Disney In January

We have a confession.  We get antsy for a "Disney Fix" about every 6 months.  So when TT graduated in December, it was only natural to celebrate in Disneyland.  We picked a few days in January and escaped to the happiest place on earth.  There was a little bit of drama making it to California, after we had boarded two separate planes and eventually de-planed them, we were able to make last minute arrangements on our final try.  Once we made it, everything was awesome.  I devoured lots of pickles, Thayne enjoyed a Pineapple Dole Whip or two, and we dedicated some serious time to mastering Midway Mania and Astro Blasters scores.  We were lucky enough to be in Cali the same time my sister and her fam were, which meant I could enjoy a few snacks and rides with the most loyal Disney fans around.  

We booked the trip right after we found out we were pregnant, and I looked forward to refraining from rides and instead taking my camera out to enjoy some time to capture the details that make Disney, well, Disney!

Little miss Minnie.  Oh the details!

 Tomorrow Land.  Home of TT's high score at Astro Blasters. For the record 1,200,000.

 I'm going to go ahead and say Worlds Best Corn Dog. 

 The darling shops on Main Street never get old.  Especially the candy one.

 Why is Mr. Toad's Wild ride ALWAYS crowded?  I don't get it.

 Storybook Land.

 I hate this ride, but I'll ride it with my nieces because they love it so much.

So much Disney magic happening at all hours of the day.
Walt and Mickey.

I got some really good grapes from this Market, while TT rode Indiana Jones for both of us.

Directly below this sign is one of my favorite little shops in Disney.  Usually where my dad scoops us up a hoody or two!

Donald.  Apparently he doesn't show himself as much as the other characters do.  So when you see him, you take advantage!

 Our view from the Ferris Wheel.  Our stomachs felt slightly off on this ride.

 Playing games along the Pier in California Adventure.

And a few snapshots from the trusty iPhone:

 Headed to breakfast with the characters at Carnation Cafe.

 A first for us:  We rode the Disney Ferris Wheel in California Adventure.  It was high.  We were scared.

 I had a pickle everyday.  I looked forward to them everyday.

We also spent some time (and money) playing the fun boardwalk games.  We came away with a few prizes for our little babe.

We love you Disney!

I Paint My Nails.

 Gelish- Midnight Caller w/ Crown Jewels, and Gelish- Bella's Vampire w/ Crown Jewels

Gelish Neon Yellow

Gelish - A Petal For Your Thoughts w/ Gold Glitter on top.  I call them Fire Nails.

I'm on a nail kick.  I love painting my nails.  And I the whole gel nail thing is really trendy, and so I guess I am too, because that's what these are.  I want every Gelish color Gelish offers.  Painting my nails has turned into a relaxing activity.  And sadly I love peeling them off probably more than I love painting them!  Someone teach me how to manage my cuticles.  They need help.

Life is always better with cookies.

 I've been on a cookie kick lately.  Cookies are dangerous around here.  I can't be trusted with more than a few.  I found a delicious recipe for browned butter chocolate chip cookies and decided to give them a try.  Who doesn't love browned butter? 

Ultra Delicious Brown Butter Oat Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (maybe a little more if you're in a high altitude)

3/4 cups rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (I used less than 1/2 a teaspoon)

1 cup chocolate chips

Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes.  I love a gooey gooey cookie.

In a saucepan melt the butter until brown.  I was watching mine and noticed it kind of went from yellow to a green and eventually to brown and there are some bubbles.  As it turns brown, you can remove it from the heat but still continue to stir for about a minute.   Put the butter aside and let it cool.  I am impatient and put the butter in the fridge trying to get it to cool faster.  

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and mix in the oats.  With the cooled butter mix the sugars, egg, vanilla, and add to dry mix.  One of the most frustrating parts of baking in my own experience is when dough seems too dry.  You can add some milk to help it come together, although a little goes a long way! Mix in the chocolate and have some chips for yourself.

wee ones

Last weekend we went to a baby shower for our good friends.  The invite requested that everyone bring a baby picture of themselves for a game, so we dug up these baby pictures (and a lot more!).  I can't wait to sift through the rest, and scan them in to keep digital copies.  I feel like I just added a new photo/scan/storage project on my list of things I'd like to get to. How nice would it be to have all our old photos on a hard drive?  I'm just thinking out loud.

 Here I am hanging out at Grandma D's house. 

And here's TT sitting on Grandpa Marloe's lap... I mean Santa's lap.  

I can't stop looking at all of Thayne's baby photos and school pictures.  He is a total stud from day one.

clothes for baby

I think it's a little obvious we're excited for baby boy to come in August.  I love coming home to little packages and new baby additions to the house.  I've done a little shopping, and Thayne's done a little shopping.  Can you tell who picked what ;) ?

The 2nd Trimester!

We're pregnant!  This last week we announced to friends that we're expecting!  It would've been a challenge for us to keep this secret much longer because I already have a very obvious bump!  I chalk it up to my super short torso.  I've had a love hate relationship with my torso for some time, but at least I have one!  Apparently our baby has nowhere to hide anymore.  I love looking down and seeing a little baby bump, because it reminds me this is real even though sometimes it seems too good to be true.  Tomorrow marks the start of my 14th week!

A little pregnancy update - up to this point:

Morning sickness is starting to subside- more like "middle of the night" sickness.  Although I never actually "ralphed", I sure felt like I might at times.

I have been so surprised at just how tired I feel.  I didn't workout for the first 11 weeks because I had no energy.  I had so little energy I didn't even care that I wasn't working out.  I have read so much and heard so much about feeling fatigued while pregs, but MAN!  I've been so so tired.   It hits me the strongest after I eat lunch, and it feels like someone punched me in the face.  The good news is I feel like my energy is coming back.  Yay!

I have cravings (I'm sitting here with a pint of Haagen Dazs Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough as we speak).  Thayne knows this better than anyone.  I have to be honest, I didn't really think pregnancy cravings were real, along with a lot of many other wonderful things that come with being pregnant.  BUT THEY ARE!  I crave pickles.  I've always loved pickles, but lately, I've been in love with pickles.  The other night we were on our way home from dinner and as we passed a grocery store, I told Thayne to hurry and turn in because I needed more pickles!  He came out of the store with a jar of crunch dills, and I know we'll need another jar in about a week.  Ahh pickles.  Other cravings include, Sonic Cranberry Slushes, burgers and fries, cheese, string cheese, cheese pizza, cheeseburgers, hotdog on a stick with cheddar cheese, and anything Cafe Rio with cheese.  At this point, I should just buy a block of Tillamook cheese and start nibbling on it.  There have been a few nights I have been laying in bed and looked over to Thayne with a request for something.  He's been so sweet and happily gotten up to get whatever it is I'm craving.  I'm hoping maybe I'll maybe start craving less fried food and the healthier options might start sounding good again.  Crossing my fingers! 

Sometimes it's hard to breath.  Shortness of breath is real when you're pregnant.  And I hear it only gets worse the bigger you get.  I've become that annoying person that all of the sudden decides they need big deep breaths every 20 seconds.  Again, this usually is after eating, but still it's an adjustment.

With everything pushing on everything else inside my tummy, my bladder appears to feel the most squished.  I used to drink diet coke in bed and didn't need to get up once during the night.  Now it seems it doesn't matter what I do, I'm guaranteed to get up three to four times a night.  This has been a wake up call, literally!  I can't complain, because at the end of the day I am grateful our little baby is growing.  It can take up as much space as he or she wants!  His/her comfort is more important than mine!

I've had a little bit of back pain.  I'm just going to chalk it up to having a weak back.  I know I need to focus on strengthening my core and my back muscles more.  It's always been a challenge for me.

I'm drinking less caffeine.   While I haven't completely cut out my beloved Diet Coke, I've made a conscious effort to cut back.  I've been surprised that Diet Coke doesn't really sound that good to me anyways.  Straight Coke is what sounds good.  I guess I'm looking to consume as , many calories as possible.  I'm learning to love water more and more, and I especially enjoy it with a fresh lemon.

There are lots of other little surprises pregnancy has brought so far.  Again, I am just happy and grateful.  We are already so in love with this little one.  Sometimes I try to think about what he or she will look like, or what their interests will be.  I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl!  I wonder if they'll take after their mom or their dad.  I hope as I continue to grow and as the baby does, our bond will become more and more real.  I look forward to feeling the baby move, and can't wait for Thayne to feel the babe.  I've thought about singing to our peach sized baby, but I'll be honest, that's hard for me, mostly because I am tone deaf.  I guess for now I'll continue rocking out to the radio to and from work, and maybe it can hear voice that way. 

I can't say enough how blessed we are and feel to be carrying a baby.  We can't wait to start growing our family, and look forward to summer 2013 with so much excitement!  Here's to baby T!

Baby Hilton

I absolutely loved hanging out with this little guy for a little bit while we snapped some newborn photos.  He is so alert, and so sweet!  It's obvious his parents are head over hills in love.  He's perfect.

On top of all his cuteness, his nursery is unbelievable.

Congrats Meg and Kurtis!