Two "Featured Recipes"

Hubs and I love this recipe and have it probably once a week:

Spicy Bean and Cheese Burritos-from Rachael Ray

Another Edwards favorite is Asparagus Pasta with Toasted Pecans from Southern Living. We will be having this quite a bit once munchkin gets here because it literally takes 10 minutes to make. And it's delish. Now, it's from an issue five years ago, and I adapted it back then and haven't changed it since, so if you want my version:

Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) package penne pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and divided
Garnishes: freshly grated Parmesan cheese, freshly ground pepper

I don't use the red bell pepper, fresh basil and butter-don't remember why (prob because hubs is was cheap and freaked when I bought a $5 pepper)-I also use peanut sauce on top-it gives it a bit of an Asian flare-it is so flippin' good! BUT, it is NOT good leftover-the asparagus mushes into the pasta and is kind of nasty. Just FYI. And the fresh parm makes ALL the difference in the world!

Enjoy!

Coming Soon!

The Arsenal

I love stalking reading other people's blogs, as we all know, and for awhile I have been wanting to jump in with Misadventures of a Newlywed's Menu Mondays. Brown Eyed Girl also rocks my face off with her menu postings and ideas. I have been a weekly menu planner for almost all five years of my marriage. However, I am not going to delude myself that this will continue to happen with a newborn. Also, I don't necessarily plan on Mondays, I do it when the week of recipes is up, depending on how our week went. (i.e. going out to dinner, eating leftovers, not in the mood for __________). So, I may begin listing some weekly menus just to give some dinner ideas-the only drawback is, many of my menu items are from my arsenal (AKA my cookbook collection of recipes torn out from my 4 monthly subscriptions of cooking mags). So I may link one or two recipes, or I can give certain recipes on request.

Another thing I wanted to do was a "Featured Recipe" each week. There are so many recipes I return to over and over and hubs and I never get tired of them. There are two I am about to post right now! SO delish!

Also, my bestie Laura at Groovin' with the Grizas will be guest posting for me once the bambino is here-she will deliver the goods with lots of pictures!

And last but not least, be on the lookout for an INCREDIBLE makeover, coming soon from the fabulous Leslie Lambert, an awesome fellow teacher in Tuscaloosa, Alabama who will be redesigning the blog! We are still working out details, packages, and layouts, but she will begin her awesomeness soon!

Stay tuned for big things to come to The Edwards Edition!

39 Week Check Up

Yesterday was my last (I thought) OB appt. I love my OBs-it is a practice of three and they are awesome! Anyway, I had my 39 week check up-I was thinned, she is head down and ready to go, and I am barely one cm. Which, to those of you who have had babies know, you can be dang ONE cm or more for WEEKS. Blech. Well, I asked the doc, what is our plan? He said, come back next week for a 40 week check up and if you are the same next Wednesday, we will induce Thursday. I'm thinking, grrr-I want the kid out. Then he realized that he wasn't on call those days, so he said come back Monday morning, and if nothing is happening, we will go to the hospital that afternoon. I'm assuming we will do cervadil if I'm the same, or start pitocin if I have dilated anymore. Who knows?!?!? I'm just excited knowing there is an end in sight, and that on by Tuesday at the latest, we will have our baby girl!!!!

OCD much???

First of all, two posts in one day! I know, right?

OK, so the title-OCD much-I was thinking today how much time I waste doing this, and I thought I would share. See, I've always been OCD-not like the real kind where you touch doorknobs and turn three times before leaving a room and shizzle, but like Overly Clean Disorder. So, with this kid due any SECOND now, I am in FULL ON nesting/OCD mode. Every day if when I leave the house, I have to do the following things, JUST IN CASE I go into labor while I am out and about:

-Make bed

-Drain/wipe off and put away air humidifier

-Clean up bathroom after getting ready

-Clean up closet (pick up hubs dirty clothes, etc)

-Dry dust with a sock (every friggin day-stop!)

-Organize nightstands

Go downstairs and:

-Make sure breakfast dishes are in dishwasher

-Reorganize pantry and refrigerator

-Fluff pillows and fold blankets around couches and chairs

-Clorox wipe all counters

-Dustbuster giant hairballs off floor (although since this is a daily occurrence, there are never giant dustballs, just large ones)

-Contemplate vacuuming/sweeping, then decide I don't give that much of a crap

Now, this is all for when the "visitors" (read-parental units-both sets) get here and take over the house. Heaven forbid if they think the house if unclean. Today I even left a NOTE on the fridge for them on where to find things like extra water, cokes, dog leashes, and paper towels. Seriously, I need to GIVE BIRTH so that this crap isn't important.

But, at least when I come home, it will all be nice, just like I left it. (Hint, Hint Parentals).

Oh, and the best part-I forget my hospital bag EVERY DAY. Yeah, so we'll have a clean house and no crap for the hospital. Awesome!

Fuh-reaky!

So, maybe my weekly doctor's appointments should be changed to Tuesdays. Today while driving home from my daily useless pregnant errands (read-I have nothing to do since I'm a teacher), I heard on the radio that a parking deck collapsed at my doctor's office! This has happened recently in downtown Atlanta, and the radio announcer was like, "Well folks, this one was not major, just a portion of the roof on some cars." I'm like, "Yo, I would've gone STRAIGHT into labor if I was walking around in that deck when a 'portion' of the roof came down!" Ya feel me? That is straight up fuh-reaky!

Nasty, Nasty Boy...

So, guess what this nasty boy did last night? We let the dogs out to go potty for their before bed break, and when we called them in, Mr. Bart ran right up to the landing on the stairs. Flash was taking his sweet time coming back in, so hubs and I started walking toward the stairs to go up. Well, Bart was having a bedtime snack-a nice decayed turd-on my steps! Grody-to the friggin max. Hubs took it away and threw it out the front door. Bart proceeded to go get on MY side of the bed and look ashamed-nice. Breathe your poop breath on my half of the bed. Thanks, I appreciate that.

My Push Present-this one's for Johnny.

So, for pushing out a baby, I am getting new tires for the Expedition. Yes, you read that right-just what I always wanted-four new Continental tires for ripping my who-ha open.

Let me preface this story by saying, if only I would've known this was my present about 2 years ago, I would never have gotten rid of that damn Explorer tire from hubs old car.

A tire that was QUITE hard to get rid of-you see, it all started when one of my OCD rampages kicked in, and I was determined to clean out the garage. This is a task in and of itself, since with two adults and two dogs and a two car garage, you naturally aquire boatloads of unneccessary crap. Plus, my husband is a friggin' pack rat and NEVER throws anything away because he forgets about it he might need it one day (in twenty years). So while I am making piles of things to sling, give away, and just hide so he will forget about it (don't judge), I find a TIRE with a RIM on it. WTF? So that goes in the Goodwill pile--little do I know. They don't take tires. I guess it's not safe-I mean why would we have a tire in our GARAGE if it worked? So, on the way home from my Goodwill-a-thon, I stop by this Mexican Tire Shop that buys used tires (literally, that is what the sign says- in Spanish) and I try to pawn this tire off on them. They are like, "Dude, we don't want your stinkin' tire." Rats! I want to get rid of this thing and it needs to happen before hubs sees it and wants to use it remembers it. So when I get home I try to fit it in the BFI trashcan-not happening. A garbage bag the size of Nantucket-not happening. Crap! What am I gonna' do?

I move on from the tire dilemma and begin reorganizing the garage. Hubs comes home and is all like (insert my imitations here-in the fake deep voice), "Oh, it looks good honey, awesome, oh, look my fishing pole from first grade, aww, my tire cleaner, cool, my sprinkler!" Then he sees it-the tire.

Him-"Where did that come from?"

Me-"I found it-in the corner.?.?.?"

Him-"Cool, we can use that later."

Me-"For what?!?!?!"

Him-rolling his eyes-"The car."

Me-"Um, no-that thing is not on a car for a reason-we are not 'saving it' for a car. Ewww, don't be so cheap."

Him-"Fine then, just fine-get rid of it."

Little does he know how hard I've tried.

So, sweet hubs helps me finish the job, and we move the tire out to the driveway. We keep working and organizing and all of a sudden I look up and see the most hilarious thing ever. Apparently the tire is pissed about all my talking about it, and it's making a getaway. It is rolling down the street. I'm all like, "Hubs, the tire, get it, hurry!" Why am I screaming "get it," when I've been trying to GET RID OF IT all dang day? Who knows-hubs goes running after the tire, which by now is rolling along at about 13 miles per hour-downhill. Did I mention we live on a slight hill? The tire makes a quick left into a cul-de-sac and rolls to a stop-hubs catches up to it, and I come following after.

I'm all like, "Let's just leave it here and run!"

He's all like, "You are heinous-we are NOT leaving our TIRE in someone's CUL-DE-SAC Susannah."

I'm all like, "Why?"

He just glares at me and starts rolling the tire UP HILL back to our dang house!

Man, I was so close! When the job is all done, we decide to tape a garbage bag to the tire and pray that the trash company will take it, or else I'm finding a cliff and rolling it off.

The next day when I drive up, what do I see after collection day?

Not this, thank God! They took it! Now though, it seems the tire is coming back to haunt me. Like I said before, this is what I get for giving birth. New tires-awesome.

Well, what do you know?

I'm still pregnant. Ha! I thought the title may spark some interest. Anyway, nothing much is happening in that neighborhood-although I thought I may laugh her out last night! We had a blast with our friends! Every time we do something fun now, we'll go, "Awww, this is our last free _______." Well, come on baby, I'm tired of free time with hubs (no offense hubs, I just want her out.) We had some awesome food last night-Jason made a butt and ribs-dang, dog! We had mom's mac and cheese, brother in law coleslaw, and LeaAnna brought her cheese ring app and a peach tart for dessert! My blood sugar was in the 200's just looking at all the food. So, we were able to provide the Goodwin's with lots of adult interaction-we are so mature and old, it is scary. Some excerpts of our convo last night:

"Do it, take the dog's blood."

"OMG-let's get married again so we can have a wedding party dance like that."

"I'm having a cooler every night full of beer and pepsi because it's so cold and awesome."

Yeah, that's how we roll.

Two of my good friends had their babies last week-we were two weeks apart-it is so cool hearing from them now-one of them said she would have 100's of kids because it was so easy and she loved her epidural! I don't know about all that-but I'm down with pain management. :D

So, these two faces have been all up in my face ALL weekend-do you think they know that something is up??

LOVE the eye cutting he is doing here.

The hound dog doesn't care if I am loving on him or if hubs is, he just requires petting and food scraps to survive. He does have an ear infection (ahem-not an OCD problem hubs) and now we get to squirt junk down his ear once a day-in a 103.4 pound bloodhound's ear-fun.)

Even though Bart looks like an anteater angel above, he is so my presh second born dogchild of love (as LG would say). He may go into a coma when he is not attached to my hip anymore.

So, I'm still waiting on tips of things I can do to get the baby to get "up in it." I dusted the whole downstairs yesterday and vacuumed! I bounced around on my "birthing ball." No hand came out. I ate and drank (punch) like it was going out of style-I laughed my ass off. She must already love me-cause she isn't budging. I am planning some sweeping today. By the time she gets here, I won't have a dust ball in the house.

On the request of Johnny, I am crafting a story that he loves-sure to be an outstanding blog post-you will have to imagine me doing hubs voice imitation-it is quite quality. Yeah, wait for it-it's coming soon.

And finally, my husband just killed flies living in the blinds/house with our spatula-hmm-don't you want to come over for dinner???

Last Free Weekend (?) Hopefully...

Tonight, hubs and I are going to Kani House for some sushi (him) and other gastronomical delights (me). Then we are renting a movie and vegging. Tomorrow, the Flash doggle has to go to the doctor-I want him to get on Xanax for his OCD licking of the paw and scratching of the ear, but I think he has an ear infection/something in the paw. We shall see-riveting, I know.

Saturday, our dear friends Johnny and LeaAnna are coming over to eat dinner with us-maybe I will go into labor! That's what happened to LeaAnna with her first-we were all eating together and that night she went into labor-fingers crossed-I will be 39 weeks. I tell ya, we live it up in the Edwards' household. To quote hubs favorite person (Kenny Powers), we are going to, "get up in it," this weekend.

Edge of your seats huh? I'm sure I will update you periodically. :D
Have a great weekend!

Does anyone else do this?

I will be telling a story to husband or someone and I'll say, "Well ___________ went there and loved it," or "___________ said there's a sale at Nordstrom." The blanks would be BLOGGERS that I stalk (read) and act like I actually know them. Then husband is the one who calls me on it: "OMG, is that a blog you read-you do realize you don't really know them, right?"

Gah, I am weird.

And when I learn to do strikethrough, it will be even cooler. Don't judge.

Let's get this party started...

So, I feel like I'm being really impatient about labor starting and stuff, but...I have a confession to make: I have gone through this whole pregnancy thinking I would never go all the way to forty weeks, and heaven forbid, past that!

Ya see, I have THE Gestational Diabetes. So most of us (me, hubs, parents, friends, even my docs) were thinking: induction around 38 weeks or so due to the size of the baby. Well, at my 32 week US, the ESTIMATE was 5 lb 13 oz! Holy Crap, right? So at my 37 week check up, the other doc ESTIMATES she is close to 6 1/2 or 7 and that he won't let me go all the way to my due date of August 2nd. Hmmm.

At yesterday's check up, doc says, "We'll just see what's going on next week. I don't want to induce before 39 weeks because you'll probably have to have a c-section." For the love...of indecision and confusion. (For the love is my FAVE saying). I officially have until the 2nd, and that's not even for sure, since most first pregnancies go past their due date. It is called an Estimated Due Date for a reason.

Anyway, I am wanting some natural, safe labor starters-and before you tell me to have sex and go on a walk-SIB (that's one of my preferred sayings, and if you can figure it out, yay you!) I'm not down with any kind of gettin' it on right now, and I walk EVERY night for THE diabetes. So, what can I do-and don't tell me to be patient either. I've never been good at that. As you can tell-:D

Wow, I've been meaning to do this for awhile...

So, this is my first blog post. I have been saying throughout this whole pregnancy that I was going to make a blog to journal everything that happened, and I guess time got away from me-because now I am due to have this baby in about 9 days! So, I will do my best to get some stuff up here before she arrives. This blog is mainly for family and friends to keep up with the Edwards, but since I am SUCH.A.BLOG.STALKER, I hope that I will eventually gain some followers.

I love finding people's blogs thru other friends' blogs, and reading about them, and CRACKING up because many of them remind me of myself. I will sit for hours reading blogs on Google Reader, and my husband will hear me laugh, and he'll say, "OMG, are you blogging it?" Ha! I am always blogging it-I love looking in and seeing what others are doing and going through. You can make so many "friends" and learn some new things too.

So, I hope you will all join me as I go through and chronicle this: my first pregnancy, becoming a mother, a blogger, and hopefully a better person along the way!