Happy Halloween

I sent Charlie off to relive his college days at the WP Halloween show tonight with Lee. He's been quite looking forward to staying up late and indulging. I hope it's all that he remembers it to be.

He's decked as El Nino...


And yes, he did leave the house dressed like this.


But, he did wait for the rugged furniture delivery men across the street to pull off before he made his way to the car! I'm sure they would have enjoyed a chuckle as much as I have.

And as for myself, I've turned out the porch light and filled a bowl with Halloween candy. I'll snack Um Ba-bay and myself into a sugar coma and just keep my fingers crossed that we pass the glucose screening next week.

24 weeks

I know it is growing, evidenced by the freckle on the inside of my belly button now being on the outside of my belly button!

And for once, I am enjoying the layer of fat on my belly. You see, when FCS gives a kick, the belly jiggle lasts longer than the kick sensation and it's so fun to watch the ripple in the poochy belly fat.


I'm feeling well, especially now that Dr. M gave me the thumbs up after the cervix check. I am hoping the three nights of sound sleep I got this week is a new trend. A full night's sleep makes all the difference. The bathroom trips have picked up once again, so sleeping straight through the night is impossible, but thankfully, I've managed to fall back to sleep without much trouble.

No progress yet on UmBa-bay's room, but we are managing to get upstairs generally more organized and set up for better use. Before taking off for Turkey Day, the painting will be complete and the stacks of gifts and boxes for the holidays will be moved out. So, maybe after Thanksgiving we can spend some time ordering a rug, bedding, and begin getting it ready for the boy.

Lovin'

• Year round bloomers
  
• Nightly kick watch
• Happy dogs
• Wearing fleece on long walks
• A/C free living
• Brownie baking
  
• Freshly painted rooms
• Christmas shopping...almost done
• Leftover chicken, 10 different ways
• Selection: wardrobe of three pairs of maternity pants
• A shiny new smile
  
• Weekends
• Sprouting seeds
• New stationary
• Crisp apples that make juicy chins
  

Um Ba-bay Update

At 23 weeks 5 days:

Blood pressure: 125/70
Weight gain: +12 (I'm wearing winter woolies today being 63 degrees out! The at home, sans clothes, gain is +10)
FCS heart rate: 150s
Fundal height: 23.5

Met with Dr. M this morning. He's always so full of compliments about what a good job I'm doing. He congratulated me for making it to viability, but let me know we want to keep things cooking for at least 10 more weeks. So, at least 34 weeks is the goal, but since we're greedy we're going for the full 40 weeks to let the boy grow as much as possible before he makes his debut.

We chatted for a bit about the contractions I've been feeling and the spotting. He did an internal exam and the cervix is closed and appears to be holding up. The cervix isn't showing any current bleeding and I don't appear to be in active labor. He wants me to monitor the contractions, most likely Braxton Hicks practice contractions, and let him know of any further bleeding. He'll check me again before we leave for NYC the week of Thanksgiving.

Activity is something I should do as I feel able, but as much as I'm tempted, don't push myself. Listen to my body, rest whenever able, and generally begin slowly transitioning into more periods of relaxation.

And the big question Charlie sent me with was presented: "Will I be able to travel in late December/early January?" I explained the trip would be more of a change of scenery for me, no skiing, no hiking. He warned against all the cold weather evils for me, a clumsy southern woman, such as altitude, dehydration, slipping on ice. After a deep breath, and many warnings, he advised, "Travel at your own risk" as I will be on the cusp when travelling is generally not recommended. He thought the biggest issue being I could begin laboring and while it is perfectly fine to happen in Colorado, he will not be there to come off the mountain, hold my hand, and help me through. We'll talk more about it in early December and make a more informed decision then based on how things are looking.

Glucose screen set for November 4th. Next appointment with Dr. M November 19th. And if being nearly 24 weeks hasn't already pushed me into the "we're really having a baby" mode, I set appointments for hospital preregistration and preop clearance in November. We also got a notice from the insurance company that they've approved a hospital stay for me in February.

Unbelievable!

I've been thinking...

We are strongly considering calling Frederick Charles III, better known as UmBa-Bay, Freddie.

I am also feeling that after a good year of baldness UmBa-bay will eventually end up with a head of red, perhaps strawberry blond, curls. Don't worry, I'll be in charge of haircuts and he'll never be mistaken for Ronald McDonald's boy.

So does the having the name Freddie compounded by the possibility of a red mane of ringlets guarantee we'll have a class clown in our future? I've already got a strong feeling that Charlie's teen years have won us a spot as regulars on parent teacher conference days and I'm not sure I need anything else to tempt fate.

Muppet's got a new lovie

We finally found Muppet an acceptable replacement for his beloved pink ball. It's more lavender than pink, but he's in love...protecting it, snuggling it, grooming it.

We'll be going back and buying out the rest of the stock at Petco later this evening. We couldn't take his moping if anything ever happened to this one.

A New Season

Thankfully basketball season is on the horizon and we are no longer dependent on the Saints for our weekly sports fix. We're hoping the Hornets get the city behind them and they make our sporting events a bit more exciting.

Tonight we headed downtown to a preseason game. We had a couple of yats behind us with ambitions of being Cajun Commentators, and as entertaining as they were, Charlie promised me he'd put a call in to our account manager to see if these guys would be sitting behind us all season. We may have to find new seats if we have 40+ games of it ahead of us.

Notice the sole pair of maternity jeans and
my only maternity sweater.

UmBaBay was pretty active during tonight's game. I imagine he was cheering for the team, and letting me know he does not want a baby sitter during the months of March and April when we are making it to those final games before the play offs.

Goals: Today through November 30th

• Read more
• Paint bedroom
• Plant herbs
• Plant fall seeds
• Finish holiday shopping
• Address holiday cards
• Wrap holiday packages
• Sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays
  
• Lie on the couch for 45 minutes each and every afternoon
• Watch a childbirth video in full without my hands over my eyes or ears
• Eat more protein
• Prep for the next 5 seminars
• Expand fall maternity wardrobe beyond one pair of jeans and one sweater
• Have at least one movie date
• Find birth book or register for a birth class
• Eat lunch at Middendorf's
  

The Professor

Charlie, in full professor regalia, i.e. jump drive around the neck, is giving a few lectures this week. He must be trying to make an impression on his students because he even combed his hair this morning. I suppose he's got an imagine to maintain, as he's gotten an email from a student addressed to Dr. Str**ch, asking about the "pop quiz." Yeah, he's gone soft already if they all know in advance about a pop quiz.

I'm trying to talk him into Halloween stickers on the outstanding quizzes, because I am a full believer that everyone loves stickers. He's not going for it though. He's got an image...combed hair, jump drive, pop quiz on Monday morning....no room for stickers there.

For Rude Neighbors

Since my last sign helped people get the message, I decided to work on another.


There are one or two culprits around the neighborhood, and I'm hoping this cheery sign guilts them into taking the poop with them. Trying to figure out how to attach a canister with bags to it to make it that much easier to be considerate.

There's a neighbor around the corner with a sign claiming "all dog poo DNA tested" so Charlie wanted the sign to say "Please leave your address so my dog can poop in your yard." That may be next if this doesn't work.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now, this is a cookie....


After my last cookie baking session, I did a little baking research and read about unbleached flour use in bread and pastry baking. So I did an little poking around and came across this recipe. It's a good one!


Ingredients:

• 2 cups + 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups chips (I used M&Ms)

Directions:

• Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.
• Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a metal spatula.

I got 16 big, chewy cookies from each of my 2 batches. They are quite yummy and I'll be doing this one again real soon.

Baked Macaroni

I made this earlier this week, but need to get it up here before I forget because Charlie loves, loves loves it. What's not to love about mac and cheese? Good thing, because we've been eating on it all week, with brisket, then ribs, and now we'll finish it off with a turkey I'm making tomorrow.

I got this one out of the Offbeat. It's Irma Thomas' recipe. You know the "Soul Queen of New Orleans" has got to turn some tasty dishes out of her kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 lb cheese, cut into small cubes (a mix of pepper jack, gouda, sharp and mild cheddar, colby jack)
• 1 large cooking spoon granulated sugar (roughly ¼ cup)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• vegetable oil spray

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni according to directions on the box, until almost done.
2. Drain and butter pasta.
3. Add cheese, sugar, eggs, and milk. Stir.
4. Spray a lasagna pan or other deep dish with vegetable oil.
5. Dump in the macaroni and cheese mix.
6. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

I didn't add the gouda or pepperjack. I'll try that next time. It also needs some salt, but it didn't hurt to add the salt once it was dished up and gooey on your plate!

22 weeks

I am now more than half way.


Growing?



A little of what's going on around here, 22 weeks into this baby growing gig:

• I've had some spotting this week. I've tried to put it out if my mind. If it returns Dr. M will also find the return of his hysterical, crazy woman patient that he hasn't seen for nearly 8 weeks. It did push my heart up into my throat and left me unsettled for a while, but I'm calming down.

• I've felt a fluttering wiggle on the inside as Charlie feels it on the outside....at last. I hope to have another of these moments soon. We try it out each night.

• Loving the belly, really I am, but it is beginning to become uncomfortable. And I can't even begin to imagine what it will feel like walking around in 10 weeks or 17 weeks or, dare I say, 19 weeks.
  

• I am not sleeping well. It's part belly, part bladder, part backache and perhaps part worry. So, I'm pooped much of the time.
  

• I thought knowing UmBa-baby was really FCS, III would provide a transition into calling him by name, but how silly was I to think in a house where I am addressed as "Weegie" or "Poobah" or "Poocat" that our boy would actually be called by name.

• We've ordered a stroller, and we've got a breast pump, boppy pillow, baby monitor, baby carrier, a blanket, a couple of books, a few frames, and some Boudreaux's.....all stacked in the crib, in a room scattered with the fruits of my holiday shopping. Every once in a while, I get a bit frantic over the state of the room and our lack of gear and bedding, but Charlie reminds me to calm down....after all we've got 18 more weeks. I know, only 18 more weeks!
  

• As always, life is good. Have I said that lately?
  

Fashion Show

The baby boy clothes have begun to trickle into the house, and Charlie's a good model. UmBa-bay's now got his collection of Saints' hats going. I bet we'll soon have both an LSU and an OU hat to add to the collection.

Lee and Angie Get Hitched!

Congratulations, Lee and Angie. We're glad it finally happened and we were able to be there.


They both looked happy and beautiful! Things were perfect.


Perfect party favors for Lee's wedding....koozies ! "To have and to hold...and keep your beer cold."


We celebrated our wedding in the same spot almost four years ago.


It was nice to be dressed up and out on the town...and enjoy a burger and milkshake at the Camilla Grill after wards.


And I got lots of questions, congratulations and comments on the belly. All which I loved except for someone who asked "Is it only one?"

We'll be going on a long walk tomorrow for sure.

Honeymoon Cookies

First things first...I cannot bake cookies. They never look like they are supposed to. I think I make the scoops on the cookie sheet too large, but even when I try to go small, the balls get progressively larger and larger. And then they never are "fat" enough. There's cookie baking research in my future.

Anyway, these taste good, but look silly. I think I'll stick with making "bars." Let me know if you end up with better looking cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups of flour
• 2-3 cups of "mix ins"

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. With a mixer, mix butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy.
3. Gently pulse in flour, just until mixed
4. Stir in by hand any mix ins you may desire. I used pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips. Other ideas include cranberries, raisins, oatmeal, peppermint patties. I really recommend the coconut because it gives them a chewy texture.
   
5. Roll into balls, place on greased cookie sheet, and bake for 12 minutes or until edges are browned.
   
6. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cool.
   

Date Night, Take 2

Charlie's obviously been into the goofballs

Much different than last week, even though I was pooped, not unlike most days of the week. We managed a movie, The Miracle at St. Anna at The Prytania, our neighborhood, one screen theatre.

He's looking kind of tired too!
But that didn't stop him from putting away
fried trout, oysters, shrimp, and crab claws!

Dinner before was yum! Seafood at our favorite spot right down Magazine Street, Casamento's.

Next date night planned when the next film arrives at The Prytania. It's a chick flick, but he agreed!

Um Ba-bay Pics

When we went for our anatomy scan, the ultrasound machine was out of film. But today in the mail arrived our photos, as my favorite ultrasound tech promised. Surely you can tell just what Um Ba-bay is going to look like.

Profile...

A little closer...


His little foot that was up near his head...


With his mouth wide open getting ready for his fist to be shoved in...


And the proof that he is indeed a boy...


We've got quite the collection of photos of him already. I can only imagine what it'll be like once he's outside the womb.

Life Changing

Today I am wearing maternity underwear. Not a complete necessity, but oh so very comfortable.

Yikes! Did I type that?

What's next?!? Sensible shoes?

The Great Pumpkin

C'mon, I know that's what you're thinking.

"I just knew it."

Our back steps have been needing some attention for some time. The boards that made up the landing were rotting and each day I gave thanks to not fall through. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was pretty bad.

Wouldn't you know that midweek, Charlie stepped on the wrong board and it crumbled to the point of needing to be replaced ASAP. I could have written this the moment that happened because I knew how it would all play out. But silly me tried to think that in an effort to keep the momentum going on the bathroom project (the project that after three years of putzing and planning is finally getting some real attention), he'd just replace that one board for the time being.

On the trip to Lowe's I found him with a cart stacked with multiple boards and I got the news that he'd be replacing the entire platform of the landing. Here we go.

I could have counted down the seconds before he came to me after the projects started to let me know he was headed back to Lowe's because he'd be rebuilding the entire back landing. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. I know him. There was just no other way for him.

So mid morning we have nothing outside the back door.


And he keeps up the smiling and teasing because he knows I knew it.



And by nightfall he's almost done.


And now we have a brand new landing, and I have been doing a little jig on it each time I step outside. It's the happy jig, because today he's back to working on the bathroom.

Some days all I can do is smile

Waiting for me before breakfast.

There he is, my husband, the fashion plate, playing golf on the Wii wearing red, white, and blue plaid shorts and a yellow t-shirt. And if that isn't fashion enough, the front of the t-shirt has a erlenmeyer flask turned superhero with the caption "Chemistry Power."

Do you see why I love this man?

20 weeks

Here we are, 20 weeks and counting. Halfway, Dr. M tells me. He let me know we should begin "preparing" because the weeks and appointments will be rolling soon, and little FCS, III will be here before we know it.

Preparing. I think I'm ready to prepare. I've begun to browse websites and catalogs. Maybe he'll write "shopping, twice daily" on a prescription pad for me to hand over to Charlie.

Things on the belly front are looking large...

But I'm thinking not larger than two weeks ago.

The belly is beginning to get in the way. I'm uncomfortable moving around in my new shape, and even sitting doesn't feel right with that bulge. Eating a half loaf of banana bread and 4 peanut butter bars in a day probably doesn't help (I'd never do that and eat McDonald's though!). I'm not complaining. I'm thankful to have it and look forward to watching it grow.

I've also been awaiting quickening. Everyone wants to know if I've felt movement yet. After all, I am halfway there. And maybe, just maybe, there was quickening Tuesday night as I lie awake in bed. I've been waiting for it again, but I think that anterior placenta is to blame. Dr. M said to give it a few more weeks, and start monitoring the duration and frequency of the movement. I'm trying to be patient.

20 weeks more weeks of waiting. 20 weeks.

Date Night

Or, the date night that wasn't.

I made it through dinner, barely. Alright, alright, I managed to eat almost the entire burrito at Taqueria Corona, but I was tired and cranky. And couldn't bring myself to go to the movie.

Instead, asleep by 8:00.

We'll try again next week.