Taco Pie

It's been awhile since I've posted recipes, yes? Since we've been home a lot more often I've been trying to cook as much as I can. Unfortunately nothing really stood out as being blog worthy ( basics like: spaghetti, enchilidas, pancakes, etc) throw in there my many food aversions and I'm not embarrassed to admit just how many boxes of cereal I eat in a week ( 1.5 if you're keeping track)



When I was browsing Pinterest I came across a recipe called Taco Pie. It's exactly what it sounds like. A taco inside a pie shell. Easy, simple and tasty!






( source)



Ingredients:

1 lb of ground beef
Taco seasoning to taste
1 Can of re-fried beans ( optional)
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 Pie Shell
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Salsa
Sour cream




Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Pan fry the ground beef until golden brown. Drain the fat then add in taco seasoning until mixed well

Heat up re-fried beans stove top.

Add beans to the bottom of frozen pie shell and then top with taco meat mixture and cheddar cheese.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes

Once the crust is golden brown, remove pie and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add on the rest of the taco coverings and cut into pie slices and serve.

Travelin'

We've laid out the rest of our traveling schedule before baby S arrives. I've had a major travel itch since we got home from Hawaii and I haven't been able to shake it. Unfortunately, we have a budget we have to stick to, you know...to pay the bills. So we've been home. Last year we were able to do lots of little trips, snowboarding, beach, Seattle, etc. So not having the ability to just pack up our bags and head out for a weekend has been BORING.


Anyhow, onto the good stuff.


Our first smallish business trip will be down to Southern California in the middle of May. My mother in law won a state wide award for her division through her county job and they are flying and paying for her trip down to Los Angeles to accept and attend some seminars. We decided to support her and head down to attend her award ceremony and take her out to dinner since it is mothers day after all. In the mean time, we are picking up a few new props for our 2012 season in Vegas. Just quick 3 day trip but at least we'll be out of this tiny shack apartment.



Our second travel adventure takes place the first week in June. We'll be flying into Vegas for our yearly summer trip. We don't ever gamble but enjoy seeing shows, hanging out by the pool, people watching etc. I'm looking forward to relaxing with my husband on a sort of baby-moon.






We're staying at the Flamingo hotel which is one of our favorite hotels on the strip. They have one of the best pools around and easy access to everything on the strip. Also the coconut smell? so lovely, especially in the summer.

We always try and see a few shows while we're there and it will be no different this time. In the Vegas heat ( 110 degrees anyone?) I'm sure I wont be doing too much walking at 8 months pregnant.

We'd like to see Peepshow




And a Cirque Du Soleil show " O "




We'll probably walk the strip when it cools down at night and do a bit of shopping, watch the Bellagio fountain show lots of frozen ( non alcoholic) drinks and a whole lot of relaxing.


The last big travel on our list is to head back to Oregon and Washington for a few weeks in June. We'll be staying with my mom in Oregon and then heading up to Washington for our friends wedding. I'm looking forward to going home for a bit and seeing my family!


We have so much to look forward to this Summer and it just can't come soon enough! I"m having a blast planning a few little things to kill time in boring ol' April and plan to soak up as much time with my husband as " just the two of us" as I can. Soon enough we'll have a teeny, beautiful little baby to take with us!

24 Weeks

Slacking again but what else is new? This week was far more adventurous then last. We made big headway on getting some work stuff ironed out and we're now back to working a 40 hour work week with big deadlines coming very quickly. The weather made a big 180 which went from 60 degrees and raining to 90 degrees and the AC on. After our crazy week I booked a 1 night trip up to our favorite mountain town in South Lake Tahoe just to help us unwind and relax before the next few weeks. Unfortunately we drove the 2 hours up there, stopped at the north shore of the lake to walk around and my radiator exploded. A quick call to AAA and 110 miles of a tow later, we were back home. It was unfortunate but what can you do?

Moving onto the baby.





Ridiculous growth this week. All my clothes are feeling uncomfortable and I've worn a lot of sundresses this week. I bought 3 pairs of shorts before Hawaii and even those are feeling tight in all the wrong places, so I might need to make a mini shopping trip to pick up a few more summer essentials.


How far along:

24 weeks 4 days in this photo. Hitting the 25 week mark on Tuesday is INSANE to me. How the heck did I get this far? I know I say that every week but oh my word. Soaking it all in.


How are you feeling:

Feeling good. The hot weather has been interesting and has certainly given me a small glimpse into my near future. I've been sweaty, out of breath and a little uncomfortable right after our walks or after a warm shower. Something else to note? being full after every single meal. I don't just mean satisfied, I mean Thanksgiving STUFFED after a bowl of cereal.I guess that's good indication I'm carrying this baby high and my insides are getting more squished. Something else to note that's come back with a vengeance. Constipation. It's not glamorous but it's there. I have a doctor appointment this week and I'm gonna cave and ask for colace. I can't stomach the prune juice and I drink at least 8 bottles of water a day ( plus milk, Gatorade, cherry Coke, etc)


Stretchmarks:

Yep. And now I have them on my upper thighs. Still white. Still annoying but not much I can do about genetics.


Weight gain/loss:

up 19lbs and now tracking calories. Before you get all " you don't need to lose weight" on me. I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm trying to monitor my intake to see where I'm at. As you know, I was on Weight Watchers before I got pregnant, and still really depended on the point system. My brain wasn't trained yet to cycle through how many calories this is, or how big of a portion to put on my plate. I'm trying to find a balance of feeling okay with my eating and the weight gain from baby. I'm doing what's healthy and have the okay from my doctor and my husband to monitor my intake as long as I'm still having a small gain each week.


Movement:

We have a lot of movement on some days and then quiet days on others. It does make my mama heart worry but I know baby is still healthy and doing just fine. I'm loving the outside show we get most nights and can't wait for a few of our friends to be able to feel kicks when I place their hands on my belly.


Gender:

We'll see in August!



What I'm loving:

We had our hospital tour on Monday and I immediately had anxiety when I walked in. I have such a fear that the nurses are going to pressure me into things I don't want and they're going to drug my child to no end. I'm not sure why I feel this way, but for me it's very serious. Getting a chance to view the rooms and meet some of the nurses, I did feel a bit relieved. Knowing we have a Doula and my very strong willed husband also helps me to relax about the hospital birth process. We made the decision to just have my husband and Doula in the room with us, while our family is in the waiting room. I think that removes some stress from us about who can be allowed, etc. We're making progress on a few baby projects ( our changing table, dresser, etc) and looking forward to our baby shower in June and finishing up our shopping in Oregon. I've been a little emotional thinking about my journey and all who follow. This wasn't an easy road for us to get here and I feel so blessed. Trying to find the balance of sharing our journey and keeping my excitement at bay is hard. I know too many people who have lost babies or who haven't been able to get pregnant and my heart aches every day for them. I don't wish infertility on my worst enemy, but at the same time, That's a road a lot of people are going down and in the end, when you finally get that positive test it makes that road SO worth it.
So in the end, all is well with us. We have a busy week, with a doctors appointment coming up. Have a great rest of the weekend! I'll be pool side :)

23 Weeks

If you read my last post then you know it's been a blah blah blah kind of week. Even though it's technically "Spring" we're having a late winter, and so we're sort of in a funk and not sure how to spend our time. Every activity we throw out as an idea ends up with...But you're pregnant, so we shouldn't. I'm not complaining, because I would take this pregnancy, and this baby over any other thing in this world but dang. I'm bored! ;) I guess I need to read adjust my standards here. Anyhow. Baby is huge. I mean, I need help getting out of bed, can no longer shave my legs without huffing and puffing and all I want to do is sit in my comfy leather chair, with my feet propped up eating cherry vanilla ice cream.





Side note. that cardigan was purchased in December and was too big to wear. Now, it does not button. Not even a little.



How far along:

23 weeks 1 day. and yet again, I missed my 22 week post. I had good intentions, you see...It's all written out, but the photo is nonexistent because of the crap weather. We're either dressed for the rain, or trying to wrangle the dog to stay out of the mud. It's not pretty, and therefore the pic? didn't happen.
I'm now officially in the countdown mode. 16 weeks 6 days left feels like such a huge milestone, and yet, so far away.


How are you feeling:

I am feeling absolutely awesome. A few allergies here and there, but nothing that Benadryl can't fix. I'm headache free, I have energy for more then 20 minutes and food is my best friend. We're still walking 2 to 3 miles a day, which I plan to continue up until my feet will take no more ( see also: 100 degree weather that's sure to come)


Stretchmarks:

No change. Same ol' same ol'


Weight gain/loss:

The scale and I aren't friends. I'm at the point where I should probably just put it away until I'm ready to lose baby weight. I dread every lb ( or 5) that shows up and it literally make my heart stop when it's 4lbs more then I expected. I eat healthy,i'm exercising and baby is healthy. That's all that matters, right?


Movement:

Lots of it. But sometimes baby gets stubborn and doesn't move in her normal times. Then my mama worry comes out and I quickly drink some caffeine hoping to try and wake her up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The other morning she kicked me so hard, I put C's hand on my belly. Within seconds, she moved and we felt a VERY strong heart beat. I'm not sure how, or why that happened, but it was completely different then my pulse, so I know it was baby. I can now see the baby move on the outside, especially at night when I first get into bed. It makes my heart melt and I cannot hide the ear to ear smile that pops up on my face. Such an amazing thing for me! Absolutely my favorite part of pregnancy so far.


Gender:

I still vote girl, but we'll see in August!


What I'm loving:

So much movement going on this week and we have hired a doula for the birth! She was an immediate fit, and came highly recommended. To seal the deal, she actually works at the birth center here in town as their doula/RN. We also loved that she has backup in case she's at another birth, etc. We have also been researching more baby items, and even bought baby their first outfit. It's a little surf sweatshirt and matching shirt from target. It came from the boy section but can totally be turned girly with a headband bow. I'm researching Bradly classes which is a 12 weeks program ( yikes!) and natural birthing classes held through our hospital ( 6 classes total) We have our hospital tour next week and hopefully we'll have narrowed down info on our baby shower.

Mishmash

* It's been a lazy, boring, and uneventful week in our house. We picked up a new work schedule to start some big projects and had that come to a halt when the landlords of our warehouse decided to be difficult and change the rules on us. It's a lot to get into, but we're praying right now they let us back in our building before August 1st to start designing our sets. We wont know anything for another few days, which is leaving us cramped up into a little tiny apartment with nothing to do.


* We're finally on a budget and sticking to it. We've always "free spent" and then reined ourselves in when money was getting tighter ( especially at the start of our busy season)But we decided with a baby on the way, and expanding our business we needed to have a big cushion to fall back on. I can't say we're following anyone or anything in particular, but we are using the envelope/cash system. We deposit a certain amount each month, then divide accordingly. We have funds allocated to rent, food, gas, and free spending. So far, we're doing great. We even paid off my car 2 months earlier then we were suppose to!


*We've started the process of looking for a home to buy once we get back to Oregon come December. We're very particular on the house we want and have no problem renting up there until we find it. Hopefully with a lot of extra time we'll be able to find something to purchase!


* None of my underwear or bras fit anymore and I need to shop for some in a major way. I just don't even know where to start. I'm slightly mortified going into get fitted and really dreading the number on the bra tag.


*I have vacation fever. We have one trip planned to Las Vegas in June and one trip planned to Oregon/Washington in June for a wedding. We've maxed out our travel time so spending the next 2 months at home? killer. I know, I know. Cry me a river.


* A lot of my favorite bloggers are leaving blogland. It actually makes me sad. Kristal decided to stop her journey as she started a new journey in foster care. One of my favorite home blogs Holly left without notice and Heather threw out the idea she might be leaving too. Getting attached to online friends and then loosing that small peek into their lives is actually really sad for me. :(


* Who thinks we're having another baby boom? * Raises hand* I know 20 people pregnant right now, and it seems like once a week another one pops up. Something is absolutely in the water. Heck,even I got some of that baby makin water. 'tis good stuff.


* I walk 2-3 miles a day, every day. I have no idea why we started out on this mission other then trying to get our overweight turned perfect weight dog, fit. Now we can't give it up, but round ligament pain while walking? ouch. At least we're keeping active before the Sacramento summer heat sets in. Then my butt will be in the pool and no where else.


I think that about wraps up our week. Boy, are we exciting people or what? ha.

21 Weeks

It's been a big baby week over here. I've had 2 Dr appointments, and an ultrasound. Also, I feel like my belly grew even more. Although in this photo i'm not sure it shows it's hugeness. It was a rainy, yucky week, so you get the self portrait in the mirror!








How far along:

21 weeks 2 days. I can never seem to make my posts on time. Also, the ultrasound tech measured us at 20 weeks. I asked my Dr about it and she said at this stage in pregnancy, it's typical to have babies measure bigger or smaller but that she is still keeping our due date at August 7th. As much as an August 17th baby would be cute ( we were married on the 17th, C's birthday is on the 17th!) I'm glad to know I'm not crazy off, on my original dates.


How are you feeling:

I'm doing much better this week! I haven't had any headaches ( knock on wood) and my leg cramps seem to be doing better. I read about a few home remedies, one of which caught my eye. Putting a bar of soap in a sock at the end of your bed is suppose to help relive the restless legs. I kid you not, it works. I have NO idea why, or who even came up with that, but thank you soap gods! I've also been supplementing my prenatal with magnesium/calcium tablets. My Dr recommended this to me for both my legs and my migraines and so far, we're doing pretty good. My sleep is getting much better other then getting up to pee once or twice a night and trying to find a comfy side to lay on.


Stretchmarks:

No change. Same ol' same ol'



Weight gain/loss:

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this but I'm up 12 lbs I gained almost 8 lbs in less then 3 weeks. I guess I can say I've had a big growth spurt, but holy cow! I sort of freaked at the doctors and demanded to my husband I was going to start monitoring my calorie intake. I obviously know I'm going to gain, I just figured the bulk would be in the 3rd trimester. I don't want to get too out of control so just know, I'm keeping a close eye on that scale and my waist line and plan to continue our 4 mile daily walks as well in hopes I can keep up some sort of work out routine. Lord knows I haven't stepped foot in a gym in months


Movement:

We have outside movement! After we had our ultrasound, and saw my very stubborn child not wanting to move, she started waving her arms to get comfy and jammed her head right into my cervix and bladder. I felt that one! Then last night we were watching some work videos with the ipad sitting on top of the tablemy belly, and the baby started going crazy. kicks every few seconds.I put my hands on my belly and bam! I felt it from the outside. I grabbed C's hand but she must of settled down because that was the end of her show for the night. I'm feeling her move a lot more during the day and not just at night, which is awesome. I love having the reassurance that she is active and growing right on track.



Gender:

We'll find out in August! My baby was very stubborn and had her legs under her belly, so the ultrasound tech wasn't "sure" if she got the sex or not, but she thinks she did. I'm glad we didn't want to know, because how annoying would that be? Still voting girl at this point, but who knows.



What I'm loving:

We started our registry at Babies r us last week after out first Dr appt got canceled.( Dr was called into emergency surgery) It was pretty cool to start seeing items that we will actually with OUR baby. C and I both go over heated so we only stayed an hour, but I think we go the essentials and I'll finish up the rest online. Also, we got 600 diapers! We've decided to go the disposable route for now until we transition into our big house in Oregon. We placed the order on Diapers.com and with their current sale and a coupon code I was able to get 600 diapers ranging from newborn to size 2 for .4 cents a piece. That's one hell of a deal if you ask me! Even Costco brand diapers run you .10-.12cents a piece. With free shipping and 2 day delivery? We'll absolutely be going that route until we can transition into cloth. I'm also loving all the movement, a sold heart rate of 162 and a Dr we really like. It's been a good week, and we're both soaking it all in. :)