Week 35

Week 35:  August 22-29

Pregnancy Survey

How far along? 35 weeks

Total weight gain: 22 pounds--I start my weekly Dr. appointments tomorrow, so I'm pretty sure I'll find out that this number has gone up.  
Maternity clothes?  All Maternity---unless I'm at home by myself.  In which case, I'm usually wearing a stretchy tank top that doesn't quite cover the belly.  This dress was a hand-me-down from my BFF--so comfy!    
Stretch marks? nope--they're not happening!
Sleep:  This week it has become harder to sleep.  I'm spending lots of time laying in bed staring at the ceiling and thinking about the things I have to do.  Then, when it's time to actually get up, I don't have much motivation to actually do them.  My intentions are good though!

Best moment this week:  We unpacked and put together some of the baby's things (stroller, carseat, pack N' play, bouncer) this week.  As JB was wheeling the stroller around the house, it hit us that we will have a REAL baby here in just about a month!  Craaaazy.  

Miss Anything?  Breathing regularly and feeling comfortable with normal temperatures.  I feel like I am ALWAYS hot.  Normally (and by normal, I mean pre-pregnant), I always carry a sweater with me just in case the A/C is on.  Sweaters aren't needed much these days.  We went into NYC this weekend, and I was huffing and puffing AND sweating after climbing one flight of subway stairs.  Glad I don't have to do that every day!

Movement: Yes.  They are starting to get a little uncomfortable.  I wouldn't say that they really "hurt", but they are so strong that they are taking me by surprise. Sometimes I have to catch my breath after the jabs to my ribs or bladder.   
Food cravings: blueberries, nectarines, string cheese

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Coffee smell...yuck.

Gender:  It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: No....thank goodness! 
Symptoms:  I've had lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but they seem to settle down with rest and water.  (Knock on wood)--the heartburn has settled down a little bit.  Maybe this means that baby's hair all fell out??  Haha...we'll see if that old wive's tale is true. 
Belly Button in or out? Pretty flat today!  
Wedding rings on or off? on--The day we went into NYC I was pretty swollen (fingers and feet), and it was the first time I could feel my rings squeezing my fingers.  I could still take them off them though.  
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy :-) 
Looking forward to:  Taking some pictures of the nursery this week!  The furniture is all in, and now I can start figuring out where things are going and hanging pictures up.  The bedding that I ordered from Etsy should be shipped this week too.  Stay tuned! 

 

Show and Tell Monday

 

          Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite Mama bloggers.  Becky is from the blog, From Mrs. to Mama.  She is mom to sweet little 21-month old Elliana, and now she is expecting her second baby...a little boy.  I enjoy reading her weekly pregnancy updates and hearing all about Elli's adventures. Becky is also having an awesome giveaway this week.  The winner gets: 

• 16x20 canvas voucher with free shipping {$120.00}
• 1 Month LARGE Ad space {$40.00 value}
• $10.00 Starbucks gift card
• Blog makeover 

It would be so great to win this giveaway!

Here is a link-up to her blog!

Show and Tell Monday

Wedding Bells Ringing

Are you married? If so when did you get married, and tell us about your special day. If not? How would you describe your dream wedding?   
I have been married to my best friend, JB for almost 3 years.  He makes me laugh, smile, and appreciate our life together everyday.  We got married on September 12, 2009 at the St. Clement's Castle in Portland, CT.  Neither of us are from Connecticut, so some called it a "destination wedding" of sorts---just the kind without the sunshine.  We chose the location, because it was halfway between New Jersey (where I grew up) and Boston (where the Mr. grew up).  Now, about our special day...Here is a picture of where we were supposed to get married in a beautiful sunken garden outside the castle. 

This picture was actually taken the day before our wedding.  Beautiful right?  Mother nature didn't agree with our plans that day.  When we arrived at the castle, it had just finished downpouring, but looked like it might actually clear up.  So, we made the "go-time" decision to stick with our original plan and have the wedding outside.  We had a backup plan in case it started to rain.  All of our guests started to arrive by bus from the hotel where everyone was staying.  The weather looked threatening, but the musical quartet kept playing and the show went on.  The guests were all seated on the chairs on the lawn, and JB and his guys made their way down the aisle.  Then, the grandparents made their entrance and my (now) mother-in-law made hers.  At this point, I was walking from the castle with my bridal party and parents toward the lawn.  All of a sudden the skies opened up, and it started to POUR.  

One of the staff members picked me up in a golf cart, and everyone else ran for the hills.  JB says that all he saw was me fleeing the scene in a white dress and veil. Sounds like every groom's worst nightmare, right?  Once inside, we all gathered in the ladies room to assess the situation. 

It was messy, but could have been a lot worse.  After drying ourselves under the hand blowers in the bathroom, we decided to go with plan B.  We would get married under the covered pavilion (a.k.a. the carport).  Our guests stood for the whole ceremony.  They parted in the center of the crowd as I made my way down the aisle, and everyone was a good sport about being soaking wet.  Although it was not what I had pictured after all of my wedding planning, I would not have changed a single thing about it.  We spent the day surrounded by our closest family and friends, and the love that surrounded us was more than I ever could have asked for.  It was in fact my dream wedding. 

Show us some wedding pictures. Either yours or of some that you love.

Our florist did a beautiful job---one of my favorite parts of our wedding day.

My gorgeous bridal party

One of our first pictures as Mr. and Mrs.

All of our wedding guests

My hubby the rock star joined the band for some Journey...I rocked out.

How about the engagement? Tell us your story. If not engaged, what's your dream proposal?  Our engagement was definitely totally unique and special.  The story was actually featured on the Blue Lagoon website here.  That's right---I was proposed to during a surprise trip to Iceland.  I am a lucky girl.   

Show us your wedding rings or an engagement photo! If not engaged/married ... show us your "dream" ring.   
We had been talking about marriage for a while, and even gone ring shopping together a few times.  JB tells people that he originally thought I wanted a simple solitaire.  However, when shopping I said, "but it looks so lonely by itself".  "How about a few extra diamonds on the side?"  Good thing he took me with him!  He had my ring custom made in Boston at Descenza Diamonds in Boston.  It is dainty, antique-looking, and ornate in design...and I love it.  This is a picture of my engagement ring taken in Iceland.  

Here is a picture of my engagement ring with wedding bands.  We had the one band made for the wedding ceremony, and the Hubs surprised me with another one for the other side as a wedding gift.  I didn't get the third one until after we returned from our honeymoon.  It looks finished now.    

Tell us why you think marriage doesn't work out for so many? What can we do to make things last?  
I think it is really sad that marriage doesn't work out for so many people.  We have several friends whose weddings we have attended over the past 5 years, and they are already divorced.  I know that the decision to divorce must have been so difficult and painful for them.  Marriage isn't easy.  Sometimes people get married for the wrong reasons.  Some people don't have the honest discussions about the future that they should be having before the wedding.  Some people think they can change their future spouse.  I think it's important to know that you should love and accept the person you are choosing to be with for the rest of your life before making that life commitment.  Sure there are going to be things that you wish you could change about a person.  But, if those things are deal-breakers (too big too look past), then you shouldn't be getting married.  How do you make things last?  Have fun together.  Be spontaneous.  Talk openly about things that bother you--preferably before they bottle up and you explode.  Make plans together for the future.  Having kids is something that puts a strain on a lot of relationships.  We've talked a lot about this as we are expecting our first little one in a month.  Before deciding to start our family, we talked a lot about how we need to make sure that we have a strong relationship (first and foremost).  This is why we waited almost three years before starting a family.  We wanted to spend time together--traveling, doing things for ourselves, splurging on things.  We've discussed the need to still have "us" time and "us" vacations to make sure that we don't forget about "us" after the baby is here.  Luckily, we have grandparents, siblings, and friends who will be more than willing to help us by watching little Dudley Farkle so we can do these things.  **Don't worry--that's not his real name.  Just trying it out!  I think marriage is a wonderful thing--we have so many excellent examples of positive marriages in our life, and I hope that will only make us stronger as a couple in the future. 

Shower Door Catastrophe=Solved!

This is going to sound ridiculous.  But, for some reason, I was feeling like I ABSOLUTELY could not have this baby until I figured out this domestic challenge---my dirty shower doors.  

As I mentioned in my earlier Pinterest post, I tried out a whole bunch of different products in order to destroy the soap scum and get gleaming, clear shower doors once again.  Since that post, I think I have tried something different almost EVERY SINGLE DAY to conquer this problem.  I used every cleaning product I owned, bought several more, and created my own concoctions out of household pantry items.  Nothing worked.  Until yesterday.  TA-DA!  It's a miracle!  

BEFORE...Don't judge! 

AND AFTER...

(Please disregard the overflowing trash can.  I could tell you that I emptied it immediately after taking this picture, but the truth is....It is still overflowing.  Maybe tomorrow)

For those of you who may be suffering from the same obsession, I thought I'd share the secret with you.

How to Remove Soap Scum from Glass Shower Doors:


1.  Spray this all over your shower doors (metal trim and glass parts).  Let it sit for 5 minutes.  WARNING--This stuff is extremely potent.  I probably should not have been using it while pregnant.  I pretty much held my breath while I sprayed and then fled the bathroom.

 

2.  After 5 minutes (or longer if it's really bad), wet a Mr. Clean Dry Eraser Bath Scrubber with some water.  Gently scrub off the Kaboom with the Magic Eraser.  It will get pretty sudsy.  

3.  Now, clean with regular Windex and a paper towel.  

Voila---Sparkly Clean Shower Doors.  You are welcome.  :-)

P.S.  Now, I feel that I can prepare the other 1,292,399 things I need to do before baby arrives.  

Disclaimer:  I did not receive monetary compensation for this post, nor do I have a professional relationship with any of the product companies shown above.  The above opinions are honest, unbiased and 100% my own.

Week 34

Week 34:  August 15-21

Pregnancy Survey

How far along? 34 weeks (for a few more hours anyway!)

Total weight gain: 22 pounds--I had gained 4 pounds in the past 2 weeks.  
Maternity clothes?  Yes--mostly shorts and tank tops.  The shirt in this picture is not maternity.  It just happens to be big and stretchy enough to cover the bump.  The shorts are Motherhood Maternity gray cargo shorts.    
Stretch marks? nope--they're not happening!
Sleep:  Sleep is about the same--interrupted, but not terrible.  I've only been able to sleep on my left side during the past few nights.  It's definitely a challenge to roll out of bed during the many trips to the bathroom.  

Best moment this week: On Sunday, my mom and sister threw me a beautiful baby shower.  I loved all of the decorations (blue and animal print)--too cute!  Of course, there were lots of Pinterest inspired baby shower foods, and everything was delish.  It was fun to see friends and family I don't see all of the time, and everyone was so excited to celebrate Baby Dustin.  We came home with two carloads of super cute gifts for Baby Boy, and I've been digging through it all taking closer looks at everything.  It's like Christmas!  Hopefully I'll have some pictures from the shower later this week.  Thank you for making it  so special for me.  XOXO

Miss Anything?  No--I'm just enjoying my last weeks feeling all of the baby kicks and bumps. 

Movement: Yes.  He is a mover and a shaker!  You would think that he would be running out of room, but it doesn't seem like it.  I was excited that my sister could feel him having the hiccups this weekend too.  He wouldn't move around much, but she definitely felt the hiccup jumps. 
Food cravings: apples with peanut butter, yogurt, ice water (If I drink any more, I will float away.)  On the positive side, I think this is why I haven't had too much swelling though!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No--there isn't much room for big meals though.  If I eat too much at once, I start to feel nauseous.  So I feel like I'm constantly grazing all day long. 

Gender:  It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: No....thank goodness!  Although after our Lamaze class, I felt like I was having all of the signs of pre-term labor.  That's what happens when you get all of that information!   At our Dr.'s appointment on Friday we had another ultrasound to check for growth.  The ultrasound tech kept saying what a big, healthy boy he is.  He measured at 6.1 pounds on the ultrasound, and was in the 69th percentile for this point in pregnancy.  Based on that number, the doctor would like to see him continuing to gain 1/2 pound each week from here on out.  She estimated that if he is on time, he would be 8.6 pounds at birth. WHOA--big baby!
Symptoms:  I've had lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, but they seem to settle down with rest and water.  The breathing while sitting is still a challenge too. 
Belly Button in or out? It's an innie today.  
Wedding rings on or off? on--no problems with finger swelling (yet)
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy :-) 
Looking forward to:  A relaxing week with some time to get things organized, do laundry, and rest!  The weather has been cooler and less humid, so I'm going to try to squeeze in a pool afternoon (or two) and a few evening walks.  Maybe I'll even cook dinner one night.  :-)  This weekend will be another busy one with a breastfeeding class, a trip to NYC to see a show, visiting with friends, and attending a baby shower for a friend.  I love that we're living back in NJ, and I'm getting to spend time with some of my favorite peeps!  Have a super week everyone!

 

Week 33

Week 33:  August 8-14

Pregnancy Survey

How far along? 33 weeks

Total weight gain: 18 pounds 
Maternity clothes? Sorry--no time for a chalkboard picture this week---we were very busy!  This picture was taken in Boston at my beautiful baby shower, and the dress is from Motherhood Maternity.  So comfy!  You can't see the nude peep-toe pumps I was sporting in this picture, but my the time the shower was over my feet had blown up to 3x normal size.  I think my days of heels are limited in the next few weeks! 
Stretch marks? nope--they're not happening!
Sleep:  Sleep is overrated...right??  I'm definitely tired and ready for bed by 10:00 most nights.   But sleep doesn't last all that long between all of the bathroom breaks.  On the plus side, I've been getting up earlier and getting things accomplished. 

Best moment this week: We had a great trip to Boston this weekend, and enjoyed a wonderful baby shower thrown by my mother-in-law, Linda Dustin.  She truly knows how to throw a party--there were lots of sweet little details.  From the cake (which had different elements representing both JB and I), to the favors, the flower arrangements, and the yummy food---no detail was left untouched!  We had such a great time catching up with family and friends we don't get to see often, and we feel SO very blessed by how generous everyone was in their thoughtful gifts for Baby D.  Below you'll find more pictures from the shower!

Miss Anything?  No--I'm just enjoying my last weeks feeling all of the baby kicks and bumps. 

Movement: Yes--all of the time.  I was buying something at Target the other day, and the check-out lady said, "WOW--I could see that!"  You have a dancer in there.  We'll see if he got JB's dance moves.  ;-)
Food cravings: watermelon, donut peaches, the Lean1 (chocolate, bananas, protein powder, and peanut butter) smoothie from Smoothie King (I've already had one this week, and can't wait to get another when we're back in Flemington for our doctor's appointment!) 

Anything making you queasy or sick: No--luckily.  I'm finding that I have to eat smaller portions more often, because I'm getting full really fast.  Not too much room in there anymore!   

Gender:  It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: No....thank goodness!  We have a doctor's appointment this Friday with another ultrasound.  I'm excited to see the little guy and how big he has gotten. 
Symptoms:  Pretty much the same--hard to breathe while sitting, swollen feet at times, restless legs -- nothing too unbearable though.
Belly Button in or out? And, it's back out!  This changes daily. 
Wedding rings on or off? on--no problems with finger swelling (yet)
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy :-)  What's not to be happy about??  It has been so fun getting everything unpacked and organized in the baby's room this week.  So many TINY things...  We are starting to stress a bit about the whole "naming this baby thing".  He is truly nameless, and I'm hoping that one day a name just "comes to us".  We'll see if that happens!
Looking forward to:  This coming weekend will be very busy.  On Saturday, we have an ALL-day lamaze class at the hospital.  I'm curious to see how JB handles all of this "education".  I think it's finally sinking in for him that this is REALLY happening.  Then, on Sunday, my mom and sister are throwing us a baby shower.  I can't wait to see lots of family and friends again and share all of the excitement this little man has brought us.  

Here are a few more pictures from our shower in Boston this past weekend! 

 

Our yummy cake---complete with Snoopy and Guitar for JB, and an apple for the teacher--me!

I like the perspective in this one---that's a real server behind Snoopy.  She's posing.

Mother and Son

Thank you for all of your help, Michael and Michelle!

Baby Weight Guess---My sweet brother-in-law guessed 9 pounds, 5 ounces.  OUCH--nice guy.

Thank you Linda for a perfect shower!

He was having way too much fun with all of the toys.

The first of many Red Sox gifts for Baby!

 

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

          With only two days at home, a pile of tomatoes, and JB away on a business trip, I figured I should probably do something with all of these yummy garden fresh veggies before we head to Boston on Friday.  I've been starting to stockpile our freezer full of meals for after baby comes in the fall, and I knew that tomato soup made with tomatoes and basil straight from my mom's garden would be an easy thing to pull out of the freezer on a busy night.

Directions to Make Garden Fresh Tomato Soup

       
          Gather all of your ingredients.  I emptied out the fridge of vegetables that were looking a little tired.  I think you can use any vegetables in this, but I've noticed that carrots make it a heartier soup.  You could definitely add some zucchini if you still had an overwhelming supply!

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped celery
3 cups of chopped onion
2 cups of chopped carrots
2 T. olive oil
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
12 cups of chopped tomatoes
2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock
2 T. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil

These are the stubbiest carrots I have ever bought.  I felt bad for them in the grocery store so I bought them.  They're actually very tasty!

Chop up all of your veggies.  I diced the celery, onion, and carrots so that they were all about the same size.  They don't have to be perfectly cut, because they will be pureed later.  However, they will cook faster if they are in smallish pieces.

Warm the olive oil in a big pot.  I used my MOST favorite pot--a LeCreuset orange sunburst dutch oven.  I swear it makes every recipe taste amazing.  Cook the celery, carrots, and onions on low for about ten minutes, giving it a little stir every once in a while.  After ten minutes,  add the garlic.  Continue to cook for another five minutes.  Don't let the veggies brown during this time. 

Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock to the pot.  You could substitute water for the chicken stock, but I think the stock adds some good flavor.  Cover and let the mixture simmer for about an hour on the stove.  Every once in a while (when you're in the kitchen for a snack--if you're me), give it a little swirl. 




After about an hour, make sure that the carrots are soft.  Then, turn off the stove, and allow the mixture to cool for about a half hour.  When it is cooled, use an immersion blender to puree the mixture completely.  I have the Cuisinart Hand Blender, and I use it whenever I make soup.  I have a feeling I'll be using it to make baby food in the near future too.  It's super easy to use, blends food quickly, and is a cinch to clean.  After the soup is pureed, taste it and add your salt and sugar to taste.  I sometimes add just that little bit of sugar to compensate for the acid in the tomatoes.   

Then, add the basil to the soup and blend quickly one more time.  I save this step for last, because I like some bigger chunks of basil in my soup.

Ta-Da!  You now have Tomato Basil Soup with ingredients fresh out of your summer garden!  Top it with anything you want---my favorite topping for this soup is a handful of garlic croutons or a hunk of crusty bread. 



          This soup freezes great, too.  In fact, I made it several times last summer and we enjoyed it all winter long.  I am just picturing a cold November day at home when I have been busy with a newborn baby all day.  This soup will be perfect to enjoy with a fancy grilled cheese or a panini recipe from Pinterest.  I hope you enjoy it too!
 

Week 32

Week 32:  August 1-7

Pregnancy Survey

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain: 18 pounds  (According to BabyCenter, Baby is about the size of a large jicama this week.) 
Maternity clothes? I'm pretty much living in shorts and loose dresses (or in several cases this week--not getting out of my pajamas at all). In this picture I'm getting ready to head to the pool---so it's a regular sized coverup with a bikini underneath--yup, I'm daring.  :-) 
Stretch marks? none yet!  My belly has been very itchy this week as it's stretching, but I'm trying not to scratch.  Time to load on the belly butter!
Sleep:  I've been having a harder time getting comfortable in order to fall asleep.  I have a serious case of Restless Leg Syndrome every night.  Once I'm asleep, I'm usually better though.  I'm still making lots of middle-of-the-night bathroom trips, and I've been asking JB to give me a shove to help me out of bed.  It's so much harder to "roll out" once you've been asleep for a while. 
Best moment this week: We had our maternity pictures taken this week.  During our session, we had so much fun with Heather from Sleepy Owl Studios.  Click on the link to see a few of the preview teasers.  We should get the rest back in a week or so.  I already have ideas about where and how I want to display some of them in the house.  I'm so excited to see the rest and even more excited for Heather to do our newborn pictures when Baby Boy makes his entrance. 

Miss Anything?  Nope-not really! 

Movement: Yes--all of the time.  I was resting a plate on my belly this morning eating breakfast on the couch.  A pregnant belly really does come in handy as a tray.  All of a sudden, Little Man decided to do some acrobatics, and the plate nearly flew off.  Funny stuff... 
Food cravings: watermelon, fresh tomatoes with mozzarella, fresh NJ peaches

Anything making you queasy or sick: No--luckily.  The heartburn kicks in at the strangest times though (hours after eating, in the middle of the night).  

Gender:  It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: No....thank goodness!
Symptoms:   Breathing while trying to do simple tasks, such as putting on socks and sneakers, is beginning to get difficult.  While sitting (especially on the couch), I find myself trying to catch my breath.  Things are a little squished up "in there"!
Belly Button in or out? This week, it seems to be an innie.  I wonder if this means that he has shifted positions. 
Wedding rings on or off? on--no problems with finger swelling (yet)
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy :-)
Looking forward to:  Our trip up to Boston this weekend!  We're planning to start our trek up to Melrose on Friday morning.  We'll see how many bathroom breaks we'll need to make along the way!  Normally, it is just about a 5 hour drive.  On Saturday, my thoughtful in-laws are hosting a baby shower for us.  I'm so excited to see lots of friends and family at the shower.  Some of them we haven't seen since our wedding (almost 3 years ago)!  It should be lots of fun--pictures to come next week!

Have a super week everyone!  

 

A Few PINteresting Projects...

I jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon a while ago, and just like you, I LOVE all of the great ideas I find.  I'm hoping lots of you are like me in that you pin hundreds of recipes, home improvement DIY projects, and gift ideas---and then you never do anything with them. I also hope you pin recipes for delicious full-fat chocolate desserts, and then right after that you pin workout plans for how to get rid of baby belly weight.  You are like me....right??  Please make me feel better about this.

Now that I'm not working and I'm home again, I've made it a goal to actually try out some of my pins.  So, I am sharing 5 Pinterest Projects I've attempted this week.  Here we go!

1.  A Summer Wreath:  Well, I decided that it is August, and it is probably time for me to take down my glittery winter wreath on the front door that I had put up in January.  While it looked festive and very winter-wonderland-like in January, it looked a little out of place in the 100 degree temperatures in July.  I already have a yarn fall wreath that I made last year (another Pinterest find), but I wanted to put up something different before those harvest colors come out.  I found a similar wreath on Pinterest, but tweaked mine a little bit.  I loved the color combination of robin's egg blue, red, and black/white polka dots. What do you think??

2.  Zucchini Quiche:  Ok, people....please tell me that you are inundated with zucchini from your gardens too.  We don't have a vegetable garden this year (it's a goal for next year), but my parents have a big one.  Everytime I saw my mom this month, she handed over more zucchini.  They were multiplying in the garden, and they were HUGE.  I made the usual suspects with zucchini at first (zucchini bread, grilled zucchini, stuffed zucchini, zucchini casserole, etc).  Then, I started looking on Pinterest for new ideas.  I came across this zucchini quiche recipe that looked pretty good and gave it a whirl.  I added mushrooms to mine, and used 4 eggs instead of 2 eggs.  (I think this recipe is more for a zucchini pie than a quiche, and I wanted quiche!)  It turned out pretty good--I would just add a little more salt next time.

3.  Cleaning Supplies Organizer:  Does anyone else hoard cleaning supplies?  I think I might have a problem.  Anytime I go to Target, I end up picking up more Clorox wipes, Windex, or, Pledge.  Then I get home and realize that I already have several of them scattered around the house.  So, I combined and organized them.  Then, I hung them up in a shoe organizer that was just sitting in our basement.  Now, I can see all of the cleaning supplies hanging in their place on the back of the laundry room door.  Genius!

4.  Tub/Shower Cleaner:  I pinned this one a while ago, and then all of a sudden it seemed like everyone was pinning it so I thought it was time to try it out.

The recipe:
1 Cup of White Vinegar (heated in the microwave for 2 minutes until steaming hot)
1 Cup of Dawn dish detergent.

Mix them together in a spray bottle and shake.  Then, spray it all over your tub or shower.

My shower was not incredibly dirty, but it did have some spots on it.  And, I'll try just about anything so that I don't have to bend over and scrub the shower floor while 8 months pregnant.  It's not pretty, and I get out of breath pretty easily.  I found that this worked really well on the actual floor of the shower.  I left it on overnight, and really just turned on the shower and used a washcloth with my foot to rinse off the suds.  It is sparkly clean now.  HOWEVER, I read that it was supposed to be good for hard-water stains on shower doors.  I didn't find it to work at all on my shower doors.  When we moved into our house a year ago, you could see through the shower doors.  They were spotless. (Just as a side note--The lady that lived here before us was a cleaning maniac, and apparently I am not keeping up with everything as she did.)  Now the shower doors have little white spots on them and they look cloudy.  I've become a little obsessed with figuring out how to get these spots off of the doors ever since cleaning the floor. I've tried CLR Kitchen and Bath, Kaboom, Lysol Soap Scum Remover, and every other cleaner under the sun.  DOES ANYONE HAVE THE ANSWER??  I've read that you should try using a half of a lemon with salt or sugar as an abrasive to clean.  I guess I will try that out next.  I know I sound crazy (shouldn't I be doing something else right now?), but it is bugging me!

5.  Making Room for Baby in the Kitchen:  I started out emptying one kitchen cabinet to get it ready for baby bottles, bibs, and plastic dishware.  Then, before I knew it, every single kitchen cabinet was dumped out on the floor.  I always need to make a bigger mess before things look better.  Oh well--it gave me a good excuse to organize everything.  The picture below is not our kitchen cabinet (it's the picture I pinned).  I got white baskets, and they're pretty much empty now.  But, hopefully they will be filled up with bottles and binkies soon enough!   

Do you get as wrapped up in Pinterest as me?  Does it make you feel like you could be the craftiest, most organized, creative, and well-dressed person in the world?  I'd love to hear some of your favorite Pinterest projects that you've actually done and begin following you too.  Have a PINtastic day!

 

Week 31

Week 31:  July 25-31

Pregnancy Survey

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain: still about +17 pounds total (---ALL ice cream and milkshakes.)   (According to BabyCenter, Baby is about the size of a pineapple this week.) 
Maternity clothes?Yup--I think I've even outgrown my last pair of non-maternity yoga pants this week.  The waist band was cutting off my circulation, and I seriously considered cutting it.  This shirt was on sale at Motherhood Maternity, and I think I got it for $9.00.  I could probably get away with wearing it post-baby if I didn't stretch it too much!  The shorts are Motherhood Maternity also from Kohl's.  
Stretch marks? none yet!  Lots of blue veins though!
Sleep:  Not terrible, but not great either.  LOTS of bathroom trips in the middle of the night!
Best moment this week: I took a road-trip to P.A. this week to visit Ang and sweet baby Evelyn.  I'll post some pictures of my visit later this week! 

Miss Anything?  Nope-not really! 

Movement: Yes! I'm seeing lots of big body parts (likely a head or little butt) moving across my belly.  What a cool feeling.  :-)  
Food cravings: Ice Water with lots of lemon, ice cream

Anything making you queasy or sick: No--luckily

Gender:  It's a BOY!

Labor Signs: No....thank goodness!
Symptoms:  Lots of continued Braxton Hicks contractions, getting tired later on in the day, and small bursts of energy when I try to tackle ridiculous projects around the house
Belly Button in or out? More of an outie than an innie these days
Wedding rings on or off? on--I've had a couple of nights this week when my feet swelled up though.
Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy :-)
Looking forward to:  Having our maternity pictures taken on Friday night.  The photographer we've chosen is Heather from Sleepy Owl Studios.  Click on the link to check out her website and see some of her work.  She'll also be doing our newborn pictures as well when Little Man makes his appearance!  

Have a great week everyone!