Baby Talk

I learned that last week our baby's ears were more developed and he/she could hear us! So since then, Chris and I have been talking to the baby and singing to him/her. I have to admit, I feel really weird talking to him, I guess I can't wait until I feel them moving and it will make it more real!
I guess since the time keeps getting closer, I keep thinking about the future and how things are going to be. How long will the baby sleep at first, am I going to be getting any sleep? What will the house look like after a couple of weeks? As I sit and ponder this, I am rudely disrupted by Canela barking... she does that a lot which got me thinking about that... will the baby sleep through the barking? I love Canela, but she is a barker... people passing by, leaves falling, any type of noise. Anything can make her bark, and she has a very high-pitched bark. Meanwhile, Ashlyn is not a barker unless someone walks by or knocks on the door and then she sounds like a Rottweiler... she has a very vicious bark. Don't get me wrong, I love the dogs, but they are loud, and I don't think a baby will enjoy them barking and waking them up from naps!
I finally got a little hope when I was reading my "What to Expect" app on my phone. It said that "the baby is by certain listening now and loud noises, like the dog barking, will startle the baby (and get them used to the noises. Babies who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies that sleep right through Fido's barking)!" I am very excited about this because by the time the baby comes I'm sure he/she will definitely be used to Canela and Ashlyn's bark by then! I might still have to keep the doors closed or keep the pups in another room, but I'm glad that there is hope for the baby not waking up every time a leaf falls outside!
In other news, I finally started to download baby lullaby's and am listening to them at night to go to sleep by, I also ordered "Rock-A-Bye Veggie" from VeggieTales that has fun baby songs and lullaby's on it to listen to in the car! I am so excited, I can't wait for it to come! I have been singing the ABC song to the baby, mostly because I can't think of anything else to sing, but also hopes it might help the baby learn quicker. I also decided to read Dr. Seuss' "ABC Book" to help with the learning promise!
"Big A. Little A. What begins with A?
Aunt Annie's Alligator
A, A, A!"
Yes, I know it by heart and we are only 17 weeks into this thing!

This is a video of Chris playing with the dogs and a laser light. If you listen very closely, you can hear Chris tell his mom that we are expecting a baby! Yes, the video is old, but still cute!

Easter Sunday

Easter was coming, and I knew it. I wanted to host it, so I invited all of our families and started planning the menu and preparing for the guests. Well, nothing could have prepared me for what was in store! Friday morning, Chris and I go to the grocery store and start buying everything. Then, we come home and I start making some of the food, like the yeast rolls and the bunny cake. Well, apparently I was tired from the store, so I had to take a nap whilst the yeast was rising, but then continued working and even made dinner for Chris and I. 

Saturday came and I finished cleaning the house, with 2 dogs and a cat, you can only do so much ahead of time. So, I vacuumed, did dishes, scrubbed everything, and did odds and ends that I never would've thought of, but my husband is a bit of a perfectionist, so he made me do them! My mom, brother, and aunt came into town around noon, and thankfully the cleaning was almost complete. We then ate some Chick-Fil-A and I started getting ready for work. I then worked 2-9:30 then came home and made a pretzel salad and prepared the brisket for cooking the next morning (thanks to help from my mom and brother for helping!).

Easter Sunday is now upon us, and I get up and get the food going. I started cinnamon rolls for breakfast and got my Orange-Glazed Sweet Carrots in one crock-pot and a Broccoli Cheese Casserole in another crock-pot. I then go get ready for church and enjoyed a magnificent worship service! I have to say here that I absolutely love my church, and I feel so blessed that Chris and I stumbled upon it! We then had to stop by Walmart on the way home and get some last minute items, but return home to put the brisket in the oven and get the rest of the food prepared. As soon as we got home I threw the brisket in and checked on the crock-pot meals. The Broccoli Casserole was looking good, a little like baby food, but smelled good and the Carrots, well we kinda forgot to plug them in.. Oops! So, now I have 3 hours to get them going, which would be fine, but I am cooking for 15 people, so I have like 5lbs of carrots to cook, but I turn them on high and hope for the best. After a couple of hours, I start cooking the rest of the food and start making room at the table for where everything is going. I was running about 30 minutes behind, but that was fine since some people were running behind. The time had come for the brisket to be done and it was ready to be sliced and served. The carrots were still crunchy, but with a little microwaving they turned out fine. The Broccoli casserole looked even more like baby food by this time, but turned out yummy. Everything was looking great and the only thing I had a problem with was a Baked Corn Casserole, which I double the recipe and didn't think about it taking longer to cook than normal, so it was about 20 minutes late, but it was well worth it! Definitely the best dish, in my mind! Things were great and I was almost too tired to eat, which meant I ate less than normal which was great. My family had to be on the road at 4, so they left and others started to dwindle down around 5. We were left with Chris' sister and her family, so we put on a movie to watch, and I was out.... Like 2 minutes into the movie, I was so exhausted! I had no idea how tired I would be! I have hosted dinners before and made lots of food, but I guess the key factor here is the baby! I was so drained that as soon as his sister left I went to bed and slept all night! I am still catching up on sleep to this day! I have always enjoyed naps, but never needed them like I do now! I hate going a day without napping and if I do, it's usually in bed by 9! 

It really did turn out to be a great day, and I loved that everyone came over and enjoyed all of the food! I have to give out a huge thanks to my Aunt Linda and SIL Angela for helping out with the dishes! I think they might still be there had they not taken care of them! Thanks so much, it was GREATLY appreciated! 

Here are some pics of the day:

My Bunny Cake (I couldn't decide what mouth I liked, so he didn't get one!)

My Brother, Mom and Me (the dress is actually bigger now than when I bought it, but still looks like I have a baby bump)

 My family and Chris (he doesn't like to smile all that much for pictures)

He does smile when I make him though!

My brother and mom again

Baby Falcon's Easter Basket! I can't wait to see what he/she will be getting next year! 

I meant to take a picture of our Easter Basket, but Chris and I kinda ruined it... we ate a lot of the candy and played with the toys! Thanks mom for the food and games! I love having a mom that knows that I never want to grow up! 

Oh Food...

So it's been a while since I posted last, but there just hasn't been anything good going on. So far everyone has been right; the second trimester is a breeze! The morning sickness has stopped and I seem to be eating everything that doesn't eat me first! I am trying to be good and not go overboard with the cravings, but sometimes I just need the tater tots or french fries! The good thing is that usually every year around this time my taste buds change and go to summer mode. I now start to eat more salads and lots of fruit, and I can see my cravings starting to follow that pattern. I crave banana's, Pink Lady apples, and pears. I've also started craving more salads, even though I love the Fried Chicken Salads, it's still healthier that Fried Chicken with Fries!
Last weekend my mom and brother came over and we went out to eat almost every night. We tried new restaurants, ate at some favorites, and even tried new foods.... like Kangaroo. Chris and I decided that we are now going on a lettuce and fruit diet and I am going to get back in the kitchen and start cooking healthy foods. I was on Weight Watchers before I found out I was pregnant, and I am going to get back to that. I talked to my Dr and he told me to follow the guidelines, but eat when I am hungry... just make better changes. I can't do the points, because I do need to gain weight with the baby, but I don't need to gain a lot of weight. I do love to cook, and I am very excited that we are hosting Easter dinner this Sunday. I plan on doing a lot of the cooking, so maybe I can make some of it healthier. I've also been really conscience about where things come from and the ingredients in boxed food. I always make an Easter Bunny cake and usually do it the easy way, from boxed cake mix and canned frosting, but not this year! I am making it from scratch! I just hope that I don't run out of time between the cooking and working!
So, I guess that's where I'm at now. I don't go back to the Dr. until the end of the month so there's just not a lot going on.

Yeah, It Was All About a Hot Dog...

So yesterday Chris and I went to the Dr to see our baby! We did not get to have an ultrasound, but they did check the heartbeat and it was in the 150s, which is normal. So the baby was doing well, but mommy.... not so much! I was doing great when we got there, great when I heard the heartbeat (a little teary, but great), and great waiting for the Dr. to come in. I was doing great talking to the Dr at first too, but then when we were about to part, I had to ask the question that led to y breakdown!

I have read a couple of baby books and talked to several pregnant people and they all seem to say that we (pregnant women) cannot eat deli meat or hot dogs/sausages. Mostly because of the way they are made they tend to have a higher bacteria amount so it is easier to get sick. So, of course I then started craving a hot dog. Not sure if it was because I couldn't have it or because I didn't know the last time I had one was the last I would have. So I just really wanted one. So, I go to the Dr and here's how it goes:

Me: "I have a stupid question..."

Dr: "There are no stupid questions, just stupid people."

Me: "Well, I might be a stupid person, so here's my stupid question... (It was at this point that I start tearing up)

Oh my gosh, I am going to cry asking this question..." (Tears start pouring out now)

I want a hot dog. Can I have one?"

Dr: "Why wouldn't you be able to eat hot dogs?"

Me: "Because the books told me I couldn't" (still bawling, uncontrollably, can't contain myself!)

Dr: "Do you eat hot dogs raw?" (I snicker through my tears)

Me: "Well, no!"

Dr: "Then there's no reason why you can't eat hot dogs!"

Me: "Oh, well, thanks!" (I'm starting to control myself now, a little)

Dr: "I guess I know what y'all are having for lunch... and dinner, and lunch tomorrow too!"

Me: "Ha ha"

Meanwhile, my husband is just sitting there staring at me and I hear him chuckling, which he denies. I have to say, I was so completely embarrassed I am just thankful that my next appointment isn't for another 3 weeks... maybe I will be able to forget about the incident by then! I just hope my Dr knows that I really am not crazy, I am just emotional... I blame Baby Falcon for this!!! I do love my Dr though, I think he was trying to be supportive through my craziness! I just pray that I don't have any more emotional outbreaks in public! I don't know if I can handle more strangers thinking I'm crazy!

In Between

I almost quit my job yesterday all because I couldn't find anything to wear! I thought I knew what I wanted, but as soon as I put it on it didn't fit! So, I went to another staple that I always wear, and it too didn't look good! I am apparently in that "In Between" stage where nothing fits right anymore, but I am not quite at the maternity stage yet! I just look like I've been eating too many donuts! What's funny is that I weighed myself this morning and I had even lost two pounds! I guess my weight is just shifting around! I think I am going to go buy a couple pairs of maternity pants so I can have something to wear on days like yesterday when it feels like everything is coming undone! It is always nice to go shopping but it feels like it is too early to shop maternity! I am now 14 weeks pregnant and just entered the 2nd trimester! I am feeling great about that and the chance of miscarriage decreasing, but if someone were to ask me when my baby is due, 6 months sounds like a long time! I feel like I am babbling, and hopefully the mothers out there reading this can understand what I am going through! I keep trying to explain it to Chris, but I don't think he quite gets it!
Here's to hoping I find some cute clothes!

More Cravings

So I keep thinking of more cravings that I have been having, besides food. It seems that I have had a complete change of tv that I watch! I used to watch the same-old-things, Chopped, Biggest Loser, House, mostly the "popular" tv shows. Well now, thanks to Netflix, I have been catching up on some tv that I never knew I liked: Grey's Anatomy, Samantha Who, and Law & Order. I have never watched so much drama before in my life! And, of course, I cry almost every day watching these shows! It's crazy! I do still enjoy the old shows, but it seems like I put them off until I watch the new shows first!
Another weird craving that I have been having is adrenaline! I have been wanting to go to Six Flags for so long, and I can't decide if it's because I want to ride the rides, or if it's because I know that I can't ride the rides that makes me want to go so bad! They have those warnings like, "Not for Pregnant Women" and I don't know if that really means me. I, obviously, am pregnant, but I can still fit in the seats, so maybe it's for women later in their pregnancy! Either way, I have no plans to go, which is frustrating! I did get to fulfill that craving a little with the trip to DC. The plane ride always makes me a little nervous, so taking off and landing 4 times helped out with that "rush" that I have wanted!
Hopefully, I will not have any other weird cravings, but I'm sure I can bet on having more! This pregnancy thing is new to me, and it seems like everything is changing! It's weird discovering new things about me that I didn't know I liked, like Grey's Anatomy, which may all go away in about 6 months! It is nice trying new things as well though! Can't wait for the next crazy thing I want!