This weekend my sister, Meghan came down for a visit. She and her husband Rob are expecting a baby boy in early June. I haven't gotten to see my sis in a couple of months and was so excited to see her growing belly. She looks just beautiful and I cannot wait for her to become a mom. She and Rob are going to be such amazing, loving parents. My sister also happens to be a very talented photographer, so while they were visiting we took some time to take family portraits for each other...

... I'm so lucky to have a big sister like her.

First I took a few of Meghan and Rob...



Then she snapped a few of us...

I was so sad they had to head home early today, I wish we lived next door to each other. Gwyneth and I will be heading up for a week soon to spend helping her get food in the freezer and the house all ready for their baby to arrive. I can't wait to meet him!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too.

 

 

 

Okay!  I've had it!  I am in need of a makeover of Gary Marshall proportions! (See below):

 

 

Not that I think I look like a prostitute... you get the idea.  Financially speaking, I think the best place to start is a hair makeover. (I'm doing wedding photography in trade for hair-doing)! I haven't gotten my hair cut for 5 months!  I am loving the length I have now... 

 

It feels like it took years to grow it out from this...

I have no interest in doing a drastic cut.  So... if I'm not going to chop it all off, how about a different color?  I've never colored my hair before and am a little nervous but, as a good friend said to me yesterday via email, "It is one of the most fun things in life to color your hair." (Thanks for the advice.)  To be honest, I'm a little afraid about dying my hair. I've been feeling the itch to do something a little fun and fearless!  I've always been blonde...

My mom used to call me her "little toilet brush" because I was skinny and my white hair stuck straight up.

Maybe it's time for something new...

A nice light auburn/strawberry blonde?

 

Golden brown?

 

 

Rich red?

Super blonde?

 

Deep brown?

I'm headed to the salon tomorrow morning!  I'd love your thoughts and suggestions!!!

 

 

A friend of ours does these progression photos during pregnancy.  She recently completed and handed it over to me.  It's astonishing to look at the process.  We took one every 4-6 weeks starting around the fourth month.  Our bodies are pretty amazing.  I mean, I grew a human being in 39 weeks.  That's mind boggling!  Sometimes I find myself staring at Gwyneth thinking, I made you!  I can hardly remember what it felt like to be pregnant, so it's a wonderful thing to get to look back at the journey all in one little picture! 

Photo by Silvia Flores

Another view of the progression...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.MKMphoto.com

 

Hmmm.... all of this is makin' me wanna have another baby!

 

 

My goal was to start going for nice long walks again (2-4 miles) and to do my Tracy Anderson Post-Pregnancy Mat Workout 3-5 times each week.

Well, here's the sorry truth...I have only done my workout about a dozen times and I've only gone for a couple of walks!  Between the varying weather, doing my best to stick to my new schedule, working on a routine for Gwyneth and work and homework and auditions, the days sometimes pass me by without a window for exercise!  I'm trying to amp up the workouts to at least 3 times a week and I definitely need to get out and get some walking done!  Thank goodness the sun is finally coming out!  This week I should be approved for aerobic exercise and am looking forward to sweatin' a little bit and doing my Tracy Anderson Dance Cardio workout.  I'm sooo out of shape it's going to be rough!

It's really important that I get stay committed to exercise because, unlike most women, my back actually felt better during pregnancy!  Now that the lovely muscle relaxing hormones are leaving my body my back is starting to hurt again.  I'm working hard to rebuild my core and strengthen the stabalizing muscles in my back so that I can hopefully have a pain free back in the not-to-distant future.  This is a major aspect of my motivation for exercise.  

 

 

Here are the updates stats:

I haven't lost any more baby weight.  Still at 131.  Damn all that fried food in Mexico (and my self control)! Hee hee.

Last measurements:

38-31-38

Current measurements:

37-28-37 I have a feeling this has more to do with the natural progression of things that my workouts!

This weekend Kyle and I are going to come up with a fitness/healthy eating plan for the month of April.  We are both feeling the need for a major jump start on the exercise and a little detox on the diet front.  I'll let you know what we come up with!  

 

 

So, it's been 20 days since Gwyneth was born and I've had my check up with the docs and I am free and clear to begin "low impact mat workouts".  I'm really excited to start exercising again.  Throughout my pregnancy, or at least up until 29 weeks when I was restricted to mostly resting, I was walking 2-4 miles a day and doing some simple conditioning and stretching from my Tracy Anderson Mat Workout DVD 4-5 times each week and I was also doing Pregnancy Yoga.  Pregnancy is such an incredible physical journey and, while there were many things I enjoyed about being pregnant, I have to admit that I didn't always enjoy watching my body morph and change and I really didn't enjoy having my wardrobe whittled slowly down to 2 pairs of jeans and a handful of tops and one pair of shoes (I only had one pair I could put on and take off easily on my own).  Anyway... now that our little one is here, I am looking forward to getting my wardrobe (a blog on that soon) and my body back in working order.  

Since we are constantly bombarded with images and captions like these...

Six weeks after the birth of her son.

 

Eight weeks after giving birth.

 

I thought I'd give you a glimpse at what I look like right now:

Almost as sexy as Heidi Klum if you don't count the dark circles under my eyes and the breast milk on my bra! 

Here's the stats...

Pre-pregnancy weight: 124 lbs

Weight at end of pregnancy: 153 lbs (gained 29 lbs)

Current weight: 131 lbs

The goal: 120-125 lbs (this is the weight range I feel the best at)

Pre-pregnancy measurements: 36-27-37

Belly measurement at end of pregnancy: 39

Current measurement: 38-31-38

The goal: I don't really have a goal here!  I have no idea what's realistic.  Of course, I would love to have my 27 inch waist back but... As longs as I can fit in my pre-pregancy clothes comfortably then that will be perfect.

 

 

 

Here are the photos of the (99%) finished baby nursery!  I just love the way it all turned out!  I really wanted the room to be girly and sweet without being too "baby-ish" and I think we accomplished that!  It is simple and sophisticated and with few final touches it will be perfect!  I think it will be a joy to spend lots of time in here.  So many of the things in the room were made for our baby or handed down through our families.  It really makes the room special.  The inspirations were Paris, photography, ballet and Sofia Copolla's Marie Antoinette...  

 

 

My Stepmom (Nance) is a fabulous interior designer/colorist (she works in Oregon and Washington so let me know if you want her contact info) and my sister came over to help us me pick our colors.  They didn't photograph totally accurately but here are the swatches from the Benjamin Moore website... which also aren't that accurate!  Ah well, you get the idea...

 

 

I never would have thought I'd have a pink room in my house.  It was so great to have Nance help us pick "adult" pink colors.  

The "flowers" were made by Amy and Poppy for the baby shower and they take the place of a mobile.  I read that you actually want the space around your baby's crib to be a bit "boring", that is, non-stimulating.  You want them to sleep, not stare at stuff!

The crib and Kyle's chair from when he was little (made by his Grandpa).

 

The crib with the bumper made by Erika and the gorgeous blanket knitted by Kyle's Nana with yarn she was saving for "something special" that she had brought over with her from New Zealand a long time ago.

 

 

 

 

The pillow is made from the pink raw silk from my wedding dress and a bit of tulle from my veil (both were made by Erika).

 

 

Two monkeys from Aunt Meghan.

 

The dresser was Kyle's when he was little.  It will be painted super glossy white, get new handles and maybe get a little stencil treatment like this one from Anthropologie.

Newborn pajamas!

 

This vintage scale was a gift and is holding all of our beautiful Aden + Anais swaddles and blankies which were baby shower gifts.  The teddy bear painting was given to us by a friend in Paris, I took the photo on the left for Kyle when we were just out of high school and I found that four leaf clover years ago!

 

The feeding zone.  Comfy chair and blanket (also knitted by Kyle's Nana).  Amy found that table cloth at an antique store and thought it was tres Marie Antoinette.  It's hiding a box below with breast feeding paraphernalia and a book and book light for me.  The lamp is a salt rock lamp and will serve as a mellow reading light/night light.

The bookshelf/toy zone.  We just bought this shelf unit and the little pink bins from Ikea for about $35 total.

 

Lisa Kaser Print titled Tuesdays Were Reserved for Sharing Recipes.  We bought it at an art fair right after I found out I was pregnant.  It is quirky and cute.  It reminded us of our many picnics in Paris.  Plus the title is so us!

 

This porcelain doll was a gift from my cousin Carol.  She has collected these gorgeous dolls for years and selected this one for our girl.

 

Old photos of my two grandmothers, Mary Jo (left) and Rosellen (on right).  We are going to get two photos of Kyle's grandmothers too.  

 

This is a series of photographs I took in Paris.  I love the colors and the way they are all behind glass.  Ballet slippers in a studio window, gorgeous tutu's in the window display at the Repetto store and the skirt of Degas' Little Dancer statue in a glass case.

 

I made this collage of photos from Kyle and my first trip to Paris together when we were barely twenty.

 

The closet with all the newborn clothes ready for action!

 

My Stepmom had given me this vintage tutu a few years ago along with some others that sat in a box in the garage that Kyle had labeled "Fuckin' Tutus" because he couldn't understand why I was holding onto them.  Ha!  I used one!  Erika took it home and gently applied it to a wreath ring.  We'll either put it on the wall or pin it to the door of the room.  

I would also like to make a photo collage heart out of black and white photographs to give our little one something to gaze at.  

I would also love to find a chandelier (maybe something vintage) to replace the main light in the room.

So, there you have it!  Our baby's nursery is all set and ready for her arrival.  Our due date is only ten days away!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dress: Stuart + Brown

Leggings: LA Made

Shoes: Converse

 

 

There comes a point in pregnancy when you are feeling pretty...

chubby...

grumpy...

frustrated...

a little batty...

delusionally tired...

and a little emotional.

It's hard to remember what you used to look like.

All you wanna do is overindulge...

 

and wave your white flag.

 

But, then... you're family comes to town and gives you a good reason to laugh.

Meghan, Rob (and Kyle) at the local bakery.

Now... as I've mentioned before, my belly button (while not inside out) has spent the last month looking suspiciously like a cat's behind.  I'm sure someday it will return to normal, but in the meantime it's a lesson at learning to laugh at yourself even when you feel "all done".   Meghan and Rob came over with my Dad and Stepmom for dinner and we "forced" my Dad to put his artistic skills to work in order to provide us some much needed laughter...  

Heee heee heeee.

Sometimes (even after eight years), Kyle is forced to question the family he married into.  We like to keep him on his toes.

 

 

Your sweater!  

A snowy walk downtown....

 

 

 

Brrrr!

Hat: Pistil

Top: Icebreaker

Jacket: North Face

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Boots: North Face

 

 

So, it's 5 am and I'm wide awake.  I've been awake since 3:30 after jolting back to life following a particularly bizarre pregnancy dream involving a wedding (not mine), people I haven't seen since high school, capers (yes, the food), a shoot out and a coffee maker.  Don't ask me how all these elements came together... Anyway, after a couple hours of tossing and turning, trying to ignore the fact that I was starving and getting batted by the frisky cat (who, ever since we moved, has been acting like a cracked out kitten again), I just got up.  It snowed a few inches last night and it's still coming down so it's very quiet and still and dark out this morning.

 

The baby is squirming and kicking a bit.  I'm sure going to miss our private little snuggle sessions when she is born.  I am also going to miss the little bump, bump of her hiccups and so many other wonderful things about being pregnant.  There are, of course, many other things that I won't miss so much!  I had a complete mini-meltdown the other night after a particularly uncomfortable day.  I cried and declared to Kyle that I was "all done being pregnant"!  Of course, I quickly pulled it together and he encouraged me, kissed me and tucked me into bed where I got a good night's sleep, which helped immensely.

 

Yesterday I made more food for the freezer (chicken noodle soup (recipe coming soon) and two key lime pies) and I made a boppy (breastfeeding pillow)!  Now I'm going to put on a favorite movie and make up six more weeks worth of menus/grocery lists.  The more I do and create and plan, the more content I feel.  Don't get me wrong, I wish I was sleeping right now but, since I'm not, I might as well be productive!

 

Today we have big plans which include (but aren't limited to) IKEA (scary), Costco (even scarier), Aaron Brothers, Trader Joe's, Target (even scarier than Costco), a cookie delivery to a friend who just had surgery and possibly a movie matinee (I can't wait to see Black Swan and it doesn't appear that they'll have it here at our theater).  We just realized that it is the weekend before Christmas and we must be completely insane to be running all these errands today, but at this point in the pregnancy, it's now or never (or at least not for a few months).  So... here's to a productive Saturday!  Of course, if the snow keeps falling, we may be in for a quite and cozy weekend in spite of our ambitions.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful day today.

 

Love,

Kacie

 

 

As we inch closer and closer to our due date (January 7th) I am beginning to feel really excited about welcoming our baby girl into the world.  But, I'm also feeling a little nervous.  I have an overwhelming desire to get things done like: finish the nursery, put together an "emergency kit" for the car with spare diapers, wipes and a change of warm clothes for the baby, make lots of healthy food to have stashed in the freezer, make more menu plans, figure out our finances, finish unpacking...  I feel like we've accomplished so much but I still feel that there is a lot that can be done.  I've been waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning and sneaking out of bed to do things (like make lasagna) while Kyle sleeps.  We've moved on from reading the birthing books to reading the "baby manual" books.  Kyle has started The Baby Whisperer and I have started reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby.  I'm really wanting to have plans in place for ways to soothe a fussy baby, a minimal plan for getting things done (like exercise and grocery shopping and showering), and also having a conscious way of keeping our marriage running smoothly and making sure we enough time for each other and all of our my neurosis. =)  Although I know Kyle and I have a strong, healthy, loving, communicative relationship, I am hoping to find even better ways of communicating with one another thoughtfully and respectfully when we're feeling stressed, exhausted or irritable.  So, as these grey days creep by, I will continue to prepare, read, ponder and enjoy the last moments of this pregnancy.  I'm open to any advice, thoughts or encouragement you all may have. 

 

Top: Saint Grace

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Boots: J Crew

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shirt: Gap

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Poppy's Dress: Tea

 

Jen enjoying a pomegranate martini.

 

Alicia and her son Bjorn.

 

Damon, Amy and Poppy.

 

All the ladies.

 

Nance (Nonna) and Tracey.

 

Danelle and Pat.

 

Tracey and Bjorn... look at those cheeks!

 

A lovely classic book from Tracey.

 

The gorgeous breast-feeding cover from Jen.

 

Handmade booties from Pat.

 

Cute clothes from Alicia.

 

A super-tiny newborn onesie!

 

 

Poppy decorating a onesie.

 

Awesome craft idea.

 

Amy and her assistant sewing the fabric pieces onto the onesies.

 

Nance and Danelle making onesies.

 

 

Tissue paper flowers made by Amy and Poppy for the baby's room!

 

Time for Bjorn to head home.

 

The best baby shower host EVER!

 

 

 

 

Your Nona is a little uh... creative and decided to wrap this tree on their property with fabric swatches!

 

 

 

This is a pet dinosaur that my Uncle Matt made.  Get ready for LOTS of creativity with this family.

Scarf: Cashmink

Sweater: Shae

Jeans: GAP Maternity

Boots: Frye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacket: Prairie Underground

Scarf: Cashmink

Dress: Gap

Leggings: LA Made

Boots: Frye

 

 

After our last hospital visit and a second brief one last week, (just had to get checked... they sent me home right away) I figured it was due time (no pun intended) to put together our overnight bag for the hospital!  I did lots of research online as well as in our birthing book, Birthing from Within, and came up with a list of items to use at home and to bring along with us.  I want to stay home as long as possible before heading to the hospital.  We live less than two miles from the birthing center/hospital so hopefully we can stay home until the last couple of hours.  We'll have a doula on hand to help us know when it's time to go! Obviously, if we have a pre-term baby all of this will go out the window and we'll be headed into Portland to an unknown hospital with unknown doctors and we'll have to just go with the flow.  We'll have a few changes of clothes/pajamas, a bathrobe for me, some of Kyle's t-shirts for me to wear (I'm not feeling the hospital gown program) and our own pillows along with the following items...

The TENS Unit.  I got this for my back pain... it uses electric currents to stimulate nerves so you don't feel as much pain.  It's used a lot in pain management for natural birth.  Most insurance companies will rent/buy one for you.

 

Eye covers and ear plugs.  I wish we'd had these the last time!

 

Heat pillow and lavender oil (for relaxation) and coconut oil for back rubs.

 

It's really important to stay hydrated and replace electrolytes.  I want to avoid an IV unless I really need one and staying hydrated is the first step!

Everything I read suggested that you bring music along with you but, as Kyle put it, movies are my music.  The Audrey Hepburn Collection contains many of my faves: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Funny Face and Paris When It Sizzles.  Hopefully these will prove to be pleasant distractions.

Call me crazy but smells have bothered me SO much during my pregnancy that I've stocked up on toothbrushes and mouthwash for people to use when the come to visit.  Actually, the birthing book recommended this too so I'm not the only crazy mom-to-be.

 

The birthing book also recommended bringing your own washcloths since the hospital ones are less than luxe.  I also have a little bit of makeup (concealer and blush), dental floss (I'm obsessed with dental hygiene), hair rubber bands and chapstick. 

 

Simple (yet important) toiletries: shampoo and conditioner, face wash and lotion, soap and deodorant. 

 

THE birthing book, our birth plan ideals and a scrapbook page for footprints! 

 

A few newborn diapers, wipes and breast pads and the outfit I came home from the hospital in.

Thanks to my Aunt Carla we have a car seat now and with this stuff all packed up and ready to go we are feeling pretty ready.  Of course we are hoping for a full term babe, but if she does decided to make an early appearance we'll at least be prepared for her arrival!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweater: Liz Lange Maternity

Camisole: Odd Molly

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Boots: Frye

 

 

As the plans for our new home move slowly but surely forward, I have begun to get really excited about the prospect of having a baby room (as opposed to just a baby zone/corner)!  I was completely unsure where to begin... then, on Oct. 16th I curled up on the couch to watch Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette in honor of the anniversary of the day that Marie Antoinette was beheaded.  Lovely, I know.  I found that I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.  The color pallete of the film was totally mesmerizing me!  I have been adament about "no pink" since the beginning, but all of the sudden I found myself loving the pinks (and the greens, yellows and blues) in the film!  I immediately knew the direction I want to go with the baby room.  Maybe not quite as decadent as these images but using the color palaette in an organic and simplified way will be perfect!

The sets, costumes, makeup and overall style are so lovely!

The macaroons are so inspirational!

The shoes are the perfect colors!

The Vogue magazine spread shot by Annie Leibovitz!

My mother-in-law (Erika) and I set out to the fabric store to see if we could find some ideas that drew from the color palette of the above images.  We found nearly perfect matches!  A silvery, grey blue... a bright, sorbet pink... a pale, antique-y yellow...

I bought piping in each color to jazz up the corners of white washcloths, burp cloths, bath towels and use it to keep things in a simple and consistent color scheme.  I like things to match! 

Then we happened across this fabric in the sale pile and bought it all!  The color didn't scan up perfectly, but it just matches up with the color palette perfectly.  Erika is whipping up a baby bumper from it right now! 

 

 

 

 

Very happy that you stayed put.

(Hospital gown (St. Vincent's Hospital... price upon request))

 

 

 

 

 

(Sweater (Free People), jeans (GAP Maternity), boots (Frye))

 

 

After lots of thought and consideration (and editing) we have completed our baby registry.  Everyone was so helpful and had wonderful recommendations!  I hope that a glance through the registry will give parents-to-be some good ideas and save them some time looking at the multitude of options available for any given item!  Although it took a lot of research and work to put it all together, I am really excited about our choices.  I think we were able to keep things to a minimum and only register for items that we felt really strongly about and the thing we did register for are space efficient and really fit our lifestyle.  

We decided to do the whole registry through Amazon.com because they have just about everything at great prices and they offer what's called Universal Registry which allowed us to register for items on other sites (like IKEA) and have it all show up on the one registry.  It also provides a secure way for people to make purchases and customer service is great (we used them for our wedding registry too).  It's nice to have it all in one place!

To view more info on the items you can visit my Fantastic Baby Things! post from a couple of weeks back.  

I'd love to post more today but, frankly, I'm exhausted!  We are in the process of purchasing our first home!!!!  It's exhilarating, exciting, wonderful and completely exhausting (and a little scary).  Hey, we might as well buy our first car, first house and have our first baby all in 2010!  Needless to say it's been a whirlwind last few days!  The house simple and low maintenance but it's cute and it has 3 bedrooms and a small backyard.  I'll keep you updated on it as soon as we know it's a sure thing!   But now... I'm going to drag my bum off this chair and go for a walk and do my Tracy Anderson workout before I collapse onto the couch (or into a warm bath) to relax.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uncle Ryan feeling you move!

 

 

 

 

 

Goofing around in the studio. (Sweater (Gap), tunic (Splendid), leggings (LA Made), boots (Frye))

 

 

Sunday morning photos from Daddy's point of view.  (My favorite pajamas from Victoria's Secret.)

Sunday morning photos from my point of view of your Dad listening to your heartbeat.

 

I am having a bit of an epiphany about myself so I thought I might share the process I'm going through with you... as the arrival of our daughter approaches, I can't help but desire more simplicity in my life.  This past week was a good example of my average week and it went something like this:

 

 

 

 

(Hat (from a street vendor in Paris), shirt (Kyle's shirt from Ted Baker), leggings (LA Made), boots (Frye))

 

 

I have been trying to find the time (and the WIFI) to do a San Francisco Weekend post, but since that didn't happen... (turns out they don't have WIFI at campgrounds) here is a big ol' post encompassing the whole second week of our Babymoon!

Day 6: San Francisco, CA

We spent our first day in San Francisco wandering around The Haight district.  We stopped at Trader Joe's and grabbed a few items for a quick picnic in a park before hitting the streets and exploring the shops.  We happened across the Magnolia Pub and Brewery so we stopped in so Kyle could try out their beers.  Our server, Sal, gave us his recommendations for his favorite places to eat in San Francisco which was great because we love to try out the local's favorites.  

The Magnolia Pub and Brewery

 

Day 7: San Francisco, CA

Cafe Delucchi

From North Beach the trail heads down through Telegraph Hill to the waterfront.  We walked through part of this historic waterfront but it was really crowded and touristy so we found a bus back to the starting point and decided to head "home".  The walk was a really fun way to see and learn about San Francisco.  

For dinner we decided to grab In-N-Out for old time's sake.  I haven't had fast food in years and years and images and facts from Food, Inc. etc. kept popping up in my mind and I was feeling really guilty.  But, against my better judgement I ordered a cheeseburger (animal style) and french fries.  It was fun, but not very good... it tasted like fast food!  Aw, well.  We spent our evening watching the Food Network and relaxing.

Day 8: San Francisco, CA

For our third day in San Fransisco we went to visit our friends Chris and Casey at their fantastic apartment right near Golden Gate Park to watch the Seahawks play the 49ers.  By the time the game ended it was time to head for, what else, more food!  Once again we took Sal's recommendation and headed to Zazie, a french cafe-style restaurant in Cole Valley.

Kyle had the Grilled Hanger Steak with heirloom tomato, Vidalia onion, gorgonzola gratin and portobello cream sauce and I had the Crispy Duck Leg with haricot verts and warm fingerling potatoe salad with mustard and pancetta.  The food was rich and delicious and I was starting to worry a bit about what our scale might say when we got home... but that didn't stop us from ordering...

...insanely good Crème brûlée and one regular and one decaf espresso for dessert!

A view from the hill on the drive home.  The strip without lights is Golden Gate Park.  

Day 9: San Francisco, CA

For our final day in San Francisco, we decided to spend the day exploring the California Acadmey of Sciences.  It's part science center, part aquarium, part zoo and part rainforest.  The admission was pretty pricey but it was a fun way to spend most of the day.  I wasn't as thrilled with it as I was hoping to be for the amount of money it cost, but it was still fun.  

Being silly.

We were starving by the time we left Academy and stopped at Papalote (another of Sal's recommendations).  The food was fresh and the salsa was fantastic.  

After our late lunch we headed out to find the Toronado Pub which is a famous beer bar so Kyle could scope it out and have a couple of pints.  

Kyle in paradise looking at the beer menu.

Since it was our last night in the city, we spent it having dinner with family.

A few other places that Sal and my friend John recommended but we didn't have time to try were....

Nopa

Abacus

Le Fringale

Tadich Grill 

Yank Sing

Day 10: Driving from San Francisco, CA to Gardnerville, NV via Yosemite National Park

Bright and early not as early as we had planned, we headed out of San Francisco to drive to Gardnerville, NV where my Aunt Carla and Uncle Matt live.  We took the long route so that we could drive through Yosemite National Park.  

Aidan blowing out the candles matches on his cake pie.

Day 11: Driving from Gardnerville, NV to Goose Lake, CA/OR

The drive from Garnerville to Goose Lake State Park was gorgeous!  Once we got through Reno it was all so picturesque.  The campground was clean and pretty and it was the perfect time to stop.  It lies right on the border between California and Oregon (although it's technically in Oregon).  For dinner we roasted chicken sausages on the fire and made a salad before we threw down a few more rounds of Yahtzee!

Day 12: Driving from Goose Lake, OR to Pendleton, OR

We packed up in the morning and set out for Pendleton, OR.  The drive was, again, picturesque and gorgeous along 395.

Day 13: Pendleton, OR

In the morning it was time to "Let 'er Buck!" as they say.  We headed to the Rainbow Cafe to meet up with my sister (Meghan) and her husband, Rob.  The Rainbow is always packed during the Roundup and serves trucker-style diner breakfasts that take forever to get...it's all about the experience.

 

 

The whole family.

Ryan and Dad.

Meghan and Rob.

A future cowboy named Oregon.

Then, we headed downtown to check out the scene.

Outside the Rainbow.

Inside the Rainbow.

Ryan.

Dad and the ladies.

Day 14: Pendleton, OR

After a busy day on Friday at the Roundup with lots of photos, I opted to leave my camera at home for the finals day.  Luckily, my sister's husband had his iPhone and with the help of some binoculars he was able to snap some really cool shots of the rodeo.  We also bought a cute onsie for the baby!

Me and the Pops.

 

 

The finals day of the rodeo was great!  We headed back to Uncle Grey's around 9 and Kyle and I proceeded to kick some major butt at hearts (turns out playing cards sober is really effective to winning).  

Day 15: Driving from Pendleton, OR to our home!

We got up early, packed up and headed home!  It was pouring rain for most of the drive but by noon we were home.  The fridge is reloaded, the laundry is in progress, there is a chicken roasting in the oven, the cozy pants are on and we're watching Sunday Night Football.  We had a wonderful trip, but it's always nice to come home.  Calypso is thrilled that we're back.

 

 

 

 

It's been such a great first week of our Babymoon and we still have a full week left!  Here's a look at our trip so far...

Day 1: Ellensburg, WA

We started off our trip in Ellensburg to celebrate Alfonso and Nina's birthdays with friends, beer hot chocolate and a pig roast.  The wind was icy cold and whipping through Ellensburg so we were all bundled up but that didn't stop the music and fun!  

Kyle testing out the impromptu driving range.

Jake turning the pig.

The "Rotisserie" Crew

Maria and her pup.

Pilot.

Adrian playing the drums.

My best friend Marion (on the right) and her sister, Crystal.

Marion's Dad carving the pig with a machete.

Bundled up.

Kyle about to dig in.

Day 2:  Astoria, OR

Early in the morning we packed up out of Ellensburg and headed toward the coast.  It was a long day of driving but we were ready to relax.  We put Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix into the CD player and I knitted away at a hat (which I finished before we got to Astoria).  We arrived at our destination around 4 o'cock and set up camp at Fort Steven's State Park.   We made turkey burritos for dinner with yummy, organic ingredients we had packed up before we left.  We built a campfire and settled in with hot chocolate for several rounds of Yahtzee!

Eating dinner while wearing my newly knitted hat.

Our neighboors flamingo.

 

Yummy buttermilk pancakes (from Trader Joe's mix) for breakfast.

The Druid's Delight... espresso, milk, vanilla, caramel and chocolate whip cream!  Perfect for a cold, wet drive!

The sun came out!!!

The view from The Burning Plain location.

Gorgeous sunset from the location while shooting.

Newport:

Funny seals.

Local Oceans.

Grilled fish and chips with fennel slaw.

Coconut prawns.

Curry mussels. 

Day 3: Driving and camping in the Redwoods, CA.

We woke up in Newport and hit the road right away because we had a long drive ahead of us through the Redwoods.  It was grey and wet again and stayed that way through most of the Northern Redwoods.  The trees are so dense and beautiful!  It's impossible to describe their size!  We got to where we were going to camp but it was still very cold and rainy so we opted to keep driving South and inland along our route in the hopes that the weather would warm up a little bit.  Luckily, it did and we set up camp in the Southern part of the Redwoods, made a quick dinner with our burrito leftovers and had hot chocolate and a few more rounds of Yahtzee!

Some very damp plants along the coast.

Day 4: Driving from the Redwoods, CA to Santa Rosa, CA.

Since we'd driven a little extra the previous day we had a fairly short drive into Santa Rosa.  We stayed with Kyle's Uncle Craig and after quickly settling in and taking two much needed showers we went out to dinner with Craig and his two wonderful daughters Kellie and Katie at one of Kyle's favorite breweries, Russian River.  

Katie, Kellie, Craig and Kyle at Russian River.

Day 5: Driving through Napa, CA and into San Francisco, CA.

We had headed to bed early and, after plenty of sleep, we got up and packed up, ready to head through Napa and into San Francisco.  We got coffee with an old friend and met her new baby girl before hitting the road.  The drive through Napa was gorgeous although it was a bit torturous as I couldn't have the wine!  A friend had recommended the Rutherford Grill for lunch so we stopped for a great chicken salad (for me) and prime rib a jus sandwich (for Kyle).  Then we headed to the Coppola Vineyard right across the steet (which the same friend had recommended) to check it out.  The winery was absolutely gorgeous!  It felt like being at a French villa.  The wine tasting was about $50 so we opted not to partake, but the stop was worth it just to check out the vineyard and museum-like winery.  We arrived in San Francisco and got settled in at Kyle's Aunt Lynsie's house in Foster City (a suburb just South of the city) and then headed over to Kyle's cousins Derek and Brandon and Brandon's wife Anifisa's house for dinner.  Anifsa is pregnant and due just a week after me, so we had lots to talk about!  Dinner was great although we spent most of the night glued to the window (watching the fire) and the television (watching the news) because the San Bruno explosion/fire was just minutes away from their house.

The Coppola winery.

Arriving in San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Still to come... Our weekend in San Francisco (I'm too sleepy to post all about it now... speaking of which, I apologize if there are any misspellings in my post!), our drive through Yosemite (after careful consideration, we've opted not to stay in Yosemite due to the fact that it sounds like it may be too physically demanding since I'm quickly heading towards the six month pregnancy mark), a stay with my Aunt Carla, a bit more camping and the Pendelton Roundup!

 

 

 

At the Coppola Vineyards in Napa, CA.

(Hat (from a street vender in Paris), dress (Jean Paul Gaultier for Target), leggings (LA Made))

 

On Saturday we are heading out for our Babymoon Vacation!   We've got our tent (and Aerobed) ready, Newman's Ginger-O's packed, Harry Potter books on CD set to go and a new knitting project to begin! 

Here's our plan:

We'll spend the first night in Ellensburg, WA celebrating our good friends' joint birthday party Puerto Rican style, including mucho rum, a roasted pig and wonderful friends.

The Birthday Boy Alfonso "Why is the rum gone?" Gonzalez

The Birthday Girl, Nina "I don't want to snuggle" Gonzalez

From there we are heading straight to the Oregon coast!  

Oregon Coast (Photo by Kyle)

We'll spend the night camping in Astoria and then make our way leisurely to Newport.  After that, it's off to the Redwoods!  I am so excited to see this magnificent area of California.  I can't believe I've never been to the Redwoods.

From the Redwoods we'll head into Santa Rosa to visit Uncle Craig...although I don't think Kyle's let him know we're coming yet...hmmm.  Then, we're considering a stop in Napa although I'm afraid that being close to all that amazing wine might be tortorous...water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.  Then we'll be in San Francisco for four days staying with Kyle's Aunt.  I'm so excited to explore this culturally rich, artistic city and to eat amazing food!

For the second half of our trip we'll head into Yosemite National Park for a couple of nights of camping and relaxing since the next couple of days will be spent working our way back up to Pendelton, OR for the Round Up!  For those of you who don't know about the Round Up...how do I explain this event...the Round Up is a fantistically fun, crazy, let 'er buck rodeo that we attend nearly every year.  As it happens, this year happens to be the Centenial celebration for this rodeo so it should be extra fun.  We always stay with Uncle Grey (not really our Uncle, he's Marion's Uncle) and Tina.  We relax with my best friend Marion and her family (the previously mentioned Birthday Boy and Girl).

 

Action at the Roundup.

Dad doing his photography.

Uncle Grey and his dogs.

Uncle Grey sitting in his "thoughful spot" as Whinnie the Pooh would say.

Party central.

At the Roundup with my Dad and Stepmom a few years back.

Dad with Dean Clark a member of the fence crew and all around great man.

Poor Daddy getting run over by a bull last year.  For the record, although he does appear to walk straight into the bull's path for no reason...he actually got clipped by the bull earlier and was disoriented.

Poor Daddy icing his injuries after the rodeo ended for the day.

Enjoying the Roundup last Summer.

Then, at last, we will be returning home to our disgruntled cat... 

and Poppy...

This photo is a little out of date, but it always makes me laugh.

We're so excited to head out on the road and explore the coast.  We'd love any recommendations you have from places to check out, stops to make, great restaurants to eat at, your favorite things in San Francisco and anything else!  Most of these places are new to us so we'd love any advice you've got for us!  I'll try and post a few blogs along the way, but it may end up just being one long post when we get back!

 

 

(Hoodie (Prairie Underground), dress (Banana Republic), boots (Frye))

 

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!  We just went to the doc this morning and got to see our little one again and it's definitely a girl!  I am so freakin' excited!  That felt like a really long wait and I'm thrilled that we're going to have a daughter.  Let the shopping begin!  I'm so excited to start really planning and picking names and preparing for her.  It seems so much more tangible now.   Grandma told everyone she was positive it was a girl so it's really special that she was right!   

Here are a few ultrasound images.  They're not really clear, more blob-like but they're still fun.  I'd write more but I'm too excited to sit still!!!

As the doctor labeled it, "Girlie Parts".

This is the arm and part of the face.  She had her hand covering half her face the whole time so this is the best portrait we could get!

Profile picture.

This photo is of her hand in the middle and her ribs are down below.

 

 

I can't believe I'm halfway through the pregnancy already!   This last week was really challenging, but now we're home again and rebooting.  The baby's kicks are already strong enough for other people to feel, it's hard to believe just 20 days ago I felt the first flutter!  Needless to say, there's been a massive increase in snuggling in our house.  These days we spend most of our downtime reading Harry Potter out loud to one another (and the baby), I'm knitting a lot and starting to make more concrete plans for our little one.  I'm really excited/nervous to find out the sex this week and then it'll be on to major nesting.  I'm working on a baby budget and asking friends and families to tell me what items they loved for their little ones (post a comment if you have advice)!  Inspired by this blog, I decided to start doing weekly photos and letters to our baby.  Now that I'm finally showing I promise to post lots of photos of the burgeoning baby bump.  These next few weeks promise to be really busy as we're headed up to Whidbey Island for a wedding and then working on a Babymoon (road trip) plan.  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profile.  You can see the brain and the jaw bones beginning to form.

Another profile.

This is the ?cute? baby face.  All the bones aren't formed yet so it looks a bit like a mexican wrestler.

The arm.

The whole baby.

My personal favorite.  The bottoms of the tiny feet.