Hey Humble Readers...
I hope that you all are having a great early autumn. The weather here on the flatland has been remarkably good, including getting our hottest summer temp on the second day of fall... Crazy! It's been a busy few days, and I have much to catch you all up on.
*****
As the title of this post suggests, I am once again under the weather. This is the second cold I have had THIS MONTH!!! Ugh! Sinuses, ears, throat... just gross. And I think that Ginny might be catching it, she woke up snarfly this morning. I'm praying that we are both feeling okay tomorrow night, as we have been invited out to dinner with a couple of couples from church.
*****
I had an appointment at the diabetic clinic on Tuesday morning. It really was just a refresher on the dietary stuff and setting a game plan. I'm testing my blood sugar before and after each meal (2 hours), and I have to send in my log sheet tomorrow. The nurses will look at it and if my numbers are screwy (which they are), then they will call in a recommended rx to Dr B, and I'll be on insulin beginning next week. The challenge over the last few days has been trying to eat the way I should when I feel like total crap. The m/s pukies combined with this cold has left me craving a ton of carbs, and sadly I have been giving in.
*****
I had more blood drawn on Tuesday as well. Five vials from my finicky veins. Thankfully, one of the other doctors in Dr B's practice called me yesterday and let me know my beta numbers. (As an aside - In looking at my O chart, it appears that I may have o'd a day later than I thought, and if that's the case then my DPO are all different.) So, taking that into account...
13DPO - 34 20DPO - 442 27DPO - 3215
Not as high as I had hoped, but still doubling within normal parameters. I'm still below average, but I'm feeling a little more confident. (I've come across a website that I love... http://www.betabase.info/ It's a collection of beta numbers from viable pregnancies and shows the variants in numbers. Very reassuring) My symptoms have been slightly more intense so that's also helping me feel a little better. I've decided that I'm not going to go for another blood draw next week as I have my u/s on Wednesday.
*****
The other day I spent the afternoon/evening with a couple of my girlfriends. We went to the Big City two hours north of us and hit Ikea, Olive Garden, and an event for 'employees' of my former bookstore. We got to attend a presentation from one of the biggest publishers in the country about all the new books coming out this fall. So many great books... I can't wait! Ikea was so much fun... I was a good girl and limited myself to the few things I had in mind when we first walked in. It was hard not to be impulsive, but I stayed strong! It was a great day and had a lot of laughs.
*****
I've decided that I'm going to do one or two projects each day until Wednesday. Things like going through closets, making soup, and sorting through my crafting stuff. I'm hoping that it will help me not fixate on the u/s. I also have a big pseudo-Thanksgiving dinner to plan (more on that later).
*****
There are a ton of other things that I want to tell you about, but they will have to wait for now, as I'm fading. Ginny is napping and if I'm lucky I might be able to catch a solid half hour of sleep. Woo hoo!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Foodie Friday: The Slacker Saturday Edition... Mega Garlic Chicken
Hey Humble Readers...
Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post and emailed. I really appreciate all your support. Thursday and Friday were spent pretty much freaking out, but I started getting a grip on things last night, and I'm feeling mostly better about things. As so many of you pointed out, my betas are doubling the way they should, they just started out lower that normal and it will take awhile to get to where they should be.
So, because I wasted yesterday fretting and worrying, I never got around to posting my Foodie Friday recipe. And I couldn't just let it pass by because it's such a fantabulous recipe. The only bummer... I forgot to take a picture of it, so no foodie po.rn this time. Sorry. Just imagine a crock pot full of garlic and juicy browned chicken pieces. Amazing!
This recipe is super easy, and if you're totally lazy like me, you can buy the garlic already peeled to save time. And please don't freak out about the amount of garlic. The cloves are left whole, so you get great garlic flavour without being overpowered. This recipe is a combination of a few that I found on Pint.erest.
Mega Garlic Chicken
1 whole roasting chicken, broken down (I used 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks, bone in and skin on)
40 garlic cloves, peeled (about 3 whole bulbs)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
3/4 cup white wine (I used chicken stock because my wine rack only has red in it, but the wine would be better)
2 tsp dried thyme (I doubled this)
2 tsp dried rosemary (I doubled this)
1-2 bay leaves
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and rub it in. In a skillet heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and brown the chicken. When all pieces are browned, transfer to your slow cooker. Add a bit more olive oil to the skillet and toss in the garlic cloves. Stir/toss for 5-8 minutes until dark golden. Add wine/chicken stock to deglaze the pan (loosen up all the good bits stuck to the pan) and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour garlic & wine over the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary, and add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for three and a half to four hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker to a plate, and cover with foil (I put mine in a low oven while I got the rest of dinner ready). Pour the remaining liquid/garlic mix through a strainer over a small pot, and bring to a simmer. (discard the garlic cloves, etc) Simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly (it won't be thick like gravy, more like an au jus). Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Tip: Reserve a few of the garlic cloves to mash with potatoes.
The original recipe didn't call to brown the chicken, but any meat in a slow cooker should be browned first because it tastes better. Besides, any meat that goes into a slow cooker tastes much better when it's been browned first.
Oh, and one other tip... you'll want to take the garbage out right after dinner, otherwise your house will stink of garlic.
As always, if you try it, let me know what you think!
Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post and emailed. I really appreciate all your support. Thursday and Friday were spent pretty much freaking out, but I started getting a grip on things last night, and I'm feeling mostly better about things. As so many of you pointed out, my betas are doubling the way they should, they just started out lower that normal and it will take awhile to get to where they should be.
So, because I wasted yesterday fretting and worrying, I never got around to posting my Foodie Friday recipe. And I couldn't just let it pass by because it's such a fantabulous recipe. The only bummer... I forgot to take a picture of it, so no foodie po.rn this time. Sorry. Just imagine a crock pot full of garlic and juicy browned chicken pieces. Amazing!
This recipe is super easy, and if you're totally lazy like me, you can buy the garlic already peeled to save time. And please don't freak out about the amount of garlic. The cloves are left whole, so you get great garlic flavour without being overpowered. This recipe is a combination of a few that I found on Pint.erest.
Mega Garlic Chicken
1 whole roasting chicken, broken down (I used 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks, bone in and skin on)
40 garlic cloves, peeled (about 3 whole bulbs)
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
3/4 cup white wine (I used chicken stock because my wine rack only has red in it, but the wine would be better)
2 tsp dried thyme (I doubled this)
2 tsp dried rosemary (I doubled this)
1-2 bay leaves
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and rub it in. In a skillet heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and brown the chicken. When all pieces are browned, transfer to your slow cooker. Add a bit more olive oil to the skillet and toss in the garlic cloves. Stir/toss for 5-8 minutes until dark golden. Add wine/chicken stock to deglaze the pan (loosen up all the good bits stuck to the pan) and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Pour garlic & wine over the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary, and add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for three and a half to four hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker to a plate, and cover with foil (I put mine in a low oven while I got the rest of dinner ready). Pour the remaining liquid/garlic mix through a strainer over a small pot, and bring to a simmer. (discard the garlic cloves, etc) Simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly (it won't be thick like gravy, more like an au jus). Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. Tip: Reserve a few of the garlic cloves to mash with potatoes.
The original recipe didn't call to brown the chicken, but any meat in a slow cooker should be browned first because it tastes better. Besides, any meat that goes into a slow cooker tastes much better when it's been browned first.
Oh, and one other tip... you'll want to take the garbage out right after dinner, otherwise your house will stink of garlic.
As always, if you try it, let me know what you think!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Not Terrible, Not Great...
Hey Humble Readers...
I'm in need of some reassurance, so this is your invitation to blow smoke and just try to make me feel better, ok?
I got my beta numbers back this afternoon. They aren't what I would like, and of course the ever sensitive Dr. B didn't really help matters with all his "well, they're pretty low" repeating like a broken record (he must have said it 5 times in my 10 minute appointment).
HCG Beta @ 14 DPO: 34
HCG Beta @ 21 DPO: 442
Doubling every 45.5 hours
They aren't bad, but they aren't really strong either. I'm above the 'minimum' line, but not at 'average'. (I apologize, but I can't figure out how to get the graphic from http://www.babymed.com/). I'm trying really hard not to stress about it. I'm going back for more blood work next Tuesday, so we'll see what we will see I guess. *sigh*
Have I mentioned how much I hate all this worry? Damned IF!
We also talked about my blood sugars, which are terrible! I have an appointment at the diabetic clinic next week, and I'll likely be on insulin from then forward. One thing I discovered recently is that prometrium, particularly at the dosage that I'm taking, can screw with blood sugars in a pretty significant way, so we'll see how they take that into account.
My ultrasound is 13 days away. Please God let there be a heartbeat!
I'm in need of some reassurance, so this is your invitation to blow smoke and just try to make me feel better, ok?
I got my beta numbers back this afternoon. They aren't what I would like, and of course the ever sensitive Dr. B didn't really help matters with all his "well, they're pretty low" repeating like a broken record (he must have said it 5 times in my 10 minute appointment).
HCG Beta @ 14 DPO: 34
HCG Beta @ 21 DPO: 442
Doubling every 45.5 hours
They aren't bad, but they aren't really strong either. I'm above the 'minimum' line, but not at 'average'. (I apologize, but I can't figure out how to get the graphic from http://www.babymed.com/). I'm trying really hard not to stress about it. I'm going back for more blood work next Tuesday, so we'll see what we will see I guess. *sigh*
Have I mentioned how much I hate all this worry? Damned IF!
We also talked about my blood sugars, which are terrible! I have an appointment at the diabetic clinic next week, and I'll likely be on insulin from then forward. One thing I discovered recently is that prometrium, particularly at the dosage that I'm taking, can screw with blood sugars in a pretty significant way, so we'll see how they take that into account.
My ultrasound is 13 days away. Please God let there be a heartbeat!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Blog Bliggity Blog
Hey Humble Readers...
Happy Monday everyone. Did you do any fun stuff over the weekend? If you're looking for a great movie to see, I highly recommend "The Debt". It was super intense, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were Oscars in their future.
So, I know it's been a little crazy around here lately, with all kinds of important events happening all close together, but there's just one more that deserves to be mentioned.
Today is my 3rd blogoversary. While the road has taken me in a few different directions than I thought when I first set up the blog, I am so grateful for the company I've had along the way.
And because it's my blogoversary, and it's September (which has always signalled new beginnings for me), I'm really thinking that it's time for a major over-haul of my corner of the blogosphere.
I want a new layout, something a little more personal than what I have now. I like most of the features I have, but I want it to be a bit more... sophisticated? grown up? polished?
For quite some time, I've been pondering a slight name change. Not for me, but for this space. I will always and forever be a wanna-be hobbit, and this place will always reflect that.
My question for you all is... do you have a blog designer that you would recommend? I don't have a whole lot of money to spend, but I know that I need help to achieve my vision (such as it is).
*****
In other news, my symptoms have been up and down the last few days and it's caused me a bit of angst. There's this little voice that keeps trying to tell me that all the symptoms that I do have are just side effects of the progesterone, and that I'm not really pregnant. I know that symptoms wax and wane. I just wish I could shut off that stupid little voice. I'm sure I'll feel better after I find out my beta numbers on Thursday. (I'll also find out my glucose levels, and I'm fairly certain I'll be on insulin sooner rather than later.) 16 days until my u/s.
Happy Monday everyone. Did you do any fun stuff over the weekend? If you're looking for a great movie to see, I highly recommend "The Debt". It was super intense, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were Oscars in their future.
So, I know it's been a little crazy around here lately, with all kinds of important events happening all close together, but there's just one more that deserves to be mentioned.
Today is my 3rd blogoversary. While the road has taken me in a few different directions than I thought when I first set up the blog, I am so grateful for the company I've had along the way.
And because it's my blogoversary, and it's September (which has always signalled new beginnings for me), I'm really thinking that it's time for a major over-haul of my corner of the blogosphere.
I want a new layout, something a little more personal than what I have now. I like most of the features I have, but I want it to be a bit more... sophisticated? grown up? polished?
For quite some time, I've been pondering a slight name change. Not for me, but for this space. I will always and forever be a wanna-be hobbit, and this place will always reflect that.
My question for you all is... do you have a blog designer that you would recommend? I don't have a whole lot of money to spend, but I know that I need help to achieve my vision (such as it is).
*****
In other news, my symptoms have been up and down the last few days and it's caused me a bit of angst. There's this little voice that keeps trying to tell me that all the symptoms that I do have are just side effects of the progesterone, and that I'm not really pregnant. I know that symptoms wax and wane. I just wish I could shut off that stupid little voice. I'm sure I'll feel better after I find out my beta numbers on Thursday. (I'll also find out my glucose levels, and I'm fairly certain I'll be on insulin sooner rather than later.) 16 days until my u/s.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Happy Birthday to Me!
Hey Humble Readers...
Meet me at the Party Tree out in the field, and we'll have a great time! I may not be eleventy-one, but I think I can still throw a good party! :)
Ok, in all seriousness... I'm having a nice mellow day, and tonight my Beloved is taking me out for dinner and a movie. Yay! I hope we're going someplace fun...
Now, who's going to drink a margarita for me?
Meet me at the Party Tree out in the field, and we'll have a great time! I may not be eleventy-one, but I think I can still throw a good party! :)
Ok, in all seriousness... I'm having a nice mellow day, and tonight my Beloved is taking me out for dinner and a movie. Yay! I hope we're going someplace fun...
Now, who's going to drink a margarita for me?
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)