What do you think about reincarnation??

Cause I've decided in my second life I want to be reincarnated as Samantha Brown.
Or at the very least her travel buddy.

She has maybe the coolest job ever....

Who wouldn't want to get paid to travel across the world,
Get VIP treatment and special behind the scenes tours,

Spend half you day eating at 5 star restaurants and local dives

AND have your very own show on the Travel Channel.

I'm just sayin'

Tasty Tuesday -- Crockpot Edition

So lately my crockpot has seen more action than I have.

I blame pregnancy....on both.

But seriously....who doesn't love dumping a whole bunch of crap into a pot before work only to be greeted by a homecooked meal when you walk in the door?

Here's a few of my faves...some old some new. Enjoy!!

Chicken and Dumplings

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 TB butter

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I used 1 cream of chick/1 cream of celery)

1 can chicken broth

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 12 oz tube refrigerated biscuit dough torn into pieces

2 cans peas/carrots drained (optional)

(I also added a few generous shakes of salt and pepper)
Place chicken, butter, soup, chicken broth, veggies and onion in crockpot. Cover and cook 5 to 6 hours. About 60-90 minutes before serving shred the chicken and place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until dough is no longer raw in center. (I kept the cooker on low until I added the dough, then switched to high for the last hour)

Black Bean Chicken

(This one I can't take full credit for...I borrowed if from Ms. D.A.R)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 can corn, drained

2 cups salsa

4 oz cream cheese

Throw salsa, beans, corn, and chicken into crockpot for 6-8 hours on low. Shred chicken. Add cream cheese till melted - stir everything together - serve over rice or with tortillas.

BBQ Pork

Pork Tenderloin

Bottle BBQ sauce

Place pork in crockpot, cover with BBQ sauce. Cook all day. Shred meat. Eat.

Could it GET any easier than that??

Bon Appetite!!

Bump Day -- 21 Weeks

How far along? 21 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 8 pounds up. Sigh. I guess pregnancy finally caught up with me. I gained 5 more pounds this week. I'm kind of baffled, since I haven't changed my habits....how exactly does one gain 10 pounds in two weeks?? Looks like I have some walking in my future....and a few less trips to the kitchen.

Maternity Clothes? Yes. They're still a little baggy, but even my last pair of non maternity scrub pants I'd been wearing has officially been retired.

Sleep: Better this week.

Stretch marks: Nada

Best moment this week: Seeing our little man on screen again, knowing he's healthy and right on track!!

Movement: Some days a lot, other days not so much. The hubs claims he felt a kick the other night....but I think he was crazy. I haven't even felt an outside kick yet, and the baby wasn't moving when he says he felt it. Oh well. I didn't want to dash his hopes and dreams.

Food cravings: Not much this week...but my sweet tooth is definitely back in full force and probably has a lot to do with those pesky 8 pounds.

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: Nada.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Beer. Last Friday was the first time I was bummed I couldn't enjoy a cold, frothy, adult beverage. With spring on the horizon and more time spent outside....I see a lot more bummed moments in my future.

What I'm looking forward to: Registering this weekend!! The amount of crap the modern day baby needs is insane!

Weekly Wisdom: When you gain 5 pounds, two weeks in a row, and your husband tells you to work out more...refrain from punching him in the man business. Even if that's what you really want to do.

Milestones: We bought our crib mattress and car seat this week. Babies R Us was having a one day sale and we saved 20% on both! I'd never been so excited by a coupon in my life! I can't WAIT to move next month and start setting up the nursery!

F....as in F'ing shoot me now!

I knew I left that darn thing somewhere!

So I finally went to get some new bras.

The old ones just weren't cutting it anymore and I don't see any relief in the near future.

In fact from what I hear, it's only going to get worse.

I joyfully walk into the Maternity store, hubs in tow, to see just how big the girls were.

The cheery sales woman offers to measure me first, so I agree.

Easier than a giant guessing game right?

This is where the fun stops.

I went in wearing my pre-pregnancy bra, an already huge 38D.

I left with two bras boulder holders in a size 42F.

I actually almost cried when she told me I was an E but that I better get the F for growth.

I looked at her very seriously and said....do you even MAKE that size.

She laughed and walked me to the back...where they hide the big ones...and showed me my choices. Ugly and uglier.

So what's my husband doing this whole time? Consoling his poor wife? No. Grinning from ear to ear. Not because he's taking pleasure in all my pain and embarrassment...but because he thinks it's AWESOME that his wife has such huge boobs.

"But hun, don't you know how lucky you are?!? Most women have to pay for boobs that big"

Great. Thanks for the uplifting words. They're really helping me right now as I buy this bra with a trap door in it for easy access. And no hun, that doesn't mean easy access for YOU! Nice try though.

Shoot me now.

Wishful Wednesday: Handbag Edition

This weeks Wishful Wednesday spoke to me like no others! I may or may not have actually squealed at work yesterday when it was announced. As you know...I am a self proclaimed purse-a-holic. I have big feet and I'm tall so shoes are hard to find....purses however are the perfect one size fits all accessory. I literally have to speed walk past the Coach store so I don't even peek inside. It's a problem really. I think I should be going to meetings. Anyways, that being said I couldn't possible have picked just ONE bag, oh no. So here it is, my

'I wish' .... I could afford these ______ handbags without putting a dent in my pocketbook!

No wish list would be complete without a Louis Vuitton. I introduce to you the Tivoli GM...isn't she gorgeous. Pardon me while I drool....

Hello Burberry Hobo bag with the amazing white trim. Wouldn't you look nice on my arm all summer? I think so too! It may even warrant a trip to the Hampton's.

My mother always told me every woman needs a classic Chanel Clutch. Who's to argue with that? Not me. I've see my mother angry and it's not pretty.
And of course I couldn't leave out my beloved Coach. The only designer bags I can actually afford...when they're on sale....at the outlet....and I have an extra 20% coupon. I've always wanted one of their luggage pieces and when I saw the pink trim I almost died. Le sigh.

My last first date

It's hard to belive that exactly 3 years ago today I met my husband.

We met through Match.com, kinda cheesy I know. I didn't even want to join, become that pathetic girl who was resorting to the Internet to find the love of her life. My mother however, oh how sneaky moms can be, gave me a gift subscription for Valentine's Day. For free I figured I'd give it a chance.

I actually "found" the hubs first and let the record stand, I almost didn't contact him. He was very up front in his profile saying he'd just recently (like less than 2 months recently!) gotten out of a 6 year relationship, someone whom I later found out he was engaged to. Can you say red flags?! Yikes, my gut said not to touch this guy with a 10 foot pole, nobody wants to be the rebound girl; but something about him made me send that first message anyway. Guess I'm glad I took a chance!

We exchanged emails for a few days and talked back and forth on AIM before he officially asked me out on our first date. I wasn't working on Friday's at the time (oh how I miss those days) and he worked within walking distance of my house so we agreed on lunch. Figured that was safe, not a long time commitment and a very public place. Hey a girl has to cover all her bases, who knows if this guy was a freak! We did meet on the Internet after all! ;)

I remember walking the 10 minutes to the restaurant, those first date butterflies a churning. I got there first and waited outside. Little did I know his building was right across the street and he and all his coworkers were spying on me from the window. Haha. Cheaters. When he got there I was glad to see he hadn't posted any deceiving photos and was in fact not a dirty old man, something my friends had teased me could happen. We had a great lunch and talked for over an hour before he had to go back to work. As I walked away I remember wanting to turn around, all cliche like they do in the movies, but I resisted the urge. I immediately called my mom...to let her know I was still alive...I jest...and told her we had a great time. Was it love at first sight? No. I don't believe in that stuff. Did I know he was "the one?" No. But I definitely knew I wanted to see him again.

Well ask and you shall receive. That evening I decided to stay in with a bottle of wine and my four favorite ladies....Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. Almost one bottle down I saw a message pop up on my computer. Mr. EyeCanSee was headed downtown to meet some friends and asked if I wanted to join. If it hadn't been for my liquid courage I may have said no, but I put on my coat and out the door I went. We stayed out until the wee hours of the morning talking. It felt so comfortable, like we had been friends forever. No awkward first date lulls....though I'm chatty by nature and did down a bottle of wine first, so that probably helped! He was a perfect gentleman the whole time and even offered to drive me home those whole 2 blocks. There was no first kiss that night, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was the perfect last first date and a wonderful beginning to the adventure of us.

Drumroll please.....

It's a BOY!!

Mother's intuition was right....though aren't I always?!

Our little guy looked great today! Moving and dancing around, showing us ALL his stuff! Hopefully that's the last time he shows his stuff in public!

We saw fingers and toes, his little button nose, all right on schedule weighing in at just under a pound!

It feels so real now, to know I have a little boy growing in there. Our son.

Time to go shopping!!

Sugar & Spice or Frogs & Snails

All right everyone! This is your last chance to weigh in on the big debate!

BOY or GIRL

Here's a few old wives tale predictions to help make your choice!

Carrying Low: BOY

Heartbeat always been above 140: GIRL

Craving salty: BOY

Full face: GIRL

Wedding ring test: BOY

Mayan Numbers chart: BOY

Chinese Gender chart: BOY

Increased breakouts: GIRL

Mothers intuition: BOY

Fathers intuition: GIRL

Grandmothers (my mom) intuition: GIRL

Bloggers poll intuition: GIRL

It's dead even right now.....shows you how "accurate" those old wives tales really are. Stay tuned for the final answer tomorrow!

Seriously?!?!

Yesterday I ducked out of work early to make the 2 1/2 hour drive back to the lake for our last weekend of motel sitting. I had the windows down, the sunroof open and the sun was so warm I was actually sweating! My car's thermometer proudly displayed a toasty 65 degrees! Hello spring, I welcome you with open arms!!

We spent the evening walking outside, doing a little shopping, cruising the strip and enjoying dinner....on the patio! I was only slightly jealous I couldn't have a nice cold beer to compliment my perfect day.

This morning we woke up early....to head to the hotel motel, to this.

37 degrees......light snow

Seriously!?! Why.....just why.

Bump Day -- Half Baked!

10 weeks

20 weeks

How far along? 20 weeks....5 months....holy crap how did that happen! You're half baked in there baby EyeCanSee!

Total weight gain/loss: Umm...I gained 5 pounds this week. Five!?! That's kind of gross, I'm ok with the gaining part (sort of), but it couldn't have been a more gradual pound here, pound there? Five at once?!? Yikes. I am now officially up 3 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Pardon me while I go bury my head in a bag of Cadbury eggs......

Maternity Clothes? Other than my comfy pants...aka sweats...it's maternity all the way. Too bad the only bottoms I own are one pair of jeans and some scrubs...makes getting dressed in the morning interesting. I can't wait for summer so I can wear some skirts and dresses already.

Sleep: Kind of restless. I keep waking up uncomfortable and already feel like it's a giant chore to roll over. God help me as I get bigger.

Stretch marks: Nope...but it was feeling mighty itchy down there this week. They say that means your skin is growing and stretching...time to bust out the cocoa butter!

Best moment this week: Getting my eyebrows waxed and my toes done. So I know this isn't totally baby related...but it's been awhile since I've done anything to pamper myself. Next on the list...hair! (yes, I STILL haven't done a thing to my mangy locks...you did see the picture up there right?!?)

Movement: Lots more little kicks now...even when I'm at work. I wonder if when they get stronger and I can feel them from the outside, if my patients will get a sidekick to the face while I'm cleaning their teeth? That would be kind of creepy and hilarious all at the same time.

Food cravings: I need to step away from the easter candy and girl scout cookies....hello, 5 pounds!! And my Chicken and Dumplings I spoke of here turned out amazing...I will be sharing the recipe with all of you. You know, in case you get a weird craving for it. :)

Gender: We find out on Monday!!!

Labor Signs: Nada.

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Seeing my toes. They're officially gone...at least I know in my head they're pretty and painted.

What I'm looking forward to: Do I even need to say it. Our big ultrasound on Monday!! Can't wait to see the little peanut again!!

Weekly Wisdom: If you wake up in the middle of the night and have to pee....just get up and go. Trying to pretend you don't really have to doesn't work and just makes you lay there longer, losing more precious sleep before you eventually have to get up and go anyways.

Milestones: Making it to the half way mark. That's a pretty big one. Though I was telling the hubs last night, since you're already about 5 weeks pregnant by the time you find out...it kind of feels like cheating. The next 20 weeks are a solid 20 weeks, no freebies. August here I come!

The party don't start till I walk in!

So it's St. Patty's Day. Kind of the anti-pregnant holiday really. No green beer for me this year! Instead I'm getting my eyebrows waxed and my toes done. At this point that sounds better than standing in line at an overcrowded pub paying way to much for a pint anyways. Wow. I'm lame. At least I remembered to wear my green today. Same shirt I've worn for 3 years...yeah not fitting so well today. Oh well, that's what lab coats are for, right?!

Yeah still haven't told my work about the whole baby thing. Think that means I owe you all 10 bucks. I really have no reason to believe they will be mad...or fire me (that's kind of illegal after all). I just feel kind of guilty that I accepted this job 2 days before finding out I was pregnant. So I think the combination of being the new girl and not really knowing how they're going to take it has me freaked out. I suppose that's the one good thing about not showing yet....at some point though, like when there's a baby coming out, I probably should mention it.

I think I had my first official pregnancy craving. Not just something that sounded good, but that OMG I have to have it right now or I might just die kind of craving. Here's the weird part. It's for Chicken and Dumplings. I've never once eaten it before. Ever. In my whole life. But all of a sudden yesterday, sitting at my desk it sounded good. So I went online, found a highly rated recipe and it's cooking in my crock pot as we speak. Hopefully I'm still craving it by the time I get home.

I'm almost 5 months pregnant. Woah. In less than a week we find out if this little baby is a boy or a girl. Woah. Where did time go?! I'm actually getting pretty excited to find out...I knew I wouldn't last 40 weeks with a giant surprise growing in there.

I've been living the single girl life this week with the hubs still down at the lake motel sitting. I was actually looking forward to busting out all my old single gal behaviors...till I realized I don't have any. It's pretty much an open door policy around our house. There isn't much I won't do in front of him. Kind of took the fun out of my "free" week. Instead I've been freaked out at night sleeping with all the doors locked and shades drawn. We live in a secured condo building with a bunch of rich old bitties for heaven's sake. Doubt they're going to break in and attack me. Apparently I've become a wuss.

Happy St Patty's Day!!

Green with envy

So while my parents are lounging on this all week.....

Sailing through the Virgin Islands with their friends....

We're dealing with weather more like this.... Babysitting their motel down at the lake for the next 10 days.....
(Blue skies in this picture NOT accurate of the current weather conditions)

Can you say jealous?!? Maybe they'll bring back some of that sunshine!!

Bump Day - 19 Weeks

How far along? 19 weeks (oops, I skipped 18 when we were out of town. Oh well, believe me there weren't any drastic changes)

Total weight gain/loss: Surprise!! I've been the same for two weeks now. Overall still down 2 pounds. I will be amazed to make it to the halfway point without any weight gain.

Maternity Clothes? My maternity scrubs are like heaven! My regular bras however...yikes. I think I finally have to get a few new ones. Apparently I had another growth spurt, if that's even possible at this point, and now have the dreaded 4 boob syndrome where the extra is spilling over and the sides cut in so bad I have permanent marks when I take it off. Awesome.

Sleep: I can actually stay awake until 10 sometimes later...who knew this would be an accomplishment.

Stretch marks: Nope...other then the indentations from my too tight bra, I've got no new battle wounds.

Best moment this week: I swear I felt actual kicks...not just flutters and fish bowl swimming. And since I skipped last weeks post I have to also include our trip to Buy Buy Baby while we were in Columbus over the weekend. I've never seen two grown adults get as excited over a stroller as me and my husband did. You'd think we were car shopping!! But let's be honest, who wouldn't be stoked to be pushing this sweet ride!

Movement: Some, but surprisingly it's been less lately....which doesn't exactly calm my nerves. The other night I actually shook my belly a bit and said "Hellooo baby are you still in there??" I told my hubby I might break down and buy one of those at home Dopplers to hear the heartbeat so I don't give our baby brain damage in the womb from all the shaking and poking!

Food cravings: My dad got me hooked on apples with cheese...it's now my morning snack everyday. I've also been eating a lot more junk, not really craving it, I've just had it available and can't resist.

Gender: No clue. Still leaning a bit more towards boy but I won't be surprised if it's a girl at this point. Less than two weeks till we know for sure

Labor Signs: Nada.

Belly Button in or out? In. Though the bulge is creeping up on it.

What I miss: Sleeping through the night with no potty breaks!

What I'm looking forward to: Finally telling my job I'm pregnant. I'm not actually looking forward to the telling part, more the relief I will feel when it's over! (10 bucks says next week I still won't have said anything!!)

Weekly Wisdom: Don't skimp and buy off brand cheese. It's rubbery and kind of gross and will make you gag ultimately ruining the best part of your day.....snack time!

Milestones: I booked a baby photographer and I have a small crush on her. We talked on the phone for almost 30 minutes when I called to get more information...she's awesome. And her photos...uh-mazing! I probably shouldn't have splurged, ya know with the house buying and the saving for maternity leave....but I had a weak moment. I went with the whole first year package which gets us a newborn sessions plus two additional at our choosing, probably 6 mos and 1 year. I can't wait to see how they turn out! It won't let me copy any of her photos...but here's a link to her blog if you want to check it out!

My new home away from home

Hello all! Exciting news here! I was recently asked to join a mommy blog called The Baby Cove. My new alias name is Momma Crab, fitting don't ya think? Haha. I was shocked and honored that someone not only enjoys what I write, but wants to see more! Who knew I was such a popular chick! :)

Don't worry though, I'm not abandoning all of you! And this doesn't mean you're safe from anymore baby related posts either. Oh no!! It just means a few times a week you'll have to check me out over there to read them!

Stay tuned for my belated weekend update!

Pregnancy brain strikes again!

So this morning it took me three tries to remember which one of our cabinets had bowls in them.

Yep.

Three times.

The sad part is, I had it 'right' on the first try, I just didn't open both of the doors.

Oh dear!

Ummm...did we just buy a house?

That's what's running through my head right now.

Buyers remorse.

It happens to me pretty much every time I make a purchase.

Big or Small.
Just ask my husband.

He usually makes bets when I buy something whether or not I will actually keep it!

Well I'm certainly not going to return our house, but it won't keep me from a few sleepless nights worrying whether or not we made the right choice.

The good news is at the some point between now and closing, the worries will melt away and the excitement will come back! (At least I hope so!)

After many many phone calls and emails we finally reached an agreement with the seller. They accepted our asking price right off the bat (woo hoo!!) but there were a few odds and ends we were asking them to fix and they just weren't budging. Finally last night we reached a mutual agreement and are signing the official last offer today! YAY!! We are going to schedule the inspection next week and barring no huge problems....we close April 5th! That's less than a month away...crazy!! On one hand I feel like we've been looking forever, on the the other it all happened so fast!

Thank you all so much for your thoughts, prayers and good luck wishes! I can't say enough how amazed and blessed I am to have found this huge blog support system! You guys rock!

And now without further delay....our home!

The house is about 30 years old in a great established neighborhood. It's right at the top of a small culdasac with no neighbors behind us...woo hoo! Can't wait to see some leaves on all those trees!

It's a split level plan, so from the front door you walk right into the family room and then can either go up a few stairs to the kitchen/dining room/bedrooms or down a few steps to the garage and finished lower level. It has huge vaulted ceilings and we love how open it feels!

I'm in love with the two story fire place! You can't tell in the picture, but there are three bricks that step out to form shelves. I can see the family photos and Christmas stockings already!

The kitchen. The house was recently remodeled hence the S/S appliances, tile floors and back splash and of course the granite countertops. YAY! Can't wait to finally load my new dishes into all those cabinets! And there's a great big pantry with roll out shelves. I'm one happy camper. There would also be room for a smaller table if we want to make it an eat-in kitchen.

The dining room is right up the family rooms stairs next to the kitchen. Luckily we saved our light fixture from the old place, it will look MUCH better than that cheesy one! The double doors lead out to the backyard.

Hall bath...aka the kids bathroom. Alleluia for a double sink and ceramic tile!

Master Bedroom. Not the best picture, but what can you really see in an empty room? There's vaulted ceilings and a walk-in closet....finally something I can work with! (I don't have pics of the other two bedrooms upstairs, but they are there...I promise :)

Master bath vanity. There's a separate room just to the right with the shower and such...figured you all didn't need to see a toilet so I spared you that pic. I like how they're separated by a door though so if the hubs has to do any man business I still have full access to the sink and mirror!
Finished lower level...aka the "man cave." We really wanted a second family room/TV area where the hubs could get away and watch all his silly man shows and do whatever it is men do. This fits the bill quite well! There's also a 4th bedroom and 1/2 bath down there which will be great for guests.
Built in bar area. So glad I have some where to keep my wine fridge and all the bar ware that takes up so much room in the kitchen! This lower level really sold us on the house. Can't wait to have our first party...now if only we knew more people in KC! (There's also a sub basement that's unfinished for storage, utilities and laundry)
So there you have it....our little piece of the American dream!