My First Baby Shower

On March 10th Amber and Amy rallied together some of my favorite Carino's gals for my very first

baby shower!

It was so much fun. Amber and Amy did a great job!

We all went to Carino's (naturally), had dinner, opened presents, and ate cake. We all had a great time!

Thank you so much to all my friends who came! I just love and appreciate all of you!

Super cute balloons!

Amber and I
I love my twin!

Sisters!
(We missed Britney, she was getting moved into her new house!)


Kayla, Whittney & Allyx

Dallas, Oly, Lauren & Kaylee

Erica & I

Erica likes to give the baby a little rub ha ha. But I love it! It feels so good! Every time I see her she rubs my belly ha ha.

I got so many cute things from everyone! My little boy is already spoiled.

Kayla & Hailey's little boy, Kyler

Whittney & Kaylee made this super cute blanket for our little guy.

They also made matching burpies. So cute!

Can't forget about our server friends, Kris & Jessie! Thanks for the food, guys! My steak was delicious.
Maricella was our server. She did a great job!

Dallas & Oly got me this super cute chest with a whole bunch of fun things in it. They didn't finish it so I can decorate it how I want. So cute!

The cake!

It said "Congratulations Alli" on it.

The whole bunch! I love these girls!

Our little boy got so many fun things! We are just so grateful for so many supportive friends and family members. Baby showers are so great!

31 1/2 Weeks

I went do the doctor this morning for another check-up. It was another appointment full of good results. I was pretty happy when I left! My iron is already looking better since I started the supplement two weeks ago. And I haven't had the constant dizziness and lightheaded feeling since I left work. I still get lightheaded every now and then, but the doctor says that is normal. Not only for pregnant ladies in the third trimester, but also for an anemic pregnant lady like me.

After we talked and I had some of my questions answered, we went ahead and measured my stomach and listened to the baby's heart. Our little guy still sounds great in there! Just squirming around like crazy {as much as there's room for it, that is.} Then he measured my stomach and asked me about how I've been measuring bigger. I reminded him that last appointment we had discovered I was measuring ahead. He says I'm measuring at 33 weeks and not 31 1/2 weeks. I have another appointment in two weeks where we'll decide if we need to change my due date to the last week of April instead of May 8. He also told me to be watching out for contractions just in case. Say what?! Not going to lie, it was a little weird to hear the "C" word this early. But the "just in case" part made me feel a little better, since they will be very unlikely. So either I'm carrying the baby really high or he's going to be a bigger baby. But if we know to change the due date he won't stay in there cooking till he's 12 pounds or something horrifying like that. There's a scary thought!

Good appointment! Always a relief. On another note, I woke up at about 7:15 this morning to the baby's movement. Except that it felt different this time. When I realized the taps that were one after the other and in a rhythmic motion I realized that he had the hiccups! This was the first time I had felt him with the hiccups. And all of you were right, you can definitely tell when the baby has the hiccups! Too fun.

image via clker.com

I Am's...What Are You?

I am Thinking...about my first baby shower! It is this week with some friends, and I'm so excited! Baby showers mean the baby is getting closer. {Which reminds me, I need to get the addresses put together for my family baby shower. Mom and I are doing the invitations for that tomorrow.} I am also thinking about the baby and how he's doing. He can't be comfortable in there, but his foot is nestled nicely in my rib ha ha. I'm thinking about the massive to-do list sitting on the kitchen counter. I'm feeling more and more accomplished as the items on the list are getting crossed off. I'm thinking about how much I want some ice cream right now. I don't even care what flavor!

I am Wearing...a white and black New York City t-shirt with the famous pink sweats. They pair together nicely! One thing that is so nice to me now about being overweight in the past is all the clothes that now fit me at 31 weeks pregnant. I have plenty of t-shirts to lounge around in, and I also have shirts that are now serving as maternity blouses. I'm glad I held onto some of those clothes!

I am Creating...a super cute room for our baby boy. And we're getting closer to the finish line! I need to get a few more things put up on the wall and hopefully a glider {fingers crossed that we can get one of those}, then we'll be finished. I'm also creating a cookbook that seems to be coming along nicely. I wish I was crafty like so many of my friends so I could create something else!

I am Reading...The Work and the Glory: All is Well. The final book in the series! And it has only taken me five years to get through the books ha ha. These books are amazing though. Another read is The Book of Mormon. Tyson and I read it daily and feel the special spirit that it brings into our home.

I am Hoping...I can find some inspiration for something else I can do in the baby's room. I can't figure out what to put on a certain wall! Or to complete his shelf. Hmmm...

I am Hearing...Super Mario Bros. on the Wii. Tyson is trying to beat a castle in World 7 and isn't succeeding. But he manages to keep his cool! I wouldn't do well with that.

Around the House...An office that needs some serious TLC, laundry that needs folded and a dishwasher that needs unloaded {that rhymed ha ha}, leftover M&M cookies, etc.

Some of My Favorite Things Right Now...Feeling the baby move! It is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Even if he is jabbing me in the ribs, it is so comforting to be able to feel him moving. Ultrasounds are also a favorite. I love being able to see the baby! And I'm loving being a housewife. It feels great when I have the house clean and dinner ready when Tyson gets home from work. Another favorite lately is watching and listening to Tyson play the Wii. He has had so much fun with it since I got it for him! And he's gotten crazy good at Mario.

My Upcoming Plans...Making invitations with Mom tomorrow, American Idol and The Biggest Loser tomorrow night, the baby shower, Erica and Hailey's party this weekend...lots of fun things to look forward to!

What about you? What are your "I Am's" today?

Spicy Shrimp & Chicken

This is our favorite dish at Carino's! And we found a recipe for it on recipezaar.com (love that website). We gave it a shot last week and had to share the recipe. Enjoy!

PS You'll notice as you read the ingredients that some of them aren't featured in the photo of what we made. And this is because I forgot some of them at the store and didn't want to go back!

***

Spicy Shrimp & Chicken

Servings: 6-8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

(FYI, this dish is the same as the Spicy Romano Chicken as far as the sauce goes. Just a couple of the other ingredients are different.)

***

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts, prepared how you like but grilled is really tasty
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 20 medium raw shrimp - peeled, tail removed, and cleaned
• 1 c. fresh button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 c. green onion (maybe less, up to you), chopped
• 1 c. sundried tomatoes (If you buy them in a jar you will want to make sure you strain them really well and pat them dry if they're in a juice. Maybe even let them sit out to dry for a bit. We had a lot of juice left in our dish and it took away from the flavor a little bit.)
• 3 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. romano cheese, grated (We couldn't find any romano at the store so we bought a blend of romano, asiago, and parmesan in a container. It worked great!)
• 16 oz. penne pasta
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook chicken as desired. (I just did mine in a saute' pan.) Cool and slice into bite-sized pieces.
2. Add butter to a large saute' pan on medium heat.
3. Once the butter is melted add shrimp, sliced chicken, mushrooms, onions, sundried tomatoes, salt and pepper.
4. Saute this mixture together until shrimp and mushrooms are cooked.
5. Add the cream, romano cheese, and cayenne pepper. Let the cream reduce by half while stirring frequently.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Drain excess water.
7. Toss cooked pasta with contents of saute' pan. (I recommend putting everything in the pot you did the pasta in. This makes a lot!) Serve and enjoy!

My Ribs Be Burnin'

Today was my first day of no longer working. I started my day by going to the restaurant and talking to my boss about my situation. He was very understanding and supportive. "You need to do what's best for you and the baby," he said. I appreciated that. It was bittersweet when I left. I was sad that I won't be working and won't see so many of my friends as often now. But I'm glad that I'm listening to my body and taking it easy till the baby comes.

The first thing I did after leaving my job: get the oil changed in my car.
Too exciting.

I spent the rest of the day at my mom's house and running into town with her. It was nice to spend some time with her and hang out. She's one of my very best friends.

On the way back home after running our errands I was leaning back in my seat trying to get rid of some back pain. Then I asked her about the pain right above my belly that I've been feeling lately and if it was normal.

"That's your ribs burning," she said. "He's spreading out to make room for himself and your ribs get to take it."

And are they ever!

Tyson doesn't get home till after 8:00 tonight. Until then my burnin' ribs and I are going to get that dishwasher unloaded!

image via sccvote.org

March Came In Like a Lion and a Lamb

And I'm not talking about the weather this time. (Ever heard that phrase, "March came in like a lion and out like a lamb"?) Anyway, it was quite a day for us on this first day of March. We had a couple of different lion and lamb experiences today:

The lion of it all was that Tyson and I decided it is time for me to stop working. I went to work today and felt pretty crappy. I took two tables and was grateful I didn't have more. The dizziness and lightheaded feelings kept happening and I just couldn't get food and water in me fast enough. I felt frustrated. I did, however, teach a server training class and it felt really good to sit down. I get paid to teach classes so that felt like an accomplishment (and one of the lambs for the day). That is one thing I will still be able to do before the baby comes. It doesn't involved running around. I came home discouraged. When Tyson came home we had a talk. And we both knew the right thing was for me to stop working. I'm almost 31 weeks pregnant, so it seems about that time anyway to take it easy.

Another lamb was knowing that we are making the right decision. I've always prayed for the ability to listen to my body and know when I need to pull back. And I think today was one of the many times where that prayer was answered. I could just tell when I was at work that I shouldn't be there. I'm grateful to know and recognize those feelings.

We were also blessed with another little lamb in the form of our car insurance. Our car insurance went down - woo hoo! That is a huge blessing and a few dollars we can save every month. I love the lamb moments in my life. They make it easier to deal with the lion moments.

I've really appreciated having the job I've had for this long. And even though I'm pretty bummed that I can't do it anymore as long as I'm pregnant, I know I have a place to return whenever I feel ready. What a blessing!

image via intercontinentalcry.org