productivity is my middle name

i have the week off (yes!) i plan to keep this by my bed to make sure i don't let it pass me by. the weather is gorgeous, i have a million projects on my to-do list, and the future baby room resembles something off the hoarders show on TLC... i'm gonna bust out the beach cruiser, knock a few of these projects off my list, and get that room in order- fully taking advantage of this week! so excited!

[feel free to download and print off this image for your own home if you need a little extra encouragement in the mornings like me :)

just click on it to take it to its full size and then send it to your printer!]

love sundays

Today was fantastic. I love great talks. I love the spirit. I love this thought:

"Service does not always mean performing a physical act of service for someone,
sometimes it means simply being the person you need to be for the person that needs you."

At first I was confused when I heard this, but then I thought about it a little more. I know that more often than not, the people who have served me most in my life were just being their normal, wonderful selves when they happened to serve me in a way I could not have even asked for. I hope I can be this to someone.

results are in!

and we could not be more excited!

So we had our ultrasound today at 4:30pm (we absolutely LOVE our ultrasound tech Michelle, she is amazing!) but we had her keep the gender a secret from us for a couple of hours... She sealed up the photo with the gender in an envelope because we wanted to open it with all of our family tonight. Let me tell you, it was TORTURE!!! I thought I wasn't going to be able to handle it! I wanted to peek so bad! But, to even my amazement, I left that blasted envelope alone and got some yummy treats put together for mine and Stu's families to enjoy when they came over. It was really SO neat, we had my little sister Rachel read the note to everyone and she announced that we would be having a BABY GIRL!!! It was fun being surprised along with everyone else, I was so happy! I mean, am. I AM SO HAPPY! To be honest, I've had an inkling that there was a little girl in there, but everyone else thought it was a boy! Stu could not be happier, he is such a proud daddy and is already making plans to spoil his little princess rotten. Now I guess we just have to start figuring out what to call this little one, but for now I am just excited to say things like, "ah SHE'S getting so big!" or "I can feel HER moving!" instead of calling her "it" or "the baby." So if you want to pass along any cute names, we're all ears!!!

P.S. ahh I just can't stop grinning! I am just so excited!!!

place your bets

We find out in 2 days whether we're having a

SO EXCITED!!!

I really have no idea what's been brewing in this belly of mine, so many people have their theories though... You know the whole, "if you crave veggies then you're having a _____" yada, yada, yada... Who knows if it's true? So to give you a better guess, here are some of the weird, I've-only-done-this-since-being-pregnant things over the last 4 1/2 months:

-I hate veggies. (just now, which is devastating because I usually love them!) ugh and salads gross me out.
-I have always been obsessed with berries and citrus, but now it's over the top... I can polish off an entire Costco-size container of strawberries in a day (by myself) and clementine cuties are my best friend. Also, I did not love apples before- now I eat them with a vengeance.
-I love anything sweet, but I also love salty and crunchy things like chips or cheeze-its.
-I sleep mostly on my left side. I hate that I can't sleep on my back anymore!
-My hair has gone limp limp limp! I can't get any volume without a ton of product.
-I didn't really start having "morning sickness" until about 9 weeks, but it has lasted for a good portion of the 2nd trimester. I hardly ever got sick in the mornings, it was usually all around nighttime. big thumbs down.
-This baby is HIGH MAINTENANCE. Our little soybean likes to be fed every two hours, pretty much on the dot. Otherwise the nausea sets in... No thank you.
-I gained a TON of weight right right at the beginning (like the first ten weeks), but haven't gained any since. Although I feel like I look like I'm at least 30 lbs up from when I started.
-I am tired. ALL. THE. TIME.

Haha I don't know if these give any hints as to what I'm having, it probably just means I'm big and pregnant and my body is doing some fun stuff right now! So fun!

what's your guess?

why stu loves me

I make this recipe every once in a while, it's one of Stu's faves. It's super great this time of year while the weather is still a little chilly. This time I made little mini pot pies, and they turned out so cute (and delicious) This is a super easy recipe, especially if you use refrigerated pie crusts.

Chicken Pot Pie:

1 refrigerated pie crust (Pillsbury is the best) or you can make your own if you have a good recipe

3 tbs. flour

1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I never measure the seasonings out, but this seems about right)

1 lb. chicken breast cut into cubes

3 tbs. butter

1-2 cans chicken broth (depending on how much gravy you want)

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

a little S&P to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Only heat to 410°F if making mini pies.
2. Combine flour, garlic powder, and S&P in medium bowl.
3. Add cubed chicken to bowl; and coat the chicken pieces in flour mixture.
4. Melt butter in large skillet oven medium-high heat. Add the chicken and any remaining flour to skillet and stir until chicken is brown, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in broth. Bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits (for added flavor, according to rachel ray). Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through, and gravy starts to thicken up. Add the veggies and turn for about two minutes, not too long because they will cook in the oven. (no one likes mushy veggies!)
   
6. Line the bottom of your pie plate with one of the pie crusts and bake in the oven for about five minutes to make it nice and crisp. Do this right after you add the chicken broth. (it's all about the multi-tasking people!)
   
7. Plop the yummy chicken and veggies to your pie plate or other mini bake-safe dishes.
   
8. Top with pie crust; seal and crimp edge and make slits (or a cute cut-out design) to vent. Bake in oven until crust is golden, about 15 minutes.
9. Let cool for about ten minutes and devour!!!
   

Almost halfway there!!! It's been a while since I updated... I was fortunate enough to catch a nasty little cold (on top of dealing with the fun pregnancy nausea) and didn't feel like doing much outside of work except sleep for the last couple weeks. [FYI: it's completely true when they say that illnesses take longer to get over when you're pregnant. If you're pregnant and you see that someone near you is sick, RUN in the opposite direction. It sucks.] ANYWAY, I'm just really excited because my little bump is getting more noticeable and I feel our little soybean (it's actually about the size of a bell pepper now) moving around from time to time! It is the most incredible feeling in the world. It doesn't happen too often, but when I feel her/him, it is such tender moment :) Like one time, Stu and I were checking out rockers at a baby store and I was just sitting there (not wanting to get up) when all of a sudden I felt a little prodding from INSIDE my belly. Indigestion? Nope! Our BABY!!! I can't help but shed happy tears every single time- it's the greatest. Anyway, now that I'm getting past the nauseous, only-eat-top-ramen-and-crackers phase I am LOVING being pregnant. Plus, we find out what we're having in one week!!! I can't wait! The best will be seeing how Stu reacts to the news, he is going to be such a good daddy...

WOAHHHH where'd that come from?
(excuse my post-nap, no make-up, frump look)

Completely in love with life and the little buddy growing in my belly