Week 25 Day 6 - Patio Furniture

3:29pm

We are so fortunate to have generous families. They always help us out and get us great gifts. This morning my Grandma and Grandpa dropped off a gift for us. I must have mentioned that we still needed outdoor furniture for our porch. Sure enough they bought us a beautiful set that we had already seen and liked previously. So Thank You Grandma and Grandpa!

We love them!

Can't wait for happy hour time on a nice day. You can find me out there!

My mom and her are shopping right now looking for baby bedding sets. They aren't having much luck finding something that she likes though. She has an idea of what she wants, but I think it will have to be custom made. 

Week 25 Day 5 - Gyro Burgers

3:37pm

I have to share this with you because it is just too delicious. Today at work, we had some extra ground lamb and ground veal. They pretty much let me cook up whatever I want to let the customers sample our products. So this is what I came up with. Extremely basic. 

-1lb Ground Lamb

-1lb Ground Veal

-Seasoning of your choice, I used a peppercorn, garlic, and herb one

-Tzaziki Sauce (cucumber gyro sauce)

Just mix the two ground meats well with your hands. Form into patties. I made 5 decent sized ones from this amount. Season both sides generously with seasoning. Grill until medium or medium-well. Throw on a bun with some of the Tzaziki sauce. Like a gyro on a bun. Your welcome. 

I had several people ask where they could buy the burgers. I said you can't, you have to make them! They weren't too happy about that. Might have to keep this recipe to myself from now on. 

Like I said we went maternity clothes shopping yesterday. Can't believe how quickly time is passing. She got quite a bit of stuff and was so excited to wear it to work this morning. Usually she wakes me up when she gets up. But today she didn't. I suspect it was because she was too busy trying on all of her new outfits. If I get to sleep 30 mins longer than I will get her new clothes more often. Who would have known?

It's beautiful out today in Chicago. 78 and sunny. Maybe I can finally take the bike out for a ride later. 

Week 25 Day 4 - 5 Motivational Quotes To Live By, 10k Milestone

11:51am


If you look to the right of my page, you should see the "Dad Bloggers" icon. Yesterday I was honored to be added to the group of hand-selected members. Maybe this blog isn't wasting my time after all. I like to think that there is purpose to it, though my wife doesn't see one... Or I should say, DIDN'T.

If you don't already know, she was never interested in this blog, or what I was writing. She read a few posts at first, then told me I was talking too much about myself, and wasn't enough content related to being pregnant. I told her that it was fine(because I am a guy, and I know everything) and that she was wrong. Well, it wasn't really taking off, and people would view it, but wouldn't return for more. Recently, I have started to realize that my readers might want to hear more about our pregnancy rather than what I ate for lunch that day. So I have changed my writing habits, and surprise, surprise; even my wife now reads the blog daily. She said she is impressed by what I say, and that I am going to make a great dad. She is happy to see me so involved. I am not very emotional in person, but I feel like writing lets me say what I wouldn't say out loud. I believe that this is also why today, I hit over 10,000 pageviews. To many, that may seem like nothing. But to me, that's a huge milestone. Especially coming from someone who was always quiet, shy, soft-spoken, and not much of a go-getter. So a big Thank You to everyone who has stopped-by!

My Favorite Motivational Quotes -

• "A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."
  -Ayn Rand
• "Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later."
  -Og Mandino  
• "Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward."
  -Victor Kiam  
• "Either you run the day or the day runs you."
  -Jim Rohn 
• "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."
  -Mark Twain

"The Tallest Oak in the Forest, was once just a Little Nut that held it's ground."

Now that you are too motivated to sit home and read blogs all day, follow me on -

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

(Did you notice, that I totally contradicted my whole post, by not writing anything about pregnancy? Way to be observant!)

 9:59pm

Just got home from shopping for maternity clothes. Not for me obviously, even though my belly is growing as well.... She got a lot of good deals, but maternity clothes aren't cheap. I recommend a second hand store, you wear the stuff for a couple months, why spend full price? Some people are weirded out about lightly used clothes, but once you wear a new pair of jeans, guess what, it's slightly used now. 

Watching the end of the Blackhawks game, they are up 3-2. They got this.

  

Week 25 Day 3 - Pregnant and She Knows It

10:02am


Today is my Saturday. I am off today and tomorrow. Just going to do some errands while she is at work. I found these videos because it defines my life almost too perfectly. Watch the first one to see what my wife's life is like. Then the second one puts it more into my perspective. They are funny!


#1. Pregnant and I Know It



#2. She's Pregnant and I Know It



And this one is good too! "She Gotta Bump" - Warning: Some explicit language!

Week 25 Day 2 - 10 Things Every Guy Should Know About Pregnancy

9:57am


I forgot to mention that my wife put on the "Prenatal Yoga" DVD last night. The one that came with the Mama Lana Box. There is a section titled "Birthing Videos" and she told me that I needed to see it. Well, let me just tell you, it was a little more than I had expected. These women were giving birth, but naturally. A few are in water, and one was even in a little kiddie pool that they set up in their living room. The husbands are in the water with them and everything. I am pretty sure that we don't plan on doing any of that, at least I know I don't. But it is really weird to watch. I'm sure there are videos like that on YouTube or somewhere on the internet if you are interested. It might be a good idea to prepare yourself for what you will be seeing in real life. But, like I said, these women were pretty extreme. I don't think it's really like that at a normal hospital setting.

This leads me to think about the 10 things that I have learned so far about pregnancy. I mean, I have learned more than 10, but the most important ones for guys like me to realize are these:

1. Full-Term pregnancy is 40 weeks long. First trimester is Weeks 1-14. Second is 14-27. Third is 27-40.
2. She gets sick in the First Trimester. Like the kind where she throws up every day, a few times a day. But this doesn't happen to everyone.
3. Your outlook on life changes. You no longer care about getting new things, or going out partying. Your life now revolves around baby.
4. Her hormones are through the roof. The smallest things can make her really upset. I have actually seen her cry for no reason whatsoever. She didn't even know why she was crying.
5. You, as a guy, are expected to be at every doctor's appointment. If you aren't, you better have a really good excuse.
6. Don't comment on how big she looks. It hurts her feelings. But..
7. She likes being pregnant. She loves that there is a human being growing inside of her. I do too.
8. She is nervous to give birth. I think I am even more nervous. Watch the videos. You'll see.
9. Help pick names, baby registries, room decor, etc. Even if she doesn't like any of your suggestions, it's the thought that counts.
10. She instantly changes into "Mom-Mode". Similiar to #3, ever since we found out she was pregnant, she turned into a complete mom. She eats healthier. Acts sweeter. Drives more cautious. Is a lot more careful. And more family-oriented.

There is a million different things that come with pregnancy. But as a guy, those 10 should give you a little head's up of what to expect. Maybe you won't experience all of those, as every pregnancy, and person, is a little different. But that's what I have seen. Good luck!

A little early-morning blogging!

8:01pm

Rough night at work. Just lots to do and not enough time. Anyways, it's time for the Blackhawks! (And a cold beer sounds good right about now, as well!)

Week 25 Day 1 - Our 5 Major Recent Life Changes

9:31am

Wow! 25 weeks in! Let's see, what does that mean as far as time left to go?  40 weeks minus 25 weeks. We are 5 weeks past half way now, and only 15 left to go! It's amazing how quickly the time passes. I feel like she was just telling me that she was pregnant, and we were nervous and anxious at the same time. Stress levels were sky-high because we were living with family, she was working a dead-end job, and I didn't make enough money to support all three of us. But look how far we have come in the last 25 weeks.

Our 5 Major Recent Life Changes:

• She got pregnant - obviously, but still a major life changing event.
• I started this blog - every day since Week 10 Day 1.
• We got our own place - a first for me, not for her; but together, we had always lived with family.
• She landed a great job - she makes more than I do now.
• I got promoted - same company, better position, real career.

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” 

- Joshua J. Marine

 

Week 24 Day 7 - Energized

10:21am

Wife woke up in a great mood this morning. She is back to having plenty of energy now that we are over half way there. I remember in the first few months of pregnancy, she was always real tired and didn't want to do much of anything. Now, she is up early, making breakfast and lunch everyday. Even before we go to work in the morning she will make some pancakes or something little, and then put together both of our lunches.  I'm not complaining, that's for sure.

I'm leaving for work soon, but she said she is going to spend her time today trying to plan the baby shower invites, also going to go through the baby name book, finishing up the registry, and possibly going to shop for some maternity clothes. She is to the point now where regular clothes are just getting too uncomfortable. She tried to stick it out as long as possible with the clothes she has now,  but she is going to need a few new pairs of maternity pants, at least, for work.

7:01pm

My wife is having a hard time picking out a bedding set. There isn't a whole lot out there to choose from. Maybe most people get theirs custom made?

Oh and I cut myself pretty bad today at work. I would put a picture but it's too gross. Sad part is that I wasn't even cutting anything. Just slipped while taking apart the meat grinder and somehow hit it and sliced my thumb open pretty good. Bandage it up and move on.