36 Weeks!

How Far Along: 36 Weeks

Size of Baby: A honeydew melon....about five and half pounds and 18 inches long. We'll find out a better measurement at our ultrasound on Tuesday

Total Weight Gain: +30....not much of a change from last week. Also, thanks for your sweet words last week about weight gain. Hearing all of your stories was so reassuring!

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Yup.

Sleep: I'm just so tired all the time that I don't think the pain and having to go to the bathroom keep me up anymore. Last night I slept for almost 11 hours (with 2 trips to the bathroom). Also...napping is my favorite these days.

Maternity Clothes: Let's talk about my feet. I am going to be sad when I can't wear my Reef flip flops anymore. Flats provide very little support and I feel like my feet are way too confined in anything other than flip flops. 

Symptoms: 

• New symptoms - my fingers and joints in my hands hurt, and my shins and the soles of my feet are extra sore pretty much every morning. 
• Also? This one isn't new, but I haven't mentioned it before...waking up in the middle of the night with a Charlie Horse? Oh my gosh - HORRIBLE pain. Not sure what that's about. Only happens in the middle of the night.
• Braxton Hicks contractions are happening a little more often than before.

Bellybutton: It is SO close to popping. Just barely hanging on.

Cravings: I am so thirsty all the time. I have been drinking a ridiculous amount of water. 

What I miss: This is a really silly one, but I really wish I were buying the cute colored skinnies for fall! I know they make them in maternity, but I just can't justify buying a maternity item that is so "trendy." I would like to be able to re-wear most of my maternity items in future pregnancies, and unfortunately, I doubt those will still be in style in the future. 

Best Moments from the Past Week: 

• Got a flu shot! Not a pleasant moment, but glad it's done and off my to do list.
• The nursery is SO close to being done. Thank you to my husband for helping me take care of just a few final projects! AND to my MIL for finishing and sending us the bumper for her crib. It's perfect!
• Hospital bag is packed + a list beside it of last minute packing items!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Dinner with friends tomorrow night, hopefully a pedicure this week, and most importantly, our ultrasound on Tuesday! This will be the first ultrasound we've had since 18 weeks!

Wednesday ramblings....

Not much to blog about this week other than I feel huge and sleepy. That's about it! I've started attending a Wednesday morning Bible study, and on the last Wednesday of the month, we serve at a local elementary school. This morning I got to help in a 4th grade class for two hours, and it only confirmed how happy I am that I'm not working right now. I was exhausted when I got home. I have so much respect for women who are working up until their labor. Especially teachers and nurses and women who are on their feet all day long!

I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row before the baby gets here. Lining up help for the dogs, packing my bags, making some freezer meals, squeezing in one more pedicure....I know it's impossible to be 100% prepared, but I'm trying my hardest! I think my poor husband thinks I'm going crazy. But he (somewhat) willingly goes along with my antics, so I love him!

And just because a post is no fun without any photos, here's one picture of something that just arrived for the nursery. A little peek for you! If we're instagram friends (follow me @erchla), you may have already seen it....

The room is so close to being done. I cannot wait to share the whole thing on here! Soon!

Menu Monday

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

I had a great cobb salad at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago that I just haven't been able to stop thinking about, so I wanted to make it again at home! Our salads included romaine, spinach, avocado, cherry tomatoes (me), red bell pepper (J), purple onion, bacon, hard boiled egg, and some monterey and colby shredded cheese. And of of course, we topped them with grilled chicken breasts. This was a great, filling meal!

Beef and Snap Peas

 Original recipe calls for broccoli, J used snap peas instead

Grilled Bratwurst with Beer, Mustard, and Sauerkraut 

Not the best photo, but this was excellent! This was one of J's meals and he served these in buns after they came off the grill. A great "German" meal! I enjoyed mine with some grapes....a very common side at most of my meals these days.

Red Wine Risotto

Y'all know I love a good risotto! I made a few changes to this recipe. When browning the onions, I also  threw in 4 slices of pancetta that I had chopped up. At the end of the recipe, maybe when I was adding that last cup or two of broth, I threw in 4-5 big handfuls of fresh spinach. I loved the finish product! I also omitted the parsley.

Okay, you're turn! Please link up below!

*Please only add ONE link with your menu, all extras will be deleted*

35 Weeks...we're getting close!

How Far Along: 35 Weeks

Size of Baby:  A coconut! Baby girl is probably about 18 inches and a little over 5 pounds...we get an ultrasound in two weeks and I am hoping we get a better idea as to how big she really is.

Total Weight Gain: +29/30 pounds...I'm not loving those numbers, BUT I want to be honest, because I know I feel discouraged when I read people's pregnancy updates and they say they've gained 15 pounds at 35 weeks.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: Oh yes. She's moving ALL over. I can definitely tell by her movements that she's getting bigger. They are sharper and more jarring than they have been in the past.

Sleep: The first half of the week, I slept pretty well. But these last 2 nights, TERRIBLE. I think a big part of that has been a cold/allergies that have made it difficult to sleep. My head has so much pressure in it. I love fall, but my body isn't adjusting to the temperature changes very well.

Maternity Clothes: Obsessed with my maternity leggings. Seriously, greatest pregnancy item yet. 

Symptoms: Still feels like I've got a knife twisting in my ribs and back, but that's not new. Walking is getting harder, I definitely feel like I'm waddling by the end of the day. Also, some braxton hicks contractions, but only a few. And I've been feeling really light headed the past couple of days when I'm seated for a long time, standing up seems to make it better. 

Bellybutton: It's still hanging in there, barely.

Cravings: Donuts, crackers and cheese (specifically a havarti dill we picked up from TJ's), and water. I can't get enough water these days.

What I miss: Peaceful sleep.

Best Moments from the Past Week: 

• This was my first week of weekly appointments. All looks and is measuring well. 
• Went to another consignment sale this week and got TONS for the baby!
• Not sure if this was really a "best" moment, but I want to document it. I went to a La Leche League meeting in Charlotte this week, as I do hope to breast feed. It was....helpful. A lot of the moms definitely parent and mother in different ways than I plan to parent, but they were all very kind and extremely helpful with advice and tips for those first few days and weeks of breast feeding.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Meeting the baby....it's getting SO close!!

10 Free Thank You Cards!

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5 Things I'm Loving Right Now....

Just a few things I'm really loving right now:

1. The new Avett Brothers CD. We got our copy last week, and it definitely doesn't disappoint. You might recognize this song from a recent GAP commercial.



2. Grapefruit La Croix. Reminds me of Fresca but with no sugar, calories and fake sweeteners. Love that I can drink it and not feel guilty.

3. I'm almost a bit embarrassed to admit this....but Netflix has totally sucked me in with Pretty Little Liars. I am almost done with season one and I am so curious to know who A is. Who else watches??

4. I know they've already been mentioned, but my apple cider k-cups! I'm obsessed.

5. I know there are a lot out there who aren't happy with this decision, but I absolutely love the addition of Michael Strahan to Live with Kelly. I think he is so sweet and funny. I will say, Seth Myers was my first choice for cohost, but Michael has really won me over. Anyone else liking the new show? Or are you still wishing they'd picked someone else?

Menu Monday

We didn't cook a whole lot this past week. We had a lot going on in the evenings, and there were several nights where we were both out. I will say, on Monday of last week we went out to eat with J's alumni chapter in Charlotte and I had a steak salad with FRENCH FRIES in it. Oh my. I haven't stopped thinking about it. Why don't all salads come with fries? I suppose you can't really classify it as a salad when it's full of fried food. 

MOVING ON....here's what we did cook this week!

Culinary Couple's Thai Chicken Pizza

We've made this one before, but it had been awhile. It's one of my favorite homemade pizzas! Only changes I made to the recipe were I bought the dough and skipped out on sprouts. I love sprouts, but I they're on my "do not eat" list while pregnant. 

Whole Foods Thai Chicken Peanut Kabobs and Baked Sweet Potatoes

Our Whole Foods in Charlotte just opened, and I stopped by one evening last week to browse and to pick up something for dinner. These pre-made kabobs were good, but not great. The chicken was a little bland for me.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Pasta

There are really only 3 words to describe this meal: SO MUCH BUTTER. 

But I won't lie, it was pretty delicious!

Okay, your turn! Hope you'll link up your own menu below!!

*Please only link up ONCE, I will delete multiple posts*

34 Weeks

How Far Along: 34 Weeks!

Size of Baby:  About the size of a cantaloupe. About 5 pounds and 18 inches long.

Total Weight Gain: +28 pounds. In general, I'm pretty sure she's had a growth spurt. My belly just looks and feels bigger. I had sort of noticed this but then on Friday night J even made a comment that my belly looked like it had grown.

Gender: Baby girl! 

Movement: Still going strong! This baby is so high and her kicks definitely make me yelp out in surprise through out the day. Lots of hiccups this week too.

Sleep: The week started with some awful sleep. Lots of insomnia and waking up every few hours in pain, but the past 2 nights have been wonderful with no wake ups during the night. I'm also finding a nap is helpful in the afternoons. I'm exhausted every day by about 2 or 3pm. 

Maternity Clothes: As you saw from my blog post this week, yes....all maternity! I am loving the maternity leggings I got.

Symptoms: Rib and back pain. Heartburn. My upper belly is starting to feel achey too, sort of around the same spot where my ribs are hurting. 

Bellybutton: Still flat, but it's iffy by the end of the day. I bet it will "pop" this week.

Cravings: I had to have a Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Donut on Friday morning for breakfast. It was definitely worth getting up early to go get it!

What I miss: Just being comfortable.

Best Moments from the Past Week: 

• Met with the pediatrician last week and it went well! Glad to have found one and crossed that item off the to do list! 
• We also practiced installing the car seat. A lot of you left good advice last week and mentioned the fear of installing it too early, getting in a fender bender, and then needing a whole new car seat before the baby comes. I hadn't thought of this at all, but it was a great point. We both practiced and figured out how to put it in, and I think we'll install it "for real" around 37-38 weeks (the base only), unless she decides to come earlier!

What I Am Looking Forward To: Seeing the doctor this week. 

Maternity Wardrobe for Fall

Disclaimer, I am in NO way a fashionista! I just want to look somewhat put together and cute before I deliver this baby! I only have about 6 weeks before this baby gets here (if she doesn't come early!), but with fall around the corner, I did have to suck it up and get a few items for cooler weather. I didn't want to break the bank since I'll only be able to wear these items for a little while. I also wanted a few things that could be worn after she's here, before I can get back into my regular wardrobe. I have a feeling these things will be getting plenty of use over the next few months!

Also - Old Navy is having a big sale on all their maternity items right now through October 26, it's a great time to stock up if you need something!

Old Navy Maternity Legging 2 Pack $19.00

So comfy and perfect for fall. 

Old Navy Scoop Neck Tunic $14.00

Old Navy Tie Waist Knit Tunic $18.00

The perfect companions for my new leggings and some boots! And again, so comfy.

Long Sleeved Scoop Neck Tees - $12.00

I got this mostly to wear with all of scarves! I only got white, but I am loving the stripes.

Old Navy Ruffled Knit Henley - only $8.00!!

I got both of these colors. Love them both. 

Very lightweight, so maybe not great for winter, but perfect for fall.

Old Navy Cross-Front V-Neck Tee - $9.50

This looks great with jeans and can easily be dressed up with the right jewelry. 

Comes in several other colors.

Motherhood Maternity 3/4 Sleeve Boat Neck Button Detail Tee - $16.98

It also comes in a great orange/pink/red combo!

3/4 Sleeve Henley Collar Side Ruched Tee $24.98

I got it in red, but it also comes in blue and grey. I really love this top.

Any other pregnant ladies found some cute stuff lately? 

It's so much harder shopping for a bump than I ever imagined, mostly because I hate spending money on something that will only be worn for a small amount of time. I'm thankful that there are cheaper options available. Oh! And if you're not already using ebates, sign up now! I got cashback for both of these purchases with ebates!

*Old Navy and MM did not pay or compensate me in any way to write this post. I just really love all of my recent purchases and wanted to share with other moms to be!!*

Charlotte Baby Shower: Isn't She Lovely

This past Saturday, my baby girl and I were showered with love and more baby gear from some of my sweet friends in Charlotte. I have only been living here for about 14 months, but I've been lucky enough to meet some really special women in that time, most of them through blogging! It was really hard to leave such great friends in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, but I really feel like I've found a wonderful circle of women to call friends here. 

Here's the invitation my hostesses had designed by Sweet Birdie's Nest. 

So precious!

The food table and decor were all just adorable! Everything was in pink and orange, the color of our nursery. The hostesses saw this picture on my nursery inspiration board, and kind of went from there...

::from here::

How cute are those cookies by Holly? 

Aren't they a perfect match to the tree picture? I was so impressed!

The banner said "Isn't She Lovely?"

Like I said above, I was definitely showered with gifts!

This baby girl has so many cute things!

Some of my teacher friends from school and sweet baby H!

He's the little guy J and I babysat for a few weeks ago.

Me and Faith! I spent the morning at her baby shower for her twin girls which was also precious!

Me and sweet Lauren, I have loved getting to know her since moving here!

And last, but certainly not least, me and the fabulous hostesses.

I love each of these girls so much!

Katie, Erin, Me, Ashley, and Michelle 

(thank you for opening up you home to all the guests M!)

And you know what's really fun? Katie and Ashley are both expecting babies in March! That means between my baby girl, Faith's twins, and Ashley and Katie's babies, there were FIVE babies on the way at the my shower! So fun! I love being able to share this pregnancy with friends.

I can't say thank you to these girls enough! It was such a special day and I felt so loved. I know I've said this before, but Charlotte is feeling more and more like "home," and a large part of that is due to these friends. I am a very lucky gal!

Menu Monday

Happy Monday!

Not sure about how it is where you are, but it's gorgeous and cool here today.

I might have to break out a few pumpkin and soup recipes this week!

Here's what we enjoyed last week!

The Waspy Redhead's Green Chile Mac & Cheese

This was my first time making something with hatch chiles that I had roasted myself! So glad I was able to find some all the way out here on the east coast. Now I have to be honest here...although I was told by WR and Kate that I HAD to use Velveeta in this, I just couldn't do it. My pregnancy stomach hasn't had many aversions, but I just couldn't handle the thought of eating Velveeta. And while I believe it was probably would have been just fine, I went with double the cheddar. Still yummy. I might make again while not pregnant and attempt it with the Velveeta!

Nina's Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

This was sort of a farewell to summer pasta dish. I recently met up with Nina who just moved to Charlotte, and she was so sweet! Check out her blog for some great recipes!

Stuffed Peppers

Always a favorite. We also love these because they give us lots of leftovers!

Kate's Lighter Turkey Hatch Quiche

I've made this quiche at least half a dozen times now and it never fails. J and I both love it. If you're looking for a good quiche recipe, this is it!

Penne & Sausage Casserole, Mixed Greens Salad, and Garlic Bread

This casserole is heavy and cheesy, but man, it's good! J actually made two trays of this for us so we could freeze one to eat after the baby came. Now that we're getting close, we're trying to freeze a few meals. We don't have lots of freezer space, but it'll be nice to have a few meals in there for us.

Alrighty, that's all I got for this week. What have you been cooking or what do you plan to make this week? Link up below!
*Please only link up once, I will delete multiple links*

33 Weeks + some questions!

We're 33 weeks! This last trimester is flying by. Even if you don't read all of my update, please read to the end if you're a mom, I have some questions!

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Size of Baby:  A durian...which I have never heard of before. For any other curious folks, here's what wikipedia has to say about 'em.

Total Weight Gain: +26 pounds

Gender: Baby girl! Still doesn't have an official name for all those wondering. 

Movement: All the time. This past week we've had fun trying to identify "parts." We know she's head down thanks to my doctor's appointment on Wednesday, so I think I know when and where I'm feeling her shoulders, back/bottom, and feet. 

Sleep: I had one or two nights this week of wonderful sleep, no interruptions or pain, but the past two nights have just been awful. Painful, uncomfortable, insomnia....no fun.

Maternity Clothes: My order from Old Navy came in and I love a lot of the stuff I got for fall. I didn't get a ton, but enough to get me through the next month and half.

Symptoms: Rib and back pain. Bloody nose came back with a vengeance this week. Also experiencing some heartburn.

Bellybutton: Still flat, hasn't popped yet. I give it 2 weeks, tops!

Cravings: Baked goods, lucky charms....

What I miss: Sleeping on my belly. Not waking up in pain.

Best Moments from the Past Week: 

• Went to a consignment sale with my friend Faith and got some great stuff for the baby at some great prices!
• My shower in Charlotte that was yesterday...more on that later!
• We got a few more nursery items marked off the to do list.

What I Am Looking Forward To: This week we're meeting with a pediatrician. Hoping all goes well and we like him.  Also? The weather is supposed to be beautiful this week with little to no humidity. I am REALLY excited about that!

QUESTION FOR MOMS:

• What sort of questions should I ask the pediatrician at our consultation visit?
• When did you install your car seat?
• At what point were your bags packed and ready to go to the hospital?
• Have you done a post on how you keep all of your baby's "stuff" organized (everything from clothes, diapers, bath stuff, bows, shoes, etc.)? If so, will you please share the link with me?

Thank you!

The great dinner party failure

A few weeks ago at my baby shower, some of the friends that I lived with in college brought up the time I threw a "dinner party" at our house. It gave us all a good laugh and I thought it might be worth blogging about. This is also to show you all that I haven't always been a kitchen pro (not that I really am now!). 

Most of our meals in college consisted of pasta with sauce from a jar, or hot dogs cooked in a skillet, or chips and a sandwich. We weren't very fancy. If I baked chicken, that was a fancy meal.

After watching Rachael Ray make a delicious meal on her show one afternoon, I got it in my head that I needed to make that same exact meal and I'd throw a little dinner party. It would be so fun. 

The meal was sausage patty melts and tomato soup (amazingly enough, I was able to find a link to the recipe thanks to google, 8 years later).  So I went to the local Food Lion, bought all my supplies, and came home to cook. And somewhere in there I "im'd" some friends and roommates and told them to be in my kitchen by 7 for my dinner party.

So I got to cooking...

The sausage patties cooking away...

Just stirring the soup....making a very "I'm such a chef" smug face

And then we all sat down to eat. And everyone was smiling and happy. Apparently I even gave everyone a straw for their drink (odd observation). How cute were we? Also, another funny observation...we clearly were refusing to turn on our gas heat at this time based on the scarves and jackets everyone was wearing at the table. Oh college. 

And then we bit into our patty melts, and the insides were totally raw. And pink and cold. And y'all. ...it was so sad. My visions of a fun little homemade meal were crushed. I would no longer be the next Rachael Ray. I do believe that the tomato soup ended up being okay, but it's hard to remember with how bad the patty melts were. 

I think we ended up microwaving them to cook the meat, and well...it just wasn't as good. But I tried! And it's funny that eight years later, we all remember this funny event and my friends are concerned about me undercooking Baby W's food. Hopefully I've learned at least a thing or two about cooking since then!

Baby Things and I miss beer...

First of all, this is my 900th post. That's kind of wild. When I started blogging in January of 2008, I never thought it would lead me to where it has! 900 posts later and I can say I'm still very happy to be blogging!

This past weekend we continued to get LOTS done in the nursery. Right now our house really isn't decorated at all. We've done very little to the other rooms through out our home, but the nursery....it is quite beautiful! It's definitely the prettiest room in the house! I'm not ready to share everything we've done, but here are a few peeks. I cannot wait to have it finished and show it off!

In other baby news, I did my first load of baby laundry and a load of cloth diapers. I used Rockin' Green to wash my cloth diapers and I'm happy with it. I guess I'll be a better judge of it once I'm washing used diapers. Either way, I'm excited about putting these to use once she's big enough for them!

And for all her clothes and blankets, I bought the Target version of Dreft and oh my goodness, I am obsessed. That smell sent me into "I want my baby here NOW!" mode. People had told me to buy Dreft for the scent, and now I totally get it.

Also, unrelated to the baby, it's no secret that I love craft beer. And it's also no secret that NoDa Brewing is my favorite little brewery in Charlotte. They are really tempting me this week by posting these two things on facebook. I might have to unfollow them until my pregnancy is over...

CRAFTS AND CRAFT BEER?!? 

I am so attending this once I can drink again. 

J already said he's down for baby duty on those nights. Who is joining me??