Fried Green Tomatoes

Cody and I are laying low this weekend, and sticking pretty close to home. We have been so busy with traveling and company lately! The house needs some work done, I think Cody and I are both feeling a little "nesty" lately.

We went to the Farmer's Market on Friday and bought a few plants, veggies, and herbs. I started my herb garden. I did it in pots this time around, I am not a green thumb kind of girl, so I was a bit nervous sticking them in the ground. I am trying my hand at, Thyme, Parsely, Basil, and Rosemary. Wish me luck!

We also registered with the church, Immaculate Heart of Mary, and had dinner there last night after mass. It was nice, they had a welcome dinner for new members of the parish. We are turning into real live grown-ups, scary.

They had some beautiful looking tomatoes, and I bought some green ones. I tried on my southern cooking apron, and here is my first try at fried green tomatoes. I made a batter out of milk, cornmeal and flour. They were really tasty, I drizzled them with some local goat cheese. YUMMO! We also picked up some catfish, which I battered and fried too. Cody diggin' on my southern fried food.

***SIDENOTE***this was the first time I actually fried anything. It was not as scary as I thought, although, I let Cody handle all the flipping in the hot grease. Rule #1 of pregnancy, do not let otherwise normally clumsy, pregnant girl near hot grease. Bad plan, someone will definately get hurt.

30 weeks

My 30 weeks appointment was this week, everything went great. My glucose test came back false-positive, which means I am healthy and have no issues combating sugar. Yeah! I don't have to give up my cereal or ice-cream. Turns out that my sugar level were actually very low, in the 50's-60's the whole time. This must have been why I felt soooo horrible.
I also met the last doctor in the practice, Dr. White, another woman. She was wonderful, other than my own doctor, I liked her the best. She was so sincere, and she took the time with me in the appointment, she even sat down. All the other doctors barely shook my hand! If I can't have Dr. O'Keefe, I really hope she is on call when I go into labor.
The heart rate was at 140 BpM, and BF moved around the entire time making it very hard for her to get his/her heartrate. Dr. White was impressed by the movement, and asked if this was a typical day for us. I said yes indeed, you should feel the little one around midnight. I gained 1/2 pound since my last check-up, this totals me out at 15 all together. I am pretty pleased, if I stay at this pace I will have totally gained around 25. Let's keep our fingers crossed there are no growth spurts. My blood pressure was a bit higher than normal, but the doctor wasn't to concerned. I had to do some self portraits, I keep forgetting to ask Cody.

Aaron Art

I brought out the sidewalk chalk for Madeline to experiment with, and I think her daddy had fun too.

My deck has never looked so pretty.

A visit from the Reiter's

Cody and I had some company this weekend, and luckily it was a gorgeous one. It was a typical Carolina blue sky, and 80 degree temperatures. Cody's buddy from high school came out with his family. We had a great time just relaxing around the house most days, although we did make the trek out to Asheville to show off some of the more beautiful parts of the state, we walked around town and checked out some of the galleries.

Cindy and Madeline having some breakfast. Aaron and Cindy made an absolutely awesome pancake breakfast for us on Saturday morning. A special recipe for buttermilk hazlenut pancakes that Aaron found really made BF happy, the little one has been craving pancakes for a few months now.

Cody, Madeline and Flower having some "practice" cuddle time on the floor. Madeline was just so cute with the pups, she really had a handle on how to play with them by the end of the weekend.

Peek-a-Boo!

We had such a great time, and vowed to try and get together again next year at their home with our new little family member. I am glad we got to really hang out, and Cindy and I finally got a chance to really get to know one another.

The glucose test

Just a wee update on my diabetes testing... I went in this morning on an empty stomach. It is always a bad plan, when you are pregnant to have an empty stomach, for me, it usually causes alot of nausea. This morning was no different.
First, the lab tech took my blood, then gave me a 8 oz. bottle of orange flavored syrup to drink, it was like flat Crush soda gravy. Gross!
I then had to sit in the waiting room and have blood drawn every hour for 3 whole hours. It was a very long morning for me. I felt sick almost right up to the end. I will find out the results tomorrow, they sent my blood away for a lab to test. Please pray that everything is okay, I am not ready to give up my daily bedtime bowl of cereal or ice cream (depends on my mood).
I came directly home and made the most delicious PB&J on toast I ever tasted with a huge glass of milk.

The third trimester, 28 weeks!

I have officially reached the third trimester. Yeah! A couple of belly shots, my father just loves these.

My appointment this time around was not all good news. They found that in an initial screening I am not tolerating glucose the way I should be, and now I am at risk for gestational diabetes. To further explore this, I have to go in next week for a 3 hour glucose screening. It involves drinking a super-duper sugary drink on an empty stomach and taking blood every hour for three hours. I am a little bummed, but realize that I may be just fine and this worry is kind of pointless. I am going to just have to watch my sugar and carbs this week, and hope for the best.

I met a another new doctor, 4 down, 1 more to go. She was much nicer than the last woman I saw, younger and cheerful. She was pleased with my weight gain (now up 11 pound), blood pressure and the belly measurement was "right on the money". BF's heartrate measured out at 142 BPM, kind of low considering I chugged 8oz. of sugar 20 minutes before.

I am feeling kind of tired now, sleeping is becoming difficult. I am battling insomnia off and on, and I keep waking up on my back. I wake up in the middle of the night feeling like my spine is on fire. I started to make lists before I go to bed to help with the insomnia, so far so good.

We also started our Bradley classes, which will get us prepared for natural child birth. Cody thinks I am completely insane, but hopefully after we finish he will be as stoked as I am. They are a little silly, kinda hippy-dippy touchy feely, but we really haven't gotten into the meat of the method yet.

Easter Brunch

Before heading back to High Point on Easter Sunday, we had a family farewell for Easter Brunch. Margie and I planned out a delicious menu: Lamb Chops, Crabmeat Quiche, Fried Potatoes, Cinnamon Rolls, Soda Bread and Fruit Salad. And of course, Coffee and Mimosas.
We also made a homemade, from scratch Buttermilk Cake with Chocolate Frosting. The frosting took a little longer than normal to harden up, although our cake was lopsided it was indeed delicious.

Sammy grilling up the lamb chops!

The whole family! Minus a big sister, and two gorgeous nieces. Christy and Mike made it just in time to say goodbye, the poor dears were on a cruise all week.

Sushi Deli nite

Another obsession of ours... we all headed out to dinner for one last hurrah before I left. Unfortunately, Cody still wasn't home, he couldn't make it. The Newlyweds!

Laurel, me, Corky, Melissa, Mimi and Crazy Lees! I love this picture! I kinda got really sad at our goodbyes, I realized that Lisa and I may not see each other for awhile. She is moving back to San Fran, she has to go do like grown up things and get a masters.

Next time I am in town, and not toting a baby on board, I so want to check this place out ladies. Doesn't it sound fabulous?

More San Diego

While Cody was away, I had lots of free time to play. I had so much fun with my family and my girls. Margie, Scott and I headed down to the Prado to check out the Annie Leibovitz exhibit. It was amazing, she is best known for her celebrity portraits (i.e. preggo, naked Demi Moore) and there were a few of those displayed. However, I found that her more personal work and photojournalistic styles were incredibly moving. She covered Rwanda during the civil war and the pictures are so haunting. Also, included were family events... births and deaths. I highly suggest checking it out if it comes to a city near you. The Prado is in downtown San Diego at Balboa Park, it is a cluster of very beautiful buildings built to house the exhibits of one of the World's Fairs (not sure which one). The park itself is huge and also includes the land with the San Diego Zoo.
Mom and I posing for Scott, he was collecting lots of family photos to take with him to Japan. He left a few days ago, he plans to teach English to middle schoolers for a year. He is very excited, and we wish him all the luck.

A few of my girls and I at Melissa's new house, having our sanity-saving-pjs-and-wine-party! A tradition started shortly after we all started working together at Toddler School. I sure do miss those nights!

Laurel and Hailey (who turns one this week!).

I gave her the elephant she is holding for her birthday. In case you don't know, a hidden talent of mine is very realistic animal sounds, especially the elephant. We can't have baby Haze forgetting who Auntie Heather is, can we?

Spring Break in San Diego

Cody and I headed out to San Diego for a little vacation and Cody's much anticipated climb with Summit for Someone. He had a few days before Ryan and him had to take off for the Sierra Mtns., and we filled it with lots of good Mexican and catching up with friends and family.
Yummy Fish Tacos from our favorite taco shop in University Heights our old 'hood. This time around we got to see everyone! Not to much rushing around, Cody got lots of cuddle time with Max after his nap.

Down in PB for breakfast the morning Cody left.

The two mountain men pre-Whitney climb, they were both stoked and ready to roll.