33 Weeks

January 30, 2015

I've been a little blog absent this week, but with good reason. 
I got the stomach virus. 

Let's just say that in your 3rd trimester is less than fun. Even less fun than the flu. 
In all honesty I think it's put me in a funky mood, 
there has been no amount of makeup to cover the damage. 
See also, the white of my right eye is blood red. 


Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 33 weeks (technically 33 and 4 days in this pic)
Size of baby: Baby H is the size of a head of cauliflower
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants and bras, and Piko tops. Plus whatever of Jeremy's that fits. Support belt and compression stockings have become a must.
Gender: Boy
Movement: Constant. He sticks out body parts and it's hard to convince him to stick them back in.
Sleep: Iffy, but that's due to sickness topped with a post nasal drip and insane acid reflux. Plus the little boy kicking at 5am doesn't make for peaceful sleep until the alarm goes off. 
Cravings: I really wanted ice cream yesterday. 
What I miss: Getting up quickly and easily, both of which are essential when you have a virus.
Highlight this week: Not having to go into the hospital. I got threatened by my nurse that if I didn't stop puking at the 24 hours mark I was going to have to be admitted. It quit just in time to save me from that drama.

Do I sound crabby much?

I think I've handled the hormonal moods well up until this week, and I've just been in a sour mood for days. I think the only solution would be some alone time with a good show and to eat without feeling bad afterward from the reflux. 
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Chocolate Pecan Pie

January 21, 2015

I had every intention of having this recipe up before Christmas.

We all see how that went. Pregnancy has really done a number on me, 1st trimester I was sick as a dog, 2nd I felt great but neglected the blog, and now in the 3rd it hurts to sit, stand, sleep, or exist.

Much less sit at a computer long enough to edit photos.

Has anyone else experienced the numb upper abdomen thing? Ick.


The pie I'm sharing today isn't the most beautiful, but it tastes amazing.

Nanny, who I've said before hated chocolate, made this several times and I was quite happy every single time I got to the house to see this sitting in the kitchen.

Even better than the fact that it's super easy and insanely delicious is that the recipe makes 2 and it freezes incredibly well.


Chocolate Pecan Pie


Ingredients::
3 1/2 cups sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
dash salt
6 large eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk (Pet Milk for the Southerners)
2 cups of pecans
2 prepared pie crusts (homemade or store bought - but uncooked)

Directions::
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide the pecans between the two pie crusts, if using halves this is the time to lay them out pretty. In a large bowl combine sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, eggs, butter, and pet milk. Beat with an electric mixer until combined and then divide between the two pie crusts. Place pies on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes until set.

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32 Weeks

January 20, 2015

We are growing, and I say we because there is no way the weight I gained since my last visit is all baby. Oh how I can't wait to breastfeed and shed some of this nonsense!


Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 32 weeks
Size of baby: Baby H is the size of a squash
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants and bras, and Piko tops. Plus whatever of Jeremy's that fits. - added a support belt to the mix. 
Gender: Boy
Movement: Not as jerky as it was, he seems to have run out of room and randomly sticks things out and I have to push them back in.
Sleep: Decent this week as long as I take an Epsom salt bath before bed. Only getting up twice to potty is pre-pregnancy sleep behavior for me!
Cravings: Cold stuff, ice cream and ice. The enchiladas from yesterday are calling my name.
What I miss: Getting up easily and weighing way less than this. 
Highlight this week: The baby shower was this week and it was adorable! Plus we had our last regular OB appointment today. He is measuring at 34 weeks. In three weeks we have our last ultrasound, and I get tested for the next round of fun. Plus it begins the violations! Then it's weekly visits from there. Eek!!


I got these baby shoes at the shower, are they not to die for! Reminds me of something Jeremy would wear.


My goal was to write all my thank you notes this week, and I totally checked that off the list. Now to have time to mail them tomorrow. Luckily the embosser Mom got me for Christmas came in and it made return addressing a breeze.


Also I've said it before, but I've been freezing meals every week so we can survive when everyone is gone after the baby gets here. If you haven't tried The Gracious Pantry's Enchilada Sauce you should. I tend to make the rest of it not as clean eating (chicken breast filling but with fat free refried beans and cheese). Jeremy loves her sauce so much I haven't bought enchilada sauce in probably 3 years. 
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Meal Pinning Monday

January 19, 2015

A week that involves an extra day off of work is the best kind of week. 

Especially when you didn't have time to grocery shop on Saturday as usual, or Sunday... so it looks like it's a Monday grocery run kind of day. 



[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - Clean Eating Enchilidas & Sour Cream Rice (brown rice) - this is also a frezer meal for post baby dinners. I added green onions to the rice, precooked it, and only baked until it was bubbly to cut down on the time. 


Tuesday - leftovers

Wednesday - Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce over Grits

Thursday - Williams Sonoma Mexican Lime Soup (all time favorite soup)

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday & Sunday - I'm out of town so Jeremy is fending for himself:)
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31 Weeks

January 14, 2015

The Bump claims the baby is the size of a pineapple this week, I'd like to disagree. 
I'm pretty positive I'm harboring something more Ellie sized in there right now. 


Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 31 weeks
Size of baby: Baby H is the size of a pineapple
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants and bras, and Piko tops. Plus whatever of Jeremy's that fits. - added a support belt to the mix. 
Gender: Boy
Movement: Not as jerky as it was, he seems to have run out of room and randomly sticks things out and I have to push them back in.
Sleep: Decent this week as long as I take an Epsom salt bath before bed. Only getting up twice to potty is pre-pregnancy sleep behavior for me!
Cravings: Anything and everything that isn't currently residing in my house. I can't quit eating this week and have done well with not having a lot of cravings. 
What I miss: Touching my feet, and not having rib pain. This kid is long, and I'm only comfortable when he isn't stretched out and settled down in the bottom of my uterus. When he stretches I can feel him the entire length of my torso... which isn't a lot to begin with. 
Highlight this week: Nursery prints came in and I'm in love. I'll share the nursery on here once it's completed, just a few more things. 

In all seriousness, pregnancy hormones need to give me a break this week. I am constantly ticked off at work and don't have the patience for anything. 
At home I'm great, but Jeremy makes that easy. 

I think I'm going to have to suck it up and say something about my pain at the next appointment. That has a lot to do with my mood. If I'm standing my back is killing me, and when I sit this kid shoves into my ribs so much that my skin goes numb and my muscles ache. 

8 1/2 more weeks to bodily freedom. 
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Meal Pinning Monday

January 12, 2015

Another week, and I'm trying not to be a blog slacker this go around. First up - Meal Planning Monday. Which has turned into a series of what can I double and freeze meal plans since about November. 


[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - South of the Border Chicken Casserole (eat, freeze, and freeze another for a new mommy friend)

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Spicy Chinese Noodles (P90X modified recipe)

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Eating out

Saturday - Baby Shower Day! We are taking Joshua to the movies and where he wants to eat dinner for his birthday. 

Sunday - Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Chips
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30 Weeks

January 6, 2015

Growing pains have hit, and I'm sporting a church bathroom picture to boot. 

In true Thibodaux praise team fashion I was running behind and Jeremy had to be at church earlier than usual for practice. Hence the bathroom pic, I also finished teasing my hair in there. 

Still doing better than the Thib Sundays when I was on the praise team and did my makeup with my phone camera on a music stand. 


Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 30 weeks
Size of baby: Baby H is the size of a cantaloupe
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants and bras, and Piko tops. Plus whatever of Jeremy's that fits. - added a support belt to the mix this week. 
Gender: Boy
Movement: All day, every day. He keeps sitting somewhere weird and causing me to have this strange numbness/pain sensation at the top of my stomach. The heating pad seems to help diminish that.
Sleep: Not so good that work started back. 
Cravings: Crushed ice, eating it really helps with heartburn. I'm also wanting sweets, which I haven't been craving that much.
What I miss: My old bra size. I finally measured because my Coobie bras were cutting into me (these are one size fits all bras) and I had out grown them and needed the full size. Kid you not, 3 bra sizes in growth. I imagine my milk coming in will only add to the fun.
Highlight this week: Jeremy got the furniture and baby room basically complete. All that's left for me is minor decorating. He seriously ran with the bookshelf after I sent him a pic, it's really been fun having him get excited about baby stuff. I know not everyone gets that and I'm not taking it for granted one bit.

So question, I can't use Icy Hot can I? I really want some Icy Hot, this kid has kicked up into my ribs so much that the muscle around where my bra sits in insanely sore. 
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Meal Pinning Monday

January 4, 2015

This week is back to the grind of work. I can't exactly say I'm excited, it was really nice being at home for an entire week during the break with Jeremy. That is something you rarely see us do over a work break. 



[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - Grilled Chicken with Cheesy Cauliflower Poppers 

Tuesday - Sausage Potato Spinach Soup

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Barbacoa Beef Tacos - made with pork since it was 1/2 the price

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Date Night

Sunday - Eating out after church
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A Look Back at 2014

January 2, 2015

I've been a bit lazy on the blogging front lately, but I really wanted to relish in the down time we created this holiday.

Typically we are on the road from the day school lets out until we have to be home again for work. Not exactly the most relaxing of things, but you do it anyway to make everyone happy.

This Christmas we cut everyone a bit short in favor of going to Houston for a few days to have fun together and buy baby furniture.

Then we had a little New Year's party.

And didn't get out of bed for the majority of the day yesterday. I only opened my computer long enough to plug in my verse for the 2015 Siesta Scripture Memory Team on the Living Proof blog.

It's been refreshing to be so lazy, especially with the last two months as a childless couple upon us. We've gotta soak it up now before I go into dairy cow mode for the next year. Ha!

So, a look back at 2014, I of course have to scour Instagram to remember what we did a few of the months!

January


We celebrated Pop's 75th birthday by surprising him with a big ole cake during Surefire's monthly show at the Shrine. I honestly cherish the memories I have of going to see him play music my entire life, who knew that December of 2014 would be their last performance because the Shriner's in Natchez are having to sell their building.


We also saw something I haven't seen since I taught in Bastrop, and ice storm.



February


I went with a group of ladies from church to a women's event in Houston and got my first taste of Ikea.

March


Jeremy has helped with D-Now many times, but I finally got the chance to be a D-Now leader this year. Makes me definitely wish I would have had the opportunity to do so in college.


It wasn't really an event, but I just love when the weather gets pretty and the buttercups bloom. Makes for nice dog walking weather.


April


We got to hit up a Honduran restaurant in West Monroe, it was so good!


And Jeremy and I went with Pop to see an acapella group, they were good!


May

Relay for Life is always in May in my home town, and since both of my grandparents are cancer survivors Pop always walks. I wish I could have been there this year since Dad started chemo in May, but he wasn't feeling well enough to attend. 


Jeremy graduated from NSU with his Specialist in School Psychology! I cooked up a storm that weekend feeling awful only to find out I had the flu. These were the macaroon shells I made for him, not exactly pretty... but when you have to make your own almond flour because you can't find any it tends to be a little less fine ground. 


I also celebrated the end of the school year with two good friends who happen to be teachers, we got pedicures, and ate way too much.


Then Jeremy and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. He isn't the picture type, so you get to see the dessert we had ha!


June


It's June, so of course there was some VBS taking place! Julie I think was at a doctor appointment when we took this (we were counting down to her baby girl arriving this month), but getting to work with girlfriends made VBS so much more fun!


And then of course, we went to Puerto Rico. I need to finish blogging about it, but my Dad's family is from there. We were super lucky because his chemo was going so well he was released to travel with us and felt fine the entire trip. They even postponed a round so we could go:)


We even made the old man go zip lining for Father's Day!




July

Mom came and helped me with a slip cover project. To be as time consuming as it was it looked great. Sadly the slip cover died when I washed it after we moved. 


I finally convinced Jeremy to take me to The Farm!


 We played some golf, the heat was making me feel awful so I just drove the cart.


There was finally a blogger event that took place when I wasn't at work, so I went to the grand opening of West Elm in New Orleans and met up with my blog buddy Aimee.


We also announce that we were pregnant! That five year plan worked down to the day just about, we always said we would have kids after Jeremy graduated and we had been married 5 years. Literally the next month we were pregnant.


August

Dad had his last chemo treatment and came down with pneumonia the next day. That led the family on a less than fun adventure of him being sedated and on a vent in ICU for 3 weeks before finally being able to wake up and recover just enough to get moved to a rehab hospital for a month. He nearly died on us several times and freaked us all out quite a bit. 

All to show just how unpredictable life can be. Chemo went by the book, but a compromised immune system can pick up any little thing it wants to. We all had several nurses and staff stop up and say they never thought he would have survived it, I was just as surprised especially after sitting in ICU watching the monitors and their awful numbers. 

Mom and I looked a little crazy getting excited over terrible blood pressure just because he has risen a few numbers since the last visit we were allowed to have. 


I also started at a new school, lucky for me I have a principal that was super understanding and knew that I would be leaving at any second if something went wrong back home.


September

We found out we were having a boy and Dad finally woke up from the sedation just in time to get to Facetime with us to find out. We ended up not having to break hospital rules since he was sent to the rehab hospital, but Mom and I had gotten the ICU staff to agree to let us Facetime with him in there if need be. After all he had been through though they were letting him do just about whatever he wanted ha! 


Jeremy and I went to our first LSU game with our friends Christy and Aaron. That is one loud game! 


My morning/all day every day sickness started to ease up some. Funny thing was that with all the meds I was taking, vinegar and super sour stuff worked the best. This is my pickles, carrots, and vinegar, topped with lemon pepper snack I lived off of. 


October

We bought our first home!!


November

Nothing super eventful, just a baby bump, baby books, and traveling home for Thanksgiving. 




December

 Passed my glucose test, which was awfully awful to have to do right after Thanksgiving! Then again weighing yourself at the doctor at all during the holidays is just down right mean.


We opted for a simplified Christmas, just our old ghetto decorations. It was more important that we got the house unpacked than bought a big tree.


I was the most excited about getting this order in from Scholastic, very first one made for our own child.


Then there was that babymoon in Houston -


Where I beat Jeremy at a game of Top Golf, 3rd trimester belly and all!


There were aspects of this year that were great, and some that were terrible. Here's to hoping 2015 has a lot more great memories and a lot less terrible ones. 

The two biggies I'm waiting on is for Dad to get the free and clear from cancer and that this baby makes a healthy appearance! 
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