They Never Told Me That!

Well, with trimester two full into swing and 5.5 months into this pregnancy, I think it's about right for me to share some of my random thoughts about it.  I really enjoy pulling together weekly "Where is baby g" posts, but it's time to get a little ego centric....this post is all about me, me, me and the last 23 weeks of life in this baby makin' machine :-P  So what are my thoughts so far on this pregnancy?  What didn't I expect?  What's shocked the heck out of me?  Here goes....

The Things They Never Tell You Before you get Pregnant

1.  How freaking tired I would be.  All. The. Time. This first took me aback in trimester one, but people said I would feel sooo much better in the second trimester.  Um....not quite.  i can function, go to work, run errands, do my normal stuff, but I pass out awfully quickly.  Can someone write me a note for work to get an afternoon nap?  Thanks :-)

2.  That I would feel full.  All. The. Time. I think this is probably why I haven't gained more....I have cravings, sure, but I really haven't been able to eat a normal sized meal since about month 3.  I just get so full, so quickly.  And if I overeat, its the worst thing in the world-like Thanksgiving bloat yuckiness.  I've read that it's my body shifting it's organs around to make space for baby, but I sort of assumed that it wouldn't really affect me until I had a belly.

3.  That I would actually look pregnant!  My stomach is starting to get bigger (duh, of course) but I sort of thought it would happen sooner.  I know that not too many moms to be show in trimester 1, but it's a little bit strange to know that I will be 24 weeks along this weekend and still have people ask me if I am just starting out...or where the baby is....or....really, just not say anything, cause I don't look pregnant, just like I ate too much dinner.  Yikes!  The big plus of this is that I haven't needed maternity clothes yet-my jeans fit with a hair tie, and my work pants still button.  Yay for carrying high and baby finding good snuggles!


4.  How Darn Much my taste buds would change.  I've heard about pregnancy cravings, of course (who hasn't?)  You mostly hear about either the sweets cravings (chocolate 24/7) or the odd cravings (the ole pickle and ice cream).  For me, I've consistently wanted pizza, potatoes and cheese....but my taste buds seemed to morph overnight from someone that generally prefers sweet (oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, berries, chocolate) to someone who cant get enough savory (eggs, cheese, chicken, beef, pretzels, veggies).  It's so strange.  Not bad, just different!

5.  Really, how weird it feels to have your baby kick you!  I remember vividly the first kick about 6 weeks ago....and every week, the lil one reminds me how fast she/he is growing and getting stronger with kicks.  Little butterfly kicks, nudges, and lately, a few whoppers that make me laugh.  It is, of course, the coolest thing ever with respect to the fact that it means baby g is an active little guy....but....it's kind of weird, too. I can't explain it.  How surreal to have something from the inside that you can' control at all making judo moves on you!

6.  The amount of people that must really hate parenting.  I'll keep this one brief, but it just amazes me the stories that I hear from parents about how horrible it is and how I will never be able to do what I want...ever again.  Or do anything fun...ever again.  Which makes me wonder why anyone would ever have kids if that were true?  They don't tell you that you will get to go to the zoo....or have a glitter fight...or explain to a 3 year old why the sky is blue.  It's not all sunshine and roses, for sure, but it's a new adventure and a change in my life that Greg and I are so ready to embrace!  (And for the record-yes.  We are sleeping in now.  But who wants to sleep until 9am anyways?  That wastes half the day!!)  Tongue in cheek, people.  Remember, in my blog, I am usually sarcastic, that's my style :-P

7..  That I would still be able to be so active...just not on my own terms.  Let me preface by saying that I am by no means complaining!  I know some women run up until they day they deliver (crazy Chicago marathon woman) and some women can't run at all while pregnant.  I've been able to do almost everything-more swimming and biking than running, obviously, but I can reasonably still run.  But my body really dictates what I can do, when, and for how long.  I just have to know the signs to back off-which I am doing, but it really goes against my nature.  Its so hard to be a half hour into a bike ride, feel cramping, and stop.  Just not in my nature,  But this is baby G's show, so we do things their way.  Again, no complaints, I know how fortunate I am!!

As the sixth month approaches, I'm sure I will fall more into the "standard" of pregnancy symptoms....but for now, these are my thoughts for things I just didn't really expect.  The journey has been amazing and wonderful....I can't even express how lucky I feel, hearing some other people's stories and experiences.  But they never can tell you everything, can they? :-P

Week 23: Dancing Queen! ...or King...

Guess what we've got this week?  dancin' babies!  It seems that not only is Baby G rockin out in my tummy (oh yeah, we've got belly movement this week!) but also that the baby can feel it when I dance.  Now, I really do dance like a white girl, but we have a trip planned to Nashville's to get our country groove on tomorrow night, so we can call this a growing experience as well, right?  Right!  Don't worry, Greg and I will stay away from the lambada.... :-P

Your Pregnancy: Week 23
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as an eggplant), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Momma's Stats-Week 23

My Body: Up 10 pounds even steven.  9 inches of growth in the tummy area, exactly where it needs to be.  Somehow, I am still able to button my pants.  Don't ask how.  But I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth.  Every day I stare at those maternity pants, wondering when I will need to pull them on...

Cravings: Chicken and cabbage (weird recipe that just works), and tuna fish.  Clearly, this child has no sweet tooth.  I'm not complaining, though...the lack of a sweet tooth is kind of neat to me!

Aversions: Bacon and Ribs.  Oh my word.  I had a little too much fun with Matt's ribs and center cut bacon (ouch that sounded bad) last weekend, and I just do not even want to look at it right now.  Easter should be interesting!!

Sleep: Still not too bad.  I've been super super tired this week, I think a combo of rich food, long hours, and a small bout of sickness that left me couch bound for a day.  I'm not complaining.  I pretty much accept that I won't get any sleep post baby, so I am trying to get as much pre-baby as I can!

Best Baby Moment: Greg and I were just hangin out the other night chatting and I felt some kickin going on.  It was quite a bit stronger than normal, and I glanced down...and saw movement!  Super cool!  No alien feet yet, but this little one really likes to let momma know she/he is a mover and shaker!

Baby Items Bought/Received: We got a few shower gifts this week-an awesome pail of baby bed supplies (with the SOFTEST BLANKET) from two friends at work, and a pair of bedtime
aids from one of my besties from high school, including a lullaby giraffe and a sound and light show frog.  Adorable.  Baby G is already spoiled, and I'm just ducky with it!  We also found a really neat Noah's Ark bookcase on craigslist for $20, and are working on a pickup time for that.  Baby's room is really taking shape!

Iron baby!: In utero travels for week 22...
Swimming: 3.5 miles
Biking: 80 miles
Running: 6 miles

Total =89.5 miles
Cumulative Total (week 19 on) = 402.8 miles...that's about the distance from Rochester to Washington D.C.  Baby's moving up in the world :-)

As an interesting side note, as of this week, if Baby G was born right now, he or she would have a 20% chance of survival.  Not that I would ever want that to happen, but its cool to know that if something happened, our hardy lil one could survive!  For every day he or she stays in utero for the next two months...that rate increases 2%.  Grow baby grow!

Rainbow Gold

Hey there guys!  Welcome to another fun Monday.  Hopefully, it's a short week for some of you (anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?)  We actually have Friday off at my agency, so it's a 4 day week for me.  Woohoo! Ok, I'll stop.  It's still Monday.  Which means it's a whole week till that wonderful weekend dance.  Meh. 
It was a crazy day in my little corner of the world today- seven million phone calls, conference calls, meetings, a sick hubby, and grocery shopping. Plus, the weekends events are still lingering a bit and I have the littlest basketball player slam dunkin on my uterus.  Complaining?  No way.  I love it.  But the busy day called for 4 things...a nice long swim (check-was able to break away during lunch), snuggles time with my fur kid and sickie hubs, a good movie (rented Argo for Monday night indulgence)....and a back to simpler times dessert.  With a twist.  Cause it never hurts to be innovative, right?  (Or....erm...sub out ingredients when the Rice Krispies aren't on sale!) Tonight's snack...Lucky Treats!

Lucky Treats

4 tbsp butter, softened
2 cups marshmallows
5 cups Lucky Charms Cereal


Another so simple recipe, one I feel silly posting, but, nonetheless a good weeknight treat, and a fun kids treat to boot (working up our quick n delish recipe arsenal, can't you tell?)  Combine butter and marshmallows in a large mixing bowl, microwave for 1 minute, or until softened.  Add in cereal, and then spray a 9 x 11 inch baking pan with non stick spray.  MOST IMPORTANT STEP - spray your hands with cooking spray first, then mix cereal into butter and melted 'shmallows.  Evenly spread in baking ban.  Set in fridge or outside (if you live in frigid NY!) for an hour to cool.  Cut into 12 squares.

Nom nom nom.  Monday just got a whole lot better....no?

Random Recipe Round Up

Its a funny thing.....blogging is.  When I first started, I swore up and down I would never have a food blog for several reasons-

1. I think it's a little weird to take photos of everything you eat. 

 2.  I think it's boring to read about every little thing other people eat
 and 

3.  I eat the same damn things.

Then I got pregnant.  And now my tastes are so much all over the place, that I have no idea what I'll want for dinner!  So why not post some of it? So, with that in mind, here's a few recipes I whipped up this week (lots of veggies involved in the main dishes...some things don't change!)

Beef n Shroom Meatloaf

8 oz 95% lean ground beef
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, minced
2 egg whites
1/4 cup quick oats
1 tsp. garlic
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 tomato sauce

Super simple.  Mince mushrooms in a food chopper, add to a large bowl with rest of ingredients up through salt and pepper.  Mix thoroughly, shape into a loaf.  Spray a pie plate with non stick spray, add in meatloaf. Cover in foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.  Add tomato sauce to top, bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.  Serves 2.  Delish.

Main dish 2....okay, this sounds weird, looks....not pretty but tastes...AMAZING.  Its a super quick one dish meal that is filling, tangy, and quite addictive.  I may have had it three times this week alone!

Mustard Chicken n Greens
4 oz chicken breast, diced
3 cups cabbage (or coleslaw mix)
3 tbsp. mustard
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Easiest weeknight dinner ever.  In a large frying pan, fill with a half cup of water and poach chicken for 4-5 minutes.  Add in cabbage, cook down for 5 minutes.  Add in mustard, teriyaki and garlic salt, cover, simmer on low for 10 minutes.  Done.  Nosh.  (It does NOT take pretty pictures, but your tummy won't know the difference!

 And now, for some food porn....

 Smoked Ribs n bacon. Outside smokey goodness-4 hours and the whole house smells divine.  Drool.   Courtesy of Greg's bestest, Matt.  I think Baby G and I ate our weight in ribs! (Well, at least hers or his.  Baby only weighs a pound!)

More recipes coming soon...I've really decided to do it up in the kitchen lately, can ya tell?

Week 22: Bust a Move

And we keep moving along....to week 22!  It's so surreal to me right now.  Sometimes I feel like I'm newly pregnant, and sometimes I feel like I have been pregnant for my entire. life.  Weird.  I think it's just the middle of the pregnancy lull where you KNOW for a fact you feel and look different, but there's no obvious sign or struggle to get through the day that defines you as an overly pregnant woman.  Does that even make sense?  Yup, I'm rambling.  Moving on to the star of the show....

Your Pregnancy: Week 22
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
A freakin squash?  For real?? Aside from the fact that I just can't even believe that the kiddo is THAT big...I love these produce comparisons, but am sort of having trouble with the concept that my baby is being compared to something I really enjoy eating.  Kinda feels like cannibalism or something.  I dunno.  Clearly I'm a little bit random this week, so let's just get to the meat of the matter (har har har)...what's up with me this week?
Momma's Stats-week 22

My Body: Up 9.5 pounds. Still a steady gain.  Greg says that anyone that can't tell I'm pregnant needs glasses.  You've been warned, people. I'm still in normal pants (how is this happening?  I love it!)  but I can definitely  tell that my body is different.  Tummy feels full all of the time, and my sense of balance is most definitely off....I just feel kinda....different.  But hey, that's supposed to happen!  Am definitely noticing feeling out of breath a bit more easily, so I just kinda take it easy with what I am doing.  I'm also finding I need to crash every once in a while and grab even 10 minutes of rest.  Hey, we keep adapting.  It's all good!
Cravings: Rainbow sherbet and popcorn.  Not together, of course!  Tops had a sale on sherbet this week, so I got two containers for 75 cents each.  Sweet!
Aversions: Nothing too crazy.  All the usual suspects, still hatin' on peanut butter.  No, it's NOT peanut butter jelly time!
Sleep: Doing pretty well.  The baby seems to like to throw kicks at my bladder already, which I know will make the next 4 months o so much fun, but who am I to complain?  Healthy baby, happy momma!  Most active time seems to be between dinner and bedtime, so I like to tease the baby that 10pm is PAST his or her bedtime, but hey-at least baby g doesn't kick at 2am....yet :-P

Best Baby Moment:Since we've got the next karate kid practicing their chop on my uterus, Greg and I figured it would help for them to be able to hear and "feel" dad more often.  Well, a few night ago, we were watching TV with Greg's hand on my tummy, and about 10 minutes later....kick kick kick...."Hi Dad!" Awwww.  So adorable. 

Baby Items Bought/Received: Well, I don't know if this one counts, but we did a visit for a daycare that we both fell in love with.  We put down a deposit and Baby G now has some new friends coming to play after I get out of maternity leave!  And Mom and Dad.....well, maybe we will win the lottery :-P  Seriously, though, it's good to know that that huge thing is off our list.  Whew.  One step at a time. 
Iron baby!: In utero travels for week 21...
Swimming: 3 miles
Biking: 92 miles
Running: 9 miles

Total =104 miles
Cumulative Total (week 19 on) = 307.3 miles...that's about the distance from Wayne County to NYC.  Fancy stuff!

Well, that wraps it up in our world for the week.  baby G says catch ya on the flip side, yo :-)

Johnny's Running of the Green-Kiddo Style Race Report

We came.  We saw.  The, um, weather conquered.  But nonetheless, I will come to you with a race report because gosh darn it, I always do!  So let's talk about Johnny's Runnin O the Green, where there was little green, alot of cold, and a few thousand bad a$$ runners!

And now, since I have a little karate kid in my tums who lets me know ALL THE TIME how well she/he is doing, I'll just let them tell you.  Not like I get much of a say anyways :-P

***

Mom was super tired last night, so she went to bed early and managed to get 9 hours of sleep.  I was a good kid and only kicked her bladder a few times, so bathroom trips were minimal, which made her happy.  We got up, said NO to banana oats (who eats that crap anyways?) and had a yummy English muffin with butter and jam pre race.  Plus decaf.  I'm not old enough to drink coffee....Mom says it stunts my growth.  Mom and Dad's friend Brennan came over and we all rode to the race together....and ran to the building near the start...cause it was cold!! 

Pre Race, we did some stretching and made a few potty breaks.  Well...Mom did.  I go when I want.  Hah.  We said hi to a bunch of friends, who told Mom that I play hide and seek really well for being 22 weeks out!  We lined up with Dad before the start, who warned Mom to remember that I'm just a little guy and not to make me race too hard.  He made Mom promise to take walk breaks and NOT try to beat the other big people, cause it's hard work running for two!  Mom agreed, of course, (and actually stuck with it this time.  Go Mom!)

The gun went off, and we....well, we weren't off right away.  There were tons and tons of people, so we pretty much walked the first few minutes, then we did a light jog.  The first mile felt easy peasy at 9:45.  After the first mile, a few of mommy's friends ran with her for awhile, then I reminded her that Dad said to walk every mile, so she stopped and took a breather.  And we were off again!  Mile 2 at 19:25.  We hit the turn around just before 24 minutes, and took in some water and walked again.  At mile 3, we saw a Ninja Turtle pass us (which was cowabunga dude!) so that was neat.  We ran with a nice lady for awhile who told me I was setting a PR.  I was like, well, yeah, Mom and I are the bestest and Mom made some lame joke about setting a world record because she could divide our time in two.  Silly goose.  Doesn't she know that in a few years I'll be making her chase me??  Anyways.  Mile 3 at 29:00 and going strong.  Mile 3 to 4 was a little tough for me.  It was cold, and Mom got a bit thirsty.  She stopped for some water, and the nice Irish guys offered her a Guinness, but since I can't even drink coffee, she said no to that, too.  (I never get to have fun).  We hit mile 4 at 38:30, and were heading into the final stretch!

Mile 5 was the most fun ever.  We had lots of energy cause I told Mom to go for it, I wasn't tired.  She sorta listened, but she didn't go crazy or anything cause she's overprotective like that.  We passed a few suckers and crossed the finish line at 47:50, which was really 47:55 race time.  A 9:35 pace and we came in 70th out of 160 people in our age group!  I told Mom that they should have a pregnant age group and she told me not to get cocky and enjoy my green bagel.  And then I kicked her.  Cause I can.

After the race we hung out a bit, then hit the parking garage to hightail it home and hit the showers.  Mom and Dad took some silly pictures, cause they are silly gooses.

It was a really fun race, and even though it was cold, I'm super glad I ran it with Mom.  I can't wait for the next one!!

Welcome to G-Loser Land

And, when you have mishmosh to talk about, you save it for Friday and slap on a cute label....right?  Right.  Happy (almost) weekend!  What's going on with you this Happy St. Patty's day weekend?  We have some cool things going on.....well, they're cool in my little world....

Tomorrow is the annual Johnny's "Running of the Green" 5 miler in Rochacha.  I've run this race since 2007, and it's the traditional kickoff to "spring racing season" in our parts.  Since I've technically already done a few races this year, it's not a kickoff, but since I'm technically not "racing" this year, we'll call it a wash, right?  I have a personal 5 mile PR of 38:06 for this race back in 2009, and have no delusions about coming close to it this year.  Greg has told me I am under strict orders to run at my normal or slower pace and wear a damned heart rate monitor so I don't get ridiculous.  He's right.  So we'll just take the baby out for a leisurely strut in the snow tomorrow.  Damn you, winter.  Also worth noting- the Glaser's are not doing this event....the "Gloser's" are.  Whoever did the forms must have done a typo....for both of us??  At first we thought it was cool, then sounded out the different  ways to say Gloser.....damn.

I have an alien in my belly.  Oh wait, you knew that.  I know I keep saying it, but I'm pretty darned certain that this week reigns the end of normal pants for this preggo.  We've got the hair fubby working hard core in pants world, but I swear my belly is visibly expanding daily.  I know it's supposed to expand, but someone is in speed mode lately!!

In other news....it's Day Care time!  Greg and I had an appointment tonight with a local daycare in Gananda.  They are family run, but have all the state certs, which was really important to us.  They seem like awesome people, they keep log books of the baby's days, and also have curricula for the older babies, toddlers, and school aged kids, which is awesome.  All day care is expensive, but this one is a great deal more affordable than all of the other options we've researched, so I think this one's a keeper!  Woohoo!!

And....to round out random...we finally got our Tax "refund" today. I love it when you owe a certain amount for tax prep then manage to get almost exactly the same amount back....with our overage, we can buy one case of diapers or go out to dinner twice.  Chinese and pizza sound good right now :-P

And that's my life lately.  Random bits and pieces that make up the 24/7 pretty decently :-)  What's new with you?

Week 21: Chug a Lug

We're turning a corner, folks!  Baby is half baked!  Oh wait....that's not right.  Please don't take away my mommy card.....

Your Pregnancy: Week 21
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.


As far as the martial arts go, I can tell you thats a fact.  My lil nugget is in full karate mode, and lets me know at least 5-6 times a day that the padded room I've provided is HELLO! not big enough.  It's pretty much the neatest thing ever though....not sure how I feel about being a punching bag, but knowing that your child is active and well is just beyond awesome. Either that or he/she is banging his head against a wall as I feed it more string cheese....hmmm....

Momma's Stats-week 21!

Belly expanding!

My Body:  Up 8.5 pounds.  My OB told me last week that I am basically the "poster child" for pregnancy and that I am doing perfectly for weight gain, tummy gain, and keeping myself and baby healthy.  She also told me to ignore people that nag on my lack of maternity pants tummy and activity level/weight gain.  Don't have to tell me twice :-P  All I need to know is that baby is doing well and I am a happy girl!  And baby g is a heartly lil one...weighing almost a pound and perfectly on track at 21 weeks gestation.  Pregnancy gold stars for Mommy, Daddy and baby too!
Cravings:  Citrus and String Cheese.  I like this craving.  Sweet, salty and savory.  This one might stay!
Aversions: Random upon random....Grain berry Cereal and crackers.  It;'s this brand of organic nosh that Tops sells...they had a super deal on it this week, so I stocked up....forgetting that the last time they had a super deal, it was November and I threw it up every time I ate them.  Well, the body didn't forget.  So Greg gets some cool organic crackers and cereal for the week...as long as I don't come within 500 yards of them.  No, I'm not kidding.

Sleep: One night of restlessness of active baby, but the rest has been good!  We seem to have been overloading our social calendar lately, which has been awesome, but I keep forgetting that it's tiring to grow a baby :-P  We only have one thing going on this weekend, and I will surely be stocking up on REST!

Baby Items Bought/Received: We got a honkin sweet deal on a changing table this week.  It was a gorgeous maple table I found on craigslist for only $20-and it came with the changing pad!  When we went to pick it up, the couple (grandparents) showed us their own private garage sale, and for an extra $15, we got a jumper, 3 light up motion toys, a radio, 6 books, a set of blocks, and 4 teethers.  Awesome deal!!

Best Baby Moment:Showing our friends and family our baby video was so awesome, as was my first convo with my cousin about my upcoming baby shower.  I'm getting really excited about everything!


Iron baby!: In utero travels for week 20....

Swimming: 2 miles
Biking: 80 miles
Running: 16 miles

Total = 98 miles
Cumulative Total = 203.3 miles...or basically....the baby has travelled to Albany.  We can do better :-P


The big question of the week....how much longer can we wear normal pants?  2 days?  1 week?  Any bets??

Thats Amore!

Beautiful weekend filled with love up here in New York.  Ahhh.  Life is such a wonderful blessing...and I need to remember that more often!  What more could I want than....
A weekend full of sun and sweater (NOT JACKET) weather
A wonderful snugglicious husband
An active, healthy, kicking baby
A 50 minute run OUTSIDE! without multiple layers...and running capris that still fit!
A great time with some family members we haven't seen in way too long
A scan gun adventure at Target and Kohls where multiple people congratulated Greg and I on our upcoming wedding (errr....maybe I should wear the fake belly next time!)
And food.  Delicious, homemade, wonderful dinners.  A traditional meatloaf.  A mushroom meatloaf (recipe soon!).  Roasted potatoes.  Pulled pork.  Peanut Butter brownies.  And my personal favorite, eggplant parm.
Now, this isn't to be confused with fried, breaded and oily eggplant parm that you can get at some restaurants.  Nah.  At casa Glaser, we like it fresh, simple, and light.  And simple, too.  Of course. 

Au naturale Eggplant Parm

1 medium eggplant, sliced into coins
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp. garlic
1 tsp. parsley
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup skim mozzarella cheese


Slice up your eggplant and place on a baking tray.  Broil for 5 minutes, flip and repeat.  This draws the moisture out  of the veggie and makes it nice and firm, rather than a mushy mess.  Spray a round baking dish with olive oil spray, and layer half of eggplant slices, spinach, garlic, sauce, and cheese.  Repeat.  End with cheese.  Sprinkle parsley on top.  Bake at 400 degrees covered for 45 minutes, then uncover and broil for 5 minutes to brown the cheese.  Let set for 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Now....let's be real.  Veggies are great, but cheese makes the dish.  And I won't kid a kidder.  I ate the whole damn thing.  Hey, veggies are good for you, right? :-P  Love. love. this dish.  Super healthy, super filling, and old school Italian feel.  And that's amore.

What are you loving this weekend?

Baby G says Hi guys!!

Cause you all know I couldn't wait a week to post these!!

Baby G!  Heartrate strong at 145....looking good!!

String skull, all head parts accounted for!

Future soccer player....lil g kick!

Our beautiful baby....strong, healthy and ready to say hey guys!!

And now for a lil extra somethin.....

Let's get this party started!  In 20 weeks, of course...but it's a dance party in Mommy's tummy for sure :-)

Week 20: "Halfway" There!

It's a big week, folks!  I am now "officially" halfway there!  (well, we hope!)  I realize that's sort of laughable, as the first few weeks don't "count", and the last 20 are much, much different than the first 20.  It's kinda like saying after 6 hours that you're halfway through an Ironman....riiight.  Cause the last part of the bike and marathon are no big thang.  Regardless, in a race, as well as now, we chug along!  You'll be happy to know I am carb loading (lol, kinda) and prepping for this "race" as well as can be.  Yay!  So, what's up with my lil "fruit" this week?.....
Your Pregnancy: Week 20

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.) Size wise, the baby is the size of a cantaloupe!
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Holy heck.  I really can't believe there's a cantaloupe in my tummy!  I kinda look down and just go...where the heck is it?  But then I think about what I used to look like and....yeah.  I can believe it :-)  Big ultrasound this week....I can't wait to show you all new pictures!!

My Body: We're growing-both me and baby!  (Funny how that works, huh? ha).  Up 8 pounds this week, and just for fun, 7 inches in the waist since week 5.  Since I have heard (okay, a ridiculous amount) "Are you sure you're pregnant?  Really?" and way too much chatter about my weight....guys.  I swear I am.  I'm eating.  I'm gaining right along schedule.  It's all good.  In case you don't believe me...check it out....

Week 5- the day we found out!

Week 20-I'd say there's a somethin baking!!

Yeah. That's a baby.  Really :-)  It's all between my boobs and waistband.  Ohhhh Baby!

Cravings: I feel like we get little variations, but the root stays the same.  This week I am obsessed with string cheese (which was BOGO at Tops-score!) and pears.  Oh, nummy.  Ill cut up a big juicy pear and have a string cheese for an evening snack.  Delicious.  Sweet, salty, savory and covers all my bases.  Sweet!
Aversions: Peanut butter.  Really can't deal with it this week.  I still am not a fan of all the usual suspects, but this is the biggie this week.  It's funny, because apparently little g can "taste" what I feed it this week, and the food they suggest a taste for is bananas.  Sorry, kid.  You can get your potassium with some taters instead.
Sleep:  Pregnant women's dreams are the stuff of soap operas.  I am deeply ashamed to see some people that I know right now because of how they have appeared in my dreams!  Do I want to know what they mean?  Nah....not really. 
Baby Items Bought/Received: Finished off the registry (as of Friday, just a few more pieces to "nail down").  Greg and I went to a consignment sale this weekend that was kinda cool.  The prices were high, so we mostly scored $1 clothes that we rummaged around to find.  We got a turtle rattle and a few onesies (super adorable turtle and big clothes) and had a great time.

Nursery in progress "staged" -with a "dad" prop :-P

Best Baby Moment: Pretty sure this will be tomorrow-20 week ultrasound, baby! Also to note that I can feel the baby every day now.  It's most active at night, but I feel some niggles every once in awhile during the day!
Worries: I know that the evidence is there-feeling the baby, growing tummy, gaining weight....but it's still nerve wracking to know that it's been 11 weeks since we've "seen" the baby.  I am nervous for tomorrow like any momma is nervous-you always want to make sure things are okay and you won't know for sure until you see that little one on the screen!!
Iron baby!:  Here's a new one for us :-)  I've decided it will be fun to track and see how far baby g goes "in utero".  Each week, I'll total my swim bike and run miles up and then at the end....total them all to see how far they went!  Cool?  Cool.  I was sort of thinking of an "ironman a month" challenge, but I know I s/B/R more than that.  However, I don't really want to pigeonhole myself into certain distances...so where baby wants to go, baby goes.  Cool?  Cool.  So we've got 21(ish) week, based off the fact that I'll share last weeks numbers with you.....what do you think?  "Where" can my baby go in 21 weeks?
Here are week 19's numbers!
Swimming:  3.5 miles
Biking:  105 miles
Running:  10 miles
Total = 115.3 miles
Pretty steady week of "training" for my little one!

Stay tuned for baby pics in week 21.....can't wait to see this nugget!

A Bit of Soul Warming

All I want to know is....where in the heck is Spring?  C'mon now.  It's March.  In like a lion and all that, but really?  I've had enough of the fluffy stuff.  The biting wind.  The heater in the car.  Bring on the spring showers!  Bring on the thaw!  (Also, bring on the running outside without 7 layers weather!)
No dice?  Fine then.  Bring on the sweaters.  And the fuzzy blankets.  And the crockpot.  With homemade soup.  Cause that never gets old :-)  And when you want to pretend that you are somewhere warm while brewing that soup...go for a little southwestern flair.  Presto.  New Mexico in New York (I don't even know what that means, but it sounds good)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 chicken breasts
1 cup celery
1 cup tomato puree
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 med onion, diced
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup corn
1 15 oz can black beans
1 tsp each:  pepper, salt, cumin
1 tsp. adobo seasoning
1 tsp. chopped garlic


Like any awesome crockpot soup, this thing is idiot proof.  Add in all the ingredients (yep, whole, raw chicken breasts too!) and simmer on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken breasts and debone (I always use bone in-adds to the flavor of the soup!) and shred.  Return to low for 30 more minutes.

Optional add ins:  1 cup whole wheat elbows (add in last hour of cooking) or shredded Cheddar cheese (sprinkle before serving).

We served this for company during the hockey game and got a resounding 2 thumbs up.  Especially when dippin' chips are added in....hey, it's super healthy, why not make it fun, too?

Confessions of a Pregnant Triathlete

Weekend time!  It's a full one in the Glaser casa-a wonderful dinner date with a great "new" friend, a hockey party with some friends we haven;t seen in way too long! And a birthday party...whew!

Today, Greg and I hit up a consignment sale in Egypt (sounds exotic, doesn't it?  It's not-Egypt is 15 minutes from our house) and picked up a few fun baby clothes and toys, and also "staged" the nursery so it looks really nice (pics coming).  I also got a great 2 mile swim yesterday and a 20 mile ride today-run is tomorrow, Johnny's is two weeks away!
Speaking of "training"...I've been doing alot of thinking about that this week.  Obviously, right now I'm working out in line with my docs approval in just keeping active and healthy, which is exactly right.  It's nowhere near a "race geared" year-for obvious reasons!!  But this week, since I am on the list serv for Musselman (a great local race), I got to thinking about tri's....thus.....my rambling thoughts at this time....

Confessions of a (Pregnant) Triathlete

1.  Treadmill running sucks.  I've done a few outdoor runs, but the most of my winter runs have been indoors.  I've mostly done slower, easy runs, but sometimes I like to see what the ole belly can do in a tempo type run (yes, I do monitor heart rate and do not push myself.)  Still...I am living for spring, when the snow goes away and I can feel good on the roads again!  (Oh wait...then I'll need maternity shorts.  Never mind :-P)  Until then...back to the dreadmill.  Ugh.
2.  I find the reactions that vary from people about running and biking and swimming while pregnant quite amusing.  Look, I show when I swim.  And run.  Biking...is in my own basement, so it's pretty private.  Some people think it's cute.  Some guys try to race me in the pool (hint-if you sprint for 25 yards and then die out while I'm swimming a mile...you're doing it wrong).  Some people make comments about how I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing (hint-since I got the ok for my OB.....she knows more than you) and some people just kind of smile as I trot or glide by.  It's all good.
3.  Speaking of the bike....even though my bump is pretty small (but wait till the next pic-it's getting bigger!!)....aero is becoming increasingly less feasible for riding.  Nuh uh.  Just ain't happening.  I now feel for those toting beer bellies during Ironmans....there is nothing more annoying than the whup whup whup of your knees hitting your belly.  I know, I know #pregnancyproblems.  I'm over it already.  Just glad I can spin!
4. Even though I don't show in sweatshirts, and only minorly in work shirts...nothing makes you look more pregnant than a swimsuit!  If I had more body confidence I would post week 20 in a bathing suit.  But I don't.  So if you want swimsuit shots...check out sports illustrated.  Or get your lazy butt to the DFC and swim some laps with the preggo :-P
5.  Everyone has planned their 2013 season and is starting to train.  I am so jealous.  I have mine planned, too.  It goes something like....Run.  Bike.  Swim.  Walk.  Waddle.  Gain 25.  Do a 24 hour triathlon labor. Lose 8.  Lose 17 more.  Tri?  Late du?  Late half marathon?  Or not.  LOL.
6.  But...there is some awesome hope for my favorite tri if everything works out perfectly (like a 2% shot, but it's fun to think about!)  My favorite race is the middle of August.  Baby G is due 3rd week in July.  Hey, I was early.  Baby born a bit realy, easy birth, 6 weeks later =Sodus.  Boots is holding a spot for me in case I can race.  I love that man.  You should all go do his races-it's people like Yellow Jacket that remember their athletes that make the sport rock!  But hey, if I have to spectate, I can do that too.  I told Greg I wouldn't in 2005....but 2013 is different :-P
7.  With that said, I'm now onto planning 2014 season.  Who says there's a limit on how long you can plan?  I know plenty of triathletes that have a 5 year plan, and I have an 18 month plan.  Spring marathon?  Summer half Ironman?  Who knows?  But now I can play, and then hope that I can be a great mommy athlete come next year!  Who's gonna sponsor my BOB?  Lol.

8. Oh wait, I lied.  I do know about 2014.  With Greg's permission, I have one tri on my agenda as an A race for 2014.  Rev3 Cedar Point.  70.3.  Plus.....70.3.  Oh yeah, Ironman, I didn't stutter.  Let's dance.  2014, baby!