Doctor Visit at 37 Weeks - 9 Months

37 Weeks Your baby is now considered full term, even though your due date is still three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. He weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. (www.babycenter.com) 37 weeks and counting! Karl...

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Enlightened Egg Salad Pita

Delicious Egg Salad Sandwich Enlightened Egg Salad Pita serves 4 recipe found in Shape, January 2012 Really easy to make and so tasty! 6 large eggs 2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1⁄4 teaspoon curry powder 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet onion 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh...

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Tuna and Olive Pasta Salad

Quickest dinner ever! Tuna and Olive Pasta Salad serves 4 recipe found in Health, April 2012 A delicious tuna dinner 8 ounces (1/2 box) whole-wheat penne pasta 1/4 cup store-bought pesto 1 (6-ounce) can oil-packed tuna, drained 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives I added grape tomatoes 1. Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water; reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, run under cold water, and return to pot. 2....

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Nursery is Complete - Month 9

week 37 The Nursery is Done! Karl and I are so excited to have the nursery done. We totally love it. Sure, things got moved around some from what we had first thought to fit the crib, but the room is still really cool to us. I walked upstairs the other day and saw Karl sitting in the new glider looking around the nursery. He just smiled at me. I didn't really need to ask what he was thinking because I could tell by the look...

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Chicken and Lemon-Broccoli Alfredo

Quick chicken recipe with flavor Chicken and Lemon-Broccoli Alfredo serves 4 recipe found in Better Homes and Garden Tasty chicken! 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves Salt and pepper8 ounces mushrooms, halved1 tablespoon olive or cooking oil1 lemon3 cups fresh broccoli florets1 10 ounce container refrigerated light Alfredo pasta sauceI also added in zucchini 1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large skillet brown...

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Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Perfect recipe for St. Patty's Day (or a Sunday dinner) Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage serves 8 recipe found on All Recipes.com Awesome dinner! 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces 10 baby red potatoes, quartered1 onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces4 cups water (I used 2 cups of water and 2 cups of beef broth)1 (4 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet6 ounces beerchopped up garlic1/2 head cabbage,...

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My Husband, The Super Star - Karl Koester

My husband, Karl Koester in Shakopee Valley News I've always admired my husband's career choice of becoming a prosthetic practitioner. I thought it was pretty cool. I first met him when he was an analytical chemist and could tell he was in the wrong profession. He needed to be around people - making them laugh - and using his hands more building things, versus being buried in a back room, staring at a bunch of bunsen burners...

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Nine Month Update - Month 9

36 weeks Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner...

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Another Baby Book Highly Recommended - Month 9

35 weeks Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete – he'll spend...

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A Month to Go - Childbirth Preparation Class - Month 9

week 35 Holy cats!! Let the countdown begin. Karl's birthday is this week and we said once we hit that, we'd have ONE whole month left. That's like four weeks until Baby Koester's arrival. YIKES!!! I'm just starting to feel the baby drop! My belly is for sure getting bigger (as you can see). I noticed the heaviness last night too. It's much harder to move around, but I am thankful I do get to move around. I still feel good. Karl and I...

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Tex-Mex Chicken Enchiladas

Tex-Mex Chicken Enchiladas serves 4 to 6 recipe found on MyRecipes.com These were delicious! 3 cups chopped cooked chicken 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers 1/2 cup sour cream 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro8 (8-inch) flour tortillas Vegetable cooking spray 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream 1 (8-ounce) bottle green taco sauce Toppings: diced...

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Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

Quick and easy! Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken serves 4 recipe found on Six Sisters' Stuff blog I had to add veggies to it! Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too) Salt and pepper 1 cup honey 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup diced onion 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (could also use olive oil or canola oil) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - doesn't really...

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Have NO FEAR, Coping with Labor - Entering Month 9

34 weeks Karl and I took our first labor and delivery class yesterday from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at St. Francis. The class was called "Coping with Labor". There were about eight other couples in class with us (and a platter of really good chocolate chip cookies). There was one other gal who was due the week before us, otherwise, I was basically the next in line. April 16. That seems so close, doesn't it? Gulp! We went around and introduced ourselves...

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Pregnancy Nesting - Month 8

34 weeks Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers – which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born – are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born...

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Baby Shower #4 - Month 8

34 weeks Baby Shower with my Minnesota Besties I have some really amazing friends and I was able to celebrate with a lot of them yesterday. I keep thinking about how I moved to Minnesota ten years ago and I really didn't know a lot of people at all. But somehow I was able to make and meet such wonderful people...all because I made a big decision (all on my own), totally stepped out of my comfort zone and took a huge leap of faith. Really...

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Parmesan-Crusted Fish

One of Karl's Top Three Faves! Parmesan-Crusted Fish serves 4 recipe found in Better Homes and Gardens March 2008 A very healthy, tasty meal! YUM! Will be making this again! 4 skinless cod fillets (1-1/2 lb.) 1/3 cup panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese1 10 ounce julienned carrots (3 cups)1 tablespoon butter3/4 teaspoon ground gingerMixed fresh salad greens 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly...

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Beef 'n' Asparagus Pasta

Healthy pasta! Beef 'n' Asparagus Pasta serves 4 recipe found in Light and Tasty Magazine April/May 2006 Lots of veggies in this dish! 3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth, divided 1 beef top sirloin steak (1 pound), cut into 2-inch strips 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 4 green onions, chopped 4...

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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Lasagna serves 6 recipe found on Six Sisters' Stuff blog (amazing blog!!!) You're going to love this if you love Buffalo Chicken! uncooked traditional lasagna noodles4 cooked chicken breast halves1 jar of prepared pasta sauce (26 oz) 1 cup buffalo wing sauce (we used Frank's sauce- it is so good!) 3 green bell peppers, chopped (you could also use red, yellow, or orange peppers if you want) tub of ricotta cheese...

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Minestrone with Turkey Meatballs and Escarole

A one-pot wonder dish! Minestrone with Turkey Meatballs and Escarole serves 4 recipe found in Fitness Magazine online A little too many noodles but still really tasty and healthy! 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 carrots, sliced1/4 cup diced red onion2 garlic cloves, chopped Pinch plus 1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon tomato pastePinch chile pepper flakes1 small head escarole, cored and chopped4 cups low-sodium chicken stock2 cups water3/4 cup...

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