19 weeks, a new recipe, some new decor, and a new niece!

Well I just finished eating a delicious dinner (if I may say so myself!)  I got the recipe out of a cooking light magazine and need to share it with you!  Along with some homemade bread and salad, it was wonderful.  Thank you Amy for your help in making it! Even though I am stuffed, I feel like I could go eat the leftovers.  

Saucy Carbonara Pasta

1 16 oz pkg spaghetti

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 ounces of bacon (or pancetta)

1/3 c. chopped walnuts (I used pecans because that is all I had)

4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 c white wine (I probably used a full cup)

1/4 tea crushed red pepper flakes (I will use more next time...wasn't very spicy)

2 eggs

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 c chopped parsley

Ground Black Pepper

Cook pasta.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil.  Add the bacon and cook 3 to 5 min until crisp. Add walnuts, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 to 2 min, stirring often.  Then add the wine and cook 2 to 3 min to slightly reduce the liquid. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with half of the cheese. Remove skillet from heat. Pour egg mixture into the pasta and toss. Garnish with the rest of the cheese, parsley, and pepper.  

My variations:  I used turkey bacon that I cooked in the microwave.  You will need a little more olive oil or white wine to make it a little saucier.  It's not going to be a runny dish.  I cooked some chicken tenders in a skillet with butter, cavenders, garlic powder, and onion powder.  When the pasta dish was all done, I cut up the chicken and added it on top with some cheese to give us some meat.  What can I say, the guys like to eat meat :) I didn't measure the white wine or oil or red pepper flakes.  It's just not that fun if you have to measure :)  And I used pecans instead of walnuts cause that's what I had.  I served it with homemade rolls and a salad.  YUMMMMYYY!!!  I served 4 and have 1 serving leftover. So if you are making it for more than 4, you want to double the recipe.   Seriously it might be one of my favorite meals I have made in a long time.  

Here is my 19 week 3 day belly (right after that dinner above!!!).  But I feel like the past few days, my belly has popped out and rounded!  I am thinking it's going to be a big baby!  And Jeff got to feel the baby kick on Friday night!  It was such a cool feeling for both of us to feel the baby kick at the same time.  Next doctors appointment will be in 3 weeks.  

Here is my belly yesterday.  Not a great picture but oh well.

And here is what Jeff and I worked on Sunday morning before church.  I went shopping at Hobby Lobby with my momma and picked out some stuff to hang on the walls.   

And last but not least, we have a new niece!  She was born this morning at 8:03 to Adam and Casie and Emery.  They haven't picked out a name yet but I am sure she is just as adorable as her sister.  We are going to see them sometime this week.  Hope everyone's week goes well!

Doctors Appointment Update

I went to the doctor this afternoon.  Jeff had practice so my good friends Amy and Jace came!  It was way more fun having company there.  Although it was the quickest doctor's appointment ever.  I got there at about 4:10 to check in and we were checking out at 4:25.  I even gave my sample, asked about 7 questions, heard the baby's heart beat and scheduled my next appointment all in that time.  I love my doctor's office!   The appointment went well.  He said I am still measuring ahead a couple centimeters but since our ultrasound at 15 weeks showed that baby was on track for our due date, he said it's nothing abnormal. The heart rate was "about 155" according to the doctor. So who knows!  And since he saw everything he needed to see at the last ultrasound, we don't need another one.  I was a little bummed at first right when he said that because I had been hoping to see this little baby one more time! But then got to thinking that I should count my blessings that this baby is still doing so well that I don't need another one.  And this further seals the deal in not finding out since I can't find out at this point.  I could request an ultrasound but insurance would not cover this 500 dollar expense unless there was medical need.  So we will just live in suspense for the next 21 weeks until we meet this little one! I seriously cannot believe how fast this is going! I'm sure it will feel a little slower as I get bigger but I don't want this to end. I am having so much fun being pregnant! (Sorry if that makes any of you other moms mad because you had tougher pregnancies!) Well I am off to get ready for bed.  I love feeling the occasional kicks/thumps.  I can't wait until I start feeling more movement where Jeff can feel the baby move also.  I will post a picture this weekend.  Love to you all!

18 Weeks

Last weekend, we went to my parents house to have a birthday celebration (My brother's birthday- sept. 17th, my Uncle's birthday - 20th, my birthday-22nd, my dad's birthday, 29th, my mom's birthday - oct 3) My sister's birthday is in June...lucky her!  She gets her own special day instead of a group celebration!  

And here is Jeff and I :)  He really hates getting pictures taken but he was a trooper that day.

Here's my belly at 18 weeks and 2 days.  Hope everyone has a good week!  We go to the doctor on Wednesday so I'll update after the appointment!  

A week overdue...

I have been meaning to post my 17 week picture but just didn't get around to it. Here's a picture of me in my new shirt that my sis Natalie bought me for my birthday!  It's also a nursing shirt and super comfy.  Thanks sis! I will do another post tomorrow of my 18 week belly.  Still feeling great!  I go to the doctor on Wednesday and will schedule my next ultrasound then.  Can't believe it's gone so fast!  I need to get working on all this baby stuff!

I know this is outdated (from May of this year) but it's a great picture of my sis!  Love you and miss you! 

And this picture is also from last May but has all my family in it.  

16 weeks and a new mirror!

I want to ask for prayer for our dear friends Ryan and Chelsee Jones.  Ryan's father passed away yesterday very suddenly.  Chelsee is 37 almost 38 weeks pregnant and it just makes us so sad to think of what they are going through at this time.  So if you could remember them in prayer, I know they'd appreciate it! 

For my birthday last week, Jeff wanted to give me a new bathroom mirror/medicine cabinet and light.  I was so excited to go pick it out :)  Here is a picture of the new one we got.  He surprised me today and put it up while I was at work.  I love it so much!  It's bigger than our old one and has a lot more space and looks much more updated.  Thanks Jeff!!!  We are going to paint our ceilings soon and put up new window treatments in the bedrooms so when that's done, I will post more pics. 

And here is my 16 week and 2 day belly.  

Pregnancy is still going great!  I go back to the doctor in  2 weeks and will then schedule my last ultrasound(Lord willing) around 19 or 20 weeks. We are so excited to see the little one again!  I am feeling movement a little more often but nothing really regular.  This past weekend, Amy and I went to Fort Wayne to shop with my mom while our husbands were out of town. I got some cute maternity tops and a new comforter/bed set for our guest bedroom.  I was so exhausted when I got back home and had to work today so it's not set up yet. But as soon as it is, I will post some pictures.  My sister is visiting this weekend so I will be up in Fort Wayne hanging out with her all weekend. I'll post some pics of us next week.  I can't wait to see her!!! This will be the first time she sees me with a belly :) Hope everyone has a great week!

So sweet!!

Second post of the day! I don't know if that has ever happened.  I am exhausted after a fun day with my mom and mother-in-law at Johnny Appleseed Festival and a dinner date with Jeff.  I just got out my CD of pics from the ultrasound and when I opened the cover (it was one with a snap and really hard to un-snap), I must have cracked the CD right at the part where the pictures were! GRRRRRR.  So I will have to see if the doctor's office can get me another CD on Monday. But I took a picture of the one we have printed out so you can see a little bit of what our baby looks like.  It's looking at you and there is a hand at the top waving :) The bigger dark spot on the belly is the bladder. There is dark spot above it and that is the heart.  And here is a belly pic of me at 15 weeks.  Enjoy!  I will post an update when we hear back from the doctor. I guess he calls all his patients after an ultrasound just to go over everything.  Oh yeah...you'll have to re-vote since I changed our poll.  

Ultrasound Update!

We just got back from our ultrasound and it went great! We have a 15 week old baby (which is what I was originally thinking).  My due date is still March 12.  I just have a really tall uterus.  The tech said because I am tall, my uterus just has a little more height to it.  The baby's head is right at my belly button! :)  We got to see many pictures of our little baby! When it waved at us, I started crying.  Too cute! We saw all ten fingers and the tech said our baby had big feet!  We also have a very active baby!  (It's probably a little Jeff - he was very active!) He/She kept moving around during the whole thing which is great!  That also might explain why I have felt the baby move and she said because I am thinner than some, that also might explain it.  It seriously made me love this baby so much more after seeing it.  I can't even describe what it felt like to look at the spine, the head, the little heart beating, the bladder, the little hands and big feet. :) We feel so blessed to have a healthy baby!  Thanks for all the prayers and support!   Oh yeah...you probably already figured it out but no twins.  Just one  :)  And probably will be a big one before this pregnancy is over!  Love to you all!

Jeff and Tiff