I figured since I had some time I would do a quick update on how medical school is so far. I mean, that is the main purpose of this blog, after all. I asked Jeff to answer a few questions so you could see a little from his perspective, too!
How is medical school so far?
"It has been really good."
On a scale from 1 to 10, how happy would you say you are right now?
"8.5."
What are you looking forward to this week?
"Taking my second exam and being able to have time to spend with my wife and friends."
Is anything stressing you out?
"Um, not really."
How do you feel the rest of the year will be for us?
"I think it will be very good. I am excited for the rest of the year."
What am I doing that is helping you?
"You are being really supportive, understanding at times that I need to study, working and making dinner, and making the most of the time we do have together."
What would you like me to do to help you?
"Keep doing what you're doing. You're doing great."
In what ways is medical school similar to and different than you had expected?
Similarities:
"The amount of information that is covered in med school is similar to what I had expected."
Differences:
"I feel like I have a lot more free time than I thought I would have. I can spend time with my spouse, friends, and fellow classmates."
I'll also include my perspective, just for fun.
How is medical school so far?
Good! Jeff is a total champ.
On a scale from 1 to 10, how happy would you say you are right now?
Taking work into consideration, 6. Leaving work out of the equation, 9!
What are you looking forward to this week?
Jeff finishing his second exam...the weekend. :)
Is anything stressing you out?
Not really. :)
How do you feel the rest of the year will be for us?
Good. I think it will get steadily harder as bigger tests come up and such, but so far everything has been really manageable due to Jeff's self discipline and great attitude.
What is Jeff doing that is helping me?
Making my breakfast and lunch every morning! (What?! So nice.)
What would I like Jeff to do to help me?
Seriously, nothing. I am just fine. :)
In what ways is medical school similar to and different than you had expected?
Similarities:
Medical school seems like a lot of work. Jeff spends most of his waking hours studying or in classes. Texas is hot.
Differences:
I spend so much time with Jeff despite our busy schedules. We watch a lot of movies together. I am not lonely or depressed like I sort of imagined would happen (based on other people's experiences).
Really, medical school is not so bad so far. That is always astonishing to me. I am so grateful for our experiences so far and look forward to what the future holds.
Have a great day!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Four Exciting {& Healthy} Freezer Meals
As promised, I am sharing my freezer meal recipes. They are:
1. Skinny Chicken Enchiladas
2. Spinach Florentine Lasagna roll-ups
3. Angel Hair Tetrazzini, and
4. Chicken & Brown Rice Soup
In this article I will lay out what worked for me and what didn't whilst freezer meal making. I figure that could be helpful.
Before I jump into this, let me paint a picture of the beauty of freezer meals:
1. Skinny Chicken Enchiladas
2. Spinach Florentine Lasagna roll-ups
3. Angel Hair Tetrazzini, and
4. Chicken & Brown Rice Soup
In this article I will lay out what worked for me and what didn't whilst freezer meal making. I figure that could be helpful.
Before I jump into this, let me paint a picture of the beauty of freezer meals:
- We paid around $100 for three weeks worth of healthy, homemade, high-quality dinners (more than that for us because each dinner feeds at least four people)
- A lot of time in the kitchen, albeit doable work
- Only one load of dishes at the end of the day...how is that even possible??
As I've mentioned this was my first time making all my meals for the month in advance (I realize this doesn't add up, but that much food is excessive for us). I am so pleased with how everything turned out in the end. Making dinners in bulk is so worth it in my opinion. With Jeff in school and me working until 5:30 everyday, it's nice to have something I can throw on the stove for 20 minutes and be done. I consider it a very efficient way to do things. Anyway, off my soapbox.
To make other lives a little easier, I will chronicle the things that really helped the process and the things I will avoid the next time around.
What worked for me:
1. I bought vacuum bags and a pump
I was skeptical when I saw these bags at the grocery store--not gonna lie; however, I had recently read up on freezer storage safety and understood that vacuum bags are a worthwhile investment. For three-ish dollars for a pump and some storage bags, I gave them a chance.
Basically, they suck air out of your storage bag, which allegedly prevents bacteria growth and loss of quality for longer. These puppies really do what they proclaim to do (way to go, Ziploc!). I am equal parts excited about preserving the quality of our food and about preserving space in our microscopic freezer (seriously. It is so small).
These are worth picking up at your local grocery store. A word to the wise: I found it was more effective to store solids in vacuum bags and liquids in regular (and freezer-safe) bags. I placed enchiladas, lasagna, and shredded chicken in these.
2. Cook all of your chicken at the same time. Frozen or thawed. In a crockpot. I learned this after thawing, cutting, and cooking five pounds of chicken. Right before going to bed, I thought, "I'll just throw (play Tetris to fit) all the rest of my chicken in my crockpot. I sprinkled the frozen chicken breasts with chicken bouillon and a tablespoon of seasoned salt (yeah, not healthy), put my crockpot on low, and went to bed. Aside from waking up to the pungent smell of dinner, this was the most effective labor-saving step, by far.
For the record, I'm not a big meat girl. I get grossed out when I see, or chew fat or a caruncle (nasty!). This chicken was soft and flavorful. It was so tender I shredded all ten pounds with one fork in about three minutes--amazing!
3. Use recipes you trust (but don't be too worried about branching out, too).
A lot of these recipes are regular meals in our house. If I wasn't sure how well it would freeze, I'd just Google it. I learned that cream-based soups are not so great (but you can just add the cream or milk when reheating) and that some vegetables fair better than others, but that undercooking veggies can help. Anyway, there's a great deal of information out there on the internet, so that is a great tool while preparing freezer meals.
A lot of these recipes are regular meals in our house. If I wasn't sure how well it would freeze, I'd just Google it. I learned that cream-based soups are not so great (but you can just add the cream or milk when reheating) and that some vegetables fair better than others, but that undercooking veggies can help. Anyway, there's a great deal of information out there on the internet, so that is a great tool while preparing freezer meals.
4. Use them up!
These little babies feel like masterpieces and I am tempted to save them for some rainy day. I've decided to chuck this mentality out the window because we want to enjoy them now! You should consider this, too, but everyone's needs and desires are different.
These little babies feel like masterpieces and I am tempted to save them for some rainy day. I've decided to chuck this mentality out the window because we want to enjoy them now! You should consider this, too, but everyone's needs and desires are different.
5. Freeze them flat.
Here's how I did this: I placed a cookie sheet or clean cutting board in the freezer and set the bag on top. I would smooth it out and let it freeze laying flat. Once the meal was frozen I would stack and organize them to make room for other meals. This is pretty awesome. Even if you have a teeny freezer like us, you should be good to go!
Well, I hope this helps!
Have a great Sunday!
Here's how I did this: I placed a cookie sheet or clean cutting board in the freezer and set the bag on top. I would smooth it out and let it freeze laying flat. Once the meal was frozen I would stack and organize them to make room for other meals. This is pretty awesome. Even if you have a teeny freezer like us, you should be good to go!
Well, I hope this helps!
Have a great Sunday!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Full-time Work, No Time for Blogging (Just kidding!)
So obviously, I do have time to blog because here I am writing. It is, however, 10:00 PM and I probably wouldn't have written tonight if I wasn't reminded that I do have a blog by a lovely family member (Thanks, Heather!).
Here's what's new: I started working two weeks ago. I feel like this...
Love you all! I have a couple meaningful posts in the work, so stay tuned!
Here's what's new: I started working two weeks ago. I feel like this...
Anybunny (haha, puns) have advice about not feeling dead after a full day of watching a classroom full of babies? Let me know in the comments. Working is great. I love my job working with little ones. I have to keep the blogging habit alive so here's to another day, another post.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Week 12 Update
Guess what! We had an ultrasound this week. :D
I got to see our baby and his/her heart is beating a healthy 159 beats per minute. He/she is so cute moving around in there. It's wonderful. The ultrasound technician measured our baby and dated my pregnancy 11 weeks and 5 days, making today 12 weeks and 1 day. I am so grateful that we officially have less than a week before we share the great news and I move into second trimester (thank goodness).
Can you believe I've been able to keep this a secret for so long? I have been pregnant for the better part of three months and I haven't even told my parents. I usually have a hard time keeping secrets about myself. For instance, I considered titling this blog post "I Threw Up So Violently I Peed my Pants Today." ...And now you know that about me anyway. I am very impressed that I could keep my pregnancy under wraps for this long.
My official due date is now April 22, 2015. If our baby comes when he or she is due, Jeff, the baby and I will all have birthdays will all be a month apart. I like that.
I got sick yesterday. I thought it was the flu (although the nurse was concerned it could be ebola or something), but then this morning all my symptoms got slightly better; I am not running a fever, my throat is not nearly as sore as it was yesterday, my muscles aren't quite as achy, and who's to say if my three interludes with the toilet this morning were a tribute to the flu or my morning sickness or both...
Anyway. I am happy to be feeling slightly better. I had to take a sick day until I can go 24 hours with a normal temperature without the aid of medication. That's not so bad, I guess.
Here are some pictures of me and a chalkboard, because that's what you probably were most interested in seeing here. Haha, it's okay. I understand.
Here's the questionnaire for the week.
How far along? 12 weeks.
Baby is: 51 millimeters, so about an inch and 3/4.
Total weight gain/loss? Same little fluctuations I've had all throughout my pregnancy.
Maternity clothes? No.
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep? Great.
Best moment this week? SEEING MY BABY FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Miss Anything? No. :)
Movement? No.
Food cravings? Nothing this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick? An empty stomach and whatever sickness I have this week. I eat to avoid morning sickness and I throw everything up and then my stomach is empty again and it's just a great cycle.
Have you started to show yet? Yep, a little.
Gender? Haven't the foggiest.
Labor Signs? No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy. :) Although the other night Jeff asked me, "Do you miss the mountains?" and I actually wept. I mean, who wouldn't?!
Looking forward to? Telling my family we're having a baby! Also, the mashed potatoes I will make for myself this afternoon. :)
I got to see our baby and his/her heart is beating a healthy 159 beats per minute. He/she is so cute moving around in there. It's wonderful. The ultrasound technician measured our baby and dated my pregnancy 11 weeks and 5 days, making today 12 weeks and 1 day. I am so grateful that we officially have less than a week before we share the great news and I move into second trimester (thank goodness).
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| Good ole Photo Booth |
My official due date is now April 22, 2015. If our baby comes when he or she is due, Jeff, the baby and I will all have birthdays will all be a month apart. I like that.
I got sick yesterday. I thought it was the flu (although the nurse was concerned it could be ebola or something), but then this morning all my symptoms got slightly better; I am not running a fever, my throat is not nearly as sore as it was yesterday, my muscles aren't quite as achy, and who's to say if my three interludes with the toilet this morning were a tribute to the flu or my morning sickness or both...
Anyway. I am happy to be feeling slightly better. I had to take a sick day until I can go 24 hours with a normal temperature without the aid of medication. That's not so bad, I guess.
Here are some pictures of me and a chalkboard, because that's what you probably were most interested in seeing here. Haha, it's okay. I understand.
Here's the questionnaire for the week.
How far along? 12 weeks.
Baby is: 51 millimeters, so about an inch and 3/4.
Total weight gain/loss? Same little fluctuations I've had all throughout my pregnancy.
Maternity clothes? No.
Stretch marks? No.
Sleep? Great.
Best moment this week? SEEING MY BABY FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Miss Anything? No. :)
Movement? No.
Food cravings? Nothing this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick? An empty stomach and whatever sickness I have this week. I eat to avoid morning sickness and I throw everything up and then my stomach is empty again and it's just a great cycle.
Have you started to show yet? Yep, a little.
Gender? Haven't the foggiest.
Labor Signs? No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy. :) Although the other night Jeff asked me, "Do you miss the mountains?" and I actually wept. I mean, who wouldn't?!
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| Photo credit: Michelle Falco - Hannah, UT last weekend |
Week 9 Extras/Pregnancy Tidbits in General
All I want is brisket from Rudy's... !!!!! I just had some tonight and I am fighting myself from going back for more only an hour later. This is a legitimate craving, people! It is the only thing I want right now. What is wrong with me?
Being pregnant is all so strange. I don't like morning sickness and I am a little bit nervous about getting a preggo bump. I mean, I want one, I do, but I don't know how cute it's going to be because of my large butt, thighs, and hips. What's a girl to do? Probably not get brisket twice in one night.
I have my first doctor's appointment scheduled for a week from today! It's free, too, thankfully. I hate leeching off the government for this, but I really have to get prenatal care while I am waiting for my insurance to kick in. Do you even know how expensive an ultrasound is out of pocket? Literally hundreds of dollars. I just want to see my baby.
I also want brisket. I also want to go to the gym (miracle of miracles). I should probably go for the latter. I rarely feel even a little tempted to exercise these days. I can blame working in a daycare full time and being in the first trimester. I use to exercise almost everyday; I would swim, bike, run, do yoga, dance, take Pilates classes, and lift weights. I even did this up to about six weeks when my symptoms and job kicked in. Now I sleep almost exclusively. Not today.
See ya. I'll be at the gym working on my fitness.
Being pregnant is all so strange. I don't like morning sickness and I am a little bit nervous about getting a preggo bump. I mean, I want one, I do, but I don't know how cute it's going to be because of my large butt, thighs, and hips. What's a girl to do? Probably not get brisket twice in one night.
I have my first doctor's appointment scheduled for a week from today! It's free, too, thankfully. I hate leeching off the government for this, but I really have to get prenatal care while I am waiting for my insurance to kick in. Do you even know how expensive an ultrasound is out of pocket? Literally hundreds of dollars. I just want to see my baby.
I also want brisket. I also want to go to the gym (miracle of miracles). I should probably go for the latter. I rarely feel even a little tempted to exercise these days. I can blame working in a daycare full time and being in the first trimester. I use to exercise almost everyday; I would swim, bike, run, do yoga, dance, take Pilates classes, and lift weights. I even did this up to about six weeks when my symptoms and job kicked in. Now I sleep almost exclusively. Not today.
See ya. I'll be at the gym working on my fitness.
Week Seven Update
Well, I am now seven weeks (and one day) pregnant! I am feeling queasy and unprepared! Jeff and I have all the regular baby stuff to get together in addition to getting a new car (since our truck can't fit a carseat), new apartment (because we only have one bedroom), and new insurance (because my parents are switching to catastrophic only and work is giving me benefits after the fourth month). Oy vey!
Why did we do this to ourselves? Also, I want to quit my job. Reaaaaal bad.
I really don't know how soon we'll see that little babe without insurance, so here's hoping for some miracles. In the meantime, I have been trying my best to eat healthy. I'm really into smoothies. I have a green smoothie most mornings and the whole nine yards. I was doing great until about three days ago, when all of a sudden, even looking at whole grains made me run for the bathroom. I seriously can't even write out what happened without feeling sick...
Here's the best part: I anticipated morning sickness would come sometime and bought some saltine crackers at the grocery store... They're whole wheat. Just let me die.
I have been good about exercise. I swim and burn calories on the stationary bike at my gym. I've gone to a couple yoga and Pilates classes, and lifted weights. I was doing all of this before I was pregnant, so I'll just keep doing it. I'd love to find a dance class somewhere.
One last little hang up: I knew precisely which diaper bag I wanted, saw it on Ebay, consulted with Jeff and sent it to my house... Back in Provo. Oops. Maybe the post office will redirect it to my apartment in Texas. Orrrr my in-laws house, where we lived for a month in transition. That's one way to announce that I'm pregnant [sigh]. Oh well. At least I've got seven and a half months to retrieve it.
As for a report, here's a helpful questionnaire!
How far along? 7 weeks
Baby is: The size of a blueberry
Total weight gain/loss? -2 pounds (I move a lot more now that I've started working full time at a day care)
Maternity clothes? Nope.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep? Gimme, gimme more.
Best moment this week? Finding out one of my close work friend is due four days before me!
Miss Anything? My oat bran muffins (that I made five batches of this week) :(
Movement? No. Way too early.
Food cravings? Asian food, of any variety. This kicked in two days ago.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Whole grains, except Wheat Thins.
Have you started to show yet? No.
Gender? Won't find that out for months. I can honestly say I am equally excited about a boy or a girl!
Labor Signs? No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time? I started out reeeeeally happy and now it's definitely a combination.
Looking forward to? An ultrasound sometime soon? Telling our families. Second trimester.
Now, I have to say that I am very excited! I am a pregnant lady. That is amazing! I am so grateful for the chance to house an embryo and I am doing my darnedest to be the best pre-mom ever. Despite the bumps in the road, I know that this should be a fulfilling part of our lives.
Why did we do this to ourselves? Also, I want to quit my job. Reaaaaal bad.
I really don't know how soon we'll see that little babe without insurance, so here's hoping for some miracles. In the meantime, I have been trying my best to eat healthy. I'm really into smoothies. I have a green smoothie most mornings and the whole nine yards. I was doing great until about three days ago, when all of a sudden, even looking at whole grains made me run for the bathroom. I seriously can't even write out what happened without feeling sick...
Here's the best part: I anticipated morning sickness would come sometime and bought some saltine crackers at the grocery store... They're whole wheat. Just let me die.
I have been good about exercise. I swim and burn calories on the stationary bike at my gym. I've gone to a couple yoga and Pilates classes, and lifted weights. I was doing all of this before I was pregnant, so I'll just keep doing it. I'd love to find a dance class somewhere.
One last little hang up: I knew precisely which diaper bag I wanted, saw it on Ebay, consulted with Jeff and sent it to my house... Back in Provo. Oops. Maybe the post office will redirect it to my apartment in Texas. Orrrr my in-laws house, where we lived for a month in transition. That's one way to announce that I'm pregnant [sigh]. Oh well. At least I've got seven and a half months to retrieve it.
As for a report, here's a helpful questionnaire!
How far along? 7 weeks
Baby is: The size of a blueberry
Total weight gain/loss? -2 pounds (I move a lot more now that I've started working full time at a day care)
Maternity clothes? Nope.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep? Gimme, gimme more.
Best moment this week? Finding out one of my close work friend is due four days before me!
Miss Anything? My oat bran muffins (that I made five batches of this week) :(
Movement? No. Way too early.
Food cravings? Asian food, of any variety. This kicked in two days ago.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Whole grains, except Wheat Thins.
Have you started to show yet? No.
Gender? Won't find that out for months. I can honestly say I am equally excited about a boy or a girl!
Labor Signs? No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time? I started out reeeeeally happy and now it's definitely a combination.
Looking forward to? An ultrasound sometime soon? Telling our families. Second trimester.
Now, I have to say that I am very excited! I am a pregnant lady. That is amazing! I am so grateful for the chance to house an embryo and I am doing my darnedest to be the best pre-mom ever. Despite the bumps in the road, I know that this should be a fulfilling part of our lives.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Saving Money + Helping New Friends
Okay, I've been wanting to post this for a while, but it feels incomplete. Basically, I took on a challenge of making all our dinners one day of the month. I LOVE FREEZER DINNERS! I have not made dinner for several days and yet we have had lasagna, chicken enchiladas (like three times), and chicken and brown rice soup. I feel totally accomplished and unexpectedly, I feel really prepared. We can participate significantly in last-minute dinner parties as well as help people in tough circumstances. I'll actually be starting over again probably today because we're giving all our meals to a family in our ward.
Listen up because this is important: a young couple in our ward had a fiasco (to say the least) two days ago. Their home burned to the ground and they didn't have renter's insurance.
If that wasn't enough, the stress of the situation put the mom into early labor... I can't even imagine how hard that would be. I keep thinking about how this means they probably don't have anything their [unexpectedly] new baby needs. This is insane.
Someone set up a Gofundme account for them, so if there is anything you can do to help, I'm sure they would really appreciate it.
Listen up because this is important: a young couple in our ward had a fiasco (to say the least) two days ago. Their home burned to the ground and they didn't have renter's insurance.
If that wasn't enough, the stress of the situation put the mom into early labor... I can't even imagine how hard that would be. I keep thinking about how this means they probably don't have anything their [unexpectedly] new baby needs. This is insane.
Someone set up a Gofundme account for them, so if there is anything you can do to help, I'm sure they would really appreciate it.
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| Can't believe this happened to someone I know. |
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| Click to donate! |
As for freezer meals, we made five different meals and an extra:
1. Spinach Florentine Lasagna
2. Chicken Enchiladas
3. Salsa Chicken
4. Angel Hair Tetrazzini
5. Chicken and Brown Rice Soup
6. Extra shredded chicken
I used mostly trusted recipes (I.e., they came from my mother-in-law's cookbooks)
I made about 15 meals. I tripled each recipe. This was surprising cheap! When I get a second, I will post my recipes as well as my shopping list.
I mostly post this prematurely to spread the word for this family. They could definitely use some help right now.
