This weekend was a really good one for me. It was fun, relaxing, and productive. Usually most of my weekends are rather boring or I feel as though I didn't accomplish much - don't get me wrong, those kinds of weekends are needed sometimes! But, I'm happy knowing that I ended June on a high note and that I'm (mostly) prepared to tackle July :)

Friday night: Asa and I ended the work week by making homemade pizza, watching a movie, and walking to get some ice cream. I was able to satiate my desire for ice cream which is something that I wish I could do every day! This time I was in the mood for a vanilla cone with sprinkles and it was satisfying.

Saturday: Asa was working, so I went to the local Farmer's Market with a friend from work and bought some delicious items - eggs, asparagus, blueberries, and cherries. It felt so good to be outside on a Saturday morning and I always feel so much better when I purchase from the market. My friend and I then traveled to buy a few baby items that I still needed, but had yet to just take the time to do. I then came home to do some relaxing on my own, later met Asa for a quick coffee break, and returned home to start packing the hospital/diaper bag that we are going to need in just three weeks time (give or take)! Later in the evening, Asa and I were in a "let's get things done" mode and so we spent a few hours decorating and re-arranging things around the apartment that we have been putting off for a while. It was nice to finally check things off our list - the apartment feels whole and homey now :)

Sunday: We went to Asa's brother and his wife's apartment where they had a "birthday breakfast" for me since they weren't able to celebrate with me last week. We had a wonderful time together, and we even tagged along with them in the afternoon to go strawberry picking. I have never been strawberry picking before and it was nice to experience it for the first time. I'll admit, Asa did most of the picking, but we picked six pounds while we were there! Now we'll have plenty for drinks, breakfast, snacks, and to freeze. Thank goodness I decided against buying strawberries at the market the day before!

Our strawberry success!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Can you believe it's almost July already?

This week I came across two articles of interest on a parenting site that I frequent called Mother (website).  I was made aware of Mother while searching through a friend's Instagram and thought it would be a good resource during my pregnancy as well as postpartum.  I started following Mother's Instagram for insight, fun resources, and other helpful tidbits.  I check back with their website often as it obviously has more useful content on it than their Instagram provides. 

The first article I read brought a smile to my face because it's about a place that I have been to recently that is one of my favorites - Newport Beach, California - our honeymoon spot!  Before my honeymoon, I was practically unaware of Newport Beach, but after having spent time there I wondered how it could be that I was ever unaware of it!  Besides it being one of my favorite places because my husband and I went there on our honeymoon, Newport Beach has so much more to offer.  Asa and I had a great time exploring this city in Orange County and hope to make it back again someday with our babes to explore even more!  When I saw this article on Mother, it made me so happy.  It was wonderful to hear from a mom who lives there everyday and loves the city just as much as we do.  Here is the article to check out for yourself: (article).  And if you have any questions about my experience at Newport, feel free to ask!

The second article I read deals with a topic that I didn't even know existed until my sister-in-law was pregnant this past year.  After hearing her opinion on the subject and doing more independent research, I have become passionate and gained more knowledge about (co-sleeping).  

When my sister-in-law first began discussing the idea of co-sleeping I was very concerned and thought it sounded like a bad idea.  However, I didn't realize that there are other forms of co-sleeping that might be more "acceptable" or better suited for different families.  Once Asa and I found out we were pregnant, I decided that co-sleeping would be the best option for us.  My in-laws practice "traditional" co-sleeping as a family in their bed, while my husband and I are opting for what the Mother article calls "room sharing."  The baby will sleep next to our bed in his/her own bassinet for the first six months.  After that, we hope to successfully transition to a crib in the other room.  The topic of co-sleeping is one not too common, but I think it's coming around again; especially with an increase in women breastfeeding their babies and taking notice of the positive effects these two elements can have on them.

I hope the co-sleeping article is useful for other parents out there.  Does your family practice co-sleeping?  Would you consider it an option when you start your own family?

Don't mind the construction site - it was a good location for pictures! :)

Today I am 34 weeks - only 6 more weeks to go!  I found this fun pregnancy questionnaire on another blog site, and looked around a little more and found that it's a pretty popular one - featured on TheBump and some other sites.  I figured it would be a fun way to share some information about my pregnancy right now and give others a chance to read about how I am doing.  I probably won't be doing this weekly, but I might at least do one or two more before I'm due :)  Enjoy!

How far along?:   34 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss:   23 lbs - all baby!

Maternity clothes?:   Surviving without them with the help of belly bands and unbuttoned pants ;) And I did get a few donated clothing items from my sister(s)-in-law so I sometimes wear those.

Stretch marks?:   Thankfully, no!

Sleep:   Still sleeping like I was before the pregnancy - no problems and all through the night - it's great!!  Not sure how I'm going to function once the baby arrives...

Best moment recently:   Watching/feeling the baby move and stretch, and touching its little foot/heel.

Miss anything:   Having a flatter stomach.

Movement:   LOTS!  All the time, too.  We have a squirmy one on our hands!  Lots of hiccuping too :)

Food cravings:   None.  Haven't had any this whole time.

Anything making you queasy or sick:   Nope; nothing has throughout the whole pregnancy.

Have you started to show yet:   Of course.  But I am told all the time how small I am :)

Exercise:   Sort of - Asa and I walk to/from work every day and sometimes at night.

Gender:   We do not know! :D

Labor Signs:  None!

Other Aches/Pains:   Nothing other than being uncomfortable sitting all day at work.

Belly Button in or out?   Not quite popped out yet, but definitely not an innie - kinda just flat right now :)

Wedding rings on or off?   Still on!

Happy or Moody most of the time:   Depends on where I'm at ;)  If I'm at work I am moody, if I am at home then I am happy :)

Favorite “New Dad” moment:   When Asa talks to the babe in his cute voice, rubs my stomach, says he cannot wait to meet the baby, and that he loves him/her very much.

Looking forward to:   Being done with pregnancy, holding our baby and caring for him/her, finding out who is in there! :)

Picnic Potato Salad

I decided to try my hand at a new recipe yesterday since I had some free time with my husband being at work.  Saturday is my designated day of housecleaning, tidying up, and doing everything that I had been putting off during the week.  That is, unless my husband isn’t working on a particular Saturday then I push off the housecleaning and spend time with him :)  Well, I can say confidently that yesterday was productive.  I decided to make a list of things I completed throughout the day, and by the end it was quite long!  My husband will usually ask what I spent the day doing and this time I had a list of items that he could read so he would know how much work I put in for the day! ;)

I thought it would be very nice to go and have a picnic as our dinner plan.  We went to a local lake called Reeds Lake and sat in the park in the shade while enjoying the beautiful weather, the sound of the water, and the sight of many other visitors – some biking, some running, children playing, and people walking their dogs (the dogs were my favorite sight).  After dinner we just relaxed with the breeze blowing over us and lied down on our blanket.  It was a nice change of pace, and it felt nice to be outside since I had been inside all day.

Back to the recipe I made: I decided to try a potato salad recipe that I found in a magazine awhile back.  I believe potato salad to be an “outdoor, cookout” type of food so that’s why I planned the picnic.  Plus, there was enough leftover that now we have another option to add to our lunches throughout the week (score!).  Overall, I think it turned out pretty good.  My husband liked it so that’s always a good sign!  I did have a little mishap with not being able to add hard-boiled eggs to the mixture, but I went on to plan B instead and will try again next time with the eggs :)

Recipe for Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles:

Ingredients:

Finished product:

What recipes have you made recently?

Falafel Pitas

Dinner last night consisted of falafel pitas.  We always try to incorporate a variety of food options into our dining experience, and since we hadn't had falafel in some time we decided to pick up a mix at the store.  I was first introduced to falafel during my college years when I would go to a local “pita house” with my friend Adam.  Being vegetarians, we would both get falafel gyros.  I fell in love at first bite!  I later introduced Asa to falafel and he has come to enjoy it as much as I have.  I wouldn't eat it all the time, but on occasion it hits the spot!

For those who aren't familiar with falafel, it is a “deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both.  Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food, usually served in a pita…” (source).  Okay, I know you should never use Wikipedia as a source, but for basic things like this all I need is a basic explanation :)  Anyway, we usually buy falafel mix from the store, although I definitely wouldn't mind trying to make it ourselves someday – I don’t think it is very difficult at all.  Generally, we try to keep our toppings for the pita rather basic because the falafel alone has so much spice and flavor to it.  Last night we had tomato, onion, spinach, and pickle for toppings/additions.  When we first started making falafel, we weren't sure what kind of dressing to add to top off the pita.  Traditionally, a cucumber sauce is added, but I’m not a fan of it.  I have read from people online that they use ketchup, but falafel and ketchup definitely do not go together!  I usually opted for ranch, and it suffices.  Asa once made a mixture of cumin and yogurt (or sour cream – he can’t remember), but last night he decided to look up a recipe and he found one that turned out very well!  It was a great addition to the pita and it was definitely the right kind of sauce to complement the falafel.

Falafel patties being fried

Sauce mix: yogurt, cumin, parsley, lemon juice 

Finished product!

Last week Saturday was a good day.  Asa didn't have to work so we were able to spend a lot of time together, the weather was gorgeous, and we were able to get some things accomplished - which is always a good feeling, especially for us, since we often make plans or lists of things to do, but never actually follow through until some time has passed.

Our first stop after the Saturday morning laziness was to the Fulton Street Farmer’s Market just a few blocks down the road from our apartment.  We don’t go to the Farmer’s Market too often, but I would like to consider going more.  There’s always a good vibe when we visit, and I always feel good knowing that I am supporting local farmers and their products.  Plus, it is a nice way to spend some time outdoors first thing on a Saturday morning.  So last week we went for the first time in awhile and were able to get our hands on some good things. 

Our list included:

Two pizza crusts (one sun-dried tomato and one Italian herb).  One of our favorite dinner options is homemade pizza.  It’s so easy and quick to make, especially if we buy pre-made crusts.  We have purchased pizza crusts from this vendor before, but it was our first time trying the sun-dried tomato flavor – it was pretty good!  I’d rather buy these kinds of crusts than ones at the store because they look and taste so much healthier.  The thing to remember is that they don’t last too long so you gotta eat them up quick!

One green pepper for pizza (we had more veggies & toppings at home)

Two salsas (one black bean & corn and one peach salsa – a gift for Asa’s brother for his birthday).  I think it’s safe to say that one of Asa’s favorite snacks is chips and salsa.  I am not always a huge salsa fan, but I do enjoy it sometimes (as long as it is mild!).  We decided to try out some salsa from this vendor, and we went for a “safe” salsa for ourselves and picked up a more adventurous salsa for Asa’s brother.  We actually tried out our salsa for the first time last night and it was rather delicious!

The next stop we made was to Goodwill.  I was hoping to score some baby clothes there (did!) and we also thought we would look around for some household items.  I've found that Goodwill is a great place to find baby clothes for super cheap – like $.99 cheap!  We couldn't pass up some of the outfits we found – we’re going to have one cute little babe :)  I was so happy that we were able to find so many good clothing items and to know that we are probably set with clothing for at least a little while.  We also came across another great find while browsing the store: three glass containers in different sizes for storing milk, juice, and coffee creamer.  Asa’s mom actually has the same set, but we just have different colored lids!  The green color of the lids on our containers remind me of 60s/70s kitchen and houseware items – a color scheme and style which I love.

After a pit stop at a local cafe for some iced coffee to cool us down (and give us a caffeine boost), we then ventured to the in-laws where we ended up hanging out for the rest of the day!  We only meant to go so Asa could get a haircut, but then it turned into a relaxing and lengthy visit.  Being there for so long reminded me of our dating years when it seemed like I was always over there visiting Asa and his family: doing homework for class, watching Sunday Morning while eating breakfast, drinking coffee, movie nights, and much more.  I enjoyed our visit last weekend – it gave me a chance to relax and “get away” from all that I have going on these days.  And of course it was nice to spend some time with the in-laws as we don’t see them too often in our daily lives.

Asa with his fresh haircut and fresh drink - a Gin Daisy

Asa's Gin Daisy - a refreshing beverage. It was a hit!

Happy weekend to all!