Goble Christmas Greetings

Dearest Family and Friends,

What an exciting year it has been for us! The year started off with much excitement and the end of Deaira's pregnancy. Overall Deaira had an easy and uncomfortable pregnancy. We spent the early part of the year anticipating and preparing for the birth of our baby Boy.

Jeriah Daniel Goble was born on April 18, 2010. He was a skinny little peanut who immediately stole our hearts as all babies do! We adjusted to the roles of Mommy and Daddy pretty easily, then we adjusted to being married to a Mommy and a Daddy that was a little more challenging. Today Jeriah is 8 months old and we can't believe it! He's HUGE! Everyone tells you how fast kids grow but you don't believe it til you witness it with your own eyes. Jeriah has decided rolling around the living room is more effective than crawling(for now). He loves to laugh and feed himself bananas. He's just started sitting up and using us as jungle gyms. We marvel on a regular basis at how much we love this little man God blessed us with.

Deaira quit her job when Jeriah was born. We couldn't bear the idea of anyone taking care of our sweet boy other than his Mommy. Deaira feels called to stay at home and raise our children. Its been a challenge but we know that God provides and He has proved it to us over and over and over again. Deaira has had opportunity to make many new wonderful friends in Mommy groups. In September she took a class in Lactation and Breastfeeding education and is anxious to pursue that area of interest more. For now she does some work with a new global movement called "Eats on Feets" which is a network that assists women with sharing breast milk.

Steve continues to work at Charter Cable and though his work is often stressful and frustrating he perseveres to provide for our family. He loves playing with Jeriah and making funny voices. Steve also continues to enjoy video games in his spare time. Steve is a wonderful husband and father who selflessly provides and protects our family.

We have no idea what the Lord has in store for us in 2011 but we trust that His plan is perfect and not ours. We do hope to move into a larger home so Jeriah has room to play and grow. We pray that God will provide us with a work opportunity for Deaira that will still allow her to be with Jeriah at home. God has blessed us so so mightily in every way and we are humbled by his mercy, grace and provision in our lives. We are not worthy of the gift given to us in a manger and then nailed to the cross to pay for our sins!

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas filled with all the joy the season holds and We wish you a blessed New Year!

Much Love,

Steve, Deaira and Jeriah

Ode to a Kitchen-aid

O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid how lovely are your baked goods.
So sweet and savory every one I'll eat them all to the last crumb.
O Kitchen-aid, O Kitchen-aid how lovely are your baked goods.

O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid How lovely are your pastries.
So light and airy sweet and fresh it all turns out the very best!
O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid How lovey are your pastries!

O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid you've done so many good things...
Cakes and breads and cookies too... Frostings, pretzels to name a few...
O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid you've done so many good things...


O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid you really are the greatest
The time has come for us to part & I'll miss you with all my heart
O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid you really are the greatest!

O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid you don't know how I'll miss you...
Someday I'll have my very own, and none will take you from my home.
O Kitchen-aid O Kitchen-aid you don't know how I'll miss you...

Dear Royce,
Thanks for the loan *sniffle*
I was good to her. She was good to me, bad to my waistline.
Love, Dea
P.S. Steve is now convinced buying me a Kitchen-aid will be the best gift he ever bought himself. Thank you! :)

Reflections....

Oh sweet little Joy of mine! It makes me sad to think almost 5 months of your life have passed and I have hardly recorded a thing but now when I sit down to do so all I can come up with are brief descriptions and random thoughts...

-The first month of your life.... you slept and ate pretty standard baby behavior. I adored you and loved feeling your tiny snuggly body against me. - The second month of your life you slept and ate and smiled... I had to remind myself you were supposed to get bigger that no matter how badly I wished you could be tiny and snuggly forever you would grow and be a greater joy to me for it.
-The third month of your life you woke up a little more you realized there were lights and colors and sounds and you wanted to see all of it! I called this the age of awareness...We learned to play!
- The fourth month of your life... you stopped sleeping and you started teething. 2 weeks without a REAL nap unless you were cuddled up with me... I didn't mind that but I sure missed getting things done. You laughed for the first time and I cried!
-Your nicknames are Bug, Bug-a-roo, Dude-a-roo, Jeriah-roo and Buggy


-I love reading to you, I never expected I would... I told myself "its important that you read to him" and dreaded the actual task... I was sooo thrilled to find out I enjoyed it!

-You love to play games and when Mommy sings her Jeriah songs to you!

-In the last month you've discovered what a fun guy Daddy is and he cracks you up! He introduced you to your orange Dr Seuss friend Mr. Melvin.

-You're becoming quite the little Chatterbox. Babbling on about so many little things. You have to put your 2 cents in especially when we go to Mommy's group! I think you're telling all the other babies how good life is!

-You're on the super speedway to milestone land... already rolling over tummy to back and you're so so close to going back to tummy! You're a great supported sitter and you LOVE to stand! You have a ton of strength in your legs and love to jump in the jumperoo. You'll fuss to get out but you keep jumping its the oddest thing... Like you're trying to suck every second of fun out of it.
Please don't grow too fast Bug! Every day you seem bigger especially your baby Flintstone feet! I'm so excited for the future to see you walk and talk to feed you real food! I do wish sometimes tho that I could stunt your growth for another year or so and just enjoy who you are right now today. I don't think its possible that I can ever remember all of the many many things that make up the wonderful boy you are!

30

I never really remember my birthdays very well. It seems sad to not remember a birthday especially a BIG birthday like your *GULP* 30th!

So for posterity sake here is a (hopefully brief) account of my interesting, rough , pretty stressful 30th birthday. Ok that might be a slight exaggeration but it wasn't really a "Happy" birthday tho it's had good memorable moments.

Birthday regret #1: Steve took me for sushi on Monday. It had been a year since I had sushi. It was fun and I did get to show Jeriah sushi and describe the joy of raw tuna on rice. Monday night I was kicking myself for wanting sushi for spending that $50 we'd carefully saved on something that I was then wishing I could throw up and put an end to my misery. I dunno if the sushi was bad i dunno if my post pregnant body can't eat sushi but i thought about going to the hospital i felt so bad and the only thing that stopped me was i didn't think i could drag myself off the bed to get dressed and wake my baby up and get him ready to go with me. Thankfully i made it through the night and my mom (ever my hero) came over Tuesday to help me with my baby.

Birthday regret#2: This is more Jeriah's regret than mine... Jeriah regrets Mommy's sushi dinner as well and he spent Tuesday night and all day Wednesday making sure Mommy knew it. My sweet happy baby who coos and squeals and smiles and flirts spent most of the day looking at me with a boo boo lip or screaming. I tried everything i could to make that boo boo lip go away. Even more sad is he'll probably spend tomorrow at it too. Baby Mylicon drops do work.... sometimes. Jeriah wishes Mommy had wanted pizza or steak for her dinner out with Daddy.

Birthday Lesson #1: No more sushi until I'm only eating for me and since I believe in extended breastfeeding this could be quite sometime but after Monday night... I don't think I'll mind.

Birthday THANKS #1: Charel Thank you for scooping up your nephew and making him eat his toes, folding him in half and riding the bicycle! You helped him and me. Thanks for new clothes to sissy I need them! :)

Memorable Birthday Moment #1: Jeriah did have about an hour of calm where I wrapped him in the Moby wrap strapped him to my chest and we baked my birthday cake together. It was the sweetest thing to me. I wish someone could've taken a picture of us, although if someone else had been here they probably would've been holding my boy. Teaching my babies to cook and to enjoy it to love and appreciate food is so important to me. Baking my birthday cake with my sweetest boy strapped to my chest was priceless and perfect! I hope I can do it every year!

Birthday THANKS #2: I'm very thankful my family came over. I was so grateful to see someone else by the time my mom and Steve got there I cried! My Mommy bought me some new (very needed) nursing clothes, mixing bowls and replaced my old rolling pin (a bottle of wine) with a brand new REAL rolling pin. We ate delicious red velvet cake too!

Memorable Birthday Moment #2: After Charel worked her tummy magic on my baby I gave him a bath and for the first time all day I got to see my sweet little boy. He smiled and he played. He splashed and he was himself. Jeriah loves bath time. He loves being in the water so much I'm afraid if I put him in a real swimming pool he'd swim away from me. He likes water just like his momma. After bath time we did our bedtime routine we snuggled and nursed and said prayers.

Birthday wish #1: All day long I wished for a cool swimming pool. I wanted to feel the cool water envelope me and watch the water sparkle blue above my head... *sigh*

Birthday THANKS #3: a sweet sleeping baby!

Birthday Lesson #2: My husband wants to buy me a KITCHEN-AID!!! HOLY MOLY!! Sooo excited what a wonderful husband I have! When he told me his plan he added on. If i buy this it will be your birthday/Christmas/Anniversary present etc... (like I'd care I'd have a freaking kitchenaid!!!) I was on cloud 9! Then he told me he could buy me all the extra accessories for my kitchen aid until I was 40. I paused there aren't THAT many accessories. Then... I realized I'm 30 and 40 is only 10 years away and there are THAT many accessories. Then I felt old.

Birthday Thanks #4: My husband helped me not feel too old by reminding me what its like to makeout like a teenager :)

At the end of the day I still wish for a swimming pool but not to escape more to refresh and renew to rinse away and relax after the day... I did find an alternative however in another piece of cake and a glass of my OLD rolling pin.

Hooray for Boobies!

Take that Mr Pediatrician! I haven't told many people this but at Jeriah's 2 week well baby check up I was advised by the pediatrician that he was underweight and it was suggested that I supplement with Formula. Jeriah weighed 1/2 an ounce less than the dr would have liked him to! I politely smiled and nodded knowing full well I wasn't going to give my baby a drop of it unless it became absolutely necessary. EVERYTHING I had observed from my baby showed me he was getting enough to eat. Sometimes it seemed like he could eat forever and he was going thru plenty of diapers! I knew a half an ounce could easily be made up for its 2 tablespoons for pete's sake. Jeriah was only 2 weeks old my Milk had only been in for a few days and I had a clogged milk duct to contend with I decided to keep doing what I was doing and wait and see how he grew I kept reading and researching and found some evidence and studies to support why Jeriah weighed a little less than he should and I just kept right on doing what I was doing feeding him whenever he wanted as long as he wanted. I even failed to tell my husband about the dr's advice. (he forgave me and understood why i'd held back!) I was so thrilled today when at 2 months old he weighed 10lbs 14 oz!!!

Jeriah is a wonderful little eater and has been since he was born and I love feeding him! I love snuggling him and I love the way he's so eager to eat! He flirts with me when I feed him he makes me laugh and nothing is better than a big baby smile when obstructed by a nipple and a dribble of milk on the chin! I'm so thankful that this time Mommy knew best and that he GREW and is of average height and weight! If the Dr had used the F word again at this appointment I was gonna have to find a new pediatrician! :)

God's creation of a Mommy is a perfect complete one that does miraculous things!

Summer Salads... What Goble's Gobble!

Steve and I eat salad for dinner at least once a week and I don't mean a small salad next to our main dish. We eat SALAD for dinner. Big lucious fancy dinner salads like you buy at restaurants. We love salad around here and have found its pretty easy to come up with different delicious variations. Lettuce is kind of a blank canvas afterall.

Here are some of our favorite variations... All of them start with a big pile of your favorite lettuce, some kind of protein and lots of other exciting toppings you love! Combined together you get a big bowl full of exciting texture flavor and fun!

Taco Salad:

Make seasoned ground beef like you would for tacos.

Add tortilla chips, olives, chopped tomatoes, canned kidney,black or pinto beans, chopped cilanto, green onion, grated cheese, you could even SPICE it up with some jalapeno slices.

Dress with salsa, sour cream, guacamole... whatever you like we like 1000 island.

Chinese Chicken Salad: (pictured)

Grilled or shredded Chicken

Add Cucumber, mandarin oranges, thinly sliced red onion(I use my potato peeler)or chopped green onion, broccoli florets, beans sprouts, bell pepper, shredded carrots, chow mein noodles and almond slivers

Dress with a bottled toasted sesame salad dressing you like.

Italian Steak salad:

I buy a small inexpensive steak marinate it in some balsamic viniagrette and grill it on my counter top grill. Once cooked I slice it thin and toss it in the salad

Add cherry tomato, sliced cucumer, red onion, fresh basil and chunks of fresh mozzarella.

Dress with an Italian dressing or a nice viniagrette.

Greek Salad:

Start with cooked Chicken or Steak:

Add greek olives, red pepper, cucumber, tomato, pepperoncinis, red onion and the all important feta cheese(if you're me)

Dress with a Greek viniagrette.

Chef Salad:

Your favorite lunch meat ham, turkey, salami etc cut in strips and some of your favorite cheese.

Add tomato, black olives, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli and/or cauliflower, any fresh veggie that you love! Don't forget some chopped hard boiled egg!

Dress with your favorite dressing!

Summer is here and for me that means I wanna eat light and fresh food. Salad always fits the bill. These are light fresh and exciting but still filling and satisfying.

Mommy Lessons... Selfishness

I don't think anything in life (even marriage) has shown me quite so vividly how selfish I am as this little person that now consumes my days, my nights and my heart. It happens every night around 3-4am Jeriah wakes up and I dutifully sit up grab him from his bassinet and soothe and satiate all of Jeriah's little needs... all the while counting the seconds through blurry eyes struggling to stay awake watching the silly TV I never wanted to put in our bedroom and now CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT cuz it keeps me awake for the 1 or 2 or 3 hours it takes me to feed my little bug and get him back to sleep! Every night he wakes up and I pick him up and love him I feed him and kiss and snuggle him its really the sweetest thing being his mommy and yet even tho I know "the formula" required to put him back to sleep I inevitably ignore a step in my selfish hurry to go back to sleep. Jeriah likes to eat from both sides... twice and each side can take him about 20-30 min ( That kid loves to eat!) he must have a clean diaper and he must be swaddled! Sometimes tho I seem to think that if he conks out after eating that I can just put him back in his bassinet... and I can but it will only last about 15 min and then I have to wake up and do whatever it is I didn't do in my selfish hurry to get back to sleep! When i obey the formula i can usually be back to sleep in about an hour! :)

Despite my selfishness however the sweet little bug decided to try sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old :) 7 whole hours. It's too bad I woke up 3 times to make sure he was ok and didn't get 7 uninterrupted hours of sleep myself. I'm absolutely in love with my fancy bassinet that vibrates, has a mobile, music and a night light! He's a happy baby in the morning when he wakes up and he can and will coo peacefully in his bassinet as long as the mobile is running. I can usually squeak out another hour of sleep doing this interrupted only by having to restart the mobile :)

He's a pretty chill little dude this bug of mine!

Jeriah Arrives!

About a year ago Steve and I decided to trust the Lord and see what would happen in terms of starting a family. I was scared I was so scared. I cried and came up with ridiculous ideas and plans to make it fit into my idea of ideal and I felt defeated because I didn't see how it could ever be what I'd always imagined. How could we even consider starting a family right now? Well we could of course but we weren't in any kind of place for it to be what I'd hoped it would be. We lived in this tiny (albeit wonderful) 1 bedroom apartment and we still need 2 incomes and on and on. I prayed and I cried and Steve hugged me and reassured me ( I love him have I said that?) God showed me how He had provided for other friends how He'd given them houses and the ability to stay home with their babies. He also gave me a cryptic answer to my questions and fears...

"The Lord will provide"

Thus far in all of my wondering, praying, worrying and trusting that is the only answer I've been given. Even now one year later with a life much changed and still filled with uncertainties...

"Yet one thing secures us whatever betide, The promise assures us the Lord will provide"

This is the birth story of Jeriah Daniel Goble...
Saturday April 17th was a busy fun filled day. I'd been showered with love by my sweet church ladies. I had an adorable froggy cloth diaper cake, many other wonderful gifts and delicious treats. I had a bag full of tie dyed onesies to rinse out and a bed piled high with the outpouring of love. My mom and I set to work and put it all away and got everything organized and ready for baby to come. We went out for dinner at Sizzler and I loaded up on salad with veggies and fruit and a small steak. (I'm so glad I ate a big filling dinner it would be my last meal for about 24 hours) We came home and relaxed. We watched some TV and did our usual thing.
We went to bed around 11:30. I couldn't sleep so I stayed up for another hour watching TV. I had been asleep for about an hour felt a little gush so I woke up, went to the bathroom, changed my pjs and went back to bed thinking the boy was just rocking out on my bladder but, I kept feeling those small gushes. My brain started working and I started wondering so I called the doctor. My doctor was still on vacation I spoke to his partner on call and explained everything to her. She said she couldn't tell me if my water had broke over the phone and that we'd have to come in to be checked. I started getting stuff together. I put on real clothes and started getting last minute things together and let Steve keep sleeping. Eventually having the light on and my activity woke Steve up and I told him what was going on we finished getting stuff together. It was about 1:20 Sunday morning I wasn't really feeling anything I thought maybe I might be having small little contractions but it certainly wasn't anywhere near horrible. We climbed in our van and headed for the hospital.
We got to the hospital and when I got out of the car I KNEW my water had broken. I walked into the ER said "I think I'm having a baby today" and was directed upstairs to the Labor and Delivery check in which was halfway thru the hospital and up the elevator to the 2nd floor. I made Steve walk behind me. (In retrospect I'm a little surprised they didn't offer me a wheelchair or any kind of assistance. I didn't NEED it but still) We got upstairs checked in and shown to a room a nurse came in we explained everything and donned the highly fashionable hospital gown, peed in a cup and all the other lovely trappings. Steve and I stopped to pray trusting that God would hold us thru the night and be with us come what may. I climbed into bed and they started checking me hooked me up to machines I was pretty sure at this point I was contracting but not badly just little twinges. Steve and I started debating when we should call everyone. It took the hospital 2 hours to confirm anything. It was confirmed my water had broken that I was fully effaced and only 1 cm dilated. I was hooked up to the fetal monitors etc but my contractions weren't really strong enough to register so they started me on pitocin to get my contractions going. I asked if this was necessary cuz I'd read horror stories about hard labor and nightmarish deliveries because the pitocin works too well. I was assured it was only to establish a contraction pattern and make them consistent.. I'm thankful they didn't try to rush it they kept it on low and didn't turn it up. After awhile I was having contractions every 4 min and that were a min long.
By 8am I was dilated to 4cm just trooping along I could breathe thru every contraction and was talking laughing smiling etc. The nurse and Dr. on call kept telling me they needed to make me more uncomfortable that I was still smiling. In the same breath they told me how well I was doing. I think this is probably when I start hearing another mommy on the floor screaming cursing crying etc... SCARY!!! That was intimidating to me. I felt so bad cuz all I could think was oh I hope I'm not like that! Then I felt bad knowing it very well could be me in a few hours and I wouldn't care who heard me! I prayed for her. I was probably almost as relieved as she was when I finally heard her baby cry. I did this for many other mommies struggling to bring babies into the world that morning. When I had to pause and get thru my own contractions. I was singing "Be Thou My Vision" and "Jesus I am Resting Resting" I know there were other songs on my heart that day I know God supplied the words and focus for me every minute but these 2 stick out. I also know my constant answer was drumming in my mind "This answers all questions the Lord will provide."
By about noon my family had arrived and they were keeping Steve sane We'd also been in touch with Steve's family in Michigan and I took great comfort knowing my church family had been told and were praying for us too . I got to talk to my Auntie and she prayed with me. I was 6-8cm dilated and I was starting to feel the need to push. They told me to fight it and that was the hardest thing at that point!!! I knew I was tired I hadn't slept all night and I knew the BIG SHOW was still ahead of me I asked for some IV drugs so I could relax a little and rest up. That took my mind off the need to push and let me half sleep between contractions which I was still managing pretty well just breathing and trusting the Lord. Each time I'd have a contraction I'd blow out a breath slowly and count each breath up to 10 I knew it would peak around 6 or 7 and then it would go away sometimes I had to puff out an 11 or 12 but it worked for me.
I don't remember feeling the drugs take effect or any effect they had. Finally I was fully dilated except for a little bit and the Dr. was across town but I needed to push badly. I was starting to lose my cool focus. We started pushing my nurse was just trying to bring him down and maybe get him crowning The Dr was on her way and would be there in 10-15 min. I vaguely remember thinking that this was really going to take long enough for the Dr to drive from the other hospital. I wasn't going anywhere though and really had no idea what to expect I just knew that BIG SHOW had begun. I had Steve and my Sissy. I made sure she had the camera ready to go.
My labor and delivery nurse was so wonderful and encouraging the whole time. She was sweet and fun and a blessing. I enjoyed her very much. We laughed and smiled together even fully dilated and ready to push I was smiling. There was another Dr. on standby but no one thought I was quite there yet. We did some controlled slow pushing or just like hoo hoo hoo breathing and then she let me really bear down and push once. We did a slow controlled push and at the very tail end of the contraction my nurse told me to stop but Jeriah wasn't stopping and I couldn't.
Suddenly I just felt a huge burst and gush and heard a tiny little cry and I realized it was over. In that minute I also remember thinking to myself "THATS IT I could totally do that again!" I also knew instinctively there was no way he was 9 or 10 lbs! My nurse said he shot out like a rocket. There was no delivery of head then shoulders one minute there was pushing and the next second there was my baby. Pushing was the hardest part by far only because I felt like I had no control I think at that point it was truly just my body doing what God had made it to do. Steve kept me focused when I couldn't think or control my breathing or actions he encouraged me. He brought my focus back to the work before me even when I didn't think I could do it anymore. The BIG SHOW only lasted maybe 15 min but when I needed him he was there! He was my husband and no one else but him could've kept me going. I was probably in active hard labor for 30 min tops to my recollection.
My mom and Steve ran into my nurse the next day I guess I was the talk of labor and delivery for 2 days because I had been so strong and so calm the entire time. When I finally did see my Dr. he told me I'd had such an easy time I could probably have 10 kids. I don't remember seeing Jeriah's face for the first time or it even really sinking in at that point it all kind of went fuzzy maybe I was finally feeling the drugs! I think I remember just saying "I'm your mommy" and struggling to introduce him to his first meal. (Thankfully he got the hang on that the next day) I remember my family swarming around taking pictures. I remember introducing Izaiah to Jeriah singing the little song I sang to Izaiah... "Hi Jeriah this is Izaiah" I remember Izaiah smiling and reaching out to touch his cousin. I remember the way my Dad took Jeriah in his arms and held him close to his face and quietly whispered to him! I remember my family's joy! I remember the Dr. fixing the tear Jeriah made in his rush to get out. I remember the taste of cold sweet REAL sugar Vanilla pudding! :)

Obviously in the 2 weeks since Jeriah's arrival we've learned much and we've fallen in love with our son. I don't think its possible to fully comprehend how much our parents love us until we get to experience that love ourselves. How much greater still is Our Father's love for us! Jeriah's arrival was perfectly overseen by my Father in Heaven! The timing the provision the strength! As Steve and I look back we see God's hand on everything. We continue to rest in Him and trust him. Our jobs may not be as secure as we'd like, We'd like it if I could quit my job and work from home to be with Jeriah. We're in a REAL place of submission and reliance on God's provision. We have no plans nothing set up and a date to return to work looming on the horizon and no idea what to do with our Bug. When I think about the weeks ahead my mind spins and I replay those words that have echoed in my head and in my heart for the last year... "Yet one thing secures us whatever betide, The promise assures us the Lord will provide" I have no idea what the Lord's provision will be it could be the opposite of what I want but I know as with all things it will be what is best and it will amaze us.

Nesting...

I was dearly hoping that my nesting instincts would kick in and I'd clean my house. I would deep clean my house from top to bottom. I had hoped to rearrange my linen closet, chase the dust bunnies out from under my bed, scrub the walls of my bathroom, and finish my in laws Christmas present. Yep I had plans. Sadly when the instinct came it was in a different direction. I realized upon packing my hospital bag I had nothing to put on my baby's head or hands or feet. Poor Jeriah couldn't be cold or naked Mommy had to fix it with a Ducky Hat and yellow booties, a Froggy hat and mittens with matching booties and sweet baby blue worms in his hat, hands and feet. When my mom saw the ducky hat she melted into a pool of grandma hormones and giggles. So Jeriah I'm sorry that I don't have your blankie made yet and I'm sorry that you're coming home to a house with dust bunnies under the bed. You'll have a warm head warm hands and warm feet and you'll be the cutest newborn baby in the nursery(you would be even without the hats by the way)You have everything else you need for now or you will. You'll be loved you are already but I've loved you since I first understood I could grow up and be your mommy! You'll be coming soon enough and I'm scared and I ask myself daily how this is gonna work. I pray and seek answers and have faith that God is in control of your arrival the same way he's controlled everything else in our life in fantastic unimaginable ways so we're just gonna see.... We'll let you crash into our life like a wave upon the sand and see what treasures you uncover! :)

Jeriah's Diet....

This looks like my lunch... :) Oh wait I got to eat much more that that! SO after a week or so of floundering and wondering what to eat what not to eat and pestering poor Tiffany with questions I took a class... a Gestational diabetes class where I was schooled in all things related to this "hopefully temporary" lifestyle change that will keep my baby from being a 10lb chunk o monkey! :) My biggest questions were what can I eat what should I eat? I was told and it hasn't been to hard its kind of plug and play. I get to choose what I eat within reason and I'm just limited to portion size and the amount of carbohydrates I can eat at any given meal, another shock... no sugar no dessert... BOO...

A few weeks in and I can pretty much wing it I no longer have to plan out every meal and every crumb I'm going to put in my mouth I've found some give and take and I've even managed to eat out a couple times. It breaks down into 3 meals and 3 snacks and at each meal/snack I'm given a formula of what I need to eat.
Breakfast: 1 carb 2 protein 1 fat which means I can eat 1 piece of toast with butter and 2 eggs.
Morning Snack: 1 carb 2 protein I usually eat about 5 triskets and 2 servings of cheese like string cheese and a babybel (Oh how I love babybels!!!)
Lunch: 3 carb 1 fruit 1 veg 4 protein 1 fat I'll have a sandwich 2 slices of bread with mayo and mustard 27 cheezits 3 1 oz slices of ham and a 1 oz slice of cheese, I'll have 12-15 grapes, 1 c raw veggies like carrots, cheery tomatoes and celery. (its a lot to eat in 30 min)
Afternoon Snack: 2 carb, fruit or milk and 2 protein for me this is usually 1 cup of yogurt, 4 oz sliced apples with 2 Tbsp of peanut butter.
Dinner: 3 carbs 1 fruit 1 veggie 4 protein 1 fat I live for dinner it feels like my first REAL meal all day sometimes The best dinner I've made on record so far was 2/3 c. cooked penne pasta 1/3 cup of tomato sauce a huge pile of sauteed peppers, mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini tossed together with an ounce of mozzarella cheese and 3 oz of yummy Italian sausage. Add a banana and Wow that was a lot of really delicious food!
Bedtime Snack: 1 starch or fruit, 1 milk 1 protein is 3 squares of graham crackers spread with peanut butter and 8oz of 2% milk.

Other observations that have come with my new diet...

-How dumb is it that when you go to eat at a restaurant and ask for a nutrition guide they say "Its all available online" as if that helps me right now when I'm hungry and wondering what I can eat. Thankfully each time we've gone out to eat it was planned and I had the sense to look at the website before going but sometimes you wanna check your facts before you make that final selection ya know. I think this is a ploy by these restaurant companies to force us to just order something whether its good for us or not. Its sad really.

-The choices of sugar free beverages in most places is just pathetic you have 8 choices of sugar laden beverages and then Diet Coke the freckled faced red-headed step child. Now its all fine and well if you drink Coke or like coke but um yes I'm also pregnant therefore trying to avoid caffeine.. oh look they have iced tea well that's good! I'd rather drink tea than coke but its raspberry iced tea with REAL sugar! Thanks so much and wouldn't you know all those Crystal light packets I put in my purse are gone now... I have determined however that Diet Coke is more palatable when drowned with lots of lemon juice! LOTS of lemon juice. I'm also thankful I'm in the habit of carrying around a water bottle.

-If possible I feel like my life is even more food centric than ever. If I'm not hungry for my next meal, I'm planning my next meal or preparing my next meal. I'm kind of starting to think my life is already on a 3 hour cycle. Sometimes I get so frustrated that i have to eat again and If i skip a meal bad things happen to my blood sugar so that's not really an option.

-What does a Foodie Girl do when she can no longer eat whatever her heart desires??? Well I haven't cried yet and I haven't even cheated really and I'm not hungry overall. I've adapted I've eaten well and that's the most important thing I guess is that I'm still satisfied. I've also got a stack of recipes to try when i can eat normally once again.

- I would just like to say for the present time I'm very angry at Starbucks for coming out with a Dark Chocolate Cherry Mocha when I can't have sugar or caffeine! Its like sucking chocolate covered cherries thru a straw! (a sip isn't cheating is it?)

-I would love to write a scathing letter to the advertising company that came up with Baskin Robbins new commercial about Ice cream and Cake and Cake you know the one... I walk around all day singing "Ice cream and cake and cake" OH TORTURE OF TORTURES!!! CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT!!!

- A recent past time Steve and I have adopted is day dreaming about what we'll eat after Jeriah comes... Sushi is at the top of my list and my husband has strict instructions that upon the successful birth of our son and reassurance that all is well he is to go downstairs at the hospital and procure one Quad Venti Iced Extra Caramel Machiato POST HASTE!! (Your husband may be the first person at church to know we've had a baby Jess )

-I miss drinking huge glasses of cold milk, I miss cheerios and all manner of cereal. I can't wait to taste maple syrup and honey again and banish the horrid splenda from my house! I can't wait til I no longer have to think about which protein I'm going to eat. I am thankful I haven't tired of eating peanut butter and cheese too!

-I am thankful EVERY single day that there is not a vegetable I won't eat! I've never eaten so many and its been kind of fun to just go to town. I can eat almost endless amounts of a lot of my favorite veggies! This makes for filling dinners, generous salads and emergency snacks! I hope I can somehow teach Jeriah to love his veggies the way his Mama does! I've even asked my parents how they managed to make me the least picky eater in the family. They just said they always enthusiastically encouraged us to try. I always knew if my Dad said try this it was GOOD STUFF! :)

-New Recipes I've created: BBQ Shrimp Skewers, Beefy Mushroom Sauce with noodles, Italian Sausage and Veggie Pasta Bake.

I haven't gained any weight I don't think I've even gained 10lbs in my whole pregnancy yet. I am hopeful Jeriah has slowed down and won't reach massive proportions. We're praying he can arrive safely, naturally and early! :)

To Wrap my Baby Bunting in...part 3

So I have the yarn and I'm so in love with the colors and just thinking about tucking it around my boy while he sleeps or watching him drag it around the house with his thumb in his mouth all doe eyed has me giddy and feeling all squishy! So many silly ideas that may never come to pass because there's no guarantees that mommy's blankie will be HIS favorite blankie (but I REALLY hope it is). I've picked 4 patterns I like them all not equally per se but I could envision his blanket in any of these configurations with the colors I bought. I have my favorites and I have my fears about each one. What do you think do you have a favorite which do you think would be the cutest?

1. I like this blanket because it's just random big blocks and chunks of color with no rhyme, reason or explanation. If I got bored with one color I could easily turn it around change color and make another randomly shaped block on any side of it. The downside to this would be it would pretty much have to be a blanket that was the same stitch over and over and over with no variation. That can get mighty monotonous my friends!
2. I like this one too I like the stripes and I like that they're different widths! The thinner stripes make kind of a TTTTT pattern around the solid thinnest stripe and the thickest stripes have what is called a spider in them. It creates some visual interest in the blanket and some variety for the person making it! The holes make it a little lighter and work up a little quicker too :)

3. How adorable are the little fishies! A little school of nestled fish swimming to and fro! I love and hate this blanket! I love the fish they're so sweet and I can imagine them in the colors I picked! This is my favorite and part of me really hopes it isn't yours! Why? What could possibly dissuade me from making this adorable school of fish? Well all those little fish are individually crocheted which is advantageous. I could make them very quickly on the fly and amass my little pond. I can also control the size by controlling the number of fish! The problem is the fish must be stitched together and for me that gets insanely boring. How boring you may ask? I started a blanket for my in-laws for Christmas last July its about 81 little squares that had to be stitched into one big square. I dutifully crocheted all 81 squares and stitched them up into 9 rows of 9 strips and then... Let's just say I still haven't sent my in-laws their Christmas present. (I do feel really bad about this by the way but in my defense life surrounding Christmas was a chaotic time I don't care to remember) So I'm fearful I'll have piles and stacks of cute little fish waiting to be a blanket never realizing their full cuddly potential. (*Mental note* When your nesting instinct kicks in finish Mom and Dad's Christmas present so you can give to Mom when she comes to visit)

4. This is kind of a neat like a little kaleidoscope and with the different colors I think it could look pretty cool with all the colors kind of swirled together. This would work up pretty quickly too most squares do and while I'm not entirely sure how to achieve the swirl look I think it'd just be a simple matter of moving the corner 1 stitch to the left while working in the round (sorry crochet speak) which could keep it somewhat entertaining along with changing colors.

I'm fairly certain I will not have this blanket finished before my boy is here I am hoping to finish someone else's blanket before her baby is here too. It's entirely possible at the rate I'm going that I won't have even started Jeriah's blankie before he's here. I'm pretty sure I won't have much time after he's here but I do hope that someday I can put it together so my visions of a sleepy doe eyed toddler with dark curled hair (I'm guessing on this he could have porcelain skin and brilliant red hair) will suck his thumb and drag it around the house. Then I will tuck that little boy in my lap and read him a storybook before tucking him into bed.

Pregnancy not so much fun but the idea of being a Mommy the "magic" of being a mommy is pretty romantical this side of labor...

Grandma's Girl

I have discovered I have a hobby in common with my Grandma. Grandma used to sit in her recliner all night watching TV with Grandpa thumbing through her magazines and copying any recipe that tickled her fancy one buy one into spiral bound notebooks. Being the food lover and cook that I am and also having so many memories of helping Grandma cook and just learning vicariously by watching my grandma cook I staked my claim on those notebooks long ago! No one else wanted them or had probably even thought of them. I have hardly looked through them and sadly I haven't made a single recipe from a single one. I have looked at them enough to know that Grandma LOVED Desserts almost every single one is a dessert recipe! From those magazines and spiral notebooks we have such family loved recipes as Harvey Wallbanger Cake, Piggy Cake, and Almond Pinwheels!
Now I don't spend my nights hand copying recipes from a magazine. I'd get writer's cramp before I finished the first one. (I'm a typer don't ya know) I do spend more time than I should perusing foodie blogs and websites and if a recipe tickles my fancy I just copy/paste it right into a word document and file it away under my own handy dandy recipe folder on my desktop. I'm a little more organized than Grandma was. Every recipe is organized in one big folder with little sub folders separating main dishes from soups from breads from appetizers. My desserts folder is even separated into category Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Candy... you get the idea! I have quite a few recipes but the sub folder that is without a doubt the largest and filled with so many "I should make that someday" recipes is my dessert folder. I got my Grandma's sweet tooth and her penchant for recipe collecting!
I have never ever questioned whether I was Grandma's Girl or not. She forever reminded me I was hers. She'd hug me close and lovingly reassure me I was Grandma's girl. I guess more than anything it just nice to draw the comparison and see that a part of her is a part of me. Maybe someday in the future I'll have a grand baby who wants my dusty old hard drives full of recipes and they will be a cherished collection of memories and reminders of their own Grandma.

Afraid...

So a week and a half ago I went in for the standard gestational diabetes test. I ate breakfast as instructed by my Dr grabbed my crocheting bag and prepared to drink of bottle of sugary sweet syrup and sit for an hour for my date with a needle. I felt fine and normal the whole time and wrote it off certain if there was a problem i would've felt funny. I had questioned a few months ago if I might have it but when I researched it all of the symptoms I had that I thought might be gestational diabetes also were normal pregnancy symptoms. I wrote the test off until this week when I got a letter from my Dr that my blood glucose levels were high and he'd like for me to take the 3 hour test. I'm gonna get a lot of crocheting done that's for sure! So tomorrow I start a 3 day "diet" and on Wednesday I have another 3 hour date at the lab with a bottle of sugary syrup and apparently several encounters with a needle. (pregnancy has a way of making you not fear needles so much between blood tests and rogham shots)

I'm afraid of what it could all mean. I'm beyond thankful for my friend Tiffany! (who's been a diabetic for longer than she can remember) She lets me ask her millions of questions about blood sugar and what this could mean and what that could mean. She's making a big scary world a little more clear an d clarifying some facts for me. She's explained what my symptoms could mean and while she hasn't alleviated a single one of my fears maybe she's (depending on the test results) confirmed them. She's tried to explain why if my blood sugar is high do I have an insatiable craving for brownies, soda and syrupy sweet things. That insatiable appetite I've mentioned its still here. I have no idea how or why i can eat so much or be constantly hungry minutes after eating so much. I've been so angry at myself for being so hungry. Is it normal because I'm pregnant or is it something else?

My fears are justifiable, I knew before i got pregnant it was a possibility perhaps even more likely a possibility for me than for other people. Riding on the coat tails of my fears has been this conviction that Steve and I in general need to re think the way we eat a little bit. We don't eat poorly and I'm not one to cook from a box or a can very often but being the foodie I am I read blogs and see recipes and if one tickles my fancy generally speaking I won't think twice about jumping on board to try it no matter how horrible the ingredients ( canned biscuit dough and Mt Dew anyone? ) Maybe this is the kind of motivation I need to really weed out some of the poor choices we make and take some more control and practice more moderation. I don't know why I'm so afraid of changing my diet anyways its not like I don't like or eat GOOD food. I had a veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread yesterday and it was the most delicious thing! We had fruit salad for dessert that was the stuff of dreams. I LOVE GOOD REAL FOOD!!! I think my fears are based in what it could mean for Jeriah immediately and me long term. Oh and that other thing (ugh) having to practice self-discipline. I have no qualms about eating good food so long as I can still have the bad ones if and when I want them. :)
So here we go... and we'll see whatever it means wherever it leads whatever it brings...

Over the Shoulder and on the go...

This is perhaps horribly vain and shallow but, I was thinking about diaper bags and how I really don't want a cutsie little boy diaper bag covered in cartoon characters or smiling cuddly farm animals... I didn't want something powder blue or with Winnie the Pooh.

If I had a nursery to decorate and a lot of money I would decorate it with a Dr. Seuss theme. In Bright orange and green and yellow... there would be thing 1 and thing 2. A fish in red and a fish in blue, and I couldn't forget Horton hears a Who.... Those bright colors and fun whimsical things just call to me and SCREAM CUTE!!! But I digress. :)

I wanted a diaper bag I wouldn't be ashamed to carry around if I wasn't pushing a stroller. I know I'll soon be taking on this new title of Mommy and its a title, an identity I'm so excited to take on its one I've waited my whole life to be called and, maybe it sounds selfish but I don't wanna lose Deaira all together either. I wanted a diaper bag that looked like a bag a grown woman would carry.

I went to Babies R Us to start my registry so my Mommy in Law in MI and other friends and family could have some idea how to spoil our little dude. I went to look at diaper bags and zapped it on sight it was sooo ME! I didn't open it to see if it had pockets I didn't even pick it up off the shelf to look at it before I zapped it. Thankfully before I left the store I returned and I picked it up off the shelf and took note that it had a few pockets and a changing pad and stuff. I went home that night so sad that it wasn't mine yet and that it might not be. I didn't even look at the price tag! I just remembered the beautiful multi colored stripes. I had a gift card why didn't I just buy it. I spent the next day or so kicking myself for not just using that gift card. Finally I figured out I would convince Steve he should come with me to Babies R Us so he could look at and have some say in what we registered for and when we did I would check the price on said diaper bag and buy it if it was within reason!

Sure enough the next week we were on our way. I had bargained a trip to Babies R Us with a pop into Best Buy which worked to my advantage you see.... while visiting the ladies room there I found a coupon laying there unattended for 20% off any item at Babies R Us that expired that very weekend! :) Into Babies R Us we went and I showed Steve all the things I had registered for and he approved especially of the large number of froggy items. Then I went to find my diaper bag. I picked it up off the shelf gushing to Steve about how gorgeous it was and looking it over now with a more discerning eye counting pockets mentally plotting out what I would put in each pocket... Then I looked at the price tag $59.99!!!! I would never ever spend that much money on a purse or a pair of shoes! I would have a hard time spending that much money on a whole outfit! I did have a gift card a $50 gift card tho and the coupon...

I'm so thankful my Dad taught me to do math in my head I'm also thankful for gift cards.. :) I quickly realize 20% off $59.99 would make the bag more affordable with my gift card and the tax well I could take care of that it would be miniscule. Sure enough with the coupon and my gift card I walked out of Babies R Us having paid $1.70 for that diaper bag of many colors and I felt like a savvy shopper and its mine and I have no fear of having to find another perfect bag... :)

To wrap my baby bunting in... part 2

So I have it... I didn't plan on buying it but I just happened to have an opportunity to pop into Michael's yesterday and well a trip to Michael's without looking at yarn is a wasted trip. I started grabbing skeins off the racks... a skein of red, a pretty orange, a brown as rich as chocolate and a tangle of blue. How did that get in there I hadn't planned on blue but before I knew it I had 7 or 8 skeins in my arms cuddling them close. They're all so soft and silky feeling. I know it will slip thru my fingers so gently into a delicious snuggly blankie for my baby boy! I wasn't gonna buy it (have I mentioned what a cheap skate I can be?) I could wait I rationalized to myself looking down at the armful of yarn that could potentially wrap around my Jeriah. I was ready to put it all back with a sigh. Then I looked closer and saw the sale sign. That was all I needed :) I am a girl after all.
I still have no idea how these are going to come together how they'll tangle up into something my boy will love forever. I'll look for patterns eventually or make up my own I'm thinking stripes or blocks or a slight modification off the first blanket from my original post (Everyone voted unanimously for it!) I keep telling myself it has to be perfect. I have the perfect silky yarn and the perfect colors. I must have the perfect pattern but then the words of a friend echo in my head and that's all I need to quiet the "must-be-perfect-demon" within me (Thank you Angel!)

"It will be special cause MAMA made it."

Oompa Loompa.....

So the jury is still out on whether I "LOOK"pregnant or not. Some people say yes some say no.

A few girls at work insist I'm showing from behind. Steve says my behind looks the same as always. Others tell me how great I look and that its good that I'm not just exploding out. One woman today said I was the only pregnant woman she'd ever met to look thinner and better the more pregnant I got. One woman told me she'd always thought I was pregnant (Hows THAT for a compliment?? How am I supposed to interpret that? LOL) Others still comment frequently on how they can't wait til I'm all fat round and cute and How come I'm not showing yet. They all agree I have "the glow" I'm not sure I've figured out what that means just yet but ok...
Whats my opinion you may ask? Well I still don't think I'm showing in the traditional sense. My tummy is bigger and rounder but Steve an I are the only ones that really see that and I haven't had to buy Maternity clothes my fat clothes still fit. I no longer look in the mirror and think "Hey I look good" I certainly don't think I look bad if I think anything I just think I look like I've gained weight. Today I was in the bathroom at work and sizing myself up in the mirror and a thought came to me. I don't really look pregnant but I look Oompa-Loompa shaped. Hows that? The thought has led me to ask Steve to take our first official "pregnancy" picture...
So May I present to you Deaira Goble at 23 weeks pregnant with Baby #1 Jeriah Daniel Goble...

What do you think? Showing? not showing? Same old Dea? Should I paint my face orange dye my hair green and move to a chocolate factory? I'd probably show after a week living in a room with a chocolate river and candy flowers :)
As a side note... At the rate I've been eating lately it probably won't be too much longer before I'm showing. Last night a "snack" turned into a pint of coffee ice cream, a dinner sized portion of ham. Today I came home early from work cuz I felt weak and dizzy I ate a personal size deep dish pizza a bagel with cream cheese, 3 scrambled eggs and more ham. I've also drank about 96oz of water so far today and I'm still thirsty. I may need to have a chat soon with my son about how mommy doesn't want him to weigh more than about 8 lbs until after he's living outside of her... :)

What Gobles Gobble...Whats in Dea's Soup...

Have I ever spent time extolling the virtues of soup? Soup in almost every form is one of my most favorite things to eat. Its warm its hearty it evokes memories its always different its always satisfying. Soup is one of the most versatile foods ever. Every culture in the world has some kind of soup. Americans eat soup, a can of chicken noodle soup might as well be right next to NyQuil at the drug store. Chinese soups like won ton and hot and sour are in my top favorites! When I have a head cold Hot and Sour soup always does the trick. Then we have some of the more exotic soups... Pho oh my dear sweet savory Pho from Vietnam. I'm sad I haven't really craved you since I've been pregnant but I still love you so much! Not to mention Japanese Ramen or Basque cabbage soup like my grandma used to make! I don't know if this post will be a real recipe so much as a formula... I make homemade soup quite often! I always make it in my giant crock pot ( 7.5 quarts of soupy goodness) and I always freeze what we don't eat which also makes for 2-3 soup dinners which are as simple as plop frozen cube o soup in pot and bring to a boil serve with some type of bread or toasted sandwich and dinner is served!

My soup formula: (for Broth based soups)
1-2 quarts of stock, ( Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable stock, even V8)
2 small onions, chopped
4-5 stalks of celery chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
Garlic 4-6 cloves chopped
salt and pepper to taste (depending on other factors)
You can add water if you need it brothier. The stock is a flavor base to get you started you're going to add additional flavors as well!

Variations:
Bean soup:
Add 1 can chopped tomatoes, 1 bag 15 bean soup mix, ham hock or chopped ham.

Vegetable soup:
Add any and all manner of vegetables! Seriously as many as you want as much as you want! I always use stock and V8 in veg soup! Chopped cabbage, all those greens we're supposed to eat, green beans, potatoes, you can even put grains and beans in it like barley and lentils! The freezer and bulk food section of the grocery store can be helpful here and/or you can practice your knife skills! :) for Minestrone add Italian herbs, pasta and don't forget to top with Parmesan cheese! (Someday I'm gonna buy a parmesan cheese rind at whole foods to cook in the pot with my soup!!)

Beef soup:
Use leftover bits of a beef roast or steak, chopped into small pieces. Add 1 can chopped tomatoes and any veggies you like! I especially like Barley in Beef soup it reminds me of my Grandma!

Chicken soup:
I keep pretty traditional! Follow the formula put bone in chicken pieces in the pot and allow it all to cook together. Pull the chicken off the bone once cooked! Add a small pinch of curry powder and some parsley. Decide if you're gonna add rice, pasta or dumplings :) I add rice or pasta 1-2 hours before the soup is finished with dumplings I wait til about 30 min before the soups done.

I always cook soup low and slow for several hours!(Crock pot on lowest setting over night is my preferred method) Soup is always at its best when its homemade! You know whats in it you can control the ingredients the flavor! I haven't made a bad pot yet! Its winter its cold what could be better than a warm bowl of soup! :)