Paging Jenny Craig

I just ate the last piece of apple pie.  In some ways that's good, because it means there's none left, right?  But I guess the fact that Joe only had two pieces doesn't make me feel much better.  

Also I was making this stuffed poblano pepper dish to have for dinner later in the week and both my index fingers are now burning from removing the seeds.  I've run them under water and even soaked them in milk for a bit.  They start to feel better, so I try to do something else and within minutes a burning sensation creeps its way back under my cuticles.  Ow.  This also doesn't bode well for how spicy the peppers are going to be.  Hopefully Joe won't think I'm trying to kill him, as he's not such a fan of hot food.  

Oh and here comes my cat to sit on my lap.  Happy Sunday!

Digesting

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?  We celebrated at our friends' house by gorging ourselves, as per holiday tradition.  Yesterday I had to go into work for a bit and then met up with a friend for coffee and a bit of shopping.  After walking around downtown for a couple of hours my stomach muscles were sore and pulling so I came home to chug some water and sit on the couch.  And possibly eat a a bit more pie.  Ahem.

The last few week or so I've been paranoid every time I notice that the baby isn't moving.  All of a sudden I'll freak out and wonder when I last felt movement, and then without fail I'll feel the baby within 10 minutes.  I'm not sure where this new worry is coming from.  I guess I figured once I could feel the baby move I would know that everything was going to be ok, and now I have a new set of worries.  

Joe has also started complaining about my loud breathing and rolling over at night.  Gee, I am so sorry that you're not getting a perfect night's sleep.  Did I wake you up trying to heave myself from one side to the other?  Did I?  I'm sorry.  Next time my back is spasming I'll be sure to move gently so as not to disturb you, rather than flipping about like a manatee and upsetting your slumber.  

I still feel like most of the weight I've gained has gone to my stomach at this point (uh, and boobs), although I'm sure I've gained a bit all over.  The apple pie and stuffing consumption surely won't be helping anything in that area, but at least my inhaling everything in sight has been checked a bit by how uncomfortable it has become to eat too much.  Not that that has stopped me yet, but I'm sure I'll learn my lesson in the next few weeks.  Until then there are still a few leftovers to be dealt with.  You know, so that I can clear out my fridge and make room for Christmas cookies.  Urp.

Thanksgiving prep

Joe is sad that he doesn't get to host Thanksgiving this year, since it's his favorite holiday and also, have I mentioned he's a chef?

His idea of Thanksgiving is a bit more outrageous than that of anyone I've ever met.  He likes to have at least 5-6 kinds of vegetables, a soup, possibly some lamb, maybe a lasagna, and then of course all the other usual suspects.  This year we're celebrating at the home of some friends and I can already see him feeling at a loss for what to do.  I think it actually pains him to stand by and watch someone else do all the cooking.

Naturally, all of us have a few dishes that *must* be on the table or it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, for both Joe and me, one of those dishes is our own mothers' stuffing, so usually one of us is not happy anyway.  This year I fear both of us are going to be sad that we're stuck (gasp!) with someone else's idea of good stuffing.  

That said, Joe has been given the ok to bring 2 or 3 kinds of vegetables so I'm pulling for sweet potatoes and I'm sure he'll make some sort of glazed carrots.  That leaves another dish, which I'm hoping is brussels sprouts, and yes, I actually kind of love them.  

I plan on making my uncle's crab dip recipe as an appetizer, the Pioneer Woman's no-knead rolls, and an apple pie, possibly one with a crumble top crust because that just sounds delicious and always looks so pretty.  My mom makes the best pie crust but no matter what I try I just cannot master her technique, and I've never so much as attempted a lattice-top, so I'm thinking a crumble topping might be my own key to presenting a gorgeous pie.  I guess I'll find out.  

No real excuses

So let's see...the month most bloggers choose to post every.single.day has turned into the month where I neglect posting at all.  Score!

There hasn't been any real reason I haven't been writing, other than I suppose sheer laziness.  We went to Florida for awhile to visit Joe's parents and I spent the entire trip in agony on the couch suffering from a miserable cold.  I finally called my doctor's office and was given the ok to take some over the counter medication which did approximately nothing.  I was awake all night just trying to breathe and sucking down water with honey and lemon for some momentary relief from my sore throat.  And then I spent the days feeling exhausted from lack of sleep and effort at just blowing my nose a trillion times.

Joe's mom had a shower for me with some of her friends, which ended up being really fun even though I was afraid it would be awkward.  Hi!  I don't know any of you!  Let's open some gift you bought me, mmk?

Pregnancy-wise things are going well.  I'm still recovering from some of the congestion from that cold, um, 3 weeks ago.  Grr.  And I've been woken up by powerful kicks at times, and then been so in awe of the acrobatics in my abdomen that I've been unable to get back to sleep.  It's becoming increasingly uncomfortable to roll over in the middle of the night, but other than that I'm still feeling pretty good and maneuverable.  

I'm definitely looking forward to Thanksgiving, which we will be spending with some friends and for which I'll be baking a few things, so I'll try to be better about updating this week to document some of the goings on around here.  We're officially on week 25, so only 15 weeks left!  Which...is still kind of a lot.  But I'm getting there!  

22 weeks

I had Joe take this picture last night and then compared it to my 20 week picture and was mildly disappointed.  I certainly feel bigger, but don't necessarily look it.  Joe thinks it's hard to tell due to my change of clothes and constantly different positions in these pictures, but I also think it has to do with insisting to wear non-maternity wear as if it fits normally.  I was a walking college advertisement yesterday with my Michigan Hockey shirt and my Hopkins hat, but when can you dress like a college student if not on a Sunday?

I had a rough night sleeping last night, having to hold my stomach every time I flipped from side to side.  I woke up this morning and swear it got bigger overnight, but that might just be a result of the pancakes from yesterday.

Weekend Shorts

Woot!  Michigan State beat Wisconsin in the last seconds of the game to totally make my Saturday.

Joe had an old friend in town who is also a chef, which worked out well since I had planned a dinner party for last night.  I wish I had thought to take pictures of the chaos these two make in the kitchen.  Results are always astoundingly delicious, considering the amount they drink while cooking.   We shopped yesterday morning and they planned the menu as they wandered through the store (butternut squash soup with parmesan croutons; salad with pecans, dried cherries, and pomegranate vinaigrette; osso bucco on wild mushroom risotto with roasted root vegetables) and as the afternoon ticked away I looked up from my game to see both boys on their individual laptops rather than in the kitchen.  I asked if there was any prep I could help with and they seemed unconcerned.  At 4:00 (for a 7pm dinner) Joe asked me to strain the juice from a pomegranate, after which I left to go shopping with an early dinner guest.  We returned to find the guys typically running around the kitchen mixing this with that and dirtying every dish in the house.  I did a load after load of dishes, watched with envy as our guests were served martinis with my favorite gin (Bluecoat, from Pennsylvania, if you're a gin fan), and then ate my face off before doing yet more dishes and driving our guests to the metro around midnight.  Then returned home to the drunk chefs cracking a beer and shooing me off to bed before cleaning the rest of the kitchen themselves.  

I went to in-person-absentee vote yesterday and was told there was a 1.5 hour wait.  I can't stand that long without feeling like I'm going to pass out, so am going back to my usual election day strategy of arriving just before the polls open at 6.  Joe isn't thrilled, but said maybe if I'm quick we can go get breakfast before work on Tuesday.  Mmm breakfast.

Speaking of which, I just made and indulged in a huge stack of pancakes while watching the news and enjoying some coffee.   My cat is sleeping next to me on my blanket and Joe woke up long enough to take something for his hangover before crawling back off to bed.  God I love Sundays.

T-3 hours til football.