The Hangover

No, no baby yet. So K and I enjoyed one last date night. We saw "The Hangover". I laughed like crazy. I hope you all had great weekends too!

Be Back Soon

*Image from PinkSherbet's Flickr Page

Well, I won't be in a sunny tropical location for a vacation or anything, but I will be having a baby shortly, so I will be taking a break from blogging. My due date is actually today, but I don't see any signs of him arriving today. That's okay - I'll enjoy one last quiet weekend and another date night with K. I'll post occasionally once the new little one shows up. I hope you're all having a wonderful summer so far!

This Week's Menu

Panko-crusted Fish Sticks with Herb Dipping Sauce
Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes


Spaghetti and Meatballs
Salad


Pierogies, Peppers/Onions
Kielbasa


Penne with Asparagus, Spinach, and Bacon
Roasted Tomatoes
Bread


Spicy Chicken Quesadillas
(Black Bean Quesadillas for my Mom)
Corn Salsa

**I also think the end of the week may call for my favorite Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart. (Especially if I'm still waiting for baby!) Yummmmmmmmm...

Belly Shots

As I've mentioned before, being pregnant is a little different the second time around. For example, I've been notoriously bad about taking pictures of myself. Well, here you go - I managed to get Kevin to take a couple of me yesterday, so you can all see what I look like at 9 months.

Etsy Love: Cosas Minimas

*Image from Cosas Minimas

How cute are these prints from the Cosas Minimas Etsy Shop? I love the primary colors. They'd look good in a nursery, playroom, or other kid's area.

39 Weeks

Babycenter says my baby is about the size of the small watermelon now. Although....at 39 weeks, can't we just say that he's the size of an average newborn and he's ready to come out now?

Totally and Completely in Love

*I know I'm biased, but come on - he's gorgeous!

I am head over heels in love with this little boy. Here are some highlights from just yesterday:

- When I got him up in the morning, he said, "Let's go have pancakes, Mommy!" Everything is just so exciting these days!! "Oooooh, Mommy.....bacon!"
- "Mom, Daddy's at work. And you have to go to work. I'M going to school today. To play with my friends. I'm going to bring a couple books. Kay?"
- Me: "Aaron, we have to get dressed now to get ready for school." Aaron: "No." Me: "Come on, Sweetie. Time to get dressed." Aaron: "No." (I had to include one of these exchanges in order to keep the message authentic. He eventually did come - he just has his own timetable and does not like to be rushed.) Me: "Honey, we have to get ready for school. You can bring your truck upstairs if you want." Aaron: "Okay, Mom. I'm coming."
- Car rides are really just an excuse to look at trucks. The boy is ridiculous about trucks. He knows them all and gets SO excited when he sees one, especially particular favorites. "OOOH, Mommy, LOOK! A cherry-picker! That's Daddy's favorite! And a car transport! That's your favorite! LOOK! Do you see it?!"
- When I arrived at day care, he sprinted across the playground and jumped into my arms, wrapping his arms around my neck. "I love you, Mommy." (You just can't beat that!)
- "Mom, can I watch some Elmo please?" (A perfectly polite question without the typical initial whining and my prompting him to ask nicely.)
- After watching a Sesame Street video ("Fiesta"), he spent dinner singing, "Amigo, Amigo, lalalalalala...." "Sing, Mommy!"
- "Mmmmm.....yummy pasta and chicken, Mom." (He's still not a big eater, but at least he tries everything. Grilled chicken and pesto pasta, a small bowl of grape tomatoes, and half a pear for dessert. Not bad.)
- Aaron: "What are you doing, Mom?" Me: "Cleaning the dishes, Sweetie." Aaron: "Wait! Let me help you!"
- "Come and play, Mommy. Come!" Sometimes chores must wait. I can't resist an invitation to play. We spent the time after dinner singing, dancing, making snowmen out of play-doh, throwing balls, and rolling trucks back and forth to each other.
- "Daddy! Hi! Come read stories! Hurry!" Kevin came home from work in time to read bedtime stories. "We're going to read 3 stories....that's the deal." We've been falling into the "just one more book" trap lately, so we're trying to be more consistent. Aaron is picking it up very quickly.

All of these exchanges or comments were from just one day! And that was a day when I had to work and therefore only got to hang out with him in the morning and evening. He amazes me, and I swear I love him more every single day.

Apple Pecan Quick Bread

*Image from here

I had a few small apples that were past their prime for eating raw but still perfectly acceptable for cooking. I also had a cool and dreary Sunday afternoon, so I decided to bake something. I chose this Apple Pecan Quick Bread. I like this recipe, because it requires only one bowl and no beaters; it is very fast to prepare and get in the oven. And - it's yummy! I didn't have pecans, so I used walnuts instead, and threw in a few craisins while I was at it. Now K and I have breakfast for the week! Yum.

*I noticed that the reviews for this recipe are all over the map, but it also seems like a lot of people tried to mess with the recipe and then complain about it. I didn't find it bland at all, but some cinnamon might be a nice addition. Sprinkling some brown sugar on top might be nice, too - I love crispy sweet toppings. Definitely chop the apples instead of grating them.

Summer Reading

*Image from NY Times

Okay, so I know I'm getting ready to have a baby, and I probably won't have a lot of time to read this summer. At the same time, I will be at home for a while, and new babies do sleep at times, so perhaps I will actually be able to pick up a book every now and then. I also remember some long night feeding sessions, especially in the early days, when I was able to balance a book in one hand. So we'll see.

I just finished reading People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks. I enjoyed it very much, but it was not an easy read. I also enjoyed her other books, including March and Year of Wonders, so if you haven't read this author, I'd recommend her. (Start with March - it's great.)

But now I'm thinking I need something a little lighter, easier to pop in and out of as I have time. This article in the NY Times contains some book recommendations that I plan to check out. I thought I'd share in case you might be looking for something new for your nightstand as well. Enjoy!

*Image from Amazon

Menu of the Week

*Image from Real Simple

Southwestern Salad (Hooray for fresh cilantro from the herb barrel!)

Parmesan Pork Cutlets

mashed potatoes

green beans

Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle

salad

Sauteed Tilapia with Honey-Scallion Dressing

A Little Inspiration

*Image from here

I love these little diary postings in the NY Times. Some of them are just so sweet. This one made me smile...

Dear Diary:
My husband, who is the ultimate recycler, collects the sad, misshapen and rejected umbrellas that are often found lying in the trash bins around our West Village neighborhood.

Knowing of my aversion to collections of clutter, he hustles them past me to his study and spends quite a bit of time repairing them.

The next time it rains, he carries several repaired umbrellas into our neighborhood and approaches anyone who appears to be bedraggled, drenched or just plain miserable. He says, “You look as if you could use an umbrella.”

After their initial expressions of shock, their faces change to smiles of gratitude as he hands the refurbished umbrellas to them. “Have a great day,” he says, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Regina Spektor - "Laughing With"

Oh, yes, I'm afraid the music splurge is definitely close! Regina Spektor has a new album coming out on the 23rd. Enjoy the video and have a happy Friday!

image via last.fm

Spring in a Box

*Images from Inchmark

I am going to remember this lovely idea next Spring. I used to put together fun and random packages all the time, especially for my younger sister. I loved putting them together - finding favorite candies, putting new music on a CD, etc. It makes me happy to surprise someone. I love the theme behind this one. There's no reason why you couldn't do this any time of year, of course, but I do agree that Spring is particularly appropriate, especially when you live someplace with a long, wet, cold Spring like I do.

Black Bean Burgers

*Image from Southern Living

I like black bean burgers, but I am not a fan of the frozen packaged ones. At least the ones I've tried. They end up tasting like hockey pucks to me. Dry and spicy to cover up the lack of flavor. I'd like to come up with healthier options for items to put on the grill this summer, and there has to be a good recipe for black bean burgers out there. Do any of you have one? Any recommendations?

Etsy Pick: {jig.}

*Images from jig.'s Etsy Shop

Another Etsy shop that offers really cute items that would be perfect for a baby gift. Adorable handmade onesies, tees, and other cute things. It is so easy to get bored with all the usual baby designs and colors, especially for boys - it is refreshing to see cool and fun prints. I also love that they are handmade and not too expensive. The wooden boxes they are packaged in makes a lovely touch. Check them out!

More Kitchen Love

*Image via Desire to Inspire

When I get a new kitchen, I will vow to always keep my cake stand out on the counter, filled with a yummy cake.

Aunts, Neighbors, and Lemonade

*I tried to convince Amber to move in with us, but that didn't seem to work for her. Darnit!

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. Aaron loves his Aunt Amber. We spent last week together, and the first thing Aaron said every morning was, "Where's Amber?" Both of his aunts were so helpful, entertaining the boy and giving his mom a rest every now and then. It was great.

2. We have wonderful neighbors. After being away for a week and coming home to a dirty house and an empty fridge, it was such a welcome surprise to have our neighbors show up with a complete dinner for us. And it was yummy too! Aaron even ate a bunch, which is high praise. So so nice.

3. The new cafeteria has fresh watermelon lemonade, and the lady in the next row over has her candy jar filled with tootsie rolls.

Dave Matthews Band

I love the Dave Matthews Band. I first saw them at a college frat party in Virginia when I was in high school. I liked them then. I continued to enjoy them through college, when they hit the big time. And I still love them now. They are still making great music. Part of the reason why I love them is that they are a fabulous live band. They obviously love making music together and playing in front of crowds.

In case you don't know, they have a new album out. Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. It's getting good reviews, although obviously those don't mean much. The songs I've heard so far are very good, though, and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with the album. (Oooh, I feel a music splurge coming on soon!) In the meantime, enjoy this video from their appearance on The Today Show last week.

If You're Headed to the Video Store...

I am so behind on movies. It's sad. I haven't even rented many movies this year, because my husband and I can't seem to stay up late enough to watch them!

However, we have managed to watch a few lately. I thought I'd share some opinions. We watched Doubt, which was good and well-acted, but not amazing, at least to me - perhaps it was the subject matter. We watched Taken, which was entertaining, but that's the highest praise I could give it.

We watched Valkyrie, which was actually a lot better than I expected it to be. The fact that it was based on a true story made it interesting, although it just seemed very wrong for it not to be made in German.

Last week, being home alone, I decided to rent Milk. It was very good, and I'd definitely recommend it. Inspiring and very well-acted.

With baby #2 coming very soon, I may not get to watch many movies again for a while, but if you happen to rent something you really enjoyed, let me know.

Quote of the Day

"Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos."

—Don Kardong

*Image from Haagen-Dazs.com

(I tried this pineapple coconut ice cream for the first time this weekend. It is beyond yummy! It makes you feel like you're on vacation on a sunny warm beach. Mmmmmm.)

Be Back Soon!

Sorry I've been MIA over the past week. Things come up and life happens, ya know? (No, no baby yet!) I was out of town for the week, but I'm back now. I am working on catching up soon, so I'll get back to my regular posting as quickly as possible.

100 Best Movie Lines in 200 Seconds

This is a fun video. Tons of great movie lines from tons of great movies.

I think we should come up with a list of the worst movie lines, too, though. K and I were talking about this the other day. My pick for worst ever: "Is it raining? I hadn't noticed." From Four Weddings and a Funeral.