34+ Weeks

Last week's doctor's appointment came with a bit of a shock: Baby Glade is no longer breach (hooray!), but he had also already dropped. The NP was concerned with how low he was, and told me I needed to drastically scale back my activity. She also said that she could tell I'd been having some heavy contractions. This suprised me quit a bit and made me feel a little dumb: I thought Baby Glade had just found a really creative new way to kick me.
So all this week, I've been trying to be really careful, and pay close attention to the contractions. As the week has gone on, I've been feeling progressively a little worse. I decided to take Thursday off work, in the hopes that laying around for a day would calm things down. But as the day wore on, things felt much worse, instead of better. I ended up deciding to haul myself off to the Relief Society meeting anyways, and it was while sitting through the meeting that I started to think, Uh-Oh. On my way home from RS, I called the 24-hour nurse's line. She told me to high-tail it to Labor and Delivery to check for dilation, and have the contractions monitered. I drove home to get Rob--who had had a REALLY busy day at the hospital, and was JUST about to sit down--and we went to the hospital. The monitor showed that I was having contractions every 2 to 5 minutes, but Baby Glade was healthy and in no apparent distress, and I was not dilated at all. The nurse started an IV, laced with a narcotic to slow the contractions (and it's at this point that my memory fails me), and told Rob that I need to be on bed rest, at least until my next appointment, at which point they will re-evaluate.
The week looms large and empty before me... And the refridgerator looms large and empty. Really, what solace does a pregnant girl have when she runs out of caramel sauce?

Freebie

So a while back, I recieved a free sample of some athletic head wraps made by a company called imActive. I have LOVED them. They stay put, don't give me headaches, and even when I swim laps, they can keep the hair out of my face. I'm sold. So everytime I go in a store, I've been looking for them. Nobody seems to carry them. Anywhere (I guess it COULD be because I live in Little Rock). So, being the saavy internet girl I am, I got online to see where I could buy them. Here is the company's website. And guess what? FREE shipping! Yes! Success!... except I couldn't get the website to work. I tried about 4 times to place an order, and it NEVER worked. So I called the company, and told them just how frustrated I was, and that I REALLY wanted those silly elastics. The company rep apologized for my troubles, checked the website, and after verifying that they were indeed having technical issues, told me that she would ship me my order for free. How cool is that?

My O My O Elephant!

This weekend we visited Riddles Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary. Elephants in Arkansas. Who knew? Despite how blasted hot it was, we enjoyed seeing the Asian and African elephants. Pretty cool stuff.




After leaving the elephants, we continued to drive North to Blanchard Springs Caverns. We took an hour and 45 minute tour of the caverns. We had a great guide, and learned alot about the formation of caverns, general geology, and some Arkansas history. The caverns were much more lovely than the pictures can do justice to.




And finally, my big achievement recently has been canning peaches. And they all sealed! Aren't the beautiful? I was really proud of myself, and am looking forward to eating delicious local Arkansas peaches all winter long.

"The baby is eating my brain"

One of the girls I trained with during my radiology rotations said that ALL the time when she was pregnant. I now understand what she meant. For days now, I've been wanting to post some cool pictures I took... if I only could find the USB cable for the camera! So this morning I FINALLY found the cable... and NOW I can't find the camera!

Unprecedented

I don't think we have ever before seen a movie on opening weekend, let alone two in a row! Last weekend, we went to Batman. It was awesome. Heath Ledger will have you cringing in your seat, and Christian Bale is great. 9.5/10 for sure.

Then, THIS weekend we went to the X-files (I've been really excited about this one). It was a very satisfactory trip down the X-files memory lane. Many thanks to my sweet husband, who is not an X-files fan, but came to the show with me anyways (note: the show does not require familiarity with the TV series; and although many references to the characters's pasts are made--which the fan will enjoy--the new viewer will not be lost). Definitely a satisfying flick. I'll give it a 7.5/10.

I guess we're just trying to get all of our movie-going in before Baby Glade arrives. That, and it's too darn hot to do ANYTHING on a saturday afternoon EXCEPT attend a nice air-conditioned matinee.

Yummy Summer Pastas

In the heat of the summer, I am always looking for light, easy recipes that do not require the use of the oven. These are two of our favorite pasta recipes that fit the bill perfectly. Enjoy!

Summer Shrimp Pasta

1 lb (16-20) frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3/4 lb tomatoes, coarsely diced (retain all juices)-- in a pinch, I've used diced canned tomatoes
1/4 c. (scant) olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 grated parmesan cheese
8 oz penne pasta
1/4 c. fresh basil, coarsely chopped
zest of one medium lemon

Clean, peel and devein the shrimp (or buy the pre-cooked frozen shrimp, and make life a whole lot easier). Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, red pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese in serving bowl. Set aside to warm at room temperature so flavors mingle.

Saute shrimp. Combine shrimp and drained, cooked pasta in bowl with tomatoe mixture. Sprinkle with the fresh basil and lemon zest. Toss well. Serve slightly cool (about room temperature) topped with extra Parmesan.

For an extra treat, slice the zested lemon and drop in a pitcher of iced water. The lemon water adds an elegant and refreshing touch to any dinner.



Orecchiette with leeks, peas and pecorino


1 lb dry orecchiette pasta, or some other short pasta (orecchiette looks like small shells with a pretty scalloped edge)
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 leeks, thinly sliced and rinsed well to remove sand (leeks are grown in sand)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 10 oz. package frozen peas, thawed
3/4 c. cream (or whole milk)
1 c. grated Pecorino (if you can't find Pecorino, use Parmesan, or Romano or any other hard, salty cheese)
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 c. fresh mint leaves, torn (I've substituted basil for the mint plenty of times-- it's just what you have on hand at the moment)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, saute the leeks in the olive oil, seasoned with the salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper, for about 7 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and the peas and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the cream and 3/4 c. of the Pecorino. Simmer until sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Top with the sauce, lemon zest, mint, and toss. Serve sprinkled with the remaining Pecorino and pepper.

Choosy Moms Choose.... ?

The Great Stroller Debate continues to occupy our evening conversations; and since Rob and I both really are clueless (having never really USED strollers-- at least not since we were the ones riding in them), we need some advice from moms(and dads!) who KNOW.

The Question:
To purchase a travel set, or simply select the daily-use stroller we like best (and give the Fist of Fury to anyone who snickers at our lack of coordinating colors)?

I'm anxiously awaiting your input.