Baby Things

We got our travel system Saturday. Robert made fun of me because I jumped up and down when I saw the FedEx man outside. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to see it! It was so simple to put together. I just had to snap on the wheels and the trays. And the car seat even has two great features (180 degree rotating canopy and front harness adjuster) I didn't know about because it never mentioned them in the description. The fabric is so pretty and it feels like flannel or something. Not exceptionally soft, but softer than some. I almost wish we didn't buy it so soon because now I'm impatiently waiting our little one's arrival!

Thanksgiving and an Update

Well, I've missed two of my usual post times already. This pregnancy is frying my creativity (or something ...)! I never feel like I have anything to write about. Maybe that's because I never do anything. I've had so little energy and nausea that I haven't even been able to keep up with the housework lately.

I haven't been cooking much (if at all) because nothing sounds appetizing to me and sometimes I can't even look at food. I don't want to cook a big meal for Robert and then not eat it with him. So everything's just been grab and go or fast food (really healthy, I know). Hopefully, I'll start feeling better soon -- with LOTS more energy.

Tomorrow is Robert's birthday and we're going out to eat. Then Thursday, Robert has duty - so he's eating the Thanksgiving meal on the ship and I'm having Thanksgiving dinner with a woman (and her family) from church. We will have our traditional Thanksgiving meal Friday with:

Turkey (I just got another little breast this year)
Green bean casserole
Mashed potatoes
Turkey gravy
Homemade noodles (leftover from our last chicken and noodles)
Crescent Rolls
Pumpkin Pie
Homemade whipped cream

Looking at it in black and white - there's a lot of starch in that menu! Oh, well. It's only one day of the year, right?!

Seeing how I can never come up with anything to write about lately, I think I'll probably take the rest of the week off (but don't worry, if something does come to mind, I'll post it). I'm almost out of my first trimester (10 weeks last Sunday) so hopefully things will pick up soon.

First Prenatal Visit

Well, I had a big day today! I went in this morning for my appointment with the nurse. We just went over my medical history and she told me how the midwifery practice works. Then I went down to the lab to get my blood drawn - which I still hate. I had a butterfly needle and she got it on the first prick, but I still got a little lightheaded while she was drawing the blood. They drew like SIX vials! Then I came back up to the office and they had an opening at 11 for me to see the midwife.

They (there was a student with her) said everything looked great. My due date is June 21 (just like I calculated). So I'm 9 1/2 weeks today. They couldn't hear the heartbeat - she said I had a retroverted uterus, which isn't a problem but it's' more toward the back so it's harder to hear the heartbeat early.

My next appointment is December 16th and I think Robert's going to come. He seemed pretty excited about my appointment today. : )

Some Randomness

Seems like there's nothing to talk about lately. So these are just some random things from "life" lately.

We had a good time last night. We went to Golden Corral for the free veteran's meal and invited a friend Robert used to work with. She just had a baby six weeks ago - so precious. We sat and talked for about two hours. I hope we do something again soon.

My menu plan hasn't changed because we have so many leftovers (and days eating out) that we're still eating what I planned for (and bought) one month ago. I did add Tuna Noodle Casserole, Beef and Noodles, and Beef Stroganoff to the mix though, but I haven't made them yet. I will post recipes for the two beef dishes sometime this month.

I haven't been keeping up on my reading or my goals. ... Hmmm, seems like I'm slacking. All I've been doing lately is cooking (sometimes), cleaning (most days), and watching movies with Robert when he gets home. Hopefully, I will have something to write about tomorrow since I have my first appointment with the nurse. We'll see.

Side note: This bread looks absolutely delicious!!!!!

Just an update

No big news to share this week, but I have an appointment next Wednesday at my midwife's office so I will share about that next Friday.

Robert and I are going to the movies tonight courtesy of MWR since he's doing a movie review for the Penny Press this week. I can't wait. We're going to see The Fourth Kind. It's been so long since I've seen a scary movie (because Robert doesn't like them).

Robert requested mac & cheese and mashed potatoes tonight for dinner! What a meal, huh? : ) I'm kind of excited about it, as I really like those foods as well. My mom thinks I should include a vegetable - we'll have to see about that one, maybe corn (got to stick with the "yellow/white theme").

I decided to add a beautiful picture Robert took of my violin. Hopefully, next week I will have something more interesting to write about.

Veteran's Day

Today is the day we remember to say thank you to all of our past and present military men and women. Sometimes, it's easy to forget this any other time of the year. It's good to have a day that reminds us.

There are plenty of restaurants and stores giving free meals or discounts to active duty and veterans today. There are quite a few listed here. But there's definitely more available. Call around if there's something specific you're looking for!

To all the men and women who have served their country honorably, I thank you for your time, talent, and especially your sacrifice.

Navy	Army	Marines	Coast Guard	Air Force

And a special Thank You to:

Eric B.	U.S. Army
Dawn B.	U.S. Army
Jeremy D.	U.S. Marines
Ben A.	U.S. Navy, Retired
Matt D.	U.S. Army
Jason R.	U.S. Army
Colin K.	U.S. Army
William R.	U.S. Army
James S. Jr.	Merchant Marines, WWII
Daniel O'K.	U.S. Air Force, WWII
my husband Robert	U.S. Navy, Active Duty

Recent Reads

My "classic" fiction (but not christian this time):
The Murder of King Tut
by James Patterson
This is the first book I've ever read about Egypt. And I really enjoyed it. It made me want to seek out other books on the topic to read.

The 19th Wife
by David Ebershoff
I enjoyed reading this book about polygamy and the LDS church. It was interesting. I paged through some of the history (because I really wasn't that interested) but the story line was good.

Sundays at Tiffany's
by James Patterson
I'm still in the process of reading this book. But it's interesting so far. I've been going a little slow on it since I started reading the pregnancy books.

And some pregnancy "staples":
Your Pregnancy: Week by Week
by Dr. Glade Curtis
I like this book for the format - weeks instead of months. It has good information and it's written by a doctor.

What to Expect When Your Expecting
by Heidi Murkoff
I like this book for the layout - Q&A and lots of "side boxes" with bits of info. It also has more about exercise during pregnancy, L&D, post-pregnancy, and specific information about special pregnancy conditions and multiples (not that I need that info but it's there to browse through).

November Goals

Spiritual: Well, it seems I can only achieve goals from two categories in one month - the others just get tossed aside. So since I really need to start focusing on my spiritual life, this will be one center for goals this month.
* Start reading the Bible once per week. (I figure, start out slow and if I can get better, then at least I finally accomplished this goal!) (2-6, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27)
* Start prayer time before reading the Bible. (1, 2, 3, 4)
* Finish all Bible study questions. (The study part of the class finishes this month then we have a pot luck in December. I've been doing well, finishing all my questions before class - just need to keep it up!)

Personal:
* Keep up my exercise - Walk 3x per week. (2-6, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27)
* Stay on budget - We NEED to do this both this month and next month!
* Continue reading. Finish 2 books this month (1, 2)

Well, there you have it. Hopefully, I can achieve all this goals this month. I did well last month, but didn't accomplish everything. Maybe I can even cross somethings off before this is posted!

Homemade Chicken & Noodles

This recipe is a little bit my own, a little bit my mom's, a little bit my MIL's, and a little bit BHG cookbook. All-in-all, it's excellent! (But that's my own biased opinion!)

Chicken and Noodles
**my own recipe**
Makes: 4-6 servings Cook: 1 hour

2 c	flour
½ t	salt
2	eggs, beaten
⅓	water
1 t	cooking or olive oil
6 c	chicken broth
1 can	cream of chicken soup
2 c	chicken, chopped
	salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a small bowl, combine eggs, water, and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir to combine.

Sprinkle clean kneading surface with flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes total - I never knead that long). Cover and let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion until about ¹⁄₁₆" thick (about a 12" square). Let stand, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Cut the noodles to approximately ¼" - ⅜" wide (length about 6" but doesn't have to be perfect). Lay noodles on drying racks or cooking sheets with parchment paper (don't forget the paper, they will stick!) to dry.

I usually let my noodles dry out for about two to three (or more) hours before cooking. You can take them immediately to the pot but they only need to cook for a couple minutes this way (according to BHG - I've never done it).

Put chicken broth and cream soup in (at least a 4 qt) stock pot or large sauce pan on medium-low heat. Stir to combine. Add chicken and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally.

Add half the noodles to the pot and continue to cook until al dente (about 20 minutes). You should stir frequently after adding the noodles because they have a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan if you don't. If adding all the noodles, add about one or two cups of water to the pot.


** You can also freeze the noodles if you make extra. Lay them on wire cooling racks for about five hours, turning once or on parchment paper on cookie sheets to dry overnight. Place in a freezer bag or freezer container. Can be frozen for up to 8 months (according to BHG). Thaw before cooking.

We're Out of Debt!!!!!

Today, the last check is being delivered (via online bill pay) to the credit card company which means we are DEBT FREE!!!!!

I was so excited when I discovered a way to pay it off a month early. Now we can start building our emergency fund and we (God willing) will not have to worry about paying bills or not having enough money again.

This means we will also be able to have money for Robert's birthday and Christmas (which like I said here, is a big deal for us).

So, we will be able to accomplish all of our financial goals for this year. Which is so wonderful, because with the past few months getting so far off budget, I thought we were "doomed" for sure!