Good morning! How are you all today? I’m well enough. Although little M and I both woke up with some sort of sickness going on. I don’t feel bad, but can’t stop coughing. Poor M has it all – cough, icky nose, tired, and I’m assuming achy from her clinginess. I hate seeing my baby sick. I think its from the church daycare and all the kids bringing in germs from schools and daycares they are returning to these days. We’ll just chill today and I will have to see how I’m feeling later if I head to the gym or not.

Okay – birthday recap time! What you all are here for. 😉 Yesterday morning started off a bit rough with M’s temper tantrum at the store and someone STEALING my bike at spin. My bag was on it and I left for 5 minutes to check M in the childcare. When I came back a lady had moved my bag and said she was there first. Whatever.That was the last bike so I ended up leaving, planning to just do a Turbo workout here later…which didn’t happen because I got too tired and distracted by my present from Peter. I do what I want every day and especially on my birthday.

The day picked up from there. I met a friend for story time at the library, which M loved! Then we hit up Yogli Mogli for some frozen-yogurt and girl talk.

I delighted in half Red Velvet Cake with white chocolate chips and half NY Cheesecake with raspberries. Oh dear heavens was it good. This place just opened and I see myself dragging Peter here soon for a repeat performance.

I continued eating just what I wanted with dinner last night. I made a Lemon Basil Quinoa with Roasted Veggies. The stars of the show…

I roasted the brussels sprouts and chopped carrots in a 425 oven for 30 minutes. Cooked up the quiona according to the directions. Heated up some Great Northern beans. Then tossed it all in a simple dressing of 2T olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, the juice of 1 lemon, and some fresh chopped basil.

I finished out the night playing with my new toy…

Peter got me a netbook for my birthday!! How perfect for blogging!? Needless to say, I’m in love. Time to say goodbye from my baby computer. 😀 Have a fabulous Tuesday!

• What do you blog from?
• What would you pick for your birthday dinner? I did have the quinoa on my actual birthday, but I admit we will be going to a Hibachi place on Thursday with my parents. I’ll know boy or girl then too!

Mark your calendars! August 26th will be here faster than we think. For what? To find out if the baby bean is a boy or a girl. What a great birthday present, since my birthday is the 23rd. I can’t wait. Even though I already know it’s a boy. Okay I don’t really know, but it’s what I think. Mother’s instinct counts for something, right?  Just as the instinct to listen to my body counts for something.

As I mentioned before, I do not feel it is important to know the # on the scale or how much gain I have during pregnancy. I trust that I will gain just what I need to for the baby by listening to my body, eating when hungry, eating what I crave, making healthy food choices most of the time, and being moderately active. I simply want to know if my gain is healthy or if it needs to be adjusted one way or the other.

I told all this to my nurse when she weighed me. She said everything looks perfectly healthy and that I stayed the same. Didn’t I just say don’t tell me anything? I told her I didn’t need to know that and she made a point that the midwife might want to mention it. Okay. Fine. The midwife did mention it. She said everything looks great but there will need to be some gain by the next visit. I had to assure her I’m not afraid to gain weight. Heck no! This whole thing isn’t because I’m afraid of the scale. I just don’t believe in it. I trust my body. My 90/64 blood pressure, strong baby heartbeat, and popping belly tell me all is well. That is what I need to know. Not a number on the scale. Plus, my body went through this same process with baby M. I gained most of my weight then during months 5-7.

She should also know that I do eat. Within 10 minutes of getting home from my appointment I inhaled this large bowl of deliciousness. Quaker Oat Squares + Blueberry Crisp cereal.

I have yet another thing to mark my calendar for. On Monday I am finally getting to the hair salon. My hair seriously demands a trim. I also am wavering with the idea of getting my hair died back to its natural color. I either need to do that or get highlights done again since my roots are B.A.D. I am sick with the upkeep (and cost!) of highlights. How do you think I would look with slightly darker hair? Not dark because my natural color is sort of a dark blonde, very light brown.

Now one last day to open up on your calendars. A day to whip up the Stuffed Bell Peppers I made last night. I will admit something. I learned that I don’t care for cooked peppers. I adore raw peppers, but the cooked wasn’t for me. However, the filling made me quite proud. So, if you like cooked peppers, this is a winner for you! If you don’t like cooked peppers…make a batch of the filling and use it in a wrap or just eat it out of a bowl with some extra veggies. Yum!

1. Take your bell peppers and slice them around the top, pulling out the center, membranes, and seeds.

2. Place them topside down in a microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic and microwave 2 minutes to soften the peppers.

3. Dice up onion, zucchini, and mushrooms. Sautee in a pan with a smidge of olive oil until tender.

4. Add tomato sauce and brown rice to the veggies. Stir evenly. PS – love the No Sugar Added Ragu. Much cheaper than other tomato sauces with recognizable ingredients. This girl’s on a budget!

5. Simmer mixture for an extra 5-10 minutes. Spoon evenly into the four bell peppers. Bake for 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven.

6. Let cool and eat! The filling had so much flavor. And would be good with so many different veggies.

Ingredients (Refer above for how to use them)
- 4 bell peppers big enough to hold filling
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1 large zucchini
- 10-15 baby bella mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 c tomato sauce
- 2 c cooked brown rice

Time for me to wrap up this post. A thought to leave you with…Never forget all the blessings you have in this life. Food to eat, a shelter to live in, a body to move, people to love, and so much more. All we should ask of God is our “daily bread” or our daily needs. Yet he gives us so much more, including his own son. Not because we deserve it or because he has to. Simply because He loves us. Help that thought cheer up your day. And know that I love you and sincerely hope you all have joy in your lives.

• What is a food you thought you would love, but realized you didn’t? I used to adore cooked peppers so I was shocked last night. I still had a great dinner though.
• What things or thoughts help cheer you up and bring you joy?
• Help on the hair decision! Please!

Please CLICK to read my tips on staying cool in the heat. This one goes for anyone! Click click click!