Friday, June 3, 2016

3 days left of school

The end of the school year, always seems to come so fast and then drag on SOO long. But we have 3 days left! Soo excited for summer fun with friends and family!
28 week bump

I'm now officially 28 weeks pregnant, third trimester! Crazy to think I have a pretty much completely formed baby inside already because I'm ready for him to stay quite a bit longer! Which he hopefully will, growing fat, and getting bigger!

Since last post we've been getting summer ready! Mark went to his parents one weekend to clean up and get the Nancy 2 Boat ready. Dean and I spent the day at Minnehaha Waterfalls. (Dean "haha, wawafall!")

We also went up to the cabin for the first time this summer with the Staums, Chris and Cindy and Mark's parents. We had a good time (even though the weather wasn't great) we had fun. The only bummer about the weekend was I am starting to have really bad pelvic and inner thigh pain ( I think from having to hold Dean all the time?) So I was waddling most of the weekend! Luckily since being back home and in our own bed and buying a maternity support belt I've been experiencing much less pain!

We went to Little Nicki's one night which was fun because they have an area built for kids to play and get wild in, not to mentio their cheap food and gluten free pizza :)
lil Nicki's

The other big bummer was Dean's owie (pictured right) probably the worst and quickest bruise he's ever gotten! But with as much as he falls we weren't at all surprised!

We also got to try out Steve and Nancy's new boat the Nancy 2 for the first time! It rides great and we're excited to get to enjoy more trips on it this summer. Dean loved it! At first he didn't want to get in at all, then he decided it was ok, took some getting used to the life vest, then kept saying "faster, faster!" and "my boat!"
!
Now it's just a matter of making it through our last few days of school! This weekend we are celebrating Dean's 2nd birthday! I can't believe it's been 2 years! We were going to throw a Mickey Party but when that didn't work out we realized he doesn't really care, Mickey Cupcakes with Mom and Dad and a trip to the Zoo will be just as fun!


Then we have 3 days of school and we head up to the cabin! But not before we get a new dishwasher installed and a garbage disposal! You know you're an adult when you're excited to get a new dishwasher! We're also getting ALL the carpets cleaned in the house to get ready for baby! Something we haven't done since we moved in 3 years ago, so it's LONG overdue! A week from today we're heading back up to the cabin and it'll just be our family staying at the hideaway. We're excited for a quieter, calmer trip (as quiet as it gets with Dean!) We love our crazy little toddler!



Wednesday, May 18, 2016

26 weeks pregnancy Update

How far along?  25 1/2 weeks.
Baby’s size:  Baby is now the size of a head of lettuce, between 1.5-2.5 lbs.  Yep, I’m definitely feeling that.
Maternity clothes?  I feel like this is such a silly question. Why wouldn't you wear maternity clothes when pregnant? They better show off your changing body, they are more comfortable, and if you buy them you might as well get use out of them!
Best moment this week:  Watching videos of Dean over the last year. It's crazy how quickly he's growing, learning words, moving, I want time to slow down! He never stops talking now "Mommy play hockey? I mow the lawn! I want to get rowdy!"
Miss Anything?  Lying on my back :/ And as it gets warmer I wouldn't mind a nice Bud Light Lime :) I guess pretty flowers will have to do for now :)

Movement:  All the time now! He seems to be head down (can't be sure!) But I feel very noticable kicks around rib area, and then down REALLY low just smaller movements (hands head?)
Food cravings:  Last week I had to go to the store to buy icecream :) I've also been CRAVING spicy foods (I usually hate anything too spicy!) I've been putting Siracha on everything!
Anything making you queasy or sick:  Does Dean pointing out every time someone farted count? "Daddy Farted!" (Ok it's kind of cute. haha)
Gender:  Still a boy
Symptoms:  Crazy baby movement; weird dreams, pain in pelvic region (especially after walking the 5k this weekend)
Dean and I pre-5K... Yes it was 35 degrees!

Looking forward to:  Summer break! We are SOOOOOO close! 2 more full weeks of school (not counting my doctors visit next week and Gestational diabetes test.... I hate that test) And a week with Memorial day. We have a full summer too! Can't wait for all my visitors! My parents, my suities! My brother and sister and nephew and niece! Kansas City friend Ashley, Mark's mom's entire side of the family, The Johnstons! Its going to be a busy summer for this big 'ole mama.
Other Fun Things to Note:  
Say Cheese!
We have our names narrowed down to 2-3 (I'm pretty sure I know what I want.. just like with Dean!) But we aren't telling until he's born SORRY! :) Dean is also getting cuter and cuter! He turns 2 in less than a month! Enjoying these last few months with my sweet boy! (Also don't tell him he's a big boy, he say's "I baby!")

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Getting close to Third Trimester... What!!??

Boy has this pregnancy flown by! I think up until this past weekend Mark and I have been convincing ourselves we have tons of time. We've just been enjoying the start of Spring, celebrating friends babies and watching Dean grow up!


Mommy and Son Train Expo Date
He hasn't stopped talking about Choo Choos!

I think this weekend, however, we realized "Here comes the THIRD trimester!". I can't see my feet anymore. I can't teach fitness classes anymore without getting out of breath. We haven't put together Dean's big boy room. We don't have NAMES picked out.

We started the weekend calmly then I had a minor freak out about how hard it will be to have two kids and work full time (normal I believe!). I think having conversations like this are important to really start to mentally prepare us for the change coming into our lives. If we weren't a little scared something would be wrong!

To remind us you can still have fun after kids, we had friends over and watched Dean play with his buddy Judah "JOO!" And got excited for when he will get to meet his own little buddy, "Hi broda!" He's started saying.

Then late last night, around 2:30 AM we got a 2nd test to see if we were really ready to have another kid. I heard Dean yelling for me (never a good thing!) I walk in and my fears are correct, "I wet" he says. The stench of his puke fills the room, and his bed his covered. This has happened before, so like before I cleaned him up and put him back into bed with new clothing, sheets and blankets...10 minutes later.... "Mommy!"At this point he's puked even more and Mark wakes up. Mark apparently has a more comforting gene than me at night, he took Dean and laid with him on the couch until 7:30 AM, getting puked on and watching Disney Channel all night!

Luckily our little guy stopped puking by 5, and was in great spirits all night and all day today ( as long as he could watch his show). After a 4 hour nap and some bland foods he was back to normal and ready to go for a walk and enjoy our beautiful Spring weather!

I think what the day/night taught me though, was that Mark and I make a good team. He was the loving support Dean needed while I did 7 loads of laundry; I played with Dean in the bath while Mark took out the trash; Mark grilled our awesome dinner while I read to Dean and showered. We stayed suprisingly calm all day, even with the lack of sleep and the sick kid. Does that mean we never argue? Ya right! But when things get tough we have traits that compliment each other and we support each other and our sweet family. I don't brag about my husband much, but today I was proud to be his wife and excited for his and I growing family.


Rachel Ray's Queso Bacon Burger-AWESOME!

So with a crazy eventful weekend, that was supposed to be filled with a lot of nothing, we embark on our final few months. I think we have time to get the things done we need to do. But I look forward to the end of this journey, no matter how crazy, sleep-deprived, stressful and surprising the birth of a new baby can be!



Rachel Ray's Burger Recipe:
Ingredients
For the Queso Sauce:
2 poblano chilies
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar or smoked Gouda
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 rounded tablespoon yellow mustard, preferably French’s

For the Burgers:
12 slices smoky bacon
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder, preferably Gebhardt’s
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 burger or Kaiser rolls or 12 slider rolls, split

Topppings:
Chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce, diced and seeded tomatoes, chopped white onions, corn chips (preferably Fritos) or corn tortilla chips (preferably Xochitl), and pickled jalapeño rings.
- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipes/22258_bacon_queso_burger/#sthash.VrUNDXi0.dpuf
 http://www.rachaelray.com/recipes/bacon-queso-burger


Ingredients

For the Queso Sauce:

  • 2 poblano chilies
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
  • 1 cup shredded smoked cheddar or smoked Gouda
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
  • 1 rounded tablespoon yellow mustard, preferably French’s

For the Burgers:

  • 12 slices smoky bacon
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
  • 3 tablespoons grated onion
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder, preferably Gebhardt’s
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 6 burger or Kaiser rolls or 12 slider rolls, split

Topppings:

  • Chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce, diced and seeded tomatoes, chopped white onions, corn chips (preferably Fritos) or corn tortilla chips (preferably Xochitl), and pickled jalapeño rings.

Preparation

Working over a gas burner or under the broiler, char the poblanos, turning often until blackened all over. Transfer to a bowl and cover. Let cool 15 minutes then peel, seed and chop. 
Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook, stirring often until softened, 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cornstarch, add the milk and cook, stirring often, until it comes to a bubble. Add the cream cheese and stir until it melts and the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add the shredded cheeses and stir until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the mustard and chopped poblanos; remove pan from heat and reserve. 
Arrange the bacon on a slotted broiler pan or a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until browned and crispy, about 20 minutes, then chop. 
In a medium bowl, combine the sirloin, onion, Worcestershire, chili powder, salt and pepper. Form 6 burger patties or 12 slider patties that are thinner in the center for even cooking. 
Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan over medium-high. Add the canola oil, one turn of the pan. Add the patties and cook, turning occasionally, for 7-8 minutes for burgers or 2-3 minutes for sliders. 
Reheat the queso over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted. To assemble, the burgers, top the bun bottoms with lettuce, tomato and chopped onion. Add the patties, chips, some queso sauce, bacon bits and jalapeño rings, set bun tops in place and serve. 

Ingredients
For the Queso Sauce:
2 poblano chilies
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cup whole milk
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar or smoked Gouda
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 rounded tablespoon yellow mustard, preferably French’s

For the Burgers:
12 slices smoky bacon
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder, preferably Gebhardt’s
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 burger or Kaiser rolls or 12 slider rolls, split

Topppings:
Chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce, diced and seeded tomatoes, chopped white onions, corn chips (preferably Fritos) or corn tortilla chips (preferably Xochitl), and pickled jalapeño rings.
- See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipes/22258_bacon_queso_burger/#sthash.VrUNDXi0.dpuf

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Delicious Food

So I don't often have food posts, but I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is just SOO good I had to post! I had had a stuffed poblano in Texas and when I saw them at the co-op thought, "I should make that!" It was so satisfying! Added re-fried beans (canned) and rice from yesterday (With TJ's Green Dragon Sauce!) and I was in heaven! Mark liked it too! (Though of course his was without the cilantro).

Not as pretty as it tasted!
Chicken and Corn Stuffed Chiles *From Taste and Tell Blog
 
Flavor explosion! These Chicken and Corn Stuffed Chiles are packed with flavor - chicken, corn, cheese and salsa all inside a mild poblano pepper. Don’t skip the lime cream!
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 large poblano peppers
  • 1½ cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great!)
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup tomatillo salsa (homemade or store bought)
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • zest of 1 lime
  • juice of ½ lime
  • paprika and fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut a wide strip across the top of each pepper to create a “boat”. Remove the ribs and seeds from the pepper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, corn, cheese, and salsa. Divide the mixture evenly, filling each pepper. Place the peppers on a baking sheet. Roast until the chiles are tender and the filling is browned, about 25 minutes.
  3. While the chiles are cooking, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime zest and lime juice in a small bowl.
  4. To serve, drizzle the chiles with the sauce and sprinkle with paprika and cilantro.
Notes
very slightly adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray September 2015
 
My 22 week old baby is sure loving these! I'm excited to feed him some homemade pupusas this weekend! (I'll let you know how those turn out too!)

I'll leave you with my boys :)
Baby A's first purchased outfits ! And Dean rocking his new Mickey Mouse Bookbag!


Happy Spring!!!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

A momma of TWO boys :)

I have to share my toys with a BOY!?
Well we had our 20 week ultra sound last week, and we finally got to see little baby A. We can't believe at this point we are over HALFWAY with this pregnancy, the 2nd time it flies by so fast!

I have hardly remembered I'm pregnant some days, but this week I'm starting to feel him a little more (not a ton because of an anterior placenta-placenta is taking all his kicks!) and my stomach is really starting to pop!

The ultra-sound told us exactly a what we wanted to hear, baby is 100% developing as expected, and has all his arms, legs and chambers of the heart. He modeled perfectly for us to see his gender and all other body parts, but when the time came to take pictures he buried his head and we only got a few.
Baby Boy A # 2

But of course the thing everyone always wants to know is WHAT IS THE GENDER! Well obviously, he is a little baby boy. It's funny because the moment anyone finds out, I feel like I have to immediately say how excited we are so that they don't feel the need to "feel sorry for me" and start listing all the reasons it's "ok". Before having kids I would have said that having only boys would be my worst nightmare. And I'd be lying if I said that I won't be a little dissapointed if I never get to dress my own in pink, bows and ridiculous dresses; but we really didn't care what the gender of this baby is. Mark and I are ECSTATIC that Dean is going to have a brother: someone he can relate to, share toys and clothes with, talk about girls with and become best friends with. Yes, I love my brother, yes, Mark loves his sisters, but there's something to be said about having a sibling of the same sex too! We are excited to see how this little guy is the same as Dean, and different and curious about whether their interests will be the same or completely different.
He Doesn't Give a Dean

That being said, if I or anyone announces to you that they are having a baby, and it's their second or third or forth and it's the same gender, don't feel the need to "make them feel better". For us, at least, becoming a parent to a healthy baby is the most important thing, gender is secondary. We have loved having baby boy Dean, and even if I will be totally out-numbered (aside from Cici!) I can't wait to welcome our 2nd little boy.

Only problem is now we have to come up with a name....For now I'll just make and eat a whole chocolate cake, by myself :), Ok maybe Dean will helP!

Monday, April 4, 2016

10 cousins, 3 states, 8 days

Well Dean and I did it. Spring Break trip starting at 3:30 AM, traveling to see all his cousins in one week. It had it's ups and downs but overall was a very rewarding trip.

We started Friday of Spring break at 3:30 to be ready for our 5:30 am flight. Dean, of course, was already awake! (Little stinker) Amazingly our flights to NC went without a hitch AND Dean had his own seat for each flight! Thank goodness for flights that aren't full and Southwest's people first policy! We got to NC around noon and surprisingly neither of us was super tired!



We had a great trip in NC but boy did it go by fast! The first two days we hung out in Garner at my parent's house, visiting parks, Easter festival, Paul and Susan visiting and playing with cars. The weather was nice, not warm, but definitely not cold!

















 Unfortunately our last two days in NC Dean got pretty sick :( He had few symptoms other than a runny nose, but had a fever that one day got up to 104! We took him to the clinic but they said it was just a virus and to keep him rested. (Which was hard to do with his cousin around! All he wanted to do was grab Henry's toys, say "MINE" and ride bikes!) He did ok for being so sick, but I was bummed that my family in NC got to see him at this grumpiest, clingiest, and worst. He definitely wasn't his happy go-lucky-self!

From NC Dean and I flew on Tuesday to Chicago where we met up with Mark. (Once again Dean got his own seat! This pregnant momma was thankful he didn't have to ride in my lap!) He was ECSTATIC to see Mark in Chicago, ran at him at the gate yelling "Daddy!!" I was thankful we had Mark for our 2nd leg because Dean was still feeling kind of crappy (fever down to 99) and no empty seat on a flight. In fact we didn't get ANY more empty seats, I must have been lucky!

We got to Houston Tuesday afternoon where Sarah and KK (or Kaka as Dean says) picked us up. It was nice being in Houston and getting to see all the Johnston. We hadn't seen them since the summer and they have all grown up so much! We also hadn't had a chance to see their new home since they moved from Dallas, and Dean really loved seeing his cousins (even if he didn't want to give them hugs when they wanted him to!)

We had a pretty laid back time in Houston, went for walks, hung out in the 70 degree weather outside, Easter egg hunts and lots of grilled meat (Thanks Mike!) We also got to go out one night and enjoy Tex Mex :) Once again though the trip passed quick, and when we left at 6 am everyone was sad to see us go.
Notice the raspberry on his face... he fell, A LOT

Poor Peyton He tried SOO hard






Watching Mickey "Ma" together

We got back to Minnesota Saturday around 3pm, and totally missed the 10-12 inches that Eagan got over the week. How thankful we were to have been wearing shorts! It was good to be home and we spent most of Saturday getting re-acclimated, and thankfully the house was spotless because Mark had cleaned while Dean and I were in NC!

Sunday was busy and we spent the day, Easter, with Dean visiting his last cousins in Afton at his grandparents. We had a lovely time with an Easter Egg hunt, family and dinner. But BOY were we exhausted that evening.
The Aronson Men-3 Generations









18 weeks pregnant





Needless to say Dean had his fill of cousins that week, but still seemed to want to see them once they were gone. He keeps asking for "Paul" and "Kaka" (the easiest names to say) and when we took him to Max and Marcella's house this past weekend so Mark and I could go out for my birthday (still in my 20's!) :) he was soo excited and couldn't wait to leave!

So spring has definitely been busy for us so far! We are hoping it gets warm soon, with threats of snow coming this week. We enjoyed one warm day this weekend and it was nice for my birthday weekend to get outside, see some tulips growing, start my tomato plants and vacuum the cars! I also enjoyed teaching my last OULA class before baby comes (i'm going to keep dancing, just not teaching! It's too intense). Lastly Mark and I enjoyed our yearly tradition of Pizza Luce and free dessert :) Yummy gluten free brownie with ice cream!
Birthday Breakfast
Birthday Steak


My last Oula class as an instructor Pre-baby, 20 weeks

This coming week we have our 20 week anatomy scan for baby so we are excited/anxious to see the little one moving around and maybe catch whether Dean will have a sister or brother? We shall see! Keep you posted...