Recommended Recipes

I spent most of the day in the kitchen - however did manage to vacuum the main level of the house.  Victory!  Small, but a victory none the less. 
Anyway, I thought I would share a couple of the things I made today.  I won't necessarily share the oatmeal M&M cookies because it is a fairly generic recipe I found on allrecipes.com.  It was a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and I added the M&Ms myself.  Reid, Keaton and Lyla came over and approved them for distribution at the Strengthening Families dinner at Redmond Elementry.  Creekside provided the dinner so I made cookies and helped serve.  It was fun.

But I found a new recipe courtesy of Pinterest that looked interesting....Reese's Peanut Butter Bars.  Oh my goodness these are ah-mazing.  And of course, completely fat free and low cal.....

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars(from Let’s Dish)

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind, or grind them in a food processor. Tiny granules.)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

.
*This is not my picture - its one I found on the pinterest link

I used store bought graham cracker crumbs instead of doing my own - well worth not dragging out the cuisinart.  I have limited kitchen space so the less appliances needed the better.  Also, thanks to my big bro for bringing over the confectioners' sugar....


I figured after all the cookie dough bites and spatula licking I did today, I should make something healthy for dinner.  This is a recipe I found in a Cooking Light cookbook.  Its a light and refeshing soup that is easy to make and is good leftover.

Thai Shrimp Bisque

Ingredients

Marinade:
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lime rind
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Shrimp stock:
2 cups water
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Soup:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 tablespoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation- To prepare marinade, peel shrimp, reserving shells. Combine shrimp and next 8 ingredients (shrimp though garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.

- To prepare the shrimp stock, combine the reserved shrimp shells, water, wine and 1 tablespoon tomato paste in a large Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup (about 10 minutes). Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl, and discard solids.

- To prepare the soup, heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Add 1 cup shrimp stock, coconut milk, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and reduced-fat milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan; reduce heat, and simmer until thick (about 5 minutes). Add shrimp and marinade, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime rind, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and salt.

Cooking Light
JANUARY 2000


The nice part about this recipe is that all the work to peel the shrimp is not completely useless since you use the shells to make the stock.  Mine usually doesn't reduce down to 1 cup - only goes down about about 1 1/2 cups.  I usually add some extra lime juice too for more flavor and add a little more salt than the recipe calls for.

*This is actually my photo of the soup tonight - it was delicious





Happy cooking!

How come....?

How come when I am motivated to get things cleaned up, I have 10 minutes before I have to leave for somewhere and when I have a whole day to get things done I can't seem to muster up the energy to do a single thing?

Case in point:  My house - particularly the office.

Our "office" is one of our spare bedroom that contains a table covered with stuff  desk, emptly filing cabinet and built in bookshelves.  When we first moved in, it was a place to put boxes to keep them out of the way.  It was 8 months AFTER we moved in that I finally got those boxes unpacked and stuff put away.  Now it is the place where everything else goes to "get it out of the way".

This room is in desperate need of organizing and cleaning out.  Anytime I actually enter the room, I get anxiety just being in there because it is in such desperate need of organizing.  Andrew was looking for our mortgage statements and I went to find them and started cleaning but I had to be somewhere in a few minutes.  I vowed that this weekend, I would get around to organizing it.  We have guests coming during the month of may and will need to put an air mattress in that room so we need to do something.

So today,  I had no major plans to speak of so I told myself I would vacuum and get started on that room.  There is already a huge goodwill box full of clothes and other household items started.  And what happens?  Pregnancy has taken over.  I was so tired today and really haven't felt good.  I came home from church and after we ate lunch, I looked up a few recipes and made my grocery list.  I went to the store and when I came home I was so tired I just layed on the living room floor not even bothering to put the groceries until I remembered there was ice cream in there.

Once I finally got those put away I have been laying on the couch ever since.  I napped for a little bit and am now waiting for Andrew to get home from Youth Group to eat dinner.  Still don't feel that great and still feel exhausted.  I was supposed to make cookies for a church thing tomorrow night and that isn't going to happen.

So, its possible I will attack that room tomorrow during my day off but the day is quickly filling up now that the cookie making has been postponed until then.  I am determined to vacuum tomorrow because the house is starting to smell like dog.  Andrew will be at our church's men's retreat Friday and Saturday next week so I'm hoping I will be motivated to work on the room then.  If not, the following weekend will be full of cleaning since Susanna and Gary are coming on the 14th so we will have to get to it then.

I just wish I could be more disciplined to keep up with this stuff on a daily/weekly basis instead of letting things pile up to where it seems like such a daunting task to get it done.

-
-

Sugar and Spice or Snails and Puppy Dog Tails?

The big day is coming up soon!  We get to find out if Baby H is a boy or girl.  I seriously CAN'T wait - I'm so excited to start my shopping.  Andrew may keep my credit cards that day so I don't spend thousands hundreds of dollars on baby clothes after our ultra sound.

There are lots of theories out there on predicting your baby's gender.  I did a Google search some research on the topic and thought I would share my results with you.

First, let me preface that there is WAY more info out there than I could have ever thought.  There are old wives tales that are funny, some are outright crazy (if you want a girl, sleep with a pink bow, a wooden spoon and scissors under your pillow), and others I'm unwilling to try or share.  For example, I don't want to mix my urine with any other household product (Drano) nor do I want to share what sex position the baby was conceived in.

So, lets look at some of the less creepy and more common theories:

*If you prefer sleeping on your left side, you'll have a boy. Right side? A girl.
I prefer my right side but that is mainly because on my right side I'm facing the outside of the bed.  I get claustrophobic so don't like facing the middle.  In reality, I flip back and forth all night.  But I will say GIRL for now on this one.

*Extreme nausea means you are having a girl.
I had ZERO morning sickness so I will say BOY

*If your hands are dry, you are having a boy; soft -- expect a girl.
My hands are often dry but that is because I wash them or use hand sanitizer up to 15 times per day.  But tack on another point for the BOY team.

*If you're craving citrus, you're having a girl.
I have craved fruit in general but not so much citrus fruits.  So I will call this one a tie.

*If your skin breaks out, expect a girl.
I broke out quite a bit in my first trimester but since then my skin has been great.  BOY.

*If you feel graceful during pregnancy, you'll have a girl. Clumsy? It's a boy.
I don't feel either so I will remain gender neutral on this one.

*If you gain weight in your face, it means you're having a girl.
My husband says no - however, I think he's smart enough to not tell a pregnant lady in any way shape or form that she is fat so I don't necessarily know if this is an accurate answer - but I'll say BOY anyway.

*Craving salt? Expect a boy. A little something sweet? You're having a girl.
Definitely have craved more salt/sour things.  Had an aversion to chocolate for a while.  In general I crave carbs.  What does that mean?  I'll say BOY.

*If your right breast is larger than the left, you are having a girl. If the left is larger, a boy.
Left is larger.  BOY.  Sidenote:  Andrew really enjoyed determining the answer to this question ;-)

*Feeling extremely moody? Expect a girl.
At first, I didn't feel I had that many mood swings but the last few weeks I get annoyed more easily and cry more often.  Point for the GIRL.

*If baby is low, expect a boy. High, it's a girl.
I think I'm carrying low so BOY

*If you're carrying in front, it's a boy. All around your middle? A girl.
As much as I wish I just had the little basketball, I've got more of a watermelon thing going on so I will say GIRL

*How would you show someone your hands? Palms up? It's a girl. Down? A boy.
This is a dumb questions - now that I know what the answers mean I can't say how I would truly do it.

*Hang a ring on a chain over your belly. Swings back and forth? It's a girl. In a circular motion, a boy.
It swings back and forth and then in a circle and then back and forth again.  Either we are having boy/girl twins, my child in a hermaphrodite, or its just bogus.  I will go with option #3

*If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you'll have a girl. If he ignores you, it's a boy.
I hung out with Silas (18 months old) for a while on Monday - he showed no interest in my belly.  He did like riding the dinosaur at the park. And waving at me.  Gosh that kid is cute.

*If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it's girl. One even, one odd means a boy.
Well, this one is tricky.  See, we have a New Year's Eve baby so I could have easily "conceived" in 2011 or 2012 depending on when exactly my ovulation occurred.  I was 31.  If it was 2011 then its a girl.  If its 2012, then its a boy.

*If the baby's heart beats more than 150 times per minute, you'll have a girl. Less than 150, a boy.
Last HR was 145. BOY.

*A child tends to be of the same sex as the parent who is less stressed at the time of conception.
Andrew is ALWAYS less stressed than me....so BOY.

*If you dream about having a girl, you will wind up having a boy and vice versa.
I've had 2 dreams now that I'm having a boy so I guess that means GIRL.

*The Chinese Gender prediction calendar claims 90% accuracy.  It is some algorithm based on the mothers age at time of conception and month of conception. 
Whether we conceived in December or January, it says BOY.

So it looks like we have 10 definite BOY answers and 4 GIRL answers with 5 that could go either way. 

What do I want?  Honestly, I'm happy either way.  I grew up with a big brother (who is the best big brother I could have asked for) so it only seems natural to me to have a boy first.  Andrew has a younger sister so it was boy first in his family too. 

I have a girl name chosen but have no boy name that I like (other than Andrew but he doesn't want to name a kid after himself).  I will post later on my philosophy not to share my baby name until after he/she is born.

So tell me...what do YOU think we are having?  Leave me a comment and we'll see who's right in a week or so!

Midweek Confessions

- I usually get up early on Wednesdays and Thursdays to walk (used to run but not since I got pregnant) on my treadmill in the basement.  Sometimes I skip a day if I'm really tired and sleep and extra 45 minutes.  This week I skipped BOTH days. 

- I ate 3 rice krispie treats last night (Thanks Kiersten) and a piece of red velvet cake at work today (thanks Kimberly).  At the rate I'm going this week my child will weigh 11 pounds at birth.

- Still haven't vacuumed dog hair from my carpet....or unpacked my suitcase from Hawaii.

- I had way too busy of a day at work today so I texted Andrew telling him I wanted Thai food for dinner because I was not going to have the energy to cook.  He apparently didn't look at his phone before he left work so didn't get my text until he was already home.  He then called me to verify that I wanted him to pick up Thai food and then left to pick it up 10 minutes AFTER I got home from work.  Is it fair that I'm annoyed that he didn't get my message when I sent it (at 6:15 well before he left work)?  Perhaps if he had, he could have picked it up on his way home and I wouldn't be waiting here at 7:51 pm for dinner.  Isn't that the point of having a cell phone to avoid pregnant women waiting for dinner?  Okay, vent over.
Edited to add later:  I should not have complained about this - my husband is amazing and takes such great care of me and our baby.  I'm so lucky to have him.

- I treated a patient today who was 32 weeks pregnant - I swear my belly is bigger than hers.  That makes me sad.

- On weeks like this at work I sometimes wish I could be put on bed rest just to get a break.

Stay tuned for my post on determining Baby H's gender...should be fun!

Weather wuss

I've lived in Washington for about 9 years now (which seems crazy to me that is been that long).  One thing I've realized since adapting to the Pacific NW is that I am a weather wuss.

Montana has extreme weather - in the winter it can easily get to 20 below zero with windchill as well as snow and blizzards and all that.  School is never cancelled due to snow or cold.  In the summer months temperatures can get in the 90s and 100s.  Its a dry heat so not quite so intolerable and usually it cools down enough at night that you can cool down your house if you don't have AC.  Spring and Fall are pleasant temperatures - warm days, cool nights.  This is what I grew up with.  When I moved to Tacoma in August of 2003, it had been 100 degrees in Montana for about 3 weeks straight.  It was about 85 degrees in Tacoma during my first couple days of class and while everyone else thought it was hot, I thought it was great. 

Fast forward 9 years....

Washington is a much more mild climate.  Temperatures generally don't get below 35 in the winter and above 80 ish in the summer.  When it does, people freak out.  The threat of snow causes school cancellations.  Any real snow and the city shuts down.  At work, 95% of patients will cancel their appointments.  It snowed for about a week in January and I saw a total of about 10 patients all week long (I normally average about 12 per day) and was sent home early 3 of 4 days.  In the summer when its above 90, they call it a "heat wave" and start warning people to check on their neighbors who might be vulnerable to heat stroke.  Hotels with air conditioning will be booked out.  They keep libraries open extra hours so people can "escape the heat".  Granted, very few people have air conditioning around here which makes the heat more uncomfortable.  There are rare times when the humidity stays high and it won't cool off below 80 at night which can be quite miserable.  But still, its not 120 degrees and as long as you aren't in the direct sunlight all day long, your risk of heat related illness is relatively low.

So, now being a Washingtonian, my temperature gague is adjusted.  Andrew says I have a happy zone between 65 and 70 where I'm comfortable.  I now complain - anything below 40 is cold and anything above about 75 gets too warm.  Especially for sleeping at night.  We keep our house on the colder side especially in our rom at night. We cover the heating vents so when the heater comes on in the morning for the rest of the house, it doesn't get too hot in our room.   I love to snuggle under the down comforter and stay warm.  I would much rather be cold than hot.

I DO NOT like sleeping when its hot.  I can't sleep without some kind of covering - I dream that I'm naked.  I have to have at least the sheet.  The last few days its been very nice around here - temperatures in the 70s.  Its been nice to see the sun and have a break from the rain.  But, as we were out taking a walk this weekend, I'm starting to realize that this little heater in my belly will not make my summer pleasant.  I was starting to get uncomfortably hot in 70 degree weather.  This is not a good sign.  The last couple of nights I have gone back and forth from blazing hot and sweating throwing the covers off to then getting cold and snuggling back in. 

Another thing is that I'm not really a shorts person.  I'm more of a bermuda/capri person mostly because I carry all my weight in my thighs therefore I'm embarrassed to wear shorts when I feel overweight.  Add on the weight I've gained during pregnancy which I feel has gone 50% to my belly and 50% to my thighs and there's more to come.

If we get a "heat wave" in Seattle this summer, I am going to be miserable.  I will probably be happy to be at work where we have AC.  We have a portable AC unit at home that we can put in the bedrooom to make it more comfortable to sleep.  But I am probably not going to be a happy camper if I'm 8 months pregnant and its 100 degrees outside.  Anybody who has air conditioning that lives on the Eastside?  If so you may have a houseguest coming....

Mid Week Confessions

Its Thursday kids - here we go...

- A lot more people - mainly my patients - are asking me if I'm pregnant (which hopefully means I look pregnant instead of fat).  One of these days I really want to say to someone "No, I'm not pregnant" just to see the look on their face.  Depending on how much I like said person, I may or may not tell them the truth.

-My baby likes ice cream - when I eat it I feel all sorts of wiggling.  I want to eat ice cream every night just to feel my baby move.  And because ice cream is awesome.

- I clog a toilet in our house at least once a week.  Thanks hormones.  (sorry if thats TMI)

- My poor dog looks like a chemo patient - he is shedding so there are tufts of hair falling out and bald spots where I've been too aggressive with the Furminator

- Said dog hair has been in multiple locations on my carpet for the last week and a half.  I still haven't vacuumed

- My suitcase from Hawaii (we got back 3 weeks ago) is still half unpacked on my guest bed. We bought coffee and macadamia nuts for our parents and have yet to send them.

Happy almost weekend everyone!


-

Our Journey to Pregnancy

Another question that I get asked is "were you trying?"  I find this an odd question from strangers who don't know me since, really, is it any of their business?  The answer is yes.  We were definitely trying.  My close friends knew that we were trying.  We did not tell our parents for the sake of a) wanting to surprise them and b) avoiding the "are you pregnant yet?" question.  I don't think that either one of our parents would have intentionally pressured us in any way since both of them had some difficulty getting pregnant with their first kids but we just didn't want to add any pressure.

When Andrew and I had discussed getting married and during our engagement, we decided we wanted to wait about 2 years before starting to think about having kids.  We had a short "courtship" - about 13 months from when we met to when we got married so we wanted to take a couple of years to learn more about each other and enjoy the DINK (Double Income No Kids) lifestyle.

Previously, I had never been one who had a strong "urge" to have kids.  I liked babies and thought they were cute and all.  When my twin nephews were born in 2007, I loved spending time with them and watching them grow.  It wasn't until Andrew and I were seriously dating and maybe even engaged that I saw a baby at church and my heart skipped a beat and I said to myself "I want one!". 

While I knew that I was ready to have kids, I also knew that we had made our decision to wait a couple of years for a good reason.  I would always joke to Andrew that whenever he was ready I would get off the pill in a heartbeat but knew that we would probably be waiting until January or so of 2012 to start trying.

So around February of 2011 (just shy of our 1 year anniversary), out of the blue Andrew says "I've been thinking that maybe we should start trying to have a baby."  After I got over the initial shock, he went on to explain that we didn't know how long it would take us to get pregnant and that he wanted our parents to have as much time to get to know our kids as they could. 

So, in March I took my last pack of birth control pills and we quit trying to prevent pregnancy.  I got an app on my phone that gave me a good idea of when I should be ovulating.  I bought the book "What to Expect Before your Expecting" and started perusing the What to Expect website for tips and tricks.  This should be easy right?


So, for those of you who don't know me, I am a very analytical and logical person.  I generally try to make informed and researched decisions and not let emotions play a factor.   I also, after making such careful and rational decisions, often expect things to happen just as I expect them to happen.  So naturally, I expected we would get pregnant after a month or two and life would be peachy.

Fast forward about 5 months and still nothing to show for our efforts.  We were in Montana in August and I was due to have my period the day we arrived.  Still hadn't gotten it a few days into our trip. I had been taking pregnancy tests at my moms house (and hiding them in my suitcase so she wouldn't find them) and they were all negative.  And then it finally came about 4 days late.  I had gotten so excited that I might be pregnant and then got disappointed.  Andrew kept saying to me:  "The average couple takes at least 6 months to get pregnant" and my response was "I have never been average - I am a straight A above average overachiever.  This shouldn't be taking so long!"

So, we kept trying.  And trying.  In December, the week before my period was supposed to start, my boobs were super tender and hurt a lot.  I asked a few of my pregnant patients if they had sore breasts before they were pregnant and they all said yes.  So I started to get excited - especially since we were going to be in Montana for Christmas and I would get to tell my family.  My period was due on a Saturday morning and we were going to be hanging out with our friends on Friday night.  I was excited to tell my friends that I thought I might be pregnant.  I went to the bathroom before I left work that night and sure enough, things had started.  I was so disappointed that I cried on my way home and for several minutes at home before we left to meet our friends.

So the next month of "trying" I changed my attitude a little.  I was so tired of getting my hopes up and anxiously getting through the "2 week wait" between ovulation and periods and then being disappointed when things didn't happen.   I started really praying that God would A) make things happen according to His will and not my own and B) to give me peace about it regardless of the outcome.  I knew that there was lots of options out there if we couldn't get pregnant on our own and we still had a few more months of trying before that would even be necessary.  I also knew I had my annual check up with my OBGYN in a couple of weeks and that I wanted to ask a lot of questions about what more I could be doing.

In January, my period was due on Friday.  I went to see my GYN doc (actually a Nurse Practioner/Midwife) for my annual check up.  The breast tenderness was back - I was having discomfort running.  And I had just started running again - I had read in a study that 1/3 of all recreational female runners didn't have an ovulatory period so i had quit running for the last 3 or 4 months.  She did her exam and said everything looked normal.  I asked her a bunch of questions including about the running study.  She patiently answered my questions - said while the running study may be true, she hadn't seen anything in the mainstream literature about it.  She had seen plenty of marathon runners in her office with healthy pregnancies.  She told me to relax and not stress about it.  She said she would check my thyroid levels if I wanted and also give me some brochures on accupuncture as well as the fertility clinic she would recommend if we weren't pregnant in another few months.

I kept praying for the rest of that week the same prayer - "God, give me peace.  Regardless if I'm pregnant or not, make me okay with it.  Help me to trust in Your will and not my own."  So when I actually took the pregnancy test on that Saturday morning, I felt at peace regardless of the outcome - of course I was more than excited with our results :-)

Looking back, I know that God was at work in all of this.  This was the original time we had wanted to get pregnant for the reasons I mentioned before.  Because it took us 9 months to get pregnant, my relationship with my husband is that much better.  We got to experience more things together and enjoy trips, and time with friends and family that would have been quite different if I had been pregnant.

I had always wanted a fall baby anyway - mainly because my maternity leave would cover the holidays and we could spend more time with our families.  Plus, my child will be in the older part of his/her class which offers several advantages.

And finally, my friend Ali is pregnant about 4 weeks behind me.  I know that God arranged for us to be pregnant together.  Its nice to have another person (especially another first time mom) to share my experiences with - both good and bad.  We even have the same midwife doing our prenatal care.

So, the lesson in all of this?  Its the same lesson that God is always teaching me.  That His timing is perfect - He carefully plans these things to work out for His glory and not my own.  That I should be relying on Him and not my own knowledge.   Especially when I start playing the "what if" game in my head, I have to look back in all of this (including multiple other moments in my life) and remember that He is in control.  And I'm truly thankful.

Mid Week Confessions

- First - I totally could have done this last night (the real mid-week) - small group got cancelled because of a flu bug.  What did I do?  Had Subway (thanks to my amazing husband), took a Benadryl (don't worry, doc said it was okay) and was asleep by 9:30.

- Remember a while back how I mentioned I was trying to read through the Bible - yep, haven't read a thing since that post.  I'm not a total heathen - Andrew and I read through an NT Wright devotional for lent.

- I'm in a NASCAR fantasy league.  And I'm winning.  Awesome.

- I drank my last can of Coke that was in the house tonight.  And I'm determined not to buy anymore

-  Can't think of anymore.  My brain is fried. 

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Belly Bump!

Hit the 16 week mark on Friday.  I made some progress in the last 4 weeks!

 Some stats/info for fun:

How far along? 16 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 ish
Maternity clothes? Yes!  Started them a few weeks ago.  Maternity  pants are the most comfortable things ever.  Trying to wear shirts to emphasize my belly so people don't just think I'm fat :-)
Stretch marks? hips and thighs unfortunately :-(
Sleep: Sleeping great - usually get up at least once to pee.  Crazy dreams.
Best moment this week: Hearing baby's heart beat at the doctors.  Even gave us a kick while we listened!
Miss Anything? I miss running.  Probably could run but don't have the energy.  Also miss sushi.  A lot.
Movement: Felt a couple of flutters but nothing consistent
Food cravings: Goat cheese is my new favorite food. Pair it with apples or pears and I'm a happy girl
Anything making you queasy or sick: Tomatoes give me heartburn.
Have you started to show yet: Hoping that I look pregnant versus fat.
Gender: TBD
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Most of the time I feel happy though I do get moody if I'm really tired or stressed out.
Looking forward to: Next doctors appointment where we find out if we have a quarterback (although based on Andrew and I we are more likely to have a tight end) or a volleyball player.


Also went to the doctor this morning. Baby H's heart rate was 145 (down from 157 last month). Based on that, my doctor is thinking its a boy! We will officially find out next month - I can't wait!

Happy Monday everyone!

Mid Week Confessions

Here we go kids:

- we ran out of milk last night because I had a craving for milk after small group.  So I used fat free half and half on my Lucky Charms this morning - not bad.

- I'm still on Hawaii time.  It was hard to get up at 6 am on Tuesday.

- I'm addicted to Coca Cola.  I keep telling myself I can only have one every couple of days yet I still have one every day.  Once my current supply is up I am NOT buying any more.

- We invited friends over for dinner on Saturday.  While I'm excited to see my friends, I'm also glad I have an excuse and motivation to actually clean my house.  Charlie has started shedding - there's a lot of dog hair around.

- My husband works for Microsoft.  I bought an iPhone.  And I love it.

Hope you all have had a great week!

Belly Buddies!

I have a Belly Buddy!  Our good friends Ali and Noah are having a baby in October - just a few weeks after us!  We are so excited to have such good friends to share our journey with.  I honestly feel that God arranged for us to be pregnant together.

Ali and Noah are also photographers -check out their website. I'm hoping that at 7 months pregnant she will be up to doing maternity photos for us :-)

I am so excited for our kids to be friends!

Aloha and Mahalo!

Andrew and I just got back from Hawaii (yes, be jealous because it was awesome!).  It was a much needed vacation for both of us.  Usually, at the end of our trips, both of us are at the point where we are "ready" to come home.  Ready to return to our insanely comfortable bed, ready to snuggle with our puppy again, and ready to return to the normalcy of life.  This trip, however, both of us were saying that we would have liked to stay another day or two.

Some highlights of the trip:

Our first stop was Honolulu - we stayed right on Waikiki.  We were upgraded to a suite on the top (31st) floor of the hotel which was pretty cool.  Except for the fact that it was quite windy in Oahu and we could hear it almost all the time and couldn't enjoy the balcony. 

So, one thing about Waikiki (for those who haven't visited) is that it is so crowded!  There are people everywhere (including a large Japanese population).  Our hotel had very little actuall beach front and any beach that was available had a ton of people.

We purposely made Honolulu our "tourist" spot so we planned a couple of tours.  The first was Pearl Harbor - very educational and very moving.

We also got to tour the USS Missouri which is where the Japanese surrendered to the US in WW II. 

                                           The Surrender Deck
                                          

The second day we took a tour of the Dole Pineapple Plantation and the North Shore.  If I ever go back to Oahu I would definitely stay on the North Shore - much more mellow and way cooler beaches.

The highlight of Oahu was eating at Iron Chef Morimoto's restaurant.  We would have never known about this place if we hadn't seen the Iron Chef American tailgate battle between Michael Symon and Morimoto that took place in Hawaii before the Pro Bowl.  The night we watched that episode we went online and made reservations.  While we were waiting for our table we actually saw Chef Morimoto himself!  It was so cool - he was in the kitchen that night so may have cooked some of our food. 

Andrew and I joke that we have become food snobs now.  We have gotten a chance to eat at several high end restaurants over the last couple of years where the food and service are so exceptional that average restaurants just seem boring and predictable.  Morimoto's restaurant did not help.  In addition, we saw Dog the Bounty Hunter eating there too!

And then we were off to Maui.  Ahhh Maui.  If we would have won $640 million in the lottery this weekend I would have bought a house on the Maui coast.  Maui is definitely more my style of vacation spot.  The main thing we noticed was that it was much less crowded.  We barely saw anyone as we made our way to our room.  There was a beach right in front of our hotel that had people on it during the day but was not overly crowded.

Perhaps my favorite part of Maui was the snorkeling.  I never thought I would say that.  See, the Watson clan is known for their fear dislike of water and water related activities.  I have never had a near drowning experience and am happy to swim in pools (though could never dive) but larger bodies of water with unknown creatures where my feet can't hit the bottom scares the crap out of me.  We rented snorkel gear to just go around the small reef at our hotel.  I was surprised that I actually liked it so we signed up for a tour the next day.  It was so much fun.  First, they played 80s music which rocked.  The staff on the boat was very chill.  We saw whales and turtles on the way, snorkeled for an hour or so and saw tons of cool fish, and on the way back saw more whales and a pod of dolphins.  Other than getting a little chilly in the water, it was a lot of fun.  I was still afraid of the turtles when they swam towards me.

I was sad to leave Hawaii and come back to the depressing rain of Seattle.  Usually I hit a post vacation funk now that the excitement and anticipation of a trip is done, but I have so much to look forward to with my pregnancy and what's to come this summer and fall.  Baby H is doing well - our 16 week appointment is next week so I will be sure to give you all an update. 

Sorry for the long post! Thanks for sticking with it!