Week 30

Week 30 | an update

How far along: 30 weeks

Best moment this week: Being on vacation in Florida. More on this next week :)

Worst moment this week: While the weather in Orlando (first leg of our trip) couldn't possibly have been better, the weather in Anna Maria has been less than spectacular with lots of rain and cold. We've decided that our future trips will be later during the spring or fall to ensure nicer weather and warmer water for swimming. Still...it's not snowing or 16 degrees like it has been at home this week, so can't complain too much! 

Things I miss: Being able to enjoy a glass of vino and certain 'off-limits-for-pregnant-ladies' menu items at some of the restaurants during our trip. This has not stopped T, however, who has been enjoying many things this week that I am unable to participate in...hot tub time, wine, etc.

Maternity clothes: Yes - warm weather clothes are so much easier and more comfy! Dress (Old Navy)

Sleep: Lots of tossing and turning. See 'movement'.

Movement: Baby W is supposed to start having sleep cycles now that we are into the last 10 weeks. This has not been the case so far, and baby is more active than ever. T has been commenting on how much kicking Baby W has been up to while I'm sleeping. I'm not sure if I have just become more accustomed to it, or if T is just noticing it more because the strength of Baby W's kicks have increased.

Food Cravings: Seafood! It's very rare that I can enjoy good seafood while at home in Northwest Iowa. While I'm still somewhat limited on types of seafood acceptable for pregnant ladies (mostly due to mercury levels of certain fish and how it is cooked), it's refreshing to have access to some fresh caught seafood. Now if only I knew anything about how to season or cook it (tips welcome!!). Oh well...nothing wrong with going out for dinner on vacation...right?

Food Aversions: Nothing this week.

Queasy or sick: Not too bad.

Belly button in or out: Out on top.

Rings on or off: Still on.

Random Baby Growth Info: Baby is about 3 pounds this week, the size of a cabbage, and about 15.5 inches long. Lots of growing to look forward to in the weeks ahead! 

Looking forward to: The remainder of our vacation in Florida, and hopefully at least one more good day of warmth and sunshine!

Week 29

Week 29 | an update

How far along: 29 weeks

Best moment this week: Several exciting moments to report this week!

1. We finally got to meet Baby N! Jacob David arrived via C-section on Saturday, March 15. He is absolutely precious, and definitely the center of attention. T & I are thrilled to be an Aunt and Uncle.

2. We made an impromptu trip to Des Moines over the weekend and ordered our dining room table. Hopefully it will arrive before Baby W. Expected arrival of the table is March 22, so we should have a chance to have at least a couple of quiet romantic dinners together...even if it's just takeout pizza or Taco House :) If not, I'm taking applications for babysitter so T & I can have a date night.

3. The new rug and ottoman I ordered arrived! Our living space looks soooooo much nicer with these new additions. At some point, I'll post an update on how the casa is coming together once I have things how I want them.

Worst moment this week: As I am typing this, it is snowing outside...again...one would think we would be done with the snow at some point! 

Things I miss: Being able to quickly jump up from the couch, chair, bed, etc...It has become a process.

Maternity clothes: Yes. Above sweater and leggings from Motherhood Maternity, cami from Target.

Sleep: Pretty good this week.

Movement: Soooo much movement. T is convinced that Baby W is much more active than the average baby, and I am convinced that Baby W might actually be a ninja.

Food Cravings: Fruit. Love my grapes, pineapple, melons. My mother-in-law was kind enough to invite us over for dinner this week (we should do this on a more regular basis by the way), and sent the extra fruit salad home with us. Yum. Yum. Yum. 

Food Aversions: Nothing to report here.

Queasy or sick: I've been having some issues this week with my hands getting all numb and tingly at night while I'm sleeping. Pretty sure carpal tunnel has set in, and is likely here to stay until Baby W arrives.

Belly button in or out: Mostly out at this point!

Rings on or off: On, but my fingers are definitely more consistently swollen this week.

Looking forward to: T & I leave on vacation to Florida today for one last adventure before Baby W arrives! TRUTH: The real reason for the trip is because T is attending a couple of medical conferences in Orlando and Sarasota, I'm lucky enough to tag along. Most of his afternoons and evenings are free, and we are planning an evening touring the world via Epcot, catching Cirque du Soleil's show La Nouba in Downtown Disney, lots of beach time, and checking out some yummy seafood restaurants. I'll report back on our trip when we get home!

Introducing Jacob David

As of Saturday afternoon, March 15, T & I are officially an Aunt and Uncle! Sooo exciting!

INTRODUCING: 

Jacob David Nielsen | 8 lb. 2 oz. | 19.5 inches long

Baby N finally decided to arrive via c-section after almost 48 hours of trying to induce labor to no avail. If you know my brother T and sister-in-law H, you can about imagine how much patience they had for the waiting game of an induction. Now that the little guy has arrived, T & H have been keeping busy bonding and getting to know their little one. 

Wide awake to meet Grandma & Grandpa N, and some of his Aunt and Uncles.

So far, Baby Jacob/Jake/J.D. (so many options!) has been entertained with a small stream of immediate family members stopping by for brief visits while H recovers from her c-section, and starts to get feeling better. He likely has no idea what's in store for him in the visitor department once he gets home!

So precious!

T & I are so excited to have a nephew to spoil, and can't wait for cousin play dates this summer at the lake after Baby W arrives!

Week 28

Week 28 | an update

How far along: 28 weeks. Officially in the 3rd Trimester! Where has the time gone??

Best moment this week: Finally spending time outdoors. It warmed up over the weekend, and I was able to enjoy some snowshoeing with T (before the big thaw), and several outside walks which definitely helped to get rid of some of the winter doldrums. In other news...I convinced T to try out some breath right nose strips, and going on night 3, I have yet to be woken up by his snoring. Sweet sweet dreams...

Worst moment this week: Yesterday, my heavy ironing board and drying rack fell on me as I had my back turned. Our laundry room is super cramped (especially with the added bump), and I must have knocked it when I closed the washer door. Ouch!

Things I miss: Being able to put on tennis shoes easily. The bump is not exactly making it any easier to bend down to tie shoes. I need a good pair of slip-on walking shoes. Let me know if you have any recommendations! Let's be honest, it's not like I'm going out for a jog in these kicks. Something that would work for a nice slower outdoor walk would be great. 

Maternity clothes: Yes. Above top (Michael Stars), jeans (Loft).

Sleep: Pretty good. Harder to roll over, and wish I was able to lay on my back.

Movement: Yes. This week, according to our go-to source of baby information, the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy, Baby W is sleeping in intervals of about 20-30 minutes off and on throughout the day, and baby's brain is rapidly expanding. If any of you out there are looking for a great resource of information, I would highly recommend this book which is full of all kinds of great information on pregnancy related topics. It also happens to be T's book of choice to recommend for his pregnant patients.

Food Cravings: Grapes, scotcheroos. Good thing my mom came for a visit over the weekend to bring me some of those delightful little treats!

Food Aversions: Nope.

Queasy or sick: Nope. Luckily, no more heartburn after the random bout I had a couple weeks ago. Knock on wood!

Belly button in or out: Out on top. 

Rings on or off: On, although my fingers are pretty puffy. However...I did indulge in Chinese food recently, so all of that sodium probably has something to do with it...

Looking forward to: Taco House opened yesterday! T & I will probably be found there at some point this week :) A Note on Baby N: We are still anxiously awaiting his arrival...any day now...

...IN OTHER NEWS...

A few pics from my camera roll over the weekend...

T and I getting our snowshoe on over the weekend. So much fun!

Also stumbled across this great comic that I couldn't help but share :) So true!!

Week 27

Week 27 | an update

How far along: 27 weeks

Best moment this week: Our new couch and chairs got delivered this week! I just LOVE them, and look forward to getting the remaining pieces and accessories ordered to complete the look. Also, passed my glucose test, which basically means I've been on a bit of a sugar high for the remainder of the week :) Road trip to Sioux Falls for some shopping!

Worst moment this week: Driving home in a blizzard from Sioux Falls after shopping. Also, not seeing T for more than about four quality hours in the last week ranks pretty high up there. After being completely swamped on his call day and not even making it home to sleep, on his day off, he had an OB patient that ate up the entire day he otherwise would have been spending at home. Ugh. All of the other evenings, he was late getting home, and had only enough energy to stay awake to eat, then was out like a light. We are hoping adamant that his scheduling team gets something worked out so that he isn't feeling so overloaded in his afternoon schedule that he can make it home at a reasonable time rather than sitting in clinic 2 hours past everyone else and still not having enough time to finish everything. Baby W may never know who Papa T is if this debacle doesn't get ironed out before June! Tear...

Things I miss: Wine. Warm weather. Cold meat sandwiches. Life is so much easier with these things!

Maternity clothes: Yes. Above leggings from Motherhood, tank from Target, purple shirt from Old Navy (non-maternity).

Sleep: Lots of tossing and turning this week. Baby W is a night owl and seems to wake up and start kicking just as Mama W wants to go to sleep. Still not getting up in the middle of the night yet, so feeling pretty good about that.

Movement: Yes, usually around 11pm lately. My theory is that post-meal conversation with T gets Baby W excited. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that Baby W can recognize voices this week. Pretty neat! 

Food Cravings: Fruit. Sweets. Veggies. Thank God for Girl Scout Cookies.

Food Aversions: Nothing this week.

Queasy or sick: Nope. 

Belly button in or out: Still pretty flat with the top trying to sneak out.

Rings on or off: On.

Surreal Tidbit about Week 27: If Baby W were to be born this week, there is an 85% chance of survival. Scary!

Looking forward to: Starting a scrapbook for Baby W. Stocking up on scrapbook supplies for a baby book was the main goal of my shopping trip to Sioux Falls. Hobby Lobby is my happy place. I can't wait to get the pages all planned out and put together. ALSO on the docket - no appearance by Baby N yet, but maybe this week! Getting closer now!

Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

Monday greetings everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and were able to catch some of the Academy Awards show last night. I just loved Ellen's hosting job, and thought it was great how she randomly decided to order a few pizzas to pass out to the stars mid-show. Too funny! While there were no real surprises, I did enjoy watching the stars arrive on the red carpet, and hearing all about the amazing fashion and jewels. Can we just have a moment of silence for Angelina Jolie's drop dead gorgeous Oscar's dress, Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani, Sandra Bullock in Steve McQueen or Jennifer Garner looking ethereal in Oscar de la Renta? Now if only I had Elie Saab, Jenny Packham or Cartier in my speed dial for special occasions...here's to dreaming...

Ok, enough of my rambling about THE awards show...On to the recipe... With the super cold temps we've had over the last several days (seriously, it's officially May now, can we stop with the negative degree temps and snow already?), I was looking for a quick and easy meal that would also be heart-warming and delicious. I kid you not, I may have found the perfect recipe. This soup was light and fulfilling, and took only about 40 minutes to prepare from start to finish making it a perfect dinner option. Another great thing about this soup? The ingredients of this soup are very SpRiNgY, and even though we are still suffering through blizzards here in NW Iowa, if you close your eyes and take a bite, you may just be transported into a sunny spring afternoon.

Step One: Gather the ingredients.

Step Two: Saute the leeks and celery with some olive oil. Add the broth, chicken, and salt and pepper. Cover, boil for 15-20 min, or until the chicken is done, then remove chicken to a plate.

Step Three: Bring soup back to a boil, add orzo, and cook until al dente, about 8-10 min. Meanwhile, shred the chicken.

Step Four: Remove from heat, and add the chicken back to the pot with juice from half a lemon, and the chopped dill. Serve up with an extra wedge of lemon, a sprinkle of fresh dill, and some crusty bread on the side.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

LEMONY CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUP | Yield: 8 servings | Total Time: 40 min.

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Tbsp olive oil
3 medium sized leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
4 stalks celery, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick

1/2 lb. diced carrots, optional
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I used pre-packaged chicken with 3 breasts halves)
12 C low-sodium chicken broth
kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper (approx. 1 tsp each, adjust to your taste)
1 C orzo
1/2 C fresh dill, chopped (one .75 oz package) - (use 1 Tbsp dried)
1/4 C lemon juice, (approx 1/2 large lemon, juiced if using fresh)

Lemon wedges, soup crackers, or crusty bread for serving


DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil. Saute leek and celery for about 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add broth and chicken, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and allow to cool before shredding into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, return broth to a boil, add orzo, and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken, dill, and lemon. Serve with additional lemon wedges and a sprinkle of fresh dill.