Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

 

Happy Labor Day! I hope that all you working people are enjoying a much-earned day off. Being a nurse and now mostly-stay-at-home-mom, Mondays have never had the ‘eh, its Monday’ feeling to me, because my schedule is pretty all over the place and I rarely work Mondays! Therefore, it’s a day that I usually enjoy because it’s a fresh new week and a catch up with the mountain of laundry recharge day after the weekend.

 

Last night we took a stroll outside with our pack of dogs and got to enjoy an amazing sky show- I love that Gabby can sit facing forward in her stroller now and see this herself. What better way to learn her colors by looking at God’s own artwork?

 

Confession time: We have this family tradition called Gourmet Burgers with Joey’s family every Sunday. Thank goodness I said ‘mostly vegetarian month’. Joey and I may or may not have inhaled 3 burgers between the two of us. Beef never tasted so good! And now we are ready for another week of mostly vegetarian. Which brings me to sharing this recipe for Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas from the Garden Grazer with you!

 

This lady knows what she’s doing in the kitchen. I made this Saturday night for the Joester and I, after a sweet friend suggested this recipe for us to try. The green onions and cilantro add tons of flavor and the homemade enchilada sauce is a cinch to make and SO delicious! We subbed corn tortillas for the flour ones, and made homemade chips with the leftovers.

 

 

My tummy= happy tummy. Vegetarian enchiladas for the win!

 

~M

A New Niece!

Having a new niece is like having ADD. I swear, I can’t focus on anything! So, I do apologize for being away for almost three weeks and having M post more than me even though she has a new baby to take care of!! I have gotten to visit several times since she has been born, and I just love that little munchkin more than words can possibly say.

After her first bath!

I could hold her for hours…..

M sent this to me as a ‘Happy Friday’ wake up call- What a way to start the day!!!

Uncle Curtis and Auntie K 🙂

Yes, there is baby fever now. 😉 Especially since she basically just lays against you and is cuteness personified.

But then, I am definitely biased 🙂

~K

She’s Here!!

By now most of you know or have guessed the reason we’ve been MIA this week~

SHE’S HERE! Gabriella Grace, born Feb. 26- 6 lbs 11 oz and 20 inches long. I’ve been thinking all day about what to say in this quick little post.. and there really aren’t adequate words to describe our feelings for her besides complete and overwhelming love. Every little thing she does is a joy to watch… every time she opens her eyes we swoon.

I think parenthood is going to suit us well. Watching Joey love on her is about enough to make my heart burst. Here are some photos taken throughout the week!

First time Daddy got to hold Gabs

When they laid her on my chest

First family photo!

Blue eyes!

Already wrapped around her little finger

Dad was named pro swaddler and diaper changer by the nurses! He’s even smiling?!

Nighttime prayers over Gabriella

Our favorite way to sleep

All smiles!

Look at those lips…

Totally has Daddy’s nose!

Cheerio mouth! And one whole week old!

This little girl has made our lives richer in ways we could not have anticipated, and it’s only been one week! We have thankfully had so much help this week from our families, making the first week at home very enjoyable and not overwhelming. Recovering from a unexpected C-section and caring for a newborn is definitely a challenge (more on that later!) but so far Gabs has been so good to us and we just love every inch of her.

I still plan to continue with the blog (and of course K does as well!) but my posts will most likely be more spread apart and posted at various times when it works best for us- right now my first priority is my daughter ( I love saying that!) but this blog is a hobby I enjoy as well so I plan to keep it up! Maybe Gabby will help me bake some goods for ya’ll soon.

This proud Mama is going to sign off now and go cuddle with dad and Gabs.. good night!

~M

The Final Countdown- 39 weeks

Well good morning to you too!

 

He’s my lil baby dog- all our dogs have this strange habit of loving to sleep on chairs. Even when they are slightly too large to be doing so. I think it’s funny though, so I’ll allow it!

Well here we are at 39 weeks!

 

I am so ready to go. (Thanks for putting up with all these selfies and toilet-in-the-background-pictures, we’re almost done, promise!) I just can’t believe that in the next week or so, Joey and I will finally be holding our baby! The excitement in this house is totally palpable- boy or girl?? Will he/she look more like me or dad?? Hair? Countless other questions as well, but regardless of what the answers are- we are so incredibly grateful to God that we have been so blessed with this gift of a baby and we already love this kiddo almost more than we can stand it!

I was planning on getting Joey a baby for Valentine’s Day, but I have this nagging feeling that baby wants to cook a little more first… so maybe I’ll make him these instead?

Anyways, I’m hoping this is the last update before we have some big news for you all, so here goes!

How far along now? 39 weeks

Boy or girl? We’re kind of convinced it’s a boy now…

Maternity clothes? Yes, but mostly just athletic comfy clothes. Yoga pants are the best.

Stretch marks? Woohoo! Still clear!

Sleeping well? Pretty well! I wake up at 4:30 or 5 most mornings now because I just can’t sleep anymore- sometimes due to baby practicing gymnastics, sometimes just because that’s when my body decided to be awake.

Movement? Lots of it- it’s pretty amazing how many different shapes my belly can assume.

Still working? Nope, I am done working until I decide to return to work after baby is born. The first few days off work were confusing to me- I wasn’t sure what to do, but now I have found my rhythm and have been keeping quite busy. On the plus side, this house has never been cleaner!

Still exercising? Yup, still walking lots. Occasionally I jog part of each mile I walk, but that totally depends on how I feel that day. Walking is pretty much it though- does cleaning count? Or prepping freezer meals?

Getting nervous for delivery? I have some moments where I let my mind go crazy with all the things that could go wrong, but then I remember that God is in control, and no matter how much I worry- it won’t change that He’s got us in His hand. I look around and think, every person I see had to be born, so I’m sure I can handle whatever situation occurs. Especially with Joey right there with me. (That being said, I’m not opposed to an epidural. Like, at all.)

What are you most looking forward to after baby is born, besides the baby (obviously)? You know, nothing has been too hard to give up food-wise during pregnancy.. I do miss having a glass of wine with Joey or friends on occasion, as well as full- caff coffee every morning. And full-fledged workouts… but I’ve also really enjoyed being at home more and the gym not as much. So, some changes I had to make might be here to stay! I am probably most looking forward to not constantly worrying if what I ate/drank/how I moved affected the baby without me realizing.

What will you miss about being pregnant? I know holding our baby will be infinitely more amazing than feeling the kicks and movement inside, but wow. Nothing has been more amazing so far than knowing God created women to bear children and equipped their bodies to nourish and grow another human life… feeling that life everyday has been life-changing.

Well I’m off to my doctor’s appointment in a little bit here… hoping for some good news! Maybe delivery is closer than I think?…

~M

Impatient Auntie K

I’m ready for a baby to be born….this post is basically just to vent some of my super amplified excitement and impatience. I know M is SO ready to be a mommy- cleaning and walking and cooking like a crazy lady! I am so excited to meet this little person! For the record, I think it’s a boy. I have no basis in fact, this is purely conjecture.

Folding 200 pounds (not joking) of baby clothes at work on Friday nearly pushed me over the edge and had me melting with every tiny sock I found a partner for.

SO CUTE AND TEENY!!

Tiny story about baby socks. I don’t know if it’s their teeny tiny-ness or what, but I could be having a pretty bad day and if you whip one of these things out and wave it in front of me, it will make me smile. As a matter of fact, a friend of mine framed a baby sock for me and gave it to me when I moved out of town…..

🙂

Makes ya smile, don’t it? Don’t lie, you know it’s cute.

As cute as baby socks are though, babies are cuter and I’m ready to see one. A very specific one.

~ Auntie K!!!!

37 weeks = Full Term Baby!

 

Sometimes it seems like just last week that we found out that I was pregnant- and now actually holding our baby is just a couple weeks away!! (Or anytime, really…) AAAaah! 37 weeks is considered full-term, so if I have this baby TONIGHT it would be fine. Anyone have a trampoline I could play on for a while?

I know the longer the baby stays in there, the better. So I’m fine with waiting a weeee bit longer for him/her to come out… but again, anytime is fine with me now.

I had two baby showers in the past two weeks, one was with my sweet coworkers at a restaurant close to our clinic- it was so fun! The past 8-9 months, they have been guessing whether it is going to be a boy or a girl, and so far the overwhelming opinion is BOY.

 

This cake had cool whip frosting. SO bomb.

And then this past weekend, my mom and sisters threw me a shower too! Since a lot of my extended family lives in the Midwest, they weren’t able to come, but since we moved here 15 years ago, we have established a “Ripon Family” of friends that has totally made us feel like actual family! It’s a total blessing.

 

K made the super cute table cloth- the colors for the shower were the cutest ‘gender-neutral’ colors ever! Aqua and orange-ish. And the CUPCAKES!!

 

People are so creative, it’s crazy. Anyways, both the showers were so thoughtful and to spend time with people that I’ve cared about for years is always a huge treat. Not to mention the major spoiling that went on during these get-togethers- Joey and I are pretty sure we have everything (and more) that we need to care for this lil peanut. Thanks so much everyone, we are so grateful and excited!!

One of my favorite things about the shower was that my mom and sister had some of the guests email their favorite Bible verse that pertained to children, and then they took those verses and put them on a canvas for me to hang in baby’s room- things like that are absolutely priceless. God has been so good to give us such an incredible community to help raise our child!

Lots of people have been asking me if anything has changed lately with how I’m feeling, or what my plans are for work after the baby so here’s a little Q&A for ya!

How far along now? 37 weeks!

Do you think it’s a boy or a girl? The overwhelming majority of people think it’s a boy- which makes me think it’s a girl. I have NO idea. But in case anyone was wondering… I LOVE the suspense of not knowing!

Maternity clothes? Course. However, I guess I am starting to look forward to wearing regular clothes again… I went through a phase where I was positive that I would never want to wear anything but maternity pants again. Phase = over.

Stretch marks? Still none!

Sleeping well? A little less well lately, I probably wake up 4-5 times throughout the night. But practice makes perfect! I’ve heard it’s good prep for the sleepless nights ahead 🙂

Movement? Pretty sure we have a Taikwon Do (sp?) master in there- my ribs are taking a beating!

Any cravings? As you guys all saw, I finally got my frozen yogurt. Other than that, just eating more of food in general.

Are you still working? Yes, but much less. I work per diem for a rural health center, and already get to choose my days so that has been great to scale back a bit. My last day is next Tuesday!

Are you going to keep working after the baby is born? How much time are you going to take off?

We are going to play this one by ear! Like I said, I am already ‘per diem’ status, so I could choose to go back full time if needed, or I could work as little as once every month. I plan to keep working as a nurse while we have kids, but the frequency is something that we will decide as needed. That being said, I am SO looking forward to a couple months off to devote completely to my family.

Still exercising? Trying to walk between 3-6 miles most days, and maybe I’ll start jogging (or trying to) a little more now that baby is full term…

 

One more fun thing to share with ya’ll- so I subscribed to the weekly updates on your baby’s progress that you can receive via email once we found out I was pregnant, and apparently my mom did too. She started personalizing each email for me and texting me ‘her version’ of the email every week, and it has been a huge highlight of the past 9 months! (She also thinks of a new name for baby each week, and changes the gender)

Here’s the ’37 week’ one from my mom:

“Ok… full term… really??? Wow! 6 1/3 pounds and 19 inches long- this guy is ready to come out of the oven! But wait- you have always like things extra crispy so don’t be surprised if Jeremiah Joseph decides to bake a little longer…”

Isn’t my mom awesome?

 

Have a great Tuesday! I have a great recipe coming up for you guys in a couple days!

~M

30 weeks!

Happy 30 weeks to my little peanut!

He/she is definitely growing quickly in there… and loving to move around. On mornings that I don’t work, I tend to stay in bed a little bit longer than usual, and just enjoy the movement I feel from in there- and at the same time, let my mind go crazy wondering if its a SON or a DAUGHTER we have in there!!

The suspense… It’s driving me wonderfully crazy.

How far along? Exactly 30 weeks!

Do you think it’s a boy or a girl? We go back and forth. Both of us 100% want a girl… and 100% want a boy. So we’re good either way 😉

Maternity clothes? Oh yes! I wear some non-maternity clothes from time to time, but the maternity apparel is way more comfortable.

Stretch marks? Still clear! My dear friend Jess got me some ‘Bio Oil’ to prevent stretching because she heard awesome things about it- so far so good!

Sleep? Sleeping well- I used to be a tummy sleeper so that was an adjustment, but no more soreness or mid-night bathroom breaks… weird?

Movement? Tons! And its visible from the outside- which Joey is mesmerized by… and a little freaked out sometimes.

Any cravings? Not really… I did eat far too many Hershey kisses this past weekend which made me feel sick. But darn, they were good. Oh, and I probably have one Arnold Palmer every single day. Almost.

Been feeling good? Yup! Feeling great- no nausea, energy is good, and been able to continue exercising. I had been comfortable jogging most days, but lately it’s been a little more uncomfortable so I have swapped jogging for power walking or the elliptical. I’m excited to try some prenatal yoga next Monday which is taught by one of my good friends! I’m hoping that will help with some of the low back pain I’ve been having… ouch.

Side note: SO many people in our community are pregnant right now, it’s amazing! Hopefully everyone is feeling well and getting enough rest. One thing that was a HUGE relief for me was switching out the regular prenatal horse-sized pills for the fruit-flavored gummy ones. I would try try try to keep those huge pills down every day, but either couldn’t keep them down, or just forgot  avoided taking them. Which made me feel like a horrible mom-before-I’m-a-mom. So my mom and I went to the store and found some gummy fruity prenatal pills and I look forward to taking them every day! They aren’t quite as nutrient packed as the horse pills, but something is better than nothing- And I try to take one of the nasty ones at least once a week. Worked for me, hope it helps someone else who may be struggling with the pranatals.

Nursery update!

A working progress! We got most of our furniture, just have to assemble the crib. And I just love how it looks- and by the way, we didn’t end up painting gray- we went neutral with ‘Fig Cookie’ tan… and now I’m wondering what a fig cookie would taste like…

So that’s what’s up over here- 10 weeks to go!!!

See ya soon, my babe.

~M

Pesto Portabello Panini

The other day my mom came over to my house and we spent the whole day reading instruction manuals and putting together the baby gear I received. I’m not sure whether to be thankful for those instructions, or rip them ALL to shreds in frustration! It actually went really well and we had a great time, with only a few minor setbacks- and in the end, we had put together 4 baby items! High-five, mom.

Then we were starved. And I had planned exactly what I wanted to make for this very occasion.

One of my favorite bloggers made this a while back and I have been dreaming about it ever since. I knew my mom would love it too, so this was the day! All you need is some onions, mozzarella cheese, pesto, tomatoes, and portabello mushrooms. And bread. Bread is good for sandwiches.

No, there’s no meat on this sandwich. I realize that means it’s ‘out’ for some of you… but do me a favor and just give it a chance. The thick roasted mushroom really does have a meaty flavor and makes you not even miss the deli meat you’d normally put on it. In fact, you might find yourself wondering why you even use deli meat to begin with.

~M

Pesto Portabello Panini

adapted from Yes, I Want Cake

makes 2

4 slices whole wheat bread, buttered

2 Portabello mushrooms

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1 small onion, sauteed

4 tomato slices

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup pesto

Put the mushrooms (smooth side down) in a pan. Drizzle the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar on them and bake at 450 degrees for about 10–15 minutes, until the mushroom is soft and filled with liquid. When cooled, slice.

Put the pesto on both sides of the bread, layer the other ingredients, including the mushrooms. Cook in a panini press for a couple of minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. If you don’t have a panini press, just press the sandwich in a pan on the stove with a saucepan (or something heavy) on top of it.

Excited Auntie K!!

I have been WAITING for that post!! 🙂 AAAHHHH I am beyond excited to be an auntie. Sorry for all the caps lock, guys. I can’t hold it in.

Clearly.

I’m just so excited!!

Excuse the flyaway hairs. It was early in the morning. Literally the face I had when I saw M FINALLY published her baby post.  🙂

I’ve already entered into ‘spoil-the-unborn-child-mode’, as is my duty. I find M’s patience in being surprised  extremely difficult to emulate- so I placate myself by taking pictures of everything tiny and cute and meandering the baby aisles of Target ooh-ing and aah-ing with Lindsey over every pink tutu and every miniature suit and bugging Mom for the name of every baby book we ever had.

I can’t wait to be an auntie. I know everyone is so excited to see what an amazing mom M is going to be. She already takes such wonderful care of herself and Joey and the tiny ‘flutterbudget’ in the oven 😉 and I know she is going to raise her children to love Jesus, read really good books,cook yummy food, use the talents they are blessed with,  and have as much fun as possible ❤

Did I mention I’m excited?

~Auntie K 😀

P.S.

This week, I think it’s a boy.

Aren’t tiny clothes so precious?! (from Jack & Jill)