March 2010 Archives

21 Weeks
Originally uploaded by kerner

Poor me, 4 1/2 months ago... "too big to wear normal pants."

Still no baby yet, I'll keep you updated!

39 Weeks
Originally uploaded by kerner

Well, I don't think I'll be visiting Los Angeles anytime soon, but you do what you can for backdrops when you work at an airport!

Total weight gain/loss: 26 pounds. Thank you, Mr. Gall Bladder! I feel awkwardly shaped but not really heavy. I am still pretty comfortable at 39 weeks, which from what I gather, is fairly rare.

Maternity clothes? I'm starting to outgrow some of the shorter shirts. The other day I was shopping for a rocking chair after work and realized my skirt had ridden down, my shirt had ridden up, and there was nothing covering my belly as I walked around the store except the waistband of my enormous pantyhose. Sexay!

Stretch marks? So far, still none, although I'm wondering if there might be some on my back that I can't see. The skin right around the widest part of my belly sometimes feels like it's stretching all the way around like a too-tight belt.

Sleep: Still pretty good, thank the Lord!

Best moment this week: Sleep, precious sleep. I am thankful for every night of sleep I get, because I know these days are short-lived!

Movement: Yes, pretty steady but nothing crazy. I can see my belly move, but I haven't had anyone else comment on it.

Food cravings: Anything sweet! It has taken mighty willpower to stay away from the Girl Scout cookies that were delivered recently. I am allowing myself 1 a day.

Labor Signs: Nothing major, but I've definitely been feeling some twinges and occasionally tightening of my belly.

Belly Button in or out? Completely flat. I'm kind of freaked out by it & afraid to touch it. Sometimes it feels like it's going to rip open - eek!

What I miss: Being able to slouch without getting kicked in the ribs! This child is very good for my posture.

What I am looking forward to: meeting baby J! I am feeling pretty anxious about all the uncertainty surrounding the actual birth - when, what's going to happen, etc. - but I'm trying to stay positive and focus on the end result.

Las Fallas: Ninots 26
Originally uploaded by janettduarte

Ever since I first stumbled onto the Flylady site back in 2004 (it was 3 days before taking the bar exam - do you think I procrastinating much?), I have been a big fan of meal planning.  I can't say my house is much cleaner, but at least I usually have enough food in the house to cook 3-4 healthy dinners a week.  Since there are just two of us (for at least a little bit longer!) this is usually enough to get us through the week with leftovers and evening meetings, etc. taking up the slack for the other nights.  I really like to cook, but the big benefits of meal planning for me are saving money and eating healthier than I could in a restaurant.

Several blogs I read regularly post their meal plans for the week - I think it might be nice to be able to look back and see what I've done in the past to get ideas on those weeks when I'm completely drawing a blank.  It's also a convenient way to share recipes with my sister (we sometimes work on our meal plans together over the phone on Sunday afternoons). 

Sunday:  Two-Bean Tamale Pie, side salad
Monday:  Turkey kebabs & cabbage slaw (Jan/Feb 2010 Everyday Food magazine), hummus & pita bread
Tuesday:  Dinner with Awesomers (our church life group)
Wednesday:  Leftover Tamale Pie 
Thursday: Turkey & slaw wraps (leftovers from Monday)
Friday:  Paella in honor of Las Fallas* (personal recipe, but I'll take some pictures and see if my husband will write up the recipe on his blog)
Saturday: Out to eat for my birthday? 

*I was planning to be in Spain for the Las Fallas festival this year - 10 years after the first time I was there during college study abroad - but obviously the baby had other plans!  (The picture at the top of the post is one of the paper-mache statues that is burned on the night of March 19th as the culmination of the festival.  There's a lot more to it than that, but it's certainly the most memorable part!)

We'll see how much of this week's menu plan I actually get to make... I am coming into the home stretch for my due date - March 22!

A new month... my due-date month... how did we get here already?  Baby is still doing well and at this early date (3 weeks until due date) doesn't seem to be in any particular hurry to go anywhere.  Which is fine with me, because I have closets to clean!  (My nesting instinct kicked in big time last weekend, and I found myself awake before 6am on Saturday cleaning out closets.  Yes, I am insane, but my closets look amazing!)