Baby Showers

As promised, here are the pictures from my baby showers.

The first was thrown by my friends at work:

They all pitched in and bought us this AMAZING high chair... doesn't it belong on "the Jetsons"??! Luke needed it... well, okay, maybe Lukes mom needed it! I admit it! it's really for me! The food was awesome, and the gifts could not be any cuter! I cried. Thanks guys!!!

The topiary is made out orange flavored cupcakes... yum!

My second baby shower was thrown by my friends. Hosted by Crystal. My mother-in-law, Mary, was also able to attend. She knit Luke the cutest blanket :) Orange and tan of course. Anyway, about the shower...The food and decor was fabulous! They had brunch, complete with ham/biscuit sandwiches with blackberry mustard, Petitie fours, quiches, meat/cheese platter, punch, YUM! Cassia made amazing flower arrangements out of cowboy boots, so cute! And the gifts were awesome, I have a fully stocked nursery now! Thanks girls!!

From Left: Cassia, Me, Natalie, Kylie, Keeley, Mary (mom-in-law), Laura

Kinley in front

The Girls! From left: Joanna, Sarah, Cassia, Marcie (made cutest diaper cake), Crystal (Hostess with the mostest!), Amy (w/cute baby Brinley), Lindsey, Laura, Natalie

All things Baby

I can't believe my due date is only 4 weeks away!!! Yikes.

I've had 2 baby showers, and they were so above-and-beyond what I expected! My co-workers threw me an awesome shower and collectively bought be the awesomeest, coolest baby high-chair ever! (could i be more excited?!!)
Then my friend Crystal hosted a shower at her house, and it was awesome! The food and decor were out-of-this-world! I had blackberry mustard for the first time, yum! And we recieved a pile of the cutest most adorable gifts :) thanks guys! I will post pictures as soon as I compile them.

This weekend I have so much to do! Luckily, I have what I can only describe as God-given energy and I feel ready to take on the world! Hopefully, I can finish a few of my remaining projects this weekend:

-Sewing baby bumper, crib skirt and quilt

-Hanging shelves in nursery and arranging books (awww, i got some cute books :)

-Wash all baby clothes and hang or put away

-Pack hospital bag

-Buy remaining baby things

and probably more things that i can't remember at this minute...

oh yeah, erica keeps telling me to take some cute maternity pics.... and i was going to... i even considered paying a professional to take them. Then I googled maternity pics to see if I could get some ideas...hmmm... yeah, the majority of them were of mostly naked pregnant women, sometimes with a naked spouse/partner in the pic too.. hmmm... I think I'll pass! Not that those women didn't look beautiful or sexy, but you normally wouldn't post mostly naked pictures of yourself if you weren't pregnant, so I don't see why having a baby makes it okay.... it's still a really intimate picture.. that's just my rant/rave about all this.

I might take some pics in the backyard (fully clothed!) and Deric will have to be the unpaid photographer :) baby belly will definitely be in the pics, we'll see if my face makes the cut... i just do not pose well for a pic.. says alot about my maturity level :)

In other domestic news... the garden is in full swing! We had our first harvest of okra and tomatoes... This year I decided to grow 2 types of okra, the regualar green and then a beautiful scarlet variety. I also planted 3 heirloom tomato plants and 1 regular red plant. The pic below shows the black prince tomato (more of a brown, maroon) and a yellow-heirloom variety.. and isn't that scarlet okra pretty??? once i get a full crop, i'll post some of my fave okra and tomato recipes. The only other thing we have growing is a yellow watermelon, but that won't be ready to eat until late August, i think.

Nesting

I think the nesting has officially started. We spent all day working around the house, trying to get baby's room ready. So far, we have the crib, dresser and new sofa bed set up, all from IKEA, which I am LOVING' these days!
Technically, we are ready to house a baby!
that's crazy, i'll be 34 weeks this week. yikes!
I've been trying to finish my sewing of the bedding (will post pics later), but my sewing maching broke, so I am helpless, for a few days only i hope.
So, yes, have ALOT to do. Hopefully Luke will stay put until i'm done... luke, listen to your momma!

DA BELLY

I'm just going to apologize in advance....

The next, oh.... hundred or so blogs will be about baby... yup, i've tried to hold back long enough.. but a new baby has a way of consuming most of your thoughts, actions..

Today, we will talk about: Da Belly

Yes, the ever-growing, ever-thightening, most inconvenient belly.... I love it! Despite all the negative descriptions, it does hold our little one...

What I dont' love is that it slows me down, and i can't bend over anymore, and it hurts to roll over in bed... all small things, but can be very frustrating..

.... but all is forgotten when the belly starts moving! yes, i become mesmorized by the way it changes shape and form with baby's movements... I can say that i've fallen in love with the little guy already!!! and I forgive him for the way he's stretching my body :)

So for those who need a visual, here it is: Belly at 32weeks

Playing catch-up

I'm feeling a little guilty for not keeping up with my blog. First of all, I really do like to blog, just don't get around to it. It's such good therapy.. rambling about nothings...

I just noticed that my last entry was December, yikes!

Well, a few things have happened since December!

The biggest change has been pregnancy! yes, they warn you that everything changes, but not that everything changes!

1st Trimester:
Could not eat: onions, asian food, coffee, salad

Wanted to eat: Chef Boyardee ravioli, fried chicken, McDonald's (anything), pizza, hamburgers, mom's cooking (which was not available so, i improvised and made chicken noodle soup in a large pot, had too much of it, do not want it again for a looooong time)

Felt sea-sick on&off most of day... not really morning.. never threw up.. (ok, threw up once, but only because my throat hurt and my mom recommended a salt gargle... never doing that again)

Was under the impression I could gain 2 lbs a week... and eat 300 more caloires a day....

2nd Trimester:
.... until i read my baby book for the 2nd trimester and it said, "you can now start eating 300 more calories a day..." WHAT?!!! what was I doing all that extra eating for during the first trimester??!! grrr... that's what happens when i don't bother to ask the doctor specific questions...

Needless to say, gained more weight than wanted... Lesson learned :) read the fine print!

Could not eat: Sushi, not by choice!!!!

Wanted to eat: EVERYTHING IN SIGHT!!! Mostly asian food and sushi, almost jumped my co-worker who innocently decided to sit next to me with her sweet & sour pork... oh those little morsels of battered, deep-fried pork, with neon-red dipping sauce... oh how I wanted it!!!

I also experienced my first hormone-induced fit of rage.. was at Central Market (kind-of a Whole Foods type-place), checking out and i asked the checker if her lane was opened, because she wasn't standing in front of it.. and the answer i got was, " yes, i'm open, that's why the light above my register is on." WHAT??@!!! what do you think i am??!! an idiot?? Like i don't know what the light above the register means@!!!!!!! oooh, that started it! then i had left my planner with my grocery list in my basket, and as she takes it out, she Slaps! it on the counter!!!! ok, enough with the attitude! I happened to be onthe phone with my sister nina, and i broke into a string of Anger-induced Romanian and I told nina that if that checker even so much as looked at me again, I would reach over the counter and drag her outside and beat her with my planner! but i'm over it :)

Coolest thing about pregnancy so far: feeling baby move. People say it's cool, but nothing prepares you for the first time you realize that it's not lunch you're feeling, but baby. and when he does a complete somersault, your whole abdoment shifts, so cool! I like to pretend i know what he's thinking or saying when he moves... like for instance when I was joking with my friend on facebook that I would make my son wear white patent leather shoes on easter... yup, i got a big kick for that statement... guess he doesn't like that idea :) and then when Deric first told him to be a good boy, he gave a big kick too... i think of it as a "high five" to daddy ;)

Next on agenda: name-picking, crib buying, decisions on diapers (cloth vs. disposable), and a bazillion other things i know i'm overlooking...

keep tuned, more momma-drama to come!

Catching Up

It's been only a month, but, yikes! it's been busy

• painted all doors in house, and replaced hardware.. from old bronze yucky to new smooth, shiny silver
  
• Remodeled master bathroom


• Put some new landscape in the front yard, nothing fancy, it was a diy project


• went to young married couple party at church with sunday school class, lots of fun!!!

• Spent thanksgiving with the inlaws at their ranch in the Tx panhandle (Deric and his brothers moving cows)
  

• Spent only 1 day Christmas shopping! It was in and out, no messing around, no trying on stuff for myself (even though I was super tempted and there is so much cuteness out there to be bought!!!!)
• Had an open house at work in our dept, made lots of food, all junk of course!
• One of my fave cousins, dave got engaged!!! yay! they look so cute, don't they?! So happy for you guys!
  

• And, to leave the best for last......... We're going to have a baby!!!!!!!!!!!

There he is! Little Nugget Waters! Has a little hearbeat already, and a liver bud, and just got elbows!! I'm about 10 weeks along now. I knew something was wrong when I couldn't finish my sushi...and I always finish my sushi! Yes, hormones are weird... I never know what new thing will make me gag from one day to another. Other than that, I have had any vomiting or craziness, just the nausea and some weight gain. Otherwise, I don't really feel pregnant..

So people have been asking if we have names picked out, nursery done, etc... No , no , no. .... I think we're going to wing it... seriously, women have been giving birth since the beginning of time, it can't be that hard! It's not like we're going to completely wing it, we are planning on seeing a doctor regularly (even though Deric says I only take their advice as suggestions.... well, they aren't always right! trust me, I work in the medical field, docs are human, just like us, make mistakes, have biased opinions...)... any hooo, I am reading 2 books on pregnancy and Deric is reading a book on Gospel parenting... and I have thought about names for like 10 minutes one day (still clueless)... and I did look up ideas for nurseries online...

So What I mean to say is that we're not complete procrastinators... just enjoying the process :) Mostly trying not to get too crazy about it all. Yes, it's a big deal, yes, a baby changes everything, but I know my tendencies to over prepare and try to do everything to perfection, and I have found that perfection is a hopeless battle. So, I will relax, enjoy the process, take 1 day at a time, pray contstantly and hope for the best!

And I can't wait to meet him! yes, it's a "him" until otherwise noted.

That's all folks! stay tuned for more craziness!

Loves

Sometimes when life gets crazy and makes us dizzy with doubt the best medicine is to reflect on the goodness of God
and the things that we have
and those that we love
and know that when
all is said and done
it will all be
okay
even
if it doesn't
always feel that way
eventually the truth of God's
goodness and faithfulness can be
seen even in the smallest details of life
and in the embraces of those that we love
and the enjoyment of those small moments
no matter how small they are they are always
a testament to His grace mercy love hope peace neverending


Love you

Now I can blog freely

Now that i've gotten the long overdue food blog out of the way, I can post and blog about other random things that need to be said. Mostly political things



1. Nobel peace prize committe is a joke

2. A public option of healthcare is also a joke... so far all the healthcare versions in the senate do not cover ALL uninsured Americans. With any of the purposed plans, there will still be uninsured people, so what's the point?!

3. Insurance companies cannot compete with the government in healthcare. Any public option proposal will lead to employers discontinuing to pay for their employees' benefits.. why should they when their employees can just get on the public government program?! if it smells like socialism, walks like socialism, talks like socialist, it's the President!

4. SNL is finally starting to come around to realizing our pres is not the golden boy he says he is:
made me giggle, but so sad, because it's all true!http://www.hulu.com/watch/99945/saturday-night-live-obama-address


Please, fellow Americans, try to see behind the picture he paints of himself. And especially for all the Christians out there, the man is the most liberal, far-left president yet. His policies speak volumes. No concern for the sanctity of marriage, no concern for the un-born, no concern for personal freedom and freedom of speech, and no concern for a free market.
The next time we have a chance to vote, for anything! be it on a county, state or national level, let's get it right!

*Paid for by the "I am Disgusted about our Current Administration" Fund*

Cheese for dessert?! Mais Oui!!

Oh the things I ate! Enjoy this food tour of France and Italy...

DAY 1

The trip started off well with cheese served on the plane! Can't go wrong.

My first coffee (espresso) in Paris!

French onion soup, of course!

Lunch was steak & fries w/ pepper sauce - very traditional - pepper sauce is yuck, fries are yum

Day 2

Riomagiorre, Italy (Cinque Terre)

Italian Pizza

Deric had a slice that had sausage ( i think they were Ball Park hotdogs)

I had pesto pizza, basil goodnesss

Dinner in Riomaggiore

Deric had fish and potatoes cooked in tomato & olive oil sauce

I had pasta with fresh anchovies. I like anchovies! I suspected I would!

Dessert was a cheese plate with tomatoes & honey... ever had honey with stinky cheese?! Divine!

Day 3

Monterosso, Italy (cinque terre)

Dinner - minestrone , so good, so comforting...

Day 4

Cap D'Ail, France

Tomato, Onion, Anchovy & olive salad

Crisp cool tomatoes with tangy onions and the strong salted anchovy.... a perfect medley

Cap D'Ail, France - The view from the hostel patio

Probably my favorite meal of the trip: everything was so fresh! we ate on the patio overlooking the mediterranean, drank water from large bottles, and this was at the hostel where we stayed!
Pasta with mussels, shrimp, calamari and peas!!!! lots of peas!!! genius!

Day 5

Nice, France
We had a 3 course lunch

Starter: Deric had Nicoise salad (Tuna, eggs, anchovies, I ate his anchovies :)

Starter: I had foie gras on toast. Very good. Very rich. Made me Very sick. too much fat for my poor gallbladder.

Main Course: Deric had steak and fries, with not enough ketchup to satisfy him

Main Course: I had Fish provenceal (tomatoes, onions, olives). It was okay. I think the zuchinni was bad.

Dessert: Deric had creme brulee... he doesn't like the crunchy, sugary topping.. what?!

Dessert: I had cheese! Chevre (goat cheese), Brie, and Emmental cheese

Now this is how you end a meal! ( and any diet you are on!)

Day 6

Montpellier, France

Celeste's Baptism

AMAZING Lunch!

Forgot to photograph the appetizer, I was too busy holding babies and scarfing down the appetizer. It was plates of salami slices and small breadsticks made of the most amazing soft buttery dough served on granite tiles for plates... so chic!

Round 1: Fresh heirloom tomatoes served with a feta-yogurt dip, I am salivating just looking at this picture!

Filet and Mashed potatoes - okay, I wiped my plate clean! the sauce was liquid gold! I know it had more butter than I care to imagine, but it just melted in my mouth...

Dessert: I was told this was a regional specialty. A tower of vanilla & chocolate cream puffs piled high to create a tower.

This is what my portion of the tower looked like: there was also fresh fruit ( i got mango & strawberries) and a nut brittle which I couldn't eat because of my metal mouth

Day 6

Nimes, France

Home of the largest, most well-preserved, Roman colesium in the world

Deric had salad with smoked duck breast and foie gras. Notice the thick layer of fat on the duck breast... we did not eat that! But i have heard that french fries cooked in duck fat are amazing... i'll try that next time i'm in france...

I had daube, which is a french dish where cuts of beef are slow cooked to become very tender.. very good.

Day 7

Marseilles, France

Deborah & Sebastian's Home

The cooked us dinner.

We started off with anchovy (left) and olive tapenade... olive was very good and tangy... I have to admit that there is a such thing as tooo much anchovy... not a fan of the tapenade

Dinner was duck breast with home-fried potatoes in duck fat, oh yumm... duck breast tasted very much like steak to me, well the consistency if very much like beef... I really enjoyed this!

And for Dessert???!!! CHEESE!

Sebastian is a budding cheese-maker... The top 3 cheese are homeade chevre..

oh and the bottom right is roquefort, oh it is my new favorite!

Day 8

Pertuis, France

(Provence Region, Le Luberon)

It was a cold and rainy day, all day, we drove in the rain, walked in the rain... finally decided to eat at a French equivalent of an Applebees or such...

Pretty good food! They were running specials to advertise that the government had recently decreased the sales tax on food... so all the prices had the new, lower-tax price printed next to the original price that was scratched out...

I had a sauteed cabbage casserole with baked potato and sour cream.... kinda a romo dish...

Day 9

Back in Paris!!

Ate dinner with Deric's friends, Claire & Jeffrey...

They took us out to dinner at a local bistro

I tired escargot!!! Snails!!!

They have the cosistency of a cooked oyster or clam... The sauce they were in was very good and we dipped our bread into it..

Dinner was a past with cream sauce and chicken and mushrooms... what could go wrong?!

Day 10

Paris

Lunch in paris, kebab sandwiches... basically the meat that is cooked on long vertical spits... and shaved off once it's cooked...

check out the small fork for the fries! genius! you never get your hands greasy!

Day 11

Paris

Montemarte District

We had crepes before going to Sacre Coeur

I had potato, bacon and cheese crepe for lunch

and dessert crepe was coconut and banana!!

Day 12

Last lunch in Paris :(

We sat at a cafe on a large square and people watched.

We shared ceasar salad... very fresh

And french pizza that had too much cheese... oh well, i just had to eat it all....

And that was the food journal that I kept. I left out most breakfasts and snacks... I had to enjoy some things in the moment and didn't have time to take a pic.. or maybe i was too grumpy in the morning to care...

either way, I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed eating the food...

seriously, Americans need to start eating cheese for dessert!!

Back to normal?!

Well, vacation and summertime are officially over. Just coming off 2 week tour of mostly France and little of Italy. Had a blast, came home very tired.



Our bathroom is being remodeled... rooms are being painted (only because the guy that was supposed to paint our bathroom is super-affordable and he even scraped off our popcorn ceilings in the bedroom and hallway!!!!)

but now our house is covered in a thin film of powdery-white dust, won't that be fun to clean up?!