Which do you like better?

PURPLE

OR PINK ?

OR FLORAL?

The top two are my favorite so far, but the bottom one is much cheaper. Where are some good places to look for new or used baby stuff?

We're having a...

GIRL!

I can't wait to dress her in:

Tiny Shoes

Fluffy Dresses

Big Bows

We're so excited! Matt and I both secretly (or not so secretly on my part) hoped for a girl. Now for a name. Any suggestions?

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've never actually written down this recipe, so here goes. I learned this from my sister, and it's one of my favorites. I'm not a big fan of stuffing or Italian sausage, seriously, but in this it tastes so good. I'm all about easy cooking, and this is about as easy as it gets. You'll only be in the kitchen for 10 minutes, tops.

Makes 4 large servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
2 medium Acorn Squash, halved with seeds removed
1 box stuffing mix
1 lb. Italian sausage (less if you want)
Craisins to taste
Butter to taste
Brown sugar to taste

Directions:
1. Place squash halves cut side down on baking pan. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until soft.

About 10 minutes before squash is done
2- Prepare stuffing mix as directed on box.
3- Cook and drain Italian sausage.
4- Combine stuffing, cooked Italian sausage, and craisins. Stir lightly.
5- To eat, dab butter and brown sugar on hollowed inside of squash. Top with stuffing, sausage, and craisin mixture.

Before and After

Dining Table
BeforeAfter
A while ago we sold the old one that we'd gotten for free and bought this one off Craigslist for just a little bit more. It has a leaf so we can fit eight people, easy. Love it! Right after we got it, Matt caught me all the time just sitting on the couch oogling at the table. I'm pretty sure I was more excited about this upgrade than....

Matt's Transportation to School
BeforeAfter

(Okay, he still rides his bike a lot, but you get the idea.) We'll need a second car in August when Matt starts his rotations, so when some friends from church were selling their 1999 Mercury Sable for super cheap, we jumped at it.

Baby Crib
BeforeAfter
We got this crib off Craigslist in January, but the finish wasn't working for me. So I busted out the sander, primer, and spray paint. And whalah! Now all my oogling goes to the baby's room.

20 Weeks

Last Monday marked the halfway point, and Matt surprised me with Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner. Mmm, yum.

Here's my growing belly:

So far this pregnancy:

I've felt...
- Great, other than a couple weeks in January, but even then things were okay.
- Happy. Scared. Excited. Grateful. Impatient.

I've craved…
-McDoubles hamburgers from McDonalds. Before becoming pregnant, I'd probably eaten one McDouble my entire life, but now every three or four weeks I have to have one.

I'm glad…
- I can still do most everything I did before pregnancy.
- Everything seems to be going okay for the baby as far as we know.

- Matt's so cute. It'd stink to have an icky husband, knowing that half of their genes will go to your child.

I've wondered…
- If we're having a boy or a girl (We find out on Thursday!).

I've dreamed…
- Crazy dreams about babies, Matt, animals, work, kissing other guys, etc.

Matt's Birthday Recap

This is really late, but...

A couple weeks ago was Matt's birthday. He spent from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in board prep classes, but we made the most of it anyway...

At 6:45 a.m. he was blind-folded, kidnapped, and taken to...

At lunch he was brought...

For dinner we opted to dine in (thanks to our parents who provided most of the meal).


The menu: steak, creamed corn, brocolli, rolls, jello, scalloped potatoes, fruit, ice cream cake, and Asphalt Pie (Why did we have two ice cream desserts? I don't know, but I liked it! Thanks Cassie, for the recipe!)

So pretty much the day was filled with food. But if you know Matt, that's the way he likes it.

I've been wondering…

Will I have more or less time after I have the baby?

Currently I work 40 hour weeks at Wells Fargo, and I teach at least four group exercise classes weekly. My excuse for not cooking dinner every night, having a not-so-clean apartment, avoiding "projects" like sewing, and getting further and further behind on scrap booking is:

"I don't have time right now. After I have the baby and am home all day (at least for a little while), I'll have time to do that."

Moms, am I living in a fantasy world? I've gotta know. Because if life's going to get crazier, I'd better make Matt some nice meals now and digital scrapbook as if my life depends on it.

(P.S. Blogger isn't allowing me to upload pictures lately, so sorry we're going picture-less lately. More interesting posts are coming whenever I can get pictures on here.)

Preserve the Family

Friday Iowa's Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's decision on allowing same sex marriage in the state. Although I have great friends who live alternative lifestyles, it was disappointing to hear that the family values I believe to be morally correct are being washed away by government.

If you too feel marriage should only be between one man and one woman, please consider sending a short letter to Governor Culver as requested by Ralph Watts (see below).

"I am sending this note ... requesting [people] throughout the state of Iowa to send a very brief but important letter to Governor Culver related to the Supreme Court decision concerning same sex marriage in Iowa. There appears to be very few options at this point, but there is a possibility that Governor Culver could issue a temporary stay regarding the April 24 date when marriage licenses would be allowed to be issued. With some time to discuss, there may be some options since this decision obviously has nationwide implications. Letters from citizens from virtually all areas of the state have more impact than a localized effort. That's why I'm appealing to you. A simple letter, similar to that below, will be sufficient. Please use snail mail instead of email. We would appreciate a very quick response to get the letters to the Governor by Tuesday or Wednesday this week."

Mailing Address:
Honorable Chet Culver
Iowa State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Sample Letter:
Dear Governor Culver:
Please preserve marriage in Iowa as between one man and one woman.
Sincerely,
Name
Address

To read about my church's stand on families, same-gender attraction, marriage, and Proposition 8 click these links.