25 Weeks

Yesterday, I entered the 25th week of my pregnancy with Ryan. We're just a few days away from a double-digit countdown now (days-wise, that is... we're 104 days away from my due date today)! Once again, I wanted to wait until today to do this update post, partly because I didn't feel like posting last night, and partly because I had another doctor check-up this afternoon, and I wanted to include the updates from it as well.
My check-up went well today, as usual, thankfully (and there was a MUCH shorter wait than last time, praise the Lord!).
My blood pressure was good (110/68).
Ryan's heart rate was 166 beats-per-minute today, which surprised me, since it's been 148 beats-per-minute the last three times we've been there. The nurse asked me what I ate for lunch, and when I said "Tacos", she giggled and said, "Yeah, he might be a little gassy today" (thus the higher heart rate). Obviously we don't know if that's the case or not, but regardless, his heart was still beating away nice and strong, and that's all that matters. I always love hearing his heart beat... such a beautiful sound. Music to my ears for sure.
The nurse also measured my "height of fundus" (the length from the top of my belly to the bottom) today. I had never heard that term until I was pregnant with Rylee, but I learned an interesting fact about it: when a woman gets to a certain point in her pregnancy, her "height of fundus" (the number of the measurement in centimeters) should mirror the number of weeks pregnant she is (unless she's carrying multiples, of course... or she's just gaining too much weight). For example, I am 25 weeks pregnant, and my "height of fundus" today measured 26 centimeters. So technically, my belly is measuring one week ahead of where I actually am, according to my due date, but that's perfectly okay. I think I've just got a big boy growing in there.
As far as my weight gain goes, Dr. Dupre says it is "phenomenal". I seriously think he used that word at least two or three times talking to me about it... "phenomenal". I've gained 5 pounds since my visit last month, so I'm up to 118 pounds now (a total pregnancy weight gain so far of 11 pounds). I'm glad he thinks I'm doing so great (seriously, I am... no one wants to hear from her doctor that she's not doing well, especially when she's pregnant), but I was so tempted to say, "Seriously, Doc? Forget what the scale says... do you see me? DO YOU SEE THIS BELLY?!" I feel so big already. The scale just isn't really reflecting it yet, I guess (and I'm certainly not complaining about that).
Anyway, that was about it from my appointment today. Like I said, all still seems to be going very well, so I'm very thankful. I go back in four more weeks on October 24th for my next check-up. I'll be doing my glucose test that day, so hopefully all of that will go well. I remember when I was pregnant with Rylee, I was SO nervous about the glucose test, not because I had to have blood drawn (oh, if only I had a dollar for every time I've had blood drawn... I'd be pretty well-off by now), but because I had to drink that "stuff". I had heard horror stories from people about how terrible the drink tasted, and that they weren't able to keep it down. Other people told me that it didn't taste bad at all... just tasted like a strong soda. Well... I certainly don't want to drink something that tastes so horrible I throw it back up, AND I don't like ANY sodas, so neither situation was a "winner" for me. And you have to fast for a certain amount of time before you drink the stuff, and you have to drink it within 5 minutes... and I'm just not always good with those kinds of "conditions". However, when it came time to drink the stuff, I did fine with it. At the suggestion of the nurses at my doctor's office, I had put it in the refrigerator so it would be nice and cold, and it really didn't taste bad at all. I had no trouble drinking it within 5 minutes, and I had no trouble keeping it down. And thankfully, when I went to have my blood drawn, I passed the test with no problem. So anyway, I'm not at all concerned about it this time around. Dr. Dupre fully expects me to pass it again with no problem, so that makes me feel good, too.
Anyway, I reckon that's about all I've got for now, so I'll go ahead and post my belly picture from last night and leave you until next time. Here's my ever-growing belly at 25 weeks:

Bacon Ranch Chicken

Last night, I had my family (mom, dad, and sister) over for dinner again to try another new recipe with me and Rylee (Jordan was at work, as usual). I found this particular recipe linked to the "Crockpotalooza" post on Kelly's Korner. It's called "Bacon Ranch Chicken", and it's another recipe for the Crock Pot. I love Crock Pot recipes... the Crock Pot does all the hard work for you!
Here's the recipe:


Bacon Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:
- 4 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp. real bacon bits
- 1 tsp. minced garlic (I didn't have minced garlic, so I used 1 tsp. garlic sauce instead.)
- 1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup sour cream

Preparation Instructions:
- Place raw chicken breasts in bottom of Crock Pot.
- Combine bacon bits, garlic, ranch dressing mix, cream of chicken soup, and sour cream in medium bowl, and mix well.
- Pour mixture over chicken in Crock Pot.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours.


Simple, right? It was so quick and easy to throw together, and it turned out really yummy. The original recipe called to serve it over egg noodles, but I decided to serve it with garlic cheddar mashed potatoes instead. Anyway, it was another good recipe to add to my recipe box. Can't wait to try another new, yummy recipe soon!

"Show Us Your Life": Bible Studies/Devotions

I'm linking up over at Kelly's Corner again for another "Show Us Your Life" post. Kelly wants to know what her readers' favorite Bible studies and devotionals are.
To be honest, although I have been a Christian since I was 8 years old, I haven't done much of any Bible studies yet. I've gone through one or two with Sunday school classes in the past, and I've also read through parts of different devotionals here and there, but until just recently, I had a very difficult time staying "committed" to having a daily Bible study time. I'm one of those people who had the same New Year's resolution every year to read my Bible every day, but by the second or third week of the year (if not sooner), that resolution had already gone down the drain. I would just busy myself with other things, telling myself that I would have my time with God later, and when "later" came around at the end of the day when I was crawling into bed, I was always too tired. SO selfish, huh?
That has been my "story" for YEARS now. Thankfully, however, God has really been working on my heart lately. I have been struggling internally for a WHILE now, and about 7 weeks (or so) ago, I couldn't run away any longer. I knew that I was not devoting myself to God at all like I was supposed to or NEEDED to. When I was 8 years old, I said a prayer and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and be my Savior. And I meant it. I know without a doubt that I was saved that day, but since then, I have learned that there is SO much more to the Christian life than just saying a prayer and being baptized. God has lovingly been opening my eyes to the fact that "my" life really IS NOT about ME at all. If I truly want to thrive in my walk with Christ, I have to "die" to myself and live for Him and Him alone. I cannot chase after my own selfish desires and constantly put other people and things in front of God and still expect to be in His will.
Like I said, I had been wrestling with God for a long time with all of this. It's like I could literally hear Him calling out to me, but for whatever reason, I kept running. I don't know why. I'll never understand why. Why on earth would anyone run from such a loving God? But we all do it, don't we? Anyway, like I said, about 7 weeks ago, I finally surrendered. I couldn't remember when the last time was that I had read my Bible or prayed outside of church. I felt so disconnected from God, and it was tearing me up inside. I was desperate to feel Him again. I didn't know what to do, and I knew it would take time to grow and start to feel that "intimacy" with Him again, but I knew I had to start somewhere. So, I went to my bookshelf here at home and found a Bible study I started with a church small group a couple years ago, but never got very far into. It's an 8-week study by Kelly Minter called No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern-Day Idols. I knew right away that it was exactly what I needed. I started it immediately, and I can honestly say that, with God's help, I am now on the 7th week of the study. I have learned so much about myself and so much about God and my need for Him through this study. Kelly is a great writer and has great insight on the passages of scripture for each day. And on that note, that's what I love best about the study - as great as it is on its own, I love the fact that it challenges me to dig into God's Word every day. I needed that. I HAD to get back into reading my Bible. And I have, in a way that I never have before. I now hunger for time in God's Word every day. I truly look forward to my time with God, first in prayer, and then digging into His Word with an open heart, desiring to hear from Him. I am closer in my walk with God now than I have ever been in my life, and it feels SO good. And it only makes me want to grow closer and closer and closer to Him. That's the awesome thing about it... there's always room to grow in Christ.
Starting the Bible study (and getting that hunger to be in God's Word again) also encouraged me to start reading a devotional every night again. My church puts out the Journey devotional magazine every month, and although I always grabbed one with the intent of reading it, I rarely ever read more than a few days out of each month. Now, however, I look forward to ending my day with a little more time in God's Word. I really like the Journey magazine. Each day has a short devotional paired with a passage of scripture, and I can't tell you how often the devotional and/or scripture talks about something I am struggling with specifically on that day. God's good about stuff like that.
One other thing I'm doing right now is studying through the book A Confident Heart by Renee Swope with a women's small group at my church on Sunday nights. We just started the class two weeks ago, so we haven't gotten very far into it yet, but I'm very excited to see how God chooses to reveal Himself to me and show me that I can have a confident heart in Him.
So, those are the Bible studies and devotions I am enjoying right now. I know this post turned into a bit of a rambling session from me (keep in mind the name of this blog), but I've been meaning to share all of this (what God has been doing in my life lately) for a while now, and I figured this post was as good a time as any.
I want to encourage anyone reading this who isn't having a daily "quiet time" with God to PLEASE start one. You will never know just how important daily time with God - through prayer and spending time in His Word - is until you start having it. It has been such an incredible blessing to me, and I know it will be for you, too.

Rylee's 15-Month Doctor Visit

This morning, I took Rylee to the pediatrician for her 15-month check-up. I still can't believe she's already 15 months old. It feels like just yesterday Jordan and I were taking her for her very first check-up when she was just 4 days old to make sure her slight case of jaundice was clearing up.
Anyway, they were a bit late calling us back, so she got plenty of time to play with the toys in the waiting area. She also enjoyed keeping me on my toes by spontaneously taking off running towards the examination rooms a few times. Don't know why she was so anxious to get back there. If only she had known what was coming...
A nurse finally called her name and led us to a room. We laid her down on the examination table so the nurse could get her measurements. As soon as we laid her down, Rylee started to get very anxious and cry. Obviously I have no way to be sure of this, but I really think when we laid her down, it "jogged" something in Rylee's memory, and she remembered being there 3 months ago when she had to get shots (because they always lay them down on the table to give them their shots when they're little). And I think she remembered that getting shots is NOT fun. Anyway, I did my best to keep her calm and still so the nurse could get her measurements. She has grown an inch since her 12-month check-up - she is now 31 and 3/4 inches long. When the nurse weighed her, however, I was a bit surprised to see that she has actually lost 3 ounces since her last visit. Today, she weighed 21 pounds, 12 ounces. Dr. Trumbull said it was perfectly okay and normal, because she has started walking since her last visit, and is simply burning off some of her "baby fat". He said she is just long and lean, but perfectly healthy. He, as always, was very pleased with how she looked and is doing (even though she was crying the entire time he was in there with us). He said I'm doing a great job as a mommy, which of course makes me feel very good. I'm certainly doing my best.
Anyway, we finished chatting with the doctor, and then he said what I was dreading... "Rylee's gotta get two shots today." Ugh. I couldn't remember if she was due for more shots today, but obviously, I was hoping she wasn't. Anyway, Dr. Trumbull left, and Rylee and I stayed in the room to wait for the nurse to come in and give her the shots. Rylee was still crying, and as soon as the nurse came in and we laid her down on the table to get ready for her shots, she started screaming. I had to hold her arms down so the nurse could give her a shot in each thigh. She just screamed and screamed. It breaks my heart to have to stand there and hold her down while that pain is being inflicted on her. Of course I know the shots are to help keep her from getting sick, but it doesn't make it any easier to see my baby in pain, looking up at me screaming, wondering why I'm allowing that to happen to her. Like I said... breaks my heart.
As soon as the nurse was finished, I picked Rylee up and did my best to calm her down. I always hate it when Jordan isn't able to be at those appointments with us. Somehow, Daddy just makes it all better... and I like having his support there for me also (I always end up crying right along with Rylee). Anyway, I got her dressed, and by the time we left the room to check out, she had calmed down, thankfully. Somehow, we forgot to schedule her next appointment for her 18-month check-up... and I didn't realize it until I got home and Jordan asked me when her next appointment is. The receptionist always automatically asks me what date would work best for her next appointment, but today she didn't do that... and I didn't think twice about it. I guess I was just ready to get out of there. Hopefully I'll remember to call the office in the morning so we can get that taken care of.
Anyway, although it was a rough visit for Rylee, I'm so thankful that she is healthy and right on track with where she should be. I am a blessed mommy!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Today, I decided to try another new recipe for lunch. A couple weeks ago, I was introduced to the Pioneer Woman's website, and let's just say I've become a bit obsessed. She has SO MANY yummy-looking recipes in the cooking section of her site that I can't wait to make over time. I've already made her "Chicken Spaghetti" recipe (I actually found it on a different blog I follow, but the author made sure to reference that she got it from the Pioneer Woman's site), and today, I decided to try my hand at her recipe for a dish called "Sour Cream Noodle Bake". It was very easy to throw together, and it turned out really yummy. I did exclude two of the ingredients (pepper and green onions... y'all know I don't like that stuff), so if you want to see what the original recipe calls for, make sure you check it out on her site.
Here's the recipe for how I made it, though:


Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8oz. (weight) egg noodles
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/4 cups small curd cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add 15oz. can of tomato sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until mixed well, then let simmer while preparing other ingredients.
- Cook egg noodles in large pot of boiling water until "al dente" (firm, but not hard). Drain water and set cooked noodles aside.
- Mix sour cream and cottage cheese together in a large bowl. Add noodles and mix well until noodles are completely covered with sour cream/cottage cheese combination. Then add meat, and mix it all together well.
- Place mixture in a 13x9 baking dish and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake in oven for 20 minutes.


I actually remembered to take a picture (well, two, actually) of the finished product, straight out of the oven. Looks yummy, doesn't it?

24 Weeks

Yesterday, I entered my 24th week of pregnancy with Ryan. We're 16 weeks away from the big day now. I just can't wait to meet him. I'm so anxious to see who he looks like. (I'm praying he has lots of dark hair like Rylee does.) It's almost like there's a big present with my name on it under a Christmas tree, and I have to stare at it for 9 months until I can FINALLY open it and see what's inside. I'd say that's a pretty good analogy too, considering he's due exactly two weeks after Christmas. He will definitely be the best (late) Christmas present ever.
Anyway, my pregnancy is still going very well, overall. I'm feeling good (most days), and I can definitely tell Ryan is growing and getting more active every day. His kicks are getting stronger, making my stomach jump a lot, and I've noticed he apparently likes to push on my right pelvic bone from time to time (in fact, I'm feeling a little pressure there as I type this).
I think I weigh about 115 pounds now, but I feel and look like I weigh a WHOLE lot more than that. My stomach is getting BIG. Everyone told me I would grow faster with the second (and so on) pregnancy, because my body has "been there, done that" before, but I really didn't expect it to be to this extreme. I was looking through the belly pictures I took when I was pregnant with Rylee, and I am already as big - if not bigger - than I was when I was 28 weeks pregnant with her. That's four weeks difference, people. I don't know how on earth I'm going to make it to January.
Here's my growing baby belly at 24 weeks:

Yes, that is my belly button sticking WAY out there. It's been like that for quite a while now, but I think this is the first belly picture that you can really see it in. It did the same thing when I was pregnant with Rylee. I actually kinda like it... I think it's kinda cute. Jordan's not really crazy about it, though... he said it looks weird. Oh well.
Anyway, I guess that's about all I have for this pregnancy post. Until next week...

"Dear Rylee" (15 Months)

Dear Rylee,
Today, you are 15 months old. You don't know what that means yet, but this is a big deal to Mommy. You are getting so big so quickly, and I have to admit, it makes me a little sad. Fifteen months ago, you were a brand new baby who totally depended on me for absolutely everything. Now, although you do still have to depend on me for everything, you like to try to do most things on your own. Although this is often amusing, I don't always like this. I miss my little baby. Don't get me wrong - it is such a joy to watch you grow and learn new things... but it's very bittersweet at the same time. You'll understand someday. Since I haven't written a post about you in a while, I thought today would be a good day to update on what you're up to these days. It seems like you learn/do something new every day. So, here we go...

You love to "talk" to us, but we can't understand most of what you're trying to say yet (although you look at us like we should know exactly what you're saying... clearly you've learned some foreign language we haven't mastered yet). However, there are several words and a couple of short phrases you can say: "Hi", "Bye/Bye-bye", "kitty", "baby", "Bambi", "All done!", "teeth", "Who's that?", "Amen", "Mama", "Dada/Daddy", "Nana", "Papa", "Bob", and "cheese". There may be a few more words, but those are the main ones I can think of right now.
You love getting and giving "butterfly" and "Eskimo" kisses. So sweet.
You love kissing your baby brother in Mommy's belly. Sometimes you'll also give him hugs and blow raspberries on him. I think you're going to be a good big sister.
You love to dance, and it is so cute to watch. Anytime a song comes on the radio or TV, you start bouncing up and down and shaking your head. It'll be interesting to see if you got your Mommy's "groove" or Daddy's... right now, it's looking more like Mommy's. Bless your heart.
You can be a very picky eater, but some of the foods you like include: Cheerios, Goldfish crackers, chicken nuggets, yogurt, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries, graham crackers, mashed potatoes, ice cream, cookies, bread/crust, pancakes, popsicles, and oatmeal.
You will often say "Mmm!" when you take a bite of food that you like.
The only things you drink right now are whole milk, water, and a half juice/half water mix. Mommy doesn't want you to have carbonated drinks, tea, and other things like that. They're not healthy for you. (I think Daddy has sneaked you a few sips of sweet tea a couple times, though...)
You know how to drink from a straw.
You love to "read" books. I have to watch you closely with them, though, because you can get a little too rough with them sometimes. Lately, you have been trying to eat them. I don't want you to tear them up.
You won't really watch cartoons or anything like that yet (we've tried to get you to watch Disney movies, etc. with us, but you quickly lose interest), but you LOVE to watch "Wheel of Fortune". Every time one of the contestants solves a puzzle, you clap for them. You are such a smart little girl!
You like to give "high fives", and Daddy recently taught you how to shake hands.
You know where your nose, hair, eyes, mouth, teeth, belly, and feet are.
You love when Mommy or Nana sing songs to you. Some of your favorites include: "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (you put your little fingers together and try to do the hand motions), "Jesus Loves Me", "Humpty Dumpty", "Zacchaeus", "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", and "Patty Cake".
You love to play "Peek-a-boo". Anytime we say "Where's Rylee?!", you will quickly cover your face with your hands and "hide" from us. Your aunt Mana taught you that. It is so funny.
If we ask you "Did you swallow?", you will open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out. Daddy taught you this.
You love babies. Every time you see a picture of a baby, you will point and say "Hi Baby!"
You LOVE to "talk" on the phone. You are constantly stealing Mommy's cell phone, and you will hold it up to your ear and say "Hi" or "Hello". You love to push the buttons on it. I have to keep a close eye on you, because you have accidentally called people and changed people's phone numbers in my contacts (one day, I tried to call Papa and realized you had apparently added four or five extra digits to the end of his cell phone number).
You like to have your picture taken. Often times, if you see me with the camera, you will "strike a pose" and smile for me. Sometimes you'll even say "Cheese!"
You hate getting your fingernails and toe nails clipped. Sorry, but this is just something that has to be done from time to time.
You now have 6 teeth - 2 on the bottom, and 4 up top. You got your first two (the ones on the bottom) when you were 10 months old, and the ones on top started coming in last month.
You like having your teeth brushed, but you're still getting used to it. You usually just try to suck on the tooth brush (you like the flavor of your toothpaste).
You love bath time. This is a good thing.
You have been walking since you were 12 months old, and you are getting into EVERYTHING now, so Daddy created a "chair wall" using the chairs from our kitchen table to help keep you corralled in the living room. This helps Mommy a lot, because it absolutely wears me out chasing you around all day.
You're not even a year and a half old yet, but you are already displaying "terrible two's" behavior on a regular basis. Lord, help us!
You can be very dramatic when you don't get your way. I have no idea where you get this from.

You test my patience, frustrate me, poop on me, throw up on me, leave bruises on me, pull my hair, make me cry, and flat-out wear me out every day... but I wouldn't trade a second of any of it for the entire world.
You bring so much joy and purpose to my life, and you will NEVER EVER know how much I love you.

Love,
Mommy

photo taken Sept. 8, 2011

23 Weeks

Today, I am 23 weeks pregnant with Ryan. Another week down. Another week closer. 17 weeks to go. Yay!
Everything still seems to be going very well so far, thankfully. I am feeling great overall, and Ryan definitely seems to be getting bigger and stronger every day, which is good, of course.
I almost completely forgot to have Jordan take a belly picture of me tonight, but thankfully, I remembered. To be honest, I think if it weren't for my ever-growing belly and Ryan's occasional kicks/movements, I would completely forget that I'm pregnant. That may sound silly, but I feel like I just don't think about it much (being pregnant, that is). I guess I just stay so busy trying to keep up with Rylee and things around the house, and we've had a lot going on recently between visiting with family and friends, church activities, and football season starting (ROLL TIDE!). I guess I just really don't have much time to think about it. That's not to say that I'm not excited (because I totally am), and I LOVE it when he starts to move around or kick me, because then I'm like "Oh yeah! There's a baby in there!" I like when he reminds me that he's there.
Anyway, I once again can't really think of any other updates or anything regarding the pregnancy to mention, so I guess I'll just go ahead and post my belly picture. Please don't point and stare and laugh at it for too long... I know I'm getting big fast. Here it is:

On a totally separate, unrelated note, today is the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our nation. To be honest, I haven't watched one second of ANY of the "in remembrance" coverage of it on TV - partly because this weekend was pretty busy for us between watching football and visiting with friends, and partly because I'm a hormonal pregnant girl right now, and I really don't feel like crying my eyes out all day. That's not to say, though, that I haven't thought about this anniversary a lot, and that I haven't had the loved ones of all those who were lost that day on my mind today. My heart breaks for them, because I simply cannot imagine the loss they experienced that day, and still deal with today, ten years later.
I was in the gym for my P.E. period at Holtville Middle School when I first realized something terrible had happened. I remember seeing teachers running down the hallway crying. When I got back to my classroom, my teacher had the TV on, and we spent the rest of the school day watching the news. School work was the last thing on anyone's mind at that point. I was only 11 years old at the time, but I will never forget that day.
Until that day, I had never heard of the "World Trade Center". I had never seen the towers before. But I will never forget staring at the TV screen and watching the footage of each plane hitting each tower. I will NEVER forget seeing "things" falling from the towers as they burned, and later realizing it was people jumping to their deaths. I will never forget watching as each tower literally crumbled to the ground. I will never forget the expressions on the people's faces who experienced this tragedy in person. I remember thinking it had to be a movie. That kind of stuff just didn't happen in "real life". But it was real. It did happen. And I will never forget.

Chicken Spaghetti

I found another recipe on one of the blogs I follow, and I decided to whip it up for lunch today to try it out. It's called "Chicken Spaghetti", and I found it here. The recipe calls for, among other ingredients, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, green peppers, onions, pimentos, and cayenne pepper, but as I've mentioned before, Jordan and I don't care for mushrooms, so I replaced the cream of mushroom soup with cream of chicken soup, and I left out the rest of the other stuff I mentioned. I am not a fan of peppers, onions, etc. either, and especially right now, they don't sit well on my pregnant tummy. I guess Ryan doesn't like them either. So anyway, if you do like those things, make sure you check out the original recipe (you can follow the link I provided above). I'm sure they definitely give it a different taste/more flavor than they way mine turned out, but it still tasted pretty good the way I made it. I guess you could say I just made a very "conservative" version of it. Here's the way I made it:


Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked chicken (I pulled chicken off of a fresh-cooked rotisserie chicken from Walmart. Yum!)
- 3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces (I broke the noodles in half, and then broke each half in half. I used one whole 13.25oz. box of Mueller's Whole Wheat Angel Hair pasta, and it was exactly enough.)
- 2 cans cream of chicken soup
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (hold out 1 cup for the topping)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Preparation Instructions:
- Cook spaghetti noodles.
- Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl (remember to hold out one cup of cheese for the topping).
- When spaghetti is cooked, drain and add to mixed ingredients in bowl; mix well to completely cover noodles with mixture.
- Place mixture in a 13x9 casserole dish and top with remaining cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. (You may need to cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent cheese on top from burning.)

"Show Us Your Life": My Favorite Blogs

I just recently (and by "just recently", I mean like within the past week) started following a very well-known blog called "Kelly's Korner". Several of the blogs I already followed are followers of her blog, so after checking it out and reading up on her a bit, I decided to jump on the bandwagon.
Kelly does a blog series called "Show Us Your Life" which gives her readers a chance to get to know her and her other readers better by discussing different topics and linking up their own blog posts to hers. On Friday, Kelly posted a new "Show Us Your Life" discussion topic, asking her readers to share their favorite blogs, and I decided I'd participate.
So, in this post, I'll be sharing my top four favorite blogs of the blogs I follow. Why four? Well... although I enjoy reading all the blogs I follow, I didn't want to spend all day discussing each one (I don't have time for that), so I figured it'd be best to cut it down to the four I read most often and that inspire me the most (each in their own ways). The first two blogs are more well-known in the public blog world, both with thousands of followers, and both written by women I don't actually know personally. The other two blogs are written by personal friends of mine, and well... I just love them.
So, without further ado, here they are - my favorite blogs:

First up is a blog called "Another Day Stronger" written by a woman named Kellie Staats (I've posted about her/her blog a couple times in the past few days). I first discovered Kellie's blog back in February through a link a friend of mine posted on Facebook asking for prayers for her and her family. When I checked out her story, I ended up sobbing on my couch for probably an hour. Kellie and her husband, James, tragically lost their only child, a precious baby girl named Madison, to SIDS when she was just four months old. As a mommy of a little girl myself (and now with a baby boy on the way), I felt so overwhelmingly heartbroken for Kellie. I absolutely cannot imagine what I would do if I ever lost either one of my babies. Kellie's blog is not one for the faint of heart, but her courage to share her story with the public and face each new day in the midst of her heartache is inspiring on so many levels. I am reminded every day to NEVER take a single second with my babies (or any of my loved ones, for that matter) for granted. I truly believe I am a better mother because of Kellie.

The next blog is called "In This Wonderful Life", written by a sweet-spirited woman named Megan. I've been following Megan's blog for several months as well, and if I'm not mistaken, I actually discovered it through Kellie's blog. Megan has a sad story as well. Megan has PCOS (just like me), and she and her husband, Brent, struggled to conceive a child. However, in June of last year, she gave birth to a precious baby boy named Cohen, who was born with congenital heart defects. Sadly, when he was just twelve days old, he passed away. My heart broke for Megan and her family. Cohen was just over a week older than my Rylee, so once again, I was reminded to cherish every moment with her. Megan's story gets "brighter", though... although she and her husband still miss their Cohen every day (and always will, of course), Megan was blessed to conceive again, and two weeks ago, they welcomed TWINS - a boy named Knox and a girl named Sloane - into the world. Thankfully, Knox and Sloane are both healthy and doing very well (and both absolutely precious!). I look forward to watching them grow through the updates and pictures Megan posts.

My third favorite blog is called "Stones of Remembrance", and it's written by a wonderful Godly woman I'm blessed to know personally. Her name is Lesley, and she is the wife of the associate pastor at my church, and a stay-at-home mommy to two beautiful little girls named Reagan and Gracen. I love reading Lesley's blog, because it always leaves me feeling so encouraged and uplifted (and sometimes even convicted) spiritually. She often shares what she is currently reading in her Bible studies, and she isn't afraid to make herself vulnerable by revealing the areas in her life where she is struggling or feeling convicted. She also often shares her "adventures" - both the highs and lows - of taking care of her girls, which always encourages me as a young stay-at-home mom. Reading her blog reminds me that, even though I may strive every day to be like Christ, I'm still human, and I'm still going to make mistakes sometimes. No one is perfect - not even a minister's wife. And that's okay. Lesley has such a desire and a hunger to constantly draw nearer to God, and I am blessed to have women like her in my life to look up to.

The fourth blog on my "favorites" list (and dare I say it?... my favorite of the favorites) has to be "I am my Beloved's and He is mine." This blog is written by my lovely friend Katrina. Before I go any further, I must say that she actually just started this blog last month. However, before this blog, she had another blog called "Whimsy and Wonder", which she retired last month. Anyway, I absolutely LOVE reading Katrina's blog. And I do mean LOVE. (Just read her final post in "Whimsy and Wonder"... I was one of the people BEGGING her to come back to the blogging world when she went on a blogging hiatus for a while recently. It was a terrible time. I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to survive, but thankfully, she heard my cries and pleas for mercy and finally came back.) One of the biggest things I love about Katrina's blog is that she freely shares her heart. She has such a beautiful, Godly spirit, and her love for Christ just overflows in her words. She is truly in love with her Savior, and it is such an encouragement to me. I desire to have that same love for Him. Katrina also has a Christ-like love for people, especially those who are hurting or in need. She is one of the most compassionate, gentle people I know. If Katrina could have her biggest dream come true, it would be to adopt every single orphan in the entire world. (Okay, let me correct that last statement just a bit... it would be to marry Tim Tebow and THEN adopt every single orphan in the entire world. She wants/needs a good "baby daddy" in the picture.) I don't know many people like that. Another thing I absolutely love about Katrina's blog is that it almost ALWAYS leaves me cracking up laughing. It doesn't matter what she's talking about... she can make just about anything at least a little humorous. She is just hilarious, and I love it. If I'm ever having a rough day and need something to brighten my spirits, I know I can always count on a blog post from Katrina to do the trick.

So, there you have it - my four favorite blogs. I hope you'll check them out!

22 Weeks

Today, I am 22 weeks pregnant with my precious Ryan. Another week closer to the big day when I can finally hold him in my arms. A friend of mine just gave birth to a baby boy on Thursday, and seeing pictures of him makes me that much more excited to meet my own baby boy in a few months. I just cannot wait.
As with the last few pregnancy update posts, I don't really feel like I have all that much to say in the way of any actual updates. Everything is still going very well as far as I know/can tell.
I'm feeling pretty good overall, other than backaches and sciatica pain every now and then.
I am for sure having Braxton Hicks contractions every now and then. They're not painful or anything (not yet, anyway) - just a bit uncomfortable in the sense that my stomach tenses up and gets really tight. I had them when I was pregnant with Rylee, so I'm very familiar with them. It'll be interesting to see if they get as strong as they did when I was pregnant with her. I have a feeling they probably will.
I get worn out (out of breath) pretty easily, especially when I have to hold/carry Rylee or chase her around for a while. She's getting so big.
Speaking of Rylee getting big, I guess I better mention that I'M getting bigger every day as well (which is to be expected, of course). I haven't weighed myself since my doctor appointment this past Monday, but I wouldn't be surprised if I've already gained another pound or two. I really don't think I'm eating any more than I normally would even if I wasn't pregnant, but I still feel like I'm just getting bigger faster. I have been wanting sweets a lot lately (although that's pretty much how I always am, regardless of whether or not I'm pregnant). Cookies, ice cream, brownies... I love it all. Anyway, I'll be anxious to find out how much I weigh at my next doctor check-up in a few weeks on the 26th.
Ryan's movements are getting stronger/more obvious every day, and I am loving it. I love being able to feel him move - it's by far my favorite part of being pregnant. There is just no other feeling in the world like it.
I have been sleeping like a ROCK lately (for several weeks now, actually), which really surprises me, but I certainly can't complain. I usually take a nap with Jordan every afternoon while Rylee is napping, and I sleep like a baby, and the same goes with my sleep during the night. Jordan always tries to give me a kiss and tell me goodbye before he leaves for work in the afternoons and early in the morning, and I rarely ever remember it. Of course I have an "off" night every now and then (in fact, I think I woke up in the middle of the night last night because I had to go to the bathroom), but overall, it has been really nice getting some good, solid sleep. I'm certainly enjoying it while I can, because I know it will be short-lived.
Now that we know I'm having a boy, I'm excited to set up baby registries at a couple of stores. I don't even care if we don't get anything... it's just fun to go through the store and scan all the cute stuff on our baby "wish lists". We'll probably register at Walmart and Target, just like we did when I was pregnant with Rylee. Not sure exactly when we'll do this, but hopefully maybe in the next couple of weeks. I'll try to remember to post links to the online registries here in my blog whenever we get them set up.
Anyway, that's about all I can think of for now. I'm starting to get pretty sleepy, so my mind is going blank. I'll leave you with an updated belly picture. Here are me and Ryan tonight at 22 weeks:

Hash Brown Casserole

Tonight, Jordan, Rylee, and I went over to my parents' house for dinner and some football-watching. I made a dish of hash brown casserole to contribute to dinner, and I thought I'd post the recipe real quick since I haven't shared it on here yet. Jordan doesn't like it, but it's a big hit with the rest of my family.
Here's the recipe:


Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:
- 1 large bag Ore Ida Country Style hash brown potatoes
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 8oz. sour cream
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (hold aside 1/2 cup for topping)

Directions:
- Mix all ingredients in large bowl.
- Spread mixed ingredients evenly in a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

Slow-Cooker Angel Chicken

Along with straightening up my act in the way of taking care of things around my house, I also really want/need to start cooking more and experimenting with new recipes. I want to try to cut back on how often I just throw a frozen dinner in the oven. Yes, they might be convenient, but they're not always the healthiest options, and they get "old" and repetitive after a while. There are a MILLION good recipes out there that I know I would love... I just need to start trying them out. Some of my favorite blogs that I follow post recipes from time to time, and I would really like to start doing that as well. If I make something and like it, I want to share the recipe here on my blog so my readers can try it out if they'd like.
A couple days ago, Kellie, author of one of my favorite blogs, "Another Day Stronger", posted a recipe for a dish called "Slow-Cooker Angel Chicken", and it sounded really yummy to me. I decided to make it (with one or two variations to the ingredients) for dinner tonight, and I invited my parents and sister over to try it out with me. My sister didn't like it, but then again, she's still in a pretty picky eating stage. My parents and I, however, really liked it. Jordan had to work, as usual, so he hasn't tried it yet, but hopefully he'll enjoy it as well. Anyway, it's a recipe I will definitely be adding to my collection to make again in the future. It was super quick and easy to throw together - I think it took me maybe 15 minutes to get it all whipped up and in my crock pot. Can't beat that! Here's the recipe:


Slow-Cooker Angel Chicken

Ingredients:
- 4 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 10 3/4oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1/4 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 0.7oz. package Italian dry salad dressing mix
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 4oz. cream cheese

Directions:
- Melt stick of butter in a saucepan.
- Stir package of Italian dry salad dressing mix into melted butter in saucepan.
- Add cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and cream cheese to melted butter and Italian dressing in saucepan; stir well until it combines and melts.
- Place raw chicken breasts in bottom of crock pot.
- Pour sauce into crock pot, completely covering chicken breasts.
- Cook in crock pot on low setting for approximately 5 hours.


Sounds yummy, huh? It is! The recipe I found on Kellie's blog called for mushrooms and condensed golden mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup, but I am NOT a fan of mushrooms, so I altered it a bit. (And apparently, Kellie got the recipe from someone else, who got it from someone else, and the ORIGINAL recipe calls for dry white wine instead of the chicken broth.) It also said to serve with rice or pasta, but I decided to serve it with mashed potatoes and rolls instead, and I think those were good compliments to it. Anyway, like I said, it turned out really yummy, and I look forward to making it again sometime. Y'all let me know if you decide to try it out, and if so, what you think!

Happy Birthday, Kellie!

Today is the birthday of a very special fellow blogger named Kellie. (I have posted about her before here and here.) I don't personally know Kellie, but I came across her blog, "Another Day Stronger", several months ago, and I have been checking in on her every day since.
Back in February, Kellie and her husband, James, tragically and unexpectedly lost their precious 4-month-old baby girl, Maddie, to SIDS. As I mentioned, I don't personally know them, but I cannot explain in words how overwhelmingly heartbroken I was (and still am) for them. When I first read their story, I literally sobbed for probably an hour. As a mommy of a little girl myself, I simply cannot imagine the loss they have endured. However, they are both strong people who are striving, even in the midst of their heartache, to move forward each day in memory of their beautiful "Maddiebug".
Today, Kellie had one simple request of her blogger friends for her birthday: to post a blog about Maddie and share her sweet picture with everyone. So, Kellie, here you go. It's the very least I can do, and I wish I could do so much more.

Kellie, I want you to know that I think of you and your family every single day, and I pray for you often. Your story has touched my life in a profound way, and I will always keep Maddie's memory alive in my heart. Because of her, I have learned to truly cherish every single second with my precious babies, and to never take them for granted. I am a better mother because you were brave enough to share your story with me. Thank you for that. I pray God gives you peace and comfort today and reminds you how very loved you are by SO many people. Have a blessed birthday!