Paci-Bib Pattern
I obviously haven’t blogged since Easton was born, but I have something fun to share with you. You may have seen the paci-bibs that I’ve been making in my recent post for Scottsdale Moms Blog. Well, I would love to share my pattern with you…
HERE IT IS!
And for an update, this is my little man, Easton!
39 Weeks…and a Birthday TOMORROW!!!!
Welp…
Tomorrow’s the day!!
Please pray for us tomorrow…C-Section at 10:30 am…
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Here’s a couple last pics:
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And one LAST shot…
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Keep an eye on Facebook for the first pictures of our little guy!
-Brittany
The Countdown…38 Weeks 6 Days
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The picture above is from Thanksgiving Day. So yes, I’m even bigger now…hard to believe, I know.
The day before this picture was taken our kiddo’s ultrasound stats were checking in at:
98th Percentile for Growth
Estimated 8.8 lbs
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So here’s the plan, as I understand it…
Due to his size we will likely be celebrating a birthday on or before December 3rd! If I’ve progressed SIGNIFICANTLY in the last week, then we’re probably looking at induction. It’s more likely, however, that our little boy will be looking for another escape hatch known as a C-Section. We’ll find out at the appointment tomorrow…
We can’t wait to see his chubby face…just can’t wait!
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Today I’m still getting things ready…
I’m making a potential photo prop called a Munchkin Hat…
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And later, a pedicure…because I absolutely cannot reach my feet!
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Any time now…
-Brittany
37 Weeks!
I’m 37+ weeks now, and here’s what “the bells” has done over the last little stretch…
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Yeah, I’m getting huge…I even wear one of those back braces at home (Thanks Jim!). It makes me look like I could work at Home Depot! :)
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My last doctor’s appointment was this last Thursday, and here’s the stats on my progress:
75% Effaced
Baby’s Position: Completely Dropped, “0“
0cm Dilated
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My OB’s pretty worried about the baby’s gargantuan size. When I tell people that they always say, “Oh don’t listen to that. My doctor told me that my son was going to be over 12 lbs and he was only 4lbs!” (Ok…that’s a HUGE exaggeration, but you get the point.) Anyway, I’m just going on what they’re telling me…
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In my most recent ultrasounds the baby has measured between the 93rd and 97th percentiles, and the last weight estimate was 7lbs 1oz at 35 weeks. Since then my belly has measured over 40 weeks the entire time, and I’m STILL measuring over 40 weeks even though he’s completely dropped. Apparently, you’re “supposed” to measure no bigger than 35 weeks once the baby’s dropped…
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I have another ultrasound this next Wed., and I can’t wait to see how big he’s gotten!
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Sounds like at least by 39 weeks (Dec. 1st) I’ll either be induced or taken in for a C-Section due to his size. They’re worried that his shoulders may get to big in proportion to my pelvis, which is very risky…
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Anyway, in the meantime I’m getting things ready, looking forward to seeing my brother, and psyched for Thanksgiving! Anyone have a stellar Cranberry Sauce Recipe?!…I want to try to do it from scratch…
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-Brittany
Suffering from TBTB…
Lately I’ve been suffering from a common condition called TBTB…”too busy to blog”…seriously, it’s been a little nuts around here for Brandon and I.
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Here’s how “the bells” is growing…
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(The answer is “yes”. Yes, I am huge…)
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Other recent highlights include:
My birthday, which included a ridiculously creative “post baby clothes shopping trip” from my brother. Thanks, G!…only you…
So cool, huh?
Plenty of nursery/ baby projects…
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An AMAZING baby shower!! Thanks ladies! (Pictures on their way)
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And, a maternity photo shoot. (I’ll post these soon too!)
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27 DAYS ‘TIL MY DUE DATE!!!
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-Brittany
Baby Update: 30 Weeks!
First, a quick update on Baby Shaw…
Everything’s going smoothly, and I’m feeling great. I went for my 30 week appointment yesterday, and the baby’s actually measuring at 32 weeks…BIG boy! My OB thinks that he’s probably just a really long baby. So…the good news is that we’re going to get another ultrasound in the next couple weeks! We’re really excited about that. I can’t wait to see his little face again…
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Here’s a quick pic from the 29 week mark:
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And last night at about 30 weeks (pardon the strange face I’m making…it was the best shot we got):
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And…Harley getting in on the action:
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We’ve also had a couple other exciting events in the last several weeks:
1. My Dad’s 50th Birthday Party! We had a great time making pizzas in the pizza oven he made. It’s a pretty awesome feat of engineering, and the pizzas are DELICIOUS!
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2. A Quick Trip to Seattle (for one more pre-baby medical conference) It was absolutely gorgeous!
We like to take pictures of each other at restaurants…
Old School Frozen Custard- Yeah, it was REALLY that good!
WOAH! Weird…
The must-see market…
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More nursery and house updates soon…
-Brittany
My Little Alien
Check out my belly moving! Brandon and I only caught the last part of his acrobatics on video, but you’ll get the idea…
I can’t believe you can already see so much activity and I still have technically 12 weeks to go..
-Brittany
DIY Purse
So…I LOVE to sew, but I have no kind of formal skill. I started making this on the industrial machines at the family’s furniture factory when I was pretty young, but I’ve always just kinda made it up as I go…which only works out about 20% of the time. Sweet Pea Totes to the rescue!
This weekend I found a WONDERFUL blog/company called Sweet Pea Totes. The designer, Mary, has a blog as well as an Etsy store where you can purchase her handmade bags OR the patterns to make them yourself…how cool!
I bought this pattern on her website:
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It was $10 and worth every penny. I learned so many new ways of constructing bags…
Here’s the catch…my ultimate goal is to learn to make cool diaper bags, but this pattern is too small. So, I made one exactly the size of the pattern to get the general gist of things and try out some key diaper bag engineering features.
I added to the pattern above:
- A waterproof bottom to the outside.
- And adjustable/removable backpack straps.
Here’s the final product…
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If you like to sew, this would be a great one to try! It’s not too difficult…
More projects to come…I’m sure!
-Brittany
The “Bells” @ 27 Weeks!
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Brandon and I (and “Jimmy Mark” of course) went on a double date with the Cherricks. It was such a fun night. We went to Coronado Café and then to see The Music Man at Symphony Hall. During the entire performance, our kiddo was doing flips and kicks inside of me to the point that I could hardly sit still let alone pay attention! It was pretty crazy…
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Anyway, I’m 27…well now almost 28 weeks along, and I’m feeling great! I AM starting to put my feet up when I get a chance, and heartburn is creeping it’s way back into my everyday life.
But…
every time I even think about complaining, I try to remember how sad I was when we we’re trying to get pregnant and trying to figure out what was wrong with me. I would have given anything to be sick as a dog…or have heartburn…or stretch marks…or any of the discomforts of pregnancy.
So…no whining here! I feel beyond blessed…
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One more quick thing: I think Ryan the Rhino will be finding a cozy spot in the nursery some time soon…
-Brittany
Stuffed Chicken with Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
My favorite magazine is Clean Eating. If you’ve never heard of it, you seriously need to check it out. The idea behind “clean eating” is to focus on eating: whole grains, colorful fruits and vegetables, and lean protein. I had 2 Rainbow Donuts for breakfast this morning, so obviously Brandon and I aren’t health food nuts…but we try to find super healthy recipes that actually taste amazing.
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I’ll be the first to admit that many “healthy” recipes just DON’T taste good at all.
This one is really, truly good…I promise…
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Stuffed Chicken with Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Prep Time: 20 min; Cook Time: 35 min
*I modified the recipe to use canned roasted red peppers in place of roasting them myself which would have taken an extra 50 min. Really…who’s got the time for that?
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INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Jar of Roasted Red Peppers
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 2-3 Cloves Chopped Garlic (I used jarred minced garlic)
- 1/2 Jalapeño Pepper, Seeded and Minced
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to Taste
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 2 Tbsp Goat Cheese
- 8 Asparagus Spears, Trimmed
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- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Slice 1 roasted red pepper into strips lengthwise.
- Place 2 roasted red peppers into blender with oil, vinegar, broth, garlic, and jalapeño. Blend into a purée. Pour into a small sauce pan; add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; cook over medium low heat for 10 min.
- Meanwhile, cut each chicken breast almost in half horizontally. Spread 1Tbsp of goat cheese onto each breast. Add the asparagus spears and roasted pepper strips and fold the breasts back together.
- Place the chicken breasts in a casserole dish and pour about 1/2 cup of the red pepper sauce over the top.
- Bake for 35-40 min.
- Serve with additional red pepper sauce drizzled on top. I served this with steamed broccoli and Uncle Ben’s Quick Cook Wild Rice Blend…
Yum.Yum. :)
-Brittany
life is swell 
