I'm a slacker!

Well, I did not walk yesterday.

I also did not sit down for a break until after 7 pm, so I think it is okay.... I took the girls to play with friends at the play mall and did sit and chat while I watched the kids for that 2 hours. My key to sanity is to dress them in the same color when they will be in a crowd of kids. Weather it be lime green, pink, purple, yellow - to only look for one color is priceless.


So I went grocery shopping after I met the H for lunch. He kept the girls at home and I got to shop all alone. Unfortunately I had to inquire at Wal-Mart about the Simplicity Crib recalls. Yeah... this was our crib... We had to take it apart and return it to Wal-Mart. In my surprise they gave us a cash exchange for it. They only had 2 cribs in stock at Wal-Mart, neither that we liked, so we went to Target and bought a new crib there.

I am getting ahead of myself.... I got home from grocery shopping and unloaded $200 worth of groceries and because our model number was on recall, I then began to take the crib apart - after calling the store and they said that I could not keep the changer part... (Boo!) So.... We took the crib apart and returned it to Wal-Mart. We bought a new crib at Target and by the end of the night, I had the new crib put together and ready for baby to arrive. We still need the matching changing table - but they didn't have it in stock.... but it is better than thinking if you have the baby he/she may end up sleeping in the bouncer or swing upon coming home! :o) I will post pics of the new crib soon.

19 days... what's left?

Well, today is a rare rainy day that we have no plans. We are going to run to the grocery store to get brownie and cake mix before the sale ends... but that is it. I already started laundry and ran vinegar through the coffee pots after I fixed mine. Alex, who gets vinegar for being naughty thought I should get in trouble for having the vinegar out - and told me, "Daddy doesn't like the smell of that." Well, that is why I did it at 7:30 and Daddy won't be home for 12 hours! :o) Maybe it will diffuse the scent of bacon from yesterday though!

As far as the baby front, I am still walking at least 1.5 mi a day - somedays 2.5-3 but doubtfully with the rain since I am not that big of a treadmill fan. Nothing is happening... I go back to the doc Thursday and will not be checked because I am taking the girls with me. So, the 6th or the 13th I can hope for progression and then will have my membranes stripped. If I have no luck on my own, we will go to the hospital at midnight on the 19th to begin the fun of my 3rd induction! I washed baby clothes, packed my hospital bag and the girls Gma bag... I just need to install the car seat in the van. I also have to go grocery shopping this week and think about it as stocking up so I don't have to run out with a 1-2 week old. I do need to take recycling to the recycling center as well.....

Breach baby?

So, here is it less than a month before my due date and the baby has flipped. I am fairly certain that after having baby head down for the past two months, he/she has turned and is hanging out head up or transverse. I woke last night to pee and was up for 2 hours having my cervix kicked. I am really hoping and praying that this baby turns so I can avoid a C-section. The very thought scares me. I am NOT a homebody and not being able to do my usual outings will drive me stir crazy. I really don't realize how much I pick up the girls, but at 36 weeks pregnant, I still pick them both up. I am a Mom and I cannot help it! I pick up Taylor and carry her more, but she is only two and is only 27 pounds. I do pick up Alex to help her into the chair to sit with me, put her on her bunk occasionally and help her on the swing at the park. I am really trying hard not to think about it, but I know my doc and I know that if the u/s does not show a head down baby on Thursday, she will schedule a section. Hopefully if that happens, baby will turn before the date and we will not need that. I also believe that I heard that my doc's surgery day is on Tuesdays (could be wrong), so if it is.... she would either want to do it on my B-day (May 4th - 38 weeks, 3 days) or my sister's B-day (May 11th - 39w, 3d).
This thought scares me. Do not ask me why, but I would rather know I will have stitches down a little farther than a doctor cutting my stellar abs! :o)

I also need to say that last Thursday was the 3rd day I have taken off from walking in the past 4.5 weeks. I did not walk because I grocery shopped in the morning and it was a cool, windy day. I finished up my freezer meals that day. I made 4 more meals and 2 snacks. I have 30 or 31 meals total plus 6 loaves of bread (5 garlic, 1 amish), and 1 fruit salad that can be breakfast or a snack and wonderful PB bars that I will have to post the recipe!! So, bring on the baby, I am ready!!!

Stock the Freezer!

I am so proud of myself!!!

Here is our garage fridge freezer. Right now, this is holding 14 meals plus 7 loaves of bread. I also have 6 containers of soups and 2 freezer bags of calzones on the top shelf of the other freezer. In addition to my list I posted the other day, I made Broccoli Tater Tot Casserole, Baked Chicken, Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti, and Glazed Carrots today.

I have left on my wish list to make: hashbrown casserole (adding sausage to make it a meal), seafood lasagna, cheddar broccoli soup, taco chili, breakfast egg casserole, champagne salad (mainly fruit & cool whip), and peanut butter bars.

After it is all said and done, I will have 34 complete meals in my freezer in preparation for when the baby arrives. If I use these meals 3 days out of my husbands work week, they should last about 2.5 months.

Now I just need my husband to get the baby car seat down from the loft in the garage!!

Pre Baby Freezer Meals

Over the past 5 weeks, I have been busy prepping our freezer for the impending arrival of our baby. Here is my list so far. I think I have counted 8 casseroles, 7 breads, 2 sides, 3 meats and 8 soups (though I may be wrong). The items that are duplicated indicate multiple dinners for that meal. (i.e two dishes of Zuppa Tuscana soup.)

Yum Yum Pork Chops
Broccoli/Rice Casserole
Pasta Fagoli Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup
Lazy Cabbage Hotdish
Chicken/Rice/Broccoli & Mushroom Casserole
Pizza Calzones
Veggie Cheese Soup
Kneophla Soup
Kneophla Soup
White Chicken Lasagna
Mini Cheddar Meatloaves
Mini Cheddar Meatloaves
White Chicken Chili
Chicken Taco Bake
Baked Corn Casserole
Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread
Amish Bread
White chicken Calzones
White Chicken Chili
Sour Cream Enchaladas
Salsa Chicken
Burritos
Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread
Lasagna

50 days and counting....

So today marks 50 days until my due date. It has me wondering WHEN I will deliver this baby. I have an ultrasound at 36 weeks, 5 days (4/22) to gauge size and go from there. The last few days I have felt more braxton hicks and last night was crampy for about 2 hours. I felt better after taking a bath ~ which I may mention was while I was home alone with the girls. SO, not a relaxing soak ONE bit! My husband put in his request that I wait until the day after my due date to be induced (so he is off work for a concert that will be in town). Being as my last child was shy of 38 weeks, and weighed in over 8 pounds, I am just not sure the doctor will agree to this. Really, do I want to deliver a 10 pound baby?! I just do not want a ceasarian and to return home to a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Of course, I will have stitches in another place, so which is worse?! I am not done with my To-do's before the baby comes, I am just wondering....

Stocking the freezer!!!

So, last night we did a Moms Club cooking night. We started at 6 pm, instead of our typical 7 so us PG ladies could get to bed (there was another one!). I was amazed that we made 3 meals, 1 main dish and 1 side dish and the girls were only at my house for 2 hours total - including doing the dishes!!!
If you want the recipes for what we made, I will direct you to Kristin's cooking blog, since she already posted them. http://crazymamainthekitchen.blogspot.com/

So, I started cooking meals for my freezer a week ago, and here is my list so far:

Yum Yum Pork Chops
Broccoli/Rice Casserole
Pasta Fagoli Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup
Lazy Cabbage Hotdish
Chicken/Rice/Broccoli & Mushroom Casserole
Pizza Calzones
Veggie Cheese Soup
Kneophla Soup
Kneophla Soup
White Chicken Lasagna
Mini Cheddar Meatloaves
Mini Cheddar Meatloaves
White Chicken Chili
Chicken Taco Bake
Baked Corn Casserole

I know that some items are repeated. They are soups and the meatloaves that will make more than 1 meal for our family. Honestly, others may too, but these ones are the ones that will be or are already packages into seperate containers.

I am pretty happy that I have 8+ weeks to go to my due date and I already have 16 meals in the freezer. I plan to use these meals 2-3 days a week on my husbands 4 day work week so I do not have to battle 3 kids to prepare a meal. I can especially see where these will come in handy when he is working nights and I hate to cook anyway (to have a meal done by 3 pm). One thing that sticks out to me, that I always forget is that I need to make several batches of freezer garlic bread. The husband loves garlic bread with a lot of italian meals, but I usually foget to buy it!

And the meals start!!

Monday I met up with another expectant Mama and made a few meals. We made:
Zuppa Toscana Soup
Pasta E Fagoli Soup
Lazy Cabbage Hotdish
Chicken and Rice Casserole (with mushrooms and broccoli)
Cheesy Broccoli and Rice bake
Yum Yum Pork Chops

Today I am making pizza for dinner. I went ahead and made up 8 mini pizza calzones and will bake and freeze them as well. I think that pre-baking makes the dough less soggy and allows that they can be grabbed and microwaved too. So, that is 6 meals and counting with 4 being made next week. I am also making kneophlia soup this weekend to freeze a batch for those post partum days.

More baby prep!!

So, I am really thinking about baby prep and what I need to be sane for that to happen. I have 2 seperate cooking nights planned with girlfriends in March to make freezer meals. I have a list to of what else I want to make....
Yum Yum Pork Chops *
Burritos
Chicken Taco Bake *
Chicken rice bake *
hashbrown casserole (adding sausage to make it a meal)
cheesy chicken spagehetti
Broccoli Rice bake *
cheddar meatloaves *
lazy cabbage hotdish *
pasta fagoli soup *
glazed carrots
baked corn casserole
baked chicken
broccoli tater tot casserole
sour cream enchaladas
salsa chicken
kneophlia soup
zuppa tuscana soup *
seafood lasagna
white chicken lasagna *
lasagna
cheedar broccoli soup
cheese shells
taco chili
breakfast egg casserole
garlic bread
champagne salad
PB bars
granola bars
Okay, so the meals that are in blue are casseroles. The ones in green are side dishes, the yellow main dishes and red are snacks. The meals with astricks, I know we are making in March. I will also make sure to go shopping before my induction date to have fresh fruit, bread and snackies around. I remember how hungry I was after I gave birth the first 2 times!