How cute are these?

I was starting to think that Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags were a trend that had come and gone... and then they came out with the "Sashay" bag, which I think is totally adorable! It reminds me of a vintage bowling bag, and the price is $89 (compared to their $169 boxy backpacks which are actually smaller, go figure). 

These 2 are my favorite:

London's Nursey

Barbie Prints

Tiddliwinks "Cottage Chic"

Kidsline "Julia"

I've been having a hard time finding bedding for the nursery. I don't want anything too "baby", and I'm not willing to spend $300+ on crib bedding! Brandon and his mom got me 4 vintage Barbie prints a few years ago, which we will be using in the nursery, so I wanted to find something with a sophisticated, vintage feel to go along with that. Yesterday I found 2 sets that I liked that were under $100, so now it's just a matter of deciding which one! The crib will be white. The "Cottage Chic" set has a shabby chic style which I think would work well. And I like the "Julia" set (well, meaning the bedskirt, sheet and bumper), but I would ditch the quilt (I don't care for the patchwork). Opinions are welcomed...

Halfway there!

I am officially at the halfway point in my pregnancy... 20 weeks! The baby is now about 6.5 inches long and almost 11 ounces. I had my doctor's appointment this week and found out that my 18-week ultrasound and blood screenings all came back perfect! So I am thankful for that. I also found out that my placenta is in the front, which is the reason why I haven't felt a lot of movement yet. Apparently an "anterior placenta" acts as a cushion in the front, causing it to take longer to feel the baby move. And here I thought she was just a mellow little girl... nope! She's as active as can be, moving all around.

I'm still feeling great, just starting to grow more! My weight gain is now at 12 lb, thanks to all my holiday indulgences. :) Not too bad, considering. We had a wonderful Christmas, and it was so much fun watching Hudson open his "prensents" and get really into it this year. Next year we will be celebrating with another little person!

A Few Recipes...

Here are a few things I made over the holidays that were crowd-pleasers!

Filet au Poivre, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

Potatoes au Gratin, courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

(I added a pinch of nutmeg to mine.)

Butter Toffee, courtesy of... yes, the Pioneer Woman

(I topped mine with hazelnuts, sea salt & almonds)

(What are quickly becoming) my "famous" Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

And a Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, Tomato & Basil Tart

(from our cooking class earlier this month)

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients

• 4 Puff Pastry Squares

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

• 4 oz. goat cheese

• 8 heirloom tomatoes, halved

• 4 oz. fresh basil

• 2 oz. reduced balsamic vinegar

Filling

• Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.

• Add thinly sliced onions and cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

• With a fork, dock center of each pastry square. Then top the pastry with caramelized onions, basil

leaves, tomatoes and goat cheese on top.

• Put pastry in oven and bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden

brown around the edges.

• Remove from oven when done and top with chiffonade basil and reduced balsamic.

I would highly recommend any of these recipes!!

Family Photos 2010

Here are some family photos we had taken by my cousin, Jon. You can view his blog here.

15 weeks

Here is a recent photo of the bump! The baby is now the size of a naval orange - 4 inches, 2.5 oz

Thankful on Paper : week four

I can't have a month of thanks without mentioning my husband!

That being said, it's hard to sum up all the things I want to say about Brandon. He's a wonderful husband, father and friend. I love how we do life together. There is no one I would rather spend my time with... even if we are doing absolutely nothing. He is my best friend, and he truly has my back in any situation.

When I've had a tough day, he gives Hudson his bath so that I can lay on the couch and relax. When he gets home from work before me, he starts dinner. He gets Hudson ready for school in the morning and packs his lunch. He puts flannel sheets on our bed when it gets cold so that it is extra comfy for us when we go to bed. These are just a few silly things that mean so much to me.

Over the last few years, we have really grown together - in our maturity and in our faith. He challenges me to get out of my comfort zone. We have had some ups and downs (I can do without any more injuries/surgeries, thank you) but through it all, we have tried to focus on the silver lining (there has always been one), and we have learned what is truly important in life.

I am so thankful for having such an amazing man to share my life with. Cheers to many, many more Thanksgivings!

Thankful on Paper : week three

This week I wrote to my good friend, Erin, who I met back in 2003 when I moved into the apartment next door to her. We hit it off instantly and were practically inseparable from that point on! We ended up working together at Outback and would spend most of our free time together (usually involving a bar, but what do you expect from 21-year-olds?) And it was on the same day in July 2004 that we started dating our now-husbands.

We've had so many great memories together, and we have also been there for each other during tough times. We have spent countless hours laying around on the couch, talking about whatever drama we had going on in our lives. Erin always gives it to me straight, and I really appreciate that quality in her. She stood up with me the day I got married, and I was able to do the same for her a few months later.

Unfortunately, we are no longer neighbors - she actually lives in Northern California now - but she is still one of my very best friends. I was able to visit her last month and meet her new baby girl, and it was great being able to lay around on the couch having girl talk again... just like old times (minus the dirty martinis and late-night Del Taco!) Luckily we have both grown up since we were crazy, single 21-year-olds... but regardless of how old we get, she will always have a special place in my heart!

We're having a...

GIRL!!

Yesterday, we went for an early gender detection ultrasound. I've had a few friends who have found out the gender of their babies at 13-14 weeks, so I figured I would try to sneak a peek! The tech told us that it was a baby girl! Apparently she saw the "3 lines" or "3 dots" that signify a girl. Obviously, I would have been happy with a boy or a girl, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking "No penis, no penis..." while I was on that table... ha ha. We are all very excited to be adding some pink to our family. From the very beginning, Hudson said he wanted a baby sister, so I guess he's getting what he wanted!

We will be naming our little girl London Lorraine. Lorraine is my grandpa's name, and for a while now, we've thought it would make a great middle name. After we found out the gender, I called my grandpa to make sure it was okay with him to use his name for our daughter. He replied, "That would be fine." If you know my grandpa, you know he is a rough and gruff kind of guy- a man of few words. So I knew even by this simple phrase that he thought it was pretty cool. I'm sure he's told a few friends at the donut store already.

Thankful on Paper : week two

This week I wrote to my mom. My mom lives 1,721 miles away from me, and I hate it. But even with all that distance between us, we are extremely close. I actually think we have become closer as the miles apart increased. Over the last 15 years, she and my step-dad have left everything behind (TWICE) to go where God has led them. Selfishly, I ask God (regularly) to lead them back to Southern California. :)

Growing up, my mom was pretty strict. She was the mom that wrote medical release forms for every outing I went on with friends (that's not embarrassing when you're 14...), would make me stop by her room to tell her when I got home every night (like I could sneak in anyways... how are moms such light sleepers?!), and would tell me countless things to which I would respond, "I know, Mom." But looking back, I am so grateful for all of those things because I know she did them out of genuine love and concern. And I will probably be guilty of doing the same with my kids!

In the last 5 years, my mom has become one of my closest friends. Through good times and bad, she has always been there for me, and she hasn't just listened... she's felt the joy and pain with me. She has always given me her honest opinion, even when it's not what I wanted to hear. She is extremely thoughtful, kind and has the highest integrity. I am so blessed to have her as my mom.