Seafood Lasagna

Today, we had my family over to celebrate Thanksgiving. I made two kinds of lasagna, one traditional with ground beer, and the other - a seafood lasagna. Served with two kinds of salad (Caesar and tossed) and garlic bread. All and all - I think it was a success! :)

Travis found this seafood lasagna recipe for us to try. It is from Paula Deen, and I think that should speak for itself! It's really easy to make and SOOOOOOOO delicious. Definitely adding it into our meal rotation!

Paula Deen's Seafood Lasagna

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (or about 2 t of minced garlic)
• 3 T all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 cup grated romano (HEB carries this preshredded)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 black pepper
• 3/4 pound medium shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 3/4 pound sea scallops (cut in half or quartered if very large)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Spray 13x10 aluminum foil pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles until they are done (about 8-10 mins). Drain and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat until very soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about another minute or two. Over medium-low heat, stir in the flour with a whisk (stirring constantly).
4. Gradually add in the half and half, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly before adding more. When the sauce has thickened to the consistency of whipping cream, add the cheese and stir well.
5. Add the salt and pepper and stir again. Add the scallops and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes (or just until the shrimp turn pink). Turn off heat.
6. Tricky part: Make sure you are watching your sauce distribution so you have enough for each layer and some for the top! Spoon about 3 T of the sauce (with no seafood) in the bottom of the aluminum pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with 3 noodles, placing side by side. Spoon the sauce (with seafood) over the layer of noodles. Add another layer of noodles, more sauce. And continue until you get to the last layer of noodles. Cover this layer of the noodles with the sauce only (no seafood). Top with the parmesan cheese.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, uncovered, until bubbly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

A couple of MY notes: I used about 6 oz of crabmeat (claw) instead of the scallops and it was fabulous. I would make a little bit more of the sauce (basically I would increase all of the ingredients by just a little bit), just to make sure it was extra saucy and cheesy! And lastly, I added an additional 1/4 t of white pepper to the recipe.

I loved this recipe and would highly recommend it to anyone (that likes rich, cheesy, seafood dishes!). It's really easy to make - since most of your ingredients are made into one pot. The most time consuming part of this recipe is boiling the noodles (I did them in batches of 6).

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

21 Week Update

Today we went for our 21 week appointment with Dr. Schmidt. Everything is going great with our little girl... she is just over a pound now! The ultrasound tech took all of her measurements and checked all of her organs to make sure everything was developing properly (everything is great!). It was funny to watch her kick & feel it at the same time! She has been kicking so much lately and Trav has enjoyed being able to actually feel the karate kicks and jabs.

Travis and I thought she was the cutest (what parent wouldn't?!?) and loved getting to see her and watch her put her little hands up near her face. The first picture is just that, although it looks like she is sucking her thumb (awwww!).

The second picture is another profile shot and the third picture is of one of her feet. Too cute.

Travis and I are expecting Blair Melisse to arrive (as close to, or around) March 28th, 2011!

This past weekend Travis and I finished prepping her room (shampooing the carpet) and finally got to assemble her furniture! It was such an amazing experience (weird, I know). It felt like a rite of passage... putting together our first child's crib. It was really pretty easy to do and the changer/dresser came fully assembled. We were done in about an hour and a half. Once I get her room a little more complete, I will post pictures. For now I am just trying to decide how to arrange her furniture in the best way to make the most of the small space. I did take the time to put what clothes we do have, into her drawers. That was really neat and really made it feel more real.

As far as the pregnancy itself goes, I have been very lucky. No major issues and I am continuing to work full time. I have had some problems with my sciatic nerve, but other than that, just the normal side effects.... heartburn & indigestion, and a few other minor things. Pregnancy... so glamorous, let me tell you! Haha. I am enjoying it all though, even the adorable little stretch marks that have appeared. If this is what it takes, I'll do it happily to meet our little girl.

Tomorrow, following our first Thanksgiving (with the Bensons, Pikes & Cooks) we will be decorating our tree and putting out our Christmas decor. VERY excited about that! Friday, we will be having my family over for a less traditional style Thanksgiving... classic lasagna and seafood lasagna. I hear its supposed to get down to the low 30's on Friday night, so that will be really great and cozy to have on the heater! On Saturday, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with the Wrights. It will be so great to see everyone and to spend some quality time with our families!

Travis and I want to wish you all a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving spent in the company of family and friends!

XOXOX

Punch Recipe!

Ok, I forgot put this recipe in my post earlier, so I am adding it now. It's a great punch recipe using Southern Comfort that I used for the shower yesterday. It has been modified from Martha Stewart's recipe (go figure... she makes the best stuff!). It is super easy and doesn't take many ingredients to make. I heard it's delicious... and in about 4-5 months, I should be able to confirm.

SoCo Punch

• (2) 12 oz cans of frozen lemonade concentrate
• (1) 12 oz can of frozen OJ concentrate
• 3 liters of Sprite (one and a half 2 liters of Sprite) - chilled
• 1 liter of Southern Comfort (chilled in the freezer)
• 2 oranges, sliced
• 3 lemons, sliced

1. Slice the lemons and oranges and place on a cookie sheet using wax paper to separate each layer. Put the cookie sheet into the freezer (up to 2 hours before use).
2. Right before serving, combine the lemonade (2) and OJ concentrates, sprite, and SoCo into a punch bowl. Stir well to incorporate the concentrate.
3. Float the lemon and orange slices (would should be frozen to help chill the punch) in the bowl and enjoy!

Weekend Update

This cold and (somewhat) dreary Sunday finds Travis and I snuggled up on the couch, watching the Texans game. Yesterday we helped Loren and Shaun host a Couples Wedding shower for Shaun's brother Shelby, and his fiance Marianne. The house is now super clean and everything went really well! The "Shoe Game" (played at mine and Travis' shower) was a big hit. Loren was a great host and did a wonderful job! :)

So did I mention that I am loving this clean house? Because I am!

I guess I should rewind and give a 'last weekend' update. Last weekend we were in East Texas visiting family. We got to watch Kelly do her "Cherokee Charmer" thing at the Jacksonville High School football game, which was so much fun and neat to watch. It was also the 70th Anniversary of the Tomato Bowl, so it was an extra special night to be there. Uncle Windol and Aunt Sharon were so hospitable and let us stay at their lake house while in town. We had a great time seeing the family and we are looking forward to seeing them again for Thanksgiving.

We also went to Tyler to visit Granny, Grandad and Aunt Lori. It was so nice to visit as we don't get to see them near often enough! Aunt Lori got Blair some adorable baby gifts, including bibs, blankets and the smallest, cutest white shoes I have ever seen. We enjoyed having lunch and catching up with them! Blair will be so lucky to not only have her grandparents, but great-grandparents as well. I know that they Tyler Wrights are looking forward to meeting our little girl.

Ok, back to this week. Blair has been quite the active little mango. The flutters have been replaced with stronger kicks. She seems to like to move around and kick at night while I am laying on my back (and trying to sleep!). She also seems to be a little shy when there is an audience, as I keep grabbing Travis' hand so he can feel any movement or kicks, and of course, she stops moving. This past Wednesday night, he did get to feel a nice hard kick. It was really exciting! I know as she continues to grow, that he will feel more.

Speaking of active, Travis and I had dinners with our close friends, the Ashmans and Lyssys on Wednesday night and the Jetts on Friday night. We haven't seen any of them in ages, so it was so nice to catch up and visit. Matt and Megan's son, Caleb is getting so big. He will be 3 in March (right around when Blair should be here!) and we got a kick out of watching him try calamari (and liking it!) and eating a plateful of croutons. He was really too cute and so well behaved during dinner! :)

This Wednesday will mark two years since Travis' grandmother, Gaga, passed. We went out to Houston National Cemetery this morning to take her flowers. While sitting in the grass, holding Travis' hand, Blair gave me a nice strong kick... just one, I think to let us know that she knew we were visiting her Gaga. I am sad that Gaga will miss the chance to meet Blair and to share in all of the joys that her great-grandchildren will bring, but we will make sure to tell Blair and all of our children about their Gaga and what a special and incredibly strong woman she was. We all miss Gaga very much, but she is never far from our minds, especially around the holidays.

As I am hitting the half way mark this week (20 weeks!), it has made me realize the incredible journey we've been through and what is yet to come. I am so thankful for all of the blessings in my life. For my husband, for our health, for our growing, healthy baby girl, our family, our friends, our home. So many wonderful things have happened in the last few years... life continues to get better and I can't believe how lucky I am.

Exciting Buys and Finds for the Nursery!

Yesterday, we received a big box from "The Land of Nod" containing Blair's bedding! It is lavender and white damask and SOOOO cute! Here is a picture from their site:

Although her bedding is lavender, we'll have lots of pink accents and pretty, girly things! Speaking of.... today, my Mom dropped off the rocking chair that my parents gave me for my first birthday! It's so little and will be so precious! After 27 years, it's in really good shape and will only need a little tightening. Will post pictures soon!

Ok, another cute thing I now have for the nursery... my Mom found this amazing Lladro lamp on Ebay... it's called "Dont Cry Dolly" and it's circa 1982. How amazing is this? And the best part - I got it for a steal! It was my first Ebay win (and bid!) ever, and I couldn't be happier. I know it's going to go so beautifully in Blair's room and we should have it in the next few days! Thanks Mom! :)

We are so excited to incorporate such beautiful, amazing things in the nursery. I can't wait to show everyone the final pictures when it is all done...

What I am Loving Right Now...

1. Ritmo Maternity Sound System

Last week, my Ritmo sound system (by Nuvo) came in. It is this awesome belt that you wear around your tummy that has speakers built in so that Blair can hear music. It also has two little pockets, one for the MP3 plater and the other for the sound system, so you are completely free to do dishes, do laundry, or just relax without the system getting in the way.

As you know, Travis and I are such big fans of music, this was an obvious purchase. Travis has loaded up an old MP3 player with everything from classical to rock. I must say, it's awesome and I love it. I will wear it for about an hour at a time, a few days a week. I hope that Blair loves music as much as we do!

I have attached a picture of what it looks like (PS - that is not my stomach, the pic is taken from their website: http://www.nuvo-group.com/music-belt-pregnancy). Such a neat little gizmo! :)

2. Candy

Thank goodness for Halloween! I am loving the candy! We bought a ton of candy for the trick-or-treaters (and because I wanted to make sure there was some left over to satisfy these sugar cravings!), but unfortunately got maybe only 20 or so. Darn, I guess I'll finish the bowl. :)

3. The Weather!

Ahhhh, we had a lovely cool front blow in today and it is wonderful! Our windows are up all over the house (of course I am in long sleeve PJs), but I love it. Raleigh is even happier about the weather!

Oh! One more thing I just had to tell y'all about... I gave Travis a gift with a bunch of little gifts from Blair and I. I found this hilarious mug that I felt Trav just HAD to have. The picture is sort of small, but it says "Guns Don't Kill People, Daddies with Pretty Daughters Do."

How great is this?!?

Working on the Nursery...

Ouch. Travis and I have spent our last Halloween / Halloween weekend (as just the two of us), painting Blair's room. It's amazing how much faster the job gets done with two people (makes me wonder how I possibly painted the rest of the house alone!). Her room is now painted "Timeless Taupe." We finished the taupe yesterday, and I painted the trim today... and OMG... I am hurting EVERYWHERE. Note to anyone planning on having children in the near future: go ahead and paint the room now! I am completely zapped of all energy and muscle control, and my two tylenol limit (per day) isn't cutting it!

Next up on the list of things to do, is hang her blinds, paint the doors, shampoo the carpet, and start assembling her furniture. We picked up her crib this weekend, but the dresser won't be available until later this week or next weekend. Booo. I'm trying to stay motivated with my current list so I can get to the FUN stuff!

Latest bump picture, with my amazing hubby, below! :)

In recognition of November being "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month," Travis is participating in a fundraiser at work in hopes of raising money for this cause. I am proud of him for taking part in such a worthy cause - despite it meaning that he has to grow a mustache, thus pushing our Christmas card photos to December! :) Please see below!

This Movember I've decided to donate my face to raising awareness about cancers that affect men. My commitment is the growth of a moustache for the entire month of Movember, which I know will generate conversation, controversy and laughter.

I'm doing this because:

- 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in his lifetime
- 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime

This is a cause that I feel passionately about and I'm asking you to support my efforts by making a donation to support the great work of the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG. To help, you can either:

- Click this link http://us.movember.com/mospace/782516/ and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account; or

- Write a check payable to Movember, referencing my name or Registration Number 782516 and mailing it to: Movember, PO Box 2726, Venice, CA 90294-2726

The money raised will help make a tangible difference to the lives of others, through the world's most promising prostate cancer research and LIVESTRONG's programs that support young adults and their families battling and surviving cancer.

For more details on how the funds raised from previous campaigns have been used and the impact Movember is having please visit http://us.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs/.

Thank you!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween and a great week!

(PS - I welcome any and all candy donations!)

Week 17

Today we had our 17 week appointment with Dr. Schmidt. I have gained 6 lbs ("finally!" says Dr. Schmidt) now and Blair's heart beat sounds great. They finished drawing the rest of my labs and all of our other tests have come back normal. Everything is going smoothly with no problems. I feel so much better and have gotten that burst of energy that everyone assured me would come. I am so excited for her to get a little bigger so that Travis can feel her kicking!

Blair is now the size of an onion and the bump continues to grow! Updated bump pictures are below!

Our next appointment will be the big 20 week appointment (though actually it will be our 21 week) where they will do an ultrasound and take Blair's measurements. Hopefully we will get a better idea on her due date... for now, we just say 'the end of March.'

Today I came to a decision as to how we will decorate Blair's room... this has been something that I have been struggling with over the last couple of weeks. I feel really good about our decision, despite yellow not being the color of the walls! At least I only painted two walls! Haha. We will pick up her crib and changer / dresser this weekend. Once we paint the walls, we will be able to set up her furniture. Here are pictures of her furniture:

Once we have decorated the room with her new bedding and some of our (ok, MY) girly ideas, I will post pictures of her nursery. I think it's going to be really beautiful nursery... and I can't wait to see it all come together!

And We've Got a Name!

Since finding out that we were having a girl last weekend, there have been many discussions between Travis and I about what we would name our daughter. After much talk and consideration (man, was the boy name SO much easier! haha), we have decided to name her...

Blair Melisse Wright!

Now the next task I am working on is her room... not easy! I am not really liking much of what the stores are offering, which really only leaves me with designing it myself (not that I am unhappy about that!). Luckily I have only painted two walls yellow (in case we decide to change the wall color)! I am hoping to make some color decisions soon...

Speaking of Blair's room... look at this gorgeous rocking chair we will be using! Travis' parents used to rock him to sleep in it! It is so beautiful and it has been kept it in such great condition... I am so thrilled we will be using it! I will take it to be reinforced and tightened, but isn't it amazing?!?

This weekend, Travis and I spent some much needed R&R time out at the farm in Columbus. We had a wonderful time relaxing and taking in a slower pace of life. Raleigh loves to run around and bark at the "big dogs" (their horses). We also carved pumpkins (as we do every year), our masterpieces are below!

We hope y'all have a great week! :)

Tickled Pink!

Well, if I thought that Wednesday night was exciting and overwhelming... we have topped that! After spending some time with Allyson, Richard, and their new son Hudson, I decided I could not wait any longer to find out the gender of our baby! Travis, being the uber patient and wonderful husband he is, suggested we call my Mom's friend, Kelly (an ultrasound tech) to see if she might be able to scan us that night (at 6pm on Saturday). Luckily, Kelly was on call and graciously met us up at the hospital (in La Grange!) to help us with this age old question... boy or girl?

Almost immediately, my Mother gasped and held back a giggle. After about 15 seconds of checking to be sure, Kelly let us know that we were having a GIRL! 100%, without a doubt, girl.

I was so surprised and shocked... we were just SURE it was a boy. All of the old wives tales, the gender predictor test, the Chinese predictor test... all of it pointed to a boy! Despite being completely surprised, Travis and I are SO thrilled, excited and happy! It really makes this whole journey so much more real! And its hard to believe that SHE will be here in just a few short months.

And I am so ready to do some shopping! Today, we are going with Nancy (my mother-in-law) to go crib shopping. She says that when she was pregnant with Travis, her mother-in-law took her crib shopping! So today we continue in that tradition. I will also be loading up on some adorable girl clothing. Bring on the pink, bows, and precious outfits!

Like I said before, we have not decided on a girl's name just yet... but there are many lists and ideas!


Oh what fun!


As I mentioned earlier, we spent some time over at the Sherrill's house yesterday to see Ally's new baby, Hudson. He is the spitting image of Richard and the sweetest baby! He makes the cutest sounds and can make you melt!




We are so excited to share this wonderful news with you all! Thanks to everyone that voted on the poll! :) Looks like some of you were right!


XoXoX

With a "quickening!"

Well, after a somewhat dull post last night... we have something exciting to share! Travis and I were attending Wednesday night service at Lakewood Church, and during the sermon, I felt our Orange start moving! They were quick flutters on the far left side of the bump that would flutter for a couple seconds, then stop. Then a minute or two later, it would happen again. It did this for about 10-15 minutes! I was extremely overwhelmed and in shock at this new development... it was truly amazing. I didn't think I was far enough along to be feeling the baby, but a quick Google search on my phone (after the service) proved I was! I guess "quickening" happens anywhere from 13 weeks to 16 or 17 weeks, which puts me right in the window. Wow, I am still in awe... we are going to get out the heartbeat monitor ($20 at Walmart... nice!) and listen to the Orange do some kicking!

Good Night!

Week 15

Well, not much to report on the baby front. Things are still moving along. Travis and I began painting the baby's room (baby is the size of an orange this week, so we will refer to him/her as such). We are painting the room yellow... yes, how very gender neutral (ie clever) we are. Figure that way for Baby #2 we won't have to repaint the room. Still have no bedding picked out, but I have found a front runner- if Orange is a boy. Still no name and no bedding for a girl. We'll come up with something.

Two more weeks until our next appointment and we find out the sex! It is so hard to not be able to buy cute clothes and baby things. I will admit, that this week we bought one of those store "gender predictor" tests (Travis and I are super anxious!). The test "predicted" that we'd be having a BOY. Of course nothing will be confirmed until Dr. Schmidt says, but the test goes along with our hunch. FYI - you can buy the gender predictor tests at any Walgreens or CVS for about $40.

Guess that's about all for now. I have only painted two walls (and only one coat on each wall), so I still have more work ahead of me... the painting was exhausting! Hopefully I can get the walls finished (before we tackle the stripes and chair rail) this weekend, and the new blinds should be in!!

Hope everyone is having a great week! :)

Week 14 - Bump Sighting

Today we hit week 14, and I bought my first pair of maternity jeans! Traded in my little size 4's for maternity size 4's- and I will be honest- they are comfortable!!!

Now that the bump is starting to appear, we took pictures to track the progression.

Hello.... comfy jeans! :)

Nausea is tapering off and I am regaining some normalcy back in my life. Cravings at the top of the list: Seafood (shrimp, crab, and of course- lobster) and Sugar (candy, chocolate, and popsicles... Otter Pops to be exact!). Not together, but they always sound good. My desk at work is stocked full of candy and chocolate (it's embaressing), but I feel like I have a good excuse. :)

It's Picture Time!

As promised... here are the pictures of our Peach from our last ultrasound (at 13 weeks)... they are kind of hard to see, but the baby is face down, on his/her tummy.

The first picture shows the baby's head on the left, facing down. The little light spot (among the dark area on the left) that is oval shaped is the baby's foot!

The second picture shows the baby's head (again on the left, facing down), the flicker of the heart, and a curled up leg (too cute!).

The last picture is a good picture showing us the head, spine and body.

If you arent used to looking at ultrasounds, you have to kind of use your imagination. The 4D ultrasounds are really neat where you get a really good look at the baby, but we won't do one until the 7th or 8th month.

Yesterday, we did some shopping at Babies'R'Us. We have picked out a really neat crib and dresser / changing table. We even did some actual shopping... we got some onesies and a few books for the Peach!

We hope you are all fortunate enough to be enjoying this beautiful fall weather! Have a great rest of your weekend!

Groundhog Day

Well, looks like our little peach saw his shadow... it will be another 4 weeks until we learn the sex of our baby! The baby was laying face down on his/her tummy and not showing us anything! So we shall wait in suspense for another 4 weeks. Not that it's a bad thing... if we are having a girl, we still haven't decided on a name. The boy? Done, no problem. The 'girl' name list is still long and undecided.

We were very happy and excited to see our growing baby. We could catch glimpses of his/her legs and little feet... which were so cute! The ultrasound tech said our baby is almost 5 inches long! It's hard to believe that the baby is already that big. I always get asked if I am 'showing' yet... only to me! Haha. I am still wearing my same clothes (with the help of a hair band extender for the pants), so you can't really tell. Soon enough, I am sure! :)

Our next appointment is on October 27th where we will find out whether it will be pink or blue! I will try to upload some ultrasound pictures this weekend of the peach and his/her cute little legs!

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!