Miles and Georgie, could they be cuter? Miles is now close to 5 pounds now! My kitten is growing up...
We got a video camera for Christmas and Austin has been playing around with it. Here is a video of Miles in the basket...
For our 1 year wedding anniversary (almost 6 years ago now!) we went all out and went to Maui and Oahu for 10 days. We had an awesome time, although the weather wasn't great so we couldn't do much snorkelling. We rented a car and toured both islands and it was SUCH a great vacation. Both hotels were spectacular and I think both of us think fondly of that trip as one of the best ones we've ever had!
How did my 10 week old kitten get to be so big already??? When we got Miles he was 1 1/2 pounds, and now he is close to 5 pounds. He's becomming so big already! And we adore him. George likes him, but he can get annoyed with the amount of energy that Miles has and how much Miles likes to play. It's amazing how patient George can be with the kitten, he puts up with a lot!
I have my "work" shower coming up on saturday and I managed to make my thank you cards (instead of being lazy and buying cards like I did for my friends/family shower). I think they turned out pretty cute...
We have a GE Profile dishwasher that has a "Smart Dispense" Detergent dispenser. Works great, all I have do is pour an entire bottle of liquid dish washing detergent into it once a month or so and it automatically dispenses the detergent each time we run a load. Works great. Except when you accidentally mix enzyme and chlorine based detergent like I did last week. We had some leftover detergent from the rental property so I threw it in there, and turns out when you mix them (and YES the manual says NOT to do this) it turns into a big sold mass of goop. Crap. Now we are trying to figure out how to get the goop out again. We did a bunch of rinsing but I have the feeling we'll be manually filing the detergent cup for a few (or more?) cycles.
Bummer!
Bummer!
Here is a picture of me with my daughter's best friend Maya (she just hasn't met her yet!). Maya is the daughter of Austin's best friend Nizar and his awesome wife Heidi. She's a cutie :)
Get in culinary shape for the Vancouver Olympics
By Pervaiz Shallwani, For The Associated Press
Let's face it, Canada may be a close neighbor, but most of us still are pretty clueless about what's going on up there.
So with the Olympics about to begin in Vancouver, we reached out to a host of people who could give us a quick primer on the Canadian culinary scene.
"The bottom line is that any diverse city that has an ocean and a wine growing region will have unique things," says celebrated Vancouver chef Vikram Vij, who's Indian restaurant Vij's is regarded as one of the best South Asian restaurants in the world.
Here's the cheat sheet of what you need to know.
Serious culinary diversity
Vancouver is a particularly international city, with numerous cultures — and their cuisines — represented. Pick from near endless options for Chinese and Indian fare to more obscure amalgamations such as Aburi-style sushi (seared slivers of seafood infused with French sauces).
German-born master charcuterist John van der Lieck and wife Christina are a good example. Their once mostly Eastern European shop — the Oyama Sausage Co. — now produces more than 350 sausages and dry-cured meats, including German, Polish, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Asian and South American variants.
"We started with a very small palette of products and then it just ballooned in the first few years," says Christina van der Lieck. "People come and say my grandpa made this sausage. Can you make it?"
So they do. It's not everywhere you find kazu, pork neck dried and cured with kazu (the mash of sake), leaving a tender bite and a sake flavor.
Candy
Big candy makers know that tastes in sweets vary across cultures, so expect Canada's candy counters to look somewhat different than those in America, says Steve Almond, author of "Candy Freak," a book about the candy industry.
He offers a few Canadian candies to look for.
Coffee Crisp — a chocolate bar with a coffee cream, chocolate and wafer-layered center.
Smarties — basically M&Ms in pastel colors and a harder, sweeter shell. They're also available in Europe, but Canada is the closest they get to the U.S., says Almond.
Big Turk — a chocolate bar with a pink jelly center. "It would never work in the United States," Almond says. "Come on, jelly?"
Poutine
This guilty pleasure of extra-crispy french fries, meaty gravy and cheese curds has been called the national dish of Canada.
"It's primarily associated with Quebec, but we have plenty of restaurants that serve poutine in British Columbia," says Christine van der Lieck. It's a favorite after a late night of drinking.
In Vancouver, Asian restaurants such as Pings offer their own take on the dish with a topping of vegetable curry and cubes of the cottage cheese-like Indian curd paneer.
Wine
We know that the West Coast in the U.S. is great wine territory. British Columbia is no different.
While some might think Canada is too cold to produce wine, in cooler climates such as Germany wineries flourish near temperate water regions, says wine writer Kevin Zraly, who included Canada for the first time this year in his annual "Windows on World Complete Wine Course."
"(British Columbia wines) have come a very long way, actually, in a very short period of time," he says.
The majority of Canada's wineries are located near Lake Ontario in Ontario and the Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. British Columbia is Canada's fastest growing wine region, with the largest number of wineries. Zraly says 2005 and 2006 vintages are good bets.
Oysters
The inlets along Vancouver Island are prized for their beautiful oyster beds, which are framed by soaring spruce trees and snowcapped peaks, says Rowan Jacobsen, author of "A Geography of Oysters."
"It's just a spectacular area," he says. "It's the last place of native Olympia oysters in the world."
Unlike those in the Puget Sound and Willapa Bay, the island's southern sisters just across the border near Seattle, British Columbia oysters are a little more homogenous in taste, writes Jacobsen.
"You won't get overwhelming or strange flavors from many (British Columbia) oysters, just a little salt, a little sweetness and, if you pay close attention, often a green apple candy note."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-01-18-canadian-cuisine_N.htm?csp=usat.me
Copyright 2009 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
By Pervaiz Shallwani, For The Associated Press
Let's face it, Canada may be a close neighbor, but most of us still are pretty clueless about what's going on up there.
So with the Olympics about to begin in Vancouver, we reached out to a host of people who could give us a quick primer on the Canadian culinary scene.
"The bottom line is that any diverse city that has an ocean and a wine growing region will have unique things," says celebrated Vancouver chef Vikram Vij, who's Indian restaurant Vij's is regarded as one of the best South Asian restaurants in the world.
Here's the cheat sheet of what you need to know.
Serious culinary diversity
Vancouver is a particularly international city, with numerous cultures — and their cuisines — represented. Pick from near endless options for Chinese and Indian fare to more obscure amalgamations such as Aburi-style sushi (seared slivers of seafood infused with French sauces).
German-born master charcuterist John van der Lieck and wife Christina are a good example. Their once mostly Eastern European shop — the Oyama Sausage Co. — now produces more than 350 sausages and dry-cured meats, including German, Polish, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Asian and South American variants.
"We started with a very small palette of products and then it just ballooned in the first few years," says Christina van der Lieck. "People come and say my grandpa made this sausage. Can you make it?"
So they do. It's not everywhere you find kazu, pork neck dried and cured with kazu (the mash of sake), leaving a tender bite and a sake flavor.
Candy
Big candy makers know that tastes in sweets vary across cultures, so expect Canada's candy counters to look somewhat different than those in America, says Steve Almond, author of "Candy Freak," a book about the candy industry.
He offers a few Canadian candies to look for.
Coffee Crisp — a chocolate bar with a coffee cream, chocolate and wafer-layered center.
Smarties — basically M&Ms in pastel colors and a harder, sweeter shell. They're also available in Europe, but Canada is the closest they get to the U.S., says Almond.
Big Turk — a chocolate bar with a pink jelly center. "It would never work in the United States," Almond says. "Come on, jelly?"
Poutine
This guilty pleasure of extra-crispy french fries, meaty gravy and cheese curds has been called the national dish of Canada.
"It's primarily associated with Quebec, but we have plenty of restaurants that serve poutine in British Columbia," says Christine van der Lieck. It's a favorite after a late night of drinking.
In Vancouver, Asian restaurants such as Pings offer their own take on the dish with a topping of vegetable curry and cubes of the cottage cheese-like Indian curd paneer.
Wine
We know that the West Coast in the U.S. is great wine territory. British Columbia is no different.
While some might think Canada is too cold to produce wine, in cooler climates such as Germany wineries flourish near temperate water regions, says wine writer Kevin Zraly, who included Canada for the first time this year in his annual "Windows on World Complete Wine Course."
"(British Columbia wines) have come a very long way, actually, in a very short period of time," he says.
The majority of Canada's wineries are located near Lake Ontario in Ontario and the Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. British Columbia is Canada's fastest growing wine region, with the largest number of wineries. Zraly says 2005 and 2006 vintages are good bets.
Oysters
The inlets along Vancouver Island are prized for their beautiful oyster beds, which are framed by soaring spruce trees and snowcapped peaks, says Rowan Jacobsen, author of "A Geography of Oysters."
"It's just a spectacular area," he says. "It's the last place of native Olympia oysters in the world."
Unlike those in the Puget Sound and Willapa Bay, the island's southern sisters just across the border near Seattle, British Columbia oysters are a little more homogenous in taste, writes Jacobsen.
"You won't get overwhelming or strange flavors from many (British Columbia) oysters, just a little salt, a little sweetness and, if you pay close attention, often a green apple candy note."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-01-18-canadian-cuisine_N.htm?csp=usat.me
Copyright 2009 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
how far along? 33 weeks
total weight gain: still none (I lost a lot of weight in my 1st and 2nd tri) but I'm ALMOST at my break even point
maternity clothes? my god yes
sleep: is becoming very difficult to get comfortable. I can't fall asleep, I have restless leg syndrome, and I have to pee 8 times a night. Fun times
best moment this week: getting our daughter's room organized and washing clothes, blankets, etc
movement: she is still active, but not as active as she used to be about 4 weeks ago. Usually she likes to tap dance on my bladder at night
gender: girl
labor signs: I'm starting to have contractions, especially when I get stressed out or do too much
belly button in or out? still an innie
food cravings: cheese enchiladas - all the time. Only issue is I don't have much room in my stomach so I can't eat much in one sitting, but I'd be happy to eat cheese enchiladas at each of my six meals (or more lol!)
what i miss: feeling like a normal human being. Wearing my contact lenses - The last week or so my eyesight has changed to where I can't wear my contacts. I have the feeling my astigmatism is off slightly which means I can still see fine with my glasses. My vision should go back to normal once I deliver.
what i am looking forward to: getting closer to meeting our daughter
weekly wisdom: don't dump all of the fun stuff you get from your baby shower in the baby room. Organize it right away so it doesn't become so daunting. I'm also glad that I started washing now in case I get even huger than I am now and can't move.
milestones: Hitting 33 weeks. Although she still has time to cook in the oven, she likely will be just fine if I do deliver now with little to no complications. That's a comforting thought. Don't get me wrong she needs to stay in the belly a little longer (even with all of my complaining about how uncomfortable I am) but it's a reassuring thought.
total weight gain: still none (I lost a lot of weight in my 1st and 2nd tri) but I'm ALMOST at my break even point
maternity clothes? my god yes
sleep: is becoming very difficult to get comfortable. I can't fall asleep, I have restless leg syndrome, and I have to pee 8 times a night. Fun times
best moment this week: getting our daughter's room organized and washing clothes, blankets, etc
movement: she is still active, but not as active as she used to be about 4 weeks ago. Usually she likes to tap dance on my bladder at night
gender: girl
labor signs: I'm starting to have contractions, especially when I get stressed out or do too much
belly button in or out? still an innie
food cravings: cheese enchiladas - all the time. Only issue is I don't have much room in my stomach so I can't eat much in one sitting, but I'd be happy to eat cheese enchiladas at each of my six meals (or more lol!)
what i miss: feeling like a normal human being. Wearing my contact lenses - The last week or so my eyesight has changed to where I can't wear my contacts. I have the feeling my astigmatism is off slightly which means I can still see fine with my glasses. My vision should go back to normal once I deliver.
what i am looking forward to: getting closer to meeting our daughter
weekly wisdom: don't dump all of the fun stuff you get from your baby shower in the baby room. Organize it right away so it doesn't become so daunting. I'm also glad that I started washing now in case I get even huger than I am now and can't move.
milestones: Hitting 33 weeks. Although she still has time to cook in the oven, she likely will be just fine if I do deliver now with little to no complications. That's a comforting thought. Don't get me wrong she needs to stay in the belly a little longer (even with all of my complaining about how uncomfortable I am) but it's a reassuring thought.
I hit 33 weeks yesterday, and I am officially uncomfortable. I've had a decent run, but I am no longer able to get comfortable sleeping and trying to flip in bed looks something along the lines of a beached whale trying to flip on the sand (i.e. it takes a long time and doesn't work very well).
On a positive note, I had the day off due to MLK day today and I pretty much did absolutely nothing and it was wonderful. WONDERFUL!
As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.
You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.
On a positive note, I had the day off due to MLK day today and I pretty much did absolutely nothing and it was wonderful. WONDERFUL!
How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.As your baby fills out even more of your belly, lots of things might start to change: Whereas before you were sashaying, you may find yourself waddling. Finding an easy position to sit in — let alone sleep — is becoming more of a challenge. And bumping into chairs and counters is par for the course.
You may be feeling some achiness and even numbness in your fingers, wrists, and hands. Like many other tissues in your body, those in your wrist can retain fluid, which can increase pressure in the carpal tunnel, a bony canal in your wrist. Nerves that run through this "tunnel" may end up pinched, creating numbness; tingling, shooting or burning pain; or a dull ache. Try wearing a splint to stabilize your wrist or propping your arm up with a pillow when you sleep. If your work requires repetitive hand movements (at a keyboard or on an assembly line, for instance), remember to stretch your hands when you take breaks — which should be frequently.
Yesterday we saw the movie "Up in the Air" with George Clooney. I've always been a George fan, and this movie didn't let me down at all. I thought it was great, I wasn't thrilled with the ending but they all can't be happy endings. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend...
It's no big secret that Austin and I LOVE to travel and visit different places. We have been fortunate to travel both before we met and after we met to various parts of the world, and hope to continue that and introduce our daughter to other ways of life, culture, and destinations.
This article from the NY Times is a great one, listing out the top 31 places to go in 2010. I have the feeling our travel will be limited in 2010 due to the impending arrival of said daughter in March, however it's still nice to dream. Number 25 is particularly interesting, considering my parents now live on Vancouver Island.
Check it out!
This article from the NY Times is a great one, listing out the top 31 places to go in 2010. I have the feeling our travel will be limited in 2010 due to the impending arrival of said daughter in March, however it's still nice to dream. Number 25 is particularly interesting, considering my parents now live on Vancouver Island.
Check it out!
Everything went well at the appointment. Baby is measuring completely normal in size. The reason why I am measuring so far ahead is because I have excess amniotic fluid (the water that the baby is floating around in). There is no reason for this, some women just have it. The only thing that can be problematic with this is that she could flip around and be breach during delivery, or face the wrong side up because she has more room to move around in. We just keep an eye on it by another ultrasound in 2 weeks and then weekly ultrasounds until she is born.
We received a video camera for Christmas and decided to film our kitten Miles attempting to meow before he ate his dinner. He's been working on his meows but they aren't too loud yet, but incredibly cute...
I had my friends and family baby shower yesterday hosted by my mother in law and good friend Heidi. I'm overwhelmed by the generosity and love from my friends and family. I was a really great afternoon! I'm so happy that Molly is going to come into this world with not only good parents (we hope!) but also is so loved already by so many people.
I'm now starting to do laundry and wash all of her clothes (both the new ones we received) and the hand me downs that friends have given to us (thank you!). Girl stuff is definately pretty adorable. Luckily (if you look at it this way...)infants go through a lot of wardrobe changes due to poops, pees, pukes, and other bodily fluids so we'll get a chance to put a lot of cute stuff on her.
I'm now starting to do laundry and wash all of her clothes (both the new ones we received) and the hand me downs that friends have given to us (thank you!). Girl stuff is definately pretty adorable. Luckily (if you look at it this way...)infants go through a lot of wardrobe changes due to poops, pees, pukes, and other bodily fluids so we'll get a chance to put a lot of cute stuff on her.
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