Happy Birthday honey!

Yesterday was Nathan’s 24th birthday. Happy birthday honey! Now we’re the same age again. I made him a spice cake at his request and his mom brought over some B.lue B.ell, which is his favorite kind of ice cream. Melissa and Thomas and Mom and Dad Vines came over to have cake with us. Piglet was doing a happy birthday dance for his Daddy, but his Daddy was busy and didn’t get to feel. I think those were some of the strongest kicks I have felt yet--guess Piglet likes B.lue B.ell ice cream too! Nathan even got all of his candles out on the first blow! Good thing, too—with a pregnant wife I don’t think he could afford extra girlfriends.

A fellow blogger was talking about Braxton Hicks and it made me realize I never posted about having them. I got my first one right around 17 weeks after we got back from Ohio, when we were at S.onic. Since then they’ve gotten more frequent as I’ve gotten further along, but most of the time I don’t even notice them anymore. I forgot to tell Dr. H about them at my last visit so I will have to try to remember this next time. I never can remember anything I want to tell/ask him. He really liked my Christmas cookies though! I told him I’d bring the nurses brownies when I went into labor. Butter them up so they’ll be extra nice to me. He laughed and said that he was sure the nurses would appreciate it.

And speaking of labor, I got a lot of laughs out of this lady’s blog. I wish she would keep posting but I haven’t seen anything in a while. It’s at itsababynotbrainsurgery.blogspot.com/

Not sure how I got from Nathan’s birthday to labor and delivery, but between the missionary and the pregnant brain I’m about to be certified in rabbit trails…

Thanks to all of you for your comment on my last post. I really appreciate the encouragement.

16 weeks and holiday treats

16 weeks! Seems like it was just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant. My little poppy seed has grown to an avocado, and in just a few short days we will see it again. Don’t be modest, little one! This is the only time Mama will ever want you to show your bits. And in honor of being 16 weeks preggo, here’s a picture!

This weekend I finished unpacking and organizing my house. I bought some super-classy (sarcasm) shelves for the garage, and spent my Saturday banging nails into the wall for cords and various hangable items, and arranging other stuff all over the shelves. I went through all of the plastic tubs and organized and sorted, and even went through my books and weeded some out.

Tear.

But everything is very organized. Then I decided, well, that wasn’t enough work for the day, so I figured I’d make Christmas treats! I made puppy chow, and several batches of two different kinds of Christmas cookies. I was planning on cookie plates for nine people so I had to make plenty.

I made Puppy Chow first.  This is Nathan's favorite holiday treat and I make it for him every Christmas.  I also don't believe that my family has ever had it and I wanted to take some up to Ohio. (EDIT: I lied. I forgot my family helped make many batches of puppy chow for our wedding favors.) I only made a single batch of this.  You need: One box rice cereal, one bag chocolate chips, one jar smooth peanut butter, 1/2 stick butter, and 3/4 bag of powdered sugar. Put the jar of PB, the bag of chocolate chips, and the 1/2 stick of butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt. Stir occasionally.  Dump the cereal into a large bowl. ( I don't have a super huge bowl so I do half, dump it out, and do the other half)  Pour your melted mixture over cereal and stir gently until coated.  Pour some of the powdered sugar into a bag ( I used a garbage bag. Yes, it was clean.) Pour your coated cereal in, and cover with more powdered sugar.  Shake. When covered, spread out on wax paper to dry.  Store in airtight container. DISCLAIMER: THIS IS VERY VERY SWEET.

Then I made Christmas cookies. I can't remember their names, but they are cookies we traditionally make in my family.  They are super-yummy!

The cookies you see in the ziploc baggies are the cookes I have to take to Ohio with us.  There were many, many more than you see in the picture!

(Oh, and to get those ziploc baggies, I had to go to The Armpit Of The Earth--otherwise known as Walmart--after church on Sunday. Not. A. Good. Idea.)

Anyways, I filled up 9, yes 9, little plates with my festive Christmas bites. Four for the men than helped us move. Two for my bosses.  One for my baby doctor (and his note says from Baby!). And one for my parents-in-law, and one for my sister-in-law and company. Nathan helped me by covering them in green Saran-wrap.

And then, since I couldn't walk like an upright human, I hunched and stumbled my way to the couch where I begged a foot massage from my newly-arrived-home husband.

Sunday was church and then an afternoon spent buying car parts, picking up Nathan's motorcycle, picking up tools, working on the car to ready it for our much anticipated journey, and picking up my cookie mess and doing dishes. Blech! Yet again I worked myself into painful hobbling, and didn't get to bed until waaaaay past my bedtime, but all-in-all it was a very productive and enjoyable weekend.

The moral of the story is: You. ARE NOT. Superwoman.  So CHILL!!!!