Such a Shy Baby!

We had our very first (and hopefully only) ultrasound today!

[I say "hopefully only" because I wanted to have as few ultrasounds as possible. Also, my midwife won't recommend any future ultrasounds unless I develop a complication, or there is cause for concern. So no more ultrasounds = healthy pregnancy and baby!]

What can I tell you about the baby? He/She is an expert in "assuming the position." Our baby was head down, bum up by my belly button, facing my spine; the perfect position for delivery. And boy, did Baby like it down there! We had the hardest time trying to get our Little One to turn so we could see the face!

Meanwhile, the ultrasound tech got some really good measurements of the head and spine. We saw kidneys, bladder, stomach, heartbeat, hands and feet, legs and arms, shoulders, brain.......but no face!

The ultrasound tech had me lay on my side, then she tried moving the bed so that my head was lower than my feet. Finally she let me go to the bathroom, and had me move around a bit to see if we could get the baby to move.

When she put the wand back down on my stomach, the opportunity lasted only a few seconds, but we finally got a peek at the face! The tech laughed, because the baby was folded in half, legs straight, and she said usually it's the hands nearly blocking the face, and not the feet!

The tech got a few pictures, and then Baby moved back down to where she or he started. Our baby really seems to prefer that position!

Here are some of the pictures:

Here is our Little One, folded in half, and content to stay that way.

A little foot. I can't wait to kiss those tiny toesies!

And finally the face! Even when Baby did turn, the chin was tucked, so I kept praying that she or he would lift their chin so we could get a good look! This lasted only a second, but a second was all we needed.

We also got to hear the heartbeat SO clearly! At my last doctor's appointment, the baby was moving around too much, so my doctor couldn't lock onto the heartbeat long enough to time it. But with an ultrasound, you can hone in on it much better. We even got to hear how the heartbeat sounded as the tech focused on each chamber of the heart. I thought that was pretty cool.

Anyway, heartbeat is 147 bpm. Many people out there seem to think this is indicative of the gender. Care to wager a guess?

Speaking of gender, I was really hoping that I wouldn't accidentally find out the sex of our baby, and it turns out, we couldn't have known even if we wanted to! The baby made sure to keep that a secret as well. So modest. The tech said even she didn't know, and she was glad. She doesn't want to accidentally reveal those things when couples don't want to find out.

So I had nothing to worry about. Our baby is healthy, we did manage to get a brief glimpse of the face, and we'll get to have that moment at delivery when we find out if it's a little boy or a little girl.

Fat. That's All.

As of yesterday, I officially feel fat. For a while, I was feeling round-ish, and full, but in a good way. I kind of liked it.

But something about yesterday...all of sudden, my belly felt like it was stretched to capacity. I remember my sister feeling this way when she was pregnant, so I know it's possible to feel that way this early one. And yes, I'm very aware that I still have 4.5 months to go, and THEN I will know the meaning of "stretched to the limits."

I'm just saying: I officially feel fat. Big. Like there is not enough room in this world to contain me (or at least there isn't enough room in my clothes). I'm already starting to feel so uncomfortable! I hope this is somewhat temporary. Like, we're going through a growth spurt, and then it will ease up a little bit.

I find it kind of funny that other people keep saying that I'm "starting to have a bump." Starting???? I started to have a bump at 13 weeks. Maybe it's just me, but I think this is more than just a bump. I graduated from "bump" a long time ago. Of course, it doesn't help that I'm wearing sweaters all the time, and also, I know I'm still tiny, even for a pregnant woman.

But I don't feel tiny to me! In fact, I feel like my head is starting to look abnormally small sitting atop my ever-expanding torso.

Lest you be worried that I'm having self-esteem and body issues, I'm not. (Other than those horrible, ugly stretch marks that make me want to cry.) I guess the closest comparison I can make is how you feel after you've eaten a huge Thanksgiving meal. Except when you're pregnant, the feeling doesn't go away after a few hours. You can't "nap it off." And you also don't have the satisfaction of that huge Thanksgiving meal (very much looking forward to that in a few weeks, by the way).

So yeah. Fat. Big fat stomach. Big fat stomach that is probably not at all that big yet, and somehow, is actually going to get bigger, and that scares me a little.

And since I don't want to end this post on that note, here is a picture of Art and me after our Halloween costumed workout at the gym last Friday. We went as the couple from the movie Juno!



Everyone loved it. And it was all Art's idea. He's so brilliant. :)



Here's me doing a deadlift. Yes, I'm still lifting weights. That right there is 55 pounds. I didn't go any higher than 75 pounds. 55, 65, and 75 were only one rep each. If they had been more reps, I would have stopped at a lighter weight. And that weight isn't going very far off the ground. I keep the weights MUCH lighter when they are at chest height, or overhead.

I'm always very careful to assess how I'm feeling throughout my workouts, so that I don't ever reach the point where I'm not safe.

Anyway, Art and I will be away tomorrow evening and returning very late on Saturday night. It's a CrossFit thing. I don't really want to go, but I know I don't get out of the house enough, and Art has been looking forward to this for a while. Maybe it will be okay.

Well, have a good weekend!

Recipe Time!

I think I've mentioned this recipe/meal before, but this time, I took pictures of every step in the process. It's called Spicy Stuffed Eggplant.

I know what you are thinking, because I used to think the same thing: "eggplant???!!! Who on earth eats eggplant?!" Yours truly, once I tried this recipe. I've made it three times, and I. Love. It.

What you will need to cook this delicious meal:
2 large eggplants
5 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped*
2 cloves garlic, minced*
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or dice two or three of your own)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper*
8 oz ground beef* (or bison or pork or lamb)
1/4 cup almond flour (you can use bread crumbs, or parmesan cheese!)
2 tbsp parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2:

Take your eggplants, and cut them in half lengthwise.


Step 3: Remove the pulp (I used a small paring knife and my bare hands to tear it out)

Make sure you leave about a half-inch shell, intact.


Step 4: Dice the eggplant, and set aside.


Step 5: In a pan, heat half the oil, and cook the eggplant shells cut side down, for about 5 minutes.


Once all the shells are cooked, place them in a shallow, oven-friendly pan. You do not have to grease the pan.


Step 6: Add the rest of the oil, and saute the onions and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat.


Step 7: Add the tomatoes to the pan, along with the diced eggplant...

...and all of your spices...



...and cook over medium high heat until you have a stew-like mixture.

Step 8: In a separate pan, brown your meat.


Step 9: When the meat is fully cooked, mix the contents of the two pans together.



Step 10: Scoop the mixture into your shells, and sprinkle the almond flour/bread crumbs/parmesan cheese on top.


Step 11: Bake for 15 minutes, and when it's done, sprinkle on the parsley, and serve!


This recipe serves 4 (one stuffed shell for each person) and it's filling! And in case you're wondering, you eat the whole thing, shell and all.

*Minor tweaks:

-This recipe calls for 8 oz of meat, but I almost always cook with one pound. It gives me a better meat-to-veggie ratio. We like meat!

-Even though this is called Spicy Stuffed Eggplant, it doesn't have to be that hot. You can always cut down on the cayenne pepper to ensure that no one's mouth is one fire. Or, if you want to skip the spice but not the flavor, use cumin instead! I love cumin. I use it in a lot of my recipes, whether it's called for or not.

-I don't always use fresh onion and garlic. If I want to do a little less chopping, I just turn to my spice rack and add onion flakes and garlic powder instead.

You can find the original recipe here. If you're looking for something healthy, delicious, and a little out of the ordinary, pick up a couple of eggplants and try it out! I think you'll be delightfully surprised.