Andrew is going to laugh at this post because I have been all about the freezer meals lately. Hey buddy, back off...things like getting a new deep freeze are exciting to us house wives, and you won't be so sarcastic when you are eating delicious meals when the baby is born.
So after getting our double stroller, it was time to start making some freezer meals in prep for the baby to come. After Coral was born, one of the things I struggled with the most was having the energy to make good healthy meals. When your baby has colic, the whole house is in a simply survival mode, the last thing on our minds was what we were going to eat. We did ok, we survived, but this time I want to be more prepared.
Eating healthy is important. It's good for breastfeeding mamas (you need lots of vitamins and nutrients...it's a lot of work for your body to make that milk), AND this time around I have a toddler to feed. I need to make sure she is eating good. Oh and I suppose I care what Andrew eats too :)
So here's what I did. When Andrew was in England, my mom came out for a few days to help because of the whole bed rest situation. I decided to put her to good use and got her to help me with the crock pot freezer meals. I chose five meals that we would make, then took a short trip to Costco to get what we needed. I knew that the crock pot freezer meals would be the most work, and wanted to get them all done in one shot. And we did! In fact we got it all done from start to finish during one of Corals naps.
We ended up making:
-3 roast beef meals
-2 stews
-2 goulash
-2 teriyaki chicken meals
-2 BBQ chicken meals
To make them, we simply just chopped all the veggies, added the meat, spices and sauces, and threw it all into a freezer bag. We wrote on the bag the directions (such as, some need rice added to it, or noodles, or more sauces, and how long to cook it for in the crock pot). Then, when it's time to actually cook the meal, simply defrost it, toss it all into the crock pot, and BAM, six hours later you are eating a delicious healthy meal. And since they are in freezer bags, they freeze pretty flat, making more room in the freezer for more meals.
Next I did some baking. Not all at once, just every now and then when I was getting bored of the whole bed rest thing. In our deep freeze we now have two bags of chocolate chip cookies (thanks to Christy for making one of those bags for us), chocolate chip muffins, and coconut peanut butter balls.
And the rest of my freezer meals are being made as I make dinner. For example, last night I made perogie casserole, doubled the recipe, and made a freezer meal out of it. This morning I made chili and tripled the batch, leaving one for us to eat tonight, and two to freeze. This is super easy to do, and I'm planning on continuing to do this after the baby is born. It's so simple to just double what your making, and then if I'm having a lazy day, or if I get sick and have no energy to cook, I will still have good meals to feed my family.
Other things in our freezer are: potato soup, bacon/chicken/spicy potato casserole, lasagnas, and pizzas.
Still to make: enchiladas, hashbrown casserole, chicken and rice casserole. And then my little deep freeze will be FULL! And there will be no starving people at the Hodgson house after the baby is born!
Friday, 31 August 2012
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Stroller for Two!
Sorry blog readers, August was a busy month. We had company from August 1st-August 28. No time for blogging.
When my midwife told me I need to be on bed rest, my mind immediately started racing with all the things I needed to do before baby comes. What about all those freezer meals I wanted to make? My hospital bags aren't even packed. My rugs aren't cleaned like I wanted them to be. My house isn't spotless. Who is going to nest for me? And I don't even have a stroller to put both my children in. I thought I was more organized this time...and truth is, I am more organized this time, I just had counted on me having these last two months to finish everything I needed to do.
Bed rest means I can't go rushing about finishing everything on my list I wanted to do, but I CAN check things off my list one at a time. First thing, purchasing a double stroller.
Here are my thoughts on strollers. Love them...NEED them. However, Andrew and I aren't willing to fork out a whole pay cheque on something that our kids just sit in. I have taken kids for walks in strollers that cost more then $1000, and truth be told, they aren't that much better then the basic stroller that we have. They may look fancier, but they all do basically the same thing.
Another thing we considered is Corals age. This was a tricky one. Shes a two and a half year old little monkey. She is still young enough that she needs to be sitting In a stroller. She's a dasher, meaning if we just let her walk, she will take off. For some reason, she HATES being in a shopping cart, but put her in a stroller and she's as content as can be. BUT that won't be forever. Have you ever seen a four year old in a stroller? I have, and it looks silly. So for the time being, we still need a stroller that Coral can sit comfortably in, but also one that is going to grow with her so we're not spending money on something she will only use for a year or so.
I immediately thought about getting a sit and stand stroller. It almost seemed like the perfect option. Not pricey at all, there is a spot for the baby's infant car seat, then normal seat for when the baby is bigger, and Coral can sit on the bench now, and when she gets bigger she can stand on the platform while we push her. ALMOST perfect. I knew for right now the bench in the back wouldn't be good for Coral at this time. Again, she will sit for forever if she has a normal seat in a stroller, but anything else and she's done. With the sit and stand I could see it working a bit later on when Corals older, but she would probably take off on me now.
Thank-you Graco for making a stroller that is perfect for my growing family. Let me introduce you to the Graco ready2grow stand and ride stroller. It has all the basic features of a sit and stroller, with a few extra bonus'.
This beauty has 12 different possible riding positions for two kids. Excellent if you want to switch it up every now and then. Let's take a closer look.
We have the front seat, which is where Miss Coral will be sitting. It has a five point harness and fully reclines. She hasn't fallen asleep in her stroller in like a year and a half, but in case she does, we're prepared.
The little nugget, will chill in his/her car seat and stare blissfully (not making a peep right) at me as I walk them places. Both children are comfortable, safe, and no one (ahem Coral) is escaping anytime soon.
But let's say we decide to go to the Toronto Zoo. Coral would probably be best in the sit and stand in that situation because she gets in and out of her stroller a lot to see the animals.
The baby would go in the front, and Coral would use the sit and stand bench.
Yes the little seat comes off, I'm just to lazy to take it off for a picture. You get the idea though right.
And when baby gets older and is out of his/her car seat, the baby has its own little mini seat in the back, and Coral can still sit in the front.
That seat looks super small, but Coral actually still fits in it. So if they want to switch it up, I suppose Coral could sit on the little chair, and baby can use either the front seat or be clipped into the front while it's still in its car seat.
It has a big basket underneath to carry stuff, a tray for both children, and a coffee holder for me (selling point...ok kidding but mama does need her coffee so I was pretty excited about that). This stroller is also great if you are expecting twins because it has two spots for infant car seats to go, and will grow with the kids as they get older.
I love how versatile it is. I love that it will last us SO long because of the sit and stand platform and grow with both kids, and I love that even though it's a double, it's not much bigger then our normal stroller. It still folds with one hand, and unlike other double strollers, I'm not taking the extra seat off and on when I fold it. The only downside to this stroller, is that when it is collapsed, it's really long. No worries though, we basically drive a school bus so it still fits in our car.
Thoughts? Questions? Opinions? Still willing for fork out an arm and a leg for a stroller when you can find one just as versatile for much cheaper? Come on little nugget, mama wants to take you and your big sister for some walks.
Ps. Coral LOVES her new stroller and can't wait to use it with her new sibling. The first few days we had it she would climb in her seat and ask to be pushed around the house in it, and pretend her baby bro or sis is in the back. That got old quick so it's always collapsed now...but still...she loves it.
When my midwife told me I need to be on bed rest, my mind immediately started racing with all the things I needed to do before baby comes. What about all those freezer meals I wanted to make? My hospital bags aren't even packed. My rugs aren't cleaned like I wanted them to be. My house isn't spotless. Who is going to nest for me? And I don't even have a stroller to put both my children in. I thought I was more organized this time...and truth is, I am more organized this time, I just had counted on me having these last two months to finish everything I needed to do.
Bed rest means I can't go rushing about finishing everything on my list I wanted to do, but I CAN check things off my list one at a time. First thing, purchasing a double stroller.
Here are my thoughts on strollers. Love them...NEED them. However, Andrew and I aren't willing to fork out a whole pay cheque on something that our kids just sit in. I have taken kids for walks in strollers that cost more then $1000, and truth be told, they aren't that much better then the basic stroller that we have. They may look fancier, but they all do basically the same thing.
Another thing we considered is Corals age. This was a tricky one. Shes a two and a half year old little monkey. She is still young enough that she needs to be sitting In a stroller. She's a dasher, meaning if we just let her walk, she will take off. For some reason, she HATES being in a shopping cart, but put her in a stroller and she's as content as can be. BUT that won't be forever. Have you ever seen a four year old in a stroller? I have, and it looks silly. So for the time being, we still need a stroller that Coral can sit comfortably in, but also one that is going to grow with her so we're not spending money on something she will only use for a year or so.
I immediately thought about getting a sit and stand stroller. It almost seemed like the perfect option. Not pricey at all, there is a spot for the baby's infant car seat, then normal seat for when the baby is bigger, and Coral can sit on the bench now, and when she gets bigger she can stand on the platform while we push her. ALMOST perfect. I knew for right now the bench in the back wouldn't be good for Coral at this time. Again, she will sit for forever if she has a normal seat in a stroller, but anything else and she's done. With the sit and stand I could see it working a bit later on when Corals older, but she would probably take off on me now.
Thank-you Graco for making a stroller that is perfect for my growing family. Let me introduce you to the Graco ready2grow stand and ride stroller. It has all the basic features of a sit and stroller, with a few extra bonus'.
This beauty has 12 different possible riding positions for two kids. Excellent if you want to switch it up every now and then. Let's take a closer look.
We have the front seat, which is where Miss Coral will be sitting. It has a five point harness and fully reclines. She hasn't fallen asleep in her stroller in like a year and a half, but in case she does, we're prepared.
The little nugget, will chill in his/her car seat and stare blissfully (not making a peep right) at me as I walk them places. Both children are comfortable, safe, and no one (ahem Coral) is escaping anytime soon.
But let's say we decide to go to the Toronto Zoo. Coral would probably be best in the sit and stand in that situation because she gets in and out of her stroller a lot to see the animals.
The baby would go in the front, and Coral would use the sit and stand bench.
Yes the little seat comes off, I'm just to lazy to take it off for a picture. You get the idea though right.
And when baby gets older and is out of his/her car seat, the baby has its own little mini seat in the back, and Coral can still sit in the front.
That seat looks super small, but Coral actually still fits in it. So if they want to switch it up, I suppose Coral could sit on the little chair, and baby can use either the front seat or be clipped into the front while it's still in its car seat.
It has a big basket underneath to carry stuff, a tray for both children, and a coffee holder for me (selling point...ok kidding but mama does need her coffee so I was pretty excited about that). This stroller is also great if you are expecting twins because it has two spots for infant car seats to go, and will grow with the kids as they get older.
I love how versatile it is. I love that it will last us SO long because of the sit and stand platform and grow with both kids, and I love that even though it's a double, it's not much bigger then our normal stroller. It still folds with one hand, and unlike other double strollers, I'm not taking the extra seat off and on when I fold it. The only downside to this stroller, is that when it is collapsed, it's really long. No worries though, we basically drive a school bus so it still fits in our car.
Thoughts? Questions? Opinions? Still willing for fork out an arm and a leg for a stroller when you can find one just as versatile for much cheaper? Come on little nugget, mama wants to take you and your big sister for some walks.
Ps. Coral LOVES her new stroller and can't wait to use it with her new sibling. The first few days we had it she would climb in her seat and ask to be pushed around the house in it, and pretend her baby bro or sis is in the back. That got old quick so it's always collapsed now...but still...she loves it.
Friday, 10 August 2012
Bed rest...in the summer??
I have this theory that when the hubby goes away, the world falls apart. Ok that's being a bit dramatic, but it does seem like whenever Andrew goes away at least one or two discouraging things happen. But this time will be different right? What could go wrong? I have my favorite girl and her boys from BC staying with me for part of the time, and the other part I'm with my family in Port Rowan. Seriously, all should go well.
Let's start with the little thieves that broke into my car. How rude! Everything was going smoothly, until we decided to take the kids for a walk at the Whitby Waterfront. We get all three kids into the car (oh my goodness...such a task getting three kids ready and out the door and into the car), turn the car on, and there is pure static blasting through the radio. Umm where's my iPod? Wait, where's Andrews iPod? Both are gone. Stolen. Ugh. Thankfully they left all three of the car seats and both strollers (which are worth way more then the iPods anyway).
Communicating with Andrew from across the world is difficult. We can't text, we can only email each other, which is also hard because of the time difference. But he walks me through how to handle the situation (filing a police report, etc) and its all good. Moving on.
Before Andrew left he said "what's your game plan if you go into labour while I'm gone?"
HA! I actually think I laughed when he asked me that and responded with "um I would be ten weeks early, that's not even possible". But wait Laura. It's totally possible. Unlikely, but not impossible.
Thursday evening Andrew leaves. I start getting contractions. Very very mild contractions. I start getting cramps, and severe lower back pain, as well as ALOT of pressure. I'm talking about the exact kind of pressure I had with Coral on the night she was born. This went on for a few days, and then I had my regular midwife appointment.
And so here it is. Im having preterm labour and have been put on bed rest. Not the kind of bed rest where I'm literally stuck in bed and can only get out to shower and pee, but more of a really take it easy kind of bed rest. Which means no going to the park, no grocery shopping, no gardening, no cleaning. I'm suppose to stay off my feet as much as possible.
The midwife was concerned about my pains and pressure, but she got even more concerned when she was checking my stomach to see where the baby is. Baby is currently head down, and really really low. Basically just waiting to come greet the world. Problem is, she said the baby is also really tiny. At 30 weeks the baby should be around 16 inches long, and weigh about 3.3 lbs. well at 38 weeks Coral was born being only 17 inches long, and 5.12 lbs....looks like this baby is similar to its sister and is going to be tiny. But because of its size right now, if it were to be born this early, chances of survival are lower then normal (normal being 9 out of 10 babies born at 30 weeks will survive).
So there we have it. Bed rest... In the summer! Talk about boring! I'm sure Coral is going to eventually go stir crazy. But it's whats best for the baby. Our goal is to make it to at least 36 weeks. 37 would be better, 38 perfect. So far bed rest hasn't been so bad. I have my mama here doing my cooking and cleaning for me as well as entertaining Coral, and my friend Britt dropped off some delicious goodies for me to enjoy at my door this morning.
Ok so maybe the world isn't falling apart, but we could certainly use Andrew around here right about now. Andrew, you got one more week to change lives out there, and then your all mine again. I miss you, and Coral needs you to chase her around the house and tickle her.
Let's start with the little thieves that broke into my car. How rude! Everything was going smoothly, until we decided to take the kids for a walk at the Whitby Waterfront. We get all three kids into the car (oh my goodness...such a task getting three kids ready and out the door and into the car), turn the car on, and there is pure static blasting through the radio. Umm where's my iPod? Wait, where's Andrews iPod? Both are gone. Stolen. Ugh. Thankfully they left all three of the car seats and both strollers (which are worth way more then the iPods anyway).
Communicating with Andrew from across the world is difficult. We can't text, we can only email each other, which is also hard because of the time difference. But he walks me through how to handle the situation (filing a police report, etc) and its all good. Moving on.
Before Andrew left he said "what's your game plan if you go into labour while I'm gone?"
HA! I actually think I laughed when he asked me that and responded with "um I would be ten weeks early, that's not even possible". But wait Laura. It's totally possible. Unlikely, but not impossible.
Thursday evening Andrew leaves. I start getting contractions. Very very mild contractions. I start getting cramps, and severe lower back pain, as well as ALOT of pressure. I'm talking about the exact kind of pressure I had with Coral on the night she was born. This went on for a few days, and then I had my regular midwife appointment.
And so here it is. Im having preterm labour and have been put on bed rest. Not the kind of bed rest where I'm literally stuck in bed and can only get out to shower and pee, but more of a really take it easy kind of bed rest. Which means no going to the park, no grocery shopping, no gardening, no cleaning. I'm suppose to stay off my feet as much as possible.
The midwife was concerned about my pains and pressure, but she got even more concerned when she was checking my stomach to see where the baby is. Baby is currently head down, and really really low. Basically just waiting to come greet the world. Problem is, she said the baby is also really tiny. At 30 weeks the baby should be around 16 inches long, and weigh about 3.3 lbs. well at 38 weeks Coral was born being only 17 inches long, and 5.12 lbs....looks like this baby is similar to its sister and is going to be tiny. But because of its size right now, if it were to be born this early, chances of survival are lower then normal (normal being 9 out of 10 babies born at 30 weeks will survive).
So there we have it. Bed rest... In the summer! Talk about boring! I'm sure Coral is going to eventually go stir crazy. But it's whats best for the baby. Our goal is to make it to at least 36 weeks. 37 would be better, 38 perfect. So far bed rest hasn't been so bad. I have my mama here doing my cooking and cleaning for me as well as entertaining Coral, and my friend Britt dropped off some delicious goodies for me to enjoy at my door this morning.
Ok so maybe the world isn't falling apart, but we could certainly use Andrew around here right about now. Andrew, you got one more week to change lives out there, and then your all mine again. I miss you, and Coral needs you to chase her around the house and tickle her.
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