Total weight gain: 3 or 4 still

Maternity clothes? Most of my clothes are still fitting. The pants I worked to get into are now getting tight and after awhile I want them off immediately! I am loving the maternity yoga pants and leggings though… they are big, but they are comfortable!

Sleep: I have started having to wake up around 4 a.m. to use the bathroom, and sometimes I have trouble going back to sleep. All the stuff with buying a house this week has been stressful too, so sometimes I lay there thinking even though I am exhausted!

Best moment this week: We bought a house on Friday (which was actually the start of 16 weeks, but it was exciting all week!)

Miss Anything? I have been wanting sushi, specifically tuna, so that’s sad. Of course a cocktail would be nice too. I made a homemade butterscotch pudding this week, which had Bailey’s in it. After eating half of it I decided it tasted too alcoholic and panicked, even though I know that it was cooked.  

Movement: I thought I might be feeling movement, but that was after the pudding so I wasn’t sure if I was making myself panic. (Or if it was, well, just gas.)

Food cravings: Ice Cream Sandwiches made with chocolate chip cookies, chocolate, cheesecake, green peas, baked beans

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still not a huge meat fan.

Gender Prediction: I feel like it’s a girl…

Labor Signs: Nope! I will die when that moment comes… of excitement or fear I am not sure!

Symptoms: Tired still, back aches- but that could also come from waitressing.

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Stressed!

Looking forward to: Buying a house! Seeing my sister and her boyfriend, getting back into the house and getting the whole thing done… 3 weeks to find out the gender!

I loved all MK & A shows… you got it dude! They had some cute shows and movies, but of course Full House was the best, and To Grandmother’s House We Go and It Takes Two were their best movies…  please tell me that my sister and I weren’t the only ones who knew It Takes Two by heart… “Back off Barbie!” I still know that movie by heart. You may also remember them in their show Two of a Kind, which was another cute one (better than SLT.)

Sorry, I just love ABC Family/TGIF, etc. shows. Such memories. I would seriously love to relive the 90′s again… I mean Lisa Frank and Trapper Keepers? Family Double Dare, What Would You Do and TGIF? Oh man… and the neon, so glad it’s back. Fanny packs can stay in the 90′s though. I don’t need any extra baggage on my hips, thank you very much. My ice cream sandwich cravings can take care of that all on it’s own. So anyway, back on topic- so little time. (Not the show this time!)

Oh goodness, we have been so busy. We close on the house this week- wish us luck! I have been working a lot, packing… I really am exhausted. After we close we are going to spend the weekend painting the house before we move everything in and hopefully refinishing the floors. I also can’t wait to rip up the hideous green carpet on the stairs and hopefully all the carpet in the bedrooms. I am hoping to find some secret hardwood, but I doubt we will get that lucky! Cross your fingers.

I am super weird about living somewhere someone else has lived- I know it’s weird. Using a bathroom someone else has used kind of creeps me out, and I am not a germaphobe! I am just a bathroom-aphobe. Although that didn’t stop me a few weeks ago from dragging my husband down the road to look at a free toilet- it was a Toto, and my dad worked for a plumbing and heating company so I know they are the best and aren’t cheap! The toilet was in perfect condition, but he sat on it and said he didn’t like the shape. He told me to sit on it to see for myself, but we were on a busy road in front of a cafe I used to work/we visit often so I was too embarrassed. But not embarrassed enough to drag him down there! Not sure why a free toilet didn’t skeeve me out- maybe because it was in front of a nice house and it looked brand new?  We didn’t take it home, although MW said we could if I really wanted to… it was gone before the day was over. Someone else out their knows their toilets! So anyway, of course, we aren’t going to be able to re-do the bathrooms right away (probably for a long while) but I will clean them like crazy! I really, really want the carpets out though because I am allergic to cats and we have no idea what animals have lived on the carpets.

So anyway, be prepared for some updates and photos. Let’s hope I can keep on top of everything! :)

Oreo Cream Cheese Cupcakes by sweetebakes on Tasty Kitchen

• FOR THE CUPCAKES:
• 1 box Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ¼ cups Water
• ¼ cups Sugar
• ⅓ cups Oil
• 1 cup Crushed Oreos
• _____
• FOR THE ICING:
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese (for Icing)
• ½ cups Butter (For Icing)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla (For Icing)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar (For Icing)
• ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream, Whipped (for Icing)
• 1 cup FINELY Crushed Oreos (for Icing)

Prep

Preheat oven to 350.

Line 24-count muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat all of the cupcake ingredients (expect Oreos) until blended and smooth. Fold in crushed Oreos until incorporated.

Fill prepared cupcake tins 2/3 full with batter. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cake bounces back to touch. After baking, remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack.

After cooling, frost with Cream Cheese Icing:

In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Sift powdered sugar into cream cheese/butter mixture and beat until smooth.

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add whipped cream to cream cheese mixture and beat until incorporated and fluffy. Fold in crushed Oreos. And frost (or pipe) away!

It sort of sounded like the baby was underwater. I am sure other first time mom’s feel the same panic I do- you wonder if the baby is okay because you can’t feel it kicking/swimming/dancing yet. (But I have seen that dancing baby, and he/she can move :)  It’s not like I am sick all the time like some mom’s so they have that sign that baby is in there and fine.  I have had it pretty easy, so I interpret my exhausted state and obsession with desserts as a sign baby is okay… oh, and my forgetting my forgetfulness reminds me that baby is there too. For instance, the other day I said, “Oh I can’t believe I am turning 28- I am getting so close to 30!” My husband looked at me and said, “You aren’t turning 28 you are turning 27.” Woops… so on that note, let’s segway into my birthday, shall we?

I didn’t throw a birthday party this year with fun cocktails or anything- it was pretty tame in a wild animal sense. That doesn’t make sense? Sure it does. I love elephants… so much so that when we were on vacation (which reminds me I still need to finish that last vacation post- see, forgetfulness!) and on the ferry I had fallen asleep, and I woke myself up by saying, “I just really want a baby elephant.” I would love an elephant. They are such amazing and awesome creatures- I also would love a dolphin, and I think I love them both because they share human characteristics, such as feeling love. And my goodness, elephants with those ears and trunks and personalities- so cute! Love them.

So back to the topic at hand, we went to Hope Elephants for my birthday, which is a sanctuary for two elephants, Opal and Rosie. They were circus elephants that were brought to Hope Elephants in October of last year to live the rest of their days in solitude. The man who started it had worked with them both in the 1970′s when they were just wee elephants and he and his brother decided they want to do something nice for them when they got old. Which is how they came to Hope, Maine. Anyway, I suggest you go and visit it was such a great experience- I wish I could have petted them, but the state of Maine says no way, Jose! Here are some photos of my friends Rosie and Opal… (unedited because I am tired, but I think they would look great in B&W!)

The last few photos were taken at my grandmother’s where then we ate cake (I love Boston Creme Pie for my birthday), played mini golf (I won for once- I had two hole in ones in a row!) and then we went to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner, where I had the world’s best risotto. Overall, 27 ain’t half bad- I wonder what 28 will look like when it actually arrives!

Total weight gain: Ugh, I think it’s been like 3 or 4- I am still 6 pounds less than I started the New Year though.

Maternity clothes? No, although I did order a belly band (I have some pants that I finally got fitting into and soon they will be small again so this will make them work!) I also bought some maternity leggings and yoga pants- my favorite lounge wear!

Sleep: I thought I was getting my energy back, but I am so tired again. And the dreams are getting wackier and wackier!

Best moment this week: Hearing the heartbeat! So cool!

Miss Anything? I have been thinking about Sangria… and mojitos. And the doctor told me the other day it was best to avoid soft cheese, even if pasteurized :(

Movement: None. Except me running to the kitchen for cake :)

Food cravings: Cake, chocolate, milk, risotto

Anything making you queasy or sick: The other night we had jerk chicken thighs- could not stand the chicken! Yuck! I have not been feeling chicken… or cheeseburgers :(

Gender Prediction: I feel like it’s a girl…

Labor Signs: Nope!

Symptoms: Tired!

Belly Button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? They slipped off the other day- so on!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Finding out what this dancing bean is