WIAW #15

Happy Hump Day everyone! We're halfway through the week! I don't know about you, but this week has crawled by for me. The last two days have been absolutely gorgeous though, so that definitely helps to make it better. The bottom is supposed to drop out tonight though and it's going to get cold again. I'm ready for it to just stay warm. This back and forth stuff is for the birds! The poor daffodils are already up down here. There all so confused!

So I remembered to take pictures of (almost) everything that I ate today! Yesterday, I just couldn't get enough to eat, so I really needed to reign things back in today. So here's how I did:

Breakfast was my norm of 1 egg plus 1 egg white with two pieces of whole wheat bread with spray butter and jelly on one piece:

My morning snack was plain Greek yogurt with blueberries:

Lunch was chicken salad on a whole wheat tortilla with Special K Cracker Chips and some strawberries:

My afternoon snack was pineapple Greek yogurt and an apple:

Dinner was Beef Stew from the Crockpot, so yummy!!:

My after dinner snack was Special K cereal with 1% milk, but didn't get a picture...

I also had a cookie (or two), since they were freshly baked:

EXERCISE:
Since I knew I was going to be baking cookies tonight, I wasn't sure if I would get a chance to work out in the evening so I made sure to get one in during lunch. I did the upper body and lower body strength workouts from my Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout dvd. I almost gave up after the upper body, but I kept on going and of course I was glad I did when it was over!

So long for today...

Old Wive's Tales

There are a TON of wives tales about pregnancy out there. When you're pregnant, you find out there are more than you ever knew. And of course, everyone you meet always has their opinion, whether it's scientific or just a feeling they have. So I thought it would be fun to test out a couple of the wive's tales before I tell you what we found out last week. Here's what I've come up with:

Moodiness and a Little Tallywhacker - Girl
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you. Your pregnancy will make you smile and be happier if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you.

Bread - Girl
If you eat the ends of bread, it’s a boy. If you eat the middle of the load, it’s a girl.

Chinese Gender Chart - Girl (although a friend of mine said boy from this)
The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%. It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived.

via Babycenter.com

Side You Most Rest On – Boy
If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy. If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl.

Dad’s Weight Gain - Girl
If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl. If he doesn’t gain weight, you’re having a boy

What Do You Think? - Boy
71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having.

Morning Sickness - Girl
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy. If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl..

Protein - Boy
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy.

Feet – Girl (although my feet have always been cold)
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant? If so, you just might be having a boy. If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl.

Hands are Dry - Boy (this could be because I am constantly going to the bathroom and therefore constantly washing my hands)If your hands are constantly dry, it’s a boy.

Headaches - Boy
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy.

Heart Rate – Girl
If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl. If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.

Mayan Tale - Girl
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception. If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl. If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way!

via Watchdog.org

Cravings - Boy
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy. If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.

Shape of Belly - Girl
If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl. If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy.


From these, it looks like I'm having a girl.

So what do you think? Boy or Girl?

22 Weeks

So we found out what we are having back on the 16th of this month. We thought we knew based on the 12 week ultrasound that we had back in November, but a lot of things can change from that ultrasound, so we didn't tell a ton of people, just very close family and friends. But not too many. We also hadn't bought anything yet. Another reason for that was because I thought it was still pretty early for that. We have bought a few things, although not too much. I found out the last time that you can go kind of crazy buying for baby. So I'm trying to keep it under control!

I made some gender reveal cupcakes for work last week and I took some pictures from that. I hope to do a gender reveal post for you sometime this week. So stay tuned...

How far along: 22 weeks

Percentage Complete: 55%

Baby is as Big as: A papaya or large mango...keeping with the tropical fruits!

Maternity Clothes: You better believe it!!

Sleep: Unfortunately, still waking up 3 - 4 times a night.

Best Moment This/Last Month: Finding out if we need to buy pink or blue!!

Movement: Oh yeah!

Food Cravings: None out of the ordinary.

Gender: We know...you will be finding out soon...I promise!

Wedding ring on/off: On

What I am looking forward to: Starting to buy more for the baby as my due date gets closer.

Days until my next appointment: 19 whole days! So far away!!

So what do you think we're having? Any guesses? If I'm friends with you on FB and you already know, please don't give away the surprise!!

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Pasta

Happy Thursday everyone! We're more than halfway over with the week! We have no definite plans for the weekend, but I'm still looking forward to it. I have to apologize for not doing a WIAW post in 2 weeks. I started off taking pictures of my food yesterday, then didn't take any of lunch OR dinner, so I figured I had better scrap that idea. So instead, I am giving you a new recipe. Even better, right?

They say this is a crockpot meal, but I don't really like that name so much. Yes, you do put it in the crockpot, but there is an awful lot of prep that you have to do before hand in order to get it ready for the crockpot. Then you pretty much just heat it through and get all of the cheese melted together. I guess it saves you from having to bake it, but I think it might be good with a nice browned top right out of the oven. In any event, it was really good. TC and I both really liked it. Addison didn't care for it too much, but I think she was just being picky that day. Here's the recipe:

CROCKPOT CHEESY CHICKEN PASTA
adapted from Half My Size
Servings: 12
Points+: 6

16 oz. dry pasta, cooked
1 lb. Velveeta Light cheese
12 oz. chicken breast, cooked and shredded
10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
10 3/4 oz. can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper, to taste

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and stir to mix well.

Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Stir again just before serving.

EXERCISE:
I didn't get any formal exercise in yesterday. I did get my 8,000 steps in yesterday, but after the Dr's appt earlier in the day, I was ready to relax for the evening. Although I did end up making cupcakes for work today. So relaxing was out of the question. Oh well, there's always tonight, right?

So long for today...

21 Weeks

Hi friends. Just a quick check-in with another pregnancy update. This past week, we had our big ultrasound. We found out if we will be needing to buy pink or blue this week. We're not telling anyone yet though and everyone that was present at the ultrasound has been sworn to secrecy!! I have to go again this coming week since the baby wasn't in the best position for them to get all of the shots they needed to. They're hoping that another week will put the babe in the right position. They way I look at it, I get a bonus ultrasound!!

I have to say that my dr. was impressed with my efforts to keep my weight under control. She actually told me that I might want to eat a little more since I only gained 1 pound over the last four weeks. She also does WW, so she could speak my language about how many points I should be eating. It's nice to finally speak the same language as my doctor! Ha!

How far along: 21 weeks

Percentage Complete: 52.5%

Baby is as Big as: A pomegranate or a spaghetti squash.

Maternity Clothes: An absolute must!!

Sleep: Still waking up 3 - 4 times a night. Although I did have one night this past week where I only woke up twice. I was shocked in the morning!

Best Moment This/Last Month: Finding out if we need to buy pink or blue!!

Movement: All the time!!

Food Cravings: None. But I'm loving fruit right now.

Gender: Yep...we know!! But keeping it to ourselves for a little while.

Wedding ring on/off: On

What I am looking forward to: Another ultrasound on this Wednesday. They couldn't get clear shots of all the anatomy that they needed to last week, so they're bringing me back in for antoher one this week. Hoping the babe is in a better position for the shots they need.

Days until my next appointment: Only 2

EXERCISE:
Yesterday, we went for a three mile walk. I was going to do a prenatal pilates workout last night, but I was too tired for that. Today, I'm hoping to go for another walk and then maybe get some strength training of some kind in.

So long for today...

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Happy Friday everyone! Well, we made it through another week! This one has been pretty challenging for me, but I made it through! Now it's a long weekend with a holiday on Monday and I'm going to try my best to relax. Ha!!

So today's recipe is another slow cooker recipe. It comes together so fast and is pretty good. When we had it, TC said that he thought it was his new favorite meal. If you wanted to change up the flavors in this you could. I didn't use the cayenne pepper that it called for, but that's because we don't like a lot of heat in our food, but if you do, you could even increase it!

Here's the recipe:

SLOW COOKER JAMBALAYA
adapted from Plain Chicken
Servings: 6
Points+: 9

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 c. cooked white rice or instant rice

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.

Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Mix in cooked rice cook for about 15 minutes to warm through.

EXERCISE:
I'm still getinng in my exercise pretty regularly. I think this is part of what is helping me to keep my weight gain under control at this point. Plus, after spending my first trimester being so sedentary, it feels so good to be active. Last night I did a Denise Austin video. I did her Personal Training Sysytem moderate cardio and upper body work out. I earned just under 2 APs, but I might just have to round that up! Ha!

So long for today...

20 Weeks

20 weeks along! Halfway there! Sometimes it seems like time is flying, but then others, not so much! Me being me, I like to think that I am actually over halfway. Addison came just over 38 weeks and my Dr. and I have already talked about when she would consider inducing me, which would be at less than 40 weeks. So in my mind, I've over halfway. I'll take it any way I can! Ha!

This past week has really been great. I ate very well and got some exercise in almost every day. I'm feeling really good about going to my Dr's appt on Wednesday and I'm hoping she will see how hard I worked these last 4 weeks to have be healthier than I was in the months past. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it goes!

How far along: 20 weeks

Percentage Complete: 50% - HALFWAY!!

Baby is as Big as: A large banana (This week, we switched from the "crown-to-rump" measurements to the "crown-to-toes" measurements.

Maternity Clothes: You betcha!

Sleep: Still not sleeping very well. I’m so thirsty in the evenings and nighttime, so I’m drinking a ton of water and that makes me get up a good bit during the night.

Best Moment This/Last Month: Still feeling the kicks from the outside and Addison thinking/saying that she can feel it, too. I'm doubtful on this, but you never know!

Movement: Still kicking away like crazy!

Food Cravings: None out of the ordinary. - But I am able to eat chicken again.

Gender: Still not known.

Wedding ring on/off: On

What I am looking forward to: My Dr’s appt this week - TC and my mom are both coming along for this one. Can't wait!

Days until my next appointment: ONLY 2...but who's counting?!?!?!

So long for today...