IT'S A GIRL!

"Hello again! I'm a baby GIRL!"

Just got back from our doctor's and am so excited to share that our baby is a beautiful GIRL! It just got even more real to me that we are having a baby.... a baby GIRL!

Half Baked = 20 Weeks

 

Man oh man... Where has the time gone?! This pregnancy is going by so quickly... but not fast enough (I'm anxious to meet our baby already!). It has hit me more that I am pregnant due to the size of my growing belly, feet and NOSE. The belly and feet part are as to be expected... but my nose. Ugh. Not so excited about that.

How far along? 20 weeks
Weight gain? 7 pounds. Ugh. Ugh.
Baby fruit size? Small Cantaloupe = 6.5 in crown to rump
Maternity clothes? Same ol' stuff. Leggings, self made maternity jeans and flowy tops. I probably should get some longer camis to wear under stuff soon or I'll be showin' off my awesome midriff to everyone.
Sleep? Sleep is so so nice. I like to sleep in on days that I can. Britney can sense something is up and has been my sleeping in buddy. She won't leave my side and likes to lay next to my belly.
Movement? Baby is moving around. Can't make out distinct kicks or punches yet but I can tell there's some kind of dance party going on in there.
Food cravings? The spicy kick is soooo over now. I am just hungry all the time now. If I don't have something in hand every 2 hours I get kinda cranky. In the mornings I like to eat something hearty and have been buggin' Sonny for pancakes. Lots and lots of PANCAKES!
Exercise: Got lots of Elliptical workouts in. I get tired after 30mins but I'm trying my hardest to make it to 40 - 45mins. I've been stretching more as well to get my body limber and ready. I think reading just the LABOR parts of my baby books have motivated me more to stay active. Supposedly labor really is labor and I wanna be ready for it.
Best moment this week? Making it to 20 weeks! We are half baked! I am really starting to love being pregnant. (Aside from the widening NOSE.. Ugh! Seriously!?)
What I'm looking forward to? We have an appointment this week so hopefully our baby will behave and show us it's goodies! We've tried seeing 2x already and both times the baby was being stubborn and crossing it's legs. Such a little future Gemini!!

Ringing In the New Year = 17 Weeks

 

Can it already be 2012? 2011 flew by so fast! I trust everyone had a wonderful time ringing in the New Year. This year one of my bestest friends decided to get married on New Year's Eve so we had a grand time partying it up. Well I did as best I could with my half a can of Diet Coke. Hollur.

How far along? 17 weeks
Weight gain? Ugh. 6 pounds. Ugh.
Baby fruit size? Onion - 5.1 inches 
Maternity clothes? Same from last week. But I now own a Bridesmaid dress from the above wedding that the seamstress made to accommodate my growing waist line. ;)
Sleep? I've been trying to sleep earlier than I am used to so that I can get more than 7 hours at night. It's helped me to not feel so sleeping throughout the day. The bed is still delicious... so delicious Sonny and I are planning on buying another one to sleep on at my Mom's house.
Movement? I am ruling out gas for reals now. I can definitely tell the difference. During the NYE count down there was so much noise and dancing on my part that the baby just had to move along. I think we have a little break dancer in there. Baby loves the beats.
Food cravings? Sriracha, Tabasco and Cholula goes on everything. I eat a lot of fruits. I like fruits more than I like peanut better these days.
Exercise: Lots of walking this week around the neighborhood.
Best moment this week? We had our monthly appointment this week but was so bummed that we didn't get to see if we were having a boy or girl. But we did get to hear our baby's beautiful heart beat.
What I'm looking forward to? Our next doctor's appt. Seriously... this time we are gonna find out!

I'm Poppin' = 16 weeks

How far along? 16 weeks
Weight gain? Pretty excited to see all the holiday weight I gained at my next appointment. Not really.
Baby fruit size? Onion - 5.1 inches 
Maternity clothes? Turned a pair of jeans into maternity pants. To my surprise they actually turned out pretty good and are so comfortable. Hopefully they will last me throughout the pregnancy.
Sleep? Got our new Tempurpedic king size bed and it is so delicious to sleep on. We also hooked ourselves up with some new king size pillows so now it feel like we are sleepin' on a cloud.
Movement? More fluttering... or gas. Who really knows.
Food cravings? Sriracha CRAZE is still going on and now I am really into Jamba Juice. I think its the tarty taste that I am diggin'.
Exercise: Hit up spin this week and  got to the gym a few time to use the elliptical.
Best moment this week? Celebrating the holidays with our family being pregnant. Our family is so excited for us and I love all the attention this little one is already getting. I feel so blessed!
What I'm looking forward to? Our next doctor's appt. I really want to know already what we are having. The suspense is killin' me!!! :)

15 Weeks & Growing

How far along? 15 weeks
Weight gain? 3 lbs 
Baby fruit size? Navel Orange - 4 inches 
Maternity clothes? I've been just sticking to my regular leggings and sweaters. Last night I randomly went to F21 and they had all their maternity jeans on sale so I bought me a few pairs. Whoot!
Sleep? Sleep is so much better with my ginormous body pillow. The only problem now is that it's like another person sleeping with us and Sonny is falling off our bed. Poor Sonny! We've decided to to take the plunge and get a brand new Tempurpedic king size bed! It's being delivered as I blog and I am so excited!
Symptoms? NO MORE MORNING SICKNESS... AFTERNOON SICKNESS... OR EVENING SICKESS!! We are all done with that wackness. I still have to go to the bathroom 3x at night but I'm getting used to it now.
Movement? Still feeling the fluttering. Gas or baby... still don't really know.
Food cravings? SRIRCHA MANIA!
Exercise: I caught a cold at the beginning of the week and it killed my workout routine. I did manage to fit in a few long hour walks in the evening but nothing too crazy. Hopefully next week will be better.
Best moment this week? Took my first preggo pic and it still hasn't confirmed the fact that I'm preggo. Every morning while I'm scavenging for something to wear I look at my new body and still can't believe all the changes.
What I'm looking forward to? Got an appointment scheduled for the 30th. I'll be almost 18 weeks by then so I'm hoping to find out if our little baby is a girl or boy!

Its Just Got Real!!

 Friday October 8, 2011 @ 7:00am

"Ugh. I need to pee. I'm going to get up to pee on this stick. Babe, did you hear me?"
"Yeah. Just go. I need to sleep 5 more minutes"
"Babe I'm going to take THE TEST now...."
"Oh..."

Three minutes later....

"WHAT IS THAT?! IS THAT 2 LINES?!"
"OH SHIT!"

---------------------------------------

Its so hard to believe it. Even now after 5 positive home pregnancy test and a positive test from the doctors office, its a little bit surreal. Sonny and I are pregnant!

I'm so overwhelmed with emotion. It is so hard to believe its happening and there's LIFE growing INSIDE ME. Its hard to tell if the butterfly flutters I feel are the baby or my nerves. I am sure it will all sink in soon.

I'll try my best to post my weekly baby haps on here. So far I like the idea of posting at-a-glance summaries of my week. So here goes my first one.

 Hello World! Baby Cruz due June 2012

How far along? 14 weeks
Weight gain? 3 lbs 
Baby fruit size? Lemon - 3.4 inches 
Maternity clothes? I bought a pair of maternity stretchy waistband denim a few weeks ago and have been living in those, leggings and stretchy yoga pants. I need to invest in a few more stretch items but I should be good for now. 
Sleep? For the past few nights I've been tossing and turning like a pancake trying to find the right position. I'm trying not to sleep on my back or tummy... it really is a challenge. Sonny bought me a body pillow a few weeks ago so that helps a lot. Though... it doesn't help that I wake up at least 3x to pee in the middle of the night. 
Symptoms? The wave of nauseousness I was feeling in the beginning is slowing dying down. I do tend to still get my evening wave of yuck... but usually if I don't think about it I forget about it. This week I have experience some ligament pain. Its sorta shocked me at first because its not something you'd expect to know how its gonna feel.
Movement? From time to time I feel fluttering in my uterus. I'm hoping its more baby than it is gas.
Food cravings? SARACHA! ON! EVERYTHING! Its so unlike me... really it is!
Exercise: I was spinning religiously the first 2 month of the pregnancy. But for the time being spinning is on hiatus. We are using the extra money for the baby fund. For now I've been walking all over Pasadena and using our building's gym to get my daily dose.
Best moment this week? Making our BIG announcement to ALL our friends and family. It is so crazy how technology works these days. I posted at 9:30am on Facebook Sunday morning and within 3 minutes we had over 20 thoughtful comments from our friends and family. By the end of the day we had over 100+ warm wishing! We are so happy to have made it through the 1st trimester and are ready to get the baby well on its way to a healthy delivery.
What I'm looking forward to? We have our 1st Trimester screening tomorrow and hoping all checks out a-ok!
Milestone: From our last appointment, Baby Cruz is growing big and strong with a beautiful heartbeat @ 162. Developmentally, Doc says we are looking good! :) :) :) :)

I Want: Little Printer

Hello Little Printer, available 2012 from BERG on Vimeo.

Seriously, this is so frickin' cute I just have to have it... NOW! :)

http://bergcloud.com/littleprinter/

Hi & Thanks

Wow so much time has gone by. Its almost embarrassing how neglected my space has gotten. Instead of trying to back track every event, I'll just move forward with this photo montage of the past...

So lame i know. But moving forward...

Thanksgiving is coming up this week and I have been bugging my Mom to cook all our childhood favorites instead of the usual turkey and roast. I think she's going to pull through and make her awesome meatloaf and pork chops! Sonny and I will be making our yummy potato au gratin and my sister is going to make some delicious pies! It should be a very tummy fillin' day.

Days can get so hectic that sometimes we forget to be thankful. So here's my random list of thankfulness...

family

sonny

my puppies

a job

NPR

full tanks of gas

whole milk

couch time

naps

long walks around town

dog park mornings

clean steamed floors

90s music

holiday cards

waffles

crispy night air

early Christmas lights

no traffic

iPod on shuffle

trinkets

ear plugs

sock bun

chunky scarfs

clean bed sheets

lazy Sundays

rain

So what are you all thankful for this year?

So Sorry!

I  am so sorry this blog has been neglected since APRIL! Oh man... this is just super sad. I'm going to get back on this blog... promise!

Fauxlaroid: Random Weekend Mashup

Food Fridays: Brown Rice Crisp Treats

Ever since I burned RICE CRISPY TREATS a few weeks ago, I've been cravin' them so bad. How sad was I to see that they even put the recipe ON THE FRICKIN' BOX and I still managed to make the grossest batch of yuck! To redeem this horrible tragedy, I am hoping my fantastic husband makes these bad boys for me. *hint*

images from sprouted kitchen

BROWN RICE CRISPIES - Makes one 8×8 pan
Adapted from Vanilla & Lace
You can find brown rice syrup at most health food stores. It is thicker than maple syrup, so the treats will stick together a little better. Maple syrup works well, but is thinner, so the treats are more fragile/crumbly. The dark chocolate lends a sharp contrast to the crisps, but milk chocolate would be a fine complement as well. The amount below gives a pretty sturdy chocolate layer, simply half it if you want something lighter.

1/3 Cup Creamy Almond Butter
1/3 Brown Rice Syrup (or Maple Syrup)
1 tsp. Real Vanilla Extract
3 Cups Crisped Brown Rice

7 oz. Good Quality, Dark Chocolate (I used Valrhona 71%)
1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1. Using a double broiler method, set a glass bowl over a small pot of simmering water, making sure that the bowl is not touching the water. Put the almond butter, brown rice syrup and vanilla extract in the bowl and stir until everything is evenly incorporated. Remove from the heat to cool a minute.
2. Put the crisped rice in a large bowl and pour the almond butter mixture on top, mix thoroughly.
3. Coat the bottom and sides of a 8×8 glass pan with a light coat of desired neutral tasting oil (coconut, canola, grapeseed etc.). Pour the rice mix in and push it down with the back of a spoon. Put it in the fridge while you make the chocolate layer.
4. Clean the bowl from the almond butter mix, and set up the double broiler again. Add the pieces of chocolate to melt slowly, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is melted, add the butter and stir. Pour the chocolate on top of the rice crisps and quickly spread it across the top with an offset spatula or back of a spoon in an even layer. Refrigerate for at least an hour and a half to set and cut them in to squares with a sharp knife. Keep stored in the fridge and try to eat them within two days as the rice starts to absorb moisture.

Happy Birthday Sonny!

Sonny getting his Jackson on.

Today is my darling husband's thirty-something-something birthday. He has to work today, and he is sick with the most awful sore throat this world has ever seen (Thanks Nicole!). If he wasn’t working or sick, he would probably be home playing video games without interruption and consuming large quantities of plain potato chips. Yum.

I love you, Sonny. You're a keeper.

The IOU Project

I was contacted by The IOU Project and was totally blown away by its mission. What a wonderful project to be a part of. I am excited to see how it blossoms into something impactful. Share the love. Share the link.

www.theiouproject.com

Sonny The Cook: Budget Eating

My darling husband has been cooking up a storm these days in attempts to save us a few bucks each month. In the month of February alone we spent almost $500+ just eating out!? $500 people!! And that doesn't even include the money wasted on grocery food we ended up throwing out because we weren't eating it. Sadness.

I've been reading more on how to budget our household and to keep our grocery spending to $200 a month. It's been a challenge but I am happy to report that March's grocery budget was a success! We lived off $200 a month, had brilliant lunches packed for work, and even lost a few pounds eating more proportionally balanced meals. And if you do the math it works out to be about $1.12 a meal. You really can't beat that.

Now you must be wondering why Sonny is doing the cooking and not me? Well, first of all Sonny is naturally just a talented culinary wonder. He has the patience to defrost, measure and calculate. I just want to eat, so most of the things I cook are pretty disgusting. I burnt RICE CRIPSY TREATS last week. Who does that?! We've agreed that he will cook and I will clean. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Sonny's Signature Baked Potato w/ Mushrooms + Filipino Torta w/ Fried Rice

Hazelnut & Banana Crepes + Eggs Over Easy Over Rice

Logo Love: Public School Library

images via brand new

Diggin' this new modern look for this New York Public School. How frickin' adorable!

Home Inspiration: Mixin' It Up

Gorgeous, gorgeous home! Spanish built in 1900 and maintains a lot of the original architectural detail. I mean just look at it! Its amazing. I love all the vintage furnishing with the modern retro pieces. So beautiful! (Via Le Journal de la Maison, photos by Amador Toril)

desiretoinspire.net