What Do the Holidays Mean to You? November 30, 2007

This one was fun too …

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about emotional connections and bonds. You are happiest being around those you love. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel happily busy. There’s so much do to and not a lot of time to do it. But you enjoy every minute of your holiday chores. You think the holidays should be comforting and relaxing. You don’t like the holiday rush… you just like the simple pleasure of the holidays. Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

11/30/07 My pregnancy: 27 weeks

Your baby is really starting to get big. This week your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14.4 inches long with her legs extended. She now sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. She may suck her fingers, and although her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if she were born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on.

What is it with all of these vegetable references? Last week it was a hot house cucumber. It has been a rutabaga, lima bean and others.

So I am now in my third trimester, hooray! It’s all downhill, right?!? Oy, just call me the waddler!

11/28/07 Last night’s dinner November 28, 2007

I actually made a recipe from one of those family things I get in my e-mail. I made maple-glazed pork chops with apples. It was ok. I ended up overcooking the chops because I was trying to get the sauce to be more glazy. It was sort of watery. I omitted the bread crumbs because I didn’t have any. I wonder if that was the problem? Here is the recipe …

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 4 pork loin cutlets (about 1 pound)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 medium Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, each cored and cut into 16 wedges

1. In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined. Place the bread crumbs in a large ziplock bag, add the pork, then seal the bag and shake it to coat the cutlets.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook it for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add the cider and apple wedges. Bring the cider to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes or until the pork is done. Stir in the maple syrup mixture and cook the pork for 5 minutes more or until the pan sauces are thick and syrupy. Makes 4 servings.

11/26/07-B What Part of Thanksgiving Are You? November 26, 2007

This was fun!

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Ordinary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You’re the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

11/26/07 – A – Your pregnancy: 26 weeks – as of 11/23/07

Since we were in CA for the holiday I will do some retro-active blogging 🙂

Your baby now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber), from head to heel. Her weight will more than triple between now and birth as she rapidly puts on baby fat. She’ll need that fat to help adjust to colder temperatures outside the womb and as a source of energy and calories in the first days of life. It’s not uncommon for newborns, especially those who are breastfed , to lose weight (sometimes as much as 10 percent of their birth weight) in the first week after birth. If you’re having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

11/20/07 Whoops I missed a few days … November 20, 2007

Well I’ve now missed 4 days out of 20 in NaBloPoMo 😦

I saw the oddest thing on the way to work this morning … a car with two surfboards on top. It’s November and it’s about 40 degrees outside. Are they CRAZY?!?

I made 5 more Christmas cards over the weekend. Woohoo! I even started our family newsletter. I may even get everything mailed in December. I have lofty goals! LOL!

In a week I will be done with my second trimester. Is the third trimester the home stretch?

11/16/07 25 weeks down, 15 to go November 16, 2007

Head to heels, the baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn’t much more than an average rutabaga, but she’s beginning to exchange her long, lean look for a more rounded one. As the baby gains weight, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she’ll start to look more like a mini newborn. Her hair is probably recognizable now in color and texture, although both may change after she’s born.

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