Baby Shower!

Last weekend was our baby shower!

It really was a perfect day - 

I didn't have to do anything but show up and see our friends and family!

The "theme" was monkeys, and there were monkeys EVERYWHERE. 

My VT's daughter even made adorable monkey cake pops!

One last HUGE 

thank you 

to everyone who helped, came, or sent well-wishes!

We love you!

Jed had to work that day, but later that evening, he helped me unload everything, and even cut all the tags off of the millions of gifts!

Now Baby's room is (mostly) all put together! The only thing we're missing is his little tush!

5 more weeks... no big deal.

Homemade Bread Twists

So... food is my one and only friend lately. (sorry guys.) I will drop what i'm doing or ignore you if i smell some delicious food around. (and then get massive heartburn later. whaaaat.) 

I came across this recipe for bread twists a few weeks ago on The Recipe Critic and stored it in my brain. I finally made them today for an easy side to oven toasted ravioli. listen up, you guys. i can't stop eating them. this could be a serious problem, especially since they are so simple to make.

THAT BEING SAID. i highly recommend you make them for your family. and try not to eat them all.



Ingredients:
1½ cups warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
3½ cups flour
1 tsp Salt
3 T butter 
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Salt


1.  Mix warm water, sugar and yeast together.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  
2. Add flour and salt to the water, sugar, and yeast.  Mix this until smooth and let it raise for 10 minutes. 
3.  Roll out the dough in a large square on a floured surface.  Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garlic salt.  
4.  Fold the dough in half.  Cut the dough into one inch strips.  
5.  Twist the one inch strips of dough and place on a cookie sheet.  Let that sit for another 10-15 minutes to raise.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  
7.  Immediately after baking brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and grated parmesan cheese.



You WILL thank me. Promise :)

Birthday/Easter

This is for all you Banner ladies ... thanks for keeping me on my toes when it comes to this blog! :)


My birthday this year was AWESOME.
For starters, my co-workers threw me a surprise baby shower/birthday party shin dig. Man, was I surprised! They were very sneaky with the planning, and even invited my mom to come! They were also very generous with the baby gifts! Thanks, guys!!


On my actual birthday, Jed turned it into a whole day long party! He took the day off, and we "slept in," meaning we shut off the alarms and I got up at 6:30 (darn internal clock slash pregnancy bladder)
We went to Seagull's and bought not one but TWO pictures of Christ.
I have wanted one for our house for so long but could never justify spending the money. Luckily, Jed spoils me. so we got this one for above our piano,

and another one for Baby's room.  They're fantastic :)
We spent a good long time at the Johnson's house chatting with LeeAnn (which never gets to happen cuz usually someone else comes to interrupt).
We went out to lunch, went to DownEast (this is how you know he loves you), and then went home and took naps! We went out to dinner AGAIN that night (IHOP, heck yes!) and went to bed early (my favorite thing lately). It was the best day ever! IT may sound boring, but I loved every minute of it!


We also had a nice Easter weekend.
Saturday we got to spend with the Johnsons. Easter egg hunt, sweet pork burritos, and lots and lots of chatting!
Sunday was with the Willis's. Lots of food, and relaxing out on the front lawn.

This was us on Easter - standing in Baby's crib, ha! His room is the only room with adequate lighting for a picture, that also has a place to set up the camera timer...




Baby and I are now 29.5 weeks! NEXT WEEK we will be 3/4 through! WHAT THE HECK. Where did the time go? Our numbers looked great when I went in this past week, and the doc said I have a little more wiggle room weight-wise. Actually, he said I am only allowed to gain 30 more pounds, so I'm gonna have to cut  way back on my snacks... (ha! yeah right!)

We are getting so excited for Grant to come! He wiggles around my belly all the time, and we have even heard his heart beat on Jed's stethoscope - how cool! Just a little over 2 months to go :)

March Thus Far

We've had a pretty fun March so far, and it's only halfway done!

I spent like 3 weeks researching different dresser brands and models after I gave up on yard sales and thrift stores. I never thought picking out a simple dresser would be so awful!

Finally, I bought one online - despite the color!

It came at the very beginning of the month - way to kick off my birthday month!

(you guys - i'm starting the birthday festivities early this year onaccounta my birthday and Easter share a weekend.)

 It took us a few nights to put that sucker together -

it came in a million pieces, and since the hardware was almost all plastic ... it made for some tough going.

the finished product! The picture doesn't do it justice. color or otherwise!

The official color is "blueberry," and I LOVE it. 

I bought this totally expecting to repaint it once it was put together, but the color really is wonderful (in person. promise.)

In other Baby Room news, I finished cleaning out his room of all our miscellaneous junk and even sorted all the hand-me-down clothes into sizes. His room is organized and all put together now! 

Now all he needs is a bed ... 

 We finally found a new home for our Bunny!

I had posted on the FB a couple of different times asking if anyone wanted him (for free!)

and finally, Jed posted once and within a half an hour we had several interested folks.

Some animal lovers Jed went to junior high with took him.

He's in a good home. And when we moved our couch and found poops ... 

all sadness left me. 

SAYONARA. 

This guy came out of "hibernation!"

Technically, his breed doesn't hibernate, they just "slow down"

but he went missing for several months.

i was so worried he'd frozen to death!

But he's out now, and fully enjoying the summer home Jed built him!

For my "spring break," (meaning my one day off) I ditched all my household duties and errands and hung out with my mom all day!

we went shopping (for her groceries and for new maternity clothes for me!)

it was just what i needed! 

my mom is the greatest! 

 On Thursday after work, my car thermomostatical (it's a word. look it up. i dare you.) read a whopping 102! 

But by the time I got to a red light and could take a picture it went down to 99. 

BUT STILL.  

And I was even parked in the half-shade!

Found this lovely little sign in Jed's dad's law office kitchen area. 

It reads,

"Thank you for now smoking, cussing, smelling bad, being ugly, or acting stupid."

It totally made me laugh out loud when I saw it (usually there has been a huge plastic bush hiding it).

Totally unexpected - especially in a law office.

Last of the pictures, Baby Grant's first NON hand-me-down! How exciting! Except I feel bad that it didn't come from Mom or Dad. It came from Grandma Kim. But Baby doesn't have to know that, right?

At my last OB visit, my doc told me to brag to everyone about how awesome all my numbers are!

I've been incredibly worried because I hadn't gained hardly any weight so far (3 pounds in 21 weeks).

But now I'm up 9 pounds, and all of my inside-ical numbers are looking great. I measure just like I should and my heart and BP are "excellent."

So there. that's my brag for the month :) I'm just so glad Baby is healthy!

We hit the 6 month mark, so only 3 more -give or take- to go until our Little Man arrives !

Valentines and Other Relevant Things

Today when I tried to get on Jed's laptop, it froze. So when he got home I asked him to fix it so I could blog and he said, "You still do that?" 

Oy. I am TRYING. but nothing ever really goes on around here. 

Baby and I are (almost) 23 weeks!

I feel like I haven't gotten any bigger since like 15 weeks, but I guess I am...

At his last check-up, Baby weighed a small 13 ounces, which is a little small for how old he's getting.

But I'm working on it, guys. 

This little guy is already getting spoiled by his family!

Having lots of nephews on both sides, and my boy cousins that keep on coming, 

is really coming in handy... hand-me-down wise. 

We have already been gifted a bunch of baby (and maternity) stuff!

It's incredible!

(minus the stationary bike in the background)

Next up - Alexa Dyan left for the MTC this week!

I'm so happy for her, and the choice she made to serve the Lord abroad (Eugene, Oregon IS abroad ... from Mesa)

Lastly, Valentine's Day. 

Boy, oh, boy. Valentine's day.

We don't really do all the lovely holiday stuff. We don't even really celebrate our anniversary. 

But this year, Jed surprised me with a love note hidden in my car to find when I left for work :)

Then after he got home that evening, he took me to get a soft pretzel and cheese... my heart's desire for the past couple of weeks.

WHAT A GUY!!

Sorry for the long non-writing spells, and then the lame posts between.

Soon we'll have a baby that will take up all of our camera space and free time!

Mom and Baby Update :)

It's like I went missing for a month, huh? I haven't really kept up with any of the social media sites for the past month or so. Oh well. I'm back (at least for today)

Pregnancy-wise I'm currently 17.5 weeks along, and baby and I are both doing great!

I'm so happy to finally not be nauseous 24/7 --  I'm always hungry for snacks (and Matta's), and always wanting to lay down and nap. But watching my belly grow, and feeling Baby J move is the best thing ever!!

(Also my 2 1/2 year old nephew, Bradley, says hi to my "baby in your belly" and it is SO adorable) 

I had another appointment yesterday and got another glimpse of our precious Baby.  (I swear I am so spoiled! My Doc said that most women usually only get 1-2 ultrasounds for the entire pregnancy - and this one alone is #4 ... and Baby isn't even to the halfway mark!)

Baby wasn't as active this time like the last ultrasound, but was doing a head bob to the background music in the office. Then all of the sudden the tech moved the wand, and BAM. There was no mistaking that picture ... 

Baby J is a BOY!  

We couldn't be more happy! It already feels so natural to say "he" and dream of little boy things! 

We already have a name picked out, but we'll wait a little longer to reveal it on the Web. For now, we just love calling him Baby J, and when I talk to him I call him Little Man. AH. YOU GUYS. I'm so excited. 

 

I love this picture because it totally looks like he's got his feet up, just relaxing in there!

June couldn't come soon enough! .. even though as I was driving home from the grocery store today, I could NOT picture driving around with a BABY in the back seat. Our family is growing, and we love it :)

Turkey Pot Pie

Let me preface this recipe by telling you all that Jed hates pot pies. And I don't care too much for turkey. But whenever this dish is on the menu, both of us are thrilled.

Now. Back to business.

Turkey pot pie, the perfect thanksgiving-leftovers-user-upper. (YOU GUYS. i seriously have had this post in drafts for over a month... sorry.)



 Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
S&P to taste
1/4 onion
3 cups chicken broth
1 chicken bullion cube
1 t lime juice
1 sheet Pastry Puff (found in the frozen food section, next to pie crusts)

(this next part I always substitute the fresh ingredients and use canned, so I'll put in my switch-ups in blue)
5 cups cut vegetables (2 carrots, 2 celery, 2potatoes, 2 cup peas, 1 cup corn)
      2 cans mixed vegetables, a handful of frozen corn
3 cups cooked chicken or turkey (1-2 shredded chicken breast)
     2 cans cubed chicken

Okay, first, take Pastry Puff sheet out of the freezer to thaw.

Then, melt butter in a large saucepan, add in S&P and onion, then stir in the flour. Add in chicken broth, bullion, and lime juice, cooking and occasionally stirring until mixture is thick. (the recipe says until thick, but it will be less like gravy and more like... runny syrup). 

Add in the vegetables and shredded poultry, cook until veggies are tender, or if they're canned just stir them in there.

Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish (or I use smaller dishes for more filling and less crust, since it's just Jed and I eating it). Place Pastry Puff over mixture, covering it entirely. It will pull together in the oven, so sometimes I like to tuck it down the sides of the dish, but if you don't really care about appearances, whatever! Make sure you slash slits in the Pastry Puff. Bake it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Then you get to gobble it up! And I like it even better the next day!

The Internet Debut

Its been almost a month since the last blog post. Sorry (actually I'm not that sorry) but I've had better things to do. Like sleep. And lay down. And rest. And grow our little bear.


We went to the doctor today, and I thought it was for an ultrasound. It was not. He just wanted to measure my belly? So I put on my sad sickly face, and he felt so badly he ordered an ultrasound! (not really - over the weekend we had a scare with spotting so he winked and said we could use that as an excuse for us to see our baby!)

So here is Baby J, world:



 It's a small cell phone copy of the picture, but we can see both skinny legs, a waving hand, and it's adorable little profile!

For the tech, Baby was doing flips, kicking like crazy, waving, and had the cutest little hiccups I have ever even seen.

Lately I've been such a bawl baby, crying at anything and everything ( Christmas songs, when the bakery is out of pizza slices, when Jed chooses not to sit right next to me and hold my feet ) but when I saw our little miracle bouncing around on the screen it took all I had not to cry my eyes out. This baby really is a miracle in my eyes. This is really real! We are having a BABY!


So exciting.


More non-baby related posts to come.. Someday. 

Soup Champion!

Did I mention that my soup won 2nd place at this years ward Trunk-or-Treat?
Well it did. And it is so easy to make! Jed will eat the leftovers for days, no lie!


1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 (16 oz) jar salsa ... I use pace picante mild, anything else is too spicy for me
1 cup water - give or take, depending on how soupy vs chunky you like it
1 tsp cumin
2 lbs of beef stew meat, or 2 chicken breasts


Dump all the ingredients in the crock pot, give it a little stir, and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours. If you used the chicken breasts, take them out, shred them up, en return them to the crock pot to soak up the juices for about 15 minutes THEN you can enjoy the soup with some sweet corn bread or delicious dinner rolls!

This recipe usually makes a ton, so if you're making it for two, use one chicken boob and 1/2 jar of salsa. Or I double everything but the salsa and meat when making it for a crowd.  Let me know if you try it and what you did differently! 

T minus 32

32 weeks, that is...
 Until mid-June.

That's about the time that our baby will be here! SAY WHAT? we're pregnant. Well... Not we, me. But Jed helped. So WE are expecting a human baby!!

As I am writing this, I am currently 8 weeks 1 day, and our Baby J looks like a gummi bear. (it's true)

For our anniversary (today) we got to see the little bears heart beat fluttering away! Yay! Baby has grown so much since the first ultrasound at 6 weeks when it literally looked like a grain of rice...

The doc put me on progesterone to help me not to miscarry again and he is oh so hopeful! I'm also getting sick a lot and I'm so grateful. Grateful to be sick? yes, because it happens to be a very good sign as far as baby growing goes.

All is well! And we're so excited. Also this is officially the farthest I've ever made it in a pregnancy. What a milestone!



Happy 3 year anniversary to us!


( sorry no pictures of our gummi bear baby. It's prolly only exciting for us anyway )