Zucchini "Crab" Cakes!

So what do you do with all your extra zucchini?! Tonight I made Zucchini "crab cakes" - but they don't have crab in them! 😳 I have a tried & true recipe I always used pre Whole 30 & Paleo lifestyle. Tonight was the first night trying to paleofied it. Lots of experimenting! But I think I have a winner! 

Zucchini "Crab" Cakes

2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup almond flour or breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup of minced onions

1/4 cup of chopped bell peppers

2 tbsp of melted butter or ghee

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

2-3 tablespoon coconut flour (if using regular breadcrumbs you can skip this) 

salt & pepper to taste 

1/4 cup of oil (I used coconut oil) 

1/2 cup of flour (your choice) I used rice flour if I was in Whole 30 I'd do tapioca or coconut flour                      

Directions
1. Grate your zucchini on papertowels  and sprinkle salt over it to let it sweat - 15 minutes or so at least. Longer if you have the time. Squeeze it out the best you can after it sweats. 

2. After zucchini sweats add all

the remaining ingredients except flour & coconut oil. The mixture

 should start to come together. Add more almond flour or coconut flour if need be. (or breadcrumbs)

3. Start heating your oil on high and let the pan get very hot. 

4. Form patties & dredge in flour of choice on each side. 

5. Fry until brown on each side 4-5 minutes - adjust heat as necessary

These also freeze great! Just put some parchment paper between each patty! 

Pregnancy, Toddlers, & Life!

I am not going to lie the last few days have been rough, really rough than they should of been. Trevor has been home the last two weeks (which has been wonderful!) but between allergies, pregnancy and illness - it's been rough. I am so thankful he is home if he were out of town it would be just plain miserable.

My allergies are always worse when I am pregnant. My breathing suffers because the little babe is growing and pressing against my lungs and internal organs. I have a tilted uterus so it creates more pressure than people who have a normal uterus. I often wake up in the night with asthma attacks. It's miserable but worth it.

Speaking of pregnancy.. I am over the moon about being pregnant and can't wait to meet this little pumpkin but I am also fully aware of the challenges awaiting me once the pumpkin is born. Not only will I have an active toddler who needs me. I will also have a newborn who really needs me. I know my anxiety is perfectly normal but I also know I need to surrender it to God and take each day at a time. Trevor is hoping to have about a week home with us before he has to go back to work. October is a really busy time of year for him. He is often gone for several weeks in a row and home on the weekend (at least!). I'm thankful my Mom and Dad live near by and I am sure will be helping me out as much as they can. It is just still overwelming to think about - at least I have 23 weeks to pray and prepare myself for it.

Another thing about pregnancy is that I am have been cranky! I am trying not to be but I am 17 weeks now and I am just at that stage where things are starting to hurt and I am sure hormones are playing a big role in it as well. I don't want to be cranky or miserible though. Something I have to fight everyday and realize I need God's grace and mercy and I need to extend that to others in my words, and actions - specifically my husband. Sorry Trev!

Then on top of it all - I have a cold combined with bad allergies and I can't take medication being pregnant so it's pretty miserable. Lots of coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose - I have already gone through a box and half of tissues. But guess what? This too shall pass! This is just a season. It stinks right now but it won't last forever. Hallelujah!

Trevor and I are leaving our baby girl in 10 days to go to a wedding in Wyoming. We are flying into Denver and taking a few days to enjoy the city, see friends, and hopefully just relax. We are using it has a babymoon, anniversary celebration (6 years woo!) and just an adventure. I'm thankful to be part of my friend Daria's wedding - praying it doesn't snow while we are there or during the wedding especially!

When we get back, May 15th, that following Saturday we find out the gender and see a peak at pumpkin! We are pretty excited. I am really excited to find out the gender so I can start nesting/organizing all of Emma's baby things.

Speaking of Emma's baby things - I am an oldest child so I never knew how 2nd and so on feel but I feel guilty that this baby doesn't get anything new like Emma did. I mean it will be new to him/her but for some reason I feel bad! I know I will get over and I also know it would be extremely wasteful to buy all new things! I am grateful for all the things we have and there isn't much we actually need! I purposely tried to buy gender neutral things when Emma was a baby so that even in clothes if we have a boy he won't go completely naked!

I'll just say that I am leaning towards a boy even though I am still battling morning sickness most in the morning now instead of all day like I did in the 1st trimester. I was sick with Emma until 20 weeks. Praying I am not too sick during our trip! 

2 months old!

My oh my where has time gone!?

I am sure this is a statement parents everywhere make as they see their children grow. I'm sure my own parents are making that statement watching Emma grow and watching me be a new Mom. I'm not sure the reality of being a Mom will really hit me truly until Emma starts to call me Mom. Yes, I know I am her Mom and I love her but when she really starts identifying me as such - it still doesn't seem quite real yet.

Emma is two months old tomorrow!

She is doing really well. She had a month check up and has a two month check up coming up. At her on month check up she weight 11 pounds 10 ounces and 22.5 inches long. She is a big girl. Her feet are gigantic. She's beginning to outgrow her 0-3 month clothing particularly the footed things. She's slowly starting to wear 3-6 month clothes - she's long and lean it seems. My Great Grandmother was 6'1 so I am beginning to wonder if she might take after her. We'll see!

She started smiling at about 4.5 weeks. I was shocked to see her smiling so quickly. She loves to smile, and she has the sweetest smile. Her eye gets all scrunched when she smiles. It's adorable but hey I'm Mom I can say that. :o)

She has begun to stare at things instead of just people. She also is beginning to look at book when we read to her which is so cute. She has also begun to 'talk' and coo more - she's very chatty!

She has become quite the little traveler. At 6 weeks old she went up to upstate New York to visit her Great-Grandpa. For the most part she did great on the trip. Naturally she's a baby so there was plenty of crying and fussing to be had but all in all I couldn't of asked for a better trip. By the end of the trip, the last two hours, she was very ready to be out of the car seat. She made sure we knew that too.

She is quite the little sleeper. Although Trevor would love to see her sleep for 10 - 12 hours (so would I!) she is sleeping really well for her age. She sleeps about 6 hour stretches at a time at night sometimes more sometimes much less. She takes naps fairly well - it's different day to day of course. We are probably going to try to transition her to her crib at Thanksgiving when we have some time and energy to do it. Hopefully it goes okay! *fingers crossed*

Trevor has been traveling quite a bit for work the last month. His company is really busy this time of year which is great for business and job security. However not so much for him. He's been gone for 3 weeks in a row. I'm so thankful for his hard work when he's gone and when he comes home on the weekends to help me with Emma. It hasn't been easy the last few weeks but I'm very thankful for my parents who now live nearby. I envisioned having children and having to be alone while Trevor traveled. I never expected my parents to live in Pittsburgh. It is definitely a blessing and an answer to prayer. We have been staying with my parents while Trevor has been gone. It helps so much!

Every time Trevor comes home he says Emma looks different in some way and has grown. Thankfully next week he is home and things will begin to slow down a little bit. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving when he will take some time off of work and spend time with us and extended family.

As I write this Emma has been asleep in her swing for 3 hours. She didn't sleep very well last night. She fell asleep around 11 (which wasn't without a lot of fussing and crying) and woke up at about 3:30 and didn't fall back asleep until 6:30/7. She thankfully slept until 9 after that. So I was able to get some sleep too. Some days she naps really well and other days she will hardly sleep for a 1/2 hour to an hour at a time. Every day is different.

Motherhood has brought so many changes - most of them are welcomed but a few have been exhausting. All of them have helped me grow. I am very thankful for this sweet little girl and all the changes she has brought into my life. The only constant in our lives at the moment is change. I have a feeling that it is going to be the way for awhile - it definitely keeps things exciting!

Emma's Birth Story

"Lord, please allow my weaknesses to be a stage for your strength!" 

This quote is exactly what my heart has desired from even our 1st miscarriage.

I  had to rely on God alone for my strength. He is why I have this little miracle in my life. 

What a crazy wild ride the last year & half have been & an even crazier ride the last 7 weeks has been! 

Birth Story: 

Before labor I was nervous about many things but three specific things were that I wouldn't go into labor naturally, that my asthma would effect Emma or the birth & if she was breeched. 

I was told during the pregnancy I'd feel different types of contractions - I never really felt any. I was about 2 cm dialted for a week & 70% efaced but nothing else was moving along. 

I REALLY didn't want to be induced but by the time I had her I was 9 days overdue. Overall the whole pregnancy I felt great - I got an epic cold/flu (plus morning/all day sickness) my 1st trimester & was sick for quite some time & struggled with my asthma but seriously the pregancy was good overall. 

All except the last week or so - specifically the last few days. Holy cow I was so achy & sore - now I know why - she was so big!! 

My induction was set for Thursday, September 4th. Or so we thought.. I was basically "on call" for when they had a bed free. I was waiting all day for the call to come in on Thursday. The longest day of my life! They checked in every few hours & were just too busy. 

We finally got the call Friday September 5th at 7:30 am to come in. We had been so prepared the last 24 hours but we had let our guard down thinking we'd never get called in & I thought I was going to be pregnant FOREVER! 

So we basically ran out the door & got to the hospital at 9 am. They gave me piotocin at 11:30 & the fun began! They started out at the lowest dose hoping that my body would get the clue evenually it did. Around 8:30 pm they broke my water & then the party really got started! I would say "labor" began then before that I was uncomfortable but manageable. My Dad was still in the room with Trevor, my Mom & I until that point - we were joking & talking until my water was broken. 

I went in open to getting an epidural but I REALLY didn't want one. My Mom & Trevor took turns helping me manage the pain & I imagine a happy place which helped more than I thought it would. They also gave oxygen towards the end (which was a life saver!) I was told later that I was in the minority (which I know plenty of you Mamas out there didn't have one either)  in not getting the epiderial. There's nothing wrong with either choice it was just my personal choice. However I was surprised to hear from a nurse that about 80% of patients get the epiderial & the other 20% were usually too late or unable to for some other reason. That's crazy! 

My doctor said at the end of the birth that she thought I was going to cave during birth - thanks a lot! However By God's grace I was able to have an all natural birth.

"I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me!"

Phillipians 3:5

Thankfully Emma had been head down since about 30/32 weeks - in fact she was so low the last 6 weeks her head was behind my pubic bone! What an answer to prayer! Every doctor who checked me couldn't believe how low she was. 

Having her low made my chances of a easier delvery at least in my mind even if I had to he induced. At least that's what I told myself ;)  I didn't want a c-section either for obvious reasons. I was pretty determined to have Emma all natural (as I could) & not have a cathitier - for some reason that was my motivation! ha! 

So labor had begun at 8:30 & we had a two scares. Because of my asthma I couldn't lay on my back very well. I kept coughing, getting heart burn, and just not being able to breath (hence the oxygen • sooo relaxing). So I wanted to labor on my side - well actually I wanted to labor squatting but they wouldn't let me. boo. As I was on my side Emma's heart beat dropped and a team of nurses and doctors came running in my room demanding I turn. Truthfully the first time it happened I had no clue what was going on no one told me but poor Trevor stood there scared. Because I didn't know what was going on I was in the middle of a contraction and couldn't move. So they flopped me over and her heart rate went back to normal. This happened again while I was on my other side and the same scenerio happened again except I was a bit more aware. Apparently it's really common as the baby is dropping they often pinch the umbical cord. Thankfully she moved and all was well. 

At some point I felt like if labor had not progressed past 7 cm the next time the doctor checked me I wanted an epiderial. However she came in to check me about 5:30 or so and to my surprise I was 10 cm! 

Labor was about 11 hours (including pushing) and I pushed for about a hour and half. I'm told that is a pretty quick labor for a first time Mom & someone who was induced. Yay God! 

No one told me when she came flying out into the world. I had my eyes closed.  Everyone just got quiet. Then she cried! What an answer to prayer! Then to our surprise she was huge & I was not while I was pregnant. The first thing the doctor said was, "Where were you hiding her!?" 

Funny thing is few weeks ago I was in the office getting checked out & I asked the midwife if she could tell what size Emma might be she said sure within a pound or so. We joked she was 10 pounds & the midwife said, "No way you have that big of a baby in there!" Boy was she wrong! 

Emma Grace Block joined us here on earth on Saturday, September 6th 2014 at 6:57 am. She weighed 9lbs & 10 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.  She has ten fingers & ten toes and is healthy! 

Thank you so much for all your prayers, love & support you have all shown us the love of God through your words & actions. We are deeply moved by it. 

Please pray for us as we are first time parents to this little miriacle & that we would never forget that either. 

"This is the child we have prayer for..." 1 Samuel 1:27

6 weeks away - where has time gone?

Woooo what a whirl wind the last month has been! We are down to 6 weeks away!

Our families threw us a beautiful baby shower for Emma about a month ago. We couldn't be more grateful or feel more loved! It was so great to celebrate with everyone Emma's impending arrival and how generous our friends and family were. Really, ya'll are too much! We got so many great and useful things. We were really left with only a few things to get which is such a blessing.

I wish I could of kept this cake forever - it's so pretty but it was VERY tasty too!

The shower was beautifully decorated by my Mother in Law and my Mom

opening gifts - so fun!

pictures of us as kids :)

I was about 28 weeks here

We also were gifted some gifted cards and money which has been great. In effort to maximize that money (typical.. haha) we have been able to find lots of deals & coupons. We got the stroller and car seat travel system the day after the shower. We were just shopping around a few places and found that BabiesRUs had the exact stroller we had on our registry and even the color on clearance! It was  normally $329 & it was priced at $199 PLUS we were able to use a 10% coupon towards that and anything else we needed that day. What a blessing! So we got the stroller for $180! It was the floor model and was in perfect condition (trust me Trevor pushed that thing allllll over the store) except the canopy had some fraying. I e-mailed Chicco about it & they are sending a replacement. Yay!

the exact stroller we had on our registry and in the color we wanted too!

Also Nesting is certainly in full swing for both Trevor & I. Lots of projects and to do lists! This is going to keep us busy for quite awhile. Between that & family parties and get togethers I think summer is going to fly by. This make me sad because I really love summer but I am SO looking forward to meeting Emma at the end of the summer too.

We are slowly getting Emma's room ready for her. I was able to get all her tiny clothes put away & trying to organize everything. It's been fun!

adorable baby clothes - I washed, seperated by size and put away all her clothes

Our garden is also in full swing. I'm not able to do as much as I'd like but it's still been really fun hobby we have together. We did lettuce in a box this year and we've had much better luck than in the past so that's been fun. We of course have lots of herbs too which we are already using. However we havn't harvested any veggies yet. I think within the week we will have cucumbers and zucchini. The peppers and tomstos are starting to really take off too. I'm hoping I'm able to can this year. We usually go up and visit my Grandpa in NY and can with him but since I'm in my third trimester we aren't able to. We are bummed but hopefully next summer we can. We always really enjoy it. Since we can't go up Trev & I will do some canning. Also since my parents now live close I'm sure we'll do some canning with them - at least as much as I'm able to do.

in the beginning

a few weeks ago

So far we're really enjoying the summer & the weather. It's hard to believe in 6 more weeks we'll hopefully be meeting Emma!! Life is such a miracle and just thinking about the journey we've been through I feel so very blessed. Thank you for all your prayers and support during this journey we certainly have felt them and felt very loved.

learning how to use the ergo carrier

putting together the crib

picturing Emma in the crib :)

it's also an excellent place to store things for now :)

 

Citrus Lane Box - Sooo fun!

So I know on facebook I've mentioned a few times how much I like & enjoyed the Citrus Lane Box subscription but I wanted to explain it a little better. My experience with the company so far has been great. The company has offered so many deals & coupons after subscribing. I just can't help but share the great deals we've received so far! I can honestly say we've spent about $20 on all these items below.. which is a termendous deal on all these high quality toys.

You can also 'win' or 'earn' credit through their app by 'playing' (it's a tab on their app) and using the app - such as posting and liking other peoples posts. It's been a cool way to hear about deals and also connect with other Moms. I won $15 twice so far!

Our first box was great - I got it discounted & we got so many useful things! I had a discount code and got it for $9. We really enjoyed all the toys and useful things. I loved the Skip Hop puppet & Trevor loved the Haba rattle. He's a sucker for toys anyway.

We decided to keep the box and we weren't quite as impressed with our last box but I was able to add on an item with free shippimg and they have a $10 coupon code they had mailed out. They do this often, mail out coupons or store credit. We added a Green Toy (which I love this brand!) shape sorter. Emma won't be able to play with it for awhile but it's something we can put away for later. We got that for 7.50 (normally 22!).
The box we recieved this month defintely had the value it just seemed to be missing something. The onesie was super soft & cute. It's something she'll grow into. The seahorse was also really cute and I'm sure it's something she'll like. The cream smells great and the diaper cream was something I wanted try anyway so that was a nice add on.

I also ordered a mystery box and recieved that earlier this week. I thought the mystery box was great! We got lots of cute toys and useful things. I like getting things for her to grow into. It's like shopping in my own home as she grow for toys! I was able to get this bix for $19 normally $29. Again they sent out a great coupon that made it worth it.

Also I've recieved e-mails at holidays offering store credit which has been great! The first time I got a $15 credit so we got this cute peekaboo mirror by Skip Hop for free!

I went to cancel the subscription service through their website, which is super easy, & they offered me another box for $15 (normally 29). So we decided to keep it and see how the next box is. If we are able to keep getting deals we'll probably keep it for awhile.


Also right now (I'm not sure for how much longer...) but groupon has a citrus lane deal going on for new customers and existing ones too. The deal for current customers is $40 for $20 - and if you use the code local15 it will give you 15% off making it around $18. You can use these 'shop credits' to give yourself a e-card for $25 and purchase a subscription box. It's a pretty good deal.

Check it out -
http://www.groupon.com/deals/citrus-lane-6?utm_campaign=UserReferral&utm_medium=email&utm_source=uu


They had a promotion going on for Summer Soltice - they were offering store credit again. This time I got $10! I was able to get a cute stroller toy from Skip Hop. Someone offered there code for $5 that they weren't going to use so I got another stroller toy! All for a few bucks (shipping).

So as you can see we've made our pretty good with deals and coupons. Since we are first time parents and don't have any toys this has been a great resource to get high quality toys that will last at really reasonable prices. I defintely recommend this company to other people.

We are waiting for our next box - it should arrive anytime. We also went ahead and subscribed for 3 more months with the current groupon deal it made it worth it. 

If you're interested in ordering your own you can get your first one for $15! Plus you'll be signed up for all there great sales. Just use the link below.

https://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Christine.Block.4008757

I hope you like it as much as we do.

Third Trimester!

Today marks the first day of my third trimester! Yay!! What an answer to prayer. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness & joy!

Also last night I found out I passed my glucose test - which is another HUGE answer to prayer.. I really, really didn't want to take the 3 hour glucose test that involves fasting for over 12 hours and drinking even more sugar - just to see how your body handles it. Ugh! I can tell you one thing - it would of not ended well. You see as a child I fainted often because I have hypoglycemia. As an adult I've been able to control it through eating and knowing when I've had enough sugar.  Seriously I don't think ANY pregnant women should have to fast - that's just torture! I definitely applaud you ladies that have had to go through the 3 hour glucose test. I know it wasn't easy, but these are things we do for our children right? 

I keep thinking we have 'so much' time until Emma arrives and then other times - I feel overwhelmed at the amount of stuff we still have to do and prepare before she comes. I'm sure these feelings are normal. Last weekend we were able to get the spare bedroom/Emma's room rearranged. We also got her crib on a great sale and the generosity of Trevor's Mom. She wanted only the best for Emma :o) Trevor & his Dad put it together. 

Emma's room/side- a work in progress but we're getting there!

The other side - our desks and bookshelves - it kind of looks like cubicles.

We are completely finished with the room yet but it feels so nice to have things placed and beginning to organize everything. Our spare bedroom is pretty large so we were using it as our 'office'/spare room. We were able to rearrange it so we could have both Emma's room and our desks in there. We are so grateful for the space & two closets too!

Our baby shower that Trevor's Mom is throwing us with help of my Mom and other family members is in two weeks. I am really excited to celebrate the arrival of Emma and see everyone. I'm sure after the baby shower we will feel more settled in her room. 

Unfortunately I caught a cold from Trevor. He picked it up at work, but we really thought it was just allergies. Boy we're we wrong! So - I've been spending the last few days sneezing, blowing my nose, and sleeping. Not very much fun. Who gets a cold in June?! 

However there is WAY too much good news to get me down. Hopefully the cold passes in a few days so we can start doing more gardening and enjoying these beautiful summer days. 

So unless Emma arrives early (which she might but I'm expecting a late arrival) we will  Lord willing get to meet her in a little less than 3 months. Where has the time gone?! 

We defintely consider ourselves very blessed.