20 Weeks

Wow! 20 weeks...can't believe I'm at the halfway point already! Steven and I were so happy baby cooperated earlier this week so we could find out the gender. I hope to share the news with all of you real soon, there are just a couple more close friends and family we need to reach out to first. In the meantime, don't forget to cast your vote on the sidebar telling me if you think Baby Turner is a boy or girl!

Baby: Baby is 20 weeks and the size of a banana! Around 20 weeks the average baby weighs about 8-9oz, but Baby Turner is a whopping 14oz! Baby's heart rate has been right around 140 each time we check.

Weight: Had a midwife appointment on Monday. My weight gain is 10bs on the nose.

Symptoms: I feel great! It is almost like someone flipped a switch last week and my nausea disappeared...just like that! So, so thankful! The only time I still feel sick is right after I get out of the shower. Weird, right? I am experiencing some aches and pains in my lower abdomen as things are growing and stretching to accommodate baby. Also, still struggling with skin issues. Just very oily and broken out.. Lovely.    

Sleep: Sleep is pretty good. I am terrible about flipping onto my back in the middle of the night. I wake up feeling like I can't breathe and have to readjust. An old SI Joint injury is causing me some pain from trying to sleep on my side, but nothing too terrible at this point.

Cravings/Aversions: Nothing really! Since I'm feeling better I'm trying to focus on eating nutrient rich foods rather than the starchy stuff that was pretty much all I could keep down the first 17 weeks or so. This week I've had lots of salads for lunch and spaghetti squash with chicken for dinner. For a snack I've been choosing either an apple with nut butter, a banana, or a Luna bar if I'm on the go.   

Workouts: After my crazy trail walk with Huckleberry this past weekend, I've steered clear of all trails! I've been doing light yoga when I get home from work in the evenings and thinking really hard about going to the garage to get on the elliptical. ;)

Random Thoughts: I feel pretty blessed that I'm 20 weeks pregnant but still in my regular clothes. To be honest, the idea of maternity clothes shopping just hasn't appealed to me this entire time and I really, really hope I can wear my jeans to the end. For now, all my pants button with no problem and all tops still fit. Crossing my fingers I get lucky and can purchase the bare minimum in maternity wear. 

And yesss, it's FRIDAY! Not only that, but a long weekend....Thank you, Columbus! 

Hope everyone has a great one!

Huck, the Superhero

Have you ever wondered if you were attacked whether or not you'd be able to scream out for help or if you'd be paralyzed with fear?  (Or am I just a crazy person because I even wonder about that sort of thing?) Well, I discovered the answer to that question this weekend. No surprise to me, I'm the too-scared-to-scream-and-fight type.

This past Saturday I decided to take a trail I've never taken before while walking Huck. One that Steven had told me about and sounded easy enough to navigate. Bad idea. After an hour of walking, by which time I should have been close to home again, I realized I was completely and utterly lost...

After another hour of walking, I was beginning to panic... 

Feeling tired and anxious, I came to another "Y" in the trail I decided to take a right.  But Huckleberry, who walks off lease, took a left. I keep walking, knowing that Huck would end up running past me any minute, but instead he started barking at me. I told him to come along but he refused to move and continued to bark. "What the heck," I thought. If Huck wants to go left, left it is. I didn't care at this point. I was too exhausted to think! 

Little did I know Huck was having a Lassie moment. Within 15 minutes I broke out onto a trail I was very familiar with and realized I was about 2 miles away from home. I think Huck was getting pretty tried too and was ready to head back home. I'm not sure if he knew I was lost, but he definitely knew what direction home was in and how to get me back on the right trail. 

While heading home there is a sharp bend in this trail where you can't see what's ahead of you. When I came around the bend I saw a massive black dog staring me down. Huck was about 20 feet ahead of me and off the trail busily investigating something in the woods. I froze as the black dog barred his teeth, raised the hair on his back, and charged at me. 

I was literally paralyzed. Could not move a muscle, couldn't scream, couldn't prepare my legs to give that dog a good, swift kick. I simply froze. All of a sudden, Huck charged out of the woods and sideswiped that dog right before it reached me, crashing down in a mix of teeth, growls, and fur onto the ground. Unfortunately, the dog was quite large and had Huck underneath him. It was all over in a few seconds I'm sure, although to me it felt like minutes had passed, as the black dog's owner ran up and pulled his dog off Huck. He began apologizing to me but I didn't say a word as I hooked Huck onto his leash and began walking away. When the man and his rabid beast were out of sight, I sat down on the trail and cried. I was exhausted and emotionally drained from the distance I'd walked and the scary encounter with that dog. All I wanted to do was hold on to Huck. 

We finally made it home where we both crashed and took a much needed nap. A 3 hour, 6+ mile walk is no easy feat when you're 5 months pregnant, but I feel quiet certain that I probably wouldn't have made it home without Huck. I think Steven would have had to send out a search party for me (where they would have found my remains next to a rabid black dog..)! 

Not only did Huck lead me home, but he attacked that other dog to protect me. Never in my life have I seen Huck even growl at another dog! He definitely read him as a threat and took action to protect his momma. And here I thought the only thing this golden pup was good for was kisses and picking up the crumbs from under the table..

Man, I love my dog. 

So thanks, Hucklebutt! You're my new superhero and the very best four legged companion a girl could have. 

19 Weeks

I cannot believe I'm 19 weeks pregnant! Almost at the half way point! Time has really been flying by, causing me to feel a bit anxious about all we still have left to do around the house. Before baby comes we want to not only complete his/her nursery, but also my home office (since we had to relocate it to make room for baby). There is so much to do and I'm almost 5 months in! The great news is, busy season at work is over (yay!!!), so Steven and I are able to actually devote some time to these projects. 

Baby: Baby is 19 weeks and the size of a mango! Fun fact: baby is working on developing all five of it's senses. The ability to touch, taste, see, smell, and hear are all kicking in at this point. 

Weight: No idea. My next midwife appointment is Monday, so I know then if I've gained more than the 5 or so lbs I was at last time. 

Symptoms: I really don't want to jinx anything, but I feel pretty darn good! Each week the nausea recedes a bit more and my appetite gets better. I don't think I've thrown up in almost 2 weeks! I did experience my first Braxton Hicks contraction last week while I was painting. Such a weird feeling! I thought it was way too early to be experiencing that but my midwife assured me things were still a-okay.  

Sleep: My sleep is interrupted a lot by bathroom breaks and my back is mega sore each morning. I actually have an old back injury from cheerleading back in high school and I think I may end up struggling with it my entire pregnancy. Not looking forward to that : /.

Cravings/Aversions: I still want tuna fish all the time and anything spicy. Spicy foods surprisingly don't give me heartburn at this point, so I'm enjoying eating it without any repercussions. 

Workouts: Did some light yoga Monday and Tuesday. It felt good to get moving and I think the yoga stretches help me get to sleep at night. I need to start using our elliptical in the evenings because the weather here has definitely transitioned to the typical, rainy, gray mess making it hard to want to get outdoors and walk. Must. Move. More.  

Random Thoughts: Steven and I signed up for a 12 week Bradley Method birthing class starting in November. I'm pumped because everyone I've talked to has said that once you take this course you feel very prepared for labor and delivery (well, I suppose as prepared as one can be!). But truthfully, I'm not really nervous about the birthing process. Through the books I've read and personal testimonies I've heard, I'm convinced the female body is pretty amazingly designed. I'm more scared about bringing baby home!! 

He Reversed His Name and Called Them Dog

Huckleberry's daycare lady shared this video earlier today and because I'm pregnant, hormonal, and obsessed with my pup it made me cry smile. Okay, maybe I teared up a little, too. 

And because it's "throw back Thursday" (who comes up with this stuff anyway?) I thought I'd leave you with a few photos of baby Huck. Life doesn't get any cuter than this, people.

Now after that, how could anyone have a bad day? =)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I couldn't think of a better way to usher in the beginning of my October posts than by sharing this amazing pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe with you! I love the Fall, and I absolutely love everything pumpkin, so I've made my fair share of pumpkin baked goods over the years, and this recipe has definitely made it to the top of my all time favorites list! So good!

The original recipe can be found at Two Peas & Their Pod.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs

1 bag semisweet chocolate chips (the original directions call for 1 cup. of course I used the entire bag)

1. *Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, canola oil, water, vanilla, and eggs. Mix until smooth.

4. Slowly blend in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Evenly divide batter between the three loaf pans.

5. Bake for 60 minutes, or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove loaves from oven and cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. With a knife, go around the bread and loosen the loaves. Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

*I only had two 9x5 inch loaf pans, so I used both of those and then 3 miniature loaf pans (I believe they are 2x3) to share tiny loaves with friends and family. This recipe makes a whole lot of bread!!

I think the main thing that makes this recipe so delicious is all the spice! One entire tablespoon of cinnamon and nutmeg? The spice to pumpkin ratio blends perfectly leaving you with the most amazing Fall infused treat. 

Enjoy! And happy October!