I can guarantee you that this past week, I have done WAY more baking than cleaning.
As a gestational diabetic, it has been very hard to avoid the sweets and treats that make up part of the holiday season. Aaron and I did find my favorite Christmas candy: Snicker's Nutcrackers. Oh my goodness- these are SO good! I looked at the carbs and knew I could enjoy one as my evening snack. Since these are a specialty item, and because we are living in a marketing world, the nutcrackers are very small. It was a bit of a reality check to see how many carbs are in such a small piece of chocolate. But I do retain self-control and limited myself to just one. And what a wonderful one it was!
Side note: I do urge you to buy holiday specific candy, if possible, because it is so much fresher than the original candy.
After the candy disappeared over the course of a week, (one a day for 7 days), I decided I could hold off on buying anymore candy until after Noah is born. I did request that any candy I receive for Christmas be the regular kind and not sugar-free. Sugar-free candy is still pretty carb-y because of the sugar alcohol in it. I plan to avoid eating candy until Noah arrives-- but I do plan on taking any candy I receive with me to the hospital to enjoy after Noah is here. :)
Due to my Pinterest addiction, I have come across many many wonderful dessert recipes. Combine the ample recipes with my LOVE of baking, and we end up with a semi-dangerous combination. Normally, I don't think I'd really have the energy to do the amount of baking that I've done this past week. However, my theory is that the energy I'm supposed to be using to clean my house (aka "nesting") somehow got crossed with the "baking" wire in my brain. So I have an enormous amount of energy when it comes to baking stuff this week!
I have been good and have packaged up most of the baked goods into single-serve portions that I have frozen so that I can have home-baked goods during my maternity leave when I probably really won't have the energy to do any baking since I'll be spending my time learning how to be a mommy to a toddler and a newborn.
I also know that we will be spending lots of time with family this week, and it's my plan to bring some desserts with me each time we go to a family get-together. That way, I can use up this energy I have to bake, and I can give away the treats to family!
This past week, I have made cake-mix cookie snickerdoodles, yellow cake mix cookies with peppermint Hershey kisses on top, Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownies (I don't normally make brownies from a box, but these were BOGO at Publix), tiny chocolate chip cookies, and Great Depression cupcakes.
I plan to make some brownie truffles, peanut butter fudge, and brownie cheesecake bites for family this week.
Okay, enough about baking. Let's talk about pregnancy!
On Christmas Eve, I'll reach 37 weeks (full-term). This week, I return to the doctor and get a pelvic exam to see if there's any effacing or dilation. I'm not expecting any, but I certainly won't be disappointed if there is any progression.
I put the baby monitor in place, and put the mattress pad and sheet on the cradle mattress. I'm in the process of washing all of the tiniest baby clothes that we have. I washed them before they were put away after Michael grew out of them, but that was over a year ago and I figured they could use another wash. This is my time to nest after all.
My hospital bag is essentially packed. Here is what I have included: new pajamas (thanks, Mom!), nursing sleep bras, a few nursing pads, a towel (for Aaron so he won't have to use the tiny hospital ones), an outfit for Noah to have his picture taken in, a coming-home outfit for Noah, and a receiving blanket. I will still need to pack my toiletries and make-up when I leaving the house on "labor day."
The car seat is installed. We are basically baby-ready! Aaron says he is ready anytime. I am ready, I think, although I do not mind at all if Noah stays in the womb for the remaining 3 weeks of the pregnancy-- he benefits from every day spent in the womb! It seems like this pregnancy flew by until week 30-- and then it slowed down until week 36. It is speeding up again to me and I can't believe that we're 3 weeks (or less) away from meeting little Noah! I am so excited for this moment to be approaching. Now that the car seat is installed, and the hospital bag is packed, and the baby cradle has sheets and the baby monitor is set up, I feel much more at ease.
Here is a photo of the cradle:
You can see the Angel Care monitor Nursery unit sitting in the cradle. This will, of course, be next to the cradle when Noah arrives. Also, you'll notice the "bear" cocoon and hat that my Aunt Mari made for Noah. I will be taking some newborn shots of him in this sweet baby outfit.
Here is a picture of my hospital bag and the contents:
From let to right you'll see:
- Orange towel for Aaron
- New PJs for me
- Eye masks (one for Aaron and one for me, because there's always that one light that you can't turn off)
- Coming home outfit for Noah (a long sleeve sleeper with trucks on it)
- A couple different baby hats for him,
- Two receiving blankets (one has planes and stars on it, and the other has trucks and busses on it)
- White jacket if he needs it
- Outfit for hospital picture. (We missed out on this opportunity with Michael since he was in the Extended Care Nursery for his whole stay-- so I figured I'd bring the outfit Michael came home from the hospital in, and have Noah wear it for his pictures since it's too cold for it to be his coming home outfit)
I appreciate all of the prayers as we head into the final days of this pregnancy. Much love, Reba
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