35 Weeks....

Wow...I can't believe I am 35 weeks pregnant today! Time just seems to by flying by which is a bit alarming since we still have so much left to do before our sweet little girl gets here!! It seems like just yesterday Pat and I were talking about starting a family and then wham, I was pregnant!

And then came the pregnancy roller coaster for the next, oh, 8 months! First they thought I was having an ectopic pregnancy, then that got cleared up. Then there were a few more scares here and there throughout the pregnancy including a fun trip to Labor and Delivery at 25 weeks! But thankfully everything has always turned out perfectly!

And now, our little bean is about 5 pounds and just about fully cooked!

I have been pretty tired again most evenings and so I come home and nap or lie on the couch for awhile. I am waiting for our final shower this weekend before I really start organizing the baby room....and because it seems like such a daunting task. I am not a very organized person to begin with....then add it all these teeny, tiny baby clothes and I am lost.

I actually spent my lunch break googling how to fold and organize baby clothes.

The last few weeks have been a mix of utter excitement and bittersweet moments. I keep looking at my wonderful husband knowing that very soon it will no longer be just the two of us. At night while we watch TV I think to myself how different everything will be in a matter of a few mere weeks. It almost makes me want to tear up a bit. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that Little Miss will be here and I know we will love her more than anything....but it's just knowing that this stage of our lives is coming to an end very, very soon.

We have another Dr. appointment set for November 22nd where we will hopefully schedule my c-section. That was a very difficult decision to make, but due to my previous surgeries, Pat and I felt that was the safest route to go for delivery. I'm not thrilled about having another surgery, but as Pat puts it, that is just temporary and my health that we are preserving is long term. So...c-section it is. I can't wait for our next appointment as I am anxious to know if I am making any progress towards going into labor and also to know when we will meet our little girl!!

She did give Pat quite a show the other night wiggling and moving away in my tummy! Pat kept calling her a Wiggle Worm and his eyes kept bugging out of his head at how much she was moving. I know I will miss feeling her movements inside me all day long once she is here. She is my constant buddy, always hanging out with me and encouraging me to eat lots of chocolate and ice cream!

Anyways, as you may have guessed, my cooking habits have slowed down considerably. I don't even have a picture to include in this blog as I left my flash drive at home, but soon I will update with a beautiful picture my mom took this past week of my baby belly and me!

So, while there may not be many recipes in the next few weeks/months, there will be plenty of baby updates...if that is the sort of thing you are into! :)

Baby Showers!!

Yes...the time has finally come for baby showers! My mom threw a wonderful family shower a few weekends ago and then last night my Girl's Night girls put on a beautiful shower too!!! I have some pictures from my mom's shower that I will share, but unfortunately didn't take 1 single picture from last nights shower...so I will have to get some from my friends and then share with you!

For the shower on my mom's side, we had a bakery in town make the cookies....seriously...how cute are these?!?!

Also it was great because my cousin Heidi was there and she is due 2 days before me! Can you believe it? She is having her third child and this one is a little guy....I am sure he will be a cutie like his brother and sister!!

Here is a picture of my wonderful mamma and me!!

The whole gang!

All of the wonderful gifts for our wonderful little girl!!

I just can't believe all the wonderful things we are getting for the baby girl!!! And, I can't believe how close she is to getting here. I wobble between total excitement, and total fear! But I think I lean more towards the excited side!

Pat and I are continuing to clean out our old work-out room and transform it into the perfect room for our little sweet pea! It has been a S-L-O-W work in progress....but we are getting there! Pat has been a huge help with organizing and moving stuff too. Hopefully this "nesting" thing all the baby books talk about kicks in soon....until then I would much rather take a nap! Haha!

For both showers I made a delicious Jalapeno Popper dip....and for both showers I failed to take a picture of it! So sorry! But I promise...it is REALLY, REALLY good. And, super simple to toss together!

Here is the recipe:

Jalapeno Popper Dip

from Annie's Eats

Ingredients

2- 8oz packages softened cream cheese

1 cup mayo

1-4oz can chopped green chiles, drained

1-4oz can diced jalapeno peppers, drained

1/2 cup shredded Mexican style cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, green chiles, jalapenos, and shredded cheeses. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined. Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approx 9x9 inches).

3. Sprinkle both the Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top of mixture.

4. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and topping is golden. Serve warm with baguette slices.

Last Bite: Well....this dip was super easy and super yummy! It has enough of a bite to really taste great, but not too much to feel like your mouth is on fire! And....baby showers with friends and family are just the best! One more baby shower to go...can't wait!!!