Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Doctor Appointment @ 33 weeks

Had my normal check up today. Everything is all good. The doc says that Max is still head down. Earlier this weekend, I thought he may have moved because I had two large lumps on either side of my belly. Doc says that he could move for another 3 weeks but that he is currently head down with a butt on one side and his feet on the other so that is probably what I felt. The best part was he showed me how I could push on my belly and identify it later if I wanted to do it at home. I can't wait to show Tyler!
I really believe Max has made this pregnancy so easy on me, now if he could make the delivery just as peachy then I would be the luckiest. *Fingers crossed*

Courtney

Monday, June 27, 2011

Baby gifts galore!

Tyler and I have been so blessed to have such amazing friends and family members that have helped us prepare for the arrival of Mr. Max. This past month we had 2 baby showers. The first was back in Alabama and was hosted by the Holbein women. And this past weekend I had my Dallas shower which was hosted by my good friends Sarah, Jessica, and Courtney S.

We were also blessed to have both moms and Aunt Bobbi Sue help out with the nursery. With their help and all the amazing gifts that are so greatly appreciated, I am able to finally say that we are even closer to being ready for our little man. Laura also stopped by on Sunday to help me assemble (okay, she did most of the work while I watched) the elephant rocker. She also helped decorate all the shelves below in the picture.
We just have a few more items to decide on and the nursery will be complete.
Stay tuned for more pictures.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Busting Out


As previously mentioned in multiple blog posts, Max is a mover (I think he gets that from me). I will be reminded of his jabs and kicks for forever.

In case you haven't had the chance to see my belly jiggle with Max's crazy movements, I finally captured it on film. Keep in mind this is just a short clip of what happens every day at multiple times. As our doctor keeps reminding me ... strong kicks = healthy baby. So keep moving Maximus because your mommy wants a healthy baby boy come mid-August.

*Video warning: As my brother in law has informed me, seeing my belly move like that is a little creepy.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Happy Father's Day...to me??

It was kinda weird being on the other end of a Happy Father's Day greeting. I worked all day Sunday and pretty much everybody knows that I'm gonna be a dad in a couple months. I wasn't quite expecting it, but I really like the sound of it. Even though we already have Lucy, and as much as I consider her a daughter like no other, I definitely feel a real change on the horizon. With only about two months until the little arrives on the scene, I feel kinda like I did before Courtney and I got married. Ya know, where you something life-changing is about to happen. I just hope it'll be as fun and rewarding as the that rite of passage.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Gulf Coast is all about the Fooood

Tyler and myself spent the better part of the weekend eating. And the Gulf Coast did not let us down. I believe Max enjoyed every bite as well. Below is a summary of all the great fixins' we stuffed into our bellies. Lucky for me I wear pregnancy pants so I could store a little more than Tyler. I think I put away enough to hold me over for the next few weeks. Luckily, mom and Cathy are coming into town in 2 weeks and can bring more fresh tomatoes and Chilton County peaches to hold me over.

Distractions

These days I need distractions ... distractions from the fact that I am massive, the days just keep ticking by (less than 60), and that pretty soon I will be known as a mother. I have been entertaining myself with work, tv, and most recently ... cooking school.
My absolute favorite grocery store EVER (Central Market) has Cooking School and thanks to my hubby and Groupon I got to register for 2 classes. They do all kinds of classes and picking just one almost seemed impossible. If I wasn't preggers then I would have definitely gone to a sushi class but that will just have to wait until the fall when I can enjoy the fruits of my labor. I have to admit that it was difficult to find a class that could accommodate the pregnant woman's diet (no wine, no fancy cheese, no raw fish), but I managed.

My first class was in early June. I participated in "Time to Grill." I absolutely love grilled meats and veggies and this class also threw in another favorite - grilled cheese. That's right, there is a fancy cheese from the island of Crete called halloumi that is grillable. I highly recommend everyone give it a try or stop by my house where I have a supply already in my fridge. We started the 4 course meal with a grilled shrimp appetizer with cocktail sauce. Now you probably expect me a woman from the Gulf Coast to know how to grill shrimp and I do, however I struggle with these frozen bad boys that I get up here. They always seem to be watery, maybe I am just too picky with my seafood. Luckily for my cooking school I learned that a nice brine would help my little shrimpers and from now on I will always brine my shrimp to help me get that home taste that I crave. The second course was grilled romaine and red onion with a basic french dressing and a side of halloumi. This looked and tasted divine thanks to the fancy cheese and its striped grill marks. For the main course we had grilled beef tenderloin, hobo potatoes, and grilled asparagus. We did nothing fancy with the beef or the asparagus that I hadn't done before however the potatoes ... well those were out of this world. I actually went home and made them the following night for Forrest and Nicole. Unfortunately for me they tasted way better at cooking school. I am not discouraged though, soon I will try again. And I will succeed! Hobo potatoes are bite sized potatoes, pearl onions, and garlic that have been oiled up and seasoned then placed in a big tin foil hershey kiss (or hobo bag as they referred to it). You serve them with sour cream, bacon, and chives. Finally we finished the meal with grilled pound cake covered in a strawberry rhubarb compote. Let me know if you would like the recipes.

This week I attended a class all about making souffles. Super excited to make some of my favorite dishes. This class was different in that we ate after each souffle came out of the oven so we could enjoy our creations at the right pipping hot temperature. I felt so french after this course were we made the following:
  • Fresh Herb & Cheese Soufflé;
  • Cajun-Flavored Crab Soufflé;
  • Spinach Soufflé; and
  • Chocolate Soufflé
Two of the recipes (cheese and spinach) were actually from Julia Child. It was my first Julia Child recipes and the Fresh Herb & Cheese Souffle did not dissappoint. I personally think the cajun crab souffle was my absolute favorite though. It reminded me of crab omelets which are one of my favs. Why didn't I have one when I was home?!? Need to remember that for my next visit. And what souffle class would not be complete without a chocolate version?! Below if a pic of our teacher adding the final touches.
Another great thing about attending cooking school is talking with fellow people who love food as much as you do. I learned some great restaurant places and I look forward to trying all of them. First on my list is Rise, a souffle restaurant in Dallas. They have a bread pudding souffle that is calling my name.

And as Julia Childs says, "Learn to cook--try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!"

Happy Cooking everyone! ~Courtney

Monday, June 13, 2011

We Got A Bleeder!

I guess this comes with the territory. This awful, most humiliating phenomenon called a nose bleed. We're cruising along on our flight back to DFW from Mobile (shout out to American Eagle for direct flights), I'm dominating another level of Tower Madness on my iPad after finishing off my complimentary Dr Pepper (there's no "." in Dr, look it up), and next thing I know Courtney is throwing all her thank you cards in my lap and taking any napkins she can scrounge up, including mine from my Dr Pepper. Her face was gushing blood so bad we had to get a transfusion right there on the plane. It looked like a war zone. Well, maybe the cold war.



Apparently nose bleeds are common amongst pregnant folk. Courtney's general wellness has been strong so far, so small episodes like this are as extreme as it gets for us. Obviously, that's a good thing, but experiences like this really humanize the process. There's something in that big little belly that wants out...and with a name like Maximus, I'm certain he'll slice his own way out, a la Chuck Norris, if he gets impatient.

Location:30,000 feet above sea level

Friday, June 10, 2011

Fits Like A Glove

If Courtney is a softball, then the seats on American Eagle jets are a a youth small glove. The good news is she makes a great pillow and we have lots of quality incidental cuddling.

Just one of the fun, unexpected adventures of having a little extra something everywhere you go. These reminders are the kind if things I'm gonna miss about Courtney being pregnant, but I have a feeling she doesn't feel the same.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Doctor Appointment

Appointments, appointments, and more appointments. It is as though I am always skipping out of work to wait around the doctor's office for a routine exam. On May 18th, I had my third trimester tests which included a nice sugary beverage and a blood exam an hour later. Results were provided on Friday informing me that I will have to come back in the following week for a 3hr glucose exam. Lucky me ... I got 4 arm pricks and an ultra sugary drink on an empty stomach on May 24th. But in all seriousness, as all my family knows I was terrified that the test results would come back stating I had gestational diabetes. On May 26th the test results came back NORMAL. Best day in a LONG time! Now we are at today (June 1st) where I had another doctor's appointment but this time with my new physician Dr. Gunby. He came highly recommended from our doula (birthing coach). He had all positive news (which was great for once) ... baby is head down, heartbeat is good, and that he was born in Birmingham. Okay so the last piece of information isn't necessary for the delivery of my baby, but it definitely made me smile knowing that my new doc was born in the same awesome state as me. Overall, great doctor's visit. Max even thought so as well. He gave the doc a nice kick when the doppler was put on my belly. Next appointment is in 2 weeks, scheduled for June 15th.