Baby R: 31 Weeks

One of my pregnancy apps does a size comparison of baby with French pastries. This is by far my favorite! 

We've been in our new house for a few months now. I even have a big dedicated space for me to sew and do other crafty things, but it wasn't until this week that I finally busted out my sewing machine. I had big plans of making tons of burp cloths, bibs, blankets, and quilts for this baby, but I just never got around to starting. I finally had the urge to sew and busted out a couple burp cloths with this cute shark pattern. Maybe this nesting thing is kicking in! :)

How far along? 31 Weeks

Exercise: Prenatal yoga and the elliptical- Aiming for 5 workouts per week.

Stretch marks: none yet!

Maternity clothes: Most definitely! I can still fit in a couple pre-pregnancy tops, but maternity is much more comfortable. 

Belly button in or out? In, but it's trying to poke out.

Wedding rings on or off? Still on.

Sleep: Sleep has been better this past week. I don't know if it's because I'm more tired, or if I just know what's comfortable and what's not.

Food cravings: Yogurt and strawberry ice cream.

Symptoms: At my last doctors appointment, I found out that I'm slightly anemic. First steps are to try and increase my iron levels through diet (bring on all the red meat and leafy greens!). If that's not enough, I'll go on supplements.

Getting in some red meat with an In-n-Out burger. How cute are their festive wrappers?

Movement: Baby is moving a lot more. The other night I swear he was practicing bicycle kicks off my ribs! 

Best moment this week: We took our birthing class this week! It was very informative and my hubby and I definitely feel more prepared and ready. 

Do you have a favorite French pastry? Mmmm...

Baby R: Baby Shower

This past weekend my gracious aunties threw a baby shower for Baby R! The theme was an ocean/under the sea theme, inspired by our hopefully soon-to-be complete nursery.

We had chicken salad and turkey/cheese croissant sandwiches, pasta and green salad, and Hawaiian meatballs. I'm bummed I forgot to take a picture of the food because it was delicious! 

For dessert we had a layer pretzel dessert in two flavors- orange and strawberry. Have you ever had this before? The bottom layer is crushed pretzels, middle layer is a mix of cream cheese and cool whip, and the top layer is jello and fruit. So good! Just the right combination of flavors to satisfy this pregnant lady's cravings. :)

Favors were blue jelly beans (to mimic water) and gummy fish and sharks.

One of the games was a "guess what's in the diaper" type of game. I've played this before with baby food, but we used melted chocolate bars. I'll spare you the photos, but I'm sure you can imagine what melted Milky Way, Crunch, Snickers, and Twix bars look like in a diaper. ;)

Another one of the games was to guess my baby bump circumference. I think it's pretty crazy how big I've gotten and it was so fun to see the guesses. Most people were over- some were way over like my dear husband. He's lucky I love him! My dad was actually the winner- he was spot on!

Some of my amazing friends and family. Baby R feels so loved and blessed already. 

Now that we've had the shower, it seems so much more real and that the baby will be here soon! Just 2 more months to go!

Have you been to a baby shower? Did you play any fun games?

Baby R: 27-30 Weeks: Entering 3rd Tri!

This year is just flying by! I can't believe we've passed Thanksgiving and Christmas is quickly approaching! I'm feeling oddly calm about the holidays this year. I've gotten 90% of our gift shopping down and our house was decorated earlier than usual. Maybe all my stress is being directed towards the upcoming arrival of the baby.

Thanksgiving!

Getting our Christmas tree. This is me "supervising." ;)

In honor of our new house, we wanted to get a big tree. One where when we put it in the car, we had a moment of "maybe it's TOO big..." Goal achieved! This is the tree with no stand. We had to trim a good chunk off the top to get it to fit. Haha.

How far along? 27-30 Weeks

Total weight gain: 14 lbs

Exercise: Mixing in prenatal yoga and the elliptical. I recently got a FitBit and it's been interesting to see my heart rate. Sometimes when I'm sitting down, my heart rate is 100- and the FitBit thinks I'm in the "fat burn" zone! Huge change from my pre-pregnancy heart rate of the low 60s! 

Stretch marks: None yet, but I expect them any day now.

Maternity clothes: All the time!

Belly button in or out? Still in. 

Wedding rings on or off? They still fit, but are getting more snug.

Sleep: It's going ok, but I still have a hard time getting comfortable. I'm also getting breathless when laying down.

Any baby purchases or preparations? We finally painted the nursery! Still only have a dresser, but at least it's progress!

Food cravings: Thanksgiving dinner! And I've gotten to eat a lot of it!

Symptoms: Starting to get more tired. I think the second trimester energy is fading. 

Movement: Baby must be running out of space. He's doing less kicks and starting to have bigger motions. I can also feel him stretching out in there. 

Best moment this week: We hosted our annual holiday dinner party! We didn't get to have one last year due to a tiny apartment, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity with the new house. 

Even if I couldn't enjoy the wine, at least I got a good laugh out of the napkins!

I spent the day cooking up a storm! We had ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, and brussels sprouts. I think I over did the work load because my toes started to swell right before dinner. After that, I put my feet up for the rest of the night!

Rocky road brownies. SO GOOD! Just a boxed brownie mix with added walnuts. Then after baking and the brownies are still hot, top with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and more walnuts.

And of course, the baby bump got lots of love and attention. :)

Baby R: 23-26 Weeks

How far along? For the sake of this post, I'll go up to 26 weeks. I'm still trying to catch up on my blogging. ;)

Total weight gain: 12 lbs

Exercise: Sadly I had to give up running. I was able to do a 2 mile walk/run for a few days a week, but I was starting to really feel the strain on my hips. I switched to the elliptical and it's much more comfortable.

Stretch marks: None yet!

Maternity clothes: Yup! Pretty much live in maternity leggings. They are seriously so comfortable!

Belly button in or out? Still in!

Wedding rings on or off? Still on.

Sleep: Getting harder and harder. I still sleep with a ton of pillows.

Food cravings: Donuts and orange juice! I found a 24 hr donut shop near our house and the hubby even offered to go get one, but I resisted. Until the next morning. ;)

Symptoms: Just getting bigger! I came down with a cold as well, but nothing a little grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup (and rest) couldn't take care of. 

Movement: He's been kicking away a lot more.

Best moment this week: Halloween! We stayed home and passed out candy, but still got into the spirit. Thank goodness for Sparkle Athletic skirts! This is the skirt and ears I wore during the WDW Marathon earlier this year. Still fit! :)

I'll leave you with a little pregnancy humor... ;)

Foodie Friday: Fresh Fruit Tart

My favorite dessert by far is a fresh fruit tart. Don't get me wrong, there are days when nothing will satisfy quite like a slice of decadent chocolate cake, but I am always drawn to a delicious fresh fruit tart. From the flaky crust to the creamy pasty filling to the sweetness of the fruit, it's truly a dessert that has it all. And it has fruit- must be healthy, right? ;)

I've always been intimidated to make a fruit tart- you have to make pastry cream! As I enter my 6 month of pregnancy (and the pregnancy cravings that come with it), I haven't gotten bit by the nesting bug yet, but all I seem to want to do is bake! I seized the opportunity and went for it. Surprisingly, it was not as difficult as I thought! It takes time, but the end result is well worth it!

Fresh Fruit Tart
adapted from Ina Garten's recipe

Ingredients

Pastry Cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 3/4 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp heavy cream

Crust
- 1 1/4 cups flour (plus extra for rolling the crust)
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 tbsp (one stick) cold butter
- 3-4 tbsp ice water

Toppings
I used strawberries, raspberries, and kiwis. I would also throw in blueberries and peaches. Be sure to slice your fruit (except raspberries and blueberries) so they're easier to arrange. You can go for a patterned look like I did or group fruits in a more casual arrangement. 

You'll also need a tart pan (one where the bottom piece can be removed from the ruffly edge piece. Also needed are a piece of foil and dried beans or rice for baking the crust. 


Directions 

Pastry Cream

1. In a mixer w/ a paddle attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar on med-high for about 3 mins or until yolks are a pale yellow. On low, beat in the cornstarch. 
2. In a sauce pan, bring milk to a simmer. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking steadily on low.
3. Pour back into the sauce pan and cook over medium heat until mixture is thick. Bring to a boil, then cook on low for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and mix in butter, vanilla, and cream.
5. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place plastic directly over the pastry cream so it does not form a film when cooling. Place in fridge until cold. It'll thicken up as it cools. 

Beating the eggs & sugar. 

Slowly adding the milk. Pour slowly as to not cook the eggs.

Cooking the pastry cream mix.

It turns more yellow as it thickens.

Crust
1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut cold butter into small chunks and add to flour mix. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until well combined (only small pieces should remain). You can also do this in a food processor by pulsing ~10 times. 
2. Add ice water and mix until a dough comes together. Form dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 mins. 
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Removed dough from fridge and let sit for 5 mins. On a well floured surface, roll out dough until it is big enough to fit your tart tin with a little hanging over the edges. Place dough in tin and cut off excess.
5. Line crust with foil and fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 mins. Remove beans and foil, prick crust with a fork, and bake for another 15-20 mins. Allow to cool completely.

I use a pastry cutter for crusts. Keep going until the flour is all incorporated.

Form into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 mins. Remove and let sit for 5 mins before rolling.

You'll need a tart tin with a removable base so you can pop the crust out.

Toppings
Prepare your fruit by washing and slicing. 

Assembling the tart! 
Place tart crust on your serving plate (I don't have a plate big enough, so I just placed the crust on the round metal piece directly on the plate). Spread pastry cream over the inside of the crust. Place fruit on top either clustered together or in a pattern. 

All my ingredients ready to be assembled.

Spread the pastry cream on the crust.

Arrange the fruit and take a picture!

Enjoy!

Baby R: 20 weeks & It's A....

I was really hoping to post a weekly update as my pregnancy progresses, but as you can see, that clearly has not happened! A lot has happened in the past couple months- most notably, we bought a house and found out what Baby R is! I'll save the best for last though. ;)

Moving was not as bad as I was expecting. When we came back to CA from TX, we moved into a MUCH smaller apartment, so we downsized a ton. Less to pack and organize! I can breathe a huge sigh of relief now that we have a home for the baby. 

Home ownership has been an adventure. We're finding out that the little handyman tasks are not as easy as they may appear. For example, putting up that wire shelving was not as easy as we thought, but we did it! 

How far along? 20 weeks- the half way point! (*I'm playing catch up, so I'm actually 22 weeks).

Maternity clothes? Definitely in maternity tops, though some pre-pregnancy t-shirts will still work. I have maternity jeans, but I've been loving maxi skirts lately.

Sleep: I get a lot every night, but it takes me a while to get comfortable. I miss stomach sleeping.

Best moment this week: Making a delicious fruit tart. I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that I know I can make these at home. 

Movement: Everyday! Baby tends to move more when I'm laying down. 

Food cravings: Sweets! I never had much of a sweet tooth, but this baby loves it! I try to stick to fruits, but I did cave and get some chocolate covered gummy bears. Mmm...

Anything making you queasy or sick? Thankfully the morning sickness seems to have passed, but I do get queasy if I eat too much. 

Have you started to show yet: yup!

Belly Button in or out? In and I think it may stay that way for awhile. I have a deep belly button.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

What I miss: sleeping on my stomach. 

What I'm looking forward to: getting baby's room ready!

And of course, what you're really wondering...

We're so excited to meet this little guy!

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. :)