Sunday, June 24, 2012

The First Time I Turn 29

Today is my 29th birthday. The last year of my 20s. Just typing this seems really crazy to me. Almost as crazy as the notion that I'm currently growing a tiny baby inside of me. It's quite surreal.

Normally, I'd be at work right now. But a few weeks ago, I decided to request the day off, and just have a "me" day. So far, my "me" day has consisted of laundry, doing some dishes, and a little bit of tidying up. I'm embarrassed to admit that this is the most housework I've done in nearly a month. I simply don't have the energy.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I knew that I'd be tired. But I had no idea how tired that I'd become. I mentioned it a little in my last post, and it certainly hasn't gone away. If it's a workday, once I get home, I'm done. I can't keep my eyes open. Last night, I got home from work at 6:45. By 8pm, I was truly fighting to keep my eyes open, and I slept on the couch until 11:30, when I finally got ready for bed. Rinse, repeat. Every day.

I'm so beyond thankful to have such a wonderful husband who has seriously picked up the slack. Not only does he do it all- he doesn't get angry, or resent me for it. How lucky am I?

Later this evening, we're meeting up with some friends who are visiting from Idaho. We're going to have dinner with them in Seattle at 6pm, and we get to meet their 2-month-old daughter for the first time. I'll be honest though, I'm just hoping to stay awake. Fingers crossed!

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Biggest Secret of My Life

I haven't been blogging much over the last 3 weeks, because I've been keeping a secret.

On May 20th, I found out that I'm pregnant with my first child. As the line began to turn blue, I said "holy sh*t" probably fifty times in the span of one minute. When I told my husband after I was SURE the test was positive, he gave me a big hug and we did an awkward high five. We were in shock. I've had irregularities in the past, so we weren't even sure that we'd be able to conceive.

The pregnancy has been pretty much the only thing that's been going on for me, and since we couldn't tell anyone yet, I became kind of a hermit. That, and the fact that I'd been completely and utterly exhausted once my work day was over. The other night, I fell asleep on the couch at 8 pm. I woke up at 10 and it took me a half-hour to muster the energy to go upstairs and get ready for bed.

Nausea hasn't been an issue for me until a few days ago. In fact, it's taken me 25 minutes between the last two paragraphs because I'm feeling decidedly woozy. The nausea doesn't usually result in anything, it's just a nagging feeling. Not fun. I'm ready for the 2nd trimester pick-me-up. I'm tired of being tired!

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We didn't keep it a secret from everyone. We actually called our parents about 20 minutes after we found out that I was pregnant. I was disappointed that my brother wasn't able to find out right away, because he was on vacation in Poland. Luckily, he was coming back a few days after we found out.

We couldn't wait to tell him in person, so I called him up. After the 100th time of him yelling "unbelievable!" I knew that I needed to record our phone conversation. It was hilarious, and touching at the same time.


I could've kept recording, but it probably would've filled up all 16GB on my iPhone! To answer the question at the end of the video, I'm about 8.5 weeks. (At the time, I was 5 weeks). We initially planned to wait until 10-12 weeks to tell anyone else, to be in the "safe zone."

But, we had our first appointment yesterday, and the doctor yesterday said that everything looked great. She told us that if I didn't have any complications up to this point, it should be no problem telling the world. We got to see our baby for the first time- see and hear its little heart beating a mile a minute. 

I still just can't believe it sometimes. And then I remember every time I can't fall asleep, even though I'm exhausted. Every time I can't stay awake, even though I have to get up. Every time my husband looks at me with pure love in his eyes, and then rubs my belly.

So here I am, announcing it to the world. We're having a baby! And we couldn't be happier.


Friday, June 1, 2012

Healthier Chicken & Spinach Enchiladas


Sometimes having a boring life means there's really not much to blog about. Hence, my radio silence for the last couple of weeks. Thems the breaks, yo.

This afternoon, I set out to make my chicken & spinach enchiladas when it struck me. "Why don't I make a recipe post about this?" Unfortunately, I had already started my process before I realized I'd be making a post. Luckily, it's all pretty self-explanatory.

The way I make this, it's more of a casserole. Traditionally, corn tortillas are flash-fried in oil to make them more pliable before they're stuffed and rolled. Not only is it healthier by omitting the oil, it's faster this way, too! Another way it's healthier is the spinach (you don't say?). It allows for a much smaller quantity of cheese to be used. You won't even know it's not there!

Recipe:

1 pkg corn tortillas 
1 28 oz. can enchilada sauce (I always use salsa verde)
7-10 cups fresh spinach (you can use frozen, or omit it all together. I use the big package of organic spinach from Costco. It's inexpensive.)
1 8oz pkg shredded cheese (2 cups)
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cups shredded chicken (I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken for something quick)

First, I add the olive oil and onions into a hot pan. After about a minute, I add the cumin. Stirring frequently, I'll let the onions sweat for another minute or two before adding in the spinach. I know it's going to seem like a ton of spinach, but it wilts down to almost nothing. I fold the spinach for about a minute, and then I add the shredded chicken to infuse everything with the oniony, cuminy goodness. It should look like this:


You've now completed the hardest part. No. Really!

Next, pour a little of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of your baking dish. Layer your tortillas, and add a little more of the sauce. Decide how many layers of tortillas you'll want, and then divide your cheese, and chicken & spinach mixture accordingly.


It'll go like this:

1.) tortillas
2.) enchilada sauce
3.) chicken & spinach mixture
4.) sprinkle of cheese
5.) repeat

When you reach the top layer, pour a more generous amount of sauce on top, and then add the remainder of the cheese. You may or may not have some sauce left over. It's good either way.

I baked this at 425 degrees for 12 minutes, and then at 375 for 8 more minutes. Then, I broiled the top because I love golden brown cheese.

Let it cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy! This re-heats very well, and is great for leftovers.

Serves 8