Pregnancy:  Number 2.
How far along:  14 weeks 3 days
Gender:  We won't know for sure until January BUT I am convinced it is a boy and here is why...my pee has changed.  Lol.  I know it sounds weird, but it is kind of bubbly and it has NEVER been like that before.  I also just feel like it is a boy.
Weight Gain:  +12 pounds.  It is more than I was hoping for at this point, but on the bright side I am still below my pre pregnancy weight with Gretchen AND last time I gained the majority of my weight in the first trimester and only like 3 pounds the second trimester.  Maybe that is just what my body does.  I am trying not to freak out at all and just listen to my body the best I can because I want what is best for my baby...even if that means I gain 50 pounds...but cross your fingers that doesn't happen.
Maternity Clothes:  I am in that weird stage where my regular clothes are too small but maternity clothes are too big which means I have been living in pajamas, yoga pants, Dave's basketball shorts, and leggings when I go out.  Haha.
Stretch Marks:  No new ones.
Sleep:  It is okay right now.  I get up around 3 times a night to go to the bather.
Best moment of the week:  Gretchen went to nursery for the first time yesterday and she is so good with the other kids!  She is going to be an amazing big sister!
Miss Anything:  I miss not being able to smell everything.  My downstairs constantly smells like cabbage which is disgusting (although I am the only one who thinks this) and when I try to cover it with a candle or something it is way to strong.
Movement:  Nothing yet.
Cravings:  Grilled cheese with kraft singles and tomato soup.
Aversions:  Cabbage, chicken, ground beef, and anything raw.
Queasy or sick:  Yes.  Not as bad as it was with Gretchen.  The vomiting has gone from everyday to a few times a week or dry heaving depending on what is in my stomach.  I learned a lot from the first go around and have been trying my best to eat every hour to avoid feeling too sick.
Looking forward to:  Getting my energy back!

Ingredients
Filling

• 1 lb. ground beef, raw
• 1 cup carrot, finely chopped (about 1 carrot)
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• ½ cup celery, finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic, finely diced
• ½ cup of beef broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Topping 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & diced


Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling

• On medium heat, in a frying pan, sauté carrots, onions and celery. Cook until the onions are translucent.
• Add the ground beef, garlic and sprinkle generous amounts of salt and pepper.
• Cook until the beef is cooked.
• Add the broth and barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 10 minutes.
• Place everything in a 6 x8 oven proof dish.

Topping

• Place the sweet potato in a pot of salted water. Turn to a boil and cook until tender and you can easily poke a fork through.
• Drain and mash the sweet potato.
• Drop spoonfuls of the sweet potato over the beef mixture. Then spread it all over. 

Bake for 30 minutes. Broil on high for 5 minutes.
Serve warm.

Wow it has been too long.  I say this every time, but I need to be better about blogging especially since I am doing it for Gretchen...I want her to be able to go back and read everything.  Let's just say I have about 10 half done blog posts so expect some backdated posts sometime in the future.  LoL.

ANYWAY, for the fun stuff - we had family photos taken a few weeks ago by our favorite photographer, Chelsie Lilja, and they turned out amazing as always.  Here are some of my favorites.

















Merry Christmas!!!

Ingredients
Cabbage Rolls

• 1 large head green cabbage, about 2 to 2¼ pounds
• 1 pounds ground beef 
• 1 lb turkey
• 1 medium onion, grated or minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup cooked brown rice

Tomato Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce or one 32-ounce can whole tomatoes, pulsed in a food processor with juice until pureed.
• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel cabbage - I used this method:
2. Mix the meat, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cinnamon and rice.  
3. Mix or blend together sauce.  Place about 1/4 of meat mixture in each cabbage leave and roll like a burrito.
4. Line of the bottom of a 13 x 9 roasting pan or glass dish with a layer of sauce. Place cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top of sauce. Top cabbage rolls with remaining sauce then cover the whole pan with tin foil. Bake for 2 hours in a preheated 350F oven.

Oh my oh my!  This is a new favorite in our house!  I could have eaten the whole pan plus it was super easy and I made it in less than 30 minutes.


Ingredients 

• 1 (14 ounce) package kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 small or 2 large white sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions 

1. In a heavy bottomed skillet (I like to use my cast iron), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, around 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure even browning. 
2. In a separate skillet, brown the sliced kielbasa for around 5 minutes in 1 in a slightly greased pan over medium high heat. Remove the kielbasa from the pan and set aside. 
3. Add the peppers and onions to the skillet.  Sautee until softened, stirring occasionally.
4. Mix everything together in 1 pan and serve hot!

So delicious especially for fall!  Make a big batch on the weekend and have it for breakfast all week!



INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• Pinch of sea salt (unless almond butter is salted)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Add oats and almond milk into a large mixing bowl
• Add in chia seeds, cinnamon and vanilla extract and stir everything together
• Divide batter into two 12-ounce Mason Jars or containers
• Top with diced apples, a sprinkle of sea salt and a dollop of almond butter
• Cover with lid and place in refrigerator overnight
• In the morning, they are ready to eat! No cooking or heating required. Enjoy!

I got a request to find a good Paleo Pizza recipe and it took a few tries, but I finally got it down!  This would be fun to get the kids involved too and have them add their own toppings!

• Preheat Oven to 350.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the following:
• 2 1/4 cups almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs (optional) 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• In a separate mixing bowl (or measuring cup), add: 
• 3 large eggs 
• 2 tablespoons olive oill
• Beat together until frothy and fully combined.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until dough forms.
• Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a parchment paper-lined work surface. Top with another piece of parchment paper and roll the dough 1/4″ thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper and slide the crust onto a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges have started to crisp and the crust has started to brown.

Someone is a little upset that we took her apple away to take this picture...








One of my favorite things Gretty has started doing is leaning in for lots and lots of kisses!  AND she doesn't do open mouth kisses anymore lol.  She is so sweet!