goodbye july

July has come to an end.

It looks like Blaire has missed her window of opportunity to have a July birthday. I know she'll come when she's ready but I had sort of hoped she'd make her appearance at the end of July. I figure she would have preferred a ruby to a peridot for her birthstone.  Sorry little one - just ask for the diamonds instead.  ; )

And, selfishly, I was hoping to meet my girl a little early.  Of course, we'll be every bit as excited to welcome Blaire on her August birthday. September, however, is not an option!  : )

I also failed to recognize the two year anniversary of the ol' blog on Friday. For The Love turned two on July 29th. I'm so happy I decided to start blogging two years ago. I've had so much fun documenting our lives on this little corner of the Internet and have "met" so many wonderful people. Blogging has provided me with an endless source of support, advice and entertainment. I'm so glad I hit publish on that first post two years ago.

Today is also the three year anniversary of the date we bought our house.

We've made so many great memories in this house over the past three years. We got married shortly after we purchased this house and my husband carried me over its threshold. We've celebrated birthdays, hosted parties, cooked Thanksgiving turkeys, and decorated Christmas trees within it. Soon, we'll bring our first baby home to this house. I'm sure there will be more houses in our future but this will always be our first home. I love this little old house.

Goodbye July, hello August. I know you've got great things in store.

No baby yet!

I suppose someone who is 38 weeks pregnant probably shouldn't take a week off from blogging without explanation, as I'm sure I've caused some of you to think Blaire had arrived.  Alas, she has not.  She's still cooking, as we like to say.

While I've been away, I've been busy checking some things off my pre-baby bucket list. I've finished decorating the nursery (a post with pictures to come soon!), stocked the freezer with post-baby meals, assembled a swing and bouncy seat, installed baby monitors, enjoyed some dinners out with Brian, and read a couple books. Between checking things off the to-do list and a bed time that keeps getting earlier as the days start to feel longer, I haven't found much time to blog. Actually, that's not true. I've just been too pooped at the end of the day to put together coherent thoughts! 

This weekend's to-do list is pretty short so I hope to get some posts written for next week. I'm excited to share Blaire's nursery with you (get ready for pink overload) and I'm still working on a post with all the great Etsy shops I've come across. So, unless Blaire decides to pay us an early visit, I should be back in the swing of blogging next week. However, an early visit from Baby B would not disappoint this momma-to-be one bit. I'm so excited to meet her!  However, my intuition tells me she's going to cook a while longer. Heaven help me, I have a feeling she's going to be a big baby. Guess we'll see!

Other than blogging and a few errands, we're planning to see Crazy, Stupid, Love this weekend and meet up with a group of friends for a going away dinner (& drinks for most of the crowd) for some very good friends of ours who are moving away. Other than that, lots of relaxing in the air conditioning! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

I made an easy, delicious dinner last night and wanted to share the recipe.

Source: myrecipes.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I was going to take my own picture to use for this post but while delicious, this meal does not photograph well. The recipe is from Cooking Light, but I made some modifications, so I've reposted it below.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided (Shredded my own jack & cheddar cheese and used closer to 2 cups)
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute (I used one egg instead)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (I omitted)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White) (I used Jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. (Closer to 20 minutes is better to avoid a soggy bottom.)  Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and black beans; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

What Kind of Day Has It Been *

This kind of day:

That's my bathroom. And that's a stool. I had to drag it from the kitchen and sit in it while I did my hair and make up this morning. Seriously. After my shower, I was just too tired to stand up and get ready. I finally made it into work at the shameful hour of 9:45am.

After a few hours at the office, I went to my now weekly doctor's appointment...and nearly fell off the exam table trying to sit on it. Brian caught me as I stumbled down. I then proceeded to sweat my arse off as I sat there waiting for the doctor. I'm pretty sure I left a puddle of sweat behind on the paper covered exam table. Classy.  

After the appointment, Brian took me to Chick-fil-A for lunch. It was delish. But not so delish that I didn't stop at Krispy Kreme on the way back to work. Because that's what you need after fast food for lunch.

It's now 1:42pm. I've been awake for approximately five and a half hours and all I want to do is go back to sleep.

FOR SHAME. 

Why am I telling you all this?  I have no idea. Exhaustion? Stupidity?  An attempt to put off work for a few more minutes?

Or, as Murray says, " 'Cause I'm keeping it real." 

Hope you're all doing better than I am today! Although, come to think of it, I have donuts. (Yes, plural.)  My day is looking up!

*10 points if you caught the reference to the greatest television show ever made.

Wednesday Morning Gem

Middle of the week getting you down?  This should help.

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake present "The History of Rap, Part 2."




In case you missed it, click here to watch "The History of Rap, Part 1".

deep thoughts

...or not. Quite the opposite in fact. Just a few random things on this Wednesday morning.

* Anthropologie needs to get on board with every other online retailer and offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount. It frustrates me to no end that I am ordering nearly $200 of merchandise yet still have to fork over $14 for shipping. Particularly when I know it is costing them about $3 to mail me three lightweight tops in a small box.

* I forgot to get Blaire a baby book. Bad mommy! Operation Find Non-Tacky, Non-Cheesy Baby Book has commenced. It's harder than you'd think.

* We watched the first episode of the new season of Damages last night. So glad it's back! Looks like it should be a good season.

* I'm in the middle of Divergent by Veronica Roth. It's good but I think it's been a bit over-hyped. I saw so many glowing reviews before I picked it up that I think it skewed my expectations. I'm enjoying it but keep waiting for the "OMGthisissogoodIcan'tputitdown" moment. 

* If not for face wipes, I might never wash my face. Sad but true.

* I tried Ben & Jerry's new Late Night Snack flavor. I was  underwhelmed. It was missing the salty-sweet combo I was hoping for. The chocolate covered potato chip clusters tasted more like rice crispies to me. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty. But for that many calories, I need something amazing.

Okay, time to get to work. Happy Hump Day!

Pre-Baby Bucket List

As I near the end of this pregnancy, I have been thinking about all the things I want to do before Blaire arrives. The time is short and the list is long. Here are a few items from my pre-baby bucket list.

Bake. I have a very narrow window in which I can bake and eat some delicious treats without (too much) guilt. The only problem - how do I choose from so many yummy possibilities?

Source: culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: annies-eats.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: pink-parsley.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: smells-like-home.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Clean. The entire house. Top to bottom. Unfortunately, I don't think my swollen feet are up to the task. I'm pretty sure we're going to have to call in help on this one.

Read. I've finished Babywise. I've yet to start Happiest Baby on the Block. I'd like to finish it before Blaire's born. I've heard a rumor that a Happiest Baby dvd is out there...might just have to watch that instead.

Eat. Brian and I love to go out to eat and try new restaurants. I suspect dinners out will be few and far between in the months after Blaire is born, so I'd like to make an effort to go out to dinner at least once a week until she arrives and enjoy a good meal.

Also, I have to try this:

Does this not sound like the ultimate sweet & salty treat?  No matter how delicious, I can't usually justify the 12 billion calories in a pint of Ben & Jerry's. But for this, I will make an exception. I just have to try it!

Decorate.  Finishing Blaire's nursery is obviously at the top of the list. We're waiting on the crib & chair to arrive and I need to add in some decorative details. I'd also like to get some pictures and artwork hung in the rest of the house. I'm sure decorating will not be a priority after the baby, so the more I can get done now, the better.

Sleep. This one needs no explanation.

Cook.  I'd like to prepare some meals to store in the freezer so that we can eat something other than take-out in the hectic days after Blaire first arrives. Here are some good resources and tips I've found for freezer meals.

Source: joelens.blogspot.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: thriftynorthwestmom.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: annies-eats.net via Melissa on Pinterest

Me Time. Pedicures, reading, blogging - I'll squeeze in whatever I can.

Looks like most of this list is about food. No shock there. You don't pack on the pounds like I've done in the past 9 months without a healthy appetite and a sincere love of food. I know what the first item on my post-baby bucket list will be - Weight Watchers! 

What else should be on my pre-baby bucket list?

Good Day

Today will be a good day. 

First stop, a much needed manicure and pedicure. My puffy piggies need a good rub and a fresh polish. Lordy, I feel sorry for the poor lady who gets that job. Can you say big tip?

Mani/pedi time will be followed by an even more necessary visit to my hairstylist for a highlight touch up.  Oh the time and money I could save had I only been born a blond!  My hair has taken on an unintentional and not-so-awesome ombre look which must be rectified.  Hopefully hair lady can work some magic and fix my locks.

Truth be told, I'm only excited for these first two stops because I can spend most of the time at the spa and salon reading. Throw in an iced latte and I'm in heaven.

After my morning o' beauty, Brian and I are going to see the final Harry Potter movie.

I'm sad to see the Potter era end but I'm so excited to see the last part of the story play out on the big screen.

After the movie, we're going to check some more items off our long to-do list. We might go shopping for a video camera or make a run to Babies R Us to return duplicate gifts and buy some things we still need. And I'm sure dinner will be part of the plan.

Should be a busy but fun day. What are you up to today?



Crib Update

*From the comments I'm getting, I think I came off as unhappy or extra whiny in my 36 week update. (I shouldn't write posts at midnight - my exhaustion shines through.) In reality, I am doing just great and have so little to complain about with regards to this pregnancy. I've been feeling great, Blaire is healthy and we're both doing well. Sorry if I came across as Debbie Downer! 

On to the crib update, for any of you who want to know how that all turned out.

If you follow me on Twitter, you've had the misfortune of hearing my incessant whining about the situation we've been having with Baby B's crib. We ordered the crib back in February and were told it would take quite a while to arrive. Given the very long wait, I was conflicted about ordering the crib (as evidenced by this post) but did so anyhow, hoping that the crib would arrive earlier than promised. 

It didn't. (Those of you who advised me to find something else when I asked your advice back in February - now is the time for the "I told you so." You were right.)  As of Monday, the crib was already a week later than promised and had yet to ship. I contacted the retailer for an(other) update and was told the crib was still not in the country and might not be in for another 3 weeks, plus 2-3 weeks shipping time.  (Things I was not told - the word "sorry" or any sort of apology for failing to deliver the product as promised. But that's neither here nor there.)  After being told for the last few weeks the crib was coming in "this week," I'd lost all faith in the company's estimated shipping dates - and was quite peeved by the lack of customer service from both the retailer and the manufacturer of the crib.

On Wednesday, I cancelled the order. While I'm sad I won't have the beautiful crib for Blaire's nursery, I'm happy that I'm no longer giving those companies my business.

Obviously with Baby B expected to arrive in the next four weeks, we're still in need of a crib. And no, I wasn't dumb enough to cancel the crib without a back-up plan.   Enter Pottery Barn Kids. They saved the day!  Talk about great customer service. I found a great crib which will actually work out better than the original plan. It's the perfect color to coordinate with the rest of the furniture, it was on sale(!) for a great price, and most importantly - ships for free in 5-7 DAYS!!!  We will have a crib in B's nursery by the end of next week!

I'm so relieved. It looks like we'll be able to have Blaire's nursery finished before we bring her home. Obviously not a necessity, but as a first time momma it makes me so happy.

Here's Plan B:

Once the crib arrives I'll take pictures of the finished nursery to share!


*I was not compensated in any way for this post. I'm just incredibly grateful to PBK for offering a crib that ships so quickly.

** Update: I've gotten a few questions on who the companies are that I had problems with, but some of you don't have your email connected to your comments so I can't respond to you. The crib manufacturer is Bratt Decor. Pretty cribs, if you can wait 21+ weeks for the crib to come in stock. Perhaps order the crib, then start trying for a baby. (I kid, of course.)  I won't put the retailer's name on the blog yet because I'm still waiting on them to process my refund. They're currently ignoring my emails. Jerks. But email me if you want to know.

9 months

The weeks are flying by at this point.  I'm 36 weeks today - 9 months pregnant!  I'm sorry, but all I have this week are the dreaded Blackberry pictures. I'll try to get Brian to take a real picture of me and my giant belly this weekend. I'd like something other than a fuzzy phone picture to look back on one day.

How Far Along: 36 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: Approximately 18 inches and 6 pounds. (Does that sound crazy to anyone else? That's a full size baby. Guess that's why I look like I swallowed a watermelon.)

Total Weight Gained: I'm not ready to talk about that just yet. Just know, it isn't pretty.  I'll confess the number one day. Probably after I've lost at least half of it.  :)

Maternity Clothes:  I think I hate every item of clothing that currently fits, with the exception of my maternity yoga pants. Wish I could just live in those. I feel like I've worn every maternity dress I own 100 times each and it's getting harder and harder to put together outfits for work. Some of my maternity items have gotten too small or too short but I can't justify buying more clothes with such little time left. So I wear the same boring dresses every week. Now with flip flops. A fashionista I am not. I can't wait to get back into my old clothes. (It's going to be a while. See above. haha)

Movement: Baby girl is active! She's moving often. It has to be getting crowded in there because now when she moves it feels like she's rearranging my internal organs.  I wasn't going to share this picture because it's just plain creepy, but I thought some of you might think it was fascinating - in a carnival, freak show kind of way.  (If it grosses you out, sorry. And join the club. It's my stomach. Imagine how much it creeped me out!)

That would be my pasty, white stomach. And the large protrusion on the right side? My kiddo. Sticking what I imagine is her bum way up and out so that my entire stomach is lopsided. She does this pretty frequently. And yes, it feels as strange as it looks.

Sleep: Comes and goes. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not so good. I wake up many times a night to roll over. (It takes way too much effort to do while sleeping.) And the night time bathroom breaks are getting more frequent.

What I miss:  Feeling comfortable. Regular clothes. My ankles.

Cravings: Pancakes! Who wants to go get pancakes? Call me!

Aversions: The sweltering heat and humidity. Standing for extended periods of time. The sight of my wide rear end in the mirror. (Is there a baby in there, too?)

Symptoms: Ridiculously swollen, puffy feet. Intermittent grumpiness. Warm just about all the time.

Best Moment this Week: My assistant organized a really sweet shower for me at the office. My coworkers spoiled Blaire with gifts and we had some delicious cake. And we solved the crib debacle! More on that to come.

Weekend Update

Weekends are pretty tame around here these days but that's just fine with me. I don't have the energy for too much excitement. The essential ingredients of a good weekend are plenty of naps and a decent meal or two. This weekend had both so I'll call it a success.

Friday night after work I made a trip to Ulta and picked up a few fun things.  I snagged the Naked Palette by Urban Decay:

 and the Bare Minerals Starter Kit. I've been hearing good things about Bare Minerals for years but finally decided to give it a try.

Thanks to my girl Pink Lou Lou for recommending the Naked Palette - I love it! I also picked up a rat tail comb, so I could attempt the Pink Lou Lou poof tutorial. Lou Lou, you would be so proud - I did it! I achieved "le poof!" It looked great! And then I went and sat on the couch with Brian and watched Dateline.  Fancy hair and no place to go!  Such is my life these days.  :)

Saturday morning Brian took me out to breakfast for pancakes. I had been asking to go out for pancakes for a few weeks so I was pretty darn excited about breakfast. We tried a new (to us) breakfast place in town and the pancakes were amazing. Huge and fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness. Soooo good. I may just angle for another breakfast date this weekend. What can I say, sugary carbs are the way to my heart right now.

I spent the rest of the day finishing up thank you notes for all the sweet gifts we've received for Blaire and snuck in a little nap before attending a bridal shower for my friend Beth Saturday evening. After the bridal shower, I made a brief stop at a going away party for a great friend who is moving away at the end of the month. McD, we are going to miss you!  The going away party had an 80's theme but since I was coming from the bridal shower and not staying long, I didn't dress up.  The girls were decked out in their 80's best (worst?) and looked great.

Who can spot the pregnant girl in the bar? Classy, right?

I spent most of Sunday working on the nursery.  I did heaven knows how many loads of laundry and organized all her drawers. 

The nursery is really starting to come together. Once it's finished, I'll share pictures.

The rest of the day was spent watching the World Cup, reading Ape House and grocery shopping. And there may have been a Sunday afternoon nap. It was a quiet, relaxing day.  I wish Mondays could be as great as Sundays, but sadly they never are.

It's only Monday but I'm already looking forward to next weekend. Brian and I are going to see the final Harry Potter movie and I am not ashamed to admit that I am super excited. I also have a hair appointment and plan to get a much needed manicure and pedicure. Don't worry, a significant tip will be involved for the poor woman that has to massage my puffy piggies and cankles.

I'm hoping the week flies by and the weekend rolls around as quickly as it seemed to pass.



USA!

Was anyone else glued to the television today, watching Women's World Cup soccer?  The USA team played Brazil this afternoon in the quarterfinals. Before the game started, ESPN did a piece recapping the USA team's amazing World Cup win in 1999.  Remember Brandi Chastain's game winning penalty kick? And her even more memorable sports-bra baring celebration that followed?

I found myself tearing up as I watched the recap of that history making victory. I blame pregnancy.

The game against Brazil was nothing short of amazing! Despite some terrible officiating which caused the American team to play a man down for nearly half the game, we pulled out an amazing victory against Brazil.  The game was so exciting and thrilling to watch.

Also, I might just have a new girl crush. 

Hope Solo, the goalie for the US team, is an incredible athlete.  And drop dead gorgeous.

I'm already planning a long lunch for Wednesday, when the US team will play France at 11:30am EST. Go USA!

I've got nothing...

...for a title. But I do have some random stuff to tell you about. Will you all forgive me if we do this in bullet points? Time and brain power are limited today.  Better save most of that for work. I know you all are more forgiving than my employer.  They actually demand my time and organized, coherent thought.  Go figure. 

Anyhoo, here's what's going on in my neck of the woods:

* Houston, we have a problem. My feet, which currently resemble the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, are very nearly too wide and puffy for my TB flats. This is a big problem as my TB flats are were  the only work appropriate shoes I had left in my closet that I could wear.  I'm currently sporting a work inappropriate pair of sandals at the office. They fit, they're comfortable - they'll have to do for today.  Not sure what I'll wear for the next 35 days or so until this little bun in the oven is done cooking but I can promise you I'm not wearing orthopaedic grandma shoes. I may be pregnant and hardly able to see my feet but I draw the line at ugly footwear. Can't do it. It's against everything I believe in. 

Be thankful I used this picture, rather than a photo of my cankles. It's not pretty, friends.

* I've had the theme song for Growing Pains in my head for 5 days. It goes away occasionally but always finds its way back in. I'm humming it in the shower, singing it in the car - this has got to stop. I haven't seen an episode of Growing Pains in years so I suppose my Family Ties post with reference to TV theme songs is to blame. I might have to start rapping the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme to get rid of it once and for all.

* Today, I'm 35 weeks pregnant and there are 35 days until Baby B's due date. Cue panic. And excitement.

* I had a chili cheese hot dog for lunch. Just wanted you all to know to that. (For the locals, we went to Frank & Steins for lunch. The hot dog was tasty but the menu overall didn't knock my socks off. The beer list, on the other hand... I'll be making a trip back for one or two of their 300 craft beers in a few months.)

* Retailers of baby products everywhere hate me. Of this I am certain.  The crib, which I ordered in FEBRUARY, has not shipped. The absolute latest date on which they assured me it would ship by? Monday. Has it shipped? Nope. They promise it will ship this week. I have no faith in this.  The upholstered chair for the nursery I ordered from Pottery Barn Kids was supposed to have shipped on Sunday. Now they say next week. Zulily, a consistenly slow shipper, has yet to mail the package I ordred June 21st. And to top it all off, I ordered an adorable romper for Blaire from an Etsy seller located in Florida. (If you're just joining us, I also live in Florida). The USPS tells me the package containing said romper is currently in North Carolina.  I give up. 

* I'm making this Buffalo Chicken Pasta for dinner tonight.

Source: howsweeteats.com via Melissa on Pinterest

I suspect Brian will love it and that sweet man deserves at least a good dinner for all the sweet things he's done for me lately. Don't know what I'd do without him. I'll let you know how the pasta turns out.

* This has been a bummer week for television. It's Kid's Week on Jeopardy and The Daily Show is airing repeats. This leaves my DVR very sad and empty.  

We'll stop the train of random thoughts there. Happy Thursday! 

Showered With Love

Last weekend, my sister and friends threw Blaire and me the most adorable baby shower. The theme was backyard barbecue, but with a girly twist. The decorations were all in pinks and greens. It was precious and so much thought was put into every detail.

Aren't these mason jars adorable?

My sister, who knows my love of bbq, had the food catered by my favorite bbq restaurant in town. The food was phenomenal! Brisket, pulled pork, mac & cheese, beans, fruit salad - it was all delicious!

The girls enjoyed their "grown up" Arnold Palmers. Sweet tea vodka - yum! Or so I remember.

Me, Sis & Mom

How cute is this picture? My friend Lauren is expecting baby Eli about a month after Blaire. I can't wait for the two of them to become the best of buddies. 

I know self deprecation is annoying but I have to say it just once - holy cow is my face fat. I had no idea how bad it was until I saw these pictures. Blaire is so worth it but I can't wait to go back to having just one chin.

The book I'm reading - Go The F**k to Sleep. Absolutely hilarious, if you're not offended by profanity. There's a narration by Samuel L. Jackson floating around the internet that is amazing.

Each guest went home with a bottle of Blaire's BBQ Sauce.

The best friends a girl could ask for. I hope that one day Blaire will be lucky enough to have an equally amazing group of women in her life.

It was a wonderful day and I'm so grateful for all the sweet friends & family who came to the shower and spoiled Blaire with so much love - and a mountain of beautiful gifts. Special thanks to my sister Jill who spent months planning each thoughtful detail. I appreciated each and every one. You're the best Jilly!

And thanks to my dear friend Jenny for taking all the beautiful pictures in this post and many more. You're too sweet, JP. Thanks for capturing the day's memories in pictures I can one day show to Blaire.

Sha la la la

I was searching the Netflix Watch Instantly titles the other night and stumbled upon something that made me squeal with glee.

The entire series of Family Ties! I was pretty young when the show originally aired so I haven't seen all the episodes but I did love this show. And Alex P. Keaton.  And who doesn't love the theme song? It's a classic. (Sidenote: I miss TV theme songs. Television shows used to have great theme songs. A few of my favorites: Cheers, Growing Pains, Full House, Golden Girls, and Friends. Why don't shows have theme songs anymore?) 

I'm so excited to watch the show from the beginning. Seven seasons of the Keatons should keep me entertained for quite a while.

"There ain't no nothing we can't love each other through. What would we do baby, without us? Sha la la la."