16 week check up

My 16 week appointment was today! Baby Verno and I are doing well. I was going to post a picture and let you try and guess the sex, but our camera is currently broken... so that will have to wait till at least the next post.
I am officially showing and down to a couple of pairs of pants/shorts. One of my students (female) asked me after class this week if I was pregnant...she is the only person who has noticed and had the nerve to say anything. I guess the other 25 people in that class just think I am getting fat.
Since I am down to a couple of pairs of pants, my mom was kind enough to take me shopping for maternity clothes. We got some great stuff. Thanks Mom!! It was nice to put something on and not feel like I looked fat or like I was trying to squeeze into something that was too small.
The next dr.'s appointment is in a few weeks and is the sex screening ultrasound which will be recorded on DVD. (how cool is that?)
What's your guess?
Chinese Birth Chart says Girl
Wedding Ring test (to and fro) says Boy
I have been craving meat, milk, lemons, oranges, cherries, melons, and bananas.
Heartbeat was 159 at 8 weeks, 155 at 12 weeks, and 154 at 16 weeks.
I am carrying low.
Stay tuned for a pic.....

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

The last few days I have been craving biscuits. To me there is not much better than a hot homemade biscuit fresh from the oven slathered in strawberry preserves or sorghum molasses. I remember as a kid going over to my granny's house where she would make me one of two things for breakfast---buttermilk biscuits with room temperature butter and molasses, or cinnamon toast.

Now, I love to cook and bake, but I am someone who appreciates modern convenience as well. I admit that for the last few years I have been buying Pillsbury Break and Bake cookies, and Pillsbury Southern Style frozen Buttermilk Biscuits.

About 6 months ago I made chocolate chip cookies from scratch, which I haven't done in years. I haven't bought Pillsbury cookies since. I was surprised how much better they were than Pillsbury (who happens to make a great, easy cookie), and it really didn't take that long.

I wondered if this may be true for other items we all have gotten away from making from scratch. There is currently a trend towards buying local, and towards foods with less preservatives and shorter ingredient lists. Organic is the new thing. To me organic doesn't have to mean a pricey item bought at the local Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Market. Organic to me means growing what you can at home, buying from your local farmers, eating at home more, and making things from scratch for better health. This buttermilk biscuit recipe has only 6 ingredients-- all of which I already had in my pantry and fridge. It took about 20 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to bake. And they were way better than the frozen ones.

Recipe is below: (Makes 5 biscuits) Serves 2-3 people

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup well shaken buttermilk
Butter for greasing pan

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with butter. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt by hand. Add the shortening, and butter and mix with your fingers or a fork until it is crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix with your hands. The dough should be a moist ball when it is ready to roll. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough 1 inch thick. Add more flour to prevent sticking. Using a 3 Inch biscuit cutter cut the dough into rounds and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Note: I cut the recipe I found in half, but of course you can double it for a family of 4. If you don't have a biscuit cutter use a clean can (I used a clean tuna can).
Happy Baking!

Snoogle

So I have been having trouble sleeping since I became "with child". By trouble I mean one of two things, either it's "pregnancy insomnia" caused by any or all of the following; hormones and morning sickness, or anxiety about birth, parenting, finances, etc..., or I sleep so deep that I fall asleep in an uncomfortable position and stay in that position all night thus causing me to wake up and not be able to lift my arm in turn causing me to not be able to run or walk. Of course, I find this highly irritating.

Naturally, I am complaining about all of this to my best friend who so wisely recommends to me the Snoogle pillow. Now, let me preface this by saying that I did see this pillow before my friend recommended it to me, and I thought at first that this was possibly another pregnancy gimmick. I am getting ahead of myself.

The first pregnancy "gimmick" I bought was a tummy sash. I thought it would help me wear my jeans a bit longer by acting as a belt.

They called it "our solution to your mother's rubber band," which I thought was quite clever. I meant to ask my mother if she used a rubber band to hold her pants up in her early pregnancy days but haven't yet.

Anyway, this turned out to do as it said it would. It smoothed things out and keep my one size too small seven jeans up and looking good.

However, it felt like a girdle. And it was hot and maybe too small for me. I honestly don't know why any woman who is pregnant would go near this product. I was miserable for a least 2 hours before I decided that the $30 spent was going to have to be $30 lost.

As you can imagine I was a bit hesitant to spend $50 on a pregnancy pillow at this point since I am only 15 weeks at this point, and probably not near as uncomfortable as I will be in about 3 months. But I convinced myself that since I have refrained from buying any pregnancy books up to this point, that the Snoogle could and would be an investment, and my husband agreed that if it helped me sleep well then it was worth it.

So, I went to Babies r Us, bought the Snoogle, brought it home, and unpacked it. I was shocked at how well Snoogle justified it's $50 price tag with this amazing diagram.So last night was our first night with the Snoogle and I have to admit that I did sleep well and did not wake up with a sore shoulder or arm....which was fantastic..so thanks best friend..and Snoogle!!!!!

Books, Books, Books

Reading is and always has been one of my favorite things to do. When I was a kid my mom would take me to the library every week, and I would check out the biggest stack of books that I could carry. Every summer I read countless books. By the time I got to high school and college the "reading for fun" thing became obsolete. I had way too much reading to do that wasn't for fun. Since I finished graduate school a few years ago I have been reading like crazy. The books that I like are typically funny, happy, romantic at times, and easy to read. I usually browse the nearest Barnes and Noble until I find something I like, take it home, read it, and then buy every other book I can find by that same author.
Some of my favorites over the past few years have been.
Jennifer Crusie, Sophia Kinesella, Emily Giffen, Stephanie Meyer, and Jennifer Weiner.
Those that had the most impact were;
Remember Me? by Sophia Kinesella
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophia Kinesella

Something Blue by Emily Giffen

The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

All of Jennifer Weiner's Books are great but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be Little Earthquakes. I loved it before I was pregnant, so I am looking forward to reading it again.

I just finished two more great books this summer that I really liked. The first was a bit heavier than what I would normally pick up, but turned out to be unexpectedly funny.
1. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
This book is about family, home, life and being in that middle place where you are a parent and a daughter at the same time.
2. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah.
This is a beautiful story about two best friends and their journey through three decades of friendship. It will take you back, suck you in, and make you miss your best friend. It's quite a long read but well worth it.

I am looking for my next book, if anyone has any recommendations send them my way....

Pregnancy update:
---still puking once every couple of days hoping that will end soon.

--sleeping better at night and not napping as much

--got a detailed bill for the pregnancy from the obgyn for the next nine months and was shocked at how much it costs just to give birth with insurance.

--bought my first pregnancy bra....by pregnancy bra I mean I bought the ugliest, most comfortable non under wire bra I could find at Target 1 size up from my normal size.

--still trying to run every day...but I am really walking most of the time because it is 100 degrees and humid.

13 week update

At this point I think everyone knows that we are expecting. It has been fun telling everyone and starting to plan for a new baby. I have already bought a few things that I just couldn't resist, and we have started saving money for baby items that we know we will need in a few months. It is very exciting. My 3 month check up was last week and the baby is doing great so far. The doctor says that I am doing well too.

As for the pregnancy symptoms they have not been exciting or enjoyable at all. At my first doctors appt. I found out that I was 8 weeks along. The doctor asked how I was feeling and my response was nauseous, tired, and moody. Her response was "Well, I don't have anything for moody, but I can give you some nausea medication." She also listed some other items that were supposed to help nausea, like arm bands, vitamin b suckers, etc... so I decided to try the meds. (they are a godsend)
At the time I had only been sick about 2 weeks.
I am now 13 weeks and 1 day and still getting sick which was confirmed this morning. (bummer) Last week was the worst week so far, for those of you that have been pregnant will know,that the only food I wanted was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had three last week.
I still find it interesting that many people told me to try eating crackers before I get out of bed, because unfortunately this has not worked for me. I guess this is the proof that every pregnancy is in fact different.
While nothing has worked in the morning when I am sick, I have found a few things that work for me during the day and at night. Peppermint Tea, Gatorade,
lemon heads, and graham or animal crackers.
I haven't had any really strong food aversions yet, not strong enough to make me puke at least, but I have eaten things that I used to love and have found them to be not as good as I remember.
So what have I been eating?
Well that poses an issue as well with all the pregnancy restrictions.
I knew before I went to my 8 week appt that I could not eat raw fish, that I had to limit caffeine, and that I had to take vitamins.
What I did not know was that I can not eat tuna at all which was one of my lunch staples. I also found that I can have cooked fish only twice a week. In addition to that I can't of course have much coffee (which might have been the hardest thing besides the tuna). If that wasn't bad enough I also am not allowed to eat deli meat unless it is steaming hot (gross), and any soft unpasteurized cheese is not allowed either. In addition to that I don't really like red meat, I only eat it maybe once a week, and fried or spicy foods tend to irritate the baby as well. On the up side all sugary snacks seem to sit well with me, which could be considered a plus except that I don't want to gain 100 pounds and I do not want to get pregnant diabetes either.
So I can eat chicken, pork, or cooked fish twice a week, any vegetable, any fruit, any bread, and I am supposed to limit sugar, and increase my calcium, and protein intake for the baby.
So I have been eating a ton of fruit, a ton of chicken, specifically chicken and brown rice or chicken and baked potatoes for dinner. For lunch I have been eating a lot of chicken salad. I have been drinking milk, eating yogurt, and cottage cheese when I can and have had the occasional bowl of ice cream. As a result of all the sickness and food issues I haven't gained much weight yet, though I am told it packs on in the second trimester. I also have been told that when the sickness ends I will be able to eat whatever I like, which I am very much so looking forward to.

A Wicked July 4th

Last night for the fourth of July my husband and I went to dinner and after to see the Broadway musical Wicked at the Orpheum. If you are not familiar with it Wicked is the untold story of the witches of oz; the wicked witch of the west, the wicked witch of the east, and Glinda the good witch. The star of the show was Marcie Dodd who played the lead Elphaba (the wicked witch of the west). She is fantastic, and rightly so since she plays Elphaba currently in the Broadway company of Wicked. Glinda's character is played by Helene York and she is everything you would expect of Glinda and more. Glinda has a beautiful soprano voice, is blond, and wears dresses that sparkle. Both are surprisingly funny in an Amy Poehler way. Overall the show is fantastic, the costumes were great, the singing, the musical score,..I can't think of a thing negative to say about it. It was also very kid friendly (I would say ages 8 and up), and the story has a great lesson for middle and high school kids. So, that is my ringing endorsement of Wicked. If you have the opportunity you should definitely go and see the show!
Before Wicked Chris and I discovered what we now call the hidden gem of Beale Street. Above BB King's is a hidden gem of a restaurant. I have been downtown many times in the last 3 years and never saw this restaurant. If you aren't looking for it you'll miss it, because there is no street side entrance. You have to go up a staircase from the street or into BB kings and upstairs to find the restaurant Itta Bena. I would describe the atmosphere as intimate, swanky, 1920s ish, and very cool. It's fine southern dining on Beale street, with reasonable prices, and the best she crab soup. The menu is southern contemporary cuisine with items such as Shrimp and Grits, Filet Mignon, and Grilled Halibut. They have a great bar, piano music, and an extensive beer and wine list. If you want a quiet place to grab a drink on Beale, trust me, it is unlike any other bar on the street.

Corn on the Cob

Today I spent my morning with 40 ears of corn on the cob. Corn has always been one of my favorite veggies. I grew up in a small town outside of the big city I now live in where my mom and dad had a huge backyard garden. Every year they grew corn, tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, squash, and cucumbers, just to name a few. My mom and dad would pick the vegetables, can, and/or freeze them for us to eat year round. So you could say that my dad's sweet corn, sweet pickles, and tomatoes are among my top comfort foods, along with my mom's roast beef.
At the end of June each year my dad brings me fresh corn and tomatoes from his garden. The tomatoes are so delicious that you could eat one like an apple. Chris and I will be having BLT's for the next two weeks. Tomatoes are what I call a low maintenance veggie, you just wash 'em and slice 'em. Fresh sweet corn however is a high maintenance veggie. First they must be shucked (outside of course in July heat with flies swarming so there are not tiny silky hairs all over your kitchen). Second they must be thoroughly checked for worms and bad spots (gross I know).

Third they have to be blanched in hot water, cooled, and last stored in freezer bags on the cob or Tupperware cut off the cob.
Now I know to a normal person this sounds like a lot of work for a vegetable that you can buy for $2.00 a bag in the frozen food section at Kroger. And I will say that you are right... it is a lot of work. I put up about 40 ears of corn today and it took me about 3 hours total from start to finish including clean-up. But I will tell you that there is nothing better than my dad's sweet corn on the cob or off the cob to comfort me year round.

The child within

As you can probably tell from this photo or if you already knew, I am expecting my first child in about 6 months. My husband and I are very excited and can't wait to meet our new baby! I find this cover to be hilariously out of date. It was a book given to me by my mom when she found out the news. It was a thoughtful gift regardless of the clearly 80s cover since this is the book my mother read when she was pregnant with me. No what's to expect when you are expecting for her!

So how did I find out I was pregnant?

Well, it's funny because the top signs for pregnancy are what they have been for many years.

1. Missed period
2. Sore breasts
3. Nausea
4. Frequent urination
5. heartburn
Oh and the famous disclaimer: Every pregnancy is different, lots of people don't have any trouble at all.

I even remembered my friends and mother mentioning one or more of these symptoms. I'm not sure though that I ever really thought about the fact that you could experience all and many more symptoms at the same time, or how extreme they actually were.

So, I have devised my own list so that if by some chance I become crazy or forget what it felt like in the first three months of my pregnancy.

1. Marathon runner's fatigue.
I am a runner and this is the only way I can think to describe it. I felt fatigue as if I had run a marathon that day. (Keep in mind I currently work, and run 3-5 miles 6 days a week.)
2. Sore breasts.
So sore that it's excruciating to even wear a bra much less run in a sports bra. (which I did)
3. Nausea/morning sickness. ( most days in the first 3 months)
morning sickness is not always in the morning and could last all day. This is nausea that is only treatable with pregnancy prescription pills. Eating a few crackers did not help nor did sprite or ginger ale. It woke me up every morning and was there some nights before I went to bed as well.
4. Vomiting. ( I know pregnancy is so glamorous) It was only in the morning for me, and it didn't seem to matter whether I ate or not. I actually threw up sprite and crackers one morning.
5. Increased sense of smell.
I first noticed the smell thing when I magically could smell my students gum as if it was right under my lip.
6. Slowed digestion
now this one was interesting for me because I always thought that the pregnancy symptom with digestion was heartburn. (I haven't experienced that yet, I hear that will come later.) With me, it was a constant feeling of being full as if I had just eaten a huge meal. This did keep me from overeating which is a plus.
7.and last Moodiness.
All the books say that moodiness is expected. Your body is adjusting to all the hormonal changes and happy days and sad days are expected. For me this was one of the hardest symptoms to deal with. I am someone who is active and likes to be in control. The moodiness made me feel out of control at times and that was and is frustrating. Luckily my husband is very understanding and can recognize when the hormones are talking, so he hasn't left me yet.

I believe now at least that pregnancy and labor is as God said in the bible and in the book my mother gave me.

John 16:20
And Jesus said, "Your weeping shall suddenly be turned to wonderful joy. It will be the same joy as that of a woman in labor when her child in born--her anguish gives place to rapturous joy and all pain is forgotten."


Forgotten being the key phrase here. This explains why every women I have ever spoken to about pregnancy describes it as a wonderful and amazing experience. The truth is that it's not easy all 40 weeks, but it is worth it and every horrible symptom is completely understandable. I am currently taking care of another human being inside of my body. Now I think it was silly of me to expect it all to be a breeze.