sick days

sick days cramp my style. i stay really busy most of the time, even if i'm just at home. but when i'm sick and don't feel like doing anything at all, i sit around and think about what needs to be done and how i don't have the energy to do it. i have been feeling bad since wednesday, but the last two days have been not fun at all. i think i have bronchitis...my chest is so heavy and i am coughing like crazy. so i've been guzzling orange juice and water and taking robitussin dm.

so because i've stayed home all weekend, i have gotten to see a couple of movies i hadn't seen. hannah montana was so cute and sweet, and duplicity was confusing but good! i still want to see love happens, but i'm honestly afraid to go to the germy movie theater to see it...we have had major outbreaks of swine flu here, so i am limiting the amount of time i spend in crowded places right now!

let's see...how about a pregnancy update? as of last week, i've gained 11 pounds. my next appt. is thursday, and i'm expecting a total weight gain of at least 14-15 pounds. i am officially a chunky monkey now! i'm starting to get the dark line running down my tummy, which is kind of funny looking. sadie is kicking so much! she loves it when her daddy reads her a bible story at night and gets really active when he begins to read to her. she weighs over a pound now and is the size of a baby doll. she can hear everything i hear, and i read that she can also feel the motion when i dance (so i guess i better start dancing more and see if she likes it! hehe) here i am at 23 weeks... i'm hoping tommorrow i feel like making some banana bread! it is one of my favorite homemade snacks. heated with a little butter...yum! here is a new recipe that i haven't tried yet. i'll let you know if it's good!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

6 tbsp of unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Turn on the oven to 350F.

2. Butter and flour the bottom of a loaf pan.

3. Mix the mashed banana, eggs, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla in a large bowl.

4. Stir the walnuts into the banana mixture (doing so will reduce the risk of over-mixing).

5. Sift flour, sugar, salt and baking soda into the banana mixture.

6. Using a rubber spatula, very gently mix the flour with the wet ingredients. Stop as soon as the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter should be chunky instead of smooth. If you have a smooth batter, then you will end up with a tough banana bread.

7. Bake for 55 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean after inserted into the bread.

8. Let the bread cool in the pan; slice and serve.