15 Weeks

How far along: 15 weeks. 

Baby’s size: ~4 inches, 2.5 oz or the size of a navel organge.

Maternity clothes: I have purchased a few things but haven't truly "needed" to wear them yet. Jeans, however, might be on my shopping list for this week....there's absolutely some growth going on!!

Sleep: Still sleeping great :) But getting up several times to go to the bathroom...fun!! :)

Best moment of this week: Confirming the gender and sharing the news with our family. Also, finding out my new Doctor does a sonogram on every visit, so we will get to not only hear but see our little one at least every month! 

Miss anything: My regular Spark drink intake! Before getting pregnant, I drank a full Spark every morning that helped me get ready and charged up for the day and  some (most) days, I would have a second in the afternoon when I hit my slump in energy. I am having a 1/2 of a Spark in the mornings, now, but I am just missing my full servings! I will be stocking up for for those early mornings and sleep-deprived days, come August!

Movement: Can't feel anything yet!


Food cravings: Good news here...healthy foods are sounding a bit more appealing, so I'm trying to make up for lost time. I am still enjoying salty and cheesy things, though. OH...and bea burritos have made the list. Can't believe it, but they have. And man, when I get a craving for one...it's strong!! (Note: bag of crunchy Cheetos baby MADE me buy and I devoured in approximately 5 min. I thought I had died and gone to Heaven! Also note, cheesy fingers...yes, it was amazing.) 

Queasy or sick?: Not really! I think this has almost completely subsided! (Praise the Lord and knock on wood ;))

Have you started to show yet?: You can be the judge. I think yes.

Gender: Yes we know! 

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!! And energy levels are improving, which makes me happy. I've even done a few loads of laundry lately, which is a HUGE feat considering my lack of house chores the past few months. ;)

Looking forward to: Feeling movement and starting the nursery!

Hello 2nd Trimester. :)

I know everyone does this little question thing, but I think it is fun to track over the weeks and see how these answers will change. 

How far along: 13.5 weeks. The above photo was at 12 weeks, obviously. :) 

Baby’s size: 3 inches ~ about the size of a peach.

Maternity clothes: Not yet, but the "belly band" that my friend Jodi gave me is definitely becoming a friend of mine. So are leggings and anything loose fitting. 

Sleep: No issues here!! It's my most desired activity these days.

Best moment of this week: Well, last week, but it was seeing the baby wiggle and move around so much at the 12 week ultrasound. It was so incredible to hear the heartbeat for the first time, as well!

Miss anything: Working out regularly. I haven't had quite the energy or felt great enough to get in a good workout nearly everyday like I did before. Hoping the next few weeks will give me that "boost" of energy everyone talks about!

Movement: Not a lot, I just lay on the couch these days. ;) Kidding aside, no movement from the baby yet! But from the looks of the sonogram, we are going to have an active little one!! (see video below! and yes, he/she looks a little alien-ish at the moment so be prepared)

Food cravings: Grilled cheese sandwhiches, Chick Fil A chicken mini's or bisquits and the Chick Fil A SAUCE!!, salty things, carbs, and lately milk. Sweets, fruits or veggies have not sounded all that appealing to me, so basically...anything unhealthy! :/

Queasy or sick?: Both! But, it hasn't been all that bad. The first few weeks I had true "morning" sickness and woke up feeling pretty awful. It then transitioned to the evenings and anytime that I go more than 1.5-2 hours without eating something. So as long as something is in my stomach, I'm ok. I am so thankful it hasn't been terrible like I know some experience!

Have you started to show yet?: Maybe?! To myself and Justin....I'm looking "healthier" for sure! :)

Gender: We actually found out from our perinatologist on 1/21/13, but aren't revealing until 18 weeks just to be certain!

Belly button in or out: In. It will always be in...I have a weird one!

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Depends on who you ask ;) For the most part...happy!!

Looking forward to: Confirming the gender in a few weeks so I can start buying things and getting that "burst" of energy that everyone says the 2nd trimester brings along! 

Soon To Be...Family of 3!

Big news for The Gresham family...we are having a baby! Due date is August 4, 2013 and we could not be more thrilled. 

It's been a while since I've done this ol' blogging thing, but I'm going to try and get the ball rolling again. That's what you do when you get pregnant, right? Add another thing to do your growing 'to do' list and of course, adding another form of social media has to be one of them. 

I have struggled with the idea of posting weekly "bump" photos, updates from appointments, and other random pregnancy related jargon on Facebook, but decided that everybody ain't got time for dat, nor cares, so on the blog they'll go. If you care to look...they will be here! Now, whether to update on 'Baby G's' weekly milestones via masterpiece chalkboard creations or his/her projected similarity in size to fruits and vegetables...that is the real question. ;) The pressure to "Pinterestify" the journey of this pregnancy is on! 

The obvious starting point might be the day we found out we were about to begin this wildest of journeys. November 27th, I woke up and took a pregnancy test (spurred on by suspicions, none of which Justin believed) and what to my little eyes appeared a blue line, bright as day. Enter....blue line #1:

Ok, I just knew I must have taken the test wrong, there was no way it was really telling me I was preggo!? I immediately went into panic mode, drove to Walgreens in an amazing outfit of half pjs/half work clothes and purchased a different brand of test...the kind that clearly says "pregnant" if it's positive. 

Sure enough...the next 2 tests read "pregnant, pregnant." This was happening. And I sort of freaked out! 

I had always imagined that one day when I found out I was pregnant, I would tell Justin in the sweetest, most creative way and have it all planned out perfectly to surprise him. Well.....that went down the drain in about 2.2 seconds and this is how the next few minutes went down. 

Me: freaking out about 3 positive pregnancy tests, decide to call Justin at work.
Justin: (in a quiet, work voice) "Hey, Court, what's up?"
Me: "Well, I sort of need you to come home."
Justin: (sounding slightly irritated) "Why, what's going on?"
Me: "Um....I kind of locked my keys in my car." 
Justin: "Oh gosh...really?! Do you not have a spare?"
Me: "Uh...no."
Justin: "Ok, well I am finishing up here at the office and then I'll be on my way."

2 minutes later....I call him back. 

Justin: "Yes, Court?"
Me: "I lied to you."
Justin: "What?"
Me: "I lied. I lied...I just took 3 pregnancy tests, they're all positive and I'm sort of freaking out!"
Justin: total silence. He then asks me "Well, are you sure?! Should I come home?! If I come home, what are we going to do?!"
Me: "I don't know but I am thinking I'm pregnant."
Justin: "Ok, wow.....I'm on my way!"

And there you have it. The sweet, very well thought out and sentimental way I shared with my husband we would be having a child. FAIL!!!

As soon as Justin got home, we decided to take the 4th and last test I had on hand, just to be quadruple sure, and indeed...another positive. We just stared at each other for a while, not really knowing what to do and then decided we better call the doctor. In my naivity, I assumed you take a pregnancy test and if it's positive the doctor would want to see you immediately or fairly soon. To my shock and amazement, the nurse told me (after I asked several times if I was indeed pregnant), that they would not want to see me for another 3 weeks. What I thought was somewhat of an emergency situation, they couldn't have been more calm and patient about. How the heck was I supposed to go 3 whole weeks knowing that 4 plastic sticks told me I was pregnant but I hadn't heard a doctor say it and I surely didn't feel it, yet!!

Enter: the longest 3 weeks ever! Since it was so close to Christmas, we thought it would be the perfect "gift" for our families to share this exciting news over the holidays. Keeping this a secret was the hardest thing I've ever had to do!! I almost slipped up so many times, especially on those days I wasn't feeling so great. Luckily, Justin and I were going on a cruise December 9-16th, so we had a week of no communication with anyone and returned home to have our first appointment and sonogram on December 19th. 

We are SO thankful and blessed to be entrusted with such a truly amazing gift. God is so completely faithful and we are praising His name for the miracle of this sweet child.

I will soon share how we revealed to our families over Christmas. And so you know....it wasn't over the phone ;))

Minutes after taking the 4th test. No, it's not 4 babies like my sister thought!! 

Excited dad-to-be!

At our first sonogram at 6.5 weeks. 

The day after we found out. (we call each other Mibs...it's weird)

The next best thing since Jelly

Ever try to invent something? And I mean invent something that is truly unique and there is nothing of its kind out there already? If you have ever seen ABC's The Shark Tank (coming back in March!), you know how tough it is. I think it is dang near impossible! 

Unless you so happened to be the inventor of this.

Or this. 

Or this.  

Ok, so it can be done. But let me tell you my ventures in inventing..


A few years ago, I thought I had a genius idea that would revolutionize the lives of elementary school moms across the world. As I was supposed to be studying at the library one night, it was all I could think of. I thought I had truly created something unique. I was pumped. Here's how silly little me thought I was going to make the big bucks one day:  

The Problem: The Jelly part of the PB+J. 

The PB part of the PB+J equation is typically effortless for most creators of this straightforward meal. Smooth and easy spreadin', whether using crunchy PB or regular. It is on in a few seconds and you are left with half of a beautiful sandwich, hopeful for the J that is shortly to come. 

J, on the other hand, can give you a sticky run for your money. Personally, I have wars with my J. I either end up tearing holes in the slice or am left with a chunky, runny, ugly mess on the other half of what should be a classic delicacy. (I hear you...this is all before the days of squeezable bottles, and pre-mixed PB&J, mind you) (OH and YUCK to the pre-mixed kind, btw!). 

The Solution: Sliced Jelly! Sliced cheese work great for your turkey sandwich so I figured, 'why not sliced jelly?!' Convenient, quick and most importantly mess-less. I thought it was was a goldmine if I could figure out how to execute the 'minor' details. 

An eager Google search to see if there was anything of it's kind out and I learned in seconds that there was a patent pending for my very idea. A group of students from OU it said. (sssssssss!) My ship instantly sank. It was back to the lame-o studying for me. (I have not researched the jelly slice issue again until now and I could not find anything. Hmm....maybe I DO have a chance!:))

I was not trying to invent something revolutionary like my sliced jelly or make the big bucks  when I did this particular stunt a few weeks ago, but when I saw this face plate....I immediately thought, "I shoulda done that!!" Again, a lost opportunity where I was sooo...closee...

Check out what I mean.

Their snack plate:

These lil' guys/gals will run ya $15/ea and are re-useable.

My snack plate: 

These lil' critters are free but for one-time use only. Dang it, 

their idea wins. ;)

Maybe I should have taken this one all the way to the top a little sooner. :) 

"Dolce and..."

padded bike shorts?! That's right. No D&G, here. I'll be trading my Gabana (or lack thereof) for a new look. The style I'll be rockin' proudly (or not-so proudly', rather) is all spandex. Shiny, tight and unforgiving spandex, baby. When this nasty weather decides to clear up, that is. :) 


Since Justin and I are training for a triathlon and biking makes up 1/3 of the -'athlon', we decided bikes were probably a necessity if we wanted to try and look semi-prepared for the race. So...I am now the proud owner of a juicy red "Dolce Sport" and it truly is sweet. 

Granted, I might not be singing sweet love ballads for long (learning to clip in and out is going to be a new and most likely hazardous experience for me! eek!) but I am excited about this ruby red and the adventures she will lead me on. Or rather, I will lead her on :) 


Justin got a similar bike in a cool blue (pics to come), so if you see what resembles an American flag zipping through the city...know it is us, representing the US of A on our patriotic wheels. Goooo USA!


Here's to letting go of my pride, taking some awkward falls and looking goofy in padded spandex!

Don't judge a recipe by it's...name?

I really have no intentions of turning my blog into a cooking/recipe/food blog (I will strive to keep it as random and themeless as it currently is ;p), however, we have had some tasty treats lately and hoarding these delightful delicacies would just be wrong of me. So for now, I will embrace the Julia Childs deep within me (and trust me...it's way on in there) and blog about food if I'm feelin' it. 

While flipping through an Eating Well magazine (great website as well, fyi) in an office yesterday, I found this recipe and decided it was a great choice for dinner last night. After we both licked our plates clean, it was officially decided that the meal was...(all you former middle school cheerleaders, chant it with me now): a-w-e-so-me! I mean it, this dish was dang gooood and it passed my 4 major recipe 'must-haves:'  

1) Healthy

2) EASY/not requiring I purchase a lot of non-frequntly used & expensive ingredients 

3) Scrumptious, duh!

4) Filling. Satisfying a 26 year old, growin' boy's tummy is a challenge! 


Let me tell you that our dinner last night gets a huge CHECK next to #'s 1-4 above and it was delicious.

"What is the recipe you speak of, Courtni??" Well, I am glad you asked, anonymous blogger. The super-foods recipe I am excited to share is (drumroll please)...."Black Bean, Edamame and Wheat Berry Salad!!!" Wait. Your mouth isn't watering? What's wrong?! Ok, I will be real honest with you - the title did not sound appealing to me, either. In fact, this was my immediate, Joey-from- Friends eating Rachel's trifle thought process: "What's not to like? Black beans...good. Edamame...goooood. Wheat berries....what tha!?!" 


I honestly had never heard of wheat berries and even more honestly, they did not sound good to me. If you are feeling the same way, keep reading because there is hope. While I am sure the recipe is wonderful as-is, I lied to you a smidgen. The Gresham house actually ate "Black Bean, Edamame and Pasta Salad" last night, as wheat berries were not to be found on my grocery trip in the arctic cold (this is true! I really did want to try them but after de-frosting in my car, I lost my will to venture to another store to find some). 

So, on the fly, I decided to sub Dreamfields "Rotini" pasta in for the wheat berries. I know, I know... wheat berries are one of the main ingredients...don't hate me for being a rule-breaker. Sometimes you gotta improvise and I think Dreamfields was a great choice - check out the nutritional facts on this amazing pasta :) I was very pleased with this switch-a-roo and Justin and I LOVED the meal. Also, I think the pasta version satisfied requirement #4 listed above more than the called-for wheat berries would have. So in this case, full tummies = happy tummies! =)

Without further adieu, below is the recipe and it can also be found here.

Black Bean, Edamame, and Wheat Berry (or PASTA) Salad


4 cups water
1/2 cup dry wheat berries (or your choice pasta)
1/2 of a 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained (low-sodium kind)
1 cup frozen, shelled, edamame, thawed
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. pompeian red wine vinegar
3 tbsp pompeian olivextra plus 
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine water and wheat berries in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 55 minutes or until wheat berries are just tender.


2. Place in a fine mesh strainer and run under cold water to cool quickly, drain well.


3. Combine the wheat berries with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours in advance.

Remarks

Wheat berries are unprocessed wheat kernels and are sold in major supermarkets and health food stores.

Some additional notes: 

-Obviously, if you sub in pasta for wheat berries, cook the pasta according to package and combine with ingredients above.

-I used slightly less water than called for - about 2 1/2 cups. 

-I grilled 2 chicken breasts and sliced up to serve alongside pasta = YUM and ups the protein count!

-We enjoyed fresh broccoli with this meal, as well, and it was delicious! If you need a little flavor, sprinkle some cheese on top of your broccoli.

I.heart.PB&J.

I saw this recipe for PB&J heart cookies on MarthaStewart.com and had to share. If you are following my previous post on healthy snacking, you can make a few substitutions to the ingredients below but let's be real honest with each other...these treats will be tastiest when left in their original state. Butter, sugar and all. It's ok to make exceptions for a sweet valentines PB&J, right!? ;) I think yes. Life is short :)

How cute would these be in your kiddo's (or husbands:)) lunch?!

Recipe: 

Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1/3 cup raspberry jam, stirred to loosen

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter, then egg. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture until dough forms. If dough is sticky, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Press into 1 3/4-inch rounds. Press hearts into centers using your fingertips. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and reshape hearts using your fingertips or the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill indentation of each with a generous 1/2 teaspoon jam to form a heart. Bake until cookies are firm, 6 to 7 minutes more.