Thanksgiving

Only a few more weeks till Baby. Meantime, Happy Thanksgiving.

29 Weeks Pregnant, Halloween!

I've seen those pictures of pregnant women painting their big bellies to look like basketballs or pumpkins or what-have-you, but that's just not me.  I find it mildly repulsive.  I find it immodest.  Needless to say, I wouldn't do that to myself. 

So I will not have a painted belly for Halloween.  I am not sure that I will dress up at all.  Where we live is on a highway and we don't get many trick-or-treaters.  Last year, we had not even one kid!  The good news is that I get to stay home, warm and comfy, while Hubbers and the kids go out and troll for treats.  And bring them home to me to plunder sort check.

Meanwhile, my baby is 29 weeks!!  I start my every 2 week midwife visits next week.  I had a horrible itchy rash on my chest last time and we talked about a few different ways to treat it.  It doesn't look or act like a yeast, but she suggested I treat it as such.  The apple cider vinegar wash helped a little bit with the itches, but didn't remove or heal it.  The dandelion root herb didn't seem to do much.  The probiotic was expensive and perhaps unnecessary.  I finally took matters into my own hands.



A few months ago I had a case of ringworm.  It's not worms, it's a fungus you get from animals that spend time outside shaped like a ring on your skin.  The only thing that cured that was Absorbine Jr.  That stuff is a miracle!  It fixed the ringworm FAST, though it did sting.

I decided to try the Absorbine Jr on my unidentified rash.  It worked overnight.  The itching stopped dead.  The rash has disappeared.  I'm relieved in so many ways.  Going to keep a bottle of this miracle on hand for the REST OF MY LIFE!



I'm linking up at My Joy Filled Life today.  The question is to share some scriptures that have been on my heart.  I don't have any specifics, but the ones that speak of the care and love God the Father has for me in particular have been touching my heart so much lately.  We've had some financial struggles and been very worried over money, but every time I feel like I'm at the end of what I can handle, KLOVE's encouraging word or the daily missal reading swoops in to save me.

Praise you, Jesus.

Here's an update on the Baby Bean via The Bump:

Baby already measures about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long. Right now, we weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds but he's still got a ways to go -- can you believe he'll triple in weight before birth?

• She's getting a little cramped in there, since she's growing so fast. But you probably already realize that, since you're getting all those jabs and kicks.
• She's growing white fat deposits under her skin, and her energy is surging because of it.
• Feel a subtle twitch? It might be baby hiccupping.

What's For Dinner Monday: 26 Weeks Pregnant

Over the weekend I was given a large bag full of green tomatillos! (Squee!!)  We love tomatillos but usually have to resort to the grocery store variety.  Luckily for us, the recent hard freeze in the area made many gardeners have to harvest early and I benefit from that!

A good friend, N, is an older lady with a beautiful garden in her backyard.  She gave some space over to a mutual Hispanic friend who wanted to grow tomatillos.  L had more in her harvest than she could use, so N offered them to me, after I strategically angled after them some months ago.  I never thought there was a hope of getting any, but God is very good.

So tonight is a family favorite for dinner: Chicken Tomatillo Soup.  It's just chilly enough outside to make it feel like soup weather.  Here's the recipe:




Ingredients

8 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp. chili powder, to taste
1 tsp cumin, to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper (a little bit of spiciness)
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 small can diced green chiles
2 cups finely chopped tomatillos (about 8, remove husks, wash, chop)
4 cups cooked diced chicken
2 cans pinto beans, drained
4 cloves garlic pressed
Optional:
freshly squeezed lime
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In large pot, combine chicken broth, canned tomatoes with juice, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, chopped onion, oregano, green chiles, and chopped tomatillos. Simmer about 30 minutes, until onions and tomatillos are tender and flavors are blended. Add cilantro and lime juice now.

Add diced chicken, pinto beans, garlic and lime and simmer about 45 minutes.

Serve immediately. Add shredded cheese and sour cream.  Garnish with more chopped cilantro if desired.

My kids beg for this recipe even in the middle of high hot summer.


In the meantime, I'm 26 weeks along now and the baby weighs 2 pounds!!  She's an active one, when I'm resting.  I think this baby will really enjoy the baby carrier I plan on using.  Her ears are more developed now than ever and her eyes are starting to open!! I've noticed her hiccuping now, too.  I tried to explain to the kids today why this happens (to practice breathing) but the 15 year old asked how they can hiccup without air.  Diaphragm spasms, I suppose.

It's hitting me that we are so much closer now to her arrival than ever before.  14 short weeks.

My back is hurting, my umbilical hernia is ramping up and I'm dealing with PPD before the baby even arrives.  It's a laundry list of "bad" but I know that it's all worth it and God has his hands upon each and every ache.

Join me at the linky above to answer this discussion question for yourself:

Discussion Question:  Will you find out the gender of the baby before birth?  Or have you already?   

I knew from the beginning that this baby is a girl.  The morning sickness is as bad or worse than when I was pregnant when with my first.  At the 20 week ultrasound, the tech couldn't tell for sure if it was a girl, but my iridologist read my eyeballs and tells me that it is.  I already knew.

I wish I could share the beautiful name we've picked, but I don't want to potentially expose my kids to the bad of the internet, so I keep that quiet.  This is Baby Bean, a sweet lovely we can't wait to welcome.  14 short weeks.

16 Years of Married Bliss

Traditional Anniversary Gifts

Hubbers and I are celebrating 16 years of marriage in just a day or two.  I was reading a book about "traditional" gifts for XX number of years of marriage and after an internet search I found that there is no traditional gift for 16 years.  A modern gift would be  Silver Hollow-ware (what is that, anyway?) or travel.  But what about people like us who have more kids love than money?

Hubbers is an act of service love language guy.  I  try to do things for him to show that I love him.  I will try to make him a special dessert or give a good back rub, or make a favorite dinner, but it seems that I never can find the best present for purchasing.  I've stopped trying.

He likes to give me flowers but they have to be the kind that I can transplant and grow in or around our home.  This is the kind of gift that keeps on giving and I've come to really enjoy it.  I'd also like a night out without having to cook, but again, the budget comes into play.

So, what I'm giving Hubbers for our anniversary this year is no surprise.  I will continue my life-long job of bathing him in all the love he can take.  He has had my heart since before he ever knew. 

It's silver and *somewhat* hollow.

Sweetie, here's to 100 more years together.  I love you.