My husband's to-do list

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Due to some minor health set-backs for this prego, the Baberhusband is busier than ever with honey-do's and taking over many of Mama's usual daily do's. I thought I'd help him out with a list, because we all know how much I lurve lists...

THE LIST:

1. Help Mama Whale out of bed. Shove if necessary.
2. Fill Mini Monster's water & puppy food.
3. Kiss the Mama, pack his own lunch box (*gasp*) & off for a long day of work.
4. But not before dropping Jillry packages in the mailbox, which is WAY too far for Mama to walk these days...
5. After work, take over the grocery shopping for the week. (I fear for J with this one, he has SEVERE SCS - Shopping Cart Syndrome.) Besides the occasional stop to Winn Dixie for an item here and there, my husband has not been grocery shopping by himself (or with me even) in almost a year.
6. Come home, unload and put up groceries. (He doesn't know about this one yet...)
7. Bring Mama water, medicine, and anything else she needs.
8. Mow the lawn.
9. Cook Mama dinner - yes, microwavable chicken patties count these days as "cook" - and possibly even serve it to her. (I'm pushing it, aren't I?)
10. Entertain Mama, that is, if Bebe Beau isn't entertaining the both of us already with a game of "What body part is THIS poking out the belly?"
11. Put up dinner leftovers, dishes, take the puppy outside, lock up & lights out.
12. Endure Mama's incessant talking about what's to come before falling asleep and endure yet another night of Snoreface (J's loving pet name for me these days).

Thank you Baber. And, you're welcome. :)

Tuesdays with Jillry

Hi everyone! I'm starting a new, temporary thing with Jillry as a way to still provide new pretties for my awesome customers and get the rest I need in this important growing stage in my pregnancy. Its very simple and not unlike the usual, but I'll do a quick run-down for my new customers and those who love instructions. ;)

* Tuesdays I will do single posts of new jewelry on my Facebook fan page. Meaning, I'll post new pieces one at a time, likely scattered throughout the day with details on price, size, light description, etc. I will give everyone a fair heads up before I start posting so you can snag the items you want. (Facebook keeps changing up the way photos post on fan pages so I'm currently unable to post all of my pretties at once in a folder and get the details up before you see them. Posting in single will help avoid confusion until I can figure something out.)

* How to shop: If you see an item you want, just post MINE or I WANT, etc. below the photo and its yours.

* How to purchase: When you are done shopping OR come Wednesday (whichever comes first) simply post to my facebook wall when you are ready to check out. I accept Paypal (debit/credit) and will need your email address to send an invoice to - I also accept check by mail.

* Shipping: I keep my shipping costs low and ship via USPS from Baton Rouge, LA. I weigh your items but it usually works out to be $2.25 for the first item plus .25 cents per each additional item. I rarely ship packages that cost more than $2.75 to ship, so you'll always have low shipping costs.

* Please allow 2 days for packing and shipping. I close orders in the order I am contacted first, so the earlier you post that you are ready to check out to my wall the faster you will get your new pretties! If you do not contact me, I will contact you - but it will delay the process a bit so please be patient. (Thank you, thank you!)

* Please, PLEASE be considerate of my time and other's wants: if you do not plan to purchase the items you claim, DO NOT COMMENT. I offer shopping on my facebook page because its fun and easy for my customers, but its more work and organizing for me.

Please let me know if you have any questions by commenting on this post, posting on my Facebook wall OR emailing me at JillryLove@gmail.com.

Thanks for your love and support.

Have fun! xo Jill

Reflection

Its Saturday morning and hot as Hades out already. J had to work today but before he left he was kind enough to drop a batch of orders into the mailbox for me. As I crept into the den this morning I realized I had missed a package and looked at Mini wishing she could take it out to the box for me.

That made me remember a time when I was a little girl walking to the mailbox with my Maw Maw every afternoon when she used to watch us before we were old enough for school. And I thought "One day I'll be doing that with Beau." I wonder if he'll remember little rituals and moments like that with his mommy when he gets older.

Today I am 33 weeks pregnant. We're in the homestretch! If the doctor predicts the baby's weight as being above average again on Monday I have a feeling she's going to want to induce early. I'm hoping that is the case. I'm hot, I'm a whale, I'm exhausted... and I'm ready to get my body back and our little monkey into my arms.

Thinking back to the mailbox memory: these last few months all I've been thinking about is how thankful I am, how grateful I am that I am able to work from home so that I can raise our little monkey. That it will be me feeding him, nurturing him, seeing his first crawl and so many other firsts. That every evening when my husband comes home I'll be waiting at the door with our little creation in my arms to give Daddy hugs and kisses.

I dream of taking care of baby Beau and sneaking naps in when he naps, tending to the household as I usually do and squeezing in my love of jewelry making when time permits. Reading to him and teaching him new things every day and sharing with Daddy when he comes home. Cooking comfort food and having the house smelling of it when my husband arrives home from work. I am baffled that I will have the opportunity to juggle it all and from the comfort of our home. How did this happen? How did I get so lucky? And when did I get so dern traditional? *grin*

I am ever so grateful for a kind, considerate, supportive husband that has my back in every decision I make. That we work so well together as a team. That he didn't flinch when I first told him about wanting to see how far I could take Jillry, that he believed in my dream. And more importantly, that he could see what my dream could do for the betterment of our family if in fact I did succeed.

And I have succeeded. WE have succeeded. The Baber and I, we cherish what our families gave us growing up: steady, stable homes... parents who are still together... parents who have instilled values and morals in us... a childhood of great memories. Knowing that we can give our growing family the same is priceless.

Not that any other family with a mother working out of the home can't do the same. I just know that for me, having this opportunity to do what I love for a living, working from home and being able to keep my child here with me will make me the best mommy I can be. I'm all about simplicity, I thrive on it. When there is too much clutter in my life, whether it be co-worker drama, a traffic-laden commute to work and back, bringing work home (that never really meant anything to me) - I'm so much less the person I want to be, that I know I can be.

Jillry allows me to be virtually stress-free. To use my creativity. And that makes this new mama a happier person.

So... enough of my babble, I just had to get some things off my chest before I burst. I haven't written a pregnancy log lately so here's an update:

Baby moves: What a little monster we have on our hands. If the kicking, punching and squirming is any indication of what Beau Isaac will be when he gets here, Mommy will be in tip-top shape right away. ;)

Cravings: Strawberry Icees. Its too hot to eat! Though, that doesn't mean I'm not.... I can't get enough of salads these days and fruit. So, I guess there is some good in being as big as a house in summer cuz all I want is healthy refreshing goods due to the heat out.

Names: If you haven't heard or figured it out yet, we've chosen Beau Isaac for our little man. You can read up on the story of his name here.

Changes in husband: Other than calling me SnoreFace and recording me snoring on his phone? I think we're both just waiting now. Passing the weeks. Getting the room ready. Saving up $. Resting. Talking about "when he gets here". He still falls asleep with his hand on my bare tummy and he's found that he can still snuggle me - the spoon position paired with a belly pillow does wonders for the comfort of this Mama and I get the best sleep because of it.

He's been my hero this past week. I think I pushed myself a little too much and got the point where I literally couldn't get off the couch without crying. Lesson learned! In the meantime, my husband cooked dinner, finished up the laundry and then afterward he drew me a bubble bath to soak in. I've always known he was a keeper but every day he surprises me with something new.

Changes in me: Where to begin? It seems my belly has drastically grown in just the last two weeks or so. The waddling has definitely begun. I've always carried low so I'm not sure if he's dropped yet, but I'm feeling a bit of strain, though thankfully I still haven't had any lower back pain (yet). I'm finally experiencing the puffy swollen feet and hands, but I make a point of resting every few hours to avoid it. I'm having a difficult time cutting back on Jillry: its my heart and soul, so cutting back is proving to be hard. But I'm doing it. Between my husband and mother fussing at me to "slow down" and "rest!", I sort of have no choice now do I? :)

And one more change I've noticed - the closer I get to the end the less nervous I am. The calmer I've become. The more ready I am to just have this little bambino!

Until next time.... xo

Mexican Chicken Pasta

In an effort to create another crockpot meal that would get us through a few dinners without being the same old meat & canned soup, I came up with this mexican-inspired bowl of goodness. A dinner packed with the protein of black beans and chicken but still easy on the palate for the kiddos. Also pretty low fat when using light or fat free options as we did. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size cubed pieces
2 cans Campbells condensed cheddar soup
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/3 cup milk (I used fat free)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn
1 can mexican Rotel
1 small can green chilies
2 tbsp chopped jalapenos (I used regular sliced ones from the jar) OPTIONAL
1 packet taco seasoning (partial packet to taste)
1 packet ranch seasoning (partial packet to taste)
1 box wheat pasta

Serves 6-8 (My husband and I have eaten it for three nights in a row with some leftover and my husband has a healthy appetite. This pot may go further for your family.)


Mexican Garlic Bread

1 loaf french bread
butter or vegetable spread
garlic powder
onion powder
cumin

Directions:

Saving the black beans for the last hour of cook time, dump all ingredients into crockpot & stir well. For the seasoning packets: we like spicy dishes and I used only about 1/2 of each packet. You can always taste before serving and add more if you like.

Cook on low for 7 hours. I added the can of black beans about an hour before serving. I also turned the pot on warm for about 30 minutes before serving which made the sauce thicker and perfect for serving over pasta.

For garlic bread:

Using a large bread knife, slice 1 inch thick rounds of french bread. Coat with as much butter as you like and sprinkle generously with garlic powder, onion powder and lightly with cumin. Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 to 8 minutes. We light ours soft without much brown on the edges so you may want to bake for a little longer!

Shot of garlic bread before baking to gage seasoning.

Etsy Baby Shower!

Etsy has an amazing opportunity for new moms and moms-to-be by providing a Virtual Baby Shower. Only a limited amount of mothers are chosen and guess what? I was picked! (Thanks again Courtney for sending me the info, XO.)

Etsy shops that cater to baby and mom volunteer to create personalized gifts to send to these mommies. The shops that were assigned to this mommy-to-be are an outstanding group of talented women. Let me introduce you to each of them and have my chance to Ooo and Ahh over the gifties they have "showered" me with. :)

Crochele Handcrafted
(click link to be directed to her shop & facebook fan page)
Facebook Fan Page

Her shop announcement begins with: Welcome to Crochele, where all products are made with the highest amount of care and attention to the smallest of details.

Michele's beautiful items are exactly that, crafted with quality, talent and care. Her giftie was the first I received and I was thrilled. Here's Michele's gift to me and Beau Isaac, a sweet beanie for his itty bitty head.

Do yourself a favor and head on over to her shop. She has a beautiful selection of baby items that would be the perfect gift for any mommy-to-be.
















SteadyJane
(click links to be directed to her shop & facebook fan page)
Facebook Fan Page

This shop has a great sense of fun, humor and whimsy. The second Etsy baby shower gift I received were Tiny Ties for our little guy. When I opened this package a smile spread from ear to ear. Our Beau will certainly be the best dressed baby on the block.

Check out her shop for more Tiny Ties, including precious little bowties. Below, the ties made especially for Beau - a perfect mix of naughty and nice: Puppy dogs and flames!


















LittleSideKick
(click link to be directed to her shop)
LittleSideKick Blog

The last gift I received was too perfect for words. I didn't tell Christina that our baby room theme would be monkeys, but wouldn't you know I opened up my third Etsy baby shower gift and saw the most adorable Monkey Hat peeking out at me?

Christina has a precious selection of hats, clothing, toys, burpcloths and more for baby, handcrafted with much quality and creativity. Have a look below at the hat I can't wait to put our little guy in and then head on over to her shop. You won't be disappointed!


















All of my gifties were packaged with care and though they were for baby, each package itself was so beautiful and fun to unwrap it felt like Christmas for me. As an Etsy shopper, this is just one of the reasons I love shopping with handcrafted businesses. They not only take extreme care and pride in their work, they also tend to the details.

Shop with any of these talented Etsians and I know you'll feel as spoiled as I do.

I want to extend my thanks and a big squishy prego-hug to each and every one of these amazing artists.

Crochele Handcrafted
SteadyJane
LittleSideKick

Love & suppport to you always,

Mom, Dad & Baby Beau Isaac

Trunk Show - June 8th - 10th

My 3rd Facebook Trunk Show is starting tomorrow and I thought I'd leave you with some information before the madness commences...

A portion of the proceeds for this Trunk Show will go to GulfAid. GulfAid raises money to help families that have been affected by the BP Oil Spill. As most of you know, I'm a Louisiana girl and this tragedy has struck close to home. I may not be a huge organization but it is important to me to do what I can for those in need and I'm proud that I have customers like you to help me in my efforts.

For those of you that are new to shopping Jillry, here's a run-down of what to expect:

~ Loads of new jewelry will be posted throughout the day this Tuesday through Thursday. If you see a piece of jewelry that you would like to purchase, simply leave a comment under the photo to claim it as yours. "Mine", "I want this", "for me please" - anything of the sort will do.

~ At the end of the day on Thursday, the trunk show will officially end. If you are ready to check out, simply post a comment to the Jillry Fan Page wall. You may also leave a comment before Thursday evening if you are ready to check out early and would like to beat the rush.

~ Payment: I accept Paypal. Once you a ready to check out, I'll need your email address to send you an invoice. If you do not have a Paypal account you can still pay your invoice with a debit or credit card. This is a safe and secure process. If you would rather send check by mail, we can also arrange to check out that way.

~ Shipping: I usually ship the day after payment is received. However, the longer you wait to check out the further along in the line you'll be and it may take up to two days before your order is shipped. Purchases are shipped in the order in which they are paid for.

QUESTIONS? Simply post your questions to my wall or shoot me an email at JillryLove@gmail.com.

!!!!!CUSTOMER APPRECIATION SURPRISE!!!!

All customers shopping in this trunk show will be automatically entered into a JILLRY GIVEAWAY DRAWING. The giveaway? Two lucky customers will receive $20 gift certificates to Jillry. These GCs can be used in my shop online or on Facebook for their next purchase. (Cannot be used on current trunk show purchase.)

To earn more entries in the giveaway:

1. Share the Jillry Trunk Info with your friends on Facebook! You can hit "share" underneath any of my wall posts regarding the Trunk Show or "share" the Trunk Show photo folder once its up. Please be sure to post a note to my wall telling me you've done so. You can also share the link to this blog post.

2. For every $25 spent in this Trunk Show you receive an additional entry.

Thanks for your continued support of Jillry! See you all tomorrow. :)

Monkeyin' Around

Since we finished the baby's room on Saturday, Jason and I have peeked in to look at it exactly 746 times. Its hard to believe we've already painted and arranged his room. Its also hard to believe how much we love it. All we have left to do is create some wall decor for the final touches.

Cornflower blue and monkeys. We think its the perfect shade of blue; soothing and a great color for him to transistion into when he grows out of his baby furniture.

Here are the before and after shots.

Before:














After:
(Click on photo to get a bigger shot)

What a fun, fulfilling weekend. J and I registered on Friday during the downpour, while everyone was at work. Afterward, we went to Sammy's for an appetizer lunch: fried alligator, spinach and artichoke dip, jalapeno cheese fries and buffalo wings.

It was a pregnant girl's dream lunch. We picked up the bedding Mom and Dad got for us, so before heading home we stopped in the local hardware store for paint. So glad we did. With it storming all weekend, we stayed inside and got things done. Including a nap or two. :)

Every little step in this pregnancy has me more and more excited to meet our little guy. Next week we will go in for the 4D sonogram and get to see his little face. Until then...

A name for our little monkey

For us, picking out a name for our child gave us a bit of anxiety. The permanence of it. That along with making sure he or she didn't end up with initials that would ensure childhood jokes. And last but not least, choosing a name that wouldn't blend into the crowd or end up on the Top 10 Baby Names list the following year.

We wanted something strong and unique. Something we wouldn't grow tired of. A name that fit us as parents as well as our baby.

After weeks of tossing around names we decided to sweep the issue under the rug until the sonogram. Once we found out the sex of our child we'd be able to eliminate half the names.

A couple of weeks or so after we found out we were having a son I got a text from the Baberhusband with an idea. A name. One that finally stirred something inside me. Just the night before we retired a name we were sort of holding onto, a name that we liked but had reservations about. When we found out yet another person named their son that same name we both agreed to lay it to rest. So, reading this text from J excited me:

"What about Bo?" I stared at the text. Bo. And then it clicked. I immediately called him.

"Like from the childhood story you've told me?" Yes, he tells me. I get a little teary-eyed, but being the commitment-phob I am, I tell him maybe, that we would have to talk more about it and likely spell it a different way. Beau was much more pleasing to the eye, I thought. He agreed.

My husband was a very mischievious little boy to say the least. I love when he starts in on one of his stories from his childhood... how he and his cousin did such-and-such and got in trouble for it, how he accidentally locked and shut the door of his mom's truck while his infant brother and the keys were still in it because he wanted to "Help Mommy". So many hilarious stories of he and his grandfather.

When J told me how as a young child he was unable to pronounce "boy" and said "bo" instead, it melted my heart. Patting his lap for Jason to sit on, his grandfather would say "You my little boy?"

"I not a little bo, Paw Paw," he would say. "I'm a big bo."

I spent some time saying the name in my head. I loved the sound of it. Most of all I loved how it just felt right. It was like the saying When you know, you just know.

And so from a sweet little memory of my husband's childhood comes our son's name. Beau Isaac. Isaac is Jason's middle name, a family name. One that we both love because of its strength and uniqueness and have always agreed to carry on.

Beau is also a very strong name... it means handsome. How much better can you get than that? ;) More than anything I love that my husband picked it out. It makes me feel proud to be his wife.

Today I'm 26 weeks, 4 days pregnant. And that much closer to meeting our little Beau Isaac.

Losing Stuff

Stumbling and waddling down the hall this morning after Baber to kiss him bye, something comes to me:

I'm losing EVERYTHING.

My memory is gone. As in checked out and hasn't returned. I'm a bit paranoid about making mistakes with Jillry so I'm writing things down everywhere and listing everything.

I recently lost my toes. Oh where, oh where have my little toes gone, oh where, oh where can they beeee....

My waist. Pretty much gone.

My balance. Love for cooking. Care for cleaning.

In my college days I had this theory that the world had just so much of certain things and us earth-dwellers shared those things. The amount of weight in the world was constant: If I stepped on the scales and saw I gained a few pounds, sure enough my friend had lost a few. She'd laugh and say I gained the weight she lost.

Or love. By my senior year I decided that I had had enough love in my life, that maybe I was supposed to be single. That I had experienced my fair share of love and there was just so much that existed. My turn was over.

When I graduated and had a job waiting for me I decided that it was what I got in return for love lost. So you may lose in one department but gain in another area of life.

Hey, I was young. *shrug* But wait, I think I want to use that theory just one more time, if I can.

I may have lost my girlish figure, my ability to remember whether I washed my hair yesterday or not, the pep in my step, but I'm gaining something in return. Something so much larger than all those things that I imagine I'll never miss them again when he arrives.

Yesterday I was driving across town and as the baby kicked I swore that in my peripheral vision I saw my stomach move. I placed my hand on my tummy and the feel of him kicking from both inside and out was just ... crazy. This is what Jason is feeling, I thought. It could have been my mess of emotions or even the song playing in the background that heightened the moment for me, but I just started crying. Silly pregnant girl driving down the road, just a bawling.

So yeah. I may have lost all control of my emotions, but in return of all the things I've lost there's so much more to gain. Our son. :)

Fourteen more weeks to go Baby Beau. We can't wait to see who's responsible for Mama's "lost stuff".

Moments to Remember

Mother's Day was one to remember this year. Though with both J and I working long hours, we struggled to find the best presents for our mommies. After fretting for the longest week ever about it, the weekend comes and goes in a flash.

But one moment on Mother's Day Eve felt like a moment paused in time. One I hope and wish that I will remember always.

Some people told me before Mother's Day that I'm not quite a mother yet. Others told me I most definitely am, I'm with child after all. I shrugged it off, it wasn't something I thought much about. After all, I wasn't running around toting children to school events, disciplining and bathing and picking up toys. I certainly don't feel like a mother yet.

But on Saturday night I was celebrated as Mommy-to-be. After my nightly ritual, I crawled into bed with my sweet husband and was surprised by a pretty bag he had waiting for me.

What's this? I ask. I am genuinely surprised. My husband just smiles at me with the biggest grin he owns. Its then that I realize I may not quite be a mother yet, but to him I am essentially the mother of his children. I open the bag with serious love in my heart and tears in my eyes.



















Baber had carefully chosen two frames for me: one for the refrigerator with a magnet on it that said I Love My Mommy and another standing frame with So Little, So Loved on it, both containing photos from the sonogram of our little monkey in them. The standing frame resides on my bedside table, specifically the place J meant for it to be. Now I wake up to little kicks every morning and the photo of our baby.

Wait, I've gotten ahead of myself. As if the frames on their own weren't enough for this first-time mother, my creative husband had also carefully selected two cards for me to read. One was a sweet card from husband, wishing his wife a Happy Mother's Day. The second was a card... from baby.

On the outside of the card there was a simple photo of a dog peeking out of a wooden bucket. Somewhat similiar to Mini's appearance. Inside was a letter from our son. He's still in the womb and look how brilliant he is already! So much of this moment I'd like to keep for ourselves, so I'll paraphrase a little:

"Daddy always tells me how pretty you are and I always hear him telling you how much he loves you."

"It hasn't been very long, but I want you to know I love you so much already."

Oh, and let's not forget the last line that had me laughing through my mess of emotions:

"P.S. - Is that what Mini looks like?"

Just typing these lines from the card has me tearing up again. When Jason does something for me, he does it so right, with so much thought and love that it just shakes me. It reminds me of how lucky I am that we found each other and get to spend our lives together.

Moments like these comfort me and console me when I'm feeling down in my pregnancy... it helps me remember that I am not alone in this. That just because I'm the one carrying our child doesn't mean that my husband is just an innocent bystander. He's living this too. He's very much feeling this too. And like me, he can't wait to meet our little Beau.

Just a couple of snapshots taken on the evening of Mother's Day:



































Hubby pulled up three chairs for us to relax in after a long, but yet somehow quick, Mother's Day. One for each of our behinds and one to prop my feet upon. Oh and of course, for Mini to nap on.

With a glass of tea for me and a beer for Baber, we sat and talked about the weekend that had just passed. About our baby's name. What he will look like. The things we can't wait to experience with him.

Thanks Baber, for making me feel special on Mother's Day. And hey, while I'm at it: thanks for taking care of me and for putting up with my nutty cuckoo moments, my fading memory, my new clumsiness. For responding with a smirk and a laugh when I'm being difficult.

I love you.

Baby Catch Up: Baby's Room & More

There's so much to blog about these days and I just can't seem to organize it all. Let's start with this:

Today is Friday, May 14th. Tomorrow I'll be 25 weeks pregnant. A recent pic of my protruding belly:


















I know, my hair looks so cute that short, right? J and I had an early day off a few weeks ago so we ran off to the river for some lazying around. But, not before some photos. While my tank showed off my belly, it also showed off my ghostly, sun-untouched skin. So my husband gladly stood in for the photo. :)

Mini really enjoys when we get to sneak off to the river for a little family time. J lays a blanket on the sand for us to sprawl on, so we're down on her puppy level. Once we're on the blanket, she runs circles around and through us on the blanket, kicking sand up all over us. She thinks she's so funny.





































































In the past few weeks we've gotten our dream glider and ottoman for baby's room, fallen in love with a name for our son and picked out a crib bedding set. So much is happening so fast and I'm trying to log as much as possible.

A few photos of the new glider & ottoman, compliments of Baber's parents:





































































Mini jumped up on the new glider with me so I could test it out. She's our first baby - I wonder how she'll react when our bebe boy arrives? Its obvious that she knows I'm with child, she rarely lets me hold her these days and when I do get ahold of her, she wiggles her body around so she's not laying on the baby bump.

And our precious new crib bedding, compliments of my parents:
















I have so much running through my head on paint and accessories for the little guy's room and have sketched it in my head a few dozen times.

As for the baby's name, I'll save that for another post. It deserves it's own, don't you think?

Chicken Fettucini

I promised some of you my Chicken Fettucini recipe on Facebook, so here goes... (Wish I had taken a photo to share, but my hungry belly took over!)

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small pkg fettucini noodles
1 carton half and half (I use the smaller one, 8 oz?)
1/4 cup butter (or margarine or vegetable spread)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 splash milk
1 carton white sliced mushrooms, stems removed (I use the single carton found in produce)
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers & onions (I use a frozen mix so I don't waste any fresh produce)
salt & pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
cajun seasoning

**Please note, this is a serving perfect for two hungry adults with a little leftover, so double if you have some kiddos to feed!

Directions:

Cook chicken breasts in skillet (or however you like) and slice into thin strips. I'm a cooking multi-tasker, so if you can handle the heat have your bell peppers & onions with 1 tbsp butter cooking in a separate pot while the chicken is cooking or while you're slicing. Once veg mixture starts to get soft, throw in your mushrooms. Do not season until mushrooms begin browning. I usually just add a little S&P at the browning point. You'll add more seasonings later.

Now that your veggies are ready, add the carton of half and half and turn to medium heat. Once your half and half starts to bubble a little, add butter and stir well. Don't let the mixture stay on medium heat - the half and half may burn. Turn heat to medium low, around 1 or 2 on your range. Stick close to the stove at this point until dinner is done. At this point, you can take a minute to fill a large pot with water and get the noodles boiling.

Note: When noodles are done, I strain them over the sink in my strainer bowl, then add a little olive oil & toss. This keeps the noodles from sticking together and you'll be able to step away from them without worry.

Stir every minute or so, the half and half should start to thicken a little. After about ten minutes, take your tbsp of flour and slowly add to the sauce, stirring constantly. When all the flour is in and mixed well, you can decide then if you like the consistency of your cream sauce. If its too thick for your taste, add that splash of milk and stir.

Add the seasonings listed above to taste. I'm a big seasoner and use probably around a half a tbsp of each seasoning or so, then taste and usually add more of what I think it needs at the end. Its all about what your family likes - I'd hate to recommend too much and have your family guzzling water, swearing off this recipe!

Serve: I keep my cream sauce, chicken and noodles separate, then we add to our bowl in layers - noodles, chicken, then cream. I find this works best if you have leftovers to reheat and you can choose the amount of chicken you want in your bowl. My husband piles it on, I like a little less so I can taste the veggies more.

Enjoy! And please, feel free to ask questions. Unlike my crock pot recipes, this is a little more work and if you aren't a regular cream saucer, questions about technique are normal!

It's a boy!

By now, you've probably all heard that we're having a baby boy, so this post is for me, for Baber, for baby, so that I can continue to log and remember the little things about this crazy-amazing thing called pregnancy.

Baber started counting down the days prior to "The Appointment". One week! 4 more days! 2 more days! I found the closer we got to the sonogram appointment, the harder I dug my heels into Time. Stoooppp! Let's wait a little longer. I was actually jittery-nervous the day of the appointment.

The actual sonogram was a wonderful experience in itself. We walked into the room and the sweet technician introduced herself and dimmed the lights... and I swear I felt like I was in a movie, it was so... surreal? This is it, I thought. We're already here and the rest is going to fly by.

J joked about them needing a bigger flatscreen to view baby on and grabbed hold of my hand. After showing us our baby's profile and feet, she confirmed again that we wanted to know the sex.

Well there he is and he's not shy at all! says the technician. I could only see J's profile but he had the biggest grin on his face. A boy!! And then there were tissues and jokes about our son's package, sonogram photos printed and well wishes given. I hope I never forget that day.

Here's are some photos of us the day of the big appointment, 21 weeks along:

And my usual pregnancy log....

Today I am 22 weeks, 5 days pregnant. Funny enough, I started feeling the baby move right after the sonogram. For weeks J and I were laying in bed with his hand on my tummy, trying to concentrate and feel the baby. Nothing. But last week I started feeling him move around and J would rush over to place his hand on my tummy. "There! You feel it?" and disappointment would register on his face as he shook his head. Well, he finally felt him kick one night and now we lay in bed and feel the little bugger cut up before nigh nigh. Its such an incredible feeling.

Cravings: I expected to have some crazy cravings, but I still really don't crave anything specific. Just whatever I see on TV, ha! I'm wanting to crunch ice like I did early in my pregnancy, so snowcones are a favorite treat, but we've only stopped for a couple since the summer officially started. Basically, I just want food in general. :)

Names: The more we talk, the more we want to keep the name private until closer to time. We do have a couple that we are talking about, but nothing fully decided on yet.

Size of the baby: A little over a pound and 10 inches or so in length.

Changes in me: I feel really, really good these days. Besides a little lower back pain after a long day of work, I'm fine. Balance is lost as is my memory. I weeble wobble down the halls in the morning, I think I need to bumper pad the walls. I'm always in a great mood. My skin looks healthier... and so do my thighs. *snicker*

Changes in husband: What can I say? He's... everything I could ask for and more. Supportive. Helpful. My best friend. Tells me I'm pretty every single day, laughs when I gawk at my belly in the mirror, brings me to get snowcones even when he doesn't want one. Consoles me when I fuss about my fluffiness. Tucks me into my pillow fort at night. Rubs my belly before bed, a great comfort that lulls me into sleep.

He and I both have been working insane hours, so considering the stress and lack of time spent together, its a wonder we haven't bitten each other's heads off. Instead, we get into bed as early as we can and talk. About work. Life. Our son. On the rare day he gets off early, we sneak off to the river with our puppy monster and a towel to sprawl on for some lazy family time. Mini loves these rare occasions best, she squeezes in between us and begs for pets. Runs circles around us and through us, trying to see how sandy she can get us. She knows something is up.

That's it for today. Until next time... xo

Hungarian Chicken

This recipe is one we've made for years in my family. I'm not even sure where it came from really. Usually I slow cook this in a skillet, but needed an extra hand from my crockpot due to my crazy schedule right now. It turned out great and I even had less clean up!














Ingredients

4 chicken thighs
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
2 heaping tbsps paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
About 2 cups water, adding more later

Place all ingredients in crock pot - add water halfway up the chicken thighs. Cook on low for about 7 hours. Check occasionally, adding water as needed. The "sauce" should get thicker as it cooks.

Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Pregnancy Thoughts and Observations: Part 1

Earlier this week I posted a facebook status update that says: "I can physically feel my belly stretching. If one more person tells me they just loooovvedd being pregnant, I'm going to smack 'em!"

Baber gets my notification, reads it and starts laughing. Just moments earlier he asked me if he could get me something while I was huffing and puffing, to which I replied: my allergy medicine, eye drops, some lotion... After I took care of my new, obnoxious allergy issues, I sat back down and was convinced my belly was going to pop. Hurled myself up and literally spread my entire body across the length of the sectional to get some relief, which made J laugh again.

I am forever uncomfortable and I'm only halfway through this. *sigh*

Baber came over and said that someone suggested getting me a maternity massage. I scrunched up my nose. He told me Yeah, I knew you wouldn't like one of those. (I love that he knows me so well.) I told him that he was the only one who could touch the belly right now and get away with it. I then had violent images of karate chopping people in the neck as they reached towards my ever-growing belly. And then J gave me his own belly massage, basically him just rubbing the budda belly, which I actually enjoyed.

I told him that while I loved watching my belly grow and imagining the miracle taking place inside it, I missed my body. I miss being able to just throw myself around and be silly with him like I used to. Being active. Before, I had this thing I did before getting into bed. He would be ready before me and already be in the bed. Towel drying my face, I'd peek in at him in the bed, hang up the towel and literally run and throw myself at him in the bed. As in, leap and hurl my body through the air into the bed beside him, slamming into him. Not very feminine, but it always sent us into giggles.

Middle of my belly rub I tell him how I miss that. He laughed and said he didn't realize how physical we were with each other until now, now that we can't be.

These are just thoughts, just observations... I know I won't be pregnant my whole life. Still, its funny the things you think of while pregnant.

And the dreams! If I could hold onto something from pregnancy, that would be one thing I'd vote to keep. They're so incredibly vivid. Not always good, but I remember so much when I wake up.

One more thing... I believe I'm feeling the baby move around now. Little bumps, flutters and such. The Baberhusband and I now have a ritual every night: He tucks a gazillion pillows around me and I settle in, then he cups his hand over my protruding belly. It's so incredibly soothing for me, his hand so warm - I swear it helps me sleep better. And we just lay there like that for a while. We concentrate and I tell him when I feel the baby move. He laughs at me when my face lights up and tells me he wishes he could feel it. Soon, I tell him, you'll be able to feel and SEE it move.

When I'm watching him while we're like that, I almost believe that he would have willingly carried the baby himself if he could and I just have this feeling, this amazing feeling that he's going to be an incredible daddy.

That's all for now.... just a few random thoughts circulating that I needed to let loose. I'm hoping to have some updated bump photos soon and a pregnancy update after we find out the sex of the baby, which is this Monday!

NOTE: I will no longer be sharing my updated post links on Facebook. Unfortunately a handful of sourpusses like to take things I say and run with them, giving me their unwelcome negative advice and thoughts on my pregnancy. I figure, I'm allowing them to purge their thoughts because I'm technically sharing mine with them. While a lot of my friends have been amazingly encouraging and supportive in this first pregnancy of mine, others feel the need to remind me that "its a blessing to have children" when I make an offhand comment about a rare bad day. We're all human, learning along the way. These posts are for me to remember this pregnancy by, to update and share with those that love and care about me and my family. So, if you want to receive my updates I'd be more than happy to send you the links, just let me know.

Jillry Trunk Show April 13th-15th

Hi Jillry fans! As you all know by now, I'm holding my second online trunk show this week. For those of you who have never participated and would like to, here's how it works:

Tuesday through Thursday I will be posting photos of new pieces and marked down oldies from my collection in a folder called Trunk Show on my Facebook Fan Page. Keep an eye out for status postings with the link to my folder (you will also see photos). Simply click on the images and scroll through - if you see pieces you must have, just comment!

Mine!
I want this!
Add this to my shopping cart!

Any of these exclaimations will do, really. ;) The first person to comment on an item receives it, so its pretty much first come, first serve. Keep an eye out for new items posted to the folder all day!

How to pay for and receive items: I accept Paypal or check by mail. I will contact you at the end of the day on Thursday or sometime Friday to check you out. Or, if you are ready to close out before then, simply say so on my page, message my personal account "Jill Lamonte Corkern" or email me at JillryLove@gmail.com.

Once payment is received, I will immediately pack up your new pretties for the mail.

Please note: PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN 72 HOURS. If you do not plan to pay for the items, please do not comment on them. If you do not pay within 72 hours, your order will be cancelled and the items will go to the next person who commented to claim them.

Questions? Just ask! This is a really casual online shopping gig, so just have fun with it!

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support. I love my job and still wake up pinching myself. Thanks to you, I'm able to do what I love, and I so enjoy bringing you all new pretties!

((Big squishy prego hugs)) xo Jill

April Fools Day

I didn't sleep a wink last night, so I had a lot of time to think. This time of year always brings back fond memories... April Fool's Day reminds me of my Maw Maw, and then of course Mother's Day reminds me of Mom. I'll save Mom memories for a post closer to Mother's Day.

My Maw Maw and Paw Paw were soulmates, to say the least. Paw Paw spoiled the hell outta her and she took care of him every day of their life together. I remember her saying that she laid his clothes out to wear on the bed every morning for him, now that's love! They both had a great love for pranking each other and their loved ones, especially on April Fools Day.

When my Paw Paw died 11 years ago, my grandmother was shook up to say the least. I suggested moving in with her, told her someone needed to take care of her for a change. (My Maw Maw cared for my Paw Paw through his years of diabetes, up to the last moment of his life.) Well, it still ended up the other way around, she's a natural care-giver at heart.

The short year I lived there with her, we made a lot of hilarious memories. At night, she would sit in her lounge chair, me on one end of the couch. As soon as she'd turn off the tv, signaling bed time, it was ON. We'd have a race to see who could get ready for bed the fastest. Wash face, teeth, brush hair, change into pjs, jump into bed and turn the light off. The light was the "finish line". "I BEEEEAT CHUUUU!!" She would squeal at me from the other room, or me to her. I let her win a lot, just so I could hear that.

I can't remember what we did to one another for April Fools, but I remember that day triggered our pranking. Sometimes I would feign tummy aches just before bed to leave the den before her and hide behind her bedroom door while she turned the tv off and made her way in the back. As she passed through her doorway I would scare her; sometimes it would be a low growl, sometimes I would laugh real high-pitched in a ridiculous baby voice, sometimes I would just say Boo!

I know, its a HORRIBLE thing to do to a then mid 70's-year-old woman, but it always ended up in this huge giggle fest. As soon as she would shriek, I would fall out from behind the door to the floor in one of those laughing fits you nearly cried from, her laughing and cursing me, threatening me the whole time. Oh, believe me, she got me back. Don't you feel sorry for her! :)

So yeah, every year around this time I think of her. I've run out of pranks for her, but on the rare occasion I have a good one to call her about on April Fools, I'm sure to get an earful about past pranks her and Paw Paw played on each other.

April Fools will always remind me of those memories. I think I need to call and tell her so this morning.

Hope everyone has a great day! Anyone have any great prank stories from April Fools? Please share if so!

Mother's Day Giveaway!

Hi friends and fans,

Its about time for a giveaway, don't you think? This one is in celebration for Mother's Day though I'll be choosing a winner on April 7th. That's one full week to enter and win!

There are several ways to enter to win! Three winners will be chosen at random. You can enter as many times as you want by doing any or all of the items below.

1. What is your favorite memory of your mother?

You can answer this question in the comment section at the end of this post or at the posts I leave on Facebook.

2. Suggest Jillry to your friends on Facebook and have them post your name to my wall. You will get an extra entry for each friend that posts your name. How? Go to my fan page and click on Suggest To Friends under the profile pic on the left top of the page.

3. Follow my blog. This is super easy. Simply click to the right where it says Follow My Blog. I will see your name/face under this section and you will get an extra entry!

I will choose three winners. Yes, THREE!

One person will win their choice of a pair of earrings from my shop.

One person will win a $10 gift certificate to my shop.

One person will win 20% off their next order from my shop.

Questions? Just ask! You can reach me at JillryLove@gmail.com or can message me on my personal Facebook account.

Good luck!

Orange Julius Recipe

This concoction is so easy, with so few ingredients it feels weird calling it a "recipe". Made of oranges, water, ice and sweetner, this refreshing drink is a hit in my book for the hotter months.

You will need a juicer - I have just a regular old fashioned cheapie from Walmart that works great - plus a measuring cup. I love to pick a pretty pitcher to put it in when serving company.

Ingredients

medium to large oranges (think 1 orange per person)

water

ice

sweetner (2 for each orange used)

Slice oranges in half and juice. Pour into measuring glass. If you like pulp, scoop a little in the measuring glass too. Note the amount of liquid juiced and add a 1/3 water to the orange juice. For example, if you juice 3 cups, then add one cup of water. For a more concentrated juice, use less water.

I like my orange julius's pretty sweet, so for each orange I add two sweet n low packets.

If you plan to serve immediately to guests, pour juice, water, and sweetner into a blender, filling it halfway with ice. Blend well, leaving chunky bits of ice.

Or you can just pour into a pitcher for the fridge and serve over ice when you're craving a sweet and refreshing treat!

Enjoy!

Bump Bump Bump

Good morning. Its 7am Tuesday morning. Even though I'm relapsing on this cold, again, I had a great night's sleep. Pregnancy has completely changed me and its all about learning what works for you to get through it as comfortably as possible. For me, a good night's sleep means exhausting yourself during the day...

Today I am 18 weeks, 3 days pregnant. I promised you baby bump pics, so here you go:

Still kind of hard to see, but its THERE. I am completely past the days of sleeping on my tummy now. And I still haven't mastered the side-sleeping position. My pre-pregnancy pants no longer have a chance.

Cravings: Still love my oranges, but since it became a little warmer out I'm using them for Orange Julius drinks. So refreshing! I'll share the recipe in a following post.

Also can't get enough Raisin Bran Crunch with sliced strawberries and/or bananas. Thankfully I'm craving healthy stuff and spend way too much time in the produce section of the grocery store these days!















Names: Definitely want to use Jason's middle name Isaac if its a bebe boy. Not sure if we'll use it as a middle or last name. We've tossed a few names around but for some reason I'm feeling very protective of the names we've picked. The last thing I want to see is someone scrunch up their nose at a name we love. I may share later on.

Finding out the sex: 3 more weeks.

Size of the baby: 5 1/2 inches long, the length of a bell pepper. (Is a bebe-pepper?)

Changes in me: The belly is protruding a little more these days. I went to the zoo this weekend with Jen, Toot and Baber and wore a fitted non-maternity top (that used to be loose on me, WAH!) and Jen said I finally look pregnant, so we took a pic of my belly.

A very surprising change: I'm suddenly a milk drinker. As a baby I was lactose intolerant and never really got over my dislike for milk. Now, I find myself fixing a bowl of cereal just to down the sweet milk leftover.

Changes in husband: He's putting his hand/ear/face on my belly every chance he gets. And still very protective, which I'm loving every minute of. :)

My next appointment: April 19th. Ultrasound!