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Friday, August 29, 2014

Oh Hey Friday and Tailgate Food

It is Friday which means link up time with September Farm and my day off.  Don't worry, I wrote this yesterday, so I could sleep in and enjoy a nice breakfast out with my husband.

In celebration of College Football starting yesterday, I thought I would do my five favorite tailgate recipes.  Some are sweet, some healthy and some that are to die for.  Wait, I think they are all pretty top notch.

The best tailgate foods await you...

One.   Bacon Cheddar Chive Muffins for your morning tailgate.  I have made these babies many times for tailgates, work events, etc.  They are always gone within minutes and I get requests to make them all the time.

Two.  Seven Layer Dip.  What I like about this recipe is it is super easy and uses taco seasoning mix.  I know you can create your own, but this is super easy and gone within seconds.

Three.  Oreo Fluff.  What is not to love?  Pudding, cool whip, Oreos and marshmallows.  I could eat this whole thing by myself, but I would probably hate Oreos after.  I love to use Nilla Wafers as my dipper of choice, but others use fruit, Oreos, graham crackers or other cookies.  Make this not only for tailgates, but parties.  Believe me, you need to make this heavenly creation.


Four.   Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread.  If you are like me and most of America, then you love pizza.  I could eat pizza everyday and never get tired of it.  I found this recipe to be satisfying without buying a ton of pizzas to bring to your tailgate.  Though I may make two batches depending on the size of the tailgate.

Five.  Bacon Wrapped Smokies.  One of my friends made this dish for a party many years ago.  Now I find that more people have made these, had them or have heard of them.
 image via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 Package Lil Beef Smokies (Hillshire Farm is my brand of choice here)
1 1 lb. package of bacon (I like the thicker cut, but most will due)
Brown Sugar

Toothpicks
Cookie Sheet

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Line cookie sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
3.  Cut your bacon into twos or threes depending on the thickness of the bacon.  I find that thinner bacon can wrap three times and thicker twice.  Test one out and see what works best for you.
4.  Wrap your lil smokie with the bacon and secure the lip with a toothpick.  Place on cookie sheet with tooth picks facing up.
5.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Once the bacon starts to golden up, I sprinkle brown sugar over the smokies and bake for another 5 minutes.  The sugar should carmelize and the bacon should finish cooking in this time.
6.  Let cool (if you can) and enjoy!

I hope you make one or all of these to enjoy at your next tailgate or party.
Thursday, August 28, 2014

15 Weeks

Wow, I can't believe we are almost to the half way point and we may find out the gender(s) tomorrow.  We have an appointment with our perinatal doctor and he said there is a good chance we will find out the genders tomorrow.  Please babies, show us your goods.  Momma wants to make those names more concrete, figure out nursery plans and call you by your names.

I will have a picture to update on this post, or tomorrow since my husband couldn't take one this morning for me.  And I am too impatient to wait to post this.  You can finally see the bump in its glory.

So let's get to these babies...

How far along: 15 weeks, 1 day
Babies are the size of a: Avocado/Apple.  Babies are 4 1/2 inches long and about 2 1/2 ounces each.
Maternity Clothes:Not yet.  Still rocking my normal clothes.
Stretch Marks: None, but my belly is growing at an alarming rate, so I am a bit worried.
Sleep: My pregnancy pillow arrives today.  I hope sleep is glorious from here on out.
Symptoms: Bloody noses, allergies, backaches
Best Moment of the Week: The rib cook-off.  Babies ate a lot of ribs!
Movement: Not yet.  Let's get moving in there babies.
Cravings: Fruit and fall foods.  Bring on the pumpkin pie, cider donuts, pumpkin spiced lattes, soups, etc.
Gender: Hoping for a boy and girl.  I hope they cooperate tomorrow for their ultrasound.
Belly Button In or Out: In half way.  My belly button looks very awkward.
Wedding Ring on or Off: On and actually looser.
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Thankfully I think I am past the morning sickness phase.
What I Miss: Beer.  I wanted a beer while watching football...nope.  And another at the rib cook-off, but nope.
What I am Looking Forward to: This weekends first Wolf Pack game of the season.
Labor Signs: Not even close.
Nursery: I have so many ideas.  I just need to know the gender(s).  I can see shopaholics anonymous in my future.
Emotions: Feeling way more happy that my bump is more of a bump and less like a beer gut.  Plus I am a way happier person after a good nights rest.
The Grits Blog - Little Friday Linkup
Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Tuesday's Weekend Update

I didn't take any pictures this weekend.  Heck, I don't even remember the last time I posted something on Instagram.  So bad with pictures lately.  But we did have a good weekend that flew by too fast and also meant a lack of sleep for me.  The belly has really popped which is making it harder and harder to sleep at night.  Que my need for a pregnancy pillow.

I caved yesterday (instead of writing a blog post) and bought myself a Snoogle Pregnancy Pillow with a jersey cover.

I can not wait for it to arrive.  Come on amazon, throw this momma a bone and get her here ASAP.  Luckily, I slept like a baby last night.  I only woke up once and my husband said I am so sassy and happy in the morning when I get a good nights rest.  YES.I.AM.

This weekend was spent taking naps (I got two in this weekend), going to a 21st birthday party (before her big drink fest that evening), watching the Niners game (finally won a preseason game), drafting my fantasy team for one of my leagues, cooking dinner (finally) and buying some amazing yoga leggings from Victoria Secret for the Fall and this ever growing belly.  Oh and a new bra.
These except in black on black.  Long enough, comfy and not see through.  Big time score.

Oh and that bra I mentioned, super comfy.  I am not ready to go full on maternity style just yet, so I opted for a pretty Victoria Secret bra.  But the kicker was, I went from a 34D to a 32DDD.  My husband loves it, the lady standing behind me in the dressing room said to embrace it, but my lord, these babies have gotten HUGE!

I am really excited for the rib cook-off tomorrow and the first Wolf Pack football game this weekend. I am definitely getting used to this Fall transition.

How was your weekend?
Friday, August 22, 2014

Looking Forward To Fall Link Up

Another glorious Friday is here which means the weekly link up for Oh Hey, Friday.  Today my link up is all about the things I am looking forward to in the near future.

One.  Next week bring the Best of the West Rib Cook-off.  This is one of my favorite local events of the year.  What's not to love?  Ribs, corn on the cob, ribs, beer (oh wait, none for me), crafts, sweets and loves of barbeque food.  The cook-off goes from Wednesday to Sunday and I am usually there at least twice, if not three times.  It breaks the bank, but you can't get enough of the 24 vendors from around the world.  And since I am pregnant this time, you better bet I am going to eat more than my fair share.  I read yesterday that I need to consume around 175 grams of protein a day during the second trimester of being pregnant with twins.  This isn't an easy feat, but with the rib cook-off, I will get more than my fair share of those 175 grams.
 Best of the West Rib Cook-off Ribs via

Two.  Nevada Wolf Pack football starts in 8 days.  I have my Wolf Pack gear ready, my new tailgate recipe to debut and I am dying to show these babies what their future holds.  Many, many football games in their future.  I absolutely love Fall and football season.
 
 via

Three.  Fantasy football.  I have my first draft tomorrow and another one in a week-ish.  I am super competitive and have a love/hate relationship with fantasy football.  Why did I pick Tom Brady last year when I hate the Patriots and Tom Brady...because I wanted to win.  Well Tom Brady sucked and disappointed me.  I love to watch every game, but hate rooting for players I hate when I HAD to draft them for fantasy points.

Four.   Our baby moon.  After some advice from friends/family, we are going on a baby moon.  My husband has never been to Seattle, so we are thinking that is one of the two places we will go.  We don't want to travel (fly) 5 hours somewhere, so we decided the west coast is our best option.  Seattle is an amazing city.  I love it there.  Been many times, but my husband has never been, so that is part one.  Part two is Portland.  We have friends who live in Portland and love Oregon, plus there are VooDoo donuts there (another thing my husband has never tried) and this pregnant woman wants her donuts.  Now to figure out the timing.  I can't wait!

Five.  We are finding out the babies' gender(s) very soon and I can't wait to start planning their nursery, adding gender specifics to my registry and creating the perfect little haven for these two.  I am dying to buy all the pinks and/or blues and snuggle all the cute clothes these two will wear.  Aww baby love at full force today.  Any guesses on what they will be?  Team pink or team blue? Or both?

Thursday, August 21, 2014

14 Weeks

I am finally in my second trimester and hoping all the horrible parts of the first trimester start to dissipate.  I am ready for more energy, hopefully more sleep, a cute bump and finding out the genders.  I am also in full force research mode as to baby items, nursery, delivery, types of twins, things I can do to help go full term for twins and new exercises.  I can't believe I am already 14 weeks in and less than six months, we will get to meet these babies.  Life is going to change.

When did you go on your baby moon?  Did you go on one?  Suggestions?

Ok, let's jump into the weekly baby update...
 (still working on my husband properly capturing the bump)

How far along: 14 weeks

Babies are the size of a: Beet/Lemon
Maternity Clothes: I bought one pair of maternity leggings and a shirt from Gap this weekend, but haven't worn them and still rocking my old clothes.
Stretch Marks: None, but my belly is growing at an alarming rate, so I am a bit worried.
Sleep: Ehh.  I get up to pee every couple hours, it's hot and I am uncomfortable.  Guess I might give in to the pregnancy pillow and unisom if this doesn't help.
Symptoms: Sleepy
Best Moment of the Week: Spending a long weekend in San Francisco for our first anniversary.
Movement: Sadly none.  Come on babies, let momma feel you.
Cravings: Fruit and lots of it.
Gender: Hoping for a boy and girl.
Belly Button In or Out: In
Wedding Ring on or Off: On
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Thankfully I think I am past the morning sickness phase.
What I Miss: San Francisco food
What I am Looking Forward to: Football
Labor Signs: Not even close.
Nursery: Still up in the air
Emotions: Feeling pretty happy though Monday's seem to not be my friend, so I am usually crabby that day.  I need something to make Monday's better.  Suggestions?
The Grits Blog - Little Friday Linkup
Tuesday, August 19, 2014

First Wedding Anniversary Weekend Recap

I am back from my anniversary trip.  Boo. Please take me back to San Francisco.  The weather was pretty nice (other than the massive amounts of fog in the am), the company was amazing, the Giants, the food, the shopping and the city walking.  I just love San Francisco.

Friday my husband came home from his work trip and I couldn't have been happier.  I was dying to see him.  Just dying.  Plus he could take over dad duty on taking care of our pup.  He is a cuddle monster when one of us is gone, so it was nice to have my husband back to share the puppy love.

Saturday we got up bright and early, haha, not really.  But we managed to make it out of the house at a decent time, drop off our pup at his grandparents house and head to the Bay Area.  First stop, Chick-fil-a in Roseville.  Total guilty pleasure.  I don't like fast food, but I enjoy some Chick-fil-a once a year.  Once we got into the Bay area after massive amounts of traffic, we dropped my car off at my husband's aunt and uncles house (to save some money on parking).  We took an Uber car which my husband has never done before and he was impressed.  So much cheaper, cleaner and better experience than a cab.  Then off to Bart.  Oh the things you do to save some cash.  Worth it.

Once we got into the city, we checked in our hotel, dropped our bags off and went shopping.  This girl needs some new clothes, but shopping while pregnant is not fun.  Everything I want, won't fit in a few months and everything I need is UGLY.  Ugh.  I am sure this made my husband just love shopping with me.

We were pretty excited to go to Sotto Mare for dinner that night.  We got ready, walked the mile uphill and then were met with disappointment.  There were 38 people ahead of us and they weren't taking anymore names.  But parties of two could not make a reservation.  Que pissed off pregnant lady and her husband.  I have enjoyed Sotto Mare in the last year.  My husband has been iced out two times in a row.  So not happy.  Plus they were super rude.  Not cool.  So we ventured a block away to Firenze By Night.  They had good reviews on Yelp and could seat us within 15 minutes.  Sold.  We had a melon and prosciutto appetizer which was really good.  I also had the gnocchi with a tomato cream sauce.  It was really good.  Perfectly cooked pillows of pregnancy happiness.  I could eat that everyday.

Sunday was the big one year anniversary.  I gave my husband the treat card and he loved it.  He loved our personalized and sweet it was.  Plus he was overwhelmed by the things I wrote in it (the part with his vows).  Total success.

Since it was a day of indulgence and a celebration of us, it was off to brunch at Mymy.  A cute little spot in Nobb Hill that serves a unique menu.  I got the Banana Blueberry Souffle Pancakes and they were heaven on a plate.  Plus a side of hash browns.  Gotta get a good base for all that walking my husband had us do that day.  17,500 steps by the way.
Husband got a garlic shrimp benedict that looked amazing, but I was too busy eating my heaven to notice.

Then we walked a couple miles down to AT&T Park for a Giants game.  I thought Hudson was pitching, but it ended up being Lincecum.  He pitched 29 pitches in the first inning alone.  I was quite nervous for him, but through the hot sun, the light breeze and the perfect day, the Giants beat the Phillies.
 The best baseball stadium, AT&T Park
 Our View
 Pre-game
 Post game happiness
 Final Score 5-2 Giants
 Delicious shared lunch at the park.  Who knew I could venture away from my go-to garlic fries.  This stir fry bowl was heaven!

After the game, we walked back to the hotel and shopped along the way.  Then it was time to shower and head to our romantic anniversary dinner at Frascati.  We again opted to walk to dinner (only a mile away) and we walked through a gorgeous part of San Francisco, Russian Hill area on Hyde Street. 

My husband surprised me and wore his wedding socks to dinner that night.  It's the little touches.  For our wedding, my husband picked out socks for himself and his groomsmen (since he loves colorful socks).  He saved them for our anniversary dinner to wear again.  I love the sentiment behind it.
Left: Wedding Day Right: First Wedding Anniversary

Dinner was everything we hoped for and more.  We loved the fact that they discourage phone usage in the restaurant and want you to focus on each other.  So sadly we didn't take any photos.  We just ate our hearts out.  We had the burrata caprese salad (one each) with pistachios.  I need this in my life daily.  My husband went with the Pork Porterhouse with mustard spaetzle.  I went with the Filet Minion with potatoes, roasted veggies and a sauce from the heavens.  Both dishes were beyond our expectations.  Definitely one of my favorite restaurants EVER.  So amazing, delicious, heavenly and perfect.

We opted out of dessert so we could walk to a little ice cream shop down the way.  We both got a giant scoop of ice cream on a sugar cone and walked the city.  It was a perfect night.  Best anniversary EVER.

Monday we slept in and it felt so good.  Then we ventured off to breakfast, checked out of our hotel, made the journey back to our car and then did some shopping and lunch in Walnut Creek.  We stopped at Ikeda's on the way home to pick up a pie and share some of it with my in-laws for watching our fur baby.  He was spoiled while we were gone and probably didn't miss us that much.

And now I am back at work, wishing we were still in San Francisco, and dreaming of our next vacation.  How was your weekend?  What did you do for our first wedding anniversary?

Sunday, August 17, 2014

First Wedding Anniversary

Today is my first wedding anniversary.  The first of many more to come.

Last year on August 17, 2013, I married my best friend, my love, my partner, my rock, my everything.  I can't believe it has been a year, but it has been the best year yet.  I feel so fortunate that God gave me my amazing husband.
Since I have trouble putting into words how much this man means to me, I decided I would share my vows with you all.  The vows I spoke a year ago.  The vows I poured my heart into.  The vows that I edited over and over again (even after the rehearsal dinner).  The vows that I will follow until the day I die.

Rory,

I have dreamed about this day since I was a little girl.  I have planned this day in my head over and over.  Having the perfect dress, the perfect hair, the perfect flowers, the perfect shoes and the perfect first dance.  But none of my dreams prepared me for this day with you.  Words are not enough to begin to tell you how much I love you because nothing comes close to perfect when compared to you.

I admire that you live your life with passion and remain forever optimistic.

With you, I am a better person as you have shown me how to love with passion, purity and unconditional acceptance.

Today I vow to be your best friend, your wife and the best mother to our future children and our pup, Walter.  I promise to remember all the reasons I fell in love with you.  I promise to be your biggest supporter, to encourage you to pursue your dreams, to always listen and to inspire you.  I promise to grow with you, to challenge you, and to devote myself to you.  I vow to choose you each and every day of my life.

You are my best friend, my confidant, my love and now my husband.

Marrying you is my dream come true.  I love you.

Phew, it was hard not to sob like a baby when I typed those words out again.  They mean so much to me and still hold true, as they will forever.

I am truly the luckiest woman alive and I can't wait to see what our future holds.

Happy Anniversary to the most amazing husband, EVER, Rory.
Saturday, August 16, 2014

Treat's Anniversary Card

This post is brought to you by Treat.
 
All the craze right now is to design your own everything.  From announcements to wedding invitations to cards, it seems like we all want to personalize our gifts.  We take the perfect picture for our Christmas cards and design the card so it is unique in every way.

Recently I was contacted by Treat which is part of the Shutterfly family.  They wanted to see if I would be interested in making a personalized card for someone, anyone.  Seeing that I had a million things going on this summer, I knew I could make something for every event.  Except I couldn't choose.

I thought of personalized wedding cards for my sister-in-laws wedding, or my best friends wedding, or my dad's birthday.  But then it hit me.  I want to make/customize an anniversary card to my husband.  We try to get each other cards that are not the everyday, every person type of cards.  We want to show each other that we put some thought and time into the cards we chose.  Hence, why Treat was the perfect solution for me.

First you chose which type of card or item you want to customize.  Easy, anniversary card.  Then you look through a bunch of designs (that you can really customize) and try to choose just one.  I wanted to pick a few, but I know I have them for the next fifty plus years.

I chose the card, A Year In Love.  This way I could add a picture from every month we have been married.  Now there were two months that I didn't take any photos of us and I had to search around to find the right one or just use a photo of myself.  But the process was fun to go through our photos over the last year and remember what we have gone through.  Definitely a tear jerker.

Here is what I came up with for my front cover.
Football games, honeymoon, vacations, weddings, Christmas, golfing and our amazing wedding day.  We had a very blessed year together.  Isn't my husband just the most handsome man ever?  I am kind of biased, I know.

But the customization doesn't stop there.  I was able to customize the inside completely.  You can chose different layouts, texts and colors.  This way you say something that is meaningful to you and your recipient.  Sometimes you just can't find a card with the right words.  This is where Treat comes into play.

I chose two wedding photos that I absolutely love.  It is really easy to upload your photos and it even gives you an option to crop it yourself or have them do it.  Then I wrote some mushy stuff to my husband and customized the colors.

Finally, I customized the back and it is simple, but cute.
I used a favorite wedding photo (yet again) and put I'm Yours right under it.  The I'm Yours refers to the last part of my husband's vows.  Cue the crying because I remember those words like it was yesterday.  "Danielle MiddleName MaidenName, I'm Yours".

I can't wait to give my husband this card tomorrow on our anniversary.

So next time you want a completely customized card or gift, check out Treat and get your personalization on.

I received my card for free as part of this sponsored review, but all opinions are my own.
Friday, August 15, 2014

A Random Oh Hey, Friday

Awww my second favorite day of the week is finally here.  Which also means it is a link up with my favorite farmer gals.  Today's link up for me is all about random thoughts and things as I can barely string a sentence together.  Pregnancy brain, I tell ya.  So let's get to it.

One.  My amazing husband is about to take off on a plane from NYC to Reno.  I so can not wait to see him.  Being gone for six days is hard on this gal.  I used to dig my weeks alone.  I used to hit up happy hour with my girlfriends almost daily, have dinners out with my lovely friends and have our king bed all to myself (and my little cuddle buddy, Walter the dude).  But now that I am pregnant, this girl gets tired when she has to do all her chores plus her husbands.  Plus I want him here for my emotional, hormonal breakdowns, haha.  But he is coming home today FINALLY just in time for our anniversary trip this weekend.
 Isn't he so handsome?

Two.  My jeans still fit me!  Woo hoo!  But why didn't anyone ever tell me that they are really uncomfortable regardless if they fit you while being pregnant?  If I bend over, sit down or move they press into my uterus area and it sucks.  Why can't I start wearing leggings everyday?  Come on Fall get here, so I can start wearing pants that feel so much better.  But I am loving the fact that they still fit and they look amazing, so I guess no pain, no gain right?  The lower rise, the better.

Three.  Tomorrow I am sharing a collaboration I did with the company Treat.  I customized/personalized an anniversary card that is sure to melt my husbands heart.  Ok at least make him smile and love me even more.  So be on the look out for that. 

Four.  Seafood.  I have seafood on my mind and I can't wait to eat at Sotto Mare tomorrow night.  The best cioppino in my life will be in my belly making me a very happy pregnant woman.  I am guessing I will gain at least 5 pounds this trip, which is probably a good thing since I have only gained 1 pound in my first trimester.  The crab, mussels,  scallops, squid, shrimp and white fish will be in my belly soon enough.

Five.  In 15 days, college football starts for the Wolf Pack and I can't wait for this season.  Six home games, one away game and maybe a bowl game trip!  The Niners have their first game in the Levi's Stadium this Sunday against the Broncos (preseason).  Peyton Manning and Colin Kaepernick will christen the field.  Plus one of my fantasy football leagues draft is Sunday and my other leagues is coming up.  Awww I love Fall and Football.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend.  I know I will in San Francisco with my most favorite person in the world.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Wednesday Confessions and a Baby Update

It is Confession Wednesday and the babies bump date.  Sadly, I don't have a picture to show you of my bump as my husband is out of town and my little bump was nowhere to be found Sunday when my mom could have taken my photo.

But first onto my confessions.  In honor of my one year wedding anniversary (coming up on Sunday), I thought I would do some confessions about weddings.  My wedding day was the best day of my life thus far.  It has some bumps in the road, but I couldn't have asked for a better day with all of the love that surrounded us.  But these are the things that didn't go right, sucked or just plain got dropped out of the wedding day.

One.  The cost.  Wow.  I wish I had more money, saved more money or figured out ways to do things cheaper because it was sure pricey and I didn't even have everything my little princess heart desired.

Two.  Our wedding coordinator.  I wish I would have actually hired someone outside of the venue to help do the set up, run the wedding day and give me some ideas.  My coordinator was an airhead and I am glad she was fired.  But I am sad that we had to deal with her.

Three.  I love DIY projects, but they are hard, take a lot of time and sometimes just don't work.  I made so many of the little touches for our wedding and they were time consuming.  I wish I would have learned how to take labels off of wine bottles earlier than I did.  I would have saved days.  Sometimes it is cheaper (cost and time wise) to just buy what you want.

Four.  Decorate the wedding arch my husband and friend built.  But that goes with the shitty coordinator.  She forgot and it still pangs me to this day.

Five.  Add another hour or two to the reception.  We were having a great time dancing, chatting it up and living in the moment that I wish we would have paid for the extra hour.

Six.  Have our little Walter man be a ring bear.  I thought it would be too much of a hassle to have him there, have someone watch him and worry about him on my dress.  But it would have made for the best pictures and he was the one we missed the most.

Those are all I can think of right now.  Been a year to get over what I didn't like (the damn coordinator).  I love looking at our wedding photos, videos and vows as much as I can.  I can't wait to spend this weekend with my best friend, my love, my life.

And now onto these cute little twin babies growing inside of me.

How far along: 13 weeks

Babies are the size of a: Hot Jalapeno.  Maybe the length?
Maternity Clothes: Nope.  But my shirts are getting tighter (dang boobs), so I guess I should get some shopping done in San Francisco this weekend.  Oh darn.
Stretch Marks: Nope.  Lubing up daily.
Sleep: It is just Walter and I sleeping in the king bed, so I am sleeping like a rock with all the extra room we have.
Symptoms: Feeling pretty good this week except I am still tired.
Best Moment of the Week: Finding out the babies are very low risk for any chromosomal defects.
Movement: Sadly none.  Come on babies, let momma feel you.
Cravings: Cheetos.  I refuse to buy a bag because I know I will eat the entire thing in one sitting.
Gender: Hoping for a boy and girl, but still don't know.
Belly Button In or Out: In
Wedding Ring on or Off: On
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Doing pretty well this week.
What I Miss: My husband.  Especially since he is in my favorite city...NYC.
What I am Looking Forward to: We are going to San Francisco this weekend to celebrate our one year anniversary!
Labor Signs: Not even close.
Nursery: I am pinning away on Pinterest.
Emotions: Happy because it is shark week, we are going on a mini vaca and I am finally in my second trimester.
Confessions
Tuesday, August 12, 2014

The Garbage Can that Ruined My Day

Basically yesterday I was too lame to write a post.  Several things happened and my mind wasn't in it.  First it was a giant monsoon here for about thirty minutes which caused my office to have some flooding, leaky ceilings and a lack of motivation to work.  With this storm, it hailed like a mother.  Then there was some co-worker drama (our travel doesn't revolve around your personal schedule. GROW UP!).  Followed by some good news.

The best news...our babies are very low risk of having any chromosomal defects like down syndrome (less than 1 in 10,000).  Awww music to my ears.  We had our appointment on Thursday and saw some very active babies who checked out physically very well.  It was so amazing to see them bouncing around, waving and actually looking like babies.  Biggest relief ever.  Onto the second trimester I go.

Then some bad news...my husband is out of town for work which leaves me to do his normal chores, like taking the trash out and putting it on the sidewalk.  Before my husband left, he took down a super old and heavy satellite.  He put the satellite in the trash can (which sits in the dirt) on top of all of the garbage.  The lid did not close and what do you know, we had a monsoon come through this area which filled our trash can up too.  Pregnant woman moving said trash can 20 feet is harder than it looks.  First I had to drag this beast just to get onto the concrete and then somehow pull it onto the concrete (about 2 to 3 inches higher).  All the huffing and puffing got it up.  But then I couldn't wheel it because it weighed way more than I did with all the water in it.  Gravity happened and the satellite came out of the garbage can and proceeded to hit my car.  My car that is less than 6 months old.  Big time scratch by my door handle.  Me yelling, FUCK.  Me scaring my dog that he ran outside to the backyard.  Me in tears trying to lift the stupid heavy old satellite back into the garbage can and pull the bitch to the curb.  That shit isn't moving.  If the garbage men don't take it, it will stay there until my husband gets home.  I hate that trash can and satellite.

I was pretty upset that a pregnant gal had to lift more than her allowed weight, that my precious car has a big scratch and there were no cupcakes to make me feel better.  Aww the life when my husband is gone.  Luckily, I had mindless, dramatic reality tv to get me through the evening.

Awww I feel so much better, until my co-worker has his freak out again today.

My weekend was fast, but a good one.  We ate a bunch of amazing food.  This pregnant girl was happy.  I transformed a really old dresser into a new-ish dresser for the babies room.  I sanded and sanded and sanded as much as I could before giving up and saying it adds character.  Then I painted the pretty dresser white (hints of greys in it) and did my second coat the following day.  Success and the babies will just love it.  I keep telling myself that.  I was spoiled by my parents and sister Sunday since my husband left that day.  My mom made me dinner (she can only cook this dish properly) and my sister made me dessert.  Oh yes, heaven.  I took home a large portion for this week, thank you very much.  Walter loved it all too since he was cuddled and petted the entire day by my family and we got to watch Shark Week together.  Best week of TV EVER.

How was your weekend?  Is your week starting off as happily as mine?
Friday, August 8, 2014

Oh Hey Friday

Oh hey, Friday, nice to see you again.  It has been a very long week, and I can't wait to sleep in and save the remaining weekends of summer.

Monday or Wednesday, I have an update on the babies with lots of new ultrasound photos, so get ready for that.  But in the meantime, these are the five things I have disliked about my first trimester.

One.  Acne.  I am not a teenager anymore, nor did I have acne as a teen.  I only get a zit here and there every once in awhile, but since the hormones are raging through my body, I am breaking out like crazy.  And they are the most painful red bitches ever.  No matter how many times I wash my face, cut back on the make up or hydrate, they keep coming back.  So unattractive.  Where is the pregnancy glow I always heard about?

Two.  My uterus is stretching like crazy.  If I bend over a certain way or my pants are too tight, I feel like I am being ripped apart.  And the check out lady at the grocery store never put my Tylenol in the bag after we paid for it.  Rude.

Three.  I have only gained one pound (since I had lost some initially) which is pretty awesome, but this belly is already popping out.  But it isn't the cute baby bump we desire.  It is the, I ate too many cookies, slices of pie, cupcakes or whatever is the sugary item of the week look.  I want my cute bump please.

Four.  A full night's rest would be amazing, but the million, ok two or three, pee breaks in the middle of the night are killing me.  I love me some sleep and need to cherish it while I can.  Am I right?

Five.  I want some new clothes.  Not as much as a first trimester gripe, but I need some more flowy shirts to cover this bump for work and outside work, but I trying on clothes in front of those mirrors in the changing room are depressing for a pregnant girl.  Anyone have some fall tops that fit this criteria they have been scoping out?

And that the complaining is done, I did love most of my first trimester and look forward to the 2nd trimester where I hear it is a lot more fun, relaxing and you look cute as ever with your bump and glow.  I have also loved seeing my babies on the ultrasound screen.  The out pour of love we received with our announcement.  My love for eating more fruit and veggies than I have ever wanted.  And so much more.

Linking up for Oh Hey, Friday!

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Bump Update - 12 Weeks

Thank you all for your kind words here on this blog, on Instagram and Facebook.  We feel beyond blessed to have all this support and love.
Little munchins at 9 weeks 5 days.  They are waving to you all.

I figured I would copy my favorite bloggers out there and do a weekly (hopefully) baby/bump update.  I hope to put these up every Wednesday, so feel free to stay away then if you are not into all things baby.

Whoever said first time moms (FTMs) don't show until 18ish weeks lied.  Or maybe it is because there are twins in there.  But here is my bump at 12 weeks.

How far along: 12 weeks, 1 day
Babies are the size of a: Ripe Apricot/Lime.  They are just over 2 inches long each and weigh half an ounce each.
Maternity Clothes: Not yet.  Thankfully, but the bump is starting to show and it looks more like I ate way too many donuts than a cute little baby bump.
Stretch Marks: Nothing yet and I hope it stays that way.  Any amazing products I should consider using daily?
Sleep: Pretty good, but I wake up a couple times a night to pee.  And I think I need to buy a pregnancy pillow soon.
Symptoms: Headaches and a touch of morning sickness.
Best Moment of the Week: Announcing to extended family, friends and my bloggy buddies.
Movement: Nothing yet, but I can't wait to feel them move around.
Cravings: Watermelon.  I can't get enough.
Gender: Hoping for a boy and girl, but still don't know.
Belly Button In or Out: In
Wedding Ring on or Off: On
Anything Making You Queasy or Sick: Microwaving fish (who does this at work? Ugh).
What I Miss: A big glass of wine.  I missed the biggest glass of wine in my life on my birthday.  I am a bit dramatic over it.
What I am Looking Forward to: Feeling the babies move and finding out their genders.
Labor Signs: Not even close.
Nursery: Still have no concrete ideas until we know the genders.
Emotions: Super emotional this week.  I swear everything happy and sad gets to me.  I read about a dog's last day alive and I couldn't stop crying (at work).  I watch sappy movies, cry.  Oh Lovely hormones.

The Grits Blog
Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Big News!


We are expecting!  I have been dying to write and post this post for what seems like forever.  Remember when I told you guys we were going to start IUI fertility treatment?  Well two days later we found out we were expecting.  To say we were surprised is an understatement, but we are beyond excited.  This meant we were able to conceive without fertility help.

I took so many pregnancy tests as I thought they were giving out false positives.  Nope (apparently that doesn't happen much).  I bought my husband a Father's Day card and told him that way.  We told our parents and siblings, but kept it a secret from everyone else.  It has been so hard.  The lies.  Ugh, I am so bad at lying and I had the hardest time keeping it a secret from my friends (my closest girlfriends found out on my birthday).

I went in for an ultrasound with my fertility doctor at what I thought was 7 weeks pregnant (based on first day of my last period), but found out I was only 6 weeks 2 days (not bad since I ovulate late).  I saw the perfect little bean with a strong heartbeat.

Fast forward a week and a half-ish (July 7th) and I went in for an ultrasound with my midwife.  This time my husband came with and I am so glad that he did because my midwife spent a lot of time looking at the ultrasound hyming and hawing.  Both my husband and midwife saw before me, but we found out there were two babies growing inside of me.  We are having TWINS.  Shocked.  The only thing I could say was, "I am going to get so big".

So there you have it, at 7 weeks 5 days, we found out we are having twins.  Twins run in my family (both sides of my parents families), and I think my sister brought this on us as she kept telling us we would have twins someday.  Guess what Ash, you get double the babysitting and double the diaper duty now.  Any bets on the gender(s)?

Today I am 12 weeks, and we have an estimated due date of February 18, 2015.  But seeing as two babies are in there, my doctor thinks February 4th will the latest he will let me go.  Just please not February 1st.  I have a Super Bowl to watch and the Niners are bound to be in it.  Stay in there a little longer babies for mommy and daddy's sake.

Rest assured, this doesn't mean I will only blog about babies, but know that they will become a big part of this blog.