This pregnancy, if I read a recipe I think I will enjoy, I cannot stop thinking about it until I make it. About a month ago I found a recipe for lemon iced pumpkin cookies, and it bothers me that my can of pumpkin sitting in the pantry has still not become those cookies.
Last Monday I made the recipe for Cranberry Sauce that was in the previous day's Parade magazine because I just had to know how a cranberry sauce with apricot preserves and chopped dried apricots would compare to my other cranberry sauce recipes. I loved it. I actually think it is my new favorite cranberry sauce. Adam loved it too.
I also made Caramel Crispix mix last week, which satisfied my caramel cereal mix curiosity (and stuffed my belly), and today I made Pumpkin Banana Bread that has been on my mind since Thursday. It was from the November o8 issue of the no-longer-published Country Home magazine that I paged through while Joey was working on something for school. The bread was very yummy, and Joey was pleased that it had no nuts. It does not matter how finely I chop walnuts in the food processor, any nut particle at all ruins his quick bread enjoyment.
There is a recipe in last month's Better Home and Garden for Pumpkin Corn Bread that is still haunting me. My lack of masa harina prevents me. I am not sure what else I would make with the remaining masa harina and cannot yet justify its purchase.
But do you see a trend in the type of recipes I must make. Sugar! Sweet! Must bake!
I need to start reading some recipes for salads.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
being a princess
What is wrong, my darling princess?
It is just so hard to always be so charming, and beautiful, and smiley.
Well, do you think you could perhaps, just look at the camera, without being quite so sullen?
Nice. Thank you, your highness. As always, it was a pleasure photographing you today.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
About Bear
Joey and Bear, March 2008
a conversation between Joey and me last week
a conversation between Joey and me last week
"Did I ever tell you who gave Bear to Mommy...how you got him?"
"No."
I know I have, but I tell the story again.
"Aunt Donna gave Bear to Mommy for Natalie, when Natalie was still in my belly, at a special party called a baby shower."
"Oh."
"But then Natalie went to heaven...and Mommy and Daddy were so sad. And we prayed and prayed for God to give us a new baby in my belly, because we missed Natalie so much. And we really hoped we could have a baby that could stay with us, and not go to Heaven so soon."
He looks at me with wide, concerned eyes.
"And then God answered our prayers, and gave Mommy a new baby in her belly."
"That baby was me?"
"Yes, God answered our prayers - you were the answer to our prayers! You were the baby Mommy prayed for. We were so happy!...And then, Mommy let you have Bear, because I didn't think Natalie would mind if I shared her things with you since she was in Heaven."
He pulls Bear in close.
"And now Bear is your very favorite, special friend!"
He hugs Bear tightly, and buries his face in the back of Bear's head.
"I am so glad Jesus gave you to me. I love you so much. I am so glad you are able to love Bear."
"Me too."
Thursday, November 12, 2009
good times at the OB
What do you consider to be the makings of a good check-up with your OB? I would say before yesterday my list included little or no wait, minimal weight gain, the wonderful sound of baby's heart beating, and a pleasant exchange with the health professional who will usher the baby into the world. After yesterday I have added one more thing to the list: not fainting.
I was at the doctor in the middle of a very tiring week of caring for a couple of sick kids. The doctor had scheduled me for an ultrasound and non-stress test because at 33 weeks we are to the point where we always hope things keep going along well and no unexpected problems arise. I had my ultrasound first, and I just love my ultrasound tech. She knows me by now, and she is not bored with seeing babies on that little black and white screen after all these years. She pointed out the baby's hair, and got some great shots of the baby's nose and lips, and we even saw the baby stick out her tongue.
After my ultrasound was done, she hooked me up to the baby monitors since the nurse was busy, so I could get started with my 20 minutes of watching the baby's heart rate rise and fall in response to her movements. I was so tired that it felt good to be reclining on the table listening to the heartbeat. Pretty soon I realized that the baby must be asleep because her heartbeat was a little low and she wasn't moving. And pretty soon I started to get the feeling that I get every once in a while, that the baby has crawled up past my diaphragm and is resting soundly on top of my lungs. It is horrible -- as though I am performing the usual actions required to breathe, but no air is getting inside of my lungs. I know I am breathing, but my crazy pregnant brain starts to get in a tiny panic that I cannot breathe!
Right about then my doctor came in to see that the baby hadn't moved, so he reclined the table back and jiggled her around a bit, well, not a bit, a whole lot. But she slept away. So he told me stay on the monitors a few more minutes to see if she would move. I was glad to stay on the monitors, as lots of movement and a fast heartbeat bring me great reassurance. I was however, already in a mini-panic that I could not breathe, and when he left, I was lying pretty flat on my back. Quickly I began to feel more short of breath. My heart rate was rising, but I thought I was just being crazy, so I tried to breathe and stay calm. That didn't work. In a minute, I started to feel hot and sweaty, and then I started seeing spots. By then I knew something was not right, but my brain was no longer making any sort of rational judgments. Soon my vision started going black, at which point I realized I was about to faint, which was when, thankfully, the doctor walked in just in time. I managed to say, "I don't feel so good."
He quickly got me on my side. My arms and hands felt like pins and needles and my whole body felt heavy, like I was pressed against the table. A few tears escaped because I was tired, and a little embarrassed, and it was just not how I had envisioned my morning. The nurse brought in some water and soda, and in a few minutes I felt better. The ultrasound showed everything was fine, so he took me off the monitors and said, "Next time, remind us not to let you lie on your back." Which I will be sure to do, because apparently I am one of the eight percent of pregnant women who experience supine hypotensive syndrome. It is nice knowing my little episode at the doctor's office has an official name. I don't feel quite so crazy, even though it is just a fancy way to say my blood pressure drops too low when I lie flat on my back.
After all that, I guess I could say that the visit was still a success. I had a very short wait, a lovely time with my ultrasound tech, I didn't gain any weight this week, I heard the (sleepy) heartbeat loud and clear, and I only almost fainted.
I still like my doctor, even though he almost let me succumb to the terrible grip of supine hypotensive syndrome. :) Besides, if I hadn't almost fainted all I would have to write about today is how a missing library book almost made me lose my mind, or how I had three tacos for dinner, or how Tums are my new best friend. An almost fainting story is much more exciting than all that.
I was at the doctor in the middle of a very tiring week of caring for a couple of sick kids. The doctor had scheduled me for an ultrasound and non-stress test because at 33 weeks we are to the point where we always hope things keep going along well and no unexpected problems arise. I had my ultrasound first, and I just love my ultrasound tech. She knows me by now, and she is not bored with seeing babies on that little black and white screen after all these years. She pointed out the baby's hair, and got some great shots of the baby's nose and lips, and we even saw the baby stick out her tongue.
After my ultrasound was done, she hooked me up to the baby monitors since the nurse was busy, so I could get started with my 20 minutes of watching the baby's heart rate rise and fall in response to her movements. I was so tired that it felt good to be reclining on the table listening to the heartbeat. Pretty soon I realized that the baby must be asleep because her heartbeat was a little low and she wasn't moving. And pretty soon I started to get the feeling that I get every once in a while, that the baby has crawled up past my diaphragm and is resting soundly on top of my lungs. It is horrible -- as though I am performing the usual actions required to breathe, but no air is getting inside of my lungs. I know I am breathing, but my crazy pregnant brain starts to get in a tiny panic that I cannot breathe!
Right about then my doctor came in to see that the baby hadn't moved, so he reclined the table back and jiggled her around a bit, well, not a bit, a whole lot. But she slept away. So he told me stay on the monitors a few more minutes to see if she would move. I was glad to stay on the monitors, as lots of movement and a fast heartbeat bring me great reassurance. I was however, already in a mini-panic that I could not breathe, and when he left, I was lying pretty flat on my back. Quickly I began to feel more short of breath. My heart rate was rising, but I thought I was just being crazy, so I tried to breathe and stay calm. That didn't work. In a minute, I started to feel hot and sweaty, and then I started seeing spots. By then I knew something was not right, but my brain was no longer making any sort of rational judgments. Soon my vision started going black, at which point I realized I was about to faint, which was when, thankfully, the doctor walked in just in time. I managed to say, "I don't feel so good."
He quickly got me on my side. My arms and hands felt like pins and needles and my whole body felt heavy, like I was pressed against the table. A few tears escaped because I was tired, and a little embarrassed, and it was just not how I had envisioned my morning. The nurse brought in some water and soda, and in a few minutes I felt better. The ultrasound showed everything was fine, so he took me off the monitors and said, "Next time, remind us not to let you lie on your back." Which I will be sure to do, because apparently I am one of the eight percent of pregnant women who experience supine hypotensive syndrome. It is nice knowing my little episode at the doctor's office has an official name. I don't feel quite so crazy, even though it is just a fancy way to say my blood pressure drops too low when I lie flat on my back.
After all that, I guess I could say that the visit was still a success. I had a very short wait, a lovely time with my ultrasound tech, I didn't gain any weight this week, I heard the (sleepy) heartbeat loud and clear, and I only almost fainted.
I still like my doctor, even though he almost let me succumb to the terrible grip of supine hypotensive syndrome. :) Besides, if I hadn't almost fainted all I would have to write about today is how a missing library book almost made me lose my mind, or how I had three tacos for dinner, or how Tums are my new best friend. An almost fainting story is much more exciting than all that.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
33 weeks and a couple questions
Today, after an interesting OB visit (which I hope to tell you about soon), during a week of caring for my influenza infected children, getting little sleep, while my husband is not home in the evenings because of some corporate training he has to attend, I head out to the local grocery store.
My mom was kind enough to keep my virus laden kids while I was at the doctor, and since whatever germs they brought with them were already in her house, she told me to go run out and do something. This suggestion reminded me that I wanted to pick up some raw honey for the kids' coughs.
So, my weak mind and tired body were in charge of pushing a cart around Giant for a few minutes, and then choosing what items went into that cart. I consider it a great victory that I managed to make it out of there with the raw honey, but some of the other contents now confuse me. Like why did I buy a six-count package of Ramen chicken soup? Or a single box of Stove Top and a Snack Sak of Teddy Grahams?
An even better question is why did I then decide it would be a good idea to go through the drive-through at Taco Bell and order a fully loaded nachos with extra guacamole, and then park my car in the parking lot and almost completely finish it all by my prego self?
I am a little deranged. And that simple statement, my friends, may possibly be the answer to all my questions.
My mom was kind enough to keep my virus laden kids while I was at the doctor, and since whatever germs they brought with them were already in her house, she told me to go run out and do something. This suggestion reminded me that I wanted to pick up some raw honey for the kids' coughs.
So, my weak mind and tired body were in charge of pushing a cart around Giant for a few minutes, and then choosing what items went into that cart. I consider it a great victory that I managed to make it out of there with the raw honey, but some of the other contents now confuse me. Like why did I buy a six-count package of Ramen chicken soup? Or a single box of Stove Top and a Snack Sak of Teddy Grahams?
An even better question is why did I then decide it would be a good idea to go through the drive-through at Taco Bell and order a fully loaded nachos with extra guacamole, and then park my car in the parking lot and almost completely finish it all by my prego self?
I am a little deranged. And that simple statement, my friends, may possibly be the answer to all my questions.
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