Slade is here!

Slade Robert

December 6, 2014

7 pounds, 3 ounces & 19 3/4 inches

Five on Friday!

Hello lovelies! Happy Friday! I don't know about y'all, but I'm pretty happy to see the weekend and kind of reaaaally hoping this is my last pregnant one. At 38 weeks, 4 days, I sort of feel like a ticking time bomb, and let me tell you, I'm READY.

Annnnyway, I'm linking up with the girls behind  Five on Friday for a little fun today!

 {one} Our town had its annual Christmas Parade earlier in the week, so of course, we had to take Jaqs! It was pretty chilly, but she loved it and we had so much fun :) I love that she's at a fun age for this sort of thing right now...simple pleasures! 

{two} This girl has been giving me a run for my money with napping lately...little stinker! Since dropping the paci, she hasn't napped once at Mother's Day Out, and every time I put her down at home she tells me, "I can't take a nap! It's light outside!" Well, she's right, but she has black-out curtains in her room, so it's definitely dark in there. I'm praying this isn't the beginning of the end because goodness knows I'm going to neeeeed that nap-time with Mister Slade coming any day now! Oh well, we're sticking with it & enjoying the 6:30/7:00 p.m. bedtime on the non-nap days.

{three} I finally hopped on the (faux) fur vest train and picked one up at Target for 40% off on Black Friday. I've worn it once already, and I kind of love it even though I look like an actual animal with this gigantic bump right now ;) I'm loving these looks I found on Pinterest & can't wait to copy them post-baby when my normal clothes fit again.

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{four} We normally always do family pictures for Christmas cards sometime around Thanksgiving, but this year we've decided to just do newborns/family pictures and send out a "Happy New Year & Here's Our New Kid!" card so wouldn't have to double up on card costs & postage. Plus, I can't really imagine sending out a Christmas card with our newest member not on it. All that to say, I'm really looking forward to getting some updated family pictures (and hoping that I'm not a swollen blimp ;)). Also hoping that we can get some sweet shots like this one of our babies:

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I'm certainly not above bribing my toddler, so I'm sure there will be ample marshmallows and M&Ms on hand to get her to be sweet to her little brother. Ha! Any other tips, mommas??

{five} Rob and I are going to do our best to make this last weekend really special for Jaqs. Her little world is about to be rocked, but I just pray that she'll love Slade and know that mommy and daddy still love her to the moon even if we're not quite as available all the time.

I've heard about pets becoming clingy with baby's due date getting closer, but does that apply to toddlers as well?? Jaqs has been especially lovey-dovey lately & I'm eating it up. It's so hard for me to believe how big she is and what a little girl she has turned in to. Bittersweet watching these babies grow!

That's all I've got for today...hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Freezer Meals

In my efforts to get prepared and make my life easier post-baby, I decided to stock our freezer with meals and other convenience items. Being the gluten free gal that I am, I can't just pop a Stouffer's lasagna in the oven & call it good, so I needed to do some prep and planning. I posted a picture of our freezer on Instagram, and several of you were curious about the meals I did, so I thought I'd share a list of those! Of course, when I was making my plan, I went straight to Pinterest for inspiration, but I also threw in some of my own tried & trues for the freezer because as you likely know, not all things taste that great coming out of the freezer.

So, here's what I made...

Slow Cooker Meals

Beef Stew (x2)

For beef stew, I cube up a roast (cost effective!), then for each bag, dump a large can of tomato sauce, one can of corn (no salt added), one can of cut green beans (no salt added), some cut up carrots, beef stock, and a variety of seasonings/herbs (you can use anything you like!). The night before we're set to eat this meal, I'll put it in the fridge to thaw, place it in the crock-pot on low for 10-12 hours the morning of, and add cubed, peeled russet potatoes when there are about 4 hours of cook time left. I don't add potatoes ahead of time because they don't freeze well.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo (x2)

Pot Roast with Mushrooms, Onions & Carrots (x2)

Pot Roast is another "made up" recipe. I just chunked up a roast then poured in a cup or two of beef stock, a few healthy shakes of worcestershire & GF soy sauces, seasoned salt, pepper & some other random herbs then filled the rest of the bag with cut carrots, sliced mushrooms & onions. I'll take this one out the night before & place in the fridge to thaw, then I'll put it in the slow cooker the morning of & cook for 10-12 hours on low. About 20 minutes before serving, I usually make a slurry of a couple tablespoons of corn starch & cold water then stir it into the juices to make a gravy & serve it all over either rice or mashed potatoes. Put a salad on the side if it makes you feel better ;)

Oven Meals

Gluten Free Lasagna (x2)

This isn't the recipe I use because I just make mine up as I go, but this sounds good! I used the same method of using dried GF noodles so they wouldn't be mush when it came time to bake.

Beef Enchiladas (x2)

I keep it so incredibly simple when it comes to enchiladas. I just rolled up seasoned taco meat & mexican blend cheese in warmed corn tortillas, then topped it with our favorite enchilada sauce & more cheese. Couldn't be easier!

Perini Ranch Hominy (side item)

If you've never had hominy, MAKE THIS NOW!! This is the recipe from a local steakhouse, and it is literally one of the yummiest sides ever. It pairs well with both steaks & mexican food.

Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole (x2)

To make this GF, I used plain wild rice rather than a box & I used Progresso's version of creamy mushroom soup.

Other

Chicken Fajita Kits (x2)

Browed Taco Meat (4 lbs, divided into 4 bags)

This is something I always like to have on hand in our freezer. I use it for quick taco nights, add it to taco soup, make nachos, and other quick recipes.

Chicken Tenders (raw)

We like homemade chicken tenders around here, but prepping the chicken can take awhile, so I went ahead and got several bags of tenders in the freezer so they're ready to go.

Cubed Chicken Breast (raw)

I also like to have cubed chicken on hand for recipes like our favorite Skinny Orange Chicken or a quick veggie stir fry.

Cooked, Shredded Chicken

Another convenience item I keep on hand for chicken salads, soups, or chicken fried rice.

Individual Portions of Seafood

I keep frozen, individual salmon & tilapia filets on hand for quick dinners. So easy to saute & whip up a quick sauce for & pair with a baked sweet potato or salad. Our favorite salmon sauce: 3 tablespoons honey + 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard + a shake of worcestershire sauce...pour over & let caramelize at the very end of the cooking process.

Easy Breakfasts for Your Other Children

Don't forget to be prepared for any other kiddos! We've got frozen waffles & pancakes on hand for breakfast, and I may make some of our favorite muffins to add to the stash before the big day.

Tips

--I doubled every recipe I made for two reasons: I bought all my meat in bulk at Sam's then divided it up, and because it's just as easy to make two bags/casseroles as it is to make one.

--Use gallon FREEZER bags & double up for soups/stews. You don't want to risk those spilling while they freeze and later, thaw.

--It's not the greenest thing in the world, but I used foil pans for all my casseroles so all of my dishes weren't tied up and because they're great for portioning purposes. We're much more likely to finish a small, 10x10 lasagna versus a huge, 16x20 one.

--Cover your foil pans with foil then place the lid on over that to ward of freezer burn.

--Lay soups & other bagged recipes flat to freeze to save space.

--Don't forget to label!! And write any instructions right on the bag or lid so you're not having to go back and search your recipes to figure out what to do with it that day.

Hope you've found this to be helpful! Freezer meals are a beautiful thing, my friends ;)

38 weeks!

How far along: 38 weeks!!

Size of baby: about 6-7 lbs. The size of a melon! 

Total weight gain: +30 lbs. And I am so ready to work out again.

Movement: Oh yes...still lots of movement, but he has definitely slowed down! He seems to be the most active in the evenings/at bedtime (naturally ;))

Sleep: The same. I'm just uncomfortable & waking up every couple hours to pee.

What I miss: Running around with my girl, easily climbing in bed with her for bedtime books, and feeling comfortable in general :) Not much longer though!!

Cravings: Anything & everything; I feel like I graze ALL day long!

Labor Signs: Lots of contractions throughout the day. I told Rob I'm worried I won't know when I'm actually in active labor this time because I never take contractions seriously anymore. I never had this with Jaqs until it was the real deal, so this is new to me. Hopefully daddy won't be delivering Slade at home. Hehe.

Maternity clothes: Most certainly. Large & in charge over here! 

Best moments this week: Getting a positive report at the doctor yesterday. I'm 3 cm & 75% effaced, so Dr. T went ahead & swept my membranes to potentially help move things along. I'm just glad all those contractions are doing some good! I'm feeling pretty antsy at this point...just ready to know when he'll be here & get this show on the road! With that being said, I can be patient and enjoy a few more days with just my girl & my hubby, too ;)
Everything is basically ready for Slade's arrival! The nursery is done, bags are all packed, the freezer is stocked with meals, and the grandparents are on stand-by. Now I just need my toddler tornado to quit destroying our house on the daily so it'll actually stay clean. Nesting is difficult with a 2 year old around! #momprobs