My mom gave birth to 3 girls total by the time she was 23 years old. Growing up, things were very much centered around girly things. My step-dad was clearly outnumbered, and his only hope of anything remotely masculine in our home was one sister playing softball for a few years. I will never forget circa 1985 at the ripe age of 5, having my two older sisters doing me up in full face make-up, complete with bright yellow and green eyeshadow, to then parade around the mall. The fact that no one took a picture of this is inexcusable now, but I remember it clear as day.
There was always an entire closet full of beauty products that were ripe for the picking and playing. My mom sold avon for a few years, so it was like a virtual smorgasboard of "Let's try this on Emily!" I can't even count the number of times we got brushes stuck in our hair trying crazy hairstyles, or how many times we fought over who borrowed some girly item from one another and didn't return it. Seriously, it was ALL GIRL in our house....complete with hair flips and attitudes.
We had this vintage Hallmark plaque that floated from room to room for years, and I had completely forgotten about it until today. I don't know where it even came from, or where it went, but I had it memorized I'd read it so many times. It looked like this...
It's amazing how things that were seemingly so insignificant as a child can pop into your mind 30 years later and affect you on a deep emotional level. Little things like this plaque remind me of how special we were to my mom. She wasn't a perfect mom and made many mistakes, but she cherished each of us for our own individual strengths and had a unique and slightly different bond with each of us. More than anything, she just LOVED that we were all girls!
At our OB apt. yesterday, I wasn't expecting to see the baby via another u/s, since they listened for the heartbeat by itself at the start....which was great at 157 bpm. However, when the doc said, "Let's take a look!" I was stoked. No idea how many of these u/s insurance will cover or how they're coding them to make them "medically necessary", but so far no bills in the mail. I know most (normal/low risk) people only have a couple u/s tops their whole pregnancy, and this made #6 for us at only 14w4d. Either way, we will not turn down the offer. Measuring at 14w6d...
We were given a guesstimate on gender at right around 12 weeks, and yet again, it became very apparent that our OB's first guess was spot on. Please meet Preston Alexander...
Best pic we could get. Our model was wiggling and kicking like karate kid.
I couldn't help but wonder if they made a plaque for Why God Made Little Boys, and it turns out they did...
"Why God Made Little Boys"
God made the world out of His dreams
Of magic mountains, oceans and streams,
Prairies and plans and wooded land,
Then paused and thought "I need someone to stand
On top of mountains, to conquer the seas,
Explore the plains and climb the trees.
Someone to start out small and to grow,
Sturdy, strong as a tree…" And so,
He created boys, full of spirit and fun,
To explore and conquer, to romp and run.
With dirty faces and banged up chins,
With courageous hearts and boyish grins.
When He had completed the task He'd begun
He surely said "A job well done".
Author: Unknown
The more we find out about our little one, the more I am falling head over heels in love with him. One thing that makes it extra special is that he is due one week before my hubby's birthday. I can't help but imagine shared bday parties for the two men in my life and how fun that might
be. And while my former self might have felt slightly unequipped to do "boy stuff", now that we know we're having one, any lack of confidence has been replaced with a ridiculous amount of excitement to do all things boy. So there you have it. Looks like God wants me to be one of those crazy sports moms yelling from the sidelines! A boy is going to be so good for this family. No doubt this child will teach me more than I could ever teach him. :)
As much as we love Two Moms in the Raw granola bars, I don't think right now is the best time to be paying $8 for a pack of 4 granola bars. There has been an official moratorium placed on all Two Moms in the Raw purchases, and I'm getting creative with our snacks around here. It's so funny the things you realize were "splurges" when you are reduced to no income...fair to say it's been a bit of an eye opener. I mean, I realized those suckers were expensive, but they really are just that good people. Plus, healthy food is much more important to us than clothes or other extravagant purchases, and I will sacrifice pretty much anything to have our kitchen stocked with clean whole foods.
Previous to both hubby & I developing a crack-like addiction to Two Moms products, I'd been making my own granola bars for a few years with a recipe I invented. I just hadn't attempted to modify the recipe and make any since going gluten-free. I wanted to find a way though, since I can make 16 granola bars with my homemade recipe for less than $5. 16 Two Moms bars would cost $32, so yeah, pretty big difference, especially when we are each eating one per day. Our Two Mom's habit was becoming it's own monthly expense. Ha!
You can buy a big ole bag at Costco for cheap, and the label touts that you can use it cup for cup in place of regular flour in any recipe. I've experimented with quite a few things thus far and am impressed. The brownie recipe listed on the bag is EXCELLENT, and now I can add another great use to the list...
Em's Gluten-Free Almond Berry Granola Bars
Ingredients:
-2 cups old fashioned oats
-1 cup gluten-free flour (or regular...up to you)
-5 oz. bag sliced almonds -5 oz. bag dried fruit (I use blueberry, cherry or regular Craisins)
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-3/4 tsp. salt
-1/2 cup canola oil -1/2 cup agave nectar
-2 tsp. vanilla extract -2 egg whites
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, add all dry
ingredients, including dried fruit. Mix together with large spoon or
baking spatula.
Step 3: Spray a 9 x 13 in. baking dish with non-stick cooking spray .
Spread mixture firmly and evenly into dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove
from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
(Makes soft & chewy granola bars).
Step 4: Store in airtight container.
Makes 16 large bars or 32 smaller squares...you choose
how big you want them.
I used to use whole wheat flour as well as wheat germ in this recipe, so I just replaced the flour, removed the wheat germ and added more almonds to make up for the reduction in dry ingredients. Worked like a charm. Seriously, these are the bomb!
I know there are quite a few people looking for healthy snacks, as well as those trying to go gluten-free. These are completely idiot proof...so easy to make and super easy clean-up. Just made some cherry almond today, and they smell scrumptious!
I can now attest, like many other infertile women who've crossed over before me, that the transition from infertility to maternity brings its fair share of unexpected emotional hurdles. Yesterday was our first OB appointment finally at 12w3d. We've been seeing a perinatologist for ultrasounds and doing bloodwork through our RE still, so this pregnancy has been extremely closely monitored. However, with all the icy weather as of late, we're just now getting in with an OB.
Hooray for passage through the elusive 12 week "safety zone." What I didn't expect was how out of place I'd feel sometimes being here in this wonderful new world. As soon as we sat down in the waiting room of the OB's office, a woman at least 7 months pregnant sat directly across from us with her 9 month old (I overheard her telling another nosy woman who asked the age). I turned to my husband and said, "How is that even possible?!" I got to sit there and listen to what a surprise it had been to find out she was pregnant so soon again (in her most unenthusiastic voice), as she replayed the story to another very pregnant mom who was toting a toddler. Apparently, the woman also had a third child in school.
One woman after the next walked in pregnant and holding the hand of a big brother/sister-to-be. I quickly realized I was almost the only first time mom there and the only one who didn't actually "look pregnant." I glanced down at my lack of belly bumpage and a wave of sinking emotion hit me.
Do I really belong here?
I have never felt so out of place. I wondered if someone was going to make me pee in a cup and prove I was pregnant, in order to stay in this VIP room of what seemed on the surface to be a bunch of women who could not fathom what it took for us to get to this point. Now, I know better than that of course. Chances are, there were women there who might have experienced similar struggles, and perhaps much longer and more difficult journeys.
I just wonder if it will always feel like I can't completely relate to other "normal" pregnant women or moms? I would really love to, but it's like I just can't, because it will always feel like they can't relate to me. How could anyone possibly relate to our experience with maternity if they haven't also experienced an infertility journey leading up to their own pregnancy? I don't think they possibly can, nor should they be expected to.
Yes, I will probably be that woman who worries about every little thing; The one eating organic, using natural products, and who doesn't jog. Heck, I haven't even been vacuuming my big ole house thanks to the hubs. Forget about air travel or sex for the moment....not even going there! I'm feeling more and more secure in this pregnancy with each and every good doctor's visit and blood test, but after losing 4 babies in 2.5 years, I think we've earned the right to retain an over-the-top careful quotient.
I had a momentary mini cry as soon as I sat on the exam table waiting for the doc. I told hubby how I just didn't feel like I belonged there. In a strange way, I felt so much more at home in the waiting room of the fertility clinic. It was just a lot to wrap my head around that we were actually seeing an OB and WHY we were actually there.
Thankfully, as soon as we met our new nurse and OB the anxiety lessened. I seriously was not sure if I'd picked the right place until we met them, and I am 100% sure now that we're in good hands. The OB did a full annual exam since I was overdue and also did an ultrasound on Baby A. He did it vaginally, which I felt gave a much better view than the abdominal ones we've been getting with our peri.
Once again everything looked perfect with baby, and for the first time we saw TONS of movement from the little bugger. We'd seen a hand wave or a little wiggling before, but this kid was practically somersaulting before our eyes! OB said healthy babies tend to move around more, so of course this is reassuring to hear. I'm sure they say that to everyone, but I still liked hearing it.
The icing on the cake was asking about the sex of the baby. We were not expecting to find out until the full anatomy scan with our peri at 18 weeks, but we were told with some degree of certainty the gender of our little one. As if I wasn't already attached to this child! My heart completely melted. We are waiting to reveal the gender to friends, family, and blog buddies at least until next u/s just to confirm once more. However, I can assure you I'm telling the truth when I say I don't care what gender Baby A is, just that he/she is healthy. So far, we've had every reason to believe that's the case.
Once the doctor left the room, I clung to hubby and just enjoyed the moment...a moment I was never sure we'd ever experience. God is so good. Science is so awesome. We have so much to be thankful for.
Seeing how excited I was and the stark contrast in my mood from when we'd arrived, hubby asked me, "So, now do you feel like you belong here?" God, I love this man! Tears welled up as I replied,
So which would you rather hear first, good news or bad news? Being that I like to end things on a good note, it's no surprise I've always been a bad news first kind of person. In fact, let's just scratch that idea and instead call this good news and unexpected news. I'll still give you the unexpected news first though.
I'm writing this blog at the wee hour of 2 am, which should give some indication that I'm having a sleepless night. Let's just say the last couple weeks have not been stress free. Exactly two weeks ago, I/we learned that my husband would be "parting ways" with his company of almost 9 years. Well, isn't this a convenient time to be jobless? Yeah, not so much.
For the first time in a really long time, we've found ourselves wondering where our next source of income will come from. Ask me what my least favorite topics of conversation while barely 1/3 of the way through a pregnancy are. Oh, thanks for asking! They are....drumroll please....
Some real doozies eh? I am really trying to be the good wife, but am beginning to ask myself how supportive and agreeable I can truly be during such a situation... while also trying not to pull every last hair on my head out. There have been some differences of opinion regarding this unexpected situation from all parties involved, and it's only natural that it would be stressful, not only on my hubby, but also on us as a couple and soon to be family.
Needless to say, I've gone into "doing anything and everything I can to help" mode. Part of that has meant back to work for me, substitute teaching every chance I can get. At the rate I'm going, I'm making about 1/10 of what my husband was making, so my subbing obviously won't get us far. However, any little bit helps, and even if it only covers groceries, it's something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not crying a river over here, and we don't need sympathy. One of the good things about being poor in your youngers years is that you know how to make anything work. We'll make it through, because that's what we've always done, without asking for anyone's help. Hubby is interviewing right and left with, truth be told, more reputable and well-known companies with much better benefits than the employer he's leaving. Did I mention how proud I am of him? On top of it all, he's smack dab in the middle of earning his MBA as well. I happened to marry one of the most driven, and inspiring, and successful people on the planet, and it's only a matter of time before the right offers come his way.
Plus, I know God has something way bigger and better in store for us. I truly believe with my WHOLE ENTIRE HEART that while this unexpected news seems really inconvenient timing wise, it will actually end up being a huge blessing in the long run. Sure, right now it sucks. I don't think anyone breaks ties with an employer of that long without feeling like they've lost that loving feeling. And, if I'm being honest, we're both a bit f'ing scared about the future. However, my willingness to just MOVE ON far outweighs any fear I have about where our next meal comes from.
I tend to believe that in order for a new door to open, the first one has to fully close sometimes. I think it's safe to say I am ready for this door to be closed, even if it means walking away with less than what would make us comfortable. Sometimes, there is simply no pricetag that can make up for time and energy spent on battling with people. And of course, just when I was searching for a message that would help guide us through this trying time, leave it to Joel Osteen to deliver, as always.
My favorite line, "You can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you cannot be both!" If you feel like something unfair has happened to you; Like it's been hard to move on or that bitterness over a situation is beginning to take over, watch this message "Get Over It." I bet you'll gain a difference perspective. Love, love, LOVE this message.
So enough about that. Thanks to those of you who have emailed asking what part of earth I dropped off of. I've just been busy and exhausted. It means a great deal that you guys care, so THANK YOU for emailing and asking for updates!
In other unexpected news, Texas has the craziest weather I've ever experienced. It's gone from sunny 70's to icy conditions and back and forth more than once over the past couple weeks, in the matter of literally 24 hours. Totally nuts! Take a look at this....
That is ice ya'll. And clearly I was the only idiot at the gym at 6 am that morning. I really should not have been driving come to find out, but I honestly had never driven on an icy road in my life until that morning. I was totally clueless what it entailed. I will definitely watch the news next time and heed all warnings. Both of my OB apts. with my new OB, whom we still haven't met, were cancelled on two separate "ice days." We've rescheduled for Monday of next week, and fingers crossed there will be no major cold fronts to pour freezing rain on our parade again!
And now for the GOOD NEWS, that will easily trump any and all unexpected news. In the words of our perinatologist, "Baby looks perfect." We had our NT Scan yesterday @ 11w3d. This is where they take measurements to determine certain chromosomal risk factors caused by trisomies, and they can also assess risk for some other things like certain heart conditions. Nuchal fold measurement should be less than 3, and ours was less than 1. This is fantastic! Nasal bone should be fully intact and of certain size, and both u/s tech and MFM commented how all body parts were formed perfectly.
We were given a 0.33% chance (very low) of any chromosomal abnormalities based on this scan alone, meaning that it's about 99.67% that everything is perfectly normal. There is some additional bloodwork that is typically done along with the NT scan, which might further reduce our risk assessment. However, because we had a vanishing twin, this would make the blood result inconclusive, so we're simply not doing it. We're also choosing not to do an amnio, CVS, or any other tests which pose any risk to baby, even if only 1-2% risk of harm.
They viewed the baby from many angles and pointed out two legs, two arms, five fingers on the hand showing, and even individual ribs. He/she is starting to look like a real live human being at this point, so I'll share, even though a pic taken of an u/s pic is not the best quality.
Is it just me, or does that little white spot on the side of the head look like an ear? I think it might be. Lord help me, I'm turning into one of those women who thinks a fuzzy, grainy, black and white pic of their child's body parts is already cute. Baby A is still measuring ahead by one day and heartbeat is strong @167 bpm. This Friday makes 12 weeks. Two more weeks until we officially enter the 2nd trimester.
We're just so incredibly grateful beyond words that we at least have this baby to look forward to right now. All of life's problems just pale in comparison to the prospect of this beautiful healthy child that is on his/her way. A tornado could blow our entire house away today, and I seriously think I'd be fine, as long as this baby is fine and I have my amazing hubby by my side.
Faith in the unseen is such a tricky thing sometimes. It's like a muscle that gets stronger as you work it, but some days it's just really hard to get in a workout. I'm compelled to laze off and fall into unhealthy (mind) habits...that's when pesky doubts and worries creep in. I've been exercising my faith muscle until it's fatigued, and I'd like to think it's getting stronger. However, it was a looong two weeks between our first u/s and the one we had today. Some days I'm completely content with an unexplainable peace that just comforts me. Other nights I lie awake for hours on end, with a hamster wheel of "what-ifs" on repeat. Then, it's back on my knees the next morning to pray it all away.
I've been listening to a lot of Christian music for some time now and have been finding solace in the lyrics of so many great songs. There is one I'm totally obsessed with called "Oceans" by Hillsong United. Even if you aren't into the CCM genre of music, give it whirl. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SONG, and this live version is just extra special imho. If this doesn't give you a goosebump by the end, um I don't know what to say...
She has the voice of an angel, and the lyrics are so on point to what so many of us are going through. Isn't this what we're all trying to do... put our faith in something we can't really see as human beings and trust that it will all work out in the end?
If you listened and didn't catch it, this song is about a famous story from the Bible in Matthew 14, where Peter walks on water, despite his own fears...
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came
toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning
to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
I feel like this is what God keeps telling me over and over and over again. He's got this! Sorry God, I know in my heart you've got my back, but I'm still working on remaining faithful 24/7. It's not always easy, especially with the history of repeated failures thing. However, I really do believe that our past experiences do not dictate our future, and that at some point, if we throw enough darts and keep the faith, one will eventually stick in the right spot.
Speaking of sticking in the right spot, we have been a little concerned from the beginning about 1/2 of this pregnancy: Baby B. Baby B had been measuring behind from the get go, and at last u/s had a marked difference in size and heartbeat. Hubby and I were excited at the prospect of becoming parents of not one, but two babies. Nonetheless, we had realistic expectations that Baby B might not make it, thanks to our gentle yet up-front care providers, and that this might become a case of vanishing twin. This is indeed what happened, as today we found out that Baby B did not make it. Barely a fetal pole and a sac that did not grow past 6 wks was all that was visible for #2. Bittersweet is the best word I can use to describe my feelings about losing Baby B. Bitter, because anytime life is lost it's saddening. Vanishing twin
occurs in about 1 out of 8 multiple pregnancies, and when one baby "goes away" it typically does not have any bearing
whatsoever on the health and growth of the other baby inside the womb....as long as it happens early on in the pregnancy. Baby B will join 3 other babies of ours in heaven that decided to implant and create pregnancy, but ultimately not stick around.
Yet, today was also sweet. We are thankful that if this was going to happen, it happened early, so as not to complicate things later on or keep us wondering even more about the outcome. We don't feel like God snatched a baby from us or anything; We feel everything is working out for our very best interest possible. We saw how well Baby A was doing, with a super strong heartbeat @180 bpm and measuring within 1 day of EDD.He/she looked kind of like a wiggly gummy bear.
Instead of focusing on the loss, we are focusing on all that is going right. We are also reassured at the fact we will now have less risks overall throughout this pregnancy, since it's a singleton and not twins. My body has had a hard enough time just holding onto one pregnancy, so the fact that we are not faced with added complications from twins, is yet another reason to just be grateful for the one healthy baby we do have. Want to know something kinda crazy?! I have actually been journaling to "Baby A" for exactly two years now. At the time I started writing to our future child, I began addressing him/her as Baby A because our last name starts with A. Check out a snippet of my first entry from two years ago in January 2012...
I have been writing to Baby A all along to this day, but little did I know how truly significant and personal these journal entries would end up being. Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but I just think it's awfully ironic I've been writing to "Baby A" for 2 years and I never ever expected there would even be such a thing as a Baby A, as named by the doctors. Had I really been writing to the child hand picked and chosen for us all along? Pretty interesting is all I'm saying. I have to laugh too...It seems I was equally as impatient for a baby two years
ago, having only TTC for 6 months at that point in time.
So many times I would take days or weeks off from writing to Baby A, but
would always come back and talk to him/her. I really believe that someone is listening when I read these entries out loud, whether it's God, angels fighting on my behalf, or our future babies. This baby will know how much he/she was wanted and loved
before even being conceived. While it may have taken longer than I'd liked, it seems Baby A is now really and truly on the way. FINALLY. It goes without saying that we're beyond grateful.
We will continue to be hopeful for the best possible outcome each step of the way and as the song says, keep our eyes above the waves. Tomorrow makes 9 weeks. As we inch closer towards the elusive 12 week safety zone, I give thanks every single day that passes, bringing us one step closer to being a family.
Here's a fun fact you may not know about me. I have scrubbed the toilets of some of the richest and well-known people in our country; People like Tiger Woods, Payne Stewart, Chris Rock and oodles of other pro sports figures and entertainers. Yep, it's truly something to be proud of! OK not really, but I am proud of the fact that I supported myself throughout college by working my ass off doing construction cleaning in the 100+ degree FL heat. I actually did it for 6+ years total. Some people may have stories of walking 5 miles to school in the snow, but mine will all be about scraping paint off windows on ladders 3 stories high in the blistering sun. And just for the record, said toilets being cleaned had not yet been "christened", since it was all newly built construction. Somehow, that made it more bearable.
The other good, or maybe bad thing, doing this type of work also did was turn me into a huge CLEAN FREAK! Actually, it started with my mom, who also cleaned houses for a living while I was in elementary school, but it definitely progressed once I did it as a job every day. I have tried to shake the habit of being so darn anal, but I just can't help it people. I like shit to be clean!
To this day I'm always trying to find the best possible way of cleaning every single nook and cranny imaginable. Enter the Hoover Floor Mate Spin Scrub Hard Floor Cleaner & queue the angels singing!!!
Truly beautiful from every angle isn't it? I've known about this awesome device for quite a while but had never owned one myself. A mop with water and vinegar is the most cost effective way of cleaning tile safely, and it's actually what most pros use when cleaning homes. I was also admittedly sucked into the whole "steam mop" craze that the evil people at Shark vaccuums created with all of their infommercials showing the oh so powerful cleaning power of steam.
Besides the fact that EVERY SINGLE Shark vaccuum I've ever owned has lasted about 1.5-2 years tops before suddenly dying out of the blue right in the middle of cleaning (pisses me off every time!), I'm officially not sold on the whole steam mop thing. I've come to the conclusion it seems like it's cleaning because you see steam being emitted, but really there is just a whole lot of scooting dirt around and not a lot of picking crap up...outside of what's left on the flat mop pad. No way it's cleaning anything substantial out of your grout either. Lame. Well, Shark can kiss our business goodbye, because Hoover has taken over the market share in this house.
My new toy arrived in the mail last night and I was absolutely floored (pun intended) at what it produced...
Um, yeah. This is what was still on our floors AFTER mopping just 2 days ago apparently?! I had 3 dirty reservoirs filled with nastiness by the time I was done. And double bonus, which I've never gotten with mopping or steam mopping, was NO STREAKS whatsoever...
Seriously, Hoover should start paying me, because I'm going to be telling everyone I know about this gem of a device. We are also, by the way, HUGE fans of the Hoover Max Extract carpet cleaner too. Hubby just got done steam cleaning carpets in our whole house this past weekend, and if only I had taken pics of the nastiness from that one. We've been pretty much trapped indoors this whole winter, so it's all about breathing some clean air at this point. We may be hermits, but at least we are hermits with good air quality and clean feet. :)
Not much else going on, other than trying to take it easy. This is the most activity I've done in weeks and have pretty much been treating my body as though I'm still post-IVF transfer for the most part. As quoted by my MFM (maternal fetal medicine specialist), "Just keep doing what you're doing and don't change anything. If you're standing on your head every night, just keep standing on your head."
Alrighty then. Hubby has been a big help around the house, and also with helping to reassure me amidst the pesky worrying that inconveniently creeps in every time I over analyze a symptom or lack thereof. Every single morning I get on my hands and knees and just hand it all back over to God, but it really does take a conscious daily effort through reading scripture, praying out loud, journaling to our future baby(ies) and re-centering myself into a calm place where there's no room for worry or doubt. I'm reminding myself daily that you can't have faith and worry at the same time & that I am choosing faith!
I feel like we've been counting sheep waiting for the other half of our closet re-organization to come together. Back in October, I embarked on turning our closet into something other than the remnants of a category 5 hurricane. At that time, I decided to organize my shoes myself in order to save $. We realized pretty quickly, that since we aren't cabinet builders and have no interest in staring at dressers in our bedroom, our best option would be to get custom drawers installed in our closet.
Well, the turtles carrying the supplies on their shells all the way from FL to TX finally arrived, and our drawers were FINALLY installed last weekend! Thank goodness, because we had a couple canvas shelves that were literally hanging from a thread. One false placement of a boxer brief and it was coming down! Check out the before and after's of Closet Reno Part Deux...
BEFORE
AFTER: Option 1- With clothes above
AFTER: Option 2- Space to decorate with mirror, flowers, decorative bins, watch valet?
So, I'm still deciding what to do with the space above the drawers. It looks nice with clothes hanging neatly, but hubby suggested decorating it or using it for something else. Might be good to keep some space for folding laundry too. If you have any ideas what on earth do with this space, I would love to hear them!
In case you missed the shoe organizing frenzy from a couple months ago, here are the pics from that...
BEFORE
AFTER
My mission to replace any crappy plastic hangers with wooden and felt hangers is about 80% complete in the areas not pictured as well. So, still some finishing touches left, but all in all WE ARE DONE with the big stuff! I'm a dork about this stuff, but it's just amazing to me what a difference some organization can make in your mood each day. I can just breathe easier. It's easier to get ready and find everything. I have worn shoes I forgot I even had! We decided to make this an anniversary/Christmas gift to ourselves, and it was so worth it.
Speaking of gifts, I also received the sweetest gift from my sister yesterday. We have nothing but fake Christmas decor in our house, so the little burst of evergreen among the roses is so welcome. Luckily, no misbehaved cats have discovered it yet either. Every time I pass by, I stop and take a whif.
Smells soooo good.
And speaking of things that smell good, I'll leave you with one last thing that made me smile this week. I created this recipe for Quick Crab & Veggie Chowder a couple years, but this is the first time I made it with almond milk (in place of half & half) and gluten-free flour (in place of regular flour). It turned out just as good in my opinion. If you are looking for some healthy comfort food that's super easy to throw together, here is the recipe...
Quick Crab & Veggie Chowder
Ingredients:
1 small head cauliflower (about 4 cups once chopped)
1 medium onion
1/2 red pepper
2 stalks celery
12 oz. frozen sweet corn
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. pasture butter
3 Tbsp. flour (I used Namaste gluten-free flour)
1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
2 cups lower sodium chicken broth (MSG free)
2 cups original unsweetened almond milk (or half & half)
9 oz. Super Lump Crab meat
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
chopped green onions, optional for garnish
Directions: 1) Dice onion, red pepper, and celery coarsely. Chop cauliflower into
small 1/2 inch bite size pieces. (Cauliflower is a great substitution
for potatoes and will give the same meaty texture with very few
calories).
2) Heat a large pot over medium high heat on stove top. Add butter and turn to coat pan with butter. Add cauliflower, onion,
pepper, and celery. Cook 2 minutes to soften just slightly.
3) Sprinkle with flour and cook 2 minutes more, stirring to coat evenly.
Add Old Bay seasoning, sea salt and black
pepper. Continue to cook 2 more minutes, stirring constantly to coat
veggies with seasonings.
4) Add broth, bay leaves, and stir well. Add almond milk and
stir well. Lastly, add frozen corn and lump crab meat and stir well. Bring to
boil and boil uncovered 10 minutes. Chowder will thicken slightly upon cooking and standing.
Remove bay leaves and serve garnished with chopped green onions.You can certainly make it with full fat dairy, glutinous flour and add oyster crackers if you aren't on any dietary restrictions. It's quite good the full fat/gluten filled way too! Ha! Let me know if you try it and like it.
