Missing

I've been completely absent from my blog recently, but for good reason (pictured below).  =)

She is now 6 weeks old and we are having an amazing time!

Nursery is done. =)

Baby Watch

We are officially on baby watch.  The due date has come and gone with little much as a peep.  (Sept 5th)  We are patiently anxiously awaiting her arrival!  Mom is here keeping me very busy with cooking and crafts.  We have also had time to work in a little bit of pampering time.  Now I am ready for Miss Clara to make her appearance!

39 weeks

38 weeks and distraction

Clara is "full term" now and we are just patiently awaiting her arrival.  That's a lie.  I have never waited patiently for anything in my life.. =)  I have gotten really good at distracting myself.  I'm organizing all of the pictures I have ever taken and cooking up a storm.  It's kinda like patience, right?

Here is one of my recent attempts in the kitchen, Tomato Pesto Pizza.
It was nice and easy and you could use any sort of toppings.

Ingredients

• Pesto:
• 2  cups  basil leaves
• 1  garlic cloves
• 1/8  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  tablespoon  grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2  tablespoon  olive oil 
•  
• Pizza:
• 1  (1-pound) Italian cheese-flavored pizza crust (such as Boboli)
• 2  cups  chopped seeded tomato
• 3  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced basil leaves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 475°.
To prepare pesto, place 4 cups basil leaves and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor, and pulse 5 times or until coarsely chopped. With processor on, add broth, Parmesan, and oil through food chute; process until well-blended.

To prepare pizza, place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread pesto over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border; top with the tomato, garlic slices, and provolone. Bake at 475° for 12 minutes or until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup basil. Cut the pizza into 8 wedges.


Adapted from Cooking Light, JULY 2001

36 weeks and nursery pics

We are getting closer by the day. The nursery is done, the birthing classes are finished, the bags are packed.  Now we just need lil Clara to arrive! =)

Big Belly - 34 weeks

32 weeks

She is getting bigger and so am I!  We are painting the nursery, pictures will be coming soon.  I'm going home to Austin this weekend for a shower with family and friends at mom's house.  I'm so exited to see everyone!  She is moving a ton!  She doesn't like any pressure on my belly.  If I rest my hands on my stomach, which seems like a good idea since there is a good shelf there, she pushes back.  =)

We are getting very excited to meet her!

30 weeks

30 weeks have come and gone, just 10 left.  We are preparing the nursery and painting the house, still trying to decide on a name and taking birth classes.  10 more weeks til we meet sweet baby girl! =)

Arguez Family Reunion

Baby Shower with the girls

Shera at 27 weeks

I single-handed built both the crib and dresser for the baby's room last week...well Sam helped out a little...but mostly it was me.  I basically feel like Shera.  Both pieces of furniture arrived in a box that was only 4-5 inches wide so there was a lot of putting together to do.  They are the same cherry wood color.  I'm not sure why they don't look that way in the photos.  Other than this fabulous furniture and the super sweet bassinet my grandma bought for us, there isn't much going on in the baby's room just yet.  But I do have plans.

And here is the necessary photo of my ever-growing belly.  (27wks)

Spinach Artichoke Dip

 

 

 This was supposed to be our appetizer for dinner, but we ate so much of it, it became our dinner.  It was modified from a cooking light recipe, so it's sorta healthy and super yummy!

Ingredients

• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 3  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 1  (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.

Enchiladas Suisas

Now that the non-stop vomiting is over, I have returned to the kitchen. =)  And my return dish was a big hit. It wasn't really a healthy dish, but it was oh so good!  I boiled the chicken before I began and I think next time I may buy cooked chicken to cut down on the prep time. 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup chopped Spanish onion
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped green chile peppers
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash ground cumin
• 12 (8 inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion

Directions

1. Prepare salsa verde: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft. Stir in the flour. Add the broth, then add the chiles, garlic, salt, and cumin. Simmer about 15 minutes to blend flavors, then set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
2. Dip each tortilla in salsa verde (both sides.) Place 2 heaping tablespoons chicken and about 2 tablespoons cheese down the center of each; roll and place seam side down in a shallow dish.
3. After all the rolled tortillas are in the dish, spoon additional salsa verde over them and then cover evenly with heavy cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture, and with the green onions.
4. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately with additional salsa on the side.                (modified from recipe on allrecipes.com)

Just for you mom. =)

Mom has been asking for a new photo of my belly.  Here you go mom!  This is me at 25 weeks.

30!

This was a really big week at our house.  On Tuesday, I took my advanced clinical social work licensure exam and passed!  Thank god.  Studying and preparing for the exam has taken up a lot of mental energy over the last few months.  So I feel free now to focus on baby and preparing our home and lives for her arrival.

Friday I turned 30!  I'm actually pretty excited about being 30.  I feel like I'm in a pretty good place and I'm looking forward to a great year!  Michelle and Tyler came to visit to celebrate with us.  And boy did we celebrate, with lots of yummy crab!!

I

Baby is a Growing

We had our 20 week sonogram recently and found out that we are having a little girl!  I thought I post the sonogram pictures up.  It's kinda cool that she's grown from the little spec in the first photo at 6wks.  The second photo is 9wks.

Scrapbooking Genius!

My best bud, Alyssa, is a scrapbooking genius!  I told her that I wanted to journal about my pregnancy and she made the most amazing journey.  I'm in awe at her creativity, seeing as I have none.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to brag on her. =)

Baby Bump

I'm 19 weeks pregnant and I woke up with a baby bump. It's a very strange feeling to actually LOOK pregnant for the first time. I know that this novelty will eventually be less exciting as I get huge, so I am trying to thoroughly enjoy it, while it is still fun!

We go in 1 week for our 20 week scan where will we learn who is in there, finally! I am very excited about this appointment! I've been tempted more than a few times to move up the appointment. Patience is not a strength I have been able to master. =) But I also don't want these moments to pass me by without truly appreciating them. So here goes trying!

And Baby Makes Three.

Sam and I found out 2 days after Christmas that we are having a baby!  It was wonderful because we were home in Texas for Christmas and we were able to tell both of our families in person!  It's already been a wild ride.  Shortly after we got back home for the holidays the 1st trimester "sickies" settled in.  I was spending most of my time with the toilet and the bed.  Thank god for modern medicine and the invention of anti-nausea medications.  They helped me keep working, sorta.

Today though, I'm 10 weeks and finally starting to feel like myself again.  We had our second ultrasound last week and we saw the baby dancing!  He waved at us.  It's amazing that something so small can move that much!  He's only an inch long, but was totally cutting a rug!  (that's my kid)

What an adventure!

Time in the Country

When we were home for the holidays, we were able to carve out some time to go up to the ranch.  I love being outdoors in wide open spaces.  It feels so refreshing and it refuels the spirit.  My parents are clearing out some of the brush to plant fruit bearing trees.  I hope I make it back to Austin soon to plant my own tree. =)