4 weeks, 2 days till EDD

OhMyGoodness! Where has the time gone? It's just over 4 weeks till Baby O is due to grace us with his/her presence! Since I'm totally anal OCD and obsessive about planning and having things ready to go, I packed the babe's diaper bag a couple weeks ago... I scored an awesome deal on a Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag at the Rack, and with my employee discount added in- it was a deal we couldn't pass! Plus, it's cute! 
So, I thought I'd share what's going into the bag, and see if there's anything I'm missing, or any favorite diaper bag items other Mamma's would like to share I'd greatly appreciate any input! 

Without further ado... 

In the bag:

• 1 package Premie Pampers Swaddlers (you never know)
• 8 Newborn Pampers Swaddlers
• Aveno baby lotion
• Diaper Buddy kit
• Arm & Hammer pacifier wipes
• Butt Paste
• 1 A&A 'lovey' blanket
• 2 swaddle blankets 
• 1 A&A burp rag
• 3 adorable duck caps
• Hand Sanitizer mini
• 2 Pacifiers
• 1 yellow 'going home outfit' 
• 2 long sleeve Carters onsies 

Plus, there will be a surprise lil item thrown in there to help us announce babies gender and name! 

So what do you think? What's excessive? What am I totally forgetting? 

Help a mamma-to-be out! Please, & Thank you! 

XoXo

-Mrs Prep 

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa!

So as ya'll know... I'm not a big fan of cooking... One of the major benefits of living with the parents is my mom is an excellent cook, and unless it's a special occasion (or every other Thursday and Rubio's & Costco night) she has a home cooked meal on the table (have I mentioned how amazing my mother is...? Well- she is!). I decided to step up to the plate on Monday evening and cook up something I've been dreaming about ever since I pinned it a couple months ago! Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa! Let me tell you it was just as delicious as it looked! 

I adapted the recipe from SARCASTIC COOKING - she has some amazing recipes on her blog- I highly recommend only checking it out if you have enough time to droll over all the deliciousness! 

Since we eat as a community most nights, I adapted for five people so we'd have left overs... HA! There were no leftovers in sight! 

The dish:

• 5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 TBS of Paprika
• 2 TBS of Garlic Salt
• 2 TBS of Chili Powder
• 2 TBS of Onion Powder
• 2 TBS of Cumin
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to coat your pan)
• 3 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Quinoa
• Juice of Two Limes
• 1 bunch Cilantro 

Combine all spices together (I used a shallow plate), and dredge chicken in mixture so you have it nicely coated.  Heat up a non-stick pan, add olive oil, add chicken. Cook for 5-8 minutes  (depending on how thick your chicken is), flip and cook for the same amount on the other side. Once chicken is cooked thoroughly, remove from pan and chop on cutting board.

Rinse quinoa thoroughly using a strainer, add quinoa and chicken stock to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cover- letting cook for 10-15 minutes or until it soaks up all the moisture (really similar to cooking rice, don't let it intimidate you!). Once the quinoa is done, remove from heat and add the lime juice and chopped up cilantro, you can also add a dash of salt if you'd like. 

Once everything is prepared, place chicken over quinoa and enjoy! Mr P. even went back for seconds!

Bump-date!

I cannot believe I'm already 33 weeks pregnant. It feels like just yesterday I was calling Sean telling him to "come. home. now." while he was at a friend's house watching golf. He came home right away, knowing something was up... I showed him the positive test- we cried, we laughed, then I drank a gallon of water to take another. Then again, I'm starting to feel like I've ALWAYS been pregnant and it's just the new normal. 

After much debate on which brand to go with*, we ordered our car seat, and the stroller will follow soon. We have everything (I think) we need for the first couple weeks after baby arrives... we were blessed with a baby shower thrown by amazing in-laws and received enough diapers to last for the first couple months weeks. We also are so excited to have nieces and nephews who are just a bit older than baby O, and have gotten lovely hand-me-downs from them in each gender specific items! Yay for recycling! So, we're 'prepared' which is our favorite state... even though there's no amount of 'prepping' you can do to be fully prepared for a baby! 

I've had high blood pressure for about six years now, and it has not changed with pregnancy, so my Dr has be labeled as 'high-risk' and even though the baby is safe and happy (and active as ever) they are taking all  precautions to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Have a I mentioned I adore my Dr, and office? They're all super kind, caring and supportive. That all being said, I've started going in twice a week for Non Stress Tests where they monitor babies heartbeat, movements and my contractions. It's really neat being able to hear Baby Prep's heartbeat for at least 20 minutes. The also do a quick ultrasound just to check in on everything, and seeing babe is always amazing! 

Been feeling a lot of movement in my right side, and near my ribs. Make's sense, since baby is head down- and I now know there are little feet, just hanging out right in my side. Other than the constant kicks, I've been feeling pretty good! Only three more weeks till I take maternity leave from work! Looking forward to being able to put my feet up before the mayhem really begins!

Here's the latest bump pic!

*If you're curious, we went with the Britax B-safe BOB edition car seat for safety ratings, and the fact that it came in Orange sealed the deal for Mr. Prep. We;ll be ordering the BOB Revolution next since we want to be able to hike and trail run with babe. YaY!

It's that time of year again!

You know what I'm talking about, it's marked on your calendar, or hanging out in the back of your mind starting- oh about April... The return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. I love autumn, it's that time of year you get to break out your cozy sweaters, boots and scarves. Living in Seattle I LOVED sipping on a PSL all decked out in warm clothing. In SoCal, you're still rockin' the flip flops and this pregnant mamma opted for my first indulgence of the season iced. 

While I love the convenience of grabbing a grande pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, I detest spending $4 a drink! Especially when our entertainment budget is on the slim side as it it! Solution- Make em at home! I opted for the easiest route, using our Keurig machine, I'm aware not everyone has one, but seriously- it's such a good investment! We spent about $110 on our mini, and it works amazingly! 

I found K-cups at Target (I always buy at Target or use a 10% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond if I have time to get over there, you'll usually spend more at the grocery store) in a seasonal Pumpkin Spice blend, and my usual coffee creamer in a light vanilla flavor. 

I brew up a K-cup, let it cool (I can't drink hot coffee, it's a curse!), add a little bit of sugar and some creamer, and there you have it! Maybe not as frothy as a Barista would like, but just as good in my book... and for only .77 cents each, how can you go wrong?

Here's the cost breakdown:

18 pack of Pumpkin Spice K-cups: $12

Coffee creamer: $2

Total: $14

Divided by 18- .77 cents! 

If you average $3.95 a pop at Starbucks, that's a $3.18 savings each time you make your own.... That's $57.24 you've saved over the course of 18 cups made at home. I'LL TAKE IT!