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! :)

A day of 100 cravings....

I think I had more cravings today than any other. I have no idea what brought it on if it was just hunger or if I'm just pregnant. The day started out normal enough. I had a sesame bagel with vegetable cream cheese for breakfast it was delicious and it was all downhill from there. Upon completion of the first bagel I wanted a second this time with peanut butter. Lightly toasted with smooth creamy nutty peanut butter. Sadly, I was lacking for peanut butter at the time. The day moved along and I wanted yummy steamed cauliflower in creamy gooey cheese sauce. My mouth watered all day I was unable to shake the thoughts of these delicious treats. I remembered my craving from yesterday deliciously juicy medium rare steak. I could almost taste the beefiness! I was fixated on this pile of yummy treats and the pile kept growing... Next came coffee ice cream cool and creamy rich and yummy. Then stupid me start sharing my cravings with co-workers before too long sushi, Authentic Japanese Ramen, fried chicken, cinnamon rolls, Nachos, cookies, crab legs and all other manner of seafood jumped on top. There were also thoughts of pepsi followed by a thirst for mineral water which has replaced pepsi in my world for the time being... Then I came home and started reading my food blog oh me oh my along came donuts to the pile and a yummy greek Gyro! Add in my non-stop cravings for Eggs Benedict with runny yolks, soft warm yeasty bread and port of subs. I think if thoughts and cravings could make you gain weight I would have far exceeded the recommended 15lb weight gain my doctor suggests. Good thing I'm still down by 7lb from my pre-pregnancy weight!! YIPPEE! Its also a blessing Steve and I really only go to the store once a week so I didn't have anything really on hand to eat any of these things! That will probably be my secret to not gaining 50lbs... Sure is fun to think about tho...

On a side note its been day #2 of heartburn. There's hope my baby won't be bald!

Jeriah's frogs...

Have I mentioned before how much my husband loves frogs? I dunno how or where but he decided he loves frogs and collects them. We have big fuzzy frogs and small lazy frogs... For valentine's day he even got me a pink frog holding a heart that says kiss :) Our babies will be watched over by a collection of soft cuddly plushy frogs. The first anything we bought our baby was a froggy onesie. For Christmas this year Daddy bought Jeriah a froggy sleeper that says "I love you" and Grandma Elwell and Cousin Izaiah gave us lots of precious froggy things for Our boy! I'm very partial to the froggy slippers that will keep tiny baby feet warm! We even bought Jeriah his very first cuddly frog. Mommy couldn't leave him at the store and he was only $2.50 :)
A funny thing about frogs in relation to our son. Steve and I watch this Japanese Anime and one of the characters name is Jiraiya. He's a funny old ninja with... an army of toads. He's referred to respectfully as the "Toad Sage" I guess you could say Jiraiya kind of led us towards the name for our boy. We liked the name it sounded cool and maybe even biblical? So we researched it and we found Jeriah which means "Jehovah has seen" . We didn't have to think or look anymore we had our baby boy's name. He would be Jeriah. Our little toad sage seen by Our Lord and watched over by an army of cuddly frogs(that will grow in number quickly at the rate we're going!)
I find myself pretty excited at this idea of a little froggy boy. There's something special about little boys. Their enthusiasm and impish faces. Their desire to make mud pies and play with worms. At the moment all I can think about is a squishy little baby so tiny with a smooshy little face for me to kiss and tiny little toes for me to tickle. I can't wait to snuggle him against me! Its funny how deeply I've fallen in love with this little boy over the last week of knowing who he is. And the journey is only beginning... Ribbit Ribbit

Hello in there!

Hello in there...
Who are you little one... I realized yesterday that I can't wait to have a name for the child that is making me nauseous and or causing me to grab my tummy after a sharp little jolt of pain! It would be nice to start this whole discipline thing early ya know...Emma Grace don't make mommy's tummy twinge like that or Jeriah Daniel Mommy will eat a graham cracker in just a minute be patient. Sometimes I'm sad that it won't be a surprise but I'm accepting and seeing some benefit to knowing who's in there. I'm afraid to think one way or the other who it is I'm afraid I'll be disappointed which is silly because I wouldn't be disappointed either way. A Sweet Emma would mean cute frilly clothes and a baking partner for mommy. She would mean hair to braid and a niece for Uncle Andy and Uncle Ryan! I would get to teach her to be a big sister and give her my most treasured baby doll! A little Jeriah would mean overalls and super Mario t-shirts he would be a little gaming buddy for his Daddy and a little brother figure for Izaiah which would be good. He would be upholding The Goble Family tradition of first born boys! How could I possibly be disappointed at either outcome.
Sometimes I think I feel my munchkin in there when I'm laying in bed. It feels like their doing aerobics moving so fast that can't be right... can it? Or I feel like the faintest tiniest little bitty thumps? That could all be in my head. Sometimes I'll put my hand on my tummy and think I feel things then I realize ohh that's my own heartbeat! I should be feel something soon and know for sure that my baby is playing with my insides! Maybe I have been for a month and I'm just afraid to believe that it really is my baby dancing inside me! I'm kind of eager for this experience to be a little more real a little more tangible. I think most of the time I forget I'm pregnant cuz I don't really feel or look pregnant. ( so long as I've had a snack) That stage where I hate all of my clothes and feel fat and self conscious is fast approaching! (Dear Santa for Christmas may I have a new pair or 2 of pants and a black and white bella band? ) My husband still tells me I'm beautiful! I love him! :) Other people too tell me I look good I'm gonna store it up for when I really do feel fat and ugly! I don't think you'd know it to look at me that I'm 5 months pregnant. I haven't taken a single picture cuz when I look in the mirror I still see myself. I wanna take pictures and see my baby and me! I wanna be able to look back someday and show my baby see that's when you were in mommy's tummy! :)
I've been reading too much... too much about Breast feeding, cloth diapering, home birthing and too much about vaccinations! With so many ideas and opinions it's so easy to get confused or question what is right. There are things I know for sure... I know I will breastfeed for as long as I can and my baby wants to! I know I will use cloth diapers cuz they're cute and we'll save so much money and it seems like the right thing to do! I know someday I would like to have a baby at home if I'm able! Vaccinations well that might require more reading and prayer...
In one more week we'll know and my world will never be the same... It hasn't been the same since I peed on 4 sticks one Sunday morning :) There's something about knowing though. We can't wait to know who God is knitting together in my belly! That will be a joyous thing! My baby can hear me soon and I can't wait to sing to it. I can't wait to sit on the couch and hold my big belly and sing to it about My Father's love! I can't wait to stop calling the poor kid IT!!!

What Gobles Gobble... It will be mine... someday...

So I'm inspired one of the foodie blogs I frequent (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/) is having a giveaway and not just any giveaway oh no a giveaway for the the #1 culinary desire of my heart... Behold a Kitchen-aid stand mixer! (sadly not in this gorgeous boysenberry color but for free who cares what color it is!) Can you hear the Hallelujah Chorus?? I know the chances of me actually winning it are slim but all that's required is that I post an itty bitty blog about my favorite holiday food which I've been meaning to do anyways because I haven't posted a recipe in forever and the potential thrill of that beauty sitting on my counter top whipping egg whites or kneading cinnamon rolls... or making pasta with a spiffy add on or shredding cheese *sigh* it makes my little heart pitter patter. Now that you all know what I'm dreaming of... on to business that recipe thing...

Broccoli Bake... As long as I can remember my mom has made this for Christmas, Thanksgiving or both its ridiculously simple ridiculously easy and ridiculously horrible, fattening and bad for you to eat... but on holidays we're supposed to indulge right? :) I craved this non-stop for a week before Thanksgiving and pregnancy had nothing to do with it. I wanted the cheesy gooey crunchy broccoli goodness baked up and spooned on my plate. Broccoli is very very good for you afterall hehehe! Steve who's previous favorite holiday food was always Green Bean Casserole will now willingly confess the Broccoli Bake is #1 since he met me! Now onto the recipe:

Broccoli Bake
4 pkg frozen chopped Broccoli (about 40 oz)
1 lb loaf Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
40-50 Ritz crackers, crushed ( sometimes I'll put crushed in the casserole and whole cracker on top to be pretty and don't feel limited with 40-50)
1 stick (1/2 c.)Butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) In a saucepan cook Broccoli until hot, then stir in Velveeta and stir to coat its not necessary that all the cheese melts just so that that Broccoli is coated and saucy. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in half of the crushed Ritz Crackers. Spread into a greased baking dish (13"x9") and top with remaining crackers then pour melted butter over top. Bake for 30 min until hot and bubbly.

I hope someone will try it and love it as much as we do... Oh and if anyone sees a blog giveaway for a Le Creuset Dutch oven... let me know as that would resolve Culinary desire #2 tee hee!

Lessons Learned...

Being pregnant is definitely an interesting experience certainly a foreign one for the first timer like myself. There's nothing to compare too! I've read about other people's experience and people tend to share them with me but the only certainty seemingly is that normal means there is no normal...
• My body feels like my body but also like someone else's. It listens to me and feels like mine but it does all these weird new things. There are new weird twinges new weird feelings new weird responses.
• I wish I had known I'd want a bra made of sand paper so I could've started crafting one together a few months back.
• I've learned green is not just a color it's also a way of describing how I physically feel...
• I've hated egg nog my entire life... but I think I just might have to drink some this Christmas season... thick creamy sweet milky stuff what could possibly be gross about that? WHAT AM I SAYING???
• My pre-pregnancy breakfast was a couple good gulps of water then I could get up get dressed and have a snack before I started work. I learned after about 3 mornings that if the first thing in my stomach isn't food I'll be late for work.
• At 14 weeks pregnant I have officially thrown up 3 times. I have felt like I was going to throw up every day for the last month.
• No amount of ginger candy, ginger tea, ginger ale or food in general seems to make the oogy green feelings go away. Sleeping and eating seem to be the only reprieves.
• Sleep... I didn't think I could love sleep any more than I already did. I wish I could get more, it seems like I never get enough and it's getting harder to sleep. I think my bladder has an alarm that goes off every 2 hours...
• Water, How do I love thee fair water! My water bottle has never been far out of reach my whole adult life but it has never tasted so sweet so satisfying I feel like I'm learning wonderful new things about water...
• I've rediscovered the joy of tea... (Thank you Daelynn) All tea... mint tea ginger tea fruity tea... Tea is for Dea!!!
• This one is quite shocking... I Deaira Lynn Goble have almost entirely lost any desire to cook... I still love cooking mentally I still love food but actually cooking eh... I hope this is only temporary... Thanksgiving is coming soon and that's my favorite day all year!
• Weirdest cravings to date... Fish sticks, frozen nasty crunchy salty little fish sticks you feed to 5 yr olds the epitome of garbage to this foodie girl and yet I craved those... I've never voluntarily eaten a fish stick in my life! Thankfully this craving went unfulfilled and passed! I have also craved fast food like never before Taco Bell and McDonalds. The fast food you eat out of desperation I wanted it I needed it Steve reluctantly took me to McD's but he jumped at the chance to have Taco Bell.
• My favorite foods since becoming pregnant: Salad crunchy wet fresh luscious salad with salty dressing! I have also craved anything salty and meaty... Hot Dogs ( I can eat them I'm so excited!) and pepperoni... French fries and potatoes also to a lesser degree.
• I have almost completely lost my sweet tooth which is unusual for me. I will see desserts or candy but I can pass it by with little interest unless I take a bite then it's as delicious as ever.
• So far as of my last Dr. appointment I have lost 5lbs. The way I see it if I have to gain 15-20 better to start out having lost 5 :)
• I don't think I'm showing yet at all... I ditched my regular jeans a month or more ago not because they didn't fit they just weren't comfy anymore... and all of my dress slacks and other pants still fit. Steve however thinks my tummy looks rounder and cute. I have looked at myself in the mirror and thought hey wow I look good I look like I've lost weight!
• We officially don't care if it's a boy or a girl... The only time I ever have any sort of opinion about what I have is when I'm looking at baby clothes... saw the most adorable sweater dress in hot pink red orange and brown I would've snatched it up if I was willing to spend $40 on an article of clothing my child would outgrow in less than a month... I'm also far too talented with a crochet hook to put up with that nonsense.
• I've been going to CafeMom.com trying to figure out what my tagline should say... By the provision of God a stay at home mommy that believes in natural childbirth breast feeding cloth diapering baby wearing home schooling spanking giver??? that's a lot of various qualifications to give oneself... and that's not even half of it. People identify themselves on Cafe Mom like they do in personal ads!
• A shout out to my mommy who in true mommy fashion has mothered me by helping me clean my house from time to time when all I wanna do is cuddle up on the couch and feel green.

I'm sure I could think of additional observations and lessons but this is a pretty long list for now Maybe I can reference it next time I'm pregnant.... Except none of this will be normal next time and I still have to convince Steve that we'll want to do this a 2nd... 3rd.... etc time. Its also possible after reading this he'll claim it as his manifesto against baby # 2... 3... etc