Best Birthday Ever, the perspective of a 2 year old

When Isla called out for me in the morning, I greeted her with a "Happy Birthday" solo which caused her to grab the crib rail and begin gleefully jumping up and down. Next came breakfast on the special birthday plate. Isla picked up on it real fast and kept repeating "Isla special!"

 Daddy dyed her milk blue--this milk is weird! She downed the whole cup.

Next arrived a pancake with a "candle on" and another rendition of "Happy Birthday." We'd planned to take breakfast to-go and eat at a coffee shop since Isla often asks to go to the coffee shop. But this morning, when we asked her if she wanted to have pancakes at a coffee shop, she told us "No, pancakes at home." Ok fine but don't say we didn't try! 

 She's learning some extra cheesy faces for photo shoots.

 Wouldn't ya know it, as soon as breakfast ended, someone asked to go to the coffee shop. Go figure! She got her first taste of chocolate milk and proceeded to ask for "other milk." Apparently she's not a fan!

 Next stop: Peter Kirk Park for some time on the slides.

 Look! My shadow waves back!

 Whoa, we happened upon a strong air vent on the street. What fun!

 Let's go to the "cool!" 

 Someone was getting a little tired but wasn't about to stop. 

 I'm pretty sure her sunscreen "massage" could have put her to sleep--she loves back rubs and ask for them often!

 Perked back up again and ready for a picnic. APPLESAUCE!

 Her Daddy had been dying to take her to the "peanut pool" at Green Lake, a fond memory of his as a kid. Needless to say, it was a hit.

 The birthday girl crashed for a nap at home and then enjoyed a outdoor dinner of roasted chicken, zucchini fritters, polenta (made by her Daddy) and a green salad with strawberries and goat cheese courtesy of our last-minute dinner guests, Jason and Earecka. Meanwhile, her mommy was experiencing some serious contractions and was nervous the party was going to end early.

And for birthday dessert? Homemade frozen yogurt with raspberries and blueberries! She ate every last drop. 

 Happy, happy birthday sweet Isla girl! 



2 Years = 24 Months!

I cannot believe this little baby of mine has turned 2! Everyone always says it but it's so true! My little baby has morphed into a walking, TALKING, song-singing big girl!

And quite the singer she is! She can sing all of Twinkle, Twinkle, Jesus Loves Me, the ABCs, Happy Birthday (although she never seems to quite get the "Happy Birthday Dear so-and-so" quite right) and the Clean up, Clean up song. I love her rendition of "Clean Up." She sings "Clean up, clean up! Everybody, every better, clean up, clean up! Everybody do your share." It totally doesn't rhyme but is so adorable.

Isla had her 2 year appointment last week. She is growing great, weighing in at 26 pounds, 6 ounces (50%) and measuring 33 inches (25-50% but closer to the 50th). Our doctor was really impressed by her vocabulary and I was so proud of her! She wasn't the least bit shy and just chatted it up with the doctor and was totally ok with the entire examination. New things to report: Isla is not color blind (hooray--this is one area we can't seem to make progress on which I was affirmed is totally normal, Isla is now transitioned to 2% milk (or "blue" milk as we call it since the milkman now delivers it in blue cartons), it is time to start using real toothpaste on Isla's teeth, we should take her in for a dental exam (as soon as we get her on our dental insurance....), she has mild eczema in her "elbow pits" which we should treat with hydrocortisone ointment and vasoline, she can now have a whole kids multivitamin (she had been getting 1/2) and it is totally normal for 2 year olds to lose their interest in potty training and therefore we should not push it (which we haven't been).

She's been able to walk up and down stairs now for a month or two. I usually prefer she go down on her belly still but she can totally walk on her own with a hand rail.

Her hair is finally long/thick enough to put in a little ponytail on top of her head. We've been having fun trying out a couple of styles (including the tiny ponytail in the back pictured below) but it is still so wild and crazy and hard to tame. We love it though. 

We got rid of our high chair almost 2 weeks ago. Initially we were just loaning it out to friends but now that we realize how much space in freed up in our kitchen and that she does fine on our chairs, I don't think we want it back. It was becoming a bit of a hazard now that she can get up in it (and then jump down!) on her own. Right now her eating thrown is atop my Gourmet cookbook on one of our pub chairs, covered by a classy white trash bag (to "protect" the already-horribly-stained white cushions). I'm thinking we might still get a booster seat as baby will need a place to eat eventually but for now I'm enjoying my "larger" kitchen!

Isla really seems to enjoy moving furniture. One of her favorite activities is to slide our kitchen chairs to various parts of the kitchen (usually right up at the counter). Sometimes she sets great traps for me as I'm frantically trying to do meal prep. She usually does this while I cook so she can watch or "help." Lately though my cooking technique is not interesting enough so she loves to go through the silverware drawer and get everything out. She also has been getting into our "junk drawer" and likes to grab the scissors, matches etc (just when you think you're done child-proofing...!!) Yesterday, she painted her legs and fingers with White Out while Daddy wasn't looking. Oops.

Isla LOVES going to the park. If you ask her what she wants to do today, she'll usually eagerly answer "Park! Swing! Slide!" Once at the park, she will literally loop up the stairs and down the slide for 30 minutes straight if you let her. She's able to play pretty independently now on the big toys which is nice.

Isla continues to love reading and playing with blocks or the wooden train at her Grandma and Grandpa Crozier's. I will often find her upstairs in her room, rocking in the rocker and "reading" to herself.



Isla is paying attention!! I been catching her repeating things played on the radio on numerous occasions and was shocked when out of nowhere she finished the "Spirit one o five -- three" radio jingle in perfect pitch. The other day I was expressing to Graham how tired I was and said something oober-draumatic like "I literally feel like I could die." Isla proceeded to repeat "Mama die! Mama die!" for the remainder of the car ride. Another oops.

Isla is a little tomato thief. She loves to sneak out back and eat as many cherry tomatoes as she possibly can before we catch her. She knows the yellow ones are the "good ones" but she'll eat them green if she can't find any that are ripe. She does the same with my strawberries. It feels wrong to scold her for eating such healthy foods but she knows she is supposed to let Mommy or Daddy help her pick as she's been known to rip off entire branches by accident.

Unfortunately Isla picked up a little attitude in the past week or so. She's known the word "No" for quite some time but now she's added some force behind it when she says it and I'm pretty sure it's her new favorite word (she's 2, what can I say?)

Isla really seems to understand that a new baby is on the way. The other day she told us "Isla go to hospital." When we asked her what for, she looked at us with this look that totally read Duh Mom and Dad! and said "New baby!!" Lately she's been talking a lot about the baby in her belly or the one that is hiding in her bib.

Pregnancy 2: 39 Weeks

I really hope this is my last pregnancy post, but I realize there is a chance I could have another week to 10 days to go (please no!!!) Today was my initial due date (by dates) so I'm hopeful. But then again, tomorrow is Isla's birthday and if we don't get the show on the road soon, the kiddos might have to share a special day.

It is seriously CRAZY to me that I could go to bed one night and then before the sun is up, have had a baby. I think about it every night before bed and I CANNOT WAIT! The anticipation is starting to officially kill me. I spend a lot of the night these days laying there awake, wondering if my water will break. It is so weird how you just expect things to go the way they did with your first. My water broke at midnight with Isla and so therefore if I wake up after midnight without sign of any action, I catch myself thinking "Well, I guess it's not happening tonight."

Which leads me to another thing. I don't really know what real, natural labor feels like. I was trying to refresh my memory and remember what the 5-1-1 rule stood for from our birthing class so I would know when to go to the hospital in case labor actually doesn't start with a middle-of-the-night-bed-wetting. Confession: I had to Google it to figure out what the last 1 stood for (contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute in duration for at least 1 hour). Anyhow, every time I have a contraction, I think "Oh! This could be it!" I had been having a LOT of painful ones ~37 1/2 weeks but then they really died down only to pick up again yesterday.

In case you were wondering, I don't have PIH which is exactly what I expected. The extra workup they did last week was definitely overkill but better to be safe than sorry! My blood pressure was on the higher end again yesterday (130/80) but I'm pretty sure that's because I was stressed out that it might be high. The fact that the blood pressure cuff kept literally inflating itself right off my arm also led me to believe that the nurse might not have gotten the most accurate measure...

In other news, my doctor checked yesterday and I'm dilated to 2 cm, 100% effaced and he said the head is "right there." He basically told me I was so "ready down there" that he wasn't sure why I wasn't in labor at that current second. Cool beans! But he also said now we are just waiting for the baby to decide it is time. Which could still be a while. After he checked me, contractions starting picking up and I was feeling really funny and listless. I was hopeful it meant something but here I am, still pregnant.

I've been having a lot of nerve pain in my legs lately (most the right one). Not sure what the baby is bumping up against but it sends the sharpest pain down my leg that literally causes me to scream (and sometimes nearly fall over). It totally freaks Graham out every time it happens. Pregnancy is a dangerous sport, I tell ya.

Over the weekend, summer arrived in the NW and temperatures jumped above 80 for almost the first time all "summer." This did a number on my footsies, causing some major swelling action. I noticed at work on Friday that my shoes were feeling awfully tight (so much so that I was starting to limp) and then after work I put on my walking shoes only to find I had to loosen the laces so much I barely had enough left over to tie! We went to the NW WA Fair up in Lynden on Saturday and my feet looked like sausages when the day was through. They didn't return to anywhere near normal until Monday.

I have decided not to get on the scale again for the rest of the pregnancy. The number does more harm then good so I'm just going to leave well enough alone. Of course I forgot that they'd be weighing me at my appointment yesterday and I gained 4 pounds in a week!! I think I can say with full confidence though that I'm retaining water.

I guess you could say I've been nesting a bit. I am keeping the house extra clean "just in case" because it would seriously nearly kill me to have to come home from the hospital to a messy house. My freezer is also stocked with 15 cups of homemade marinara, 45 large meatballs, a braided pizza loaf, creamy chicken enchiladas, pesto ravioli, gnocchi gratin, huevos rancheros and maple-glazed salmon. Can you tell I'm wondering where I will find time to cook once I have TWO? I also have all the fixings to make BBQ Pork Chops w/ sauteed apples and Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken thighs and was also going to whip up a double batch of my peanut sauce that can be thrown together with shrimp and green beans for dinner in a hurry. Oh and tomorrow I'm going to roast my first whole chicken! Nesting.....?

We still haven't settled on a girl name yet. And yes, the small font is intentional because I'm feeling a bit sheepish. I wasn't even going to mention it but figured I needed to have it documented for this baby's pregnancy journal. We sat down last night and listed all of our favorite names with the goal of crossing off ones that the other absolutely couldn't stand. Somehow though, it ended up being a "his" and "her" list and we sort of just crossed off all of the others' names. We will have one though, I'm choosing not to worry. We have a lot of good options. We just need to see the baby's face and figure out which one "fits."

I am getting so. tired. Like more tired than I have ever been in all my life. Yesterday I didn't think I was going to be able to stand up. Thankfully, I'd planned to walk with a friend and the accountability got me out the door and somehow miraculously walking. I really don't know how I made it through the rest of the day but somehow even managed to grocery shop and clean the house. Today I am being ridiculously lazy but my body is asking for it so I'm gladly obliging.

For all you non-pregnant folk, I'm not making this whole thing sound very glamorous now am I?

The Name Game

Much to my dismay, we are stilled undecided on a girl name for this baby. I thought we had settled on one a couple weeks ago but then I think in retrospect, I was actually just settling so that the decision could be over. The name we chose was "ok" but it didn't excite me. That's probably not a very good sign. When Graham told me on Wednesday that he was uncertain again too, I burst into tears. I'm pretty sure some phrase like "Don't alter my equilibrium!" may have escaped from my lips. But really, I'm so thankful we are reconsidering again.

We have just had so many rules:
1) it can't be too popular
2) it can't sound too much like "Isla" if yelled up the stairs (ex: Ella, a name that I just love)
3) it needs to have a good meaning or at least not mean something horrid like "born with a crooked nose"
4) it can't end in "er" because that sounds funny paired with "Crozier"
5) it needs to be unique but not crazy unique--one of us needs to have heard of someone named it before
6) it would probably be nice of us to use a family name
7) we both need to love it
8) we also need to love the nicknames that go with it
9) it should sound good paired with Isla (because we'll forever be listing our kids' names off to people)
10) it needs to be more than one syllable in length
11) it needs to be less than three syllables in length
12) guess that leaves us with only two syllable names
13) European names are nice
14) maybe we should give all our kids names that have an island or water theme
15) or maybe they should all have something to do with months of the year (Isla June)

And the list continues. As you can see, we made the whole ordeal nearly impossible. But now push is coming to shove and eventually we will need to choose something. I think I am having such a hard time partially because we have spent so much time researching (like we tend to do with vacations and other important decisions in our life) and reading and re-reading name books that nothing sounds news and fresh and exciting to me anymore. There are moments where I can't remember what I like anymore and goodness knows I can't find anything that fits our 15 rules!!! It's like I am secretly hoping that the baby is just going to come out with a name written on it in sharpie (wouldn't that be...uhhh....nice? Not.) Or that the baby will be whisked away from me for a brief time and then come back with a name. Voila!

But really, I want neither of those two options and so I've decided to throw most all the rules out the window! I gone through the list of all the names we've ever loved and have whittled it down to the ones that make me giddy. And I'm deciding not to care how unique or popular they are. Although we are still going to "wait until we see the baby" to decide on our final pick for sure, by golly, this baby is going to have a name! And I am going to just love it!

Engagement Anniversary

Today we celebrated our 5 year engagement anniversary! I realize not a lot of people remember or celebrate this kind of thing but I always remember it being on my parents' calendar growing up and so I am going with tradition and honoring ours as well. Plus Graham's proposal was pretty over-the-top-amazing so I think it is worth reminiscing. He had no idea what day it was today but I whisked him away with a trunk full of gear and told him I had a little surprise for him. Apparently he connected the dots once we hit the highway to Edmonds and figured out what was going on. This time we had Isla and baby-to-be along which I feel is so fitting--if it hadn't been for this big day 5 years ago, these 2 little people would not be a part of our lives!

I packed a lunch of the "gourmet sandwiches" mentioned below (Shrimp Sandwiches w/ Mango Salsa and Avocado Spread on Baguette)--this time I was determined we would get to eat them!

I'm re-posting an old e-mail that I wrote shortly after the proposal occurred. It's a great reenactment of that wonderful day.

"Big events just don't seem to cease with me lately....Last Thursday was a big day. Things were looking pretty serious with Graham and I but then a few days ago, he gave me this huge talk that he needed more time because he really wanted to have a place to live, have found a church etc. before he proposed. I was so bummed because he's been looking for a place for 6 months + !! Then on Thursday night we went on our weekly date. We'd spent about an hour making these gourmet sandwiches and a nice salad to take for our picnic. I put the sandwiches in the oven to keep them warm while we packed everything else. We arrived at the beach only to find I'd left them in the oven! I was so frustrated with myself and the fact that we didn't have our yummy sandwiches (figures I'd be paying attention to the food....) that I didn't even notice he was acting nervous. We were at a sandy beach overlooking the ocean with a ferry boat just coming into the dock (Edmonds). Anyway, we were busy reading something together and all of a sudden, in the middle of his sentence, he started looking up toward the sound of an airplane. Since he was in the middle of talking, I followed his eyes and looked up too. There was a nice airplane flying above us---that was all I saw. Then I realized it was one of those planes that flies with a banner behind it and I started thinking, how cool, somebody is going to get a message! Then as I started paying closer attention, I saw that the banner read "Kelsie I love you. Will you marry me?" It didn't occur to me for a brief moment that it was MY name with MY spelling on the sign! When it finally clicked, I looked at Graham and saw he was smiling and said (and I quote): 'ARE YOU SERIOUS!??' Then he asked me to marry him and gave me a beautiful ring. The whole beach began to applaud (as well as the people lining the ferry dock). I looked up to realize Lani's fiance had been hiding in the bushes taking pictures of the whole thing. Graham then ran to his car to get his guitar and some sparkling cider to celebrate. He played me a song that he wrote with the whole beach audience. When I got up afterwards to go to the ladies room, a couple women came running up to me to say congrats and to see my ring. Graham's family then appeared from the other side of the ferry where they'd been hiding. Graham said that apparently about 4 planes flew over us before the actual plane and so every time he heard a sound, his heart would pound and he would casually try and look up and see if it had a sign---I didn't even notice. :o) What a fun week! I was all smiles..."

Here we were then (at an engagement party the next day 8/18/06)

And now! (8/17/11)

Still so happy together.... :)

A thing of beauty

I may be nuts but I just find this image beautiful. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of a totally delicious meal after an exhausting day. We are going on day 3 in a row of nap strikes which leaves me 38 weeks pregnant and absolutely tired to the core. I suppose the 10 miles I walked yesterday could also have a wee bit to do with it but I'm just plain beat!

I couldn't have picked a better day to serve this cold dinner. All the prep work was completed in the early hours, leaving my oven off during the heat of the day. The Pasta Salad with Green Beans and Pistachios in the Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette was mentioned in a previous post and I must say I agree that it was 5 star. The lemon zest was so refreshing mixed in with the crisp-tender green beans and the crunchy pistachios. I will definitely be making this vegetarian entree again. Oh and can I just say that my Sour Cherry and Rosemary Focaccia was also well worth the effort. I've never been a huge fan of Ms Stewart but I have to give it to her on this recipe. Isla helped me make it and loved watching the mixer "jump" as it kneaded (yes, the mixer does all the kneading which I just plain adore on a week like this week). The salad is a super simple crowd pleaser that has been a frequent flyer in our house ever since Graham and I travel to Italy. Arugula and sliced pear combine with shaved parmesan and freshly ground pepper. Add a little splash of balsamic and olive oil and voila, it's done!

Oh and just as a little sidenote if you read my earlier "What's for dinner?" post, the quiche was awesome, and so was the Seared Asian Steak salad (it whipped up in a flash). The slow-simmered meat sauce was also quite tasty and nice to come home to after a long day at work and I haven't yet made the Udon Noodle dish. The garlic ribs were awful but I didn't give you the recipe for that anyhow now did I? I must have had a hunch.

Happy eating to all!

Nursing in style

Is this not the most adorable, reversible Hooter Hider you have ever seen!? My mom made it and gave it to me yesterday and I couldn't be more in love with it!! Seriously, my mom has talent!

Moral of the story

Today I learned two things:

1) Never go on a 5 mile walk right before your OB appointment.
2) Don't see anyone other than your own doctor at 38 weeks along.

I'll leave out the boring details but basically the gist of it is that I arrived at my appointment with my heart totally still pumping from my walk in the heat only to be told my blood pressure was high (it usually runs on the low side) and that there might be a trace of protein in my urine. The nurse practitioner I had to see today told me she was being super conservative and that my usual doctor is probably going to tell her she went over the top when he finds out but she sent me to have PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension) labs drawn just to be sure I'm not heading that direction. I knew this or something like it would happen seeing someone other than my regular doctor at this gestation. Oh well. It couldn't be prevented.

The NP said I measured 38 cm (right on) and she touched my belly and said she estimated the fetal weight to be 7 pounds right now (how she can tell from a brief touch is beyond me!) As soon as she heard the heart beat, she blurted out "You're having a boy, right?" I laughed and told her that actually we didn't know but that the heart rate had been running on the lower end at my last few appointments (it was 136 at this one) and I knew about the wives tale that low = boy. She proceeded to call the baby "he" and "him" throughout the remainder of the appointment. She checked and I was only dilated to 1 cm but that the head was right there (this I already knew!!) and she said it looks like they'd see me next week. I optimistically asked "At the hospital?" and she responded "No, here in the office." Darn!

So, I closed out the evening with a 2nd walk, this time only 4 miles. And now I don't think I'll ever get up again. :)

Pregnancy 2: 37 Weeks

(37 Weeks = TERM! Taken 8/10/11)

-I always wondered why people got so anxious to deliver toward the end of pregnancy. I never felt that with Isla (maybe because she was 12 days early?) Now I have become one of "those people." I am very, very ready to meet this child.

-At my appt Monday, my doctor said I measured smaller and that he was having a hard time feeling the baby's head (by touching the outside of my belly). I believe what he said was that the head was "way down." Yipee! He also said not to get my hopes up but "things are looking really good and history tends to repeat itself" so I should be ready any time.

-My coworkers are now all commenting that it looks like I've dropped. Today the attending neonatologist even told me I look smaller than yesterday. Brownie points for him!

-All this dropping might explain the severe gastrointestinal distress that has accompanied this week. Basically I think the baby is "cramping my style" and causing very painful bloating and gas pains whenever I eat. Gosh, hope this drama is short-lived! It's sort of miserable to be honest.

-All of a sudden I'm getting up ~7 times a night (up from the prior 2) to use the little girl's room. More proof that baby's head is in position. I've also begun to experience some insomnia (I count myself blessed that it is only showing up now!)

-My bag is finally packed and it goes with me when I venture more than 30 minutes from home.

-Every time I start crying lately (which I'll admit is a lot), I wonder "Could this be it?" I had the weirdest surge of uncontrolable emotions a few hours before my water broke with Isla. It makes me wonder if that's the way labor begins for me. But they definitely weren't like "regular" emotions. It was seriously the most insane roller coaster of random waves of emotion ever. I think it scared the bejeebers out of Graham.

-We maybe probably might have a girl name (or two) settled on now. We haven't discussed middle names much though...we'll save that for the ride to the hospital! :)

-I have, on a number of occasions, experienced some major cramping and ever-so-briefly thought to myself "What? Is my period coming?" Then I proceed to slap my forehead and remember Um yeah, those would be CONTRACTIONS! They are coming quite frequently throughout the day now and are definitely not painless like they were the first go around. My dr says this is completely normal.

-Tuesday would be a really convenient day for baby to arrive. A lot of friends/family will be leaving town after that and I'd love for them to meet the wee one.

My Restaurant "Bucket List"

I just love eating out but usually have the hardest time deciding where I'd like to go. I like to try new places but rarely can think of my "bucket list" of restaurants I want to try when put on the spot. Graham requested I create a written list that can easily be referred to when date night opportunity arises. So here we go, the beginning of my running list!

Spinasse - This place supposedly has the best homemade pasta in all of Seattle.
Sitka and Spruce - A newer restaurant that is receiving rave reviews.
Dahlia Lounge - A Tom Douglas restaurant. I've never eaten his food but he's pretty well known so figure I should try it!
Cactus - A Kirkland hotspot. Although it's not my typical gourmet-type dining choice, people rave about it and so I'd like to try it someday. We attempted to pay them a visit once but Graham wasn't feeling so hot and so we left before we'd even been seated.
poppy - This place seems fun with lots of little bites.
Tavolata - Another place that is supposed to have awesome homemade pastas.
Emmer and Rye - This place looks right up my alley, focusing on seasonal, local cuisine.
Dixies Barbeque - Someday I'd like to go here to "Meet the Man" as this place notoriously calls their HOT sauce. I also really would like to get my hands on a hush puppy and this seems like a pretty good bet.

But then there are always the tried and true favorites that are worth going back to. Here are a few of my top pics:

Eastside Favorites
Barking Frog Restaurant - Attached to the Willows Lodge. You really can't go wrong here. Everything I've ever eaten has been phenomenal. My favorite time to visit is during Seattle Restaurant Week or Dine Around Seattle because you can get 3 courses for quite a steal.
Cafe Juanita - Amazing Italian food served out of a deceptively-boring looking house in Kirkland. To. Die. For.
The Herb Farm - Probably the most expensive meal that will ever pass through my belly but also probably the most amazing dining experience of my life. If anyone ever wants to take me here again, I will love you forever and bake you cookies for life (or something). I am hopeful I will be able to find an occasion special enough to return here.
Purple Cafe and Wine Bar - The food here is always delicious and you can get out the door without breaking the bank, particularly if you bring your own bottle of wine (which they cork for free). My favorite location is the Woodinville one.
The Original Pancake House - I am a sucker for breakfast and this place usually hits the spot!
Gilbert's on Main - I love their weekday petite breakfasts and their gruyere and spinach bagels with whipped cream cheese and homemade jam make me drool.
Cantinetta - I've been to the Bellevue location once and can't wait to go back! It's hip and totally delicious.

Multiple Locations
Julia's - I've only been here for breakfast and the only thing I've ever ordered off their menu is the pancakes but I love them. And will continue to return for them. I always get the buckwheat cakes and order them with everything (blueberries, granola, poppy seeds, chocolate chips and pecans). These always make me a very happy girl.
Paseo - A hole in the wall Caribbean restaurant that serves the best sandwich I have ever eaten. Don't bother with the rice bowls and just order the sandwich marked "Most Popular." You won't regret it. It is amazing. Be sure to note their hours (they are closed Sun/Mon) and that they take cash only.
Pho Than Brothers - How can a meal be bad when it begins with a cream puff? This is another hole in the wall place with delicious pho soup. Squint when you enter (unfortunately cleanliness isn't always their focus) and order #3 (pho with eye of round and well done flank). Graham and I have been known for enjoying $7 date nights by splitting a large (the servings are HUGE!)

Seattle
Brad's Swingside Cafe - This place is so small it doesn't even have a website (but there is apparently one coming soon!) We have been here numerous times on special occasions and have never been disappointed. The Italian food served is complex-we were once told by a waiter that even the salad dressings have no less than 20 ingredients!! The chef sure knows how to marry flavors and I am a huge fan.
Long - This is a more upscale Vietnamese place but we always leave surprised at how inexpensive our total bill is. We like to go here with friends and share various dishes family style. Their spring rolls are delicious and I certainly wouldn't leave without ordering the Grilled Beef Short Ribs or the Braised Savory Coconut in Browned Pork (I think they meant Browned Pork Braised with Savory Coconut...)
Salumi - We've only been here once but their artisan-cured meats are mouth-watering (and I didn't think I liked salami!) We ate salami sandwiches but were also told their meatball sandwiches are worth returning for. They are open for lunch only on Tuesday-Friday and we've been warned to get there early as a line usually forms to circle the block.
Barolo Ristorante - I've been here for happy hour on a couple of occasions but have never dined in the restaurant. The atmosphere is fun with candles dripping wax everywhere and it is usually jam-packed. I recall really enjoying the lamb burger.

Pregnancy 2: 36 Weeks

(Taken at 36 weeks, 8/3/11. By the way, has anyone else noticed I'm looking more and more tired in all these photos? Gotta work on that!)

The countdown is on!! It's time to make your bet!! Boy? Girl? Birthdate? Weight (of baby, NOT me)?

Here's mine:

GIRL

August 16th (wishful thinking I know!)

7 pounds, 8 ounces

Here's Graham's:

GIRL

August 15th (he thinks my working 4 days in a row will facilitate some action)

8 pounds

So far everything is checking out great at all my doctor appointments. I'm thankful for a healthy pregnancy so far! At my appointment last week, my doctor said "Wow! This baby is growing!" and left it at that. I had to interrogate him a bit to get more info to make sure his comment was positive. He is calling this baby "medium" and says Isla was also "medium" (she was 7lb, 4 oz at birth). My next appointment is on Monday so I'll be close to 37 weeks then we'll start weekly appointments from there.

I caught a cold last week which was pretty miserable but it is past now. It might be my pre-labor routine as the same happened with Isla. However, she came mid-illness because I recall not being able to breathe through my nose during labor which was quite lovely.

For the most part, I've caught myself saying that I am more comfortable this month than I was in months past. There were some pretty rough days during the week of my cold when I cried over the old lady state of my body (oh the things no one ever warns you about!) but all in all, I'm feeling pretty good.

I think we finally settled on a boy name this week! I adore it and so does Graham. It was a front runner for Miss Isla had she been a boy. The girl name is a different story. I think we have at least 11 or 12 names on our running list but can't seem to settle on any of them. We LOVE Isla's name so much and can't seem to agree on a good match. Please don't judge us if we have a name-less child for a few days (or weeks).

This week my coworkers have lavished me with many positive compliments for which I'm so grateful! I've heard: "You're the picture-perfect pregnant person," "You look great," and "You can't possibly be that far along." YES PEOPLE! THIS is what a pregnant girl needs to hear!! I see absolutely no reason to mention my back fat thank you very much.

My weight gain has tapered off over the past few weeks. I've stayed about the same for ~3 weeks which is good because I'm just over the high end of goal (by 1 pound only!) The baby must be stealing from stores I built up in earlier trimesters because he/she continues to grow!

Newsflash: I went camping last weekend at 35 weeks pregnant! Not something I would necessarily recommend but now I can say I did it. We only went for one night (because we'd all been down and out with colds) and it was a good thing because I got ~2.5 hr sleep.

I have been feeling SO excited this week to meet this little one. I mean, way excited.

The shelf we bought months ago is finally up in the kids' room, newborn diapers are set out and ready, I have a box of newborn boy stuff from my sister washed and ready should it be needed, I have what I can set out for my hospital bag....I'd say we're just about ready! Oh, except for that name thing. Details....

What's for dinner?

I love my post-grocery shopping fridge. Opening the door and seeing my produce and cheese drawers bursting at the seams always fills me with great excitement for the week of meals to come. Although the process of menu planning isn't my favorite, I LOVE the satisfaction of having a week's worth of food ready and waiting. I'm pretty sure every time I grocery shop I think to myself "Oh, I should blog about this!" But then I never get around to it. I'm making no guarantees but this may be my first installment of a new theme of blog posts entitled "What's for dinner?" Maybe I can inspire you to try something new?

Today I was able to stop off at Bill Pace Fruit & Produce stand in Bellevue which I adore. I always leave that place with at least 3 jam-packed bags of produce for usually only ~$15-20. Most of it is local and all of it is delicious. Today's steals included fresh peaches, organic lettuce, green beans, pattypan squash, grapefruits and oranges, carrots, red bell peppers and a yellow watermelon. Ok people so I have a new favorite food: yellow watermelon. Oh. My. Goodness. Pregnancy brings about a strange obsession with watermelon in me but seriously, this was the best melon I have ever tasted. It was grown in Yakima and absolutely dripping juice everywhere. It was so sweet and wonderful that I almost made Graham stop on his way home from work to buy at least 3 more. Amazing!

It's going to be a busy week over here as I'm working FIVE whole days which = full time! Yes, as a matter of fact, I AM trying to put myself into labor. I haven't worked this much for precisely two years so it made my menu planning a bit more challenging. I think I settled on a good mix of quick and easy, make ahead and slow-cooker options, at least for my work nights. Here is what we'll be eating over the course of the week:

-Zucchini, Bacon and Mozzarella Quiche using zucchini from my very own garden
-Udon Noodle Salad with Broccoli and Spicy Tofu
-Seared Asian Steak & Mushrooms on Mixed Greens w/ a Ginger Dressing along w/ a Tomato, Feta & Basil Galette
-Cilantro Garlic Ribs, Rice, Sauteed Pattypan Squash with Basil and Feta
-Slow-Simmered Meat Sauce (Beef & Spicy Italian Sausage) over Bowties
-Fusilli Salad with Green Beans, Pistachios and a Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

Is anyone drooling as much as I am? All of these recipes are completely new to me so I make no guarantees but personally I think they sound delicious! I also have plans to make a few pre-baby freezer meals but I'll leave that for another post. Hope you're indulging in all the goodies this season has to offer!

Sour Puss

This morning I woke up feeling blue. I glanced out the window and saw the clouds and immediately wanted to crawl back under the covers and start over. My sister had kindly offered to take Isla for a few hours to give me some time to myself but the gray skies were ruining my plans to swim laps and sun bathe alone with my book at the pool. I had a discouraging day at work yesterday that left me feeling under-valued and wondering why I've invested this much of my (and others'!) time to be there. I went to bed angry and woke up sad that I hadn't kissed my husband goodnight. I feel far too emotional to be allowed to reside on this planet and can't seem to figure out how I can roller coaster so rapidly from one extreme to the other. There it is. A real day in the life. It's been an icky 24 hours.

I'm ready for a re-do. It's quiet in the house now (it's naptime!) and so I spent some time paging through 2 Timothy and reflecting. I just love it how the Lord give me gems of encouragement (and a little kick in the pants) when they are most needed! In reading these four chapters, I was struck by how selfish I can be, by how good I really have it. The minor dramas in my life are just that: minor. Chapter 4 struck a chord with me the most today.

Verse 2: "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." Wow. That's a good one for me and my mama duties. The day is only half over and my patience expired hours ago. Oh how I long to be able to do just as this verse says!

Verse 5: "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." Basically, press on!

And finally, the desire of my heart is that I would one day be able to say the words of verses 7-8 with full confidence: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

I'm ready to turn this Friday around and get this weekend kicked off to a marvelous start! I may not be lying by the pool but I have all the fixings to whip up a homemade iced caramel macchiato that I plan to sip from the patio!

Perspective

Graham asked me a few weeks back what I'm most looking forward to after having this baby.

My first thought (and therefore what I said): "Being able to bend over!! What's yours?"

Graham: "Oh. I was more thinking finally getting to meet the baby and find out what it is and getting to be together as a family."

Hmmmm. Guess it's all a matter of perspective. :)

She makes me cry

To all you mamas out there: do you ever have one of those days or weeks where you just can't get over how much you love your little one/s? I have been trying so hard to focus on cherishing these last few weeks alone with Isla and I must say, I've been blessed beyond measure! Call me sappy or call it the hormones or just take it for what it is, BEING A MOTHER IS AMAZING!

Tonight, Isla and I walked to the grocery store together in the after-dinner sunshine. We walked hand in hand and talked the whole way about how bright the sun was, about how we hoped the store would have one of those carts with a car attached that she could ride in, about how the milk was "all gone" and we needed to buy more, about how noisy certain cars were. It's the little things, but I couldn't get over how precious she is as I recollected our day to Graham. I just loved how she asked me to carry her today, how she grabbed my belly and yelled "Hi baby!!!", how we blew bubbles together and she told me she wanted them to pop against her legs, how she sat on a chair the entire time while I made dinner, watching my every move and keeping me company, how she asked for help spreading out a blanket on the living room floor and then she patted the floor and asked me to sit so we could "make pancakes" again like we pretended to yesterday, how she cries "Mommy come" when she wakes up in the morning or after a nap.

It's a pretty incredibly feeling to be adored and this girl has made me feel like the best mom in the world over the past few days. She makes me cry......in a very good way.