Full Term and Off to the Hospital

Here I am 39 weeks pregnant. Sorry to those of you who were hoping for more, but this is as good as it gets. I am leaning against the wall because that is the only way I could get comfortable enough for Aaron to take a picture of me standing. I have been having contractions on and off for the last three weeks, and making progress as I was dialated to a 3 at my last appointment. We now also have a labor-day. Because I have not gained any weight in my final month, my OB wanted to do an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that there was a very minimal amount of amniotic fluid. That coupled with a recent jump in my blood pressure has set us for a delivery date of May 31st. We'll be going in at 7am to be induced. Wish us luck!

All Grown Up

I will be 27 years old this year. I am soon to be the mother of 4 (!!!) children. Sometimes when I pause long enough(or am allowed to pause long enough) to really think about how much my life has changed in the last five years, it is absolutely mind-boggling. Recently, I've been reconnecting with my cousin's lovely family. (My mother's brother's son) I can hardly believe the transition that he has made from the young man he used to be. He is now the married father of three boys running his own real-estate business. Seriously, that blows my mind, because when I think of him, or any of my other cousins, I still feel like I'm eight years old playing hide-and-seek in my grandma and grandpa Jackson's backyard.

We've recently done a couple of playdates and here are some highlights from our trip to the park. John (my cousin) is a true Jackson in his face and has transferred that on to his sons. I wonder if there is any of the Jackson features in my girls. I see it every now and then; more in a particular face or pose they make rather than a physical resemblance.


Beautiful Charlotte just chillin' out at the park, enjoying some water and fishie crachers. :)

This is the middle boy of the three, Enoch, with our oldest, Anna.


This is their youngest, Ezekial.

Their oldest, Elijah. (Notice a letter theme? :) )

Freezin' for Tomorrow

One of the things that I try to do before each baby comes is to stock up my freezer with easy and quick meals that someone could throw together with one hand tied behind their back, or in my case with a baby in one arm. This go around, it was my goal to go about this is a more organized manner. Here are some pictures and links to the recipes of the meals that Aaron and I made to stock up our freezer for after Maddie gets here. All of this was made much easier by my mother's day gift this year of a new upright freezer. I love my husband. This is something that will, as our family continues to grow, help enormously with meal prep and shopping trips.

First we made something called "Brown Bag Burritoes." These were so easy and are so yummy!


Here is my family's favorite recipe for Pumpkin Bread that makes sensational muffins. These are great for a quick breakfast or morning snack when everyone is hungry at the same time and you've got to nurse the baby. :)


This is "Chicken Tater Bake." A recipe that my sister introduced me to, it is also super easy to make and is a complete meal.

Our new favorite recipe for "Chicken Pot Pie." I've blogged about this before, but the great thing about it is that it makes two pies. I also have made up extra filling and mixed it with cheddar cheese and rotini for another pasta dish option.

These are "mini meatloaves", with the exception that I used my own personal meatloaf recipe. I know that everyone has their own preferred meatloaf recipe and I think the concept would work with whatever recipe, but this is the one that I used.