2015 MARCH-MALLOWS... Due in March 2015!! Come join us!

[swampmaiden]

hi ladies

Its been awhile for me... my husband has been in town but tonight is his last night, he is leaving tomorrow, then I'll be on my own for a month until he comes down for the baby shower. Its not going to be fun adjusting to not having him around spoiling me..

Anyways, we went to our birthing classes this last week, and despite all the research and reading Ive already done, ive been learning a lot as well.

As for the pad-sicles, Tucks thing... my midwife suggested soaking pads in witch hazel and freezing them and using those after the birth. Sounds like a really good idea.

Also, I heard hot wet washclothes on your 'birth opening' during transistion and stage 2 labour really helps with not tearing.

For now, Im just waiting for dinner to be ready, we are over at my in-laws right now waiting on my husbands uncle to arrive so we can all eat.

Hope everyone is staying warm! People here in southern California are shivering in this 50F weather lol I could actually go for colder temps, and am very grateful Im not in my 3rd tri during the late summer

 

[ladybrown33]

Great news on your MRI Frenchie! I'm so pleased for you! I was thinking about you when I was reading the news online earlier and most definitely am thinking of France over the next few days.

It's nice to hear of some nesting! Our extended family visit ended today so we have the house to ourselves again and I can maybe start thinking of doing some baby stuff.

As far as upcoming scans, I think I have my share and everyone else's! I have weekly NST and BPP and Appt with OB from now until delivery. We did discuss an amnio at 37 weeks to check for lung maturity and then delivery if lungs are all good. Otherwise the OR is booked for 38+5 but I really really don't want to go into spontaneous labour before then, as it's less than 12 months since my last c section and high risk for rupture especially with my huuuuge baby! So I'm hoping it all works out!

My friend had an 11lb4oz baby last week! Yikes!!

Thanks MrsK it's so exciting!

Wow 11lb is crazy that's one of my fears having an extra large baby

 

[mommasquirrel]

that's a HUGE baby. I'm praying mine stays under 8. I think my doctor said 8 lbs 12 oz was the cutoff for vaginal delivery. I'm praying that this kid stops gaining like it's training to be in the NFL or a sumo wrestler.

I can't even imagine birthing a 11+ lb baby. Isn't the average around 7 lbs here in the states?

 

[frenchie35]

DD was almost 10 lbs and I delivered vaginally. I didn't hear anything from the midwife about the possibility that she would be too big and need a cesarean. She had a huge head, too!

I have a similar 3-drawer dresser for DD to keep her current clothes, but also an armoire with shelves for switching out stuff that is too small and storing the next size up. We have the larger 3-drawer Hemnes in our living room to hold dvds and video game stuff/cables and other random stuff. I think the drawers might be a bit big for a young one to pick out her own clothes. The 8-drawer looks nice if you have the space.

 

[Lil bean]

Congrats LadyBrown! Another baby to hold until you have your own!

8-9lbs is probably the most I can mentally imagine delivering myself...any bigger is a little scary but I guess it can be done!

 

[Bookwrmgal]

Foosh- great news about everything looking good and booking your surgery

Dr Mum- I'm right there with you with the multiple appointments

Frenchie- glad all is well with the baby and your family

ladyBrown- congrats!

Thanks for the good thoughts. The drive to my parents' was terrible. I spun out a lot and hit a guardrail but made it in one piece. The drive on 95 to Boston was a breeze aside from traffic. And my scan was great! I mean not great in terms of her being breech and facing away so my last chance at a 3D picture of her wasn't happening because she was a brat. The great is that her heart shifted back and no sign of hydrops so Boston signed me off on monitoring and don't want to see me until she's a month old! As far as the rest of the pregnancy goes, we get to treat her like a normal baby with a high risk momma until she's born.
And my Mother and I went to Target and she bought me the auto rock n play for my shower gift and will likely buy me a travel system (a much nicer one than the one I registered for). One less thing to worry about!

I start classes to finish my school library media cert next week. I think I am out of my mind but I am taking 2 classes that are online and should be easy enough. I don't want to be a school librarian but that seems to be where the jobs are in the library world here.

 

[missfrick]

Bookwrm that is GREAT news about baby! Your drive sounds like it was scary though, glad you weren't injured when you hit the guardrail!

AFM: Officially waddling due to hip/sciatic pains... can't be out for more than 3 hours it is too excruciating... never imagined I'd feel like such an invalid in pregnancy, it's quite depressing for me actually.

Glad everyone else seems to be doing well, I would imagine in about 4 weeks we may have some more Mallows showing their little faces? Squee!

 

[MrsKChicago]

Bookwrm, that's wonderful news! What a harrowing drive, though. I'm glad you and Amelia are ok. Good luck with the certificate, that's where all the library jobs are here, from what I've heard.

I've started on my freezer cooking. We did a bunch of shopping last night, and I made up a big vat of meaty pasta sauce. It's just jarred sauce, and after having some for dinner last night, it needs some extra oomph, but I'd rather oomph up a jarred sauce than go to the trouble of making my own. It's going into lasagna and baked penne, and then I have more beef that I still have to cook for enchilada casseroles, and probably some extra taco meat. This should leave me with dinner yesterday and tonight, plus 7 or 8 casseroles big enough for a dinner and a lunch, or feeding someone who comes over to help out. I'll pick out some recipes that I can prep for the crockpot and freeze later so we have some variety. I'm really hoping to avoid the constant pizza ordering trap that we fall into when we get too frantic and busy.

 

[mommasquirrel]

MrsK: I envy you right now. I'm waiting to do the cooking until we buy our mini freezer. I'm hoping we'll have it ready by the first week in February. DH will be leaving out of state for work and I'll have a whole week to do something other than clean. It's going to be interesting in what I can and cannot make. Since I am on the GD diet it will really make it difficult to get stuff and pre-make dinner since currently most of my dinners are salads with protein and a fruit. Thankfully February is a few weeks away. Going to go do some research now.
I've finished a throw blanket, baby quilt and currently working on a homemade hooded towel and matching washcloths now. DH says I'm definitely nesting, lol. All I know is I am feeling rushed in getting these projects done. I don't want to wait any longer. Also, I have a ton of yard that I was supposed to make hats with and I haven't even started. Urghh!!!
Decided to go ahead and order re-usable cloth maternity pads/menstrual pads and nipple pads. Thank goodness for china wholesalers. They should be here no later than Valentines Day.

 

[MrsKChicago]

I got accused of nesting last night. Might be true!

We got so lucky with our chest freezer. We were randomly browsing Best Buy last year, and found this giant open box freezer for a ridiculously low price. It was $150 or something absurd, we HAD to buy it. The only issue I've seen is the lock doesn't have a key, and it's easy enough to just keep the baby out of that room altogether.

I can't think of many GD friendly freezer meals. Maybe something for the crockpot that's mostly meat and vegetables? Or soups? I'm hoping we don't get lazy and get into ours before the baby comes...

I have a few craft projects that I really should be working on, but I'm really unmotivated in that direction. At a bare minimum, I really need to make the cushions for my rocking chair. I won't want to rock on a hard wood chair while recovering from the birth.

 

[swampmaiden]

Im worried about a big baby also.. I was 9lb15oz when i was born and my sister was 10lb3oz... but Im just going to have faith with my birth center. The biggest baby they have delivered vaginally was 12lb2oz.. yikes

bookworm, Im glad you are okay! Driving in snow and ice is pretty nerve wracking, even without being pregnant

mommasquirrel, thats pretty cool you knit and such, Id love to see more pics if you can. My mom is making a baby quilt, but she takes forever and probably wont be finished in time for the birth.

I know a good low-carb casserole recipe... its all the pleasure without the guilt!!!



Saute ground turkey, mushrooms, onions, garlic in olive oil

Boil a head of chopped cauliflower, add a bunch of chopped chard at last minute before draining cauliflower

In a big bowl, mix cooked meat, cauliflower, chard and 1 lb of ricotta cheese, then pack it all into a casserole dish, top with parmesan and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 350.

Bon apetit!!

 

[MrsKChicago]

I bet that's really tasty! Mine so far are all carb and not at all healthy, but I'm planning to do better on the second round. I figure we're more likely to eat them if they're super yummy unhealthy

 

[mommasquirrel]

That casserole sounds delicious. I can't wait. I am going to prep stuff for crock pots as well. I figure meat with non starchy veggies should be super easy. I am going to stock up on beef/chick stock as well. DH is just going to have to suck it up every 4 days and get fresh fruit and veggies for me that won't freeze well. ie..apples, celery, blueberries and grapes. Not to forget all the cheese. My husband is a full grown mouse and I'm turning into one since it doesn't really affect my blood sugar much.

 

[MrsKChicago]

I think I bought 13 pounds of cheese yesterday for my casseroles. No judgement from this corner!

 

[bucherwurm]

Great news about baby bookwrm!

I was thinking about doing cooking and freezing stuff for when baby comes. I have no motivation for that, though. And I don't really know what to make. Does any one have suggestions for good freezable dishes that isn't just lasagna?

 

[MrsKChicago]

I'm doing an enchilada casserole that I think will freeze well, but I've never frozen it. It's very adaptable, just layers of enchilada sauce, taco meat, cheese, beans, tortillas, and whatever else sounds good. It would probably be good with chicken and salsa verde, too. There are a bunch of healthier ideas out there if you google.

 

[mommasquirrel]

Does any one have suggestions for good freezable dishes that isn't just lasagna?

There are tons of recipes online, you can use the one gallon freezer bags to hold stuff to put into a crock pot to make: pot roast, chili, soup, and more.

The regular ones you want to put into aluminum casserole dishes: lasagna, mac n cheese, pasta dishes, various casseroles.

These are all items that are not cooked beforehand and won't have that weird leftover taste.

There are some items you don't want to freeze and all you have to do is check online to find out what they are.

I plan on buying a ton of the frozen cut up veggies from the freezer section at my grocers and season them in the glad bags to freeze. I'll also buy a ton of stew meat since it's easy to just thaw, rinse and put into a crock pot with the frozen veggies and some beef stock.

i will defin make some yummy casseroles as well. I'm so excited just thinking about it.

 

[swampmaiden]

Cauliflower is a wonderful non-starchy veggie that easily substitutes for potatoes or noddles

I've been a total mouse also... love love love cheese!

I like the idea of freezing bags of crock pot ready ingredients. Thats another great thing about stores like Costco... buying big flats of pork chops or whatever and wrapping/freezing them all individually. I discovered porkchops make great crockpot meats also.

 

[MrsKChicago]

The lasagna turned out really tasty! We had one for dinner, and there are two for the freezer. Kind of wish I'd made a few more. Of course DH wants the recipe, the one time I make lasagna without one, and even what I did use isn't all for the lasagna (there's extra sauce for other recipes). I did the best I could considering that the only two things that were measured were the eggs (because you can't not count eggs) and the ricotta, because it comes in weighed packages.

 

[CoffeePuffin]

Wish I got on here more often. Feeling like an outsider on here since I rarely get chance to come on.

I can't believe I'm 32 weeks tomorrow. It's going so fast and I'm panicking because everything isn't ready, but at the same time I want it all to hurry up because I really am not fond of being pregnant and I want my baby boy here.

We have the moses basket now set up, I've washed/dried/put away the clothes he has so far, I've packed his changing bag ready for the hospital and I've started buying bits for my hospital bag. We need to buy a new cot mattress at the end of this month for the cot and I need to fill my hospital bag. I also need to get enough money together to get the baby wrap I want, I want a HopTye. Getting very eager now!

I'm having trouble sleeping. I can't get comfy, toss and turn all night, get up every half an hour to pee and on top of that DD hasn't been sleeping well either and keeps waking in the night. Mama is feeling very sleep deprived already, suppose I better get used to it.

I also cannot stop eating. I am going to be enormous at the end of this.