23 What a treat

23 weeks have come and gone and pretty much 24 too so here we go.

23 weeks, 11 + inches and over 1 pound.

I have been keeping a few short notes to remind me of what I have wanted to mention as time goes by.  Something that Brock and I do almost every Sunday is enjoy some time with our "house" mates in our church community.  This week, it was our turn to host and provide dinner for all 10 members.  Sometimes this is a challenge as we have 3 kiddos and 1 member with a dairy allergy.  I chose to make an Italian Soup.  I added all of my ingredients to my large croc pot then had to split it to make the recipe properly.  I ended up with 1 large and 1 small croc pot full of yummy soup!  It was a hit with everyone and I am thankful that I was able to find another soup to expand my palette/cook book with.  If you want to try it you can find the recipe here...  http://www.colonelde.com/Recipes/thyme_Italian_sausage_soup.pdf

For my Geology peeps.  Last time I wear
This shirt for a while. 

Or here toward the bottom of the page... http://colonelde.com/thyme/

I always just use the recipe as a guide and add spices/ingredients that I prefer as I go along.  Sometimes I add more meat than called for and leave out other things that I might not like or have in the house. Cooking is an experiment and it is so fun.

In baby news...

We had our monthly appointment and met another of our 7 docs.  She was a mid-aged shorter woman with big blonde hair and We instantly enjoyed her.  She asked us if we had named our son and wanted to know our choice.  She loved it, asked for a spelling, and wrote it in my chart!  (SORRY FOLKS No spoiler here... you will have to wait ;-D)  This was just a belly check month and she only had positive comments for how babe and I were doing.  She addressed Brock as appropriate and answered all of our questions.  I asked about getting a flu shot which is highly recommended and could have given me in office but I had already scheduled both of us to get them at work.  She also recommended that anyone in close contact with babe should have the whooping cough vaccine as well especially since there is a break out here in Hamilton county.  I asked about my sciatic nerve issues which have intensified to being painful from my knee to my hip and into my lower back.  She recommended that I might try a chiropractor, I stated I'm going to attempt the massage route first.  Doc also informed me that I would need to complete a glucose test before my next monthly visit.  I am very happy with my Doc's at For Women Inc.  I highly recommend them to anyone in the Cincy area.  I have yet to have anything negative to occur during my time with them.  

Brock and I were able to complete some shopping on Saturday.   We purchased the first bits of Christmas presents, did some grocery shopping at Jungle Jim's,  then headed to the Reds stadium to buy some NL champs t-shirts for Brock and friends.  The surprise of the afternoon: I got a $60 shirt for $10.  I won't be able to wear it anymore this year but I am sure to fit into it come next season!  By the end of our adventures I was in some major sciatic nerve pain.  We came home where I relaxed and Brock headed to work.  He returned later with a beautiful red rose for me stating that I was a real trooper for making it through the day.  He is such a blessing to me!  We enjoyed 2 movies that night: The Lorax and Snow White and the Huntsman.  I recommend both. 

This week I have noticed my energy coming back and was able to give Dexter a haircut.  Brock was able to feel our lil boy move.  And at a dinner with several friends I accidently let the babe name slip but no one heard me say it except Brock.  He busted my chops for that one.  This lil moment has just made me more diligent in making sure I don't let that happen again. 

And because I love this little fellow so much I thought I would share a few Dexter pics.  He is a sweetie and I am praying that He will be best buds with our Boy from day 1!  He was hanging out with Brock in the recliner and using Brock's shoe as a pillow.  Too sweet!  And in the second picture; Dex loves to pull his blanket to the middle of the floor and take a nap in it.  I promise in the picture he is completely asleep.  Yes, with eyes open and tongue out.  Goofy dog.  I love him so.  We are so blessed to have this lil fluff ball as part of our family and he will forever be our first "kid."