Pregnancy Diary: Week 7

First, thanks to everyone for the words of congratulations and encouragement. I really appreciate it!

I am 7 weeks into my second pregnancy. Unofficial due date is Dec 3rd. To be honest with ya, I have been feeling completely horrible. I was so hopeful going into this pregnancy that the 1st trimester wouldn't be as bad as it was with my first, which was completely horrible. But, unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.

We found out I was pregnant on Deans birthday, so that was fun! It was hard keeping it a secret that whole weekend between a birthday get together for Dean, and then Easter Sunday with the family.

My first week of knowing I was pregnant was quite different then it was for my first. With Will, as soon as I took the test I immediately became very tired, and my desire to eat quickly decreased leading up to complete nausea and disgust for anything to do with food. This one started off with me being very hungry, and completely moody, emotional, and almost bursting into tears at a store because I was 2 days late on their return policy, leading up to complete nausea and disgust for almost anything to do with food.

Although it was super hard dealing with morning sickness 24/7 sickness with my first, it is even harder this time having to take care of my 17 month old. Thank goodness for mothers though! She came and saved Will on Friday morning, and he stayed there for the weekend. It's a hard thing to admit that you aren't the one best fit to care for your child, but I just couldn't do it. The poor kid was pretty much living on crackers and water. I missed him SO MUCH! He is back with us now though, and I pray for the strength to care for him on my own tomorrow!

After a few day of eating almost nothing at all, I have been able to keep some select foods down. This whole thing is just so strange! One day I was able to eat crackers throughout the day and keep them down, and the next I barely get down two crackers only to throw them up 5 minutes later.

We are very excited for this new little one growing in me, and I look forward to documenting this wonderful journey of life!

Happy Boy

Will is one happy boy!

Why is that, do you ask?

Yes, he is getting to be a big boy, but that's not why!

Well, what could it be that is making my sweet little man so darn happy?

Why, he is going to be a Big Brother, that's why!

:-)

Wonderful

Ahh, what a wonderful weekend this has been! So wonderful I just have to document it.

I started out Thursday like I have every Thursday for awhile now.....with our weekly trip to the Public Market! It was a perfect day for it. I am so happy we made it through the winter, and never missed a week! I let Will out of his stroller to walk around for a bit, and he had fun going up and down the curb and waving bye to the cars driving by. We met up with a good friend too, which was lovely. I had my second appointment with a local herbalist, to try and get my skin problem under control. It has been a rough road dealing with it for almost a year now. I have pretty much cut out ALL grains and sugar from my diet, minus some special occasions: Date nights, Holidays, etc. We made some good progress, and I am very hopeful for the healing of my skin. My sister was nice enough to watch Will a bit longer, and I was able to do a little leisurely shopping. I also sold my first Simply Stacey flower at Thread! If this day wasn't perfect enough, my newest niece, Mya Grace, decided to enter the world 15 days early via Deans oldest sister, Tabitha!

Friday, April 2nd. My husbands birthday! Another beautiful day. Dean took half the day off, and we were able to spend some time together, just us 3. We went up to the park, and Will enjoyed watching the doggies, and putting acorns in his mouth. That evening we got together with a great group of friends. Had dinner at Dinosaur BBQ, went bowling, and then a fire and dessert back at our place. Couldn't have asked for a more perfect night!

Saturday Dean was back to work, so it was just Will and I together all day. We got out for a run, and then stopped at the playground for some playtime. Will loves the playground! I am pretty sure if we let him outside, he could make his way there himself. He got all sweaty and rosy cheeked. It was the cutest thing.

Easter Sunday was lovely. The church small group we have at our house put on an Easter breakfast for the church. It was crazy, but turned out well. Had a nice church service. I shall always marvel at the goodness of our God, and the wondrous gift his Son gave for us. After Will napped, we spent the rest of the day with my family at my Aunt and Uncles house. Played some games, had yummy food, and had good chats.

I was trying to get a nice picture of Will all dressed up, but he wouldn't have it. That's the best shot I got.

So now, it brings us to the present. Will is sound asleep. I am enjoying the peace and quiet, a warm cup of tea, and looking forward to whatever adventures come our way this week. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend of your own.

Business Adventure

As you may recall from a previous post, this past Christmas I made these ski bands as gifts for my sisters:


They all seemed to really like them, which was great! My future sister-in-law, Anna, thought that they would be able to sell them at a local high end clothing store, Thread, where she works. She showed her ski band to her boss, and her boss was interested! So, I met with her to chat about details (they would do 50/50 consignment). After thinking it over and talking to my main man, I decided that at this time, it wouldn't be worth the time and stress. But, perhaps I could take my time making them over the next 6 months, and then have them to sell come Fall 2010. So, those plans are still to be determined!

For now though, I decided to just make the felt flowers, and make them into hair clips to sell. I thought about selling them on Etsy. The upside to that would be more profit. The downside is that there are so many other people selling similar things that I feel like my stuff would just get lost in the mix. Plus, the idea of having to make multiple trips to the Post Office does not appeal to me. I met with one of the owners at Thread this past week, and she is cool with me trying to sell them there!

So, this past week has been filled with trips to Joann Fabrics, some fails, but many successes as I cultivate my creative juices to come up with some products I am happy with. My husband helped me create a logo too! Here are some examples of what I will be selling:

Simply Stacey.....

I am very excited about this opportunity! I don't have my hopes set too high right now. If they don't sell, then hey! I have plenty of gifts to give next Christmas!

Fried Zucchini Cakes.

When it comes to cooking, I am more of a "creator". Not much for following recipes. Which, I confess, has had its ups and downs. One creation that turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself, are what I call Fried Zucchini Cake. I am a big fan of Zucchini. Very tasty, versatile, and is so cheap too! All throughout the winter I have bought zucchini at the market, 3 for $1.00. Can't beat that!

I am sure something similar to these have been made before, this is just my take on it. Because I winged it when making these, I don't have the exact amounts. It's pretty fool proof though. Here it is!

Fried Zucchini Cakes
1 Zucchini, shredded
1 c grated cheese
1 egg
2 tbls milk
3/4c flour (or enough to make a pancake like batter)
Seasoning: Salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion powder
Oil

Stir all ingredients (except oil) together. Add milk/flour until consistency is right. The batter should be equal amounts batter/zucchini.
Heat up enough oil to cover the bottom of your fry pan. Drop a spoonful of batter, and flatten slightly. Fry each side until golden brown. Add more oil as you go, if needed. Best when eaten right away!

*From my experience the first batch tends to fail. I think the oil just wasn't hot enough.

If you are like me, you have a plethora of zucchini in your fridge. That is why next I will post my absolutely yummy Zucchini Bread Recipe.

Baba Ghanoush!

Monday evening I had my sister over to join me in watching the finale of our...ahem..."guilty pleasure", and the night would not have been complete without a slew of yummy food; Chili, Fried Zucchini Cakes, and for the first time I tried my hand at making Baba Ganoush! It turned out OK. I've only had it once before (store bought from Wegmans) and it didn't quite taste the same as that. Wasn't bad, just different.

I'm not really a fan of using recipes when it comes to cooking, but here is the recipe I kind of followed:

Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I just used sesame tahini)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used roasted garlic instead)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and let cool.
3. Remove skin from eggplant, and most of seeds.
   
4. Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, cumin and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Next I will be posting the recipe for my Fried Zucchini Cakes!

Enjoy!