELY made your presence known! Over the past 12 weeks, I would have "kung fu-ed" someone if they stood between me and;
Chick Fil A Chikin' Minis
Avocados
Oranges
Apples
Limes with salt on them
Meat/Chicken (it kept my nausea from raging out of control)
Chick Fil A Diet Lemonade
Strawberries
Pasta
Salsa
and of course, cookies, candies, and all those things that are bad for you (Smarties saved my life a few times)!

Things I've wanted to stay away from:
eggs (that is changing these days, thank goodness)
cooking/baking (also changing)
perfume/cologne
toothpaste ---I suck this up because the alternative is bad too
fried foods
and many other things that hit when I catch a whiff of them



While I've been living by a crazy eating and sleeping schedule, you have been growing away.

10 Weeks:
-Each minute your brain produced approximately 250,000 neurons!
-Your brain is now able to make your muscles move on purpose
-Your fingers and toes are lengthening (piano hands???) and are separate digits
-Your external ear if fully developed by now (that way you can hear me sing show tunes on road trips)!
-If you are a boy, you started to produce testosterone this week

11 Weeks:
-You have all your major organ systems and would (medically) no longer be considered an embryo, the Drs. consider you a fetus. We don't operate under that mentality though.
-You've grown to a whopping 2 inches long
-You can yawn and suck
-Your eyelids have fully formed and sealed to protect your eyes
-Your intestines are developing and your kidneys begin to produce urine

12 Weeks:
-By now you are measuring in at 2.5 inches
-Fingernails are growing
-Your skeletal system now has centers of bone formation in most of your bones
-If we could take a peek at you, we would likely be able to see if you are a girl or boy
-The digestive system is capable of producing contractions that push food through the bowels and is able to absorb sugar (I had a lot today, I made cupcakes)
-Your pituitary gland is starting to make hormones.
-The nervous system has further developed
-Apparently you are moving around in there, but I can't feel it yet
-Stimulating you in certain parts may cause you to squint, open your mouth, and move your fingers or toes

After I started getting sick on the bus, I decided to start driving myself to work. It has been an adventure and a blessing. My morning commute has proven to be a time of prayer over you and busting to some jams with you. I may keep driving every day (even though I think I could handle the bus again) just to have this time with you. Just about every morning, this song comes on the radio. If I heard the song at any other time in my life, I probably wouldn't be too crazy about it, but the words reflect the prayers we pray for you

Three in the morning,

And I'm still awake,

So I picked up a pen and a page

And I started writing

Just what I'd say

If we were face to face,

I'd tell you just what you mean to me,

I'd tell you these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord and,

Never give up hope,

You're going to do great things

I already know,

God's got His hand on you so,

Don't live life in fear,

Forgive and forget

But don't forget why you're here

Take your time and pray,

These are the words I would say......

Keep growing little one! We love you!

Also, as I'm watching the Olympics, I must tell you, that spandex is not for everyone. In fact, I believe it is really for no one....

Cheap, Easy, and Light Berry Cobbler

I was in the mood for dessert tonight (ok, I'm always in the mood for dessert), but I actually felt like baking something! So, I embraced it and tried to look for a recipe where I could use some frozen strawberries I had defrosted. Here is what I came up with:

Cast of Characters:
2 Cups of blackberries (HEB had them on sale, so I used fresh)
2 Cups of Strawberries (I used thawed frozen ones)
1/4 tsp table salt
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
1/4 Cups Sugar
2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Buttermilk


Preheat oven to 400. In a shallow, 2 qt. baking dish, stir together berries, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, and 1/4 cups of sugar. Bake until hot, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping: In a bowl, mix together 2/3 c. of flour, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Stir in buttermilk to form a sticky dough.

Remove fruit from oven. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto fruit to form 4 biscuits. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and fruit is bubbling, about 22-25 minutes. Allow cobbler to sit for 5 minutes for fruit to firm up before serving. Yields about 1c. fruit and biscuit per serving. (all that for 4 weight watchers points)!

Then, I topped with some Vanilla Bean Dryers Slow Churn (1/3 calories). You could also top with fat free cool whip or full cal ice cream---whatever floats your boat.

Sip 'n See

Several months ago I offered to host a Sip 'n See shower for our friend Amy. Amy is expecting her third child in March. After months of searching for ideas for a "theme" (read: not too "themey" or typical baby shower-ish) I came up with some ideas that I think will be fun and different. I contacted Lisha at SWAK Notes to get her help on the invitations. The whole process took less than a week and I had these in my mailbox yesterday. If you find yourself needing (or wanting) cute stationary for a GREAT price and exceptional service, Lisha is your gal! http://www.swaknotes.com/ (I had visited her site many times and wasn't overly thrilled with the selection. But, she will customize) Her blog has a better sample of her work. http://www.swaknotes.blogspot.com/

My total cost (plus shipping) for 25 invites was $30.00. That is amazingly cheap for custom invites. And, can I just tell you the best part??? When I opened the invitations, they were already stuffed in the envelopes. All I had to do was seal them and slap addresses on 'em.

Pat, Pat, is it a he or a she????

While I may have just gone down in history as the worst mom ever, for titling a blog about CP from a SNL sketch...I'm dying to know! I desperately want to start preparing for this little one (I know we have PLENTY of time, but I like to be type A about things and get a move on)! There is next to nothing that is "gender neutral" these days. Even the yellow and green things have a stronger push toward the boy side than the girl side. Besides, as much as I want to prepare, what fun is a bunch of neutral stuff when it could be something that screams BOY! or GIRL!

I have to be totally transparent and admit that I find myself looking mainly at girl things...shoes, bows, headbands, frills, tights, and all the goodness that is a little girl. Then I walk out of the store and into the silver part (main part) of the mall and see teeny bopper girls dressed like they work at Hooters, and I think it might be better for my heart if CP is a boy. The truth is, at the end of it all, we will be thrilled with a healthy, well adjusted, little one. I'm just much more comfortable with the thought of raising what I know---a girl. As crazy as they can be, I get 'em. I can roll that way. The thought of a mischevious little boy that will try and strap engines to wagons and blow things up in the backyard (like father, like son) scares me to death!
Of course, Joe feels the same way...he is more comfortable with what he knows---boys. A girl would throw him for a loop. And, quite frankly, he'd be toast. She would have him wrapped around her finger in a second, and it would stay that way for her lifetime.

For now, we wait and we wonder and go CRAZY about not being able to find out for about another 10 weeks. Which, feels like a lifetime from now, by the way. And, we desperately hope that CP cooperates and angles exactly right so we will know for sure! I know that until recently women had to wait for 9 whole months to know if they were having a son or daughter. When I think about that, I feel very sorry for those people. I thank the Lord that I live in a time when I can find out, otherwise I don't think I'd be able to handle the suspense. While we wait, I try to think about things for a boy and a girl. I try to be equal in my thoughts. I'd honestly be surprised if CP is a boy and I don't know why. But the more I "think pink" the more I feel like I'm setting it up for CP to be a boy and for me to be found in shock without a plan!

9 weeks

I think these may have been the longest weeks of my life. I am always so anxious to get to the next step, I have a hard time remembering to enjoy the moment. I'm anxiously awaiting the 12 week mark. It seems like an eternity, but it will be here soon. Hopefully all of these first trimester symptoms will pass at 12 weeks like they are "supposed" to! Joe has been amazing these past several weeks. He has put up with my food aversions and cravings (I'm pretty sure he starved for a couple of weeks), he runs to the store to get that thing that I HAVE to have, and he is patient when I can't make up my mind on ANYTHING! He keeps the house running these days. Brinkley, CP, and I are all SO blessed!

Here is what little CP is up to these days:

Last Week:
-CP was about 1/2 an inch long from head to bottom.
-Elbows and fingers can be seen
-Can move her trunk and limbs and respond to touch by reflex
-Lungs are developing
-Taste buds formed on the tongue
-Tooth buds for baby teeth are taking shape in the jaw
-Eyelids begin to form

This Week:
-CP is about 3/4 of an inch (about the size of a green olive)
-Weighs a whopping 1/8 of an ounce (funny I feel huge already)!
-The developing ears and nose are visible (CP, we're keeping our fingers crossed that you don't get the Holland "schnauz")
-Pigment is in the retina
-Nipples can now be seen on the chest
-The limbs and fingers are growing rapidly
-Bones in the arms begin to calcify and harden

No wonder we're so tired! I am so amazed how early everything happens and I'm thankful that we have the technology to know such things! The hardest thing is not being able to see CP grow all the time. I want to have an ultrasound each week just to check in on her.

Keep growin' little one!

Simple Pleasures

Today on one of my all time favorite blogs, Kelly's Korner, there was a post about the simple pleasures in life. I thought I'd get in on the action here to help put things in perspective.

1. Nights when my husband is not at work
2. Laying on the floor with a blanket and a beagle warming my toes
3. Iced Tea (a simple pleasure I won't have for quite awhile now)
4. New dessert recipes
5. A husband who will cook AND do dishes!
6. Socks for cold toes
7. Cushy toilet paper
8. Towels right out of the dryer
9. Finding great salsa
10. Friends re-runs
11. Premiere week
12. Williams Sonoma trips
13. My favorite sweatshirt
14. Catalogs in the mail
15. Skinny Cow ice creams