Drop, Baby, Drop

One more week down. 37 weeks never felt so good... Except for the fact that I am so ready to not be pregnant anymore. Haha.

Don't take that the wrong way. There are so many things that are sweet and only able to be experienced through pregnancy, however, when you reach the end, you are more than ready to welcome your new little edition to the family. In fact, let me share with you some of the sweetest moments of my pregnancy:

37 Weeks!

1. There is no better excuse to redecorate a room in your house (or, in our case, apartment)
2. Your husband will talk to your baby and hope for a little kick or nudge in return
3. The little rolls, kicks, punches, and other little movements become reassuring and you look forward to them
4. Those hiccups, even on the inside, are so stinkin' cute...and powerful!
5. You are always being served, whether it's getting first in line at a buffet-style meal or having someone there to pick up everything you drop on the floor
6. You won't have to do all the chores because there are just some that you can't do with a ginormous belly. Thanks be to your husband ;)
7. Baby showers are fun and really help you build your stock of things that you know you couldn't purchase or make all yourself
8. At family gatherings, people will flock to you because you are the woman with the belly ready to pop
9. You really become so excited (and terrified) to become a parent to this new little life over the course of your pregnancy
10. You will undoubtedly receive so much love and support from the people around you, finally understanding the love that your parents have had for you since the moment you were first born

Along with these sweet pregnancy moments, I actually made a meal this week that I would love to share! The name of the game is Tuscan Chicken Skillet. YUM.

Tuscan Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

My Tuscan Chicken Skillet served with Garlic Biscuits

• 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 lb. Chicken Breast Tenders (or chicken breast that has been cut into smaller chunks)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Thyme
• 1/2 Yellow Onion, diced (about 3/4 Cup)
• 3 Cloves (1 1/2 tsp) Garlic, minced
• 12 oz. Mushrooms, sliced
• 2/3 Cup Sundried Tomatoes (or Roasted Red Peppers), chopped
• 1 (15oz) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15oz) cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• Parsley for Garnish

Instructions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and brown (about 3 minutes) on each side
2. Remove chicken and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan with mushrooms. Brown mushrooms and set aside.
3. Add onion to skillet and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes. Sauté for 2 minutes and stir in diced tomatoes, spices, beans, and sugar.
4. Transfer chicken back into skillet and spoon some sauce and vegetables over the top. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Return mushrooms to the pan, and salt and pepper as needed.
5. Garnish with parsley and serve hot!

Oh! I got so wrapped up in the food that I forgot to tell about the most exciting news from this last week! 

My husband and I went to our regular doctor's visit and as the OBGYN was checking to make sure everything was on the right track for delivery, he was surprised to find that I was already dilated to 3cm! Normally, at 37 weeks, women are dilated only to maybe 1 cm. But with that news, the doctor informed us that everything was ready for delivery except that the baby needed to drop just a little bit more. Once she dropped, labor would most likely be started on its own before the due date! YAY! This, of course, was excellent news. 

If by chance, however, that labor does not start on its own, by 39 weeks, the doctor would probably be able to induce labor without have any complications. So, we will see what this next week brings (crossing our fingers for this baby!!) but we are hoping that at least by September 4th, we could have our little girl in our arms :)