Project 365: January

Well, in yet another effort to start a great goal, I've decided to pursue Project365 once more. If you're not familiar, feel free to check out a very similar post LAST YEAR. Yes, I've tried and failed before, but that's the great thing about goals. They are a work in progress! I had a fun time this month but noticed how hard it is in my daily routine to pick up a camera. I've got a great idea for next month that should really help me get inspired. Hope you enjoy!

The men in my life...

I suppose it's time for a baby update! Well, it definitely is since I'm 6 months along today. It's not that I'm not incredibly EXCITED and bursting at the seams to talk about this magical time in our lives. In fact, it's probably embarrassing to admit how much I think about this little boy growing in me and thinking about our futures. It's just hard. Though it's so difficult to explain, that motherly instinct inside of me has already kicked in. And something about sharing each and every detail leaves me feeling vulnerable and unsafe and leaves me feeling very protective of this little boy. Pregnancy has left me feeling more vulnerable than I ever have in my life and ... I don't like the feeling. The Internet now feels like an unwanted portal in which anyone can look - not only friends and family, who are my dear readers of this blog, but people, well, that I don't want to share this time with. I want to be very careful about what I post about our son and it's hard to find that dividing line. I've since spent a lot of time "house-cleaning" and decreasing my digital footprint, specifically from social networking sites, using the guide of "would I feel comfortable posting a photo of my child in this context?". Honestly, it's been therapeutic.

Though I don't want to dwell on the negative, pregnancy has also set me up for a lot of harsh criticism, from people I least expected and from complete strangers. I've learned that people have no filters around pregnant women and no subject or comment is off the table. Comments about how HUGE you're getting (even when you aren't), how BAD and TIRED you look (even when you feel great) and how you SHOULD and SHOULDN'T do things (or as my dear MIL calls it "unsolicited advice") are rampant. Very few are helpful and I have to keep that in mind, push them out of my mind and focus on the good comments, the encouragement and the super heartwarming moments that I get to share with my hubbs and son-to-be... those kicks and thumps are incredible. Pregnancy is a miracle. Our growing family has made my heart SO INCREDIBLY FULL.

I am treasuring all these moments and documenting them in my own way. I'm taking the time each week to work on a book documenting this whole pregnancy, week by week, that we can share with family, friends and guests in our home. I promise not to forget anything and I want our son to know all about what we were going through as we waited for him to come.

In the meantime, know that I am feeling GREAT! Pregnancy has been really good to me. Though I did struggle with some tiredness and headaches and battle with the occasional heartburn and back pain, I feel SO GOOD and so HAPPY. It's been so much better than I ever imagined. As I head into the third trimester and watch my waistline expand, I know that enthusiasm may fade a little. The thing that will not fade is my excitement for Little C to come. I REALLY can hardly wait. I am so ready to hold that little man in my arms.

Ryan has been a fantastic husband and helper to me. He picks up when I just can't go on. He allows me endless hours of rest. He gets excited about dumb things like receiving blankets and baby socks. He helps me re-focus when people get me down. He's going to be SUCH an amazing father. I am blessed by this man! And blessed to get another little man in my life.

We're working on his nursery this weekend and I'm so so excited. Pics to come! In them meantime, I leave you with a little self portrait of my bump.

The sea, the beach, the rain

If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm married to a man that is full of surprises... and I mean that in the best way possible. When I least expect it, and sometime when I least deserve it, he does something special just for me. So, when a few weeks ago when he mentioned that I should keep this particular weekend "free" I had to wonder, "what does he have up his sleeve now?" I'm not the best at surprises and when you throw in an element of complete vagueness, I have a hard time staying sane. But I could tell that that particular one was a good one and a pretty special one. I kept my concerns, comments and curiosities to myself and rolled with it. LITERALLY, PACKED A BAG ON THURSDAY NIGHT WITH NO CLUE OF THE DESTINATION.

To my absolute delight, we ended up at one of my favorite cities and favorite destinations on earth. Beautiful San Diego and enchanting Sea World. Only a few who have know my more than two decades know my true love of marine life. Yes, like most dream-filled teen girls, I too wanted to be a marine biologist at one point in my life. And, I took it pretty seriously. Add in my then and present-day love of science and I'm a complete nerd for Sea World.

As luck would not have it, out of all the weekends to book the trip in this long, dry winter, we happened upon a weekend where it RAINED. But we grinned and rolled with it, and ended up having a wonderful time despite being a little bit damp all day. Of course, any day that starts out with a coffee that looks like this, from Peet's no less... can't be all bad.

Though a lot of the exhibits were closed for the day due to inclement weather or construction, we still had plenty to see and do and had a very full day. 

This is about as close as I will ever get to these nasty sharks... thank goodness for 4 inch glass. 

You can't tell, but this little sucker had two sets of eyes. Creepy!

He looks ticked... I don't think he wanted his picture taken. ;)

And, of course, the star of Sea World... SHAMU and friends!

It was a wonderful weekend and brief escape from our valley. Despite the rain, we had a great time. Though people constantly tell us things like this are our "last hurrah" before baby arrives, we're determined to make time for each other and for our marriage to thrive. I'm looking forward to many more adventures, with and without little baby C.

Food Blog: Cookies and Cream Oreo Brownies

It appears that the chocoholic bug has struck again... which is strange since my sweet tooth has seemed to calm a bit since being pregnant. Still, after seeing these on the Cooking Channel over the weekend (part of my Saturday morning routine) I was dying to try them out. Verdict? Rich, fudgy and delicious!

Cookies & Cream Fudge Brownies

Ingredients
12 oz. (1 ½ sticks) butter, at room temp.
7-8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean, or 2 t. vanilla extract
¾ c. light brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. unsweetened cocoa
Pinch of salt
14 Oreo cookies, broken into quarters
Powdered Sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add in the chopped chocolate and slowly melt, removing from heat when nearly all melted. Set aside.

Whisk the egg, egg yolks and vanilla together until they begin to get light and fluffy (this will take several minutes). Add the sugar in two additions, around the outside of the bowl, being careful not to knock down the air whisked into the eggs. Whisk well until mixture becomes stiffer. Pour the chocolate in, again on the outsides of the bowl and whisk in. Add in flour, cocoa and a pinch of salt and stir gently. Gently fold in ½ of the Oreos.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and scatter the top with the remaining Oreos, pressing them in slightly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes – middle with be very slightly gooey, but still set all around.

Let brownies cool in pan. Remove, cut and dust with powdered sugar. 

Food Blog: Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

If you like sweets, chocolate, easy recipes and well... are not counting calories, then you MUST try these cookies. Mr. C and I have been devouring all 2.25 dozen this week and have not been sharing. They are to die for!

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies
adapted from recipe by Paula Deen

Ingredients
Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
1 (18 ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg and then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours (optional*) to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner’s sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and gooey. Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

*I did not have to chill my dough, but I have a feeling that has a lot to do with our cooler winter temps right now.

Baby Update!

I suppose it's about time for an update on this sweet little melon growing inside my belly. Over the holiday season we got the great joy of not only finding out whether we are blessed with a son or daughter, we got the joy of sharing that news with family during the Christmas season. Talk about a double blessing!

It was a super special moment for Mr. C and I to see our little one on an ultrasound again, looking so much more human-like instead of blob like :), moving like a little wiggler, and to get a very definitive answer as to what we'd be welcoming this May.

The news was revealed to both families with a picture frame, painted accordingly (pink or blue) and containing the latest sonogram photo of our little one. Unfortunately, do to the excitement to share, I didn't get photos of the reveal to Mr. C's parents, but did get some pics of the reveal to my mom. It's pretty fun to see it all unfold!

And, if you're a really good lip reader... you might be able to see the "B" forming on her lips in photo 3. Yes, that's right friends, come May we will be welcoming a sweet little BOY!!! We could not be happier and more excited!

I had heard of mother's intuition and wondered how truly strong it was, because all along, I've felt like it was a boy. Two or three friends and family agreed with me, BUT shockingly, most people around us were pretty determined that it was a little girl. I couldn't figure out why and couldn't wait to find out for sure. I still in my heart (and belly) felt - BOY BOY BOY! And, when the ultrasound technician said, "Well, it looks like you're having a little boy", I shouted "I knew it!".

Mr. C and I are completed thrilled to welcome and raise a son. We hope he will be a young man and eventually a grown man, with integrity, courage, generosity, compassion, strength and so much more. And you have our promise, we are going to do our best to raise him so. A son! Gosh, there are just no sweeter words to us right now.