20 weeks and counting...

Today we are officially twenty weeks into this pregnancy which really takes my breath away. It seriously feels just like yesterday that I came walking out of the bathroom, tears streaming down my cheek, waving the pregnancy test in Daniel's face. It had been a long two and a half years of trying but yet it came as a total surprise to both of us. So much so that the week prior to knowing for sure when I commented that I might be, Daniel swore up and down I wasn't and to quit getting all worked up about it...what did he know!!

Not only is today the official twenty week marker but it is my 26th birthday which puts me at four away from being thirty. I will be honest with you, that number scares the absolute hell out of me...LOL. Daniel got through his without any problems but you are looking at someone who had issues with turning 25 so that should be interesting.

Today is also big for our marriage! For the first time in the almost three years that we have been married, my husband is now working first shift which means I will have someone to eat dinner with, watch TV with, and to also celebrate my actual birthday with.

Seriously, could this day get any better??

Our first big baby purchase...

Would anyone care to know what we are doing tonight?

No, well tough, I am telling you anyway...lol!!!

We are making the first big baby purchase since we found out we were expecting. My wonderful MIL has stepped up to the plate and has offered to buy the little ones crib and it is currently sitting on hold for us at Babies R Us. Would you like to see the one we have picked? If yes then please see below.

Now as you can see the changing table is attached to the crib which means we won't have to purchase an extra changing table. I spent weeks researching cribs and after countless favorites, reading customers reviews to the last letter, and weighing the pros and cons of picking this particular one as opposed to others, we decided that this one my friends, is the big winner. Here are my reasons; it's a lifetime crib which means that not only will it be a crib but it will also eventually be a toddler bed and then sometime after that a full size bed, it has a changing table attached which means we won't have the added expense of having to go out and buy a stand alone changing table that can only be used for so long, this one can be used on it's own as a nightstand if we so choose. My last reason is the big one, the nursery is relatively small so I knew we wouldn't have room for all of the furniture we originally thought we might need so buying a dresser was out of the question. This changing table has drawers attached which means all of the small things I knew would need to be in grabbing distance during diapers changes would be right there safe and sound. This means that we can get away with not having a dresser and thankfully the closet is set up in a way that it has shelves so the plan is to buy smaller baskets for the clothes that cannot be hung.

Now at the end of the day the crib is a little on the expensive side, we're talking between three and four hundred, but if you were to add up the cost of buying a crib, dresser, and changing table we were talking close to a thousand dollars if they were all purchased from Babies R Us. I am anal like that and wanted all of the items to match and I knew there was no way in you know what that we would have a thousand dollars just laying around for nursery furniture so at the end of the day I think we have made an excellent decision. We offered to split the cost of the crib however the MIL said no so off to Babies R Us we go.

I can't believe we are to the point where we are buying a crib. This pregnancy seems as if though it has flown by. My sister and I were talking just the other day and she said she couldn't believe how fast mine is flying and how slow hers is taking. She is two centimeters dilated by the way!

To make it seem like this pregnancy has gone even quicker is the fact my Doctor must have been having an off day during that first appointment when she said my due date was February 18th, that didn't seem right to me and our ultrasound tech confirmed that it was off at our 9 week ultrasound. I have been telling everyone I was due the 10th but was still sticking with the week that I was told I was at in the pregnancy. I finally sat down today and pulled the calendar off of the wall and started counting the weeks that have passed since this journey began so to say. As I originally suspected we are due on February 10th which means I am a week farther than the Doctor originally thought. Next Wednesday I will be 20 weeks which more importantly means we are half way through this journey. I cannot believe that in four months I will have this little one in my arms. It all just seems so surreal, how I went from wanting a baby so bad to actually putting those feelings aside so that I could devote all of my time to getting well and then bang, Baby B is on their way. I guess what they say about not thinking about getting pregnant or trying so hard and it will happen is true. We are proof that it is true and I guess when you have something else to put your mind towards so that you aren't thinking about it, it actually becomes feasible and not easier said than done.

Our next appointment is the 25th so I am excited that we will finally be able to schedule the ultrasound that will reveal whether this little peanut is a girl or a boy. Daniel has finally been moved to first shift which thankfully should only last until February, but I am sad to think he is going to miss out on all of the appointments starting with this next one up until the baby is hatched. He did say that they should allow him off long enough to join me for the ultrasound but even if they don't I have come up with a plan so no matter what happens I won't find out before he does. You may be wondering why I am not thrilled with the idea of him being on first shift, it's something we have wanted for awhile now because it would be nice to see my husband more than twice a week, but now that the baby is on the way we were sorta glad it never happened because my being on first while he was on second meant one thing...NO DAYCARE!!! I refuse to have my child in daycare at this point because it just seems so unfair to have to put my newborn in daycare with the kids and all of their pesky germs, especially now with the swine flu going around. I know that some have no choice but I was hoping it wouldn't be a choice that we would have to make. We also didn't want to have to do it because honestly, there is no way that we would be able to afford it even if we tightened our purse strings at home. We figured that since my sister will be a SAHM that she would watch the baby for those two hours that we wouldn't be available and she happily agreed. Now though we could possibly be facing the fact that the baby might be away from home during the entire day, my sister is OK with it but my fear is having two newborns under one roof that she is responsible for entirely will be overwhelming. She always said she wanted twins so I guess this is as close as she may get...LOL. I guess we will play everything by ear. For now the goal is to get this baby here, we will worry about babysitters later!!

Hopefully my next post with either be with the results about whether it a boy or girl, or when it is scheduled! I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be the first one and that they get me in right away because honestly not only am I going mad waiting, but our families are ready to know as well.

One thing...

I have one thing to say...round ligament pain sucks. I feel like I have just done fifty sit ups after having not done any in ten years...lol. As much as the pain and discomfort sucks I know it just means things are growing and shifting around like they should be to make room for my little one. I have already started having trouble sleeping, I can't sleep on my back, I can't sleep on my tummy, obviously, but even sleeping on my sides hurt. I was starting to wonder I am just being a big fat complainer but my sister confirmed today that she started having trouble sleeping around the same time. It's nice having someone to go to so that we can compare notes, now if only our husbands would understand...lol. Good news for my sister though, after her doctors appointment this morning the doctor confirmed she has completely thinned out and Dylan should be here within the week. I am going to be an Auntie, YAY!! She is definitely ready as she can't even sit without being completely miserable. I joked with her today that I will wait until her labor and delivery to determine whether or not I want to go through with this, she promised not to scream to loud. The girls at work informed me that I am in to far to turn back now, I am going through this whether I want to or not.

On a nursery note, we are starting to work on the nursery this weekend. We have lots of stuff that needs to find a new place in our home so this should be interesting. As I mentioned in a previous post we are doing a farm theme in the nursery and my step-dads girlfriend has offered to do a mural for us. I can't wait until the room is done and ready for the baby. The nursery takes priority but then we get to start working on the spare bedroom upon the nursery's completion. The room is currently being used as Daniel's personal walk in closet so we have to organize and get the furniture arranged. We're slapping on a fresh coat of paint and getting some new bedding and then that room will be ready to go for any overnight guests that we might have in the first few weeks of the baby being home. It's ridiculous that we have been in this house for three years next month and it's taken a pregnancy to push us into getting things done around here.

I am off to bed now, hopefully I can get comfortable, this ache in my belly really needs to cease until it's time to get up...lol.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

Last week I had the urge to come up with some new dinner ideas for the hubby and I and so before we did our grocery shopping I perused several different blogs and some of my favorite cooking websites. I found this recipe at allrecipes.com and thought why not give it a shot. Daniel is not a big red meat fan and the first time I made pot roast I think he dreaded having to sit down at the table with me and eat it. Lucky for me though he loved my pot roast and I have slowly started bringing him around. He still won't touch a steak of any kind but hey saves more for me. Of course I was somewhat leery of how this would be accepted by him but I knew that as long as it came out tender and juicy he would at least be willing to try it. Plus put anything on a sandwich with cheese and peppers for him and he's a happy camper.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef
Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf (I omitted)
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (5 pound) rump roast (I used an eye of round roast because we were unable to find a butt roast)

Directions:
1. Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.

2. Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.

3. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.

Now as usual I started putting this together without fully reading the instructions...big surprise I know. I completely skipped step one and ended up just putting everything in the slow cooker mixing it together as I went and then I threw the roast on top. Honestly, I don't see the point of step one so even if I had read the directions, I probably would have skipped over it anyway. I am afraid that here in five months I am not going to have time for extra steps that can be omitted from a recipe...lol.

Also a quick note, GENTLY place your roast into the slow cooker, DO NOT accidentally drop it in, especially if you omit step one as I did. Why you ask? Because if it gets dropped in, the liquid ingredients get splashed EVERYWHERE!! All over yourself and into your hair, on the poor dog who was just an innocent bystander and all over the kitchen counter and canisters and then unless you shower or give the dog a bath you will smell like italian seasoning for the remainder of the day. The other dogs are giving Lennon a hard time because they think Mom gave him a treat and forgot about them, poor guys.

Anyway, we served ours on hoagie buns with lots of mozzarella cheese and banana peppers and threw them in the oven for a few minutes to help melt the cheese and to make the bun nice and crispy. These were so good and so flavorful. I really think you should give them a try!!

Don't forget about my first ever giveaway. Everyone has until midnight on the 15th to enter!

Cabbage Rolls

Tonight I made cabbage rolls for the very first time in my life. Seriously, the trying to pry cabbage leaves off of a head of cabbage without them tearing is a chore. The women folk on my facebook page suggested putting the head of cabbage in hot water and then they should peel right off. Where were those suggestions when I started the process...lol.

I had planned on using my MIL's recipe because honestly, hers are the best I have ever eaten. As usual though I couldn't find the recipe card she had given me, I know the vicinity in which it's located but I just couldn't find it this round...maybe because I was looking to hard. So instead I sort of winged it and came up with my own and let me tell you, I was so darn proud of myself I almost cried. Not as good as my MIL Sue's but they were yummy, especially for my experimentation. Daniel suggested adding more meat next time and I will since I will know then how to get my leaves off in one piece.

Katie's Cabbage Rolls~

Ingredients:
12 cabbage leaves
1 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned (I used only 1 lb. but the boss said to use more)
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
sprinkle or two of ground black pepper
1 cup white rice, cooked as directed on packaging
1- 8oz. can sauerkraut
1- 26oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup chicken or beef broth (plus extra in case needed)

Directions:

1.) Begin by boiling a large pot of water and in a separate skillet begin browning your ground beef. In a smaller pot begin boiling water for your rice.

2.) Add your garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to your ground beef mixture. Drain excess grease and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool. Add rice to water, cover and set aside. Once the rice has absorbed all of the water throw in with your ground beef mixture.

3.) Slowly and carefully pull your cabbage leaves off of the head of cabbage trying to keep them intact.

4.) Dip the cabbage leaves in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes to soften them enough that you can roll them. Drain and allow to cool so that you can handle them.

5.) Turn on your slow cooker to the low setting. Remember cold food into a cold slow cooker, warm food into a warm slow cooker!!

6.) Begin stuffing your cabbage leaves. Add about a scoopful of the meat mixture placing at the bottom of the leave. Tuck in the sides and continue to roll forward. Place each roll in the bottom of the slow cooker slowly building them up as you go along.

7.) Once all of the rolls are in pour in your tomato sauce, sauerkraut, and chicken or beef broth. Take a spoon or some kind of utensil and gently pull your cabbage rolls away from the side of the dish long enough to allow some of the liquids to slowly make it down to the bottom of the dish. Cover and turn to high for four hours or keep at low for eight hours. Keep extra broth on hand in case it appears your cabbage rolls are beginning to dry out. I did ours for four hours so I imagine that after eight the liquid may have all but evaporated out.

Serve alongside a heaping mound of mashed taters and you have yourself one heck of a comfort meal. Throw in some green beans and it becomes that much healthier for you.

Also make sure you take a look at my previous post for something very interesting!!

First Ever Katie's Korner Giveaway

I had full intentions of having my first giveaway back around the time of my 100th post but this little thing called pregnancy got in the way and my blogging had pretty much come to a screeching halt.

Since I am back into the swing of things when it comes to making a mess in my kitchen I figured better late than never!! So starting today and ending on September 15th at midnight I am doing a giveaway...yay!! In order to participate all you have to do is two things; if you haven't already...become a follower of my blog, and leave a comment on this post giving me your favorite pizza recipe. You can either type the recipe out or paste the link of where I can find the recipe. The husband and I have been making more pizzas at home and I would love to branch out to pizza combinations that we haven't yet tried! As a bonus if you mention this giveaway on your own blog you get an extra chance to win, just make sure you mention it when you leave your comment!

Still working on the prize but it will be worth your while and my guess is that it is going to be pizza related. I just love suprises don't you? Also, please be sure you leave me with some way of contacting you should you win and unfortunately, this giveaway is only open to those living within the United States...blame FedEx and their outrageous prices.

Happy posting!

Apple Crisp

We had another family dinner this past Saturday night and since we had yet to make a trip to the grocery I had to come up with something that included ingredients that were currently awaiting use in my pantry. I stumbled across this one and I am so glad I gave it a chance. You will see the few changes I made listed next to the ingredients.

Apple Crisp I
Compliments of Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced ( used 6 granny smith apples)
  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 packets instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal ( I only used 2 and used what I had on hand that had cinnamon in it, cinnamon roll and cinnamon and spice)
  
• 1 pinch salt ( I omitted)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts ( I used about a 1/4 cup of pecans, it was all I had)
  
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place apples in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in flour, instant oatmeal and salt. Fold in walnuts. Sprinkle oatmeal mixture evenly over apples. Drizzle with maple syrup.
3. Bake in preheated oven 50 to 70 minutes, until apples are tender and topping is golden.

This was really good and I wish we would have had some vanilla ice-cream to go along with it. It would have also been much better with more pecans...I forgot just how good pecans are in things. This is definitely one to try out during your fall festivities, I can see it now, getting fresh apples from your local orchard and then sitting around a nice campfire as you eat this with a nice warm mug of apple cider. Can you tell fall is my absolute favorite time of year??