2 1/2

It has been a long time since I've done a post about Noah, probably since his 2 year old birthday.  I feel like so much has happened and changed since then that I want to record some of it here so that I don't forget all these little things.  He's growing up so fast.

Since he turned 2 in October we have put Noah through a lot of changes.  We transitioned him to a big boy (twin) bed (and out of the crib) in January.  It was as smooth as it could have possibly been.  He continues to blow me away with how flexible and adaptable he has always been on things like this.

Around January we also started potty training, and now have him solely in big boy underpants except for when he's sleeping.  Not sure when I'll work on taking away the diapers for sleeping, but probably not for a while.  He rarely ever has any accidents, and has just started transitioning from his little kid potty to using the big potty as of this week.

We think Noah understands that a lot is going to change as of tomorrow, and that he will have a little brother, but as of now he's in denial/ avoidance mode.

He is such a good communicator, it blows us away.  He forms and spouts of sentences on his own and almost never stops talking, at least when it's just our family, he's a little more shy in public.

He knows all of the basics... the alphabet, can count to somewhere in the teens, shapes, colors, animals, etc.

He is amazingly good at puzzles... a few weeks ago we gave him a 100 piece/ 5 year old and up puzzle, and he has been able to complete it by himself on several occasions.

He is all boy, and all energy.  Constantly running, jumping, and wanting to hit everything with a stick.  He wants to squish bugs, and play in the dirt.  He loves trucks and announces every truck that he sees... he knows all the varieties from tankers, to cement, to flat bed, to mack, to bank and UPS trucks.

He is such a sensitive, discerning little boy.  He cares about people's feelings and emotions and frequently asks us if we're happy or sad, or why we are happy or sad.  He does the same for most people and animals in books.

He LOVES to be the center of attention and have all eyes in the room on him.  He is definitely an extrovert, and would definitely rather have people around than play by himself.

He's still a pretty picky eater... not eating much protein, maybe a few bites of turkey burger, or slices of turkey pepperoni here and there.  He'll eat a few veggies... mainly raw carrots (sometimes dipped in hummus), cucumber slices with salt on them, and steamed broccoli.  He loves most fruits.  Carbohydrate snack foods, pb&j, and grilled cheese are his definite favorites.  And he loves our weekly family trips for frozen yogurt... his specialty being strawberry and chocolate frozen yogurt with m&m's, strawberries, and cherries.

He watches a show before bed every evening, and when he wakes up in the morning, since we don't have tv he's limited to a laptop and netflix for this.  His current faves are Go Diego Go, and Guess with Jess.  He's a very sensitive little boy and doesn't like any show that has any kind of villain in it, which excludes most Disney stuff, and even Veggie Tales.

He is a fairly big kid, in the 80-90% for everything from weight, height, and head size.  Most people who don't know him think he is 4 years old (or older) because he is so big, and so communicative.  Neither Jeremy nor I are tall people, so he must get this from some of his aunts and uncles.  He's already wearing 4T clothes, and doesn't give any indications of slowing down in growth.

I love this little boy and the excitement and energy that he has.  Every day is an adventure around here.  I'm so thankful to get to learn from him, and shape him into the man that he is quickly becoming.

39/40 weeks

Here is what is going on with Elisha this week according to babycenter.com;

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

At each of your now-weekly visits, your caregiver will do an abdominal exam to check your baby's growth and position. She might also do an internal exam to see whether your cervix has started ripening: softening, effacing (thinning out), and dilating (opening). But even armed with this information, there's still no way for your caregiver to predict exactly when your baby is coming. If you go past your due date, your caregiver will schedule you for fetal testing (usually a sonogram) after 40 weeks to ensure that it's safe to continue the pregnancy. If you don't go into labor on your own, most practitioners will induce labor when you're between one and two weeks overdue — or sooner if there's an indication that the risk of waiting is greater than the risks of delivering your baby without further delay.

While you're waiting, it's important to continue to pay attention to your baby's movements and let your caregiver know right away if they seem to decrease. Your baby should remain active right up to delivery, and a noticeable slowdown in activity could be a sign of a problem. Also call if you think your water may have broken. Membranes rupture before the beginning of labor in about 8 percent of term pregnancies. Sometimes there's a big gush of fluid, but sometimes there's only a small gush or a slow leak. (Don't try to make the diagnosis yourself. Call even if you only suspect you have a leak.) If you rupture your membranes and don't start contractions on your own, you'll be induced.

As for me and Elisha... we are doing well.  I've had a few intense contractions this week, but nothing that has been regular yet.  So as of now, unless I go into labor on my own before then, we will be having a c section at noon tomorrow (May 24).  

This pregnancy, like my last one, has been free of complications.  I'm still sleeping through the night well, except for getting up a few times for bathroom visits.  I've never had any heartburn, swelling, or those other things that seem to plague pregnant women.  I've been a little tired, a little more hungry than normal, but nothing worth complaining about.  Just within the last week I've started to feel some pain and discomfort in my back, hips, and pelvis, but for being 39 weeks pregnant I think that's to be expected.

I've been lifting weights all the way up until this week, which I did not do in my last pregnancy, and I jogged until 7 months, and continued regular walks through this week.  As a result, I've gained significantly less weight than my last pregnancy and am hoping to return to a normal shape and weight much more quickly this time around.

We're cherishing every last moment as a family of 3 today, doing special things for Noah, and are thrilled to meet our newest addition tomorrow!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was fairly simple to make, is fairly healthy, and would probably please most crowds.

-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-5 c chicken broth
-1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
-1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
-4 c water
-1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
-2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 can white corn
-3 c cooked chicken, shredded or diced
-1 Tbsp sugar
-1 Tbsp cumin
-1 Tbsp chili powder
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-4 Tbsp cornmeal mixed with equal parts water
-6 whole wheat/ corn blend tortillas, cut into strips
-for serving:  cilantro, diced avocado, lime wedges, sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until it begins to soften (about 5 min).  Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1 minute).  Add broth- pepper.  Simmer 30 minutes, stirring intermittently.  Add cornmeal/ water paste.  Stir well, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer an additional 30 minutes until soup is reduced and thickened.  Add tortilla strips 5 minutes before serving, stirring to allow them to soften.  Serve with desired toppings.

God's Attributes and Deeds

Check out my new post today "God's Attributes and Deeds" at our bastionministries.com blog.

Remember

Blogging today at our bastionministries.com blog.  Read my new post Remember.

::this week::

Blogging my weekly update at our Bastion blog today.

Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto

Pasta with Peas and Prosciutto

I hadn't initially intended to put mushrooms in this dish but I had some needing to be used up and really enjoyed them in here.  This is an easy, yet sophisticated dish.

-1 lb whole wheat linguine or fettuccine
-1 small bag frozen peas
-1 Tbsp butter
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-8 oz mushrooms, sliced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-4 oz prosciutto, sliced
-1/4 c white wine
-1 Tbsp lemon juice
-3/4 c heavy cream or fat-free half and half
-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
-3/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-3/4 parmesan cheese
-fresh parsley or basil, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.  When draining pasta, place frozen peas in the drainer and pour hot pasta and water over the peas.

Combine butter and olive oil in medium pot over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms, and cook until starting to let off their juices, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and prosciutto, cook 1 minute.  Add wine and lemon juice.  Cook 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium low and add cream/ half and half, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Stir pasta, peas, and cheese into the sauce and remove from heat.  Serve and top with fresh parsley or basil.
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