Some News...

It's pretty far along to share this news but with all the busy-ness of the past few months, exhaustion, food aversions and chasing a toddler who runs everywhere. We are so thankful to announce we'll be welcoming a little girl in to our family this June.

I'm currently 18 weeks along and finally started feeling normal at 16 weeks. The morning sickness started so early with this one, (at about 4 wks) I was sure I had the flu that would never end and finally realized what this probably meant. After three months of intense food aversions and really boring meals I've come out on the other side feeling normal again.

The Bair picked up his first serious cold which he's passed around (to even the extended family) so as I currently recover from it I am really looking forward to getting better and feeling more useful. 

She's due in about 6 months, plenty of time to get things in order but with Christmas and showers already planned I am feeling I pressure to nail down what we need for her. We spent a little time shopping yesterday and it felt odd to be in the girls section, like I couldn't be buying for my own daughter (for some reason I thought I would have a couple boys first, then a girl). Anyone who knows me knows I firmly stay away from the "girlier" items like pink, flowers, bows and ruffles. I still think it's so cute on other babies (no judgement) it's just not my jam and never has been even since I was very young. In a nutshell I want to dress her in mostly the type of things I would wear and basics that go with everything, save a hair clip or tie for a pebbles-like ponytail because that is just too cute (now she'll probably be bald for a year and half). These parameters really narrow the options but hasn't been too much to ask. It was good to see that even with my pinhole focus I could find a few things even at the most mainstream stores. 

I know you're thinking I'll probably give this girl some type of complex but as soon as she is old enough to choose I would love her to pick out whatever she wants to wear - until she's a teenager of course and then there will be a whole new set of "cover up the goodies" parameters. So I think I'll avoid any long term damage but we'll start putting away money for the therapist just in case. 

If you have any ideas for some non-pink/flowery nurseries please pass them along. I think I'm leaning towards white furniture with gold and navy accents, maybe a little aqua too if this palette seems to bland. 

At What Cost?

A year and a few days ago we moved in to our dream home. It has just enough rooms, just enough yard, just enough living space and just enough storage for our future family. The only hitch is it really fits our future family. It's a little more than we need currently, although a lot can change in a year or two or three. If two years ago you told me I would be living in a new house, much less this house, I would have sent you to the loony bin. Except, things changed,

we sold, we bought, we moved and here we are. Truly, we never should have gotten this house, our offer never should have been selected among the many others, our loan never should have been approved, but after a lot of prayer (and I mean a lot, like almost constant) there was a chain of perfectly timed events as this reality unfolded before us and it was clear this was part of God's perfect plan for our family. Every day we are thankful for this opportunity and the future this change lays before us.

We are thankful to have this home where our son and future children can play hide and seek, shoot hoops, make up secret hand shakes, walk to school, hang in the playhouse and bug the other kids in the neighborhood. I can picture all of it, especially the loud and messy family dinners, I just can't wait. Raising our kids in one home without moving is exactly what we always wanted but wrote it off because this seemed impossible. 

Currently though, the house really is a little more than we need. Attempting to clean, decorate, and fill this house with furniture has been a beast. Not only do I not have time to Pinterest the heck out of this place and make decisions, I don't have the means to buy all new furniture and decor to make the rooms cohesive. Sometimes I am completely okay with the lack of, well anything that looks good in my house. Rather I focus on my family, friends and the present. Other days, it feels like an overwhelming responsibility (not an amazing opportunity) sometimes, especially when I see my friends perfectly decorated homes, I just don't understand how they can so quickly pull a place together with fabulous furniture, couches, dining room tables, mirrors, lamps (why are lamps so expensive!?!?) Our main couch is from Costco and I'm pretty sure we'll keep it in our family room for a few more years. It helps that this couch is ridiculously comfortable and never shows a stain.

Internally, I feel such a struggle to present a nice home, nothing over the top but something warm and inviting, like I don't know, a table in the dining room, door handles that don't stick, and doors that are new enough to fit this century weather stripping but I also feel compelled to live biblically when it comes to material possessions. This can mean a lot of different things to people depending on what God has called them to do but for me, as it relates to my home, it means living simply and minimizing purchases of goods. There was just a really great sermon about this at church hitting on exactly what I'm discussing here. Even if you don't believe in God I think this is something to see, we all feel the pressure or the NEED to live in a certain neighborhood, buy this purse, send kids to her school, get those kids on his team, but at what cost? What are you giving up while you chase these "NEEDS". What really is the return on the commitments you make to get yourself or your family the things you "NEED"? I've seen quite a few Pinterest and blog posts stating...

which is often stated in the context of children but I think it's applicable to broader situations. Things which might seem necessary in the moment but in reality these don't bring joy or further a purpose. "Need" is a relative term of course but I really try to be thankful for the roof over our heads, indoor plumbing and other luxuries we seem to forget are not available to the majority of the world. 

We all have a thing or two in our home that bothers us and one of my things has always been weather stripping. I have no idea why but I remember my dad replacing it every couple years before winter arrived. Anyhow our house has none, it drives me insane and after consulting a few people our options are get new doors or deal with the lack of insulation and the bugs coming through the gaping holes (ok, I guess maybe they're cracks). That's just one of my many struggles right now while trying to decide what we save, what we spend for ourselves: dinners out, drinks, gifts for friends...and how we support causes close to our heart, while still paying our regular monthly expenses: utilities, mortgage, etc. (which are obviously a top priority from a credit standpoint). Do we save the money? Donate it an organization for people who don't even have a roof over their head? Or bite the bullet and appease our (my) need for first world comforts, justifying it because I need this for my sanity? I mean I really do need to stop chasing down bugs with spray bottles of water, vinegar and tea tree oil and one of the bugs could bite my little baby and what if he ate a spider and my home is hotter/colder and my energy use is not efficient and that means we will be wasting money, and...and...and....

So that's what we are evaluating now and I think this will be an ever shifting list of priorities as Husband and I get older, grow in our careers, have more children, those children get busy, and our friendships grow and change. We should always be in a season of reevaluation and I pray we have the wisdom, foresight, and courage to see when we are being called to make a shift.  

How do you handle these types of situations, what is your tipping point for whether you save, spend, or donate?  What is one thing you think you could let go of that doesn't have a real purpose in your life?

*Salsa* to Brighten Your Monday

That's my guy!

Weekend Roundup 8.30.14

Have a wonderful LONGGGGG weekend, hopefully there is some adventure and relaxation in your future!

No bake peanut butter pie

I should be doing this more

Finally some reasonable priced denim, I can't wait to try a pair!

I met the sweet founder of Austin Cocktails and tried the Cucumber Vodka Mojito, Tea Twister and Paradise Found. If you like summery pour over ice cocktails check them out! They're hoping to be in Bevmos early next year! 

How to breastfeed appropriately

How many ounces in a glass of wine? That explains the hangover. 

I want to be invited!

Pregnancy Week 15 - 11.28.12 & My SIL's Engagement

Written 11.28.12...

Thanksgiving was excellent and tasty at the Lake Tahoe Ritz.  Other big news is that my sister in law (SIL) is ENGAGED!!  Very exciting and we could not be happier for her and her fiancé, (welcome to the family T!!!)  It looks like I just picked up another fun project for the next few months - can't wait to start wedding planning with the SIL :)

And some other fun activities...

 

In other news.....

Little Bean we know what you are now!!!  Everyone was so excited to find out, we all headed over to Gimi and Poppa's (my parents) to share the news. We created a large surprise box filled with balloons which when opened would tell everyone what you are.

Team Boy...

Team Girl...


Drum roll please...

    

Your are a BOY!!!!


Everyone else is just as excited as us, thank you all for the sweetest cards, calls and texts...

Look what you had to say to those who thought you were a lady...we need to work on your manners.

Feeling:

Everything is going well this week just some uterus stretching which feels like a closed fist trying to expand and stretch inside of me.

Eating:

Samesies as before (eggnog, Indian food, rice, white potatoes) and mustard

Aversions: 

Meat, salad, nut butters

Thoughts: 

We would be thankful no matter what but this news is particularly great because I didn't realize how nervous I was for a girl until grandma and great Auntie pulled out the American Girl doll catalog. Hubs and I are not ready for that yet, God definitely blesses you with the baby you are meant to have. I am starting to kind of like some little girl things though so maybe after raising BBK (Baby Boy K) for a few years I will be ready for a girl?

Weight:

126.2lbs, gain of 3.1 lbs

Pregnancy Week 14 - 11.19.12

Written 11.19.12...

Baby is the size of a...

The name of the game for this little lemon is RICE.

Apparently I now love rice, of all kinds with all available add-ins and spices.  I was never much of a rice fan but le bebe is all about it. I was starving while picking up some one-offs at Whole Foods and headed to the deli where I scooped up three kinds of rice. I also grabbed some kale and butternut squash for good measure trying to force some veggies in me. I don't know if other mothers have this thought but "How is baby not enjoying the foods I normally eat?" and "Why am I a carb monster?"  I've never been a big fan of any bread, rice, pasta unless it is top tier sourdough bread eaten with seafood. Being pregnant is another story, we have black rice in our pantry that I cannot stop thinking about. When I consider pairing it with something normal like salmon or a salad I want to excuse myself to the toilet so at this rate I may just be eating black rice with....more black rice?

I am very much looking forward to our Thanksgiving with both families and celebrating all the great things that are in store for our family. My sister bought a house, Hubby's sister is about to get engaged (my personal prediction from 7 months ago), and of course Baby K. We will also have the opportunity to spend some quality time with the Hub's little cousin who is a blast and warms my heart.

Feeling:

Pretty good, still tired and having trouble staying up past 8pm

Eating: 

RICE
Bland things like mashed white potatoes (what?)

Aversions: 

Still no nut butters except Skippy natural (non-pregnant me would not eat this) and Justin's PB is semi-ok. I only bought it so I could force myself to stop eating Skippy

Vegetables, especially the green leafy variety

Almond milk

ALL meat

Thoughts:

Only 1 week until we know what this little bean is and obviously I can't wait!!

Weekend Roundup 8.8.14

Off to a friends epic wedding this weekend and with all the travel involved I know I will need some link entertainment. Here are a few to get you through the slow moments this weekend...

Next time I host a brunch I am making this

16 shocking facts you'll wish were made up

21 weird parenting products

What to make with an exploding zucchini crop? This, this, and this

Need to make this sangria

Leonardo da Vinci's resume

Pregnancy Week 13 - 11.14.12

Written 11.14.12

Welcome to Trimester 2!

I can't believe we only have 2 weeks until we know what the little bean is, I can't wait :)

Baby K is almost all registered for his goodies, I just need to do a little more research and registry clean up this weekend. Some of these decisions were a little overwhelming so I am very pleased we have it done early!

Feeling:
My energy is up and I actually pulled off staying up past midnight. Typically not advisable but was necessary to keep on dancing at my oldest friends wedding. (Congratulations S and C!)

Eating:
I ate my first piece of meat in weeks, flank steak and a rib, it was good. Oddly the smell made me feel like I needed it immediately.  The second and third piece of flank steak were not so hot so maybe I was fooled by the smell or only needed a little bit of protein.

Pasteurized eggnog, love the Strauss kind with a fiery passion and was beyond excited to find out this was pasteurized! Lucky me and Baby K!

Aversions:
Peanut butter - I think I had a bad batch as part of the recalls this summer and I'm convinced that my morning sickness was kicked off by consuming too much of this over a 4 day weekend
Chicken
Eggs (sometimes)

The usual breakfast of rice cereal and almond milk is no longer working, I got sick on the train to work and almost fainted. It was pretty awful and actually pretty scary. 

Thoughts and Surprises:
We saw our friends adorable little son who is just the sweetest, although he wouldn't let me hold him this time. We used to be buds but he just really wanted his mama. Sad face, but it must be so fulfilling to know your little one just wants to be with YOU.

I shared the news with my bosses this week and both were great about it. One has one year old baby so he had some great advice and we had a nice chat about it. They seem excited for us which is perfect and just what I hoped for.

Pregnancy Week 12 - 11.7.12 & 11.8.12

Written 11.7.12...

Almost there!!!! On Saturday I will finally be through the first trimester.

We have our 12 wk ultrasound on Thursday and I can't wait to see the little Bebe, I may have high expectations for this visit. I have heard/read about ppl's babies dancing around and doing a lot of moving so hopefully i get to see something like that in movies it seems like the little beans just hang around not a lot of jumping. maybe we'll even see some thumb sucking :) :) :)

Written 11.8.12...

We had our ultrasound and our little guy is starting to look less like a bean and more like a baby. Ok maybe more like an alien but it is exciting to see the arms, legs, etc. what a miracle!

Feeling: 
EXCITED!!!! To finish breaking the news. Tired but not too hormonal. Generally and consistently nauseous but nothing crazy.

Eating:
Anything that is not sweet
Indian food but baby is not down for this - this is a mom craving. I requested a double order of my favorite Indian food which is very tasty and very expensive so I had a private chat with baby about helping me keep this down. Indian 3 days in a row so far and trying for 1 more time tomorrow, maybe I'm pushing my luck?

Aversion:
Sweet things - like at all sweet, pretzels and smoothies are too sweet!
All nut butters - didn't think that was possible
Nuts (besides peanuts)
Meat - the smell especially, yuck!

Surprises: 
This week the baby develops reflexes and learns to hiccup. On day 1 I randomly got hiccups in spurts anywhere from 1-5. I like to think the baby was giving me some hiccups.

A week in Sunriver, OR

This week we spent some time in Sunriver, OR with my husbands side of the family and our favorite family friends. There were 15 of us total with us "kids" out numbering parents almost 4 to 1. That ratio alone set us up for a good time. Unfortunately we had some off weather, it even hailed! But with great company we made the best of it. 

We rode bikes and baby bear had his first opportunity to be pulled in a bike drawn carriage and he pretty much loved cruisin behind Daddy.  

I had only ridden once since I was 14 (except that fluke 20mi bike ride complete with happy hour stops) so I was a little wobbly and my tail bone was pretty sore but I enjoyed my beach cruiser. There were a few hills where gears would have been useful so next time I will probably rent a bike ready to take on more hilly terrain. 

We celebrated the 29th birthday of this special guy...

Ate some great food...

Baby Bear tried his first ice cream, not as much of a hit as I expected...

and a particularly awesome dessert, S'mores Pie (recipe to follow in a few days)...

Larger than your man's hand doughnuts...

Had a few quiet minutes despite trauma from teething...

Popped a molar, well half of it.  Looking forward to when this misery maker is done torturing my baby.  

Did some swimming....

Ate some dirt...

Took a raft down the Deschutes...

All in all a relaxing, hilarious, and memorable week!  

P.S. Any suggestions for another family oriented, active vacation spot? We love Sunriver but are hoping to switch it up every couple years. 

Take Me Back...

Last weekend we enjoyed a perfect stay at one of our favorite places that is very close to our hearts. Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, it is where I spent my 18th Birthday, where we shared our first Valentine's Day, our wedding night, three of four anniversaries and many a family event. 

My MIL graciously gifted us her resort points so we could enjoy a fire pit room and the abundance of the club lounge which is basically a smorgasbord of complimentary food & beverage offerings throughout the day with breakfast, light snacks, hors d’oeuvres, coffee, tea, cocktails and cordials. They also offer movies, games and sometimes other events and activities. 

The weekend was fantastic, and that is an understatement. We walked the sea cliff trails...

and met a friend...

                                  

who then only decided to show us his best side...

Indulged in the fabulous spa amenities...

(that's not us) 

Watched a traditional Indian wedding in the courtyard and enjoyed nice conversations with other guests while enjoying club lounge drinks and hors d' oeuvres and of course some cookies...

Side note I love traditions whether they be family cultural or a personal ritual I think it's so interesting that out of everything the human race has done over the thousands of year some things just stick, become and remain tradition. I'm always eager to learn about the traditions of others and was so excited to be able to witness another event filled with deeply rooted ritual and tradition. 

Sunday brought a lazy morning with breakfast at the firepit...

and a nap for the better half while I organized some of our things and enjoyed the view (you can't really tell but over the grassy knoll it's all ocean). We checked out later that morning but took advantage of the fact we still had club access and visited the spa again as well as the club lounge for a little of this...

You guys I'm telling you, this is the best chocolate almond toffee I have ever tasted and believe me when I say I've eaten a lot of this stuff. The title of professional chocolate toffee almond bark taster is more than warranted. 

Ciao Half Moon Bay, I hope to see you soon!!

What's your happy place? What kind of traditions are part of your culture or family?