Be Our Guest: Dinner Review

After the WDW Marathon in 2015, I had a celebratory dinner at Be Our Guest. Upon check in outside the restaurant, I requested seating inside The Grand Ballroom. Other options are The West Wing and The Castle Gallery (themed after Belle's Library). We were seated quickly in The Grand Ballroom.

The Grand Ballroom certainly does not disappoint. It's beautiful! Outside the main windows on the right, it looks like a snowy winter day.

Assorted meats and cheese appetizer

Braised pork with pureed cauliflower and seasonal veggies- very tasty!

And of course, desserts!

Chocolate cream puff

Strawberry cream cheese cupcake

The Grey Stuff- this was a must for us. A little sweet, but very yummy.

After dinner, we were welcome to poke around the restaurant and check out the other dining areas.

The magic rose inside the West Wing.

The focal piece inside the Castle Gallery dining area looks like a giant music box.

There's also a photo op with the Beast. 

We did this after our meal and there was virtually no line.

Overall, we enjoyed our dinner at Be Our Guest. The atmosphere is excellent and the food is some of the best I've had at the Disney parks. It's definitely more of a once-a-trip/celebratory place due to price (we didn't do a dining plan), but well worth it.

Baby R: 36 Weeks

With the arrival of the last of the baby purchases, we were finally able to set up the crib. This was the last thing that was nagging at me and I finally feel fully prepared to bring a baby home. After we got it all set up, my husband turned to me and said "Wow. Makes it feel so much more real." He's right; it does!

How far along? 36 weeks + 6 days

Total weight gain: 24 lbs

Exercise: Still going strong with prenatal yoga and the elliptical. Though I can't say I'm burning a ton of calories on the elliptical. I'm pretty slow and don't even break a sweat- I'm out of breath before that can happen. Lol  

Stretch marks: None that I can tell.

Maternity clothes: Yup! Have I mentioned that maternity leggings are awesome? 

Belly button in or out? It's an outie now. So strange! 

Wedding rings on or off? Off. Now that I'm not working, I rarely wear them (they get in the way of cooking and housework). I am able to still get them on, but it's a snug fit.

Sleep: I miss sleep. It takes me 10 mins just to adjust my pillows. By then I usually have to pee again. Then all night I toss and turn trying to find a comfortable position. Naps during the day have been helpful. I figure this is just preparation for when the baby arrives.

Food cravings: Donuts! I feel bad for the nutrition for the baby, but I have completely given into my unhealthy cravings. 😁

Symptoms: Just the usual- heart burn, not sleeping, occasional Braxton Hicks contractions. 

Movement: Baby is still having a party in there. Still likes to put his feet in my ribs. :) 

Best moment this week: I've been hanging out with friends a lot lately with is always fun.

Baby R: 34 Weeks

This weekend was the WDW Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World. I really enjoyed seeing friends run via social media (congrats Patty on running your first marathon!) and just the general excitement from the race weekend.

I completed the marathon last year and I have to say it was the hardest thing I've ever done- both mentally and physically. I went in undertrained and nervous as heck. There were times when I wanted to quit and times when I thought I was going to die, but I made it through- all thanks to my supportive husband. He had no interest in running the marathon (half are enough for him), but I asked him to run with me and be my support. He was there every step of the way, encouraging me when things got hard, never complaining that I dragged him out there for 7 hours. If not for him, I would not have finished.

So as I think about delivering this baby and what will most likely trump the marathon in terms of the hardest things I've ever done, I remember the marathon and I know that with my husband by my side, anything is possible. And while it may seem odd, I'm planning to bring my marathon medal (or mini medal pin) in my hospital bag as a reminder of what I can accomplish with the right support. :)

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain: 20 lbs! I've been really packing on the weight lately! 

Exercise: Prenatal yoga almost every day to help with back and hip pain. I'm really starting to feel the effects of the added weight. I've almost got that pregnancy waddle swag. ;)

Stretch marks: None that I can tell.

Maternity clothes: Yes! I've also started dipping into my husband's wardrobe. ;)

Belly button in or out? It's poking out now. Not a lot, but you can see it through my t-shirt. Haha. 

Wedding rings on or off? Still fit, but getting very snug.

Sleep: Sleep is still hit or miss. I've started making piles of pillows so I can sleep practically sitting up. 

Food cravings/Aversions: Soda? I didn't want all the sugar, so I've satisfied the craving with sparkling/fizzy water. In general, I've been very very thirsty. Eggs have suddenly started grossing me out. I can make them for my husband, but the thought of eating them... no.

Symptoms: Feeling large and in charge. Also getting some Braxton Hicks contractions.

Movement: Baby is still moving around a lot. He had an "Alien" moment where he pushed his foot like he was trying to escape through the front of my belly. It created a visible bump- both hubby and I were shocked he is so strong!

Best moment this week: This seems kind of ridiculous to say it's my favorite moment, but this week I was able to lay on my stomach! I used a whole bunch of pillows and left a gap for the belly. It was heavenly! :)

Did you participate in the WDW Marathon Weekend? I'd love to hear about your experience!

Baby R: 33 Weeks: Happy New Year!

Um, yes. You can never have enough chocolate croissants!

Sparkling cider for New Years Eve!

2015 best nine on Instagram- Disney, baby, and running- accurately describes my year!

How far along? 33 weeks!

Total weight gain: 18 lbs

Exercise: Keeping up with prenatal yoga and the elliptical. I credit the yoga for my lack of back pain!

Stretch marks: None.

Maternity clothes: Yup! Just bought a couple maternity long sleeve henley tops for our unusually cold weather. 

Belly button in or out? Still in, but trying to poke out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Sleep: Sleep is not going well. I caught a cold, so between the stuffy nose, sore throat, heart burn, and being uncomfortable in general, sleep isn't fun anymore. I try to take naps during the day to catch up on my Zzzzs. 

Food cravings: Ice cream! Had some yummy Ben&Jerry's Hazed and Confused. So good!

Symptoms: More of the same- joint pain, moving much more slowly. As my hubby says- I'm "as big as a house". :)

Movement: Baby's movements are much stronger. He is definitely running out of space in there. When he stretches out his foot, you can see a small bump from the outside. He still enjoys putting his feet right up by my ribs.

Best moment this week: Made a huge Target run to get the last of the stuff we need off our registry! I also ordered a crib finally! 

Baby R: 32 Weeks: Merry Christmas

Christmas 2015 started off just like any other Christmas- coffee and breakfast with the husband in front of the tree. It's crazy to think that this is our last Christmas just the two of us and that next year we'll have an almost one year old! :O

Christmas gift from the baby

We spent a few days with the family and then headed to the snow for a few days with friends. I can count on two hands the number of times I've been to the snow (shocking, I know!), so even though there wasn't a lot of snow, it was still fun! Finding clothes to wear in the snow was pretty comical. I wasn't going to buy maternity snow gear that I'd only use for a couple days, so I just put on as many layers and I could and topped it off with one of my hubby's jackets. Movement was limited, but it worked! 

It was so nice to be off the grid with no internet/cell reception and just relax in the quiet; something I know will be of short supply once the baby comes.

How far along? 32 Weeks

Total weight gain: 16 lbs

Exercise: Still keeping up with prenatal yoga and the elliptical, averaging 5 workouts/week

Stretch marks: None yet!

Maternity clothes: All the time. 

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

Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting snug.

Sleep: Sleep isn't the best. I still get up a few times a night to pee.

Food cravings: Ice cream, pie, and all the holiday cookies! I was also seriously craving a glass of wine to go with Christmas dinner. :( 

Symptoms: Just the usual- regular tasks are harder to do; scrubbing the shower is now considered a major workout. Space for my stomach is running out, which was terrible timing for the holidays! 

I've also had this not so awesome pain in my pelvis/hip joint. The pain used to be pretty minor in the morning when I woke up, but it's started to get increasingly worse. It's most likely symphysis pubis dysfunction, caused from the ligaments loosening and the joints becoming more lax. 

Movement: Baby was super wiggly throughout the holiday weekend, no doubt caused by all the sweets I was eating. :) 

Best moment this week: Spending time with family. 

Did you have a good time over the holidays?

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?