Dinner Tonight....

I m trying to find some new, exciting & easy recipes to cook; I have kind of lost my appetite these days but want to make sure that Lance still gets to have yummy dinners. I will have to let you know how it turns out & I am just hoping that mine looks as good as the picture of it does.


Prep Time: 5 min Total Time: 30 min Makes: 2 servings

What You Need!
2 boneless butterflied pork chops (1/2 lb.)
2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
1 large plum tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
1/2 cup Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Make It!
HEAT oven to 425ºF
Coat chops with coating mix as directed on package
Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray

BAKE 20 min. or until chops are done (160ºF)
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and dressing

TOP chops with tomato mixture and cheese
Bake 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Suggestion:
Serve with a crisp green salad and hot cooked spaghetti tossed with olive oil and Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Nutrition Information
Calories 320 Total fat 15 g Saturated fat 5 g Cholesterol 75 mg Sodium 920 mg Carbohydrate 15 g Dietary fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Protein 30 g Vitamin A 10 %DV Vitamin C 8 %DV Calcium 25 %DV Iron 8 %DV

35/35....Holy Cow!!

I can't believe that there are only 35 days left until my due date....I just can't believe how fast time has flown by!! I had my 35 week doctors appointment yesterday (I have been going to the doctor every week since the contraction issues) & everything is looking good. I left them know that I am still having contractions & my mid wife said that they are not going to do anything to stop them from this point on. I do need to call if they are occurring every 10 minutes for more than 2 hours but other than that she said they they could continue & I could go early or they could completely stop & I will go 40 weeks. She says that there is just no way of knowing what exactly what will happen BUT we will know more next Monday when I get an internal exam & also my Group B Streptococcus test done. She did say that Brayden is about 5 lbs., is measuring 34, & is VERY low in my pelvis. Lance & I have decided to get prepared for everything that we can by the end of this weekend just in case Brayden wants to meet us a bit early; so last night I pulled down our suitcase & printed off my hospital check list, we watched class #3 on our labor video, we are getting the carpets & sofa cleaned this Friday, the pups are heading to the groomers for a deep cleaning, Lance is going to finish the painting what needs to be done on the patio & the list goes on & on but thankfully Lance has his 3 day weekend this weekend so we can get a bunch done as a team!!

Baby Brayden if you can hear mommy, please stay as long as you need to in my belly to be healthy. Daddy, Georgia, Bella & I all really want to meet you but please make sure that you come when you are healthy & safe.....
All my love, Mommy

Baby Brayden This Week.....
Your baby weighs nearly 5 pounds and will continue to gain about half a pound per week until you deliver. He stretches out to 18.5 inches and stem cells in the bone marrow continue to produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to maintain a healthy immune system, but there is not really any development remaining for arms, legs, brain or organs. Brayden will simply continue to add that adorable baby fat as it readies for its big debut. Now that you are able to see baby's movements, you may enjoy doing just that when baby moves from side to side. You can tell which side baby is by comparing both sides of your belly. At some point toward now, your baby may turn into the final birthing position, usually head down. Less than 5% of babies are 'breech' that is with their legs or bottoms down. Doctors advise C-section for such cases as the safest way to deliver the baby and avoid fetal distress. Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

How far along? 35 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 31 lbs as of yesterday
Maternity clothes? yep
Stretch marks? none yet but I feel like I am stretching more now than ever before
Sleep: same as usual; sleeping about a good 2 hours & then I toss & turn
Best moment this week: celebrating Lance's first Father's Day, YES HE IS A DAD ALREADY!!
Movement: He moves all day & night....I am not complaining at all; I love every moment of it!!
Food cravings: actually my appetite is slowing down quite a bit
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: I have contractions daily
Belly Button in or out? pretty flat but pops out by the end of the day
What I miss: being able to get off the sofa or bed with out struggling
What I am looking forward to: we have our 2nd shower this Saturday & we are also having a good friend take some maternity photos before the party...CAN"T WAIT!!
Weekly Wisdom: take it one day at a time & cherish every moment you have with your LO right now. As selfish as this sounds, Brayden is all mine right now & I like it!!
Milestones: 35 Weeks.....that to me is a huge milestone

My Sister's New Puppy

This is Luke...he is a chocolate Lab & he is only 7 weeks old in this picture! He is going to be a HUGE dog!!!

34 Week Belly Pictures

Weekend Review....

Friday night I stopped after work to get my nails & toes done & it was WONDERFUL!! I love to have someone rub my feet & pamper me. The ladies at my nail place are always so sweet & tell me how good I am looking however this time while she was rubbing my feet she commented on how swollen they were.....I know that they are swollen & but I can't really control that so just rub my chubby feet & hush up about it!! I got home, feed the pups & then did some stuff around the house & finally sat down around 8 & then Lance got home about 8:30 & we talked for a but & then I was asleep.

Saturday I woke up in a wonderfully crappy mood for some reason & took it all out on Lance. Nothing he said was going to change my mood & I had so much to do that I just wanted him to stop trying to make me feel better....I realized that I was not being a good & loving wife so I called him and told him I was sorry & just couldn't shake my crappy mood & he was so sweet & loving & told me that it was alright & that he loved me no matter how bitchy I was to him; he said that he knew I didn't mean it & that I was probably just tired & needed to rest so with all of his sweetness I started to cry because I had been so mean to him.....I was a mess that morning. I had to get in the shower & get moving though because I was heading to a 1 year old birthday party!! On the way there I managed to get in a better mood (since it was in Canton, GA which is about an hour away & I had nothing but time to clear my head) & I had such a good time!! Peyton is such a sweet & adorable little girl.....& being at her birthday party made me even more excited about Brayden's arrival!! Here are some of the pictures that I took.....


After the party I headed home & wanted for Lance to get home since we were going to go run some errands & go to dinner that night.....we ran to Rooms to Go Outlet to look for a new ottoman for the living room since the dogs had destroyed the one we had & plus the one we had was way to big & with all the baby stuff about to be put in the living room we just needed something smaller.....RTG had nothing so we heading back towards the house & stopped at Best Buy because Lance wanted to get a Garmin for my car. He was very nervous with me driving so far earlier that day & not really knowing where I was going or at for that fact. We stopped & had dinner at Kani House (our favorite Japanese hibachi restaurant) & then headed home. Lance watch the Ultimate Fighter finale & I played with the Garmin & our video camera that we got a few weeks back & dozed off on the sofa as usual!

I got up on Sunday really early as usual....4:30 in the AM....and got myself settled into the sofa, read & watched TV to pass time until I could make Lance his Father's Day breakfast in bed. He woke up & read his cards; he got one from me, one from the pups & one from Brayden
& then for breakfast I made him bacon, egg & cheese biscuits with fresh fruit & ice cold chocolate milk & then we got up & started to get ready to go up to the lake. We got the car packed up & headed to the store for a few things before we headed up to the boat (this was around 9 & it was already very hot & humid); as we were walking back to the car Lance made the decision that it was way too hot for Brayden & I to be out in the heat so we were NOT going to be going to the lake. I was alright with the decision he made since with the heat index it was going to be 102 & that is pretty hot.....so needless to say we headed back home changed clothes & laid around for a while & then got up & went to lunch & to the movies.....we saw "The Hangover" & it was hilarious, I haven't laughed at a movie like that in quite a while. We ate...or should I say I ate, popcorn with lots of butter & peanut M&M's while we watched the movie BUT I did have a bottled water to drink so no sugar or caffeine there!!! We left the mall & headed to TJ Maxx Home Goods store...MY FAVORITE STORE, to see if they had any ottomans & they did. We found our new living room ottoman there & it looks & matches our colors perfectly!!

When we got home we started to watch our baby video. We purchased "Laugh & Learn About Childbirth"; it is a childbirth class on video.....I know that it is not the same thing as being in an actual class but with Lance's work schedule we couldn't get to one so we found this video so that we at least know the basics. We watched 2 of the 4 classes on the 1st DVD & they were actually very informative & Lance & I both learned a lot. We have 6 more classes to watch & each one is about 40 minutes long so I think the plan is to do one a night!! It is so cute to watch Lance's face when the lady on the video is talking about some of the stuff that I haven't really talked to him about yet.....like "vaginal discharge", that sparked his curiosity & he just had to ask me if I had, had that happening yet......the conversation was hilarious & we really enjoyed watching the classes. Can't wait until tonight's video, I believe it is the LABOR class & should really start to get into what we can expect with a natural vaginal birth....we'll see how Lance handles it.

WOO HOO it is FRIDAY!!!!

I am so happy that today is Friday; each work week seems to be getting longer & longer & I get more & more unfocused. I can only seem to focus when it comes to stuff at the house or about the baby.....I love it but I have so much that I need to be doing here at work to get ready for maternity leave. I have been informed that the bosses wife is going to be filling in for me while I am out & I am NOT thrilled about this at all. I love her & she is a very sweet woman (they are throwing Lance & I a shower next weekend) BUT sweet doesn't mean that she will do a good job doing my job. I just know that I am going to come back to a complete disaster......I guess that is if I come back at all. I have to talk to our owner about working from home after Brayden's arrival. I have done all the research on u shaving a daycare here at work but there are just not enough people with young kids for it to be worth the upstart cost. I dread this conversation & feel like I need to have it with the owner as soon as possible but should I do it before or after the shower they are throwing us??

I am going to a little girls 1st birthday party tomorrow & I am so excited about it. It seems like yesterday her Nana (I work with & love this woman to death) was telling us that her daughter was pregnant.......I am also excited because I get to go shopping & I always love to do that; the only thing is what does a 1 year old little girl want for her birthday??

Sunday I hope that we will get to head up to the lake for the day; we don't have to many more weekend that we will be able to enjoy the boat & I want to make the most of the ones we do have left. Only 39 days until my due date & my excitement, fear & emotions are one complete overload for sure!!

Scrapblog.com Is My New Best Friend!!

Travis' Birthday....

Today is our nephew's birthday & I can't believe how big he is getting. I remember when I first met him he was only 3 & wouldn't even talk, look or hug me EVER & now every time I see him he gives me the biggest & best hugs ever. Happy Birthday Travie....Uncle Lance & I love you very much!!

What A Day.....

For some reason I can not seem to hold on to anything that I have in my hands today. I have dropped just about everything that I have tried to grab & it is really starting to piss me off. So, then for some reason my pissed off mood has turned into a sad mood & now I am on the verge of tears & don't even know why. I sent Lance a text about an hour ago telling him "my day officially sucks & he is the only one that can make it better" & I get nothing back......I KNOW he is at work & that he is probably busy but I need him to try to help me snap out of this mood I am in. I don't want to start crying right here in the office but I have a feeling I am not going to be able to hold it back much longer. I hate feeling like this........I have so much that I am happy & excited about so WTF?

15 Seconds of Fame.....

I received this email today about a photo of me that was submitted to this website.....

Thanks so much for your submission! We have updated the gallery to include your photo and you made our front page! We really appreciate your help!

http://www.maternitygallery.com/

34 Weeks Today.....

WOW, I can't believe that it has been 34 weeks & we only have 6 left. We are getting so excited & just can't wait to met our little bundle of joy. Lance & I are both nesting; he is so cute trying to get everything that he has ever wanted to do in the house & backyard done before Brayden's arrival. His latest project was a book shelf for Brayden's room; he finished it yesterday & it is perfect!!!





Baby Brayden this week.......
A bouncing bundle of joy at 5 pounds and nearly 20 inches, Brayden’s organs are almost fully matured with the exception of the lungs, which will continue to develop almost until birth. Though you can't see your baby, his skin is turning from red to pink. While her fingernails are fully formed, the toenails still need more time to grow. Some babies will even have a full head of hair by this point. You're probably starting to give serious thought to ideas like breastfeeding, labor and delivery. Now is a good time to begin discussing all your options with your health care provider. Meanwhile, baby is snoozing a lot, letting you run the show for a little while longer. If you have been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions already, they may become more frequent now (or you may start to experience them for the first time). These can be intense, but are much shorter in duration than the contractions you'll experience during real labor. Because your pelvis is rapidly expanding, it may begin to ache; your lower back is also feeling the strain of your growing baby. Getting off your feet as much as possible and lying on your left side will help a lot. He is running out of room in there and you may now be able to tell whether it is a hand or an elbow pushing against your belly. The protective vernix coating on your baby's skin is becoming thicker, but the lanugo hair is almost gone. Your baby may begin to get into position for delivery (hopefully head down).

My Body This Week.....
You're probably starting to give serious thought to ideas like breastfeeding, labor and delivery. Now is a good time to begin discussing all your options with your health care provider. Meanwhile, baby is snoozing a lot, letting you run the show for a little while longer. If you have been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions already, they may become more frequent now (or you may start to experience them for the first time). These can be intense, but are much shorter in duration than the contractions you'll experience during real labor. Because your pelvis is rapidly expanding, it may begin to ache; your lower back is also feeling the strain of your growing baby. Getting off your feet as much as possible and lying on your left side will help a lot.

How far along? 34 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 29 lbs.
Maternity clothes? yep
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: I still have no idea what this word means....
Best moment this week: Lance finishing Brayden's book shelf for his room
Movement: he is a very active little boy
Food cravings: not just one specific thing....just everything
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: yep....too many for only being 34 weeks
Belly Button in or out? it just looks weird...it is half in & half out unless I am really full or he is pushing then it sticks out almost all the way
What I miss: being able to get off the sofa & out of bed with needing help or flopping like a fish
What I am looking forward to: anything & everything having to do with our little one
Weekly Wisdom: cherish every single moment of the miracle growing inside your belly; we are all truly blessed by God.
Milestones: I am able to see & feel his little feet when he kicks me, I can actually feel the outline of his feet & legs sometimes & it is unbelievable.

Doctor Appt. Update...

Lance & I went to the doctor yesterday afternoon at 4:30 to check everything because of the contractions that I was having on Friday & everything is still good. I have not progressed at all & Brayden is a happy little camper in there....WOO HOO!! I got hooked up to the monitors again & Lance got to hear his baby boys heart rate & see just how much Brayden doesn't like things to be on my belly. When they hooked me up Brayden started kicking the monitors; he got himself so worked up in there that he got the hiccups. Lance came over & started to rub my belly & talk to Brayden to try to calm him down & it just brought tears to my eyes; Brayden did calm down at the sound of his daddy's voice, it was amazing. Lance is going to be a wonderful father & although Brayden needs to stay in my belly a while longer we just can't wait to meet him........Brayden is a blessing & we thank god every second of everyday for Brayden!!

We talked to the doctor about why this is happening & what we can do to not have it happen any more, we also told the doctor about the medicine making me really sick & me not taking it past Saturday & she said that, that was just fine & it does make some women really sick but not to worry about taking it anymore. She really didn't seem to concerned if it happened again & she said that she could prescribe something else but would rather me keep my body as drug free as possible (which I really appreciated because I have tried very hard to not take anything through my whole pregnancy); she said that Brayden is fine & if he was born right now that he would be perfectly fine. His lungs do need to develop more yes that is true but since I am not dilating at all she thinks that they will be fully developed by the time he arrives. She was choosing her words very well but she seemed to be saying that he will come early.....only time will tell I guess. Lance & I feel good about the appointment & we know that he will come when he is ready BUT he needs to wait a bit longer. Patience is not one of Lance or I's strong suites so Brayden comes by this naturally but for now we are not going to worry & I am just going to take it easy & try to rest as much as possible; that is not easy for me but I am going to try!!

33 Week 6 Days Along.....

My Poor FurBaby & Wallet....

I had noticed some scabs on the back of our bulldog Georgia's neck last week so I thought that she & our boxer just got into it some how with out me knowing or she scraped it while trying to get her big butt under the bed (she likes to hide there when I am on the computer) so I just put some medicine on them each day & they weren't getting any better...more were actually appearing so I told Lance & of course we knew that she needed to take a trip to the vet. I was going to take her to the vet on Saturday but after the Friday I had it was not going to be possible. Lance is off today so he took her this morning & our poor baby has a bacteria infection in her ears that she spread to her neck by scratching it NASTY I know!! Because she was due for her annual shots, both pups needed heart worm medication & she had to have a bunch of tests done to figure out her neck & ear condition the bill was $450.....THAT IS RIGHT I typed FOUR HUNDRED & FIFTY DOLLARS!!

We love both our pups very much & they are so worth the money, but HOT DAMN!

Weekend Review.....

So Friday started off as a normal day until....I started noticing that I was having quite a few contractions. I got on contractionmaster.com & started to track them & I had 8 in that hour so I called the doctor & had to go in & get checked. They hooked me up to the monitor & of course Baby Brayden didn't like that at all & kicked the monitor for the first 5 minutes but I guess he realized that they weren't going to move it so he stopped!! His heart rate & movements were awesome so no worries about him at all & according to the contraction monitor I wasn't having any either but I kept telling the nurse that I could feel them so how was that possible & she said we will just keep watching. Well about an hour later I had to pee so I got up & went & when I got back & got hooked up again they they were.....the damn nurse didn't have the stupid monitor on my stomach right so it wasn't tracking them so needless to say I just wasted an hour sitting there!! Anyway, the doctor came in & saw the contractions & decided to give me the shot of turbutiline again to stop them & then continue monitoring me; she also checked my cervix & I was not dilated but there was blood so she says that the contractions were working towards getting my cervix ready to start dilating. After the shot & about another hour of monitoring I got a prescription for the turbutiline & got to go home....thank god!! I was at the doctor's office for about 3 hours & I couldn't get cell service so Lance was freaking out for a while until I noticed there was a phone in the room & called him. He was working & as much as I wanted him there I told him not to worry & just to work & I would call him with any updates.

Once I picked up my pills I got in the car & headed home....& of course had to sit in traffic because of the time of day it was & that would have been fine but the turbutiline shot makes me feel really shaky & crappy so I wasn't in the mood to be sitting in the car at all! I got home, changed clothes, called Lance & laid down on the sofa only to not be able to sleep because my heart was still racing from that damn shot. I know that the medicine helps stop the contractions but holy hell does it do a number on me. I laid there for a while & then decided to eat something & then lay back down......I think that I dozed off for a while but woke up to Lance calling to check on me, he was on his way home & I couldn't wait to see him!! Then I remembered that I needed to take my medicine (I have to take it every 4-6 hours) & although I dreaded it I took it & again with the racing heart & shakiness. Lance got home, sat & held me for what seemed like forever & it was so nice & just made me fell so much better; he could feel me shaking though & just looked at me with this hurt in his eyes because there was nothing he could do to help me. He went outside & checked on the work that was done on the patio to complete it & finally smiled when he walked out there. That damn patio has been bothering him since we had it put up over 2 months ago; it was completed the way that he imagined so FINALLY it was done perfectly & now he just has to paint it put the furniture back out there & we can sit out there...relax & enjoy it!!

Friday night I couldn't sleep because of the turbutiline & also because when I finally would fall asleep I would have the worst nightmares ever so I laid on the sofa & watched TV falling asleep for an hour here & there but not really getting any good sleep at all. So needless to say Saturday I was down & out for most of the day; I ran to the store so that we would have food to eat but that was about it for most of the day. I finally decided to not take the pill I was supposed to take at 3 & finally fell asleep for a good 3 hours & felt so much better when I woke up. I woke up cleaned a bit, took a shower & felt like a new person after getting dressed. I just sat on the sofa & waited to Lance to get home & once he did went got out of the house for a bit & went to Longhorn for dinner. I told him that I couldn't handle that medicine & that I would talk to the doctor about the fact that I was not going to take it at our appt. on Monday.......he said that if I started to have a bunch of contractions then I could take it then!! I feel like a bad mother for not taking it but the doctor said that it could have this effect on me & if it did then not taking it would be alright & we would just see how I was doing on Monday afternoon so that it what I decided to do.

At dinner Lance & I started to talk about Brayden & the fact that he seems like he is ready to meet us before his due date & he then began to tell me how scared & unprepared he feels to be a father. He is so afraid that he is not going to be a good dad since he hasn't been a "good" husband to me lately & I was shocked. I told him that just because his choices & actions in the past few weeks hadn't been the best for our family didn't make him a bad husband; he is a great & wonderful man & I wouldn't have married him if I thought otherwise!! We finished our dinner went home & I fell asleep about 30 minutes after me butt hit the sofa.

Yesterday we decided to go up to the lake as planned with Lance's brother & his 2 kids; the kids had been so excited about going up there & I didn't want to disappoint them. The lake was a lot of fun & it is so awesome to see them have such a good time....plus it made me think of little Brayden playing in the water in a few years!! We didn't stay up there long at all; I couldn't handle the heat for too long so we were home & I was on the sofa & sleeping again that afternoon about 3:30. I woke up only because Lance kissed my head to tell me he was going to run to blockbuster & the grocery store to get us dinner. He got home made dinner & I was out again about 8. He woke me up at 10 to get into bed & I had a headache & for some reason I still have it....what a weekend, I feel like I didn't get to rest at all & that is really all I did.

I have my doctor's appointment today at 4:30 & am so happy that Lance gets to go with me & voice his concerns to the doctor as well. I know that 34 weeks (I will be tomorrow) is to early for Brayden to come but why are they not concerned with him possibly coming early at all. I know that I have not dilated at all but since I have contractions constantly shouldn't they consider the fact that maybe Brayden is going to make early appearance & start giving me steroids for his lungs just in case? They have not said anything about bed rest or changing anything I am doing but they don't know why I am having contractions like this either..........we have a whole list of questions to ask the doctors today & hopefully when I get checked I have not progressed at all & everything will be fine with both Brayden & I.

Sorry for rambling on but I have the worst headache & feel really yucky so can't really put the words together any better than this! Keep your fingers crossed & say a prayer for Brayden, Lance & I.