101 in 1001 Days: an Update

I remember starting this list a few years ago and thinking there would be no problem to get 101 things done in two and a half years.  Well, throw a pregnancy and baby into the mix and let’s just say I think I’m lucky I managed to get over 40 things completed :)  The travel items definitely will not get accomplished anytime soon, especially since we’re up in the air with house/moving stuff.  I am proud of myself for crossing off many items under Health/Appearance as 2011 was the year I lost 30 pounds and started a journey towards a more healthy lifestyle. I’d like to create a new list in the next month or so and start again, but my goal this time would be to get at least 60 things completed by the end! 

Here’s the recap of what I finished a few months ago:

• Start Date: January 13th, 2011
• List End Date: October 10th, 2013
• Items completed so far: 44/101
  

Key:

• items not completed
• items in progress
• items completed

Fun

• 1. Read forty new books (5/40).
• 2. Go to a Celtics game with hubby. (April 2011)
• 3. Go to a concert.
• 4. Host 5 dinner parties w/close friends (3/5).
• 5. Go to a water park for the day.
• 6. Watch The Hangover finally.
• 7. Visit the Museum of Science in Boston. (Aug 2012)
• 8. Visit 5 new breweries (1/5).
• 9. Go to a zoo. (Sept 2011)
• 10. Go wine tasting. (Oct 2012)
• 11. Finish 3 new TV shows on DVD that we never watched before. (2/3)
• 12. See Cirque du Soleil.
• 13. Get a new tattoo.
• 14. Go to my 10 year high school reunion.
• 15. Plan a Girl’s Spa Weekend.
• 16. Attend a midnight premiere of a movie.
• 17. Go pumpkin picking. (Oct 2012)
• 18. Go snorkeling. (Mexico - May 2011)
• 19. Make 5 new playlists on iTunes. (2/5)

Crafting/DIY

• 20. Finish my wedding scrapbook.
• 21. Finish my Italy & Greece scrapbook.
• 22. Make a diaper cake for a friend’s baby shower. (July 2011)
• 23. Go to an estate sale and buy a piece of furniture.
• 24. Make my own Christmas cards. (Dec 2011)
• 25. Make homemade vanilla extract. (Nov 2011)
• 26. Make homemade candles.
• 27. Buy something on Etsy. (March 2012)
• 28. Make my own flower-adorned headband.
• 29. Find an inspiring quote and work it into a piece of art/home décor. (Jan 2011)
• 30. Fill empty picture frames.

Personal Growth/ Hobbies

• 31. Take a Spanish class.
• 32. Learn how to use a smartphone. (Feb 2012)
• 33. Talk to my boss about possible promotions/other positions at work.
• 34. Post in my blog 4 times a week for a month. (April 2011)
• 35. Visit the local library and get a library card.
• 36. Write a list of 50 things that make me happy.
• 37. Learn how to hem a pair of pants.
• 38. Purchase a better camera. (Sept 2011)
• 39. Learn basic photography skills.
• 40. Take pictures of the kitties and enter them in the Cat a Day Calendar contest
• 41. Attend a cake decorating class. (March 2011)
• 42. Write a letter to myself to open in 5 years.

Financial

• 43. Set up a joint checking account. (Jan 2011)
• 44. Write a will and have hubby write one, as well.
• 45. Order new checks. (March 2011)
• 46. Take over the last student loan my parents still pay for.
• 47. Contribute a percentage of each paycheck to my 401k. (April 2011)
• 48. Put away an additional $5000 towards a down deposit on a new house. (Nov 2011)
• 49. Don’t use my debit card/credit cards for one week.

Acts for Others

• 50. Donate to a charity once a year (2/3).
• 51. Adopt a family for Christmas.
• 52. Donate blood.
• 53. Volunteer at an animal shelter.
• 54. Buy a toy for Toys for Tots.
• 55. Make hubby breakfast in bed.
• 56. Clear out my closet and give away clothes to charity (Nov 2012)

Health/Appearance

• 57. Lose enough weight to fit comfortably back into my favorite clothes. (June 2011)
• 58. Walk a mile in less than 17 minutes. (March 2011)
• 59. Exercise three times a week for two months.
• 60. Eat 5 fruits and veggies every day for 2 weeks.
• 61. Drink at least 3 glasses of water or seltzer each day for a month. (Dec 2011)
• 62. Get a facial.
• 63. Finish a bottle of multi-vitamins.  (Nov 2011)
• 64. Go to the dentist and then get a cleaning every 6 months after. (March 2013)
• 65. Get a full physical. (May 2013)
• 66. Style my hair every day for one week (no ponytails/messy buns!). (Feb 2011)
• 67. Get my hair dyed professionally. (Jan 2012)
• 68. Get my eyes re-examined and purchase new glasses. (March 2011)
• 69. Buy a pair of nice boots. (Oct 2011)
• 70. Don’t hit the snooze button for an entire week.

Home

• 71. Finish decorating the loft so it’s a completed space.
  72. Re-do the kitchen. (March 2013)
• 73. Re-do the tub in the master bath.
• 74. Update sink fixtures in all the bathrooms.
• 75. Add patio stones to our outside space.
• 76. Re-decorate the bedroom area of the spare room. (March 2011)
• 77. Re-carpet the bedrooms and main hallway.

Food & Cooking

• 78. Eat at 10 new, local, non-chain restaurants (7/10).
• 79. Make lasagna. (April 2011)
• 80. Make Grandma’s pecan pie with a home-made crust.  
• 81. Go blueberry picking and make jam. (July 2011)
• 82. Make tiramisu.
• 83. Bake a cake from scratch. (Guinness Cake w/Bailey's Frosting for St. Patty's Day - March 2012)
• 84. Drink an entire Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day. (March 2011)
• 85. Buy a teapot.
• 86. Make a gingerbread house. (Dec 2012)
• 87. Barbecue for dinner each night for one week (0/7).
• 88. Try out 50 new recipes (30/50).

Travel

• 89. Travel to Jamaica.
• 90. Travel to somewhere on the West Coast. (Feb 2012 - San Diego)
• 91. Swim in the Pacific Ocean. (stuck my feet in, good enough!  Feb 2012 - San Diego)
• 92. Travel to Washington D.C. (Sept 2011)
• 93. Go on a cruise.
• 94. Go camping for a weekend.
• 95. Take a trip with my sister.
• 96. Take a trip with my parents. (August 2011)
• 97. Take a trip with my in-laws. (August 2011)
• 98. Go away for a weekend with friends.
• 99. Stay at a new Bed & Breakfast.
• 100. Watch the sun rise and the sun set in one day. (Feb 2012 - San Diego)
• 101. Renew passport w/my new last name

101 in 1001 – Museum of Science

It’s been difficult to work on my 101 in 1001 list since Toby’s arrival, but I’m still determined to get as many items crossed off the list before the “due date” next fall!  A few weeks ago, I was looking to see which things would be possible to complete now and decided we would visit the Museum of Science in Boston.  I last visited the museum a long time ago, probably when I was only 4 or 5 years old. 

Boston is about a 45 minute drive from our home. Parking can actually be pretty cheap on the weekends in the city as long as there’s not a sports game or huge convention taking place, which kind of defeats the purpose of taking public transportation.  We knew it would much easier driving in with Toby anyways.  Plus, I wanted the option of being able to pump or breastfeed in the car if necessary.  Oh, the planning involved with a baby :)

Toby slept the entire ride in and then woke up after we parked at a nearby mall.  It was perfect weather for visiting Boston…not too hot and there was a slight breeze which made walking really pleasant.  Toby wasn’t thrilled to be in the stroller but once we got moving and made our way over to the museum, he was okay.  He started fussing a lot more after we bought our tickets, so I decided to wear him in the Ergo.  Luckily it put him right to sleep so Hubby and I were able to wander around the exhibits.  Checking out the dinosaur fossils was my favorite:

We made a lunch and bottle pit stop in the mid afternoon and then after that, Toby decided it was the perfect time to have a diaper explosion while we were in the Egypt exhibit.  Of course there wasn’t a restroom on the same floor, so we had to go down a level to do a diaper change.  Hubby took care of that one, and then 5 minutes later Toby had another one so I was on duty that time.  Toby seems to always enjoy having explosions while we’re out of the house :)  We headed back up to the exhibit to finish looking at all the Egyptian artifacts, including a real mummified body.

Overall it was a good day with just a couple episodes of fussiness on Toby’s part.  The museum was good to check out, but I thought there would be more exhibits in it.  It also needs some updating, as I don’t think some exhibits have been re-done since the 70’s.  There are a lot of interactive activities for younger kids to do, though, so it will be a fun place to visit again in a few years when Toby’s older.  Visiting the city wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would originally be, and I’m glad we’re continuing to venture out in public as much as we do.  It takes a lot of planning, but it’s always worth it.

Recipe – Fiesta Chicken & Rice

Ready for an easy recipe that rivals Chipotle’s burrito bowl?  Try this Fiesta Chicken & Rice – very filling and still healthy.  The cheesy rice and tomato mixture with the chicken is flavorful and so good.  Chipotle’s chicken is seasoned a little differently but I liked how juicy this chicken came out since it absorbs a lot of liquid from the salsa and diced tomatoes.

Adapted from Tracy’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 package of ready-made brown rice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup medium salsa
• 1 red pepper, chopped in small pieces
• seasoning for chicken – pepper, salt, chili powder
• reduced-fat Mexican cheese, enough for topping (about 1/4 cup for each serving)
• reduced-fat sour cream, enough for topping (about 1 tablespoon for each serving)

Let’s Get Cooking!

• In a large skillet, heat up olive oil on medium heat.  Add chicken breast chunks.  Season chicken with pepper, salt, chili powder (I actually used a chipotle lime rub so you can use whatever seasonings you like). 
• Allow chicken to lightly brown and then flip.  After the other side has lightly browned, add diced tomatoes (with all the juice), salsa, onion, pepper, and rice to the skillet (it’s okay if the chicken is not cooked through yet).
• Keep skillet on medium heat and cover for 15 minutes.  Stir every few minutes to ensure all the rice is getting cooked.  My rice and chicken was completely cooked through after 15 minutes, but you may need to cook a few more minutes if all the liquid is not absorbed yet.
• Serve in bowls and immediately top with cheese and sour cream (I used about 1/4 cup of cheese and 1 tablespoon of sour cream for each bowl, but that’s up to you).  The cheese should start to melt – mix everything well so the chicken and rice is well coated.  Enjoy! 

Unfortunately there’s no picture to go with this…but I’m sure I’ll be making it again within the next couple weeks so I’ll update then :)

Babymoon in San Diego – Part 2

Catch up with the first San Diego recap here.

On our first full day in Cali, we decided to wake up early (which wasn’t hard at all since we were still on Boston time) and head to the zoo.  I read a lot of reviews on Trip Advisor that recommended getting to the zoo as soon as it opened so you could stand in line for the first bus tour.  The tour lasts a little over an hour and brings you through about 70% of the park so you can check out a lot of the exhibits and get a feel for how everything is set up.  The tour was pretty good but we were extremely distracted by a family with 3 young kids seated behind us…really looking forward to misbehaving kids in the future haha :)  We sat on the top level of the two-tier bus, so I was able to get some good pictures of a few different animals, including the giraffes and kangaroos:

 

After we got off the bus, we first went to the Outback section because I was dying to see the koala bears in person.  Little did we know that the koala bears were off exhibit because they’re in the process of renovating their space.  NOOOOOO!  Oh, I was so mad since they were the number one animal I wanted to see.  I pouted a bit and then we kept walking through the Outback to continue on to the Asian Passage so we could at least check out the Pandas.  On the way, you get to see some exhibits with “big” cats, including this guy, a black leopard (black on black spots):

 

We were so close to his space, that it was a little freaky.  The best thing about the San Diego Zoo compared to other zoos I have visited is most definitely how close you are able to get to the animals.  You can tell they designed the spaces very well.

We finally got to the panda’s exhibit and saw one of them being fed.  It was cute watching him on his hind legs begging for bamboo shoots.  The other panda was just hanging out and being a little shy.

After we finished viewing the pandas, we decided to eat lunch at the Asian-themed restaurant nearby.  I had a rice bowl with chicken and veggies in soy sauce, and it was really good considering the quality of park food.  Food is a little pricey, but that’s to be expected.  We do recommend buying a souvenir cup, though.  For $5, you buy the cup and soda, and then if you keep your receipt, you get free refills for the rest of the day.  This didn’t help me so much since I’ve tried to stay away from diet sodas while being preggo, but Hubby definitely took advantage of refilling a few times that day.  It was known as his “pail” later on; it’s also a cute cup to save for Baby C when he’s older.

We continued to keep walking (the Trip Advisor reviews were not kidding when they said wear comfy walking shoes), and ended up in the Arctic exhibit, where the polar bears hang out.  They were so fun to watch, since one of them was playing with a little red ball in the water.  The other two were more lazy and napping in the sun.

 

We saw a ton of other animals, including some orangutans, monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, hippos, snakes, peacocks, exotic birds, reindeer, tigers, and many others.  We visited a couple of the gift shops before leaving, as I really wanted to buy a onesie for Baby C.  Wow, kid’s clothes are EXPENSIVE and total rip-offs at tourist places.  The cheapest one I could find was $16.  However, I was tempted to get this:

But it was $30 and the smallest size was 24 months.  I instead bought a stuffed lion that is wearing a miniature version of the zookeeper outfit – I figured that was a better investment.  We ended up leaving the zoo around 3ish, so we spent almost a whole day there (they close at 5 or 6 depending upon the time of year).  Overall, it was very worth the $40 per person to get in (bring your AAA card for a 10% discount).  And considering the weather was perfect that day (in the 70’s with lots of sun and a little breeze), it was nice spending so much time outside.

After the zoo, we searched around for a frozen yogurt place and then headed back to the hotel for a bit.  The sun was starting to set and I wanted some pictures of the marina, so we did that before heading out for the night.  Let’s just say the bump had a serious growth spurt while on the babymoon – some outfits I wore really showed it off:

The views on Shelter Island were so pretty.  Our hotel was in such a good location.  Love how the blues and purples came out in this one:

 

Of course the one thing I forgot to bring with me from home was my prenatal vitamins.  I tried finding the kind I take in a local CVS but they didn’t stock them, so we searched for the closest Walmart.  Luckily it was only about 15 minutes away and was kind of on the way to the restaurant we were planning on going to that night, so it worked out.  For dinner, we headed north and ate at the Pacific Beach Ale House.  The food here was great, servers were very friendly, and the best part was sitting on the top level patio which overlooked the ocean.  It was already very dark out by the time we got there, but I can only imagine the views must be great during the day.  It was a casual atmosphere, and I’m glad we ended up there instead of going somewhere more “fancy”. 

After dinner we walked over to the beach (known as Pacific Beach) that was literally right behind the restaurant.  One of my goals on my 101 in 1001 list was to swim in the Pacific Ocean.  However, we didn’t have plans to lay around on the beach at all for the rest of the trip, so I decided sticking my feet in would count :)  The water was a little warmer than it is in Maine during the summer.  I tried to take a picture but it was way too dark out by that point.  We checked out a couple shops and then drove back to the hotel since we were both pretty tired.  It was a great Day 2 – I was already impressed by how much San Diego had to offer.

Recipe Review – Pumpkin Waffles

I know it’s not the “season” for pumpkin, but there was a leftover can in my pantry that was just dying to be used in a yummy recipe.  Luckily this recipe for waffles only asks for a cup of pumpkin puree, so I can save the rest for muffins or cupcakes this week :)

Since we received a waffle maker for Christmas, I’ve been searching for healthy waffle recipes on Pinterest, so this one from Prevention RD came up right away.  Very easy to put together.  Only modifications I made were almond milk instead of buttermilk, and I ran out of wheat pastry flour, so I had to use some regular white flour, as well.  I knew I would be putting some light whipped cream and maple syrup on top after they cooked, so I decided to omit the sugar from the recipe.  Looking back, I probably should have added one packet of Truvia to make the batter just a little sweeter.

These were delicious and good to know they’re not horrible for you since pumpkin is naturally low in fat and also lots of good stuff in it!  The nutritional facts said 240 calories so I’m assuming I was around that even with the modifications I made.  You definitely need something sweet to top off the waffle, though, so indulge in a little syrup :)  This was a 9 out of 10 for sure.

Recipe Review – Southwestern Pizza w/Black Beans & Corn

I love making homemade pizza and coming up with new versions, especially if I can somehow make them healthy.  This recipe for Southwestern Pizza was found at The Kitchn and did not disappoint.  Best part – it’s a meatless pizza which fits within one of my goals to find more recipes that are vegetarian so we can swap one in during the week. 

I modified the recipe a little as I knew from prior experience with using chiles in adobe sauce that they are HOT.  And the sauce alone is way too spicy for me.  I used about 1 teaspoon of adobe sauce instead of 1-2 tablespoons that the recipe calls for, and then I mixed the sauce with a couple tablespoons of salsa instead.  It gave just the perfect amount of kick to the pizza.  My favorite part had to be the avocado and sour cream mixture that you add on top after baking…mmmm so creamy. 

This pizza took about 20 minutes to throw together, so it’s a good weeknight meal.  For next time, I would decrease the oven temp down to 425 degrees as I think 450 was a little excessive.  Other than that, no changes need to be made – I think this may be a 10/10 :)

Recipe Review – Chicken Enchilada Pockets

Another food blog I check out frequently is Dashing Dish.  She has some great ideas for smaller dishes, desserts, and appetizers.  I wanted to see if any of her recipes could work for a dinner meal so I decided to try the Chicken Enchilada Pockets.  As I was gathering the ingredients, I didn’t realize how similar the mixture is to the Creamy Chicken Taquitos I make.  I knew these would be a hit with Hubby :)

After reviewing the ingredients needed, I decided to do more of a “taco” mixture instead of the enchilada recipe.  Instead of enchilada sauce, I used salsa, and instead of enchilada mix, I used our Wildtree Taco Seasoning.  I also used four wedges of the Chipotle Laughing Cow cheese instead of regular cream cheese.  And last but not least I also added in about 1/3 cup of rinsed black beans. 

The end result was really, really good – the chicken and cheese mixture with flaky crescent rolls is perfect together.  The issue I had was trying to fill the rolls before baking.  I guess I forgot how small crescent rolls are, so you really can’t fit that much in them.  I got frustrated with the last 4 rolls so I decided to combine two of the rolls together to make a larger piece.  Hence the “monster” pockets I ended up with :)  We each had a monster pocket and a regular one and I was stuffed afterwards. 

Next time I would probably end up buying the larger crescent rolls that I saw in the grocery store or continue to go with my method of just combining two regular rolls together.  Also, I would shred the chicken instead of chopping so it’d be easier to fill with the rest of the mixture.  These will definitely be going into our rotation – 9 out of 10!

Recipe Review – Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Prevention RD is a new food blog I have been following lately.  I really like this blog, as she contains the nutritional info for each recipe and it also seems like she tries to include a lot of veggies in the dinner entrees.  I decided to make the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese based on this amazing picture:

image source

Seriously, how creamy does that cheese sauce look?!  That’s exactly how I like my macaroni and cheese…the cheesier and creamier, the better! 

Well I followed her recipe almost exactly…I changed the cheeses she used to include only sharp cheddar made with 2% milk.  Maybe it was the change of the cheese, but this was not what I was expecting.  I tasted too much squash and not enough cheese.  Hubby liked it, though, and said he liked this version better compared to a sweet potato mac & cheese I made last year.  I’m still not sure about this new version.  I may need to decrease the amount of squash next time, but then doesn’t that defeat the purpose?  I think I’ve given up on doing a “healthy” mac & cheese and have to just indulge once in a while and keep experimenting with non-veggie versions. 

Here’s my version:

Yeah, definitely not as creamy.  I would rate this a 6 out of 10…I’m willing to make it once more to see if the second time comes out better!

Babymoon!

Wicked excited because earlier this week we officially booked our “babymoon”!  A lot of people have asked me what a babymoon is – check out Wikipedia for their official definitions.  It’s usually one of two things – you want to take a last vacation as just the two of you before you’ll be doing family vacations for a longggg time or the other common meaning is when a couple goes on a romantic vacation…and a baby may be a result of it.  Since Baby C is already cookin’ we are clearly doing the “last vacation as the two of us before baby comes” thing.

I’ve been wanting to travel to the West Coast for a long time and I even added it as an item on my 101 in 1001 list.  A few friends have recommended various spots in California to visit, so we decided now would be the time to check it out.  We went with San Diego as the city to visit.  The weather should be in the high 60’s by the time we go, so hopefully it will be perfect weather.  I bought a few dresses at the Motherhood Maternity outlet over New Year’s weekend, which I’m excited to be able to finally wear. 

I really cannot wait to go…seriously, how gorgeous does this city look?

Source: google.com via Emily on Pinterest

 

I love all the marinas, bays, and little islands that compose the outer edges of the city.  The hotel we agreed upon is called Humphries Half Moon Suites and is located on Shelter Island, about 5 minutes away from the airport.  The reviews on TripAdvisor are pretty good, it’s tropical themed (very Hawaii like) and it’s reasonably priced, especially compared to some of the other area hotels.  We never are really concerned with how “nice” a hotel is – as long as it’s clean and the bed’s comfy, it’s good enough for me!  However, since the rooms are priced on the off-season rates, we went with a suite that will have a marina view. 

I’m looking forward to checking out some of the top touristy places, like the San Diego Zoo:

Source: sandiegozoo.org via Emily on Pinterest

 

And doing an Old Town Trolley Tour:

This way we can do a Petco Ballpark tour, walk through the Gaslight Quarter and maybe check out one of the beaches.  I still need to research some other places to check out. We will be there for about 4 1/2 days (we fly back on a red eye late Monday night) so I don’t want to pack in too much to do, but I also don’t want to spend a ton of time at the hotel either. 

The only thing I’m nervous about is the flight time.  I’ve dealt with long flights before (hello Japan!) but obviously not while pregnant.  I’ll still only be about 5 months along so I don’t think I’ll be huge yet (unless I have a serious growth spurt in the next few weeks).  My doctor okayed the trip and said I should be fine as long as I get up to walk around every so often.  Shouldn’t be a problem since I usually need to pee every two hours :) 

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes w/Peppermint Frosting

I actually made these a few weeks ago but since they’re not specifically holiday themed, I thought it would be okay to post these after the new year.  I found the inspiration for these on Pinterest, but I changed the cupcake recipe.  The cake batter I used is made of a box of Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix, 2 egg whites, 1 1/3 cups water, 1 6oz vanilla Chobani yogurt, 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.  Mix all ingredients together for 2 minutes on medium speed, pour 2/3 full into cupcake liners and then bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.  EASY!

The peppermint buttercream frosting is also an easy recipe – this I took right from The Sweet Life and you can find the recipe here.

Once the cupcakes were cool, I just used a spatula to frost them so they were purposely messy.  After that, I still had leftover candy canes so I broke them into 3 pieces and stuck them into the cakes for a little extra decoration.  I also added a few mini marshmallows so they resemble the top of a mug with whipped cream.  My favorite part is the frosting – it’s sweet and minty and rich and goes perfectly with the chocolate cupcake.  Perfect for a winter party or get-together!

Sharing at Tatertots & Jello, I Heart Naptime, Be Different…Act Normal 

16 Weeks

For New Year’s weekend, we were originally looking to stay in Portsmouth again since it’s close to home and we know the area pretty well.  Unfortunately the hotels were SO expensive.  So then I checked out Portland, ME for pricing and came across the Portland Regency Hotel & Spa.  It was not too far out of budget and was right in the middle of the Old Port area, which is our favorite part of the city.  And the best thing the Regency had to offer?  Pregnancy massages in their spa!  Hubby was glad to hear they could easily combine services so we could have a couple’s massage. 

I was really impressed with the hotel overall (service was amazing – front desk, valet, room service, etc) and the spa was beautiful.  I think they may need to configure the spa rooms a little better because at one point we could hear people talking outside our room.  Other than that, the experience was great.  I wasn’t sure what to expect for a prenatal massage, but basically the only major difference was I lied on my side the entire time (switched sides halfway through) and kept a pillow in between my legs to stay comfy.  My therapist was more gentle compared to previous massages I have had and she spent a lot more time on my lower back.  I was so relaxed after I didn’t want to go out for dinner :)

How far along?: 16 weeks

Baby is the size of a: avocado

Total weight gain/loss:  +8 to 10 pound range

The Bump: I’ve had a few stares from strangers, so I’m wondering if it’s getting bigger?  Or maybe they were just staring for no reason haha. 

Symptoms: Stupid runny nose.  Getting hungry again, which means I had to stock up on a lot of fruit today so I’m snacking healthy.

Food Cravings:  Nothing in particular.

Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope

Sleep: Getting used to sleeping with the Snoogle body pillow.  It’s very comfy but I’m used to turning a lot during the night and this makes the process difficult. 

What I miss: Sleeping on my tummy.  And morning mimosas at New Year’s Day brunch.

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Any Names Picked Out Yet:  I revisited this and wrote down all my favorites in the back of our name book.  Hubby still doesn’t want to think about them until we find out the gender. 

Movement: I think I have felt some flutters…but it was very faint and I could just be mistaking it. 

Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants or leggings every day.  Mixture of tops.

Labor Signs: N/A

Best Moment of the Week: Preggo massage!

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Feeling Baby C move…I want to feel some definite kicks!

16 Week Pic…featuring new hair!  I finally crossed off another item off my 101 in 1001 list yesterday and got my hair professionally colored, cut and styled.  Loved it so much I didn’t wash it this AM haha.  Wish it could look like this every day!

What I wore to work…non-maternity tunic from Kohl’s and tan maternity pants from Target.  Still waiting for the bump to pop!

Welcome 2012!

Needless to say I’m beyond excited for 2012 to get here.  Each day that passes by means I’m one closer to meeting my baby in person :)  I’m also looking forward to a lot of other things that will happen before Baby C is here.  We’re hoping to take a babymoon in February so we have one last getaway as just the two of us.  I’d like to focus more on my Etsy shop this year and add more items besides just digital files.  And I really want to concentrate on getting some things on my 101 in 1001 list crossed off before June.  I’m thinking 2012 is going to be a great year!

image source

Looking back last year at welcoming in 2011.

Washington D.C.

I don’t think I mentioned we crossed a few items off my 101 in 1001 list about a month ago when we travelled to D.C. for a long weekend.  I’ve been dying to visit our nation’s capital for quite some time now, since the last time I was there was back in 8th grade.  Luckily it worked out that a friend of ours was having her baby shower in Baltimore so we were able to fly in for that and then spend a couple more days in D.C. as another friend is a residence hall director at one of the universities, and he has an apartment in the dorm with an extra bedroom.  Let’s just say free place to stay in D.C. = very sweet!  No, but seriously, it was a great weekend, and it was so good to see friends that we don’t get to visit with very often.

Here’s a few pics from the trip…Hubby bought me a new camera (I’m a lucky girl) right before we left so I experimented with some photography.  I definitely still need to take a class, though, because there’s so many damn functions on this thing that I have no idea how to use. 

After we got off a verrryyyy early flight in Baltimore, we headed to the downtown harbor area to find some breakfast.  We walked by their newly dedicated 9/11 memorial.  Below is a piece of the towers from NY:

We spent some time near the harbor and then headed to the baby shower.  On the way, Hubby made a pit stop to drive by Charm City Cakes (where Ace of Cakes used to be filmed).  Let’s just say the area the bakery is in is not the greatest.  We made our way to the shower finally and spent some time there catching up with the mom-to be and her family.  Then we headed to D.C. to relax for a bit before going out for dinner and a little sightseeing.  First up was the Capital and the White House.

And at some point we stopped for something to eat…um hello, giant plate of tots!  Oh man those were delicious.

The next day we started in the morning with a great brunch, including mimosas and white Russians, before we walked to the zoo.  I’ve been wanting to go a zoo for so long and since it’s free in D.C., I thought this would be a good opportunity.  Plus they have pandas there!

 

  

And later that night we headed back into the city to visit a few more memorials.  We did SO much walking when we were there, which was great since I didn’t feel guilty about eating all those tater tots ,but unfortunately my feet were not doing so well in flip-flops.  I wish I had a good pair of shoes that were a little dressier than sneakers but still easy to wear all day. 

Some other highlights I didn’t get photos of: we had amazing frozen yogurt after the zoo, and we also went to Georgetown before heading back to the airport.  It’s a cute part of the city with a ton of shops, but Hubby really wanted to stop at Georgetown Cupcakes.  (They have a show on TLC).  The cupcakes were very, very good – so moist – but I’m not sure it’s worth all the hype.  I wish we had a couple more days to spend in the city, but it was nice just getting away for a long weekend.  I never realized how short of a flight it is from Boston to D.C. (about an hour) and since we didn’t check bags, it made the process much faster.  I’d love to go down again, maybe sometime in the spring.