My baby is turning 2…

next week! It happens way to fast! He will be turning 2 on saturday the day after I turn 30! That’s right his birthday is the day after mine. I went into labor on my birthday. This annoyed me a little because I knew that this meant my birthday would forever be over shadowed by this new arrival! Yeah, I’m selfish like that. Let me just bore you a minute with my going into labor story. I went to dinner with my sister and Brian because I was WAY prego and not interested in a big birthday celebration. I had buffalo chicken salad at dinner which I am convinced kick started the whole thing. After dinner we had planned to go to the mall so I could pick out my birthday present. On the way to the mall I started feeling what I thought were contractions but I had never felt them before and they were mild at that point so I wasn’t sure, therefore I decided to forge ahead to the mall because I really wanted that present. It was a piece of Vera Bradley luggage so I am sure you can understand my decision. We got to the store and at this point I was convinced they were contractions because they started getting stronger but I still managed to make my purchase and grab some peanut butter chocolate ice cream from Hagen Daaz before heading home to pack (with my new luggage) and call the doctor. And, to make a long story short we ended up at the hospital that night around 11pm and I dilated rather fast for a first pregnancy…so fast in fact that I was unable to get the epidural I was LONGING for and had to deliver him naturally (kicking and screaming the entire way). The no epidural part was also due to poor nursing care but we won’t get into that! He was born at 6:20am and weighed just under 7lbs. He was a little guy which was surprising because that peanut butter ice cream was one of many while I was pregnant!!! Anyway he is not a little guy anymore Here he is from 0 months to almost TWO!

 

Those poor people!

Unless you have been hiding under a rock or something then you know that New Orleans is about to be hit once again by a huge storm! I feel so bad for these people I mean when the last one hit it seemed like a once in a lifetime sort of tragedy could it really be happening again to these people!!!! I will be praying this week that this is not a repeat of Katrina.

Here is a picture that came up when I went to the website to get the one above. It’s a picture of Katrina. It’s pretty much the scariest looking think ever!!!

Reasons why I am lazy…

1. My son has left fingerprints all over the windows and it hasn’t bothered me enough to clean them.

2. I threw away an entire red pepper today because I never felt like chopping it up for the last 3 recipes that called for it.

3. There is probably something growing underneath my sons booster because I haven’t felt like unstrapping it to clean it for like ever.  I know, gross!

4. I am sitting here typing this blog instead of doing any of these things!

5. I just realized that I haven’t had the inside of my car cleaned in like 3 months!!! This is super lazy because I don’t even do it myself I just have to drive to the car wash place.

6. My husband goes through a ridiculous amount of wrinkle releaser because I hate ironing his work shirts or anything else for that matter.

7. Cleaning out the shoe bin. We have a shoe bin by the front door that is so full of shoes I have to search for like 5 minutes ever time I go out and every time I think “I need to clean this thing out.”

There are probably a whole bunch more reasons but this is all I feel comfortable disclosing for now

A quick update

Things are definitely in full swing with school so I will try and stay up on my blog but I am apologizing in advance if I slack a bit this semester. Today was my first full day at the hospital and it was GREAT! I actually wasn’t looking forward to this semester’s rotation because I didn’t think ER nursing would interest me but I spent the day in the ER today and although I’m still sticking with OB nursing, I LOVED the experience. I actually successfully started 4 IV’s lines today! WOO HOO!!!!! I also got to do a bunch of other fun stuff and observe some interesting procedures so it was definitely a great day but a LONG day. I am exhausted so I am going to go study and hit the sack!

Class is in session.

So today was orientation for this semester and although the professor’s tried their hardest to instill fear in all of us I did my best to not let it get to me. I know this is going to be a tough semester and although I have the GIANT state board exam hanging over my head every day I know I will be ok, thanks to all the encouragement I’ve been getting! 

Here is a picture of one of our professors who actually said and i quote “get your valium prescriptions filled folks because this semester is going to be rough” Isn’t that nice! 

If your wondering I took this with my phone. No, I did not take pictures with my giant camera in the classroom!! I have been called the paparazzi before but that would be a little ridiculous:)

I also had to share the nice gift my sister brought when she came over to watch Jonas so I could go to class:

A sonic slushy with some encouraging words:) YUMMO!

Baking when depressed can be dangerous!

I was planning on making this cake for my Bible study group this week (and I still plan on it) but in a moment of weakness I made a mini version last night and OH MY GOODNESS….heaven on a plate!!!!! You must try it!!!! 

Adapted from Southern Living Magazine

2 c sugar

2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 8oz sour cream

2 large eggs

1 c butter

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa

1. Preheat to 350. Stir sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; stir in sour cream and beaten eggs.

2. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 1 c of boiling water and cocoa. Let boil, while whisking for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

3. Pour mixture into sour cream mixture. Pour into un-greased 15 x 10 x 1″ jelly-roll (1/2 sheet pan)

4. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

While that is baking make the frosting.

Melt 1/2 c butter in a saucepan, add 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa, stir and remove from heat. Add 1/3 c milk, 1lb of powdered sugar & 1 tsp vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Once the cake comes out pour the frosting on the warm cake, spread evenly and serve!

 

After munching on this cake Brian and I weren’t really hungry for dinner and as mentioned I’m not a fan of cooking a big meal on Sunday’s so I made us both an appetizer for dinner and I had to share this also because it was almost as yummy as the sheet cake!

Zucchini Cakes.

I will let you guess where I got this recipe…it was ridiculously easy (seriously!) and ridiculously GOOD!!!! 

*****I am starting to feel like my blog is turning into a food blog so I promise that my next 3 posts will not have food in them, well I don’t promise but I’ll try!

I don’t know what my problem is…

I have not been able to shake this down in the dumps feeling I have about going back to school. I have alot going on right now with Jonas and just some other everyday struggles that seem somewhat manageable right now, not being in school. I think I am just afraid that I won’t be able to juggle everything once things get back into full swing. I honestly want to be a nurse more than anything but I am coming into the homestretch and it feels like I have this massive charlie horse that won’t go away and could hurt my chances of finishing the race! I have a tendency to FREAK out when things change and it usually subsides once I have a little time to get used to it but this time it just seems harder than in the past. It doesn’t help that this summer has been really really great and I am writing this on my official last day of summer so if there was any day that I would be most depressed it would be today. I am also not very good at multitasking on a large scale. In other words when I am in school I feel like I give it everything I have (almost to the extreme) and have very little left for anything else. However, Jonas needs a lot of attention and focus. We have a daily routine of tasks that need to stay consistent in order for him to succeed. I just feel like one of them (school or Jonas’ therapy) will have to suffer. Obviously I will have to let it be school that suffers and that is just not an easy reality for me to accept. Anyway all this talk about being sad is making me want to bake so I am going in the kitchen now!

Weekly meal plan.

Did I mention I am loving this menu plan thing. I haven’t actually crunched the numbers but I know it is saving a bunch of money. Anyway real quick last weeks dishes were all really good. The brown sugar chicken definatly was the star of the show, I actually caught my husband drinking the sauce after the meal (GROSS!). So thanks A. Karen for your revised version!!!

Ok so here’s this weeks plan:

Monday – Eggplant parmesan & salad

Tueday – Chicken taco salad. (this is a staple at our house)

I just saute chicken with taco seasoning and let it cool. Then I put out a taco bar with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, olives & catalina dressing…yum!

Wednesday - Turkey Burgers & twiced baked potatoes

Thursday – Leftovers for my husband & yucky hospital food for me (I will be at the hospital every thursday this fall for school) 

Friday – Frozen pizza

Saturday – Spicy shredded pork and I haven’t decided the veggie yet. (I know more Pioneer Woman but these are the last 2 things I have wanted to try on her website so that should be it for awhile, its hard to find a really good recipe site) ps. I am doing this in the crockpot instead of a dutch oven.

Sunday – Leftovers (I don’t know what it is but I just don’t like to cook on Sunday’s

Funny Photo Friday

Last scene of last years season of the office………34 days and counting! Slightly embarrassing how much I enjoy this show!

Momsue :)

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear mom, happy birthday to you!!!!!!!!

 

Here is a shot of my mom enjoying her strawberry birthday cake!

And this is a pic taken about 3 seconds later!

Happy bday Mom, you really are the best! I mean it!