Shelves in Another Two Closets/Cupboards

Jared put up the shelves in the boys room's closet this weekend. I finally organized the jumble of things we pulled out and put most of it back in. Some of it just went in the trash or belonged in other places in the house. Look at all the room that is left!!! I love it. I wish I had a before picture. Sorry. Martin likes to play in here too. Ha ha. Funny little boy. 

Yes, he is wearing pajama bottoms made of old flannel sheets. If the kids in sound of music can wear curtains, my children can wear sheets. 

Yes, I use peach boxes to store clothes and shoes. It keeps things together better than bags and costs less than real storage bins. Plus, I don't get upset when Martin dumps everything out, plays in one, and breaks it. 

They looked like this before I put Martin's stuff back in his closet. 

Jared also installed a shelf in one of my cupboards, but I didn't take a picture of that. I have been asking for one for over 4 years. So, I am pretty happy about that. Now my Pyrex storage containers are not precariously stacked on my pie plates and ceramic bread pans.  

This is what my living room looks like right now. 

Martin dragged out a bunch of toys while I was organizing his closet. We will clean up when he awakes from his nap. 

I have killed 18 crickets so far this year (all in the living room - they love that table between the two chairs for some reason). The best method I have found is to drop a book on them (it is a plastic covered old library book). Then I wipe them up with a paper towel. 

I went to the Doctor yesterday and saw one of my favorite midwives (maybe she is my favorite because i have seen her the most...I like 3 of the 4).  I am praying that the baby is born not on a Sunday (because midwives don't work that day) and that one of my favorite 3 are working when I go into labor. The baby is doing great. I have gained 31 pounds, which is 5 fewer than what I I had gained with Martin in the same week (I have it charted in excel). 

P.s. Second pregnancies are no joke. I don't think it is me forgetting what it was like last time. Everything hurts more and is swelling up. Also, I never had Braxton hicks with Martin. Never. Never ever. The first contraction I had was when I was really in labor. This time I get them several times a day and boy, are they serious.  They are as strong as when I first went into real labor with Martin. It threw me for a loop the first time it happened this pregnancy. Mostly, they happen at night and once they stop the baby decides it is a good time to either get hiccups or bounce around. I am happy when I sleep for a four hour stretch these days. :) I think of it as preparing for when the baby is born. I am also praying he is as good of a sleeper as Martin. 

I am hoping I am pretty much all stretched out and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th children won't be as dramatically different. Otherwise, I will be bedridden by child 3 or 4. Oh well, they are worth it. All in all, I have very easy pregnancies compared to most people. I can't complain. 

And in some ways this baby has been easier than Martin. One thing I am very thankful for is that my cold, with this baby, lasted fewer than 2 weeks. Both colds, that I had with Martin, lasted between 4-6 weeks. Also, I am thankful for a coolish summer and much less heartburn (which means this baby will be bald, according to a those old wives telling tales). 

Happy Thursday. 

White Chicken Chili

I made this recipe up (because I was missing half the ingredients of the recipe I wanted to follow) in honor of the first day of fall and because I am still recovering from a cold and wanted soup. It was delicious. 

2 onions

2 jalapeños

1 red pepper

2-3 garlic cloves

3-4 tsp cumin

3-4 cups chicken broth

1-2 chicken breasts

3 cans cannelloni beans

Corn

1. I browned the chicken breasts in a pan with some olive oil and salt a pepper. Then I diced it up. But if I had had bone in chicken breast or thighs I would have boiled them, made stock, and added the chicken shredded. 

2. I heated some vegetable oil in a pan and added the diced onions and peppers. Once they softened and started to brown, I added the garlic and cumin for about 30 seconds. Then i added all but one cup of the chicken broth, the two cans of beans, and some corn (I just shook some in from a bag if frozen corn). 

The extra cup of stock and the third can of beans I blended up until smooth in my food processor and then added that to the soup. 

3. Simmer for 1-3 hours. Eat with chips, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, etc. 

Today, my parents graciously took Martin, for the morning, so I could get a few things finished around the house. He was very excited to see "nanad" and "mama". I made 10 more quarts of applesauce (it took 2 hours), emptied my trash cans, dusted, washed diapers, graded labs (no funny answers this week), straightened my living room, sorted through piles of old magazines and threw most of them away, and put about 300 photos into albums (real photos, the ones you can hold in your hand and take out and look at without a power supply). 

Oh, and I have had the windows open all day. It is glorious. I love this weather. My house smells so clean and fresh and I haven't even started really cleaning it (ie vacuuming and wiping down things). 

I am off to put away a few loads of laundry and wipe down some counters and my kitchen table. I am so thankful to be feeling better. Praise God for health. Pregnancy colds seem to last so much longer.  I actually slept for two 3 hour periods last night, which might be why I have energy today. :) For the last week I have been waking up almost EVERY hour. Ugh. 

Speaking of pregnancy. I was 33 weeks on Sunday. I took this picture on the way out to lab on Monday. You can see about half my apples sitting in that bin and bag. They are all now a giant pot of applesauce. Woohoo. FYI: I kept them by the front door so the fruit flies didn't invade my kitchen. It seemed to work.