Happies and Crappies

Happy: My brother fixed the air conditioning in my car, fixed my dome lights,changed my oil, and buffed out some of the scratches I put in the side of the van (oops).  Having a mechanic in the family is SUCH a blessing!

Happy: It was SO NICE to drive home in this 100 degree weather with air conditioning!

Crappy: He also discovered that my alternator may be going soon.

Crappy: This is especially bad timing because we just replaced the alternator in Ryan's car only a few weeks ago. It's an expensive repair and a terrible coincidence that both would go within a few weeks of each other. Sometimes you just can't win.

Happy: Isaac had his first viola lesson yesterday and it went pretty well.  The teacher seemed a little skeptical at first about how serious an eight year old boy could be about the viola but it seemed like Isaac had won him over when the lesson was over. 

Happy: My friend Kim gave us a pretty huge inflatable pool for Isaac.  We had to get rid of our old inflatable pool, so this was an especially nice gift for us. 

Happy: Ryan was also able to fix the outside spigots which hadn't worked so well the past few years. (One didn't work at all, and the other only put out a tiny trickle of water).  This made filling the pool up much quicker!  And we can water the lawn again, if we ever feel so inclined.

Crappy:  We set it up, and Isaac played in it for a bit.  Then after a few hours we put it in the garage. Meanwhile, an inspector from the home owner's association came around and issued us a citation for "storing items in the yard".  WTH.  You can bet I was on the phone complaining today after I got the citation in the mail.

Happy: We leave TOMORROW for Miami to meet the Carnival Victory.  I am so excited for our cruise!

Crappy: There is still so much to get in order before then.  And for some reason, I picked up a work shift today.  What was I thinking?? 

Happy Wednesday!

Fifteen Weeks

Sorry again for the low quality debris filled picture.  Next week's will be better.

 

How far along: 15 weeks

How big is baby: Fruit and veggie scale says "about the size of an apple". 

Weight gain: At my doctor's appointment Friday I weighed in 2 pounds less than my previous visit, which was great.  I really don't understand how that is possible since I have devoured a whole pan of these... But I will take it.  I am supposed to be pretty careful with my weight gain. 

Sleeping:   I am starting to wake up a few times a night to pee but I am still sleeping well for the most part.  

Food cravings: Lemonade still sounds amazing, which makes me laugh.  This is so Ryan's baby.  He would drink lemonade all day everyday, while, before pregnancy, I could take it or leave it. 

Food aversions: Nothing specific comes to mind.  I am becoming a fan of food again.  

Symptoms:  Emotions are still crazy.  The other day in the car I found myself bawling because I started thinking about Isaac going away to college.  I have also noticed a lot of blood in the sink when I am brushing my teeth which a pregnancy symptom too, according to What to Expect.  It's also been really, really hard to stand the heat, which has been in the 100's with insane humidity.

Miss Anything?: Diet Coke.  I am trying to go for caffiene-free or lemonade instead.

Doctor’s appointment: I have one Thursday.  I stopped in briefly last week to have them fill out some paperwork for our cruise to Cozumel.  

Wedding Rings: Still on! 

Clothes: Getting tighter.  I packed mostly flowy dresses for Cozumel.  I have a few longer shirts and looser shorts that are getting me by for now.  When work starts again and I can't wear spandex workout pants everyday, there will need to be serious wardrobe re-evaluation.  

Movement: The doctor says it's possible the little flutters I am feeling could be movement.  Although, she says it's also possible they are just stomach gurgles or gas.  I am not in too big of a hurry to feel movement to be honest.  I know sooner or later s/he will be kickingme in the ribs all night long.  Is that terrible to say? 

Best moment of the week: I went to my appointment and there was a really young student doctor guy there.  He tried to use the microphone thing to find the heartbeat, but he couldn't and got a little flustered.  I think he was worried that I was going to scream at him, "What do you mean my baby doesn't have a heartbeat?!" When the doctor came in she was like "Well let's just take a look on the ultrasound."  So I got a bonus sneak peek of the baby kicking and moving in there. I got to see little feet, little hands, little legs, and spine. Dr.says it looks good.  

What I’m looking forward to: Upcoming cruise to Cozumel (this week!!!!!).  This will be baby's second trip to Florida.

What I did / Got for baby: We are on a really tight budget.  No shopping this week.  

What I learned this week: The baby can suck it's thumb!

 

Ten on Tuesday - Summer Vacation Edition

1. My birth certificate came in the mail yesterday.  That is my last big thing I need before we leave on our cruise (next Thursday!!!!).  I was so worried it wouldn't come in time that I paid for it to be expedited and then Fed Ex'd here overnight.  Might have been overkill, but it made it in plenty of time, so that is a relief.

2. My mom called me today to let me know she has picked up Isaac's viola.  Have I blogged about that?  He gets to play an instrument next year in third grade and came home totally enamored with the viola.  I am going to see if I can get him a few lessons in August to tide him over till school starts and capitalize on his enthusiasm.

3. I am teaching ESY (summer school for special ed kids) and my classroom is in a little trailer outside of the actual school building.  The other morning I got a text that someone had jumped the fence and broken into my classroom over the weekend.  I  have moved most of my belongings out of there except for the few things I need for the last week of summer school, but I was still concerned.  When I got there, the custodian showed me a bag of things that they had found in the front of the school.  Here's what the thief decided to take:

Yes, he/she didn't take my stereo, the walkie talkie, or internet access stuff.  S/he took crayons, cookies, and my tape dispenser.  I am thinking whoever broke in was about ten.  I went from nervous and upset to rather amused.  I mean, really?  My tape dispenser?

4.  Usually during the summer I tackle cleaning and organization projects around the house.  But so far this summer I have just been watching a lot of Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares on Hulu.  I am going to need to dig deep and come up with some motivation though because my basement and garage are disastrous.  

5.  

 

6. Our cruiseship has a Mexican buffet that starts at midnight. Plus free room service.  Something tells me I am going to be gaining some weight before we get home. 

7. Ryan rearranged the living room furniture and I hate it.  His point was that the couch was blocking one of the airvents, which made it hot in here.  This is a valid point, now everytime I walk into the living room or watch TV all I can think about is how much I hate it.  We need to find some sort of compromise.

8.  Isaac randomly asked me about Travyon Martin the other day.  I guess his dad was watching news coverage in front of him.  He had all sorts of questions and concerns about what happened and why this case is important.  It is sad to sort of have to help Isaac realize what a cruel and terrible place the world can be.  How do you explain to an African-American eight year old that some racist people will look at him and see a criminal or something fearsome.  Sorry... that just got serious.  Moving on.

9. This is so me... 

10. Anyone else out there watching Switched at Birth?  It is getting SO GOOD.  

Happy Tuesday!!!

Pregnancy update - 14 Weeks

A blog I really enjoy reading  does a weekly pregnancy update.  So I decided to use her format as inspiration.

(sorry for all of the random debris on the above picture.  I didn't see it until I uploaded it.  Not sure what that is all about).

How far along: 14 weeks

How big is baby: Fruit and veggie scale says "about the size of a lemon".  I don't understand how something that is the size of a lemon can be moving around in me and I can't feel it, but whatever. 

Weight gain: I haven't weighed myself recently.  

Sleeping: I’m sleeping well for the most part.  Waking up occasionally in the night to pee, but so far sleep is good.

Food cravings: Lemonade, lemonade, lemonade.  Wheat toast with butter also tastes DIVINE to me.  I had six pieces with my bowl of soup the other day. 

Food aversions: Well, for the first 13 weeks or so, all foods were pretty aversive.  This week I am finally feeling like eating again.  That said, Ryan made potato salad the other day that I couldn't even imagine myself eating and usually I love potato salad.

Symptoms: I am feeling much more energetic the past week or so.  I don't know if it is because I just entered the second trimester, or because I am finally remembering to take my prenatal vitamins more regularly or what, but I will take it.  I have felt so energy deprived and exhausted for so long, it is nice to feel a little more like myself.  I am also always hot (and the 100 degree weather isn't helping).  Ryan was laughing at me in the mall the other day because I felt like it was stifling and he was like "Lisa, it's really cool and comfortable in here".  Heightened sense of smell is still going strong too.  At least once a day I declare that something smells dreadful and Ryan informs me he doesn't smell anything at all.  

Miss Anything?: some of my smaller/less stretchy tops and pants.  

Doctor’s appointment: I have one Thursday.  I stopped in briefly last week to have them fill out some paperwork for our cruise to Cozumel.  

Wedding Rings: Still on! They’re tight, but I can still take them on and off.  We will see how long they last.

Clothes: I was feeling badly about how soon I seem to be showing with this one.  With Isaac, I really didn't wear maternity clothes until I was six months or so.  I remember a co-worker being surprised that I was pregnant and I had already found out that he was a boy.  However, I was in much better shape prior to that pregnancy compared to this one.  I gained a lot of weight leading up to the wedding that I never lost.  Anyhow, I am not wearing maternity clothes yet, but I am down to my biggest pants, loosest tops and flowiest dresses, or wearing my pants unbuttoned. I did buy a maternity top the other day on super clearance (like 3 bucks) from my work.  I would like to avoid maternity clothes for as long as possible though.  Once you are in them, you are stuck in them forever...

Movement: Every once in a while a twitch or something, but I know it is probably not really movement yet.  

Best moment of the week: Our fun family day to the Six Flags, even in hot weather.  

What I’m looking forward to: Upcoming cruise to Cozumel.  Gender reveal ultersound.  Really dying to know if this is a boy or a girl so I can get to shopping.

What I did / Got for baby: We haven't gotten much for baby yet.  We did see a really clean and nice swing on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it that we scooped up.  That is pretty much it.  I don't have much left over from when Isaac was a baby, so we will be starting all over.  

What I learned this week: The baby has fingerprints now!

I am still alive

I am still alive, just seems like there has been too much going on to stay on top of the blog.  I will do a pregnancy update tomorrow.  In the meantime, here is what is going down in the Stephenson-Horne household. 

Isaac really enjoyed his week at Scout Camp.  Tom had told Isaac about shooting BB guns and I guess he asked about it the very first day at camp.  He also seemed to enjoy swimming and archery.  I have been assigned to be a new Den Leader and thus, was obligated to go up to Scout Camp for a day.  I was pretty much terrified and forced Ryan to come along.  Those scout moms in hiking boots and frame packs intimidate the heck out of me, and I wasn't facing them alone.  It didn't exactly get closer to my comfort zone when we arrive because it turned out we were in charge of knots and... we don't know how to tie any knots...

Our first session was kind of rough, but we had an hour off after the next group and we coerced a den chief into helping us practice them over and over and over.  The second session went much better, although I never really got the hang of bowline knot.  

We had a very low key fourth of July.  Isaac had been spending a few days with my mother, so I drove out to meet them.  I mostly played with him for the morning (and worked on IEPs) and we watched an old school movie I remembered from my childhood 3 Ninjas.  Isaac was a fan.  His dad asked to change up his visitation schedule and he took him Thursday night.

This left Ryan and I to head into a neighboring town to see some fireworks.  It wasn't as fancy as Philly fireworks, but it was nice none the less.

When we got Isaac back, we decided to head up to Six Flags for the rest of the day.  It was unbearably hot (like 100 degrees) and the car even started to overheat on the way there, but we still had a lot of fun nonetheless.  Ryan was great to pick me up free cups of ice water at every concession stand we passed which helped a lot.

Jason Derulo was having a free concert there so we found a shady spot to enjoy it.  Isaac is very into dancing and choreography, so I think he enjoyed the show for that aspect.  Afterwards, there was enough time for Isaac and Ryan to hit up a few rides.  Ryan even hit up the rides that he normally avoids (like the spinning one below) so that Isaac didn't have to ride them alone, since I am out for the count on the everything except the carousel.

I randomly won a 50 dollar Sephora gift card from a blog giveaway and I went to spend my money the other day.  It has been a while since I treated myself to something totally self indulgent like make-up, so it was too hard to decide.  Among other things, I finally got a Tarte Amazonian clay blush (on my wishlist forever).  I got it in the color Exposed.  It is really nice!

The only other big thing is that Ryan and I booked our honeymoon cruise and are heading out July 18.  We leave from Miami and make two stops: Key West and Cozumel.  Then, when we return, Ryan and I will be spending an extra day in Miami before we fly home.  We are SO EXCITED. We keep watching youtube movies that other people have shot on our cruise, researching our ports, possible excursions and restaurants.  I am really looking forward to a few days away to travel and relax.  The countdown is on!

Set Timer: January 2014

If I haven't told you in person, or if you don't follow me on facebook or instagram you may not have heard the news...

We are pretty thrilled.  Everyone knows it has always been my dream to have another baby.  My first pregnancy was so stressful and really just dreadful and I have always wanted a chance to have a "do-over" to enjoy things more.  Although, with an 8.5 year old on my hands, it is a little intimidating to jump back into the world of diapers and middle of the night feedings. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Due Date? January 2.  But it will probably come before then since I am having another Cesarean.

Really, C-Section again?  Yes.  I really don't want to try for a VBAC.  Don't try to convince me I should.

How are you feeling? Exhausted.  After 5 o'clock I am done for the day and by 9:30 it is a struggle to keep my eyes open.  Now that I am on summer vacation I have been trying to squeeze naps in whenever I can and that has helped.  But seriously, I have no energy at all. I hope things pick up soon as I am heading into the second trimester.

Are you barfing constantly? No.  With Isaac I threw up all the time.  This one I feel a general sense of nausea and ickiness but much less throwing up.

What about cravings?  Nothing really sounds good to me except French Fries, which I consistently craved during my first pregnancy.  And I find myself wanting lemonade more than I have ever have before.

Did you plan this or was this an oops or what?  Yes, we got pregnant deliberately. But it happened quicker than we assumed it would.

Are you going to find out the sex?  Yes.  I don't like waiting.

Are you hoping for a girl this time?  Not really.  If I had my way, I would have another boy. 

Is Isaac excited?  Moderately.  His dad has two under two, so babies have lost their novelty for him. 

Also, fun fact.  My sweet sister in law Deb is also pregnant and her baby is due January 3!  One day after mine!  Built in best friends!!!

Random Thursday - Easy Recipe Edition

I am in love with the topic today.  I can be sooooooooooooo lazy with cooking and I can't be bothered with weird ingredients or too many steps, especially on busy nights after school.

I like to eat a lot of chicken and I like anything with Mexican flavors, so I pretty much always keep cheddar cheese, black beans, taco seasonin packets, etc. on hand.  Here is a little list of some of my go to dinners with links from the interwebs.

Ranch Cheddar Chicken - this one is easy and yummy and is one of those rare meals that everyone in the family will eat.  I have used Fiesta Ranch mix before instead of regular ranch and that was yummy too.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta - this is SO YUMMY.  Don't be intimidated by the longest list of ingredients.  It is not hard to make.

This is my go to pasta salad for barbecues or picnics.  We also have it as a main dish quite a bit.  I always leave the olives out BECAUSE OLIVES ARE DISGUSTING!

This isn't a main dish but I posted here about ridiculously easy pumpkin muffins.  I made them last Thanksgiving and people were so impressed and they are really almost embarassingly easy.  

These two recipes are from a cookbook and are also easy go tos.

Fiesta Quesadillas

1 (11 oz) corn with red and green peppers, drained

1 (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 cup fat-free refried beans

8 (8 to 10 inch) fat-free tortillas

1 cup (4 oz) shredded colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend

1. Mix up corn, chiles and refried beans. Spread 1/4 of the mixture on a tortilla. Top with another tortillas

2. So the book tells you to put these on the grill, but I don't have one. It also suggests the broiler. I usually just put it in a frying pan with a little Pam on low heat for about 3-5 mins. I turn it over with a pancake turner and do the other side for about 3 minutes, making sure all the cheese is melted.

3. Cut into wedges and eat. I had mine with tomato soup. I'm a big soup person.

Makes 4 quesadillas (450 calories each).

Nacho Bean Soup

1 (14.5 oz) can ready-to-serve vegetable broth 1 cup of milk 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1 (15.5 oz) can pinto beans, drained, rinsed 2 cups (8 oz) shredded taco flavored cheese blend 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't have any, so I just used dried) 1 cup broken tortilla or corn chips

1. In large saucepan, combine broth, milk and flour; blend well. Cooke and stire over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.

2. Stir in beans, chiles, cheese and cilantro. Cook 5 mins or until thoroughly heated and cheese melted, stirring constantly. Sprinkle individual servings with tortilla chips.

Makes 3 (1.5 cup) servings.

While it doesn't exactly fall into the "healthy" category (590 calories!) it definitely was easy and delicious. 

Linking up with Lin and the other girls.  Can't wait to some new recipes.