28 and feeling lucky :)

Ok, so I'm not quite 28 yet (ugh that seems so old right now!  I feel like I just started college, how can it already been 10 years since the start of senior year in high school?).  But I will be the big 2-8 in just two days.

Andrew and I aren't big gift people.  I give him more things than he does me and that's ok.  He already told me he didn't get me anything for my birthday and that's just fine with me.  Want to know why?  Because I am finally getting what I want this birthday.

We joked about it yesterday at lunch (he wasn't feeling well so I got some company at home!).  He told me that he hadn't gotten me anything and I said, "fine, you already gave me what I wanted."
Want to know what I wanted last year for my birthday?
A baby.
Obvi didn't get a baby which was hard after going through a few rounds of Clomid with no success.

Want to know what I wanted for Christmas?
A baby.
I desperately wanted to be pregnant and share the happy news with our families on Christmas.  We had just gone to the fertility specialist (hard pill to swallow at 27 and having to go to a specialist) and thought it might work that month.  I even went so far as to buy a test on Christmas Eve.  Guess what... no baby, shock.

But this birthday?  I'll be celebrating 29 weeks pregnant with a sweet, bouncing little girl.
And this Christmas?  Will be baby's first Christmas! 

So as I approach the big 2-8 and am getting closer and closer to the big 3-0, I am feeling so lucky and blessed because we finally have what we have wanted for so long.

28 weeks

Hello 3rd Trimester!

 Big sisters wanted in on the action this week.  There's a smile in these photos, but really I feel as big as a whale especially after getting weighed at the doctor's office.  Ugh and we still have 12 weeks of weight gain to go :/

Baby Girl is the size of an eggplant!  (sorry, Baby Girl, but I don't like eggplants, yuck)  She is about 14.5 inches and weighs just over 2 pounds! (I think your growth has slowed down a bit because my belly hasn't grown much)
Her lungs are mature enough that she'd probably survive if she was born now. Wow!

How far along? 28 weeks!

Maternity clothes? My maternity clothes officially take up two drawers in my dresser and a section of my closet.

Stretch marks? not yet (well no new ones, I've had some on my hips ever since my growth spurt in like 5th grade)

Sleep: OMG sleep has been all sorts of awful.  Baby girl tends to keep me up from 10pm-12am bouncing and rolling and then gets up again at 5am.  My hips are starting to hurt again and I can never get comfortable.

Best moment this week: My mom and I finished the curtains for the nursery this weekend!  And we even got started on the crib skirt.  I now know why all those beautiful nursery bedding sets are so expensive on Etsy.com.  Very time consuming!
We bought a glider at buybuy Baby last week!  Hoping to pick it up this week!

Miss Anything? Sleeping through the night and not having the burning pain under my right ribs.

Movement: She's very active at night now.  If I stay up late enough, I feel her rolling around.  She's been my little roly poly this week.  She kicked me in the ribs during the 2 hours it took me to drive to IL this weekend.

Food cravings:Taco dip

Exercise:
Walking: The girls and I have been walking about 4-5 miles every morning.
We managed to get 2 "baby jogs" in there.  I say "baby jogs" because it was just our morning walk and then the girls and I jogged for 4-5 stretches.  Really, I probably jogged less than a mile about for about 8-10 minutes total.  Maddie is not a runner and doesn't get why we do it and with all the weight I'm carrying now, my shins can't take too much.
The Bar Method Prenatal dvd
Prenatal Yoga at Dragonfly Hot Yoga 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: Pretty little lady!  

 Labor Signs: nope

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks contractions, but fewer than last week
burning/numbing under my ribs (it is awful at night) and back pain

Belly Button in or out? still an innie, for now

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: This week has been rough.  I've been super hormonal this week and there have been quite a few tears.  I'm also starting to freak out a bit about the fact that we're in the third trimester now and just 9 weeks away from full term and 12 weeks away from our due date.  I'm not ready for her to be here and I freak out about being responsible for a little baby.  Dogs are one thing, but babies are a whole new ball game.

Looking forward to:
My parents are coming up next weekend to go to the Badger game and celebrate my birthday.
The Lacrosse baby shower is in 2 weeks.
Hopefully passing my 28 week glucose test on Monday (fingers crossed!  I don't want to have to drink the orange drink again and sit there for 3 hours)


Dear baby girl,

I've been calling you my little roly poly this week.  You roll around for a few hours each night, usually when I want to go to bed.

We went back to Geneva this weekend while Daddy went camping with his college buddies.  Your Gma and I made your curtains and started your crib skirt.  Your room is going to look so good!  I think that you and I are getting pretty big, but your gma said that I don't look any bigger than I did 3 weeks ago.  You and I hit a pretty big growth spurt early on and popped out pretty early, but I think you're slowing down a bit.  For now, at least.

We checked out about 10 books from the library to pick out a name for you.  Although they haven't helped us come up with any new names.  We have a top 3 list, but someone is picky about names (someone being your daddy).  It can't be too popular, no wacky rhymes that the kids might use as nicknames, can't be the name of anyone we know, etc.  Picking out a name for you is a lot of pressure!

We have our 28 week appointment this week.  Which also means that we have to do the glucose test and I'm hoping to pass.  I also hope the doctors will be able to tell me how big you are.  Your daddy thinks you are a big girl, but I have a feeling you will be a little peanut.  If you are a little peanut, you have really strong legs. You are kicking up a storm right now.

Your big sisters know that something is up.  They are starting to get more and more needy as the days go on.  I know the three of you will be best friends, but they are going to need some time to get used to you.  Lucy was the first baby and then she had to get used to Maddie being around.  They like being the only girls in mommy and daddy's lives, so you will be a big adjustment.  But they'll come around and love you just like we do.

Love,
Your mama

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

While I still have the time and the energy, I've been trying to do as much cooking as I can and finding new recipes to try out.

I stumbled upon this one a few weeks ago while reading one of my blogs (shocking that it was a pregnant woman who was raving about these sandwiches!  I guess it's no surprise that a majority of the blogs I follow are either pregnancy/mommy blogs or food blogs.)

Iowa Girl Eats: Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwiches

I made a few changes to the recipe, but it's very close to Iowa Girl Eats. 

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1lb chicken breast, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 8 slices Monterrey Jack Cheese (although I want to try it with fresh Mozzarella)
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 hoagie rolls

Slice and sautee the onions until soft and brown, about 4 minutes. 

 Add garlic and cook for another minute.

 While onions cook, slice chicken breast thin.

 Add the chicken strips to the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook thoroughly. 

 Add 1/3 cup of Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce to the chicken.  Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce cooks down.

 While the sauce is cooking down, slice the tomato and cheese.

 Heat the oven to 250 and slice the hoagies in half.

 Layer the tomatoes on the bread.

 Add chicken mixture.

 Top with cheese.

 Wrap sandwiches in foil and place in oven for 15 minutes to warm and melt cheese.

 Unwrap and Enjoy!!

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1lb chicken breast, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce
• 8 slices Monterrey Jack Cheese (although I want to try it with fresh Mozzarella)
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 hoagie rolls 

Instructions:
Slice and sautee the onions until soft and brown, about 4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for another minute.
While onions cook, slice chicken breast thin.
Add the chicken strips to the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook thoroughly.
Add 1/3 cup of Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce to the chicken.  Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce cooks down. 
While the sauce is cooking down, slice the tomato and cheese.
Heat the oven to 250 and slice the hoagies in half.
Layer the tomatoes on the bread.
Add chicken mixture.
Top with cheese.
Wrap sandwiches in foil and place in oven for 15 minutes to warm and melt cheese.
 Unwrap and Enjoy!!

Family Reunion in Lutsen Part 2

Well, it's taken 2 weeks since returning from the family reunion in Lutsen, MN and I'm finally getting around to posting Day 2 pictures of our long weekend.

Here's our first full day in Lutsen: Family Reunion in Lutsen Part 1

We started off our second full day with a hike to see the Cascade Falls.

These two were always off exploring on their own.

Andrew walking along the rocks overlooking the waterfall.

Sam and Lauren taking a break.

Typical McGuires always taking pictures.

They both wanted to get to the rock in the middle of the river.

And somehow both made it back with dry shoes!

We then drove to Lutsen Mountains to do the gondola ride up to the top to have lunch.

Hi, Mom and Dad!

The first half of the group went on a canoe trip while we had lunch.  But we got to go late afternoon.

Don't want to brag, but our canoe was pretty fast ;)

The McCullough crew cooked us a delicious dinner that night complete with chili and sweet corn.

Then we went down to the lake to have a bonfire.

And Lauren handed out samples of S'more Vodka.  Here's Poppi taking a big swig.

The crew at our first reunion 5 years ago in 2008 in Oregon.

And our 2013 reunion in Lutsen, MN.