40 weeks preggo + Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash

 glory to God! we made it! 40 weeks in the bag.

wednesday i had (what i hope to be) my very last routine check up with my OB before meeting Odego.

did some reading to pass the time in the waiting area and my eyes were immediately drawn to "why it's OK to get an epidural" after picking up this magazine, lol.  this birth plan is the same as my first... to give it my best shot  naturally, and call for the epi if i need it. God has already gone before me and everything is in His hands. everything.

i love that my OB involves Chiso somehow at every visit.  especially when i forget to bring his ipad!  i just love her to pieces and thank God for connecting us.  according to Chi's calculations, my belly is currently measuring at 39.7 cms (the number your belly measures in cms usually corresponds with your current week, fyi).  pretty happy to have progressed to 2 cms dilated without feeling a thing at that.  well, what i HAVE felt has not been painful at all, rather.

so i left my appointment with JUST enough time to hit the gym for one last TKB (turbo kickboxing) class!!! i also just wanted to tell the best kickboxing instructor i know that i'd be seeing her in a few weeks, or whenever i'm cleared to come back.

i started that day with lean turkey sausage, 1 whole egg, 3 egg whites, the last of a ripe avocado, all over  a sweet potato hash i could have sworn i had already added  to my blog, sorry guys!! here are the ingredients i sautéed in my no stick skillet with 1 tbsp coconut oil:

• 1 small peeled/cubed sweet potato (microwave for 1 min first to make it easier to chop)
• 1 yelllow oinion, chopped
• 1/4 cup cubed zucchini
• 1/4 cup cubed yellow squash
• 1/2 cup  cubed red bell pepper
• red pepper flakes
• sea salt (i used liquid aminos) & pepper
• fresh chopped cilantro

and i scarfed down those rotisserie chicken breast deli sammiches on Sara Lee whole wheat 45 calories & delightful bread and raw carrots after the TKB class.

   

here's dinner from tonight with the recipe as promised:

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash

the stuff:

• 1 lb raw, de-veined, shelled shrimp
• 1 roasted small - medium spaghetti squash  ( i throw the whole thing in my oven on 375 for 45 min)
• 1/2 cup whole grape tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp or more lemon pepper seasoning
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 lemon

do this:

1. heat a large wok to med-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.
2. add 2 tbsp garlic and stir constantly so it doesn't burn for about 2 minutes; add shrimp.
3. season shrimp with 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning and black pepper; remove from wok and set aside.
4. add in another tbsp olive oil and the remaining 2 tbsp of garlic; cook for about 1 minute.
5. add bell pepper if wanted at this point and let it cook/soften for 2 minutes. if no bell pepper, just add cooked spaghetti squash into wok along with another tbsp or two of lemon pepper seasoning and black pepper. mix well.
6. halve the grape tomatoes then add them to your wok along with the cooked shrimp and cilantro; mix very well.
7. squeeze the fresh lemon over the top of everything and serve!

nutritional stats coming right up, asap. as for now, the baby waiting game continues!  have a safe, fun, friday night :)

le

it's hottt

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why? two words: THE SUN.

nothing drains me more these days and it's not like i'm out jogging in it either! just walking up to the store and/or driving around in my truck (even with the air cranked to the max) still makes me crazy tired more so than any of my gym workouts. which is why i'm glad this little guy will be outta here before the texas heat really shows out. God bless and be with you preggo mama's this summer (wherever you are)! i mean that sincerely. be safe, stay hydrated, and stay indoors.

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the weekend was rather warm too, so Chiso and i jumped at the chance to hit the pool with my sis, Michelle,  and her daughter, cousin Livvy.  time for swimming lessons for these two.  we did a family maternity shoot last month and i totally want to do a look in my bikini now! i enjoyed wearing it and sporting my bump.  most likely Sonny will have to be the camera man for that though, lol.

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something about the pool makes me want chips, hot dogs, burgers, and ICE CREAM! thanks, Sonic.

remember that summer stir fry i made? i finally got some shrimp from HEB and made it again.  this time i added red bell pepper and yellow squash too since they were on sale.  and yall know the more color in your meals, the better.

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i have still been eating the heck out of nectarines these past few days. i can't get enough of them! plus the longer they sit in the fridge the softer they become. so i must eat them while they are still crisp. all of them.

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was sad to finish the last of this stir fry today for lunch but it'll be back soon.

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Q: do i ever feel my bump is too small?

A: during my first pregnancy? yeah. this time around? nah. when people ask me (especially at the gym) how far along i am these days, 'almost 10 months' is the last thing they expect to hear.  their faces say it all, and 'you're so tiny!!!' is usually soon to follow.  then the women reflect back on their own journeys and express how ginormous they were compared to me before delivering, and the men usually tell me the same about their wives, sisters, friends, etc!! never, ever gets old.  i welcome the questions (yes, the same ones over and over ;) ) and LOVE to discuss my journey with anyone willing to listen!   i enjoy hearing all about other women's preggo stories by the same token as they are all unique.  anyway, that darn, 'every woman is different' statement refers to, well, everything, including bump size. the 'right' size doesn't exist. also: bump size is not an indicator of your baby's weight.  mom's height, weight, activity level, the way baby is positioned, how much fluid present, etc, etc, etc...... so.many.factors.  so don't compare bumps.  especially if you trust your OB and he/she assures you that you and baby are on track every check-up, just as mine has!  done deal ^^'.

Q: what's your biggest pregnancy pet peeve? vent below!

le

rainbowls

nectarines are on sale!!! so you know what that means.... Summer time is near.  i watch for that price drop every Spring and it's finally time.  they are my fave fruit but my love for them is conditional... i will only eat them when they are solid and crispy like apples.  after a certain point ( peach consistency ) i can't do it!

Sprouts Farmers Market had a gigantic fruit sale (as always) so i got a few different kinds and made this bomb salad topped with fresh mint for us to snack on for the next few days.

there are strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, and of course, nectarines up in there.

our television STAYS on the Sprout channel but i actually got to catch an ep of The Pioneer Woman this week.  she made this 10 min shrimp stir fry that looked so easy and so tasty i got up and went to make it immediately!  i used chicken instead of shrimp,

fresh zucchini, grape tomatoes, grilled corn, fresh cilantro, garlic, and my last lemon. i didn't even measure yall, but here are the steps for what i did:

1. cut chicken breasts into bite sized chunks
2. saute extra virgin olive oil with about 2 tbsp butter on med-high heat in a very large wok or cast iron skillet.
3. add in minced garlic and stir til translucent.
4. add chicken chunks and cook just until done (i added lemon pepper seasoning to them).
5. remove proteins from skillet; add chopped zucchini and let cook for 2 minutes. push them to the corner of your wok.
6. add corn and cook 1 minute. push to corner of wok.
7. add grape tomatoes last; cook for 1 minute.
8. add chicken, fresh herbs , and squeeze your lemon into wok with veggies; combine.
9. shut off heat and let sit for about 10 minutes or so before serving.

will be making this again and again with different proteins no doubt. the more color on your plate, the BETTER! rainbowls rule.

read below, but do it in reverse :) have an awesome Friday nite.

le

38 weeks - i should pack

 1 cm dilated celebration pose!

my OB checked me at my most recent visit yesterday aaaaaand, well, i'll take it.

one is better than zero, right?  right!  she then reminded me of some natural ways labor can be brought on, but my mom is not out for the Summer until this friday (she's a teacher) so we will hold off on those for the moment. lol.  we are in no rush anyway, seriously.

i have, however, finally start packing my hospital bag.

now that i have a bigger, better (cleaner) bag!

i found this J. J. Cole satchel bag in Babies R Us that caught my eye (and Chiso's apparently) so i rolled with it. this is my running list so far:

and this is what i have going as of today:

in my bag:

• slimming black nursing cami (Target, 22.99)

• swaddle blankets

• burp cloths

• Odego's going home fit and extra onesies

• car seat + head support

• diapers & wipes

• travel toiletries

 and the infant car seat is by the door!  currently researching double seated strollers... that would be smart.

 i may have very well taken my last Wednesday night Turbo Kickboxing class before Odego gets here... we'll see what happens!

Q: moms, what did you bring to the hospital that you should have left at home OR that you wish you would have brought with you?

le

bam bam bam

after three big events three saturdays in a row:

brother's wedding

Chiso's birthday party

my baby shower

and birthday parties, graduations, etc. sprinkled in between, i'm ready to sit down and just be pregnant.  i don't even know how to do that but i've got 2.5 weeks left to figure it out.  and as soon as i do, Odego will just be like 'OOOOOH NO YA DON'T', so it's whatever!  just taking this thing one day at a time and enjoying solo time with my 1st born until ... it's time.  i gave today my best shot and ended up in Ikea pricing bunk beds with Chiso. and hey, i got this blog post in and even started packing my hospital bag, so i'd say it was a pretty productive day.

this past sunday was baby shower day! been looking forward to it ever since my sister-in-love Michelle offered to host one for me.  it's no secret that we're having another boy, and i saved so many of Chiso's things (mainly clothes) that i didn't even consider having another shower.  however, God knew what we forgot we needed and provided for us, as He promised.

after church and a family workout sunday morning, i went and got jazzy to the best of my abilities to celebrate this little ball of energy in my tummy.  bring on the belly rubs!!!!!!

the braids are back and so is the high bun! normally after 1 or 2 stores, i'm DONE with clothes shopping for the day, but i have my go-to dress places and usually find something super quick. sooo, imagine  how disappointed i was to walk into the Houston Galleria to find both Zara AND French Connection UK....closed!? (fyi Zara will reopen in October but i needed them RIGHT THEN!!!). wasted gas indeed. the next day i tried again closer to home and was ELATED to have found this coral Calvin Klein number in the first department store i visited.  that never happens. ok, not to me. i paired it with my nude Steve Madden pumps, some gold jewelry from Forever 21, and got up outta there.

i appreciate and humbly thank each and every woman who came to celebrate with me.  the Egwuatus take what we can get during the week, but sunday is family day for us. (and sometimes you just want to have a day to do your OWN thing, especially if your work week begins on the following day...i get it!) so when i have to be away from my boys for any reason, i'm always anxious to get right back to them. which means i understand completely when people shift their schedules and take time out of their day to come support, spend time with, and even bring unrequested gifts to and for someone else.... it means absolutely EVERYTHING to me.

   i thank my family, friends, & Sorors for simply being there. and for those belly rubs!!!!

a special, heartfelt thank you and BRAVO to my hostesses who did an amazing job putting everything together. my sisters:  Michelle, Ogechi, and Kara!

 aaand, i especially appreciated the gifts given to our 1st born, Chiso. how thoughtful!  just WOW. blessed beyond measure and i just want to thank God as it is all because of Him. all of it.

thanks for reading! 9 month update post coming right up.

le

P.S. YEP, i put my cooking classes on hold in prep for those 3 big weekends and since Odego will be here super soon, the classes will be back when i am! for now, let the hardcore nesting resume.