One Week Left...

This is my last week of having an Only Child.

I still don't know how I really feel about it.

I have spent the last 9 months - 9 long months with scary ultrasounds and awful symptoms - with this baby girl growing in my belly. Every day of these 9 months I have had the same thought.

How is this going to work?

I have come to realize that I have NO IDEA. I won't know until she is here.

Then, we have to deal with that awesome phenomenon that comes with babies/kids:

Figure it out. Then they will change. 

EFF.

Ellie better be ready to just go with the flow. Her big brother is fast and on the go all the time. Time won't stop for her like it did when he was born. Sure, we will have Monday - Friday while Logan is in school to sit and rest. Saturday and Sunday will be a little different. GO GO GO.

We are "ready" in every other sense of having a baby. Crib. Play yards. Swings, bouncies, boppies... Diapers. Car seat. Clothes.

My to-do list is done. I have nested and re-done every closet in the house. The playroom is re-organized and Logan is enjoying being able to find his toys. Meals are in the freezer and sides are in the pantry. New cable is being installed today and the sofas are all being cleaned tomorrow. I even returned library books today a few days early.

That's it. There is nothing left to do.

That may be the scariest part....

Loving it...

This marks week three of staying home.

I love it.

My house is clean.

I have candles going.

The groceries are taken care of.

I am cooking all the time and I am not stressed about what time dinner is on the table.

I'm not stressed much at all actually.

Today I had my coffee at the table with Logan while the doors to the back were open to let the 68 degree weather in the house. After I got him all dropped off at school I headed to Target.

One thing on my list there was a bottle. Though my goal is to nurse Ellie, I know that with Logan it went terribly and I want to be prepared in case it goes south this time as well. However, Logan and I went nuts with bottles. Some made him spit up. Some had too many parts (*ahem* Dr Brown *ahem*) I received a free Avent bottle in the mail after putting my name on some list at the maternity store. This happens to be the bottle we stuck with for Logan.

I didn't want to have just one bottle in the house, but I also am not going out and purchasing a ton. I wanted to get one of the new Munchkin bottles because they look really interesting in regards to nursing and air flow.

$80 later  (oops) I left Target and headed to Highland Village shopping center. I needed to get a few items to decorate Ellie's room as well as a new Toaster and some bread mixes at Williams Sonoma.

The rest of my day is cleaning up the house, making one of those breads, and picking Logan up from school.

I am cherishing this time before Ellie comes to recharge myself and get mentally ready for new baby. Her room is done and it's pretty much perfect.

Sorry, the lighting is odd..

Complete with loyal schnauzer 

Logan's stool for "helping"

I have a few new items to put on the shelves above the changing area. Otherwise the drawers are full of clothes. The diapers and wipes are organized in the cart, and the diaper bag has some odds and ends ready for our first outing.

I better get that car seat installed... two weeks left!

Dinner for.. Two?

Last night, I used my little bit of extra energy to whip up this amazing recipe I found on .... wait for it.. Pinterest.

Who needs cookbooks anymore, seriously?

I do. I covet them and the photos.

Anywhoo, I had pinned this a few weeks ago so I was excited to make it.

Skillet Dijon Chicken Penne

We devoured it.

I told Lee the funny thing is the recipe says serves 4, but we ate all of it between the two of us.

He said "Well really it serves 3. Ellie ate some too."

Clever.

Week Two

I am in the middle of Week Two as a Stay At Home Mom.

My house is pretty darn clean.
ALL the laundry is done.
All the errands are run.

Now what?

I'm trying to follow orders on laying on the sofa and drinking water. I need something fascinating or really entertaining to watch on TV/Netflix/Hulu/Amazon. I tried re-watching True-Blood. Gave up in episode 2.
How did I make it through all 7 seasons last time?
I made it through a few seasons of Desperate Housewives. Again, just ok.

I realize that once Ellie is here I am not going to be so bored, BUT I will still need something to watch on tv during the day...

This weekend we stayed pretty low key. The heat is causing me to get pretty dizzy off and on. I even missed out on pool time Sunday and Monday because I was feeling yucky. Logan and Lee had a blast though. I am loving watching them have fun together. I know Logan will lean on Lee a lot after the baby comes.

I am starting my freezer meals this week. Instead of spending a whole day on my feet cooking I am choosing two meals this week and next that I can cook double of. I also plan to make a pan of plain meatballs that can easily be added to noodles and sauce or used other ways in a pinch.

This week I have made these Enchiladas - and they are DIVINE.

Creamy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

Tomorrow I plan cooking up one of my favorite stuffed shells recipe and freezing a 8x8 pan of them.

Three Cheese Stuffed Shells

I have some tamales already frozen and I am focusing on keeping sides in the pantry (rice, beans, etc) and that way Lee just needs to pick up fresh veggies as needed to add salads on the side.

Last time we didn't have a chance to have any food in the freezer before Logan came and it was tough around dinner to come up with something easy. My hope is that Lee just has to turn on the oven and pop something in.

Otherwise my first shipment of Honest Diapers arrived today. I unpacked a few into the diaper cart I am using, put some in the diaper bag, and stashed the rest. I looked around and I really feel like for the amount of diapers and wipes (plus a throw in of travel wipes!) it is a great deal. I looked at Pampers on Amazon (with subscribe and save) and the diapers alone were as much as the bundle from Honest and that didn't include any wipes. We will see how Ellie does in them. I do have a small package of pampers newborn as back up.

I can't believe that in 3 weeks we will have a baby girl and be a family of four...

September 1st

Today is September 1st.

My second day as a stay at home mom.

I'm a little bored to be honest.

This is mainly because my Dr. told me to rest and drink water because my amniotic fluid was low. Therefore I have spent since about 8:30am sitting on the couch watching Hulu and dozing.

I don't have as much guilt or heartache over leaving my job as I thought I would. I do miss my coworkers and the jokes and conversation we had during the day. It feels weird that I don't have a desk to go back to. If I do pick up some hours I will do so from home.

Once Ellie arrives I am sure I will be too tired and busy to think much about those things. My days will be filled with diapers and naps and fussy time. Logan will come home from school and I will be focusing on giving him the attention he needs and getting his dinner and stories and play time taken care of.

For the next few weeks I'm on this sofa for most of the time. I have a few items to take care of - like freezer meals, a trip or two to Target, and packing my bag and making a list for the hospital.

Otherwise I am trying to give Logan all the hugs and kisses I can and tell him over and over again that he is my special boy and Mommy and Daddy think he will be the best big brother ever.

Starbucks Date

Back to School Haircut

With or without new haircuts :)