Pensacola - Day 6

This final trip post will be short and sweet! The morning began with a post-wedding catered brunch with the other out-of-town guests. Isla was begging to go to the "cool" the whole time and since we wanted to wear her out so she'd take a good nap before our late flight, we obliged, said our goodbyes and hit the pool. We had another picnic lunch on our patio (consisting of leftover items from the hotel breakfast buffet). Isla somehow got a hold of a bag of Lay's. I don't know that she actually ate any but I thought it made for a comical picture.

Look at the view from our patio!

Words can't describe how much I love this little girl (or this picture!) Look at those crazy curls!

We were able to do a late check out after Isla napped at 2 PM and then returned to the pool for more water time. We showered off in the little outdoor beach shower before getting dressed in the hotel bathroom and heading off the the airport for our 6:40 PM flight. The trip home was LONG with a brief layover in Houston. All the flights were packed to the brim I think because they were having to re-route a lot of passengers because of all the tornadoes in the midwest. It seemed like there were a LOT of people standing around the airport which made me nervous that our flight would also get canceled. Thankfully, we landed without incident shortly after midnight in Seattle (felt like 2 AM Florida time!) Isla slept for most of the Houston to Seattle leg but I just couldn't get comfy. As much as I'm not looking forward to paying for a 3rd ticket, I am looking forward to having my lap free. Oh wait....we're having a baby, aren't we?

Pensacola - Day 5

I think the key take-home point from our trip is this: WE NEED A SWIMMING POOL! For once in her life, Isla turned into a great napper after spending our mornings at the pool. It was glorious. She slept for at least 1 1/2 hours everyday (a Christmas miracle!) and sometimes even 2 hours (If your kids nap longer than this in a day, I'm tellin' ya, count yourself very blessed!) Anyhow, if you're wondering about that big hole I'm digging in the backyard, well....

So the whole purpose of our trip was to attend the wedding of my friend Sarah to her fiance James. Sarah and I met early on during my year in Dallas and was a great support for me when I was far from home. We were thrilled to have her in our wedding and just as thrilled to be invited to attend her destination wedding. I've never been to a wedding on the beach, particularly a beach as beautiful as Pensacola. Que romantico!

I loved that the beach made it feel a little less formal so it wasn't a big deal if Isla let out a couple peeps. Thankfully they handed out bottles of water a) because it was quite warm and b) because they kept Isla entertained through the entire ceremony.

I've never attended a wedding barefoot before!

Seriously, could the setting be any more gorgeous?

The glowing, BEAUTIFUL bride

The reception took place at the naval base in Pensacola. Isla got to not only see but also touch her first Blue Angel.

Oh man how I miss Sarah! It was so good to see her and introduce her to Isla. Sarah is probably one of the most giving people I know. She even offered (as the bride!!) to hold Isla for a song so Graham and I could dance. Isla wasn't shy at all and loved being at "Sarah's Wedding."

My legs were pretty tired so thankfully Graham had another lady he could dance with....the two of them also performed a spontaneous duet out in the lobby that had the guests raving.

Congrats to Sarah and James and thanks so much for letting us be a part!

Coconut French Toast with Grilled Pineapple

It's about time "Kelsie's Kitchen" had a little more to do with the kitchen! I always have the greatest intentions of sharing my favorite recipes, my weekly menus and nutrition tips with all of you but then I also dream of getting my food-only blog up and running for this very purpose...Until that happens, I'd better just start posting because I have quite the stockpile of recipes collecting!

I love going out to breakfast. In fact, I think I may actually love it more than going out to dinner but I never want to claim this fact with confidence lest my honey decide to eliminate dinners out completely. I don't know what it is about breakfast but I adore all things carbohydrate, particularly specialty pancakes and, for some reason, going out somehow gives me the green light to indulge in these richer treasures that I normally wouldn't produce in my own kitchen. Don't get me wrong. I think I've mastered a pretty mean whole wheat buttermilk pancake but there is still something about going out that makes that pancake even better. Maybe it's the globs of butter and mountains of whipped cream? Or maybe it's the fact that I didn't have to do any of the work myself? Whatever the case, I would normally prefer breakfast out....until today....

It's been a busy week here in the Crozier household so I wanted to treat my family to a special Saturday breakfast since it was the first Saturday morning we've been home together in all the month of May. Graham had torn out a recipe from my most recent Cooking Light magazine that I thought I'd surprise him with it and give it a try. I'm telling you, it is to die for and french toast usually isn't even my thing.

They came together really quickly and the great thing about the recipe is that it could easily be made dairy-free if needed by eliminating the 1/4 cup milk and replacing it with the same amount of coconut milk. (I've been surrounded by breastfeeding mamas who have had to go dairy and soy free lately and so I thought I'd throw that out there!) Also, I bet the sugar could easily be reduced to 2 Tbsp. Of course, everything is a little better with whipped cream so I made that little addition (which isn't included in the nutrition facts). I whipped 1/2 cup whipping cream with 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla extract until stiff peaks formed. A little dollop will do ya! ENJOY!

Coconut French Toast with Grilled Pineapple

1 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) French baguette, cut into 15 slices
Cooking spray
10 (1/4-inch-thick) slices peeled pineapple
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 200°. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

Combine coconut milk, sugar, fat-free milk, and eggs in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Working in batches, dip bread in the milk mixture, and let stand for 1 minute on each side.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and coat pan with cooking spray. Add 5 coated bread slices to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place on warm pan in oven to keep warm. Repeat procedure in batches with cooking spray, remaining slices, and milk mixture.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add pineapple, and grill for 2 minutes on each side or until well marked. Chop pineapple. Place 3 slices of French toast on each of 5 plates, and divide the pineapple among servings. Top with coconut.

Yield: 5 servings

Nutrition info: Calories: 394, Fat: 9.1g, Protein: 11.4g, Carb: 67.8g, Fiber: 3.6g

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Coconut French Toast with Grilled Pineapple

It's about time "Kelsie's Kitchen" had a little more to do with the kitchen! I always have the greatest intentions of sharing my favorite recipes, my weekly menus and nutrition tips with all of you but then I also dream of getting my food-only blog up and running for this very purpose...Until that happens, I'd better just start posting because I have quite the stockpile of recipes collecting!

I love going out to breakfast. In fact, I think I may actually love it more than going out to dinner but I never want to claim this fact with confidence lest my honey decide to eliminate dinners out completely. I don't know what it is about breakfast but I adore all things carbohydrate, particularly specialty pancakes and, for some reason, going out somehow gives me the green light to indulge in these richer treasures that I normally wouldn't produce in my own kitchen. Don't get me wrong. I think I've mastered a pretty mean whole wheat buttermilk pancake but there is still something about going out that makes that pancake even better. Maybe it's the globs of butter and mountains of whipped cream? Or maybe it's the fact that I didn't have to do any of the work myself? Whatever the case, I would normally prefer breakfast out....until today....

It's been a busy week here in the Crozier household so I wanted to treat my family to a special Saturday breakfast since it was the first Saturday morning we've been home together in all the month of May. Graham had torn out a recipe from my most recent Cooking Light magazine that I thought I'd surprise him with it and give it a try. I'm telling you, it is to die for and french toast usually isn't even my thing.

They came together really quickly and the great thing about the recipe is that it could easily be made dairy-free if needed by eliminating the 1/4 cup milk and replacing it with the same amount of coconut milk. (I've been surrounded by breastfeeding mamas who have had to go dairy and soy free lately and so I thought I'd throw that out there!) Also, I bet the sugar could easily be reduced to 2 Tbsp. Of course, everything is a little better with whipped cream so I made that little addition (which isn't included in the nutrition facts). I whipped 1/2 cup whipping cream with 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla extract until stiff peaks formed. A little dollop will do ya! ENJOY!

Coconut French Toast with Grilled Pineapple

Yield: 5 servings

1 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) French baguette, cut into 15 slices
Cooking spray
10 (1/4-inch-thick) slices peeled pineapple
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 200°. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

2. Combine coconut milk, sugar, fat-free milk, and eggs in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Working in batches, dip bread in the milk mixture, and let stand for 1 minute on each side.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and coat pan with cooking spray. Add 5 coated bread slices to pan, and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place on warm pan in oven to keep warm. Repeat procedure in batches with cooking spray, remaining slices, and milk mixture.

4. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add pineapple, and grill for 2 minutes on each side or until well marked. Chop pineapple. Place 3 slices of French toast on each of 5 plates, and divide the pineapple among servings. Top with coconut.

Nutrition info: Calories: 394, Fat: 9.1g, Protein: 11.4g, Carb: 67.8g, Fiber: 3.6g

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

21 Months

Isla has started saying her own name this month. She pronounces it "Eye-yah" and uses it frequently to make sure that we are all aware of all the things that belong to her. "Eye-yah's, Eye-yah's" over and over and over. She is also naming the things that belong to mommy and daddy and likes to point out whose is whose such as our toothbrushes, our bathrobes, our usual seats in the car, our car windows etc. It's pretty cute.

Isla has officially learned to kiss! She no longer just touches her lips or cheek to your cheek but actually has the smack figured out! She seems to have an ever-abundant supply of kisses for me lately which I love.

Isla has an unbelievably large vocabulary. She repeats basically everything we say and is definitely picking up on a lot more than we ever realized. People tell me all the time that they can't believe how smart she is and how well she can communicate (*beaming mama moment*). She can now count to 10 almost all by herself (she keeps skipping 7 so we prompt her with that one), she sings "Happy birthday to you" on key and can fill in the blank to most words in Rockabye Baby and the ABCs if you quit singing partway through. The counting thing just blew me away. We've been reading counting books for quite some time now and she never really seemed to care but now I know she really is listening!

She is super independent and likes to do things herself like buckle her straps in the stroller or highchair and feeding herself. She doesn't think she needs a bib anymore and has put up a few good fights because we disagree. She had absolutely no fear in the pool on our trip and it didn't even phase her when she went under a couple times. She seems to be a tough sport and will often just brush off her hands and say "crash" like we taught her when she biffs it on the floor or pavement. Isla LOVES the park and has successfully figured out how to go down the big twisty slides all by herself.

Potty training is so not happening right now. It's like she quit cold turkey and decided she wasn't going to go anymore. She still frequently asks to sit on the potty but hasn't successfully done anything on it for a few weeks now. I'm feeling more or less ok about it as I wasn't expecting it to take off the way it did initially but I'm a little bummed that I will likely have 2 in diapers....oh well.

Isla loves to sit on the counter and watch me cook. Lately she has actually been rather helpful, tearing lettuce, plucking leaves off herbs, breaking tomatoes in half etc. It makes me excited for what is to come--I have a little cooking buddy!

Oh and BIG news this month, Isla started eating salad! Out of no where, she just started going at it. Seriously, this might be my proudest mommy moment (not that I can really take much credit). We call it lettuce "with sauce" and she loves things with sauce so maybe that's what did it. I'm thrilled about this though because we eat SO much salad and I was having a hard time making creative hot vegetables to serve her instead.

Most of you will never believe this but we finally have all 4 front teeth!!! I'm not quite sure when exactly it cut through but I found her upper right front tooth while we were flying home last Sunday (May 22nd). She'd been chomping up a storm on her finger so I can't say I'm too surprised. It still cracks me up that she had all four molars before her upper front teeth....

Isla knows where "the baby" is and will often point to my belly (or boobs if I'm honest) and say "Baby!" I keep telling her that we're going to have a new baby and that the baby is going to sleep in her room. She seems pretty excited about it but I think it will really help her understand once we get the baby's crib in their room.

Isla has started to name some emotions. Yesterday I asked her if she was excited to see her Auntie Lani and cousin Gideon and she very animatedly said "Eyeyah excited! Mommy excited!" She is stringing together more and more words everyday.  

Isla's other hobbies lately include collecting silverware (spoons in particular) and spreading them around the downstairs. She loves going "side" (outside) and tromping through the yard, "watering" my plants with the watering can. She always wants to join me on trips to the trash and mailbox. She is fascinated by things that go (I'm wondering if I need to get her some cars) and still loves to pretend play with her baby. She's totally growing up!

Pensacola - Day 4

The events of this day take little narration. Basically the day went down like this: wake up, eat breakfast at hotel, hit the beach, go to pool, back to room for lunch (consisting of "borrowed" breakfast items from hotel buffet--bagels and cream cheese, fruit), nap for Isla, studying in room for Graham, workout and brief pool time for me, back to beach. Whew, exhausting, huh?

The pool at our hotel had a gradually sloping entrance that was perfect for Isla. It didn't take long before she figured out how to walk/balance in the water and she could get in and out as she pleased. She loved the pool toys: noodles and "boats" (body boards). The hotel even gave her a rubber mama turtle with 2 babies that provided great entertainment.

 I love this series of photos, a good old "photo story" from my 4-H days:

 "Awwwck! Sand! I can't walk on this stuff!" *Whine*

 *Whine, whine* "Carry!"

 "Fine, if you're not gonna carry me, I'll just squat here. That'll teach ya."

"Much better. Now we're talking!"

After playing all day, we returned to our room to get ready for the rehearsal dinner for my dear friend Sarah's wedding. Since this was a destination wedding, all the guests were invited. The dinner was a catered affair, held in the open air covered area beneath the enormous house the groom's family had rented (hard to explain but all the beach houses around here were built on tall stilts, creating an open-air lower story beneath the actual house). The groom's family was from Atlanta so we got to meet lots of guests from the South. Oh I just love southern hospitality! It really made me miss living in Texas. And everyone just LOVED Isla. Insert strong southern drawl here: "Oh we're just tickled pink that ya'll could be here!" "Oh, isn't she just the cutest thang?" We met a lady name Sugar (truly!) and I'm still wiping my brow with relief that I bit my tongue and didn't ask her what her real name was. I totally thought she was kidding when she introduced herself!

The rehearsal dinner felt like a wedding reception, complete with a dinner buffet, toasts and deliciously rich chocolate groom's cake. It was great to see Sarah and to meet her man, James. I think they are perfect for each other. :) Graham told me later that "Sometimes I forget you're a girl." What? He explained that it was really good to see my giddy and joyous reunion with Sarah (apparently there was some shrieking involved). Gosh, I must need to lighten up and throw some feminine giddy glee into our home. But really, it was so good to see Sarah. She has had such an amazing influence on my (and our) lives.

A true day in the life

Man oh man, yesterday was just one of those days where nothing seems to go right. One of those days where I really wished the lemonade I'd been drinking was spiked. Or that I could enjoy a nice glass of wine out on the patio just to chill out. Instead, I brewed a pot of decaf french press and it just had to do. After about the 12th timeout in so many minutes, I'd had it. My toes had been stepped on, dinner forks were strewn precariously about the kitchen floor, I'd been slapped in the face and run away from multiple times, the whining was incessant, the recycling was being eaten from and emptied out onto the kitchen floor, everything I put away seemed to jump back out again, my plants on the patio were being whacked with a spatula, the chicken wouldn't cook through (and then ended up completely burnt) and I was feeling very pregnant, exhausted and moody for no directly identifiable reason.

For a brief moment, I felt like someone needed to fire me, like I just wasn't cut out for this job. I didn't handle the situation calmly. I yelled "NO!!" multiple times. My patience was completely absent. That's the honest truth. When I returned to fetch Isla from one of her many timeouts, she immediately jumped to tell me "sorry" and kept repeating it over and over as she saw the tears in my eyes well up and begin to flow. Then it was MY turn to tell her that I was sorry for being impatient, for acting out of frustration instead of love. I wish I could say that things turned around from that point on and that the Little Miss was perfectly behaved for the rest of the night and that I was the perfect mother responding to her needs. Ha!

Looking back, I'm not even sure what the deal was, why I felt so off. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that it is pre-finals weeks here at the Crozier household which means from now until June 8th, I am 100% on-duty, all day, everyday as Graham's minimal "free" time has to go to his studies. I never realized how rough it would be to do it all solo for days upon days in a row. Sometimes I feel like all I do is herd and cook and do laundry and pack lunches and dinners for all parties involved and, though most of the time I am able to do it cheerfully and with a grateful heart (really, I love being at mostly stay-at-home mom!), there are other days when it gets the best of me. I have to keep reminding myself that this is temporary, that one day there will be no grad school, that Graham won't have to go three days and then some without seeing his daughter, that someday we will have free time that is actually free, that I won't always have to arrange for a babysitter to attend my evening meetings and obligations. One day, Graham will be around to free me up for an after dinner walk or run to Starbucks to get away and refresh.

After a night of reflecting, I think I realized that what I'm craving right now are moments away. Completely ALONE, where I don't have to go to work or an appointment or meeting, where I can just do whatever I want. I feel guilty even saying that after a wonderful vacation away with my family. How could I possibly need to get away so soon? As I was telling a friend the other day, vacations definitely take a different tone with little ones and I can see why people take grandparents along so everyone can have a true break. Would I change our trip? Certainly not. We had an absolute blast! But I'm (slowly!) learning the necessity of my own self care to keep me a sane and effective mama. So, anyone up for playing with a sweet, (busy), cute, (active), talkative and hilarious 21 month old between now and June 8th? :)

So there it is. A bit of honest reflection, a true "day in the life" over here. All I can say is that I'm glad today is a new day, that His mercies are new every morning, Today is going to be a good day!

25 Weeks

(photo taken at 25 weeks - 5/18/11)

It's been a little while since I wrote a pregnancy post. Or took any pregnancy pictures for that matter. I skipped a few weeks there mostly I think because I was hit with a severe wave of insecurity surrounding what was happening to my body, the way my clothes were fitting (or not fitting) all combined with the lovely comments I've been receiving from people around me (see prior posts). I won't try and  deny the fact that as amazing and miraculous as pregnancy is, it doesn't come without it's fair share of hardships for women. You lose a lot of control when you house a baby in you! I can't remember if I felt this insecure the last time around (Graham says yes...) Anyhow, after purchasing a few new summer items to fit my ever-changing body, my spirits have once again returned!

Dare I say it, I think the growth of my belly has started to slow which I'm sure is contributing my returning self-confidence as I wasn't sure where I was gonna fit twice the belly I had a 20 weeks!

This week was sort of a mental milestone for me. I let out a little sigh of relief when I reached 25 weeks gestation, knowing that the littlest Crozier could possibly make it in the real world now if it came to that. When I was pregnant with Isla, some of my coworkers termed it that I was "viable" (meaning that the baby could survive if I delivered early). I hated that they used that term but I must admit i is sort of nice to know that baby could be fine even though I DON'T want him/her to come for a long time. Most people don't have to worry about this kind of stuff but when you work in a NICU....

I've start feeling limbs not only kicking but sweeping across my entire belly over the past few weeks. Baby is particularly active ~10:30 PM (bedtime!). He/she also seems responsive to when I eat. I've felt a number of movements that are so strong and sudden that I literally almost leap from my seat. Graham and I keep wondering what this means....a wild child?

So far, all I have prepared for baby is a basket of newborn diapers. Graham's spring break is in a couple weeks so I'm hoping to get some things picked out. Like a convertible crib (which will actually be for Isla as baby will use her current one), a double stroller and a car. Ya know, just a couple small things. :)

Ever since lent ended (Easter), I think I have had dessert every day.

I have had so many strangers approach me and tell me that I'm gonna be SOO busy when they see how active Isla is and that I have another on the way. So many people have said this in the past 48 hours that it's sort of making me panic. I have 3 more months though. I'm sure Isla will be much more stationary by then. :)

I've been craving takeout-type foods a) because getting them would mean I didn't have to cook and b) because more "normal" (less fancy/gourmet) foods sound really good to me. Also I feel more prone to junk such as the occasional fried food.

We have been brainstorming name ideas but the jury is still out. We seem to like certain names for a short while and then the excitement and newness begins to fade. I'm getting more and more excited about our growing list though!

All in all, I'm really eager to meet this baby but perfectly happy that he/she still has a few more months to "cook" so we can get ready!

New Orleans & Pensacola - Day 3

I wish I could say that our 2nd night at the Sheraton New Orleans was restful but that would be a complete lie. Wouldn't ya know it, this morning we were awoken at 6 AM by the fire alarm. Awesome. I can't even tell you how many times this has happened to us in the middle of the night. Us Croziers and hotels apparently don't mix. Needless to say, after two very early morning wake ups after a long day of travel, we have a little complaint filed with the hotel and are hoping amends will be made.

Ahhh, but the show must go on. So we did what anyone should do, considering the circumstances, and returned to Cafe du Monde for more beignets and much needed COFFEE. This time we ordered 6 of the powdery treats because I'm pregnant and starving when I wake up. Magically, the doughnuts cheered me right up....until there was a minor miscommunication and Graham was no where to be found. Thankfully, he had his cell and I discovered he'd left to catch the bus to the airport to pick up our rental car. I for some reason thought we'd walk back to the hotel together and then he'd head off to the bus stop. Oops! Anyway, somehow I managed to push our not-so-maneuverable travel stroller, one-handed, while balancing my hot coffee in the other, all the way back to our hotel across the REALLY bumpy sidewalks of New Orleans. Let's just say my pregnancy hormones got the best of me for a brief moment or two.

Isla and I decided to hit the pool one last time while Daddy went to fetch the car. I taught her "Motorboat, motorboat go so slow..." and she wanted to do it "Again!" and "Again!" Graham called a little while later to report that there had been a screw up with our rental car reservations and they had us down to return the car in New Orleans, not Pensacola like we'd planned. Uh oh, this morning was not starting off so well. I'd booked and canceled and rebooked our car reservations a couple of times as the prices dropped (most quotes were $400+ for a three-day, one-way rental--we learned that the hard way after already buying our plane tickets!) Anyway, I'm not sure what happened with our final reservation but I'd found a bid that was much cheaper. Unfortunately, Graham had to fork over an additional $90 so we could drop off the car in Pensacola since that somehow didn't make it in the initial quote. Oh well. Move on and don't think about it.

Graham came back to the hotel to pick Isla and I up, we checked out and then took some group deep breaths as we loaded up the car. Let's start this day over! We had a rather uneventful drive to Pensacola, passing through Mississippi, Alabama and finally Florida. Of note, we stopped at a Subway in Mississippi for lunch and I was shocked to learned they didn't offer cups for water!!! Only then did I realize their soda machines didn't even have a tab for water! The gal working said they got rid of their water a while back. Nice. The dietitian in me screamed out a number of suggestions for the south's obesity epidemic but we'll save that for another time.

We arrived in Pensacola Beach around 4 PM and hit the beach immediately. Now this was the life! The beaches were GORGEOUS white sand, probably one of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen. The sand was super find and soft and looked like grains of salt when stuck to your skin.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express (which was far more pricey than any Holiday Inn I've ever been in). But all the rooms had a water view with balcony and a breakfast buffet was included every morning. They set out fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies every afternoon and had apples and bags of popcorn available for snacking. One day we ran out of sunscreen and went to the desk to ask where the best place was to buy more and they said "Oh, we have some here for you" and gave us a full-sized tube! This place, though technically  in stars than the Sheraton, gave us far better service!

We quickly learned that Isla does not like the feel of sand under her feet. Whenever we reached the beach, she'd said "Carry" and refuse to set foot on the beach herself. Once we set up our towels, she wouldn't budge, lest she have to touch the funny white stuff. She frequently asked to go on a "Walk" but then would say "Carry" as soon as we attempted to walk the shoreline. She's so funny!

 Relaxed once again after a rough beginning to the day. This was such a great family vacation spot!

After the beach, we jumped in the heated pool for a quick swim. Isla wanted to spend every second of every day from here forward at the "Cool." She had absolutely no fear and would walk into water way over her head, trusting that any adult nearby would "save" her.

We went to Peg Leg Pete's for dinner, a classic family seafood house with lots of personality. We had quite the wait upfront but they had a nice playground and Isla spent a good 45 minutes going down the same slide over and over. Apparently repetition does not bother her! I ordered the Snow crab and shrimp plate, complete with potatoes and corn cobs with butter for dipping. And I had a root beer which was such a treat. I don't know, it just sounded really good to me. So good in fact that I drank two huge glasses full. Graham had a creole burger with fries and a beer and we shared a salad. Isla was so tired by the end of our meal. I asked her if she wanted Daddy to sing her a song so she could go to sleep and she eagerly replied "Uh huh!" Without a moments hesitation, Graham burst into a lively rendition of the Canadian National Anthem. Isla was asleep in seconds. I found the ordeal so comical that I was in tears and gasping for breath through my laughter.

We had been trying to rush and finish our dinner since Isla was "expiring" but once she was out, we realized we could sit back, relax and enjoy our meal together. So we stayed until close to 10 PM, discussing baby names while I sipped root beer. All in all, a really very good day!

New Orleans - Day 2



Our morning began MUCH earlier than we'd hoped when we received a 5 AM wake up call that we had NOT asked for. So annoying. We were both quite unhappy as the call more or less awoke Isla for the day (at 3 AM Seattle time!) Accidents happen I guess but usually 4 star hotels are a bit more dependable. Anyhow, we didn't really have a set plan for the day but jumped on the trolley toward the Garden District to grab breakfast as Slim Goodies. Graham had some delicious Guatemalan plate of black beans, plantains, eggs and cheese with tortillas and salsa and I shared a full breakfast of meat, eggs and sweet potato pancake with Isla. The place was really quirky and the bathrooms made me wonder if the health department hadn't been by for an inspection for awhile but it was fun. Apparently Obama ate there because there were pictures of him on the walls.

Following breakfast, we walked ALL OVER the Garden District, admiring the gorgeous mansions, particularly their doors which were quite ornate. Isla totally zonked which allowed us more time to really explore.



We walked by this one house and the owner happened to be standing outside. He was super friendly and started telling us about all his neighbors (most of which were famous). He pointed out the house where the Tale of Benjamin Button was filmed (below-do you recognize it?)

Then came the real kicker. He told me that Sandra Bullock lived four houses down!! WHAT? I was a block away from my favorite actress' house!? I didn't know she lived in New Orleans! He told us to go on over and say hi to her and her new baby, Louis Armstrong--she'd likely be home with him. So we went and stood in front of the gate of her HUGE home (the picture only captures about 1/100th of it) but she didn't come out. Maybe we should have actually rang the bell but I was too chicken. Her neighbor said she is even friendlier in person than her movie persona. I was pleased to see she had a little pond along the fence with a sign that said that any coins would be donated to Make a Wish Foundation. I like her even more now.

Oh and I had to include this next picture because we found a lot of New Orleans looked like there was a party in the trees. We saw Mardi Gras beads EVERYWHERE, hanging from balconies, draping in trees, dangling on power lines and scattered all over the ground. I thought Mardi Gras was in March?? Apparently the city sees no reason to clean up the leftovers...

Sweet girl, awake from her slumber

We rode the trolley back to our hotel and then headed for the pool which was basically my single goal for the day. Isla was being such a trooper and I wanted to be sure she got in some pool time. Man does this girl ever love the "cool" as she calls it.

She was quite literally SQUEALING with delight basically the whole time we were in the water. She also seems to have no fear and will hop off the stairs or edge of the pool into over-her-head water if we didn't keep a close eye. I love her and couldn't help smiling at her joy.

I promise I went in the pool too. I'm just not pictured because somehow my husband convinced me that I looked good in my two piece even though pregnant. I was extraordinarily skeptical but took his word for it. Then I saw the pictures and determined they were not for the public's eye. :) Anyhow, I love this next shot...like father, like daughter.

We headed out again for a very late lunch at Mother's Restaurant, a local and very popular cafeteria style place. Our goal was to get something "light" (since it was already nearing 3 PM and we didn't want to spoil dinner) but also southern. Is that even possible? Still I'm not sure. We settled on a grilled shrimp Po' Boy on soft french bread. Man was it ever good, even though it was a fried shrimp sandwich waiting for us when they called our number. Oh well. I'm sure fried is more southern anyway. We ate it in front of the aquarium along the river walk in the sunshine (the weather has been great by the way). We also took this opportunity to walk by Jackson Square and Cafe du Monde in the daylight. There were some awesome street musicians that stole our attention for a few minutes.

Doesn't Isla look so thrilled by the park? She was wanting OUT of the stroller. I don't blame her!

We happened upon a gelato shop and my ever-intelligent husband suggested that we stop and get some. Very good idea. I had bourbon pecan (REALLY good), chocolate moon pie and cookies and cream. Graham had the bourbon pecan with a shot of espresso over top. We let Isla out of the stroller and she proceeded to run around and try and "catch" the pigeons with arms outstretched just like this:

Sitting and figuring out our possible dinner options

French Quarter architecture

Next stop: Lafayette Park for a free Wednesday night concert series. We were hoping for jazz since we were in New Orleans after all, but it was sort of more Cuban-style. We stayed for 15 minutes or so but by this point were so tired of being on our feet. I wish I'd worn my pedometer. I'm sure I was at 20,000 steps at least! My legs felt like lead and the baby was causing a royal side ache (or baby ache) as I call it) when I walked. This has been happening a lot lately (it did with Isla too) but just not quite to this degree. Sitting down and vegging for awhile was definitely in our best interest.

After a little rest, we hit the streets for still more walking in search of dinner. I remember when I visited New Orleans the first time as a 10 or 11 year old, my parents had us avoid Bourbon Street like the plague. Well, as much as possible. If you are at all familiar with the French Quarter, you know that Bourbon Street runs straight down the middle of the neighborhood and it is inevitable that you at least cross it at one point or another. I was an 11 year old who loved rules so when my parents told us to avoid it, I was happy to do so (and make sure everyone else did as well). I'm pretty sure I probably even used my hands to shield my peripheral vision whenever we would encounter the street. Really, I don't know what my 11-year-old mind thought I was gonna see should I catch a glimpse of the street. I seem to recall thinking there would be topless women hanging off all the balconies but I think that must just be during Mardi Gras. We walked along Bourbon Street for a few blocks and I'm pretty sure everyone I saw was clothed. Maybe it was just a good day. But I must say that the best way to walk down that road is pushing a stroller and pregnant. Everyone more or less leaves you alone! Imagine that. There was one guy who tried to get me to come into a bar and buy a drink but ummm Hello!!?? Belly? Baby? Stroller? The street was pretty wild and LOUD. You could tell you were nearing it from blocks away. There was lots of music (some of it actually really good jazz), street performers and tourists walking around with open alcohol containers all over the street. If there's one way to lower the classiness factor of your city, it's to allow booze out in public. I'm definitely not a fan. Anyway, guess I didn't take any pictures of it so hope my description gave you enough of a mental image.

I've discovered that guidebooks can be both good and bad for our travel style. Graham and I both really like to make sure we eat the best meals possible while traveling and tend to treat the guidebook like the Bible. However, indecisiveness is also our common problem which often leads to LOTS of walking so we can see the menu of almost every restaurant listed to ensure we're making the "right" choice. Probably not the best idea when you've been walking all day. All I really wanted were hush puppies but we found these rather hard to come by (we actually never once saw them on a menu). We asked a few people and were told where we could get them but the restaurants recommended were chain places that didn't carry the appeal we liked. We finally settled on the Pecan Connection (giving up on the idea of hush puppies) which of course was as far across the city as you could get from our hotel. We ordered the try-it-all meal that came with gumbo, fried catfish, fried chicken, ribs, etouffee, red beans and rice, collard greens, cornbread and amaretto bread pudding for dessert. Still, our waitress looked at us like "Is that all you're going to order?" Apparently this meal was meant to be consumed solo, not to be shared between three people with hearty appetites. Ha! And it's no wonder New Orleans used to hold the title of the fattest city in the nation (until Houston took the lead when many New Orleanders transplanted there post-Katrina). Needless to say, we had PLENTY of food and I got my southern fix. The table next to us had ordered fried okra too and had more than they could possibly eat so they passed the heaping bowl our way and we dug in (never done that before!) Even Isla liked the okra. We were planning to stop at Cafe due Monde for another beignet and cafe au lait after dinner but after all that food, who could?