The Accidental Boilermaker

Nate and I had a wonderful trip to Holland for Christmas.  The perfect combination of relaxation time and out and about activities - it was a great visit with family. Nate got these awesome boots so now he can wander around the backyard and ford the creek with no problems. We went to the Critter Barn to visit the animals and see the live nativity. And we decorated sugar cookies! Do sitting down bump pictures count?  This is the best I can do from over the weekend.

Nate and I went to our third ultrasound today.  I measured 28 weeks at my appointment on Tuesday, 4 weeks behind, and I hadn't gained any weight.  So the doctor ordered another ultrasound to check the baby's growth.  Thankfully everything looked good.  The baby weighs approximately 4 lb 9 oz and is in the 57 percentile.  Heart rate was 135 and we could even see the baby practice its breathing which the tech told us is a good sign that the baby is growing properly.  Plus, the baby is head down! Our tech was super friendly and liked to play around with the 3D imaging so she tried really hard to get a good picture for us. Baby's gender is still a surprise too.  The tech did a good job of telling us to close our eyes when she thought we might see something.

We are back from Thanksgiving in Decatur and it was definitely worth the 637 mile trip.  The only sad part was Meredith couldn't make it up from Georgia (she has finals this coming week and really needed to stay and study).  But my dad did take/make us pose for this cute photo... Other weekend pictures: Nate making friends with the ducks Nate and I I crocheted this little turkey for my Mimi.  He serves no other purpose than to sit on the table and look cute.

The baby is going to have a lot of cuteness to compete with.

Week 28 - we have made it to the third trimester!  I had a doctor's appointment Tuesday and everything looked and sounded good.  We have also finished three of our 6 prepared childbirth classes and I feel like we've learned a lot. And I have officially started my new job.  I had two days of hospital orientation Monday and Tuesday, but today I got to work in the actual cardiac rehab department.  It felt really good to be back in rehab.

Almost 27 weeks.  I measured small at my appointment on Monday, so the doctor ordered another ultrasound on Friday.  The tech didn't say too much but she thought the baby was right on track.  She told us it weighed about 2lb 6oz. On Saturday we cleared out the second bedroom and started its conversion to the nursery.  After we moved the bed, desk, and boxes of books, we were reminded how big that room really is - the baby will not lack for space.

I started this blanket soon after Christmas as a way to use up extra yarn and overall I am pleased with the end result.  But if you look real closely you can tell that I ended up using two different blues because I ran out of my extra yarn and couldn't find the same brand in stores.  The difference in yarns also makes the squares slightly different sizes, so the blanket puckers a little.  But it does keep you warm and I figure that is more important than looks.   Technically the blanket is not 100% done - I still have to weave in all the ends, the worst part of finishing any project.  

Nate, me, and the other post-docs hosted our second VA psychology Halloween party today.  It was a little chilly, but sunny.  And we even set up a fire pit so people didn't have to stay inside the whole time. All in all, a success. Homemade ghosts Lots and lots of food My Halloween "costume" via Pinterest Nate's costume

Meredith is here!!!  She and Penny have been enjoying each other's company.  And we have also spent some quality time with the goats and chickens. She also helped me start a baby registry at Target.  It was a little overwhelming so afterward we got milkshakes at Chik-fil-a. The other big news is we bought a new-to-us car!  We traded in our old 2002 Ford Focus for a used 2013 Mazada CX-5.

Fall is officially here so bring on all things pumpkin.  I found these  muffins  and only changed one thing. Instead of pecans, I added chocolate chips.  An acceptable switch I think. And a picture of Penny sunbathing upstairs because she is such a pretty kitty.

We had our ultrasound yesterday.  It was exciting to see the baby.  The tech estimated he/she weighed about 11oz and she said they were very cooperative while she was trying to get all her measurements. 19 weeks

I love pumpkins.  We tried growing some for the first time this year and unfortunately did not have much success.  But we did get a few, including two big pumpkins.  And I know it is a little early for jack-o-lanterns, but I didn't want the seeds to go to waste.  So yesterday I carved my pumpkins and roasted the seeds. I am always surprised at how long it takes to scoop out the seeds, carve the pumpkin, and then clean all the seeds.  Growing up, my dad did all the hard work - we just watched and told him how we wanted our pumpkin to look. Two big pumpkins, two baby pumkins Jack-o-lanterns Yummy pumpkin seeds - the reward for all my effort

We decided to get out of town for the weekend and go camping.  We didn't go far, just an hour away to Bedford, VA and the Peaks of Otter campground.  The Peaks of Otter are three mountain peaks within the Blue Ridge Mountains - Harkening Hill, Sharp Top, and Flat Top - with Flat Top being the highest point in the state.  We hiked Harkening Hill on Saturday and then did Sharp Top on Sunday.  We want to come back and hike Flat Top when the leaves start to change in the fall.  It did rain both on Saturday and Sunday, but it didn't really spoil anything.  We hid out in the tent till it was over and were still able to have our evening campfires. Our campsite A view of Sharp Top from the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Sharp Top Summit Harkening Hill as seen from Sharp Top (you can just see the lodge on the right side of the picture). A view of Flat Top from Sharp Top. It's only 1.5 miles to the top, but it is up all the way. ...

By now I think most people know that Nate and I are having a baby but just in case...Surprise!!  We are having a baby!! I just finished my first crochet baby blanket, but it isn't for me.  A good friend back in Illinois is having her first in October and although I couldn't make it back home for the shower, I still wanted to give her a gift. My mom suggested the blanket idea and I'm glad she did.  I think the final project turned out nice. I ended up with a lot of leftover green yarn and wanted to make a little hat to go with the blanket.  I thought this would be a fairly simple project, but it ended up being much more challenging.  I finally ended up with this - too big for a newborn, but hopefully by December or January when it is truly hat weather in the Chicago suburbs, it will work.

No meatless Monday for us tonight. I made my great-grandma's meatball recipe, but don't worry. You might not be able to see them all, but this meal is still packed with veggies.  The green beans came from the garden and the homemade pasta sauce includes our tomatoes and one giant, shredded zucchini. The meatballs have carrots, potatoes, and even a small onion from the garden too.  Sometimes it is a challenge to use all the produce we grow, but for this meal, it was worth the effort. 

Nate and I spent all weekend celebrating our 6 year anniversary.  Friday night we saw Despicable Me 2 and enjoyed some post-movie ice cream.  Then on Saturday we risked the prediction of rain and drove out to Pembroke, VA to see the Cascade Falls, supposedly the most beautiful waterfall on the East Coast.  It ended up being a great day for a hike and the falls were very impressive.  Then today after church we went out for brunch. Hiking along the river up to the falls. Cascade Falls After the falls, we hiked up to Barney's Cliff to get a view of the New River Valley.

We made blackberry-raspberry-strawberry jam today. It looks so yummy; I can't wait to try some on toast. We are lucky to have wild blackberries and raspberries along our driveway. The raspberries are just starting to come in, so there may be more jam making in our future.  I also saw another black bear this weekend while running. I almost missed him (or her). I had stopped to drink some water when I saw the bear running away from the trail back into the woods. That takes my bear sighting count up to 3!

Pat and Paul were here in Virginia last weekend.  We all got to feed the goats, chastise the chickens for not laying enough, learn about the history of Salem, walk around downtown Roanoke, and see a play in the rain.  It was a nice, relaxing time. We went to a winery for a picnic dinner and an outdoor production of The Taming of the Shrew.  It did rain during the second half, but thankfully we were under a tent.

But wait, these aren't just any peas.  These are fresh peas from our garden.  And they were really good.  We picked and shelled three rows of peas and then ate them all.  We are definitely going to plant more for a fall harvest.   We had red bean and rice burgers with our peas.  Nate actually requests these burgers he likes them so much.  I add two eggs to help everything bind better, but overall they come together really quick and easy.

We did a lot of yard work today.  And by we, I mean Nate.  He mowed the front yard, cleaned out the chicken coop, and weed whacked around the barn for our landlords.  So, we decided that instead of staying in, we'd go out to Steak'n'Shake for dinner.  It just recently opened in Roanoke and has been crazy busy.  Luckily tonight we didn't have to wait very long for our table (the idea of waiting to eat at a Steak'n'Shake is very strange to me).  And our food was yummy.  Now to watch the Blackhawks hopefully beat the Bruins!

Not too too much going on here.  Our garden looks good but it is also full of weeds.  We have gotten a lot of rain lately, so we can't get inside and do any work.  I tried my hand at making bagels  which ended up being pretty easy and not too time consuming.  Not to mention yummy. And since it is Monday I thought I would throw in a meatless recipe - Black Bean Pizza .  It was good, but since there's no sauce, the toppings had nothing to stick to and had a tendency to fall off. Nate wanted me to post a picture of the turtle we found in our driveway on Friday.  He was still in the grass when Nate mowed on Saturday, but we couldn't find him again on Sunday.