Tinkerbell Is… Ummm… Tinker Beau…

Oopsie… !!!  Still a cutie though with lots of character! 

29 Weeks And Well Into The Third Trimester!

Day by day  it goes slow, but then I look back and it feels like it is actually going by pretty quick.  Preparations are still coming along, lots getting done but still lots more to do.  I think my body knew the moment I entered the third trimester because there was a shift – I feel like I’ve been hit by a mack truck a bit more often and if it is possible, I am more tired all the time than I was before.  It is harder to breathe, harder to move to {attempt to} get comfortable, and quite frankly harder just existising, LOL!  The 29 week visit is tomorrow, and we may be scheduling baby’s arrival.

According to What To Expect:

Your Baby in Week 29 of Pregnancy
How big is your baby this week? She weighs nearly three pounds now and measures about 17 inches. Though she’s getting pretty close to her birth length, she still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, she’ll more than double — or even come close to tripling — her weight. And as she grows and the room in your womb gets tighter, you’ll be less likely to feel those big kicks and more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee. {Image from WhatToExpect.com}

Your Body in Week 29 of Pregnancy
Unsightly yet harmless, varicose veins are simply swollen blood vessels that often surface on your body for the first time during pregnancy, especially if your mom or grandma had them. You may have a mild case (minor achiness and swelling) or you may be unlucky enough to experience real pain and bulging blue veins, usually from the ankle to the upper thigh. There are things you can do to alleviate this veiny situation, including watching your weight, keeping your blood flowing, and avoiding heavy lifting.

Healthy, Independent Snacking For My Preschooler

My four year old, probably like most four year olds, loves to be able to do things all by himself and feels such pride when he is able to. He is going to have a baby brother come November, so the more he is able to do by himself, within reason of course, the smoother things will flow once Mommy’s time is a little more divided.  

Lil Roo is a grazer, always has been. He doesn’t eat much at one time, but nibbles throughout the day.  This includes meal type foods, healthy stuff, and even misc snacks. I recently placed a plastic three drawer cart in one of our pantry areas. The top drawer holds a variety of snacks in individual servings and the next drawer down holds a few kid bowls and other small bowls.

I have also recently set up something of a snack center in the fridge.  A bowl of readily available fresh, chilled fruit; strawberry banana smoothies I made the night before, sometimes other prepared drinks, and juice boxes (usually the flavored water kind) & kids’ yogurt products in the produce drawer below. 

He is allowed to eat the fruit at his leisure, but has to have permission before getting a snack form the snack drawer, which I limit.  Sometimes he’ll get a bowl and put some fruit in it, other times he’ll just grab a couple of small pieces to eat and he’s back at play. 

Next I want to add carrots, celery, and ranch dip to the snack area in the fridge and peanut butter to the snack drawer.  Possibly broccoli as well.  I want to get a small basket to put on top of the plastic cart for bananas, etc.  I don’t like the cost, but I am thinking  of also buying the individual servings of apple slices.  I am brainstorming (which is quite the task in my pregnancy fog) of other good snack / fruit / veggie ideas, and I am very open to suggestions. 

Once the baby comes, if he is a little hungry or thirsty and my hands are full taking care of baby; he isn’t left out in the cold.  I may have to help him open a package or juice box here and there, he can at least get it and bring it to me then head to his table with it.

My Simple Strawberry & Banana Smoothie Recipe

 I am not one to write my own recipes, but tis one is so uber simple and especially great for kids (though I happen to really love it, too).  I love my Magic Bullet, which is what I wrote this recipe for, but you can easily adjust for larger servings, regular blender, etc.

Apple Juice or Milk
One banana
Frozen strawberries

Add the liquid first filled to 1/3 of the MB cup, then the banana, then strawberries until the cup is full.  Pulse until all is blended.  Voila! 

Told ya it was uber simple!  You can get creative if you want, but this works great with just the 3 ingredients and is ready is just a couple of minutes. I keep frozen strawberries – I cut off the green before freezing and if they are larger, I cut them up a little.  If I happen to have other berries on hand, I may toss a few of those in as well. 

I personally prefer the apple juice over the milk as it is sweeter, but the milk may be the healthier option for kids & a way to slip in some extra Vitamin D.  Everything is fresh, there’s no sugar added (except in the apple juice), and it is yummy!

Birds At The Beach

Facebook Friday

Facebook Friday  is hosted by Mama Bytes:

“Facebook Friday” will be similar to a “Follow Friday” or other memes you may have heard about where people follow you and you follow other people. With a catch.

If you don’t actually like the page (or blog associated with it)…don’t click “like”.

 Here’s where you can find me / like my pages on Facebook:

My Facebook Profile          Two’s Enough

Sweet Posh Baby                 Shake The Salt

Savvy Frugalistas              Florida Fun Reviews

Simply Sensational Divas Review

27 Weeks Today!

Twenty. Seven. Weeks.

Wow.  It is getting closer and closer and I am not feeling any closer to being ready. Ready to end all the pregnancy-related “stuff”, yes. House and nursery ready? Umm, not so much! 

But another week and another milestone, none-the-less.  27 weeks down and 13 weeks to go!  I’m officially entering the third trimester!!

Making A Splash

  Find more WW: 

5M4M 

Seven Clown Circus

 My Organized Chaos

Table 4 Five

 To Be Thode

 A Lot Of Loves

 In The Kitchen With Audrey,  Little Citizens Of The World, Live and Love… Out Loud,  Coupon Saving Family, Slice O’ Heaven

August Already???

Wow. Where has the summer gone? Granted, it’ll basically still be summer here in Florida til November, lol, but I still cannot believe how quickly time is going by!  The baby is due Nov 4 – three more months to go! Eeeek!  We want to try to take a road trip before the baby comes (and before I get too close to be away from home) and I am still working, working, working on getting things done before baby comes – like the nursery!! I am getting closer to getting the office / junk room cleared out, but still so many things to be done. 

We are homeschooling Pre-K this year, so we don’t have the same back to school rush many are in right now, but I am working on his curriculum and schedule so there are some similarities.  August & September are rather hot months here in Florida, so I am also hoping to get in a few more water play days (beach? splash parks? a semi-local fast moving river ride on rafts / tubes?) this season. 

I am hoping to get absolutely everything out of the office / junk toom during August, spend part of September working on the master bedroom, finishing the bathroom, and possibly painting the nursery.  I want to spend ALL OF OCTOBER working in the nursery. Fingers crossed this all works out!!

Good Morning

 As I was lying in bed, trying to convince myself to no longer be lying in bed, I had one son squeezing my arm to the point I am certain it will detach at any moment and the other thinking he is the nearly two pound version of Karate Kid. And for the record, I’m old school, so when I say Karate Kid, I’m thinking Ralph Macchio. Just sayin’.  How was your start to the day?