Highs and Lows

Tina's post today inspired me to follow the same format, so I'll be sharing highs and lows with you! It's fitting for this week with everything that's going on around here.

High
A super productive weekend of packing. Terry got a TON done over the weekend (since I'm not able to lift anything heavy or stand on chairs, he's doing about 75% of our packing), and I tried my best to help as much as possible while also taking time to rest. Our house is definitely getting there, and I'm confident that this move will be one of our least stressful ever!

Low 
Being sick. I came down with a cold by Sunday morning, and today I feel pretty awful. I'm sure a variety of factors led to being sick: my dad was sick when he came to visit (my mom got sick once they got home), the time change plus subbing multiple days last week that required 6:30 am start times, and general stress. So yesterday I woke up feeling less than stellar, and today I have a cough, some sniffles, and some minor body aches. Since I can't take any medication, I'm sipping chamomile tea like crazy to soothe my throat and hoping for lots of sleep this week.

High
Feeling the baby kick! Our little one is all over the place in there, and I am thrilled that he or she is so active. I can feel those little thumps almost all the time now, and I love knowing we've got a healthy baby so far!

High
Our budget. We set a somewhat arbitrary spending limit for our grocery budget last week and managed to come in under target! I'm sure the excitement will wear off rather quickly, but it was fun to challenge myself to find creative ways to cook healthy, varied meals at home while still finding good deals. Again, let's just see how long that lasts...

Low 
Moving. The moving process itself is going well, and I know we're going to fall in love with our new place once we're in, but I am so sad to leave our apartment. It's small, but it was our first home as a married couple, and it was a truly great place to live for three years. We keep trying to tell ourselves that it's good to move forward and that our new place will be so much better for the baby, but I think it's okay to be a little sad, too. Luckily, the reason I loved this place so much was because we made it a home together, and I know we'll do the same for anywhere else we live.

High 
Our menu this week. We're still aiming for a sensible budget, which works perfectly with our goal of cleaning out our cabinets. As Terry packed up the kitchen, we found a bunch of items we can incorporate into this week's meals. You'll notice we're planning on making bigger quantities of meals and using them as leftovers so that we have more time to pack (and perhaps relax a little) during the week. Here's our menu:

• Monday and Tuesday: Spaghetti bolognese with wilted spinach, homemade sauce, and a side salad
• Wednesday and Thursday: Sausage, cheese, and veggie quiche
• Friday: See what we have left or eat out for our last night at the apartment

Here are our lunches:

• Monday and Tuesday: Quinoa Greek salad (I made it last night while cooking dinner, and it made for a super easy morning)
• Wednesday: Probably PB & J or something else easy
• Thursday and Friday: Tuna salad (similar to last week's)

Breakfasts and snacks throughout the week:

• Eggs--scrambled, fried, whatever sounds good
• Fruit (we have some mango and oranges leftover from last week, plus new stuff from today's grocery shopping)
• Yogurt (usually mixed with honey and/or nut butter)
• Cottage cheese with fruit
• Smoothies

Since we've packed away most of our specialty cooking items, like the stand mixer, waffle iron, crock pot, and almost all the baking supplies, I don't see a lot of homemade baked goods in our future until we're settled in at the new place. We'll be enjoying a lot of leftovers this week, which I know some people hate, but I absolutely LOVE leftovers and how easy they are to reheat and serve! Perfect for such a crazy time. 

High

This one's a bonus, but I found out something CRAZY last night! At our birth class, Terry and I were talking to our teacher about our due date, because she has emphasized multiple times how doctors' estimated due dates can be several weeks off. During our conversation, she asked if I had noticed any symptoms immediately upon conception that might have indicated the day I got pregnant. Well, remember when I ended up in the hospital and was diagnosed with colitis?

I had always suspected there was a link between getting so sick and getting prengant, and our teacher thinks I was right! She said it's most likely that my colon reacts to hormones, which is why my stomach went crazy. The good news is that we can more accurately guess our due date, and luckily we agree with the doctor that the baby should arrive within the first week of June. Isn't it crazy what our bodies do?

Any highs or lows for you today? 

Of possible interest: 10 Ways to Buy Organic on a Budget