Friday, August 28, 2015

Baby R: 1st Trimester - 14 Weeks Recap

I've been asked a lot about how the pregnancy is going so far, so I thought I'd give you all a little update.




There are some women who absolutely love being pregnant and it's a wonderful joyful experience. And then there are those who have a different experience. Not to say I don't enjoy being pregnant (I am amazed the human body can grow another person and it's pretty cool to be doing so), but there are definitely times when I have not enjoyed the side effects that come with it.

For example, morning sickness. I can really only equate my experience to having the stomach flu for 2 months straight. Things got really bad around week 10 and my doctor put me on baby-safe meds to help. Thankfully things seem to be tapering off now that I'm out of the 1st trimester. 

Fresh fruit seemed to help. I ate a lot of peaches!

Minestrone soup was also a staple.

Fatigue is pretty common in 1st Tri as well and my running/exercise in general got put on the back burner. I've noticed my lung capacity isn't what it used to be and my running pace has gotten a lot slower. I haven't even attempted going more than a couple miles at a time. I need to work on this since I've got the Disneyland 10k coming up in less than a week!


A little update on my running- at 14 weeks, I was able to get out there and make some progress! It's been slow going and I am still really nervous about not finishing the race, but at least I'm getting somewhere!


Eating has completely changed. I always assumed once pregnant, I would want to eat everything. And that was the case for the first couple weeks. Then I quickly discovered I couldn't eat as much as I used to. I used to be able to be able to eat a full prime rib dinner with mashed potatoes and veggies (mmm, now I'm getting hungry just thinking about it), but now I can barely eat 2 sliders without feeling full. But that fullness doesn't last long. You'll find me poking around the fridge a few hours later. :)


At the family 4th of July BBQ, there was a blind taste testing wine game. Sadly, I could not participate. :( 

But even harder than giving up alcohol, has been giving up sushi. Sushi is like it's own food group for me. Yes, I can still eat all the cooked stuff, but nothing satisfies quite like fresh salmon sashimi.


On more than one occasion, I have used the excuse "but baby NEEDS ice cream!" and yes, my dear husband *almost* always gives in. :) I've craved boba tea and pretty much anything that is cold. We went through a very minor heat wave here (nothing compared to the heat I experienced in Texas), but I found myself dragging the fan next to me as I lay on the couch. My body temp has definitely increased, something I was not expecting. It's been odd to say the least.

I was a bridesmaid around week 8- that pudge is mostly a good steak dinner baby. ;)


I was craving Dole Whip and my hubby found some locally! It's not quite the same without the Tiki Room atmosphere, but it hit the spot.

Life is happening fast around here and it seems like there's so much to do before baby arrives. We know we need to move out of our tiny one bedroom apartment, so we're searching for a new place to live. There's so much to research as well- car seats, strollers, carriers, cloth diapers, bottles, etc. Eeek!

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I'll try to post updates more frequently. :) 

Friday, August 7, 2015

The Best Layered Taco Dip (Seriously)

Layered Taco Dip

I'm sure you've tasted or at least seen some kind of layered dip, but this one takes the cake. It's got extra ingredients for more flavor!
Any time there's a potluck or I host a party, I make this. It's always the first to go and people rave about it the entire time. This kind of tastiness needs to be shared. I hope you enjoy my signature dish!




Ingredients
- 1 can (10 oz) refried beans
- 1 small can diced jalapeños
- 1 box Avo Guacamole 
- 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream 
- 1 cup mayo
- 1 pkg taco seasoning 
- 1 small can (3 oz) chopped olives
- 1 small can diced chili peppers
- 6 Roma tomatoes, diced and pat dry on paper towels
- 1 bag finely shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
- tortilla chips for dipping!

- 9x13 inch dish

** You can use reduced fat alternatives (mayo, sour cream, refried beans); it'll still taste amazing!




To prep your layers- drain liquid out of cans (jalapeños, chilies, olives). If more than one ingredient in the layer, mix together before spreading.

Layers in order of going into dish (bottom to top)
Layer 1: refried beans & jalapeños
Layer 2: guacamole
Layer 3: sour cream, mayo, chilies, olives, taco seasoning
Layer 4: diced tomatoes
Layer 5: shredded cheese


Thursday, August 6, 2015

Expecting a new set of ears...

I am happy to announce that my husband and I are...