Whats the best thing to get right before you give birth??

Oh thats right a UTI!

I woke up at 4 am on Thursday with strong sporadic contractions. I decided to take a shower, get ready, and then decided if I wanted to go to L&D. The contractions stopped and I went on with my day then later that night they were back but along with it came that feeling...you know the feeling of having to pee one billion times with no liquid there. I proceeded to go to sleep and woke up around 5 am with strong contractions and felt like maybe my water had broken...I decided to call my dr. around 8:00am and slightly mentioned the peeing problem. Sure enough after a long morning at the office {poor Larry I made him miss work and come with me) it was decided that my water was still intact but I indeed did have a UTI. I was checked dilated at a 4 and was put on antibiotics and sent on my marry way with a follow up for Monday which hopefully I have the baby by then or we will be scheduling my induction :) Either way I am so exhausted and ready for this little guy to come because waking up at all hours of the night with a sweet newborn is 100 times better then having a UTI. Such an awesome day. The best part of the morning was my dr. going through the steps of how to catch/deliver the baby if Larry needed to do it haha his face was pretty classic.

Rain Rain Go Away!

Its been rainy the last couple days and we are going stir crazy around here. Yesterday I got so desperate for our usual long walks that I went to the mall with my mom and walked up and down the mall pushing Max in his stroller for an hour...it was a good workout and we didn't stop once to look at anything. The workers must of thought we were crazy. Its pretty hard to be cramped up in the house all day especially when you are use to sending your very busy toddler out side to run and jump and play. Max did manage to escape for a little while and run outside in his socks which he loved, and ended up getting 2 baths. I am going nuts cooped up but feel like I can't go anywhere because I could go into labor at any moment. I hate having zero control over this especially because I am such a control freak. I have hard contractions for about and hour and then they vanish its frustrating and a little un-nerving when you alone all day with a toddler. Anyways lets hope to some sunnier days a head and hopefully this waiting game will be over soon enough, cross your fingers for me!

Full Term!

I made it 37 weeks! Had a Dr. appointment this morning. This pregnancy has been very interesting and similar/different then Max's. My fluid is looking low but still in normal range so that is good and baby looks like a tiny little thing similar to Max's size hopefully. My Dr. says I am almost 100% effaced and dilated to a good 3 :) All those contractions and long walks are paying off. She stripped my membranes and told me if I feel anything unusual or some strong contractions to RUN not walk to the hospital because the head is so low she thinks its going to be a speedy birth similar to Max. I had my usual ultrasound and NST baby sounded good but wasn't moving too much but they think its because he is so low in the birth canal he can't really move a whole lot. Hopefully my body will kick it into high gear and we can have this baby this week! If not then my Dr. said she would schedule an induction for the week of the 26th so I don't end up having the baby in the car. So at least I know 2 weeks from now I will not be pregnant anymore...but I am crossing my fingers that stripping my membranes did the trick and he makes he arrival in a hospital bed this week. For those of you who do not know there is a history of rapid births in my family and being that my first delivery was unusually fast the second can be even more so, like my Dr. said second babies are notorious for being delivered places they should not be for example the car :)

Anyways here I am in all my glory with a full term little baby boy, Max & Larry.

{Notice how Max will not stay still at all}

Deadly Cookies.

These cookies no doubt are the reason I have gained like 5 pounds in one day. I am sad to admit I ate 5 of these bad boys today. I am using the really good excuse of the fact that I am only going to be pregnant for a little longer and I work out everyday which I do but still there really is not a good excuse, BUT these cookies might be the exception!

Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodles

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups sugar (12.25 oz), divided
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 1/2 cups (12.5 oz) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt*
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter* (not margarine) at room temp
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
*if using salted butter, just omit table salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish and set aside. Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.

Beat butter, shortening, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

Reduce speed of mixer to low and slowly add flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Give dough final stir to ensure that no flour pockets remain.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls. Working in batches, roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart.

Bake 1 sheet at a time until edges of cookies are set and just barely beginning to brown, but centers are still soft and puffy, about 10-12 minutes. The cookies should look raw between the cracks and seem underdone. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Makes about 2 dozen 3-4 inch cookies.

Dinner Attire.

The other night Max was running wild outside with just his shirt on and his winter hat. When we go on walks in the morning or at night or when it actually is cold here Max wears his hat really well. He thinks it's so funny to wear it when he doesn't really need it...well I am assuming he thinks it's funny because he doesn't actually speak in that detail but you get the point. Dinner time at our house consists of everyone sitting down together including Max who usually eats chicken strips, cereal, or on this occasion a bottle. He is the center of attention and he loves it, hopefully he doesn't mind sharing it in the next few weeks.

25 years Old.

I turned 25 years old on Sunday. It seems pretty old, or I feel pretty old with these creaky sore hips of mine, and having a hard time going up the stairs 50 times a day. Anyways we had a really low key day of church and then had the Martins over for dinner. Pretty successful dinner with 7 kinds in attendance. I kept telling Larry I didn't want anything because I only want clothes for when I am back to pre pregnancy weight/body, but I did get a new pamper chef baking stone and some cute plates for summer days. Overall 25 is not too bad, it seems so old because I was 23 when I had Max and that seems like ages ago and sometimes it seems like yesterday, time really does fly. Anyway everyone made me feel really special and and heres to hoping this year goes by a bit slower then last.

A Day In The Life With Max:

I went around taking some pictures of the funny little things Max does throughout the day. Most messes are made before nap time, then cleaned up during nap time, then remade in the afternoon. So funny to come up the stairs and find the places he has been playing.