“Good job; you didn’t kill it.”

That’s what my ever so sweet and loving husband told me after our 12 week appointment when we heard our baby’s heartbeat for the first time.  That’s right folks; we’re going to be parents!!!  Baby Weber is due on July 30^th...God help us ALL!

I’ve been feeling ok, nauseous but nothing major.  I’m VERY tired.  A 9:00pm bedtime is MANDATORY.  

Even though I’ve barely gained a pound, NONE of my pants fit.  Here is a pic of the mini belly at 12 weeks.

It really isn’t much yet…just enough to force me into maternity clothes.  I’ll post more later.  For now, I need a nap…zzzzzzzzz.

Weather Channel Math Fail

I've seen problems with The Weather Channel's attempts to put math with pictures before.  I've even emailed them to try to explain their basic arithmetic problems, but they don't seem to notice or care.  Anyway, this was on their website yesterday as a graph explaining the month of January in Madison, WI...

If only -1 felt warmer than 5...oh well...

Angelina Ain't Got Nothing on Me..

A couple weeks ago on Monday my upper lip felt a little bigger/thicker than usual but didn't look that swollen.  Then Tuesday morning, I woke up to THIS...

Holy fat lip Batman!!  I was able to see the doctor that day.  He had no clue what it was...so he called in another doctor.  Both doctors poked my face with a stick and determined that they don't know...super.
 

Do you get your co-pay back when you stump the doctors??...apparently not.

Luckily it was down by Christmas...though I did have to endure a day at work looking like more of a freak show than usual.

Update: After a swab and a test, the doctor called me back that day to tell me that it was just a cold sore.  Apparently these are more common for pregnant women.  I ended up with another later in the pregnancy and haven't had any problems since K was born.  The doctor said that there is a medication if the outbreaks get really bad (his wife had to go on the meds), but it isn't safe for the 1st trimester.

Apple Florets

These are a perfect dessert for a dinner party.  1) They are adorable and 2) You can make them ahead of time and they will heat while you are eating your meal!  I adapted this recipe from a few different recipes to come up with this individual apple pie/tart.

Crust
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 ½ sticks cold butter and cubed
1 tbsp vinegar
1 egg
½ c ice cold water

Filling
5 granny smith apples
¼ c lemon juice
1 c water
3 tbsp Penzeys baking spice 
1/3 c sugar
1 tbsp flour

butter for greasing pan

6 tbsp butter, softened
1 egg
splash of milk

Sift flour salt and sugar together in a medium bowl.  Add cold, cubed butter and combine with a pastry blender or fork.

Blend until the mixture becomes course crumbs.  Wisk vinegar, egg, and cold water.  Add to butter mixture.  Knead until it becomes a dough, and form it into a ball.

Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Mix the lemon juice and water in a medium bowl.  Peal the apples and place in lemon water immediately after they are pealed.  Slice the apples and put them back in the lemon water. 

Strain the lemon water out, rinse out the bowl, and put the apple slices back in the bowl.  Toss with baking spice, sugar, and flour.

Quarter the dough and roll out a 3 foot section of plastic wrap.  Flatten the dough in the middle of one ½ of the plastic wrap.  Fold the plastic wrap over and roll out an 8 inch circle of dough.  Repeat for each quarter of dough.

Place the rolled out pieces of dough in the freezer for 3 minutes.  Butter individual dishes, tart pans, or a baking sheet…depending on what you want to use.

Form the rolled out dough into the dishes/tart pans or lay on a baking sheet.  Add the filling.

Fold the dough over the filling.  Divide the remaining butter into four and spread over the filling.  Wisk the egg and splash of milk, and brush over the dough.

Once you serve dinner, pop these in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the dough is nicely browned.  Serve with vanilla bean or cinnamon ice cream and enjoy!!

***The amazing photos are courtesy of my friend Beth.  For more information about Beth's photography, you can contact her at beth.ellen.23@gmail.com.

Bye Bye Hair!

My hair was getting SUPER long, so I decided to donate it to Locks of Love.  This was the third time I was able to donate.  It isn't that I am overly generous or anything. Basically I am too lazy/cheap to get frequent hair cuts, and next thing I know it is over a foot long.  When it is that long, it is hot and annoying and not convenient...so I was thrilled to chop it off.  Here's the new look...

I’m spending more time with the fax machine than my husband...AKA we’re buying a house…

We have an accepted offer, a completed inspection, and boxes ready to move.  There’s just one last pesky little thing…the loan.  We’ve been preapproved and have filled out all of the paperwork, but I am still spending almost every day faxing.  I think I’ve faxed our full filing cabinet in triplicate.  They keep asking for more bank statements and pay stubs…next they’ll want me to fax them a kidney!

I have a strong desire to do this to the fax machine at work…

Hopefully the faxing will be over soon, and we should be homeowners by the end of the month!

A Window to the World

My new job is very busy but super great.  One of the best things about it is that I have a HUGE window in my cube.  At my last job, I was in such a large cube farm that I was no where near an exterior wall never-the-less a window.  I used a background on my gmail account to alert me to when it was raining/snowing/dark out...depressing huh?

Now I have a glorious GLORIOUS window!!!  Here is a picture...

I have a little African violet that I am currently killing.  I don't do well with flowering plants...by not well, I mean I slowly kill them.  I'm surprised that there isn't a picture of me at Wal-Mart with the caption, "do not sell flowering plants to this woman...she is a murderer."

Anyway, I have a great view of this empty field which you think would be boring...but you would be wrong.  Here is a list of the things that have happened in the field.

1) The grass was really long (over a foot).  They mowed it one day, raked it around another day, then raked it into rows the next day, and finally baled it...with a tractor!  I don't know how anybody did work that day.  Unfortunately I wasn't around when they collected the bales...knew I shouldn't have left that night.

2) The day after the long grass was mowed, a hawk came by and snatched up all of the confused critters in the field...score for me and the hawk...not so much for the critters.

3) Many people in cars stop while they talk on their cell phones (people here actually stop driving for a phone call here...weird).

4) And today...TODAY!...a guy came and flew his remote controlled helicopter.  He had come by once before, but the helicopter crashed in the middle of the field and he carried it away all sad.  Today he flew that thing for a full 1/2 hour.  Not only that, but he had to change his shirt in order to operate the helicopter and then changed it back when he was done.  He has a special shirt for operating a remote controlled helicopter...who does that??...that guy I guess.

I'll keep you updated...cause this is bound to only get better from here...