It's a....

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!

Furniture!!!

Let the nursery designing begin. :-) We found a couple pieces of furniture on sale at Lone Star Baby (highly recommend this store - GREAT customer service!), and went ahead and got them for the baby. As previously mentioned, due to the size of the room we've been pretty limited on what we can get. For example, the ever popular combo / changing table that is 54" long - not gonna cut it which is unfortunate since almost EVERY set comes with this or something similar in length. Solution: 3 drawer dresser that will be used as a changer instead.


We also found a matching armoire which will be perfect for hanging baby clothes given our lack of closet space.


One of our main goals is to make this look like a kid's room. It seems that these days most people are going with designer nurseries that look like they're out of a magazine - very adult-ish fabric for crib bedding, elegant furniture and draperies, etc. While I think that rooms like this are absolutely beautiful, I have no problem acknowledging that 1) I seriously lack the decorating skills to come up with something so elaborate, but mostly 2) we want the room to be a place that our kid can have fun in and grow into. I'm leaning more towards the animal theme, as unoriginal as it may seem. Not only is it bright and colorful, but will provide great learning opportunities as baby grows into toddler - "What sound does a lion make?? ROAR!!"

While we still have plenty of time to decide on things, I did have a mini freak out moment when I realized that at the end of this month I will already be half way through my pregnancy. HALF WAY???????

In other news, I am mourning the loss of my patio tomato due to last night's freeze. It even had 2 mini baby green tomatoes growing on it and was doing so well!!!! A part of me hopes that it might somehow still make it, although unlikely. On a more positive note, my azaleas and dianthus are still blooming beautifully and going strong. Perhaps I have more of a green thumb than originally expected after all...

1st Belly Shot - Almost 16 Weeks

I present to you the first shots of the growing bump:



Keep in mind that this is after consuming melt-in-your-mouth lasagna from Penne Pomodoro, so there's likely an added layer of food / gas that's embedded in the pooch. I'm officially 16 weeks today, and these were taken on Friday night (yes, dinner then belly shots at home - watch out for us wild party animals!!!!) I guess at some point in the near future I really am going to have to start thinking about getting some maternity clothes...

I'm gettin' phat

Phat with a p-h that stands for pregnant homegirl. Whew my pants are gettin' tight. Only certain pairs though. Some I can still wear regularly, mostly my hipsters. Otherwise, I've resorted to the rubber band method (around the button and through the loop) or the belly band. Which by the way - I was totally jazzed about the belly band, but if I wear it folded down the way the packaging displays in the "hold my unbuttoned pants up stage," then it gets rather uncomfortable. Instead I choose to wear it in one layer all the way up to my boobs. I mean - just in case you're wondering...

I'm almost 15 weeks and haven't told work yet. I plan to on Monday, November 30 after my 16 weeks appt, although if these people are as smart as they say they are then they HAVE to know that I have a bun in the oven. We had a Thanksgiving spread last week, and after I went through the line there was not a single place left on my plate. Really - I piled that thing sky high and ate every bit of it, plus dessert complimented by an additional afternoon graze around 3:00. And I haven't been very sleuthful about researching cribs, strollers, etc. on the internet. It's difficult to minimize the screen quickly when someone approaches behind while I'm mesmerized by the 10 bajillion options for baby gear that exist. Am not looking forward to registering...

I have made some progress though. While we will likely be finding out boy or girl, my practical nature overrides any desire I have to create a gender themed room. We will be selecting neutral bedding, decor, etc. that can be re-used for baby #2 when the time comes. I have it narrowed down to these 2:

If it's a boy -

If it's a girl -
You're thinking - well why have boy or girl choices if you're going for gender neutral? BECAUSE...right now future baby room is painted navy blue and I think that animal theme goes better with blue. Yes, we could re-paint, but that's way too much trouble if it's not a girl. Either set can be spiced up with pink or blue accents, which is my ultimate plan in the long run.

This weekend we plan to look for furniture. I'm finding it quite difficult to locate what I'm looking for online, so maybe an in-person run through at several local shops will reveal the magic set. We'll seeeeeeeeee...

I hate ATT

Today I am in a crabby mood, at this moment specifically, likely resulting from the fact that the internet on my computer is not working and I just spent the last 45 minutes on the phone with ATT so they could basically do NOTHING to fix the problem. Do you know how much I hate ATT and how long I have hated them for?? This goes back to the days of trying to change my cell phone number to Dallas digits a couple years ago. It ended 2 hours later with me in tears, yelling at the support lady that their service is ridiculous and a waste of my time and CANCEL MY CONTRACT!!! She did, only for me to be added to K's ATT contract as an additional line.

This whole thing is my fault really. K was out of town one week and my bro was in town. He had a friend from college over, and I was fixing my signature dinner: king ranch chicken, queso, and brownies. In the midst of cooking it all, the doorbell rang and it happened to be 2 young ladies selling ATT U-Verse. I have tried many a time to recall what exactly was going through my mind when I spontaneously said yes and spent an hour with the front door open filling out paperwork, etc. I DO know that it started with me asking for a quote only, and then went downhill from there.

Since we've gotten it, we've been nothing but completely, utterly, 100% unhappy with the service. Tech support has disclosed to us that our neighborhood did not have the capacity to handle such technology at the time, only they failed to disclose that information to us until after they spent 8 STINKIN' HOURS installing the cables, etc.

Yet we have stuck with the service (WHY????) and now my dang internet is broken. This post is a complete waste, and I fully acknowledge that, but I'm pregnant and in a bad mood today and it's my blog and I can write about whatever I want to write about. I know you don't believe me, but ask K - I have been so pleasant, not moody, and very easy to deal with throughout the past 3 months. Really!! It's just today - I think because I want sushi and can't have it, and I'm also sulking about the fact that I need to eat more vegetables but don't want to. As a form of rebellion I had a pizza pocket for dinner and will have cake and ice cream for dessert. TAKE THAT vegetables and ATT!!!!

Ha - I'm a mess. Perhaps tonight I should do the prenatal yoga DVD that I checked out from the library approximately 6 weeks ago and have been renewing ever since, thinking I'll get around to doing it one of these days. Surely some good breathing techniques and stretching will bring relaxation...

...Okay maybe - but only if I'm not too full from the aforementioned cake and ice cream...

Mini Baby Moon

K and I decided to take a spontaneous mini baby moon this weekend to Fredericksburg, TX. I have to say that not being able to travel is one of the things that I'm most worried about post baby. I know it will still be possible, but much more difficult. We have made a conscious effort during the past 2 years of our marriage to travel as much as possible, which has been absolutely amazing, yet I'm still not quite ready to throw in the towel on our worldly expeditions...

So on Saturday afternoon we booked a last minute trip to TX Hill Country and stayed in a charming B&B right off Main Street called Chardonnay Hideaway. It was absolutely perfect with a small kitchenette, great bathroom, and shabby chic decor:




We did a lot of exploring up and down Main Street, stopping in at shops and bakeries along the way. One day we went to Enchanted Rock. It was so wonderful just being outside. I will say that it is much more difficult to breathe when walking up a steep incline with a baby inside you. We had to take a few more breaks than normal, but I still made it to the top, down and around the park on a 2.5 mile or so hike.


My favorite part was sitting at the very top. The views were spectacular and the changing leaves added so much beauty. With nothing but the breeze blowing, it was such a silent, peaceful, and restful moment...




We were also lucky enough to catch my aunt and uncle for a Mexican dinner. I hadn't seen either of them in years, and they were available on a whim to meet with us. It made me think of family gatherings at my Grandma's house reminiscing about stories in the past...


We have 1 more day left to recharge given tomorrow is Veterans Day. Oh how I love working at a bank...

Babies, babies, babies!!!!

So I haven't posted in quite some time, mostly because our lives have recently been spent relishing in a new piece of news that we've kept a secret up until this point. The time to share this news has finally arrived - we're expecting!!!!!!!

We found out the morning of September 11. I took a pregnancy test a week prior because we went to Houston for Labor Day. I knew that mom would want to have margs and play photo hunt, and I knew that we were going to the Astros game and would likely have a couple beers, so if it came back positive obviously would’ve refrained from partaking in alcoholic beverages. Well the test came back negative. On Saturday I started having cramps, coupled with a feeling of oh my gosh I think I’m going to throw up. But it was very slight, not severe, and fleeting so I shrugged it off. Everything I’ve read as it relates to early pregnancy symptoms (cravings, sore boobs, moodiness, etc.), I hadn’t felt any of that. I guess my hCG wasn’t high enough to pick up on test #1 (e.p.t.), because the morning of 9/11 it took all of about 2 seconds for a blue plus sign to pop up onto the plastic indicator.

I have to say, it was a pretty anti-climactic moment. Not that we weren't excited, but for those that know me know that I am so not a morning person. Plus, I think we both just oddly knew that the test was going to come back positive. The night before we were watching TV and K looked at me during a commercial break and said, "I think you're pregnant." I said, "Yeah, me too." That morning we shared a "Yay we're pregnant" hug and then went to work like any other normal day....

Since then I've had 2 doctors appointments - the first at 8 weeks where we got our first sonogram, and then 2nd at 12 weeks when we heard the heartbeat. Both were miraculous. I'm certain at this point that the baby has grown a little bit, but for now my only frame of reference is our initial picture, which live on screen admittedly looked like a flashing peanut:


I'm right at 13 weeks today, and my due date is May 18. I have had NO morning sickness (knock on wood - am likely jinxing myself for an unbearable 9th month), no food aversions, and no moodiness (much to Kevin's surprise yet pleasure). I've been much more tired and my lower back hurts if I walk long distances, but otherwise I can't complain.

Everyone has been really supportive, both friends and family. I know that being a Mom is going to be hard, and having a baby will greatly change our lives, yet it's something that we're both excited about and in much anticipation of. In the meantime I pray for a healthy baby, for a son or daughter who will know the Lord and be called by Him, and for a teachable heart when it comes to parenting that I might follow God’s guidance and direction as a Mom.

State Fair + Oprah = Greatness

Need I mention once again how much I love the State Fair of Texas? My parents came in town yesterday and we battled the cool weather and potential rain for an all-around amazing day. We saw the usual, including but not limited to:

Big Tex (unfortunately crooked and with his head cut off - will need to find a different random photographer next year)



The Pumpkin Carver - working on Oprah



The Butter Sculpture


AND - drumroll please....

OPRAH IN PERSON!!!!!



I knew she was going to be there today - October 12 - but apparently she made the rounds and was filming a day early. We caught her walking out of the Embarcadero and into her suburban to be transported to the next place of filming. I pretended like I was TMZ and took a video of her also. Had we gone today, there's NO WAY we would've gotten this close or been able to see her in person. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Among the traditional corny dog, we also tried fried oreos and fried snickers. The fried snickers was amazing, and may become a new annual tradition in my book. We got drenched on the way out as the skies parted and rain came down, but all in all it was another spectacular trip to the Fair...

Californeeah!

As most of you know, my bro lives in Cali. This past weekend while K was engaged in a tactical gun class, I went to visit him along with my parents. Highlights of our stay included:

The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Fran - talk about a massive event. There were LOADS of people at each of the 6-7 stages that hosted a variety of performers from Lyle Lovett to Robert Earl Keen to Steve Martin to the Old 97's. We contemplated moving from stage to stage in order to witness different acts, but the overwhelming crowds caused us to remain in our same spot the entire day. For the record, I have never been surrounded by so much weed. I think I got high from just breathing regularly. Check out the type of clientele at the event in the right hand side of the picture below:


And on a completely unrelated topic, below is another "posed" picture of myself, but really of the guy behind me wearing the Texas shirt at a random bar in Houston a few years ago. I think he and tye dyed swirl girl would get along nicely.


We also went wine tasting a couple days. Here we are at Van Ruiten Winery, home of the Wall Street Journal's best zin:


Lodi, a town nearby that's known for its wine and fruit, has lots of produce stands around with fresh goods for purchase, so our 2nd morning there we stopped by and picked up some home grown corn on the cob, strawberries, tomatoes, etc. We got the best sausage I've ever eaten from a local meat market, my bro bought a new $25 grill from Wal-Mart, and we had a serious feast the next night while watching Monday night football:


On our way out of town, we stopped at Tex Wasabi in Sacramento - Guy Fieri's restaurant (blond crazy guy with spiked hair on the Food Network). My favorite dish was the jackass roll: Tapioca rice paper roll with sushi rice, avocado, BBQ pork, french fries & a garlic chili mayo sauce. It sounds disgusting, but was absolutely fabulous. Bubbie needs to work on his chopstick skills!!!!

China Revisited

With Scott and Bing in town from China this past weekend, I've been reminded of our trip to Asia this past March during which we shared in their wedding. I went back and revisited my blog coverage on this trip, and feel as though it grossly undervalued our travels. At the time I was challenged with condensing a 2 week trip into sensible posts, and while I did write about some of the top highlights I feel like a lot of the details were shoved to the back burner.

Which means...I want to write some more about China. About the little things that I didn't mention. About how we had to use squat toilets:


About how we wanted hats to look like all the other tour groups in Xian, so Ruth our guide mysteriously came up with matching navy ball caps for all to wear and joke around about:


About how the driving in Xian will make you have a heart attack. Lanes? What lanes? Get in a taxi at your own risk. Look at their power lines. This is a good symbol for the lack of organization throughout the area:


About how people looked at me like I was an alien while taking an exaggerated touristy pose in front of a Chinese Wal-Mart with Heidra:


About the really good rice cakes we ate on Mormon street after indulging in kidney and tendon kabobs with prune juice:



About kung fu in the Forbidden City:


About the freshly cooked peking duck that they carved right by our table in Beijing:


About the fake building covered in plastic to make it look as though people are truly riding up and down the elevator and working inside - a facade to cover up the construction behind it all:


About the guards surrounding the Forbidden City with Mao's picture in the background, still a reminder of his rule as recent as the 60's - frighteningly not that long ago:


About the vibrant flowers throughout the city:


About the lights at night with people crowding the streets, along with amazing architecture:



About the wedding we saw after lunch one day, proudly displaying Hello Kitty dolls tied to the front of a Mercedes with gaudy pink ribbon:


About the dragon show and kung fu show that we saw in Hong Kong and near Big Buddha, respectively:



I could go on. The point is that we experienced more amazing things than I can humanly express. I'm grateful to Scott and Bing's visit for reminding me of such a once in a lifetime adventure...

It's That Time of Year Again!!!!!!!

So for those that know me, you can attest to the fact that The State Fair of Texas is one of my most favorite events in the entire world. Every year my family comes up to Dallas, and we spend the whole day walking through literally every single exhibit. We know the cheapest place to buy beer (in the pavilion), we have our regular stand from which we typically buy corny dogs, the dog show is a must. We lived in Rowlett when I was younger, and I was even on TV while at the State Fair years and years ago!!!! My mom tells me that the newscaster asked what my favorite part about the Fair was. Apparently I batted my eyelashes and said shyly, "the rides."

It really is fantastic. So fantastic that this year Oprah has chosen to partake in the extreme greatness of The State Fair of Texas. My mom and I both just about fell out of our chairs when I found this article in the Dallas Morning News. The fact that October 12 is Columbus Day, an official bank holiday, provides me with all the more ambition to be a member of her audience when she films that day on fair grounds. While I have no idea how to get tickets, I'm sure that I will figure it out and be chosen to observe Oprah as she experiences this amazing Texas tradition. She will love it, I know she will.

And on a completely unrelated topic, I would like to send a shout-out to all the corporations out there that are "saving costs" by buying smaller cups, i.e. coffee sized, only. While you may think that you are saving money by cutting out the expense of buying larger cups, I can assure you that you are not. Employees are now forced to use 2 small cups to equal what they once were able to get with 1 large cup, which means that a) more cups are being used more quickly, causing you to spend more money replenishing stock more frequently and b) employees are much less productive because they are leaving their desks to fill up their smaller cups with more water twice as often as they would if you'd provided big cups. So really - keep the big cups, please. Healthy Americans are required to consume at least 8 cups of water a day. You'll make our jobs much easier and more efficient....

Jackson Hole / Yellowstone Recap: Day 5

DAY 5 -8/24 (Monday): The weather this morning was seemingly threatening, so we slept in and picked up breakfast to eat in our room from Terra Café. Eventually the clouds parted, and we made our way to the Death Canyon trailhead. We hiked up to the Phelps Lake overlook (again – beautifully breathtaking), then down to the shore where we ate a power bar in the sand near the water. The incline was rather steep, but worth it. The high altitudes were difficult, but I felt my lungs saying thank you for the fresh air and exercise. We saw several moose tracks, but no moose. We also came across a marmot sunning himself on a rock.






Today’s MRE was rather random to the extent that I believe there may have been a packing mishap at the plant. The outside label stated BBQ Pork Ribs (which secretly I’d been saving for last because it sounded so disgusting), but the contents were: granola with blueberries and milk, Mexican style macaroni and cheese, fried rice, beef ravioli, and a tootsie roll. We ate the granola and mac and cheese. Tried the fried rice but it was foul and inedible by my standard. Finished off with a Power Bar which hit the spot. MMmmmmmmmm.


After the hike we went back to the hotel and had a glass of wine with Ritz crackers and PB on our patio, showered, then walked around the shops at Teton Village. We ate dinner at a place called Rendezvous Bistro. It was good, but a little pricier and not as tasty as Trio unfortunately. We shared fish tacos as an appetizer, I had veal marsala, K had meatloaf, and we got a side of mac and cheese. TONS of food, but we were hungry! That night we were relatively lazy and watched Dating in the Dark (lame, I know) while packing up. Hit the sack early to get up at 5 for our 8:00 departure back to the Big D.

We came back of course with that feeling of being in love all over again. Vacations really are a lifeline in our relationship, and I’m so appreciative and blessed to have a travel companion with like mentality when it comes to globetrotting. Had K not enjoyed experiencing different cultures and places at a similar pace, I feel it may have been detrimental to our marriage. Maybe not detrimental, but I can’t imagine not sharing the closeness and intimacy we have when completely away from the stresses and monotony associated with daily routines and real life in general. The chance to reconnect is invaluable, and I’m more in love with my sweet husband than I’ve ever been before...