Ready for the Weekend

Poor Terry. Yesterday was a rough one. He sprained or strained his ankle on Monday evening, so he decided to stay home yesterday to be able to ice it and avoid walking too much at the office. Unfortunately, his work laptop went on the fritz, so he had to go into work anyway--except he drove in way later than usual and hit tons of traffic.

Sometimes, though, the universe is looking out for me. When Terry decided to stay home yesterday morning, I grabbed two loads of laundry and ran downstairs to get them started. All four washers were busy (at 7:45 in the morning?!). Good thing, though, because Terry left soon after and I would have been in a real pickle trying to run up and down three flights of stairs to do laundry with a ten-month-old! Thanks, Universe.

Backing up a bit, we met Daddy for lunch this week!

After lunch, Marshall and I stopped at the park for some swings, a walk, and to look at the ducks. These guys were fearless; they waddled right up to us! I assume they're used to getting food.

On his way home from work, my brother called while I was making dinner. He didn't agree that my meal qualified as a burger salad, but I don't know what else you'd call it. Lettuce, burger patty, avocado, cheese (added after the photo), and dressing. The dressing was from the restaurant where we went to lunch that day, a cilantro-lime something that I am pretty sure I need more of now.

The rest of this week seemed to move rather slowly, but at the same time it's a bit of a blur. I know there was a lot of hanging out with my little sidekick.

Don't try to tell him how to use a walker. He knows exactly what he's doing.

This photo requested by my dad, who wanted to see Marshall's new car seat.

This photo was not commissioned, but I think it could be worth something one day.

Today we went to the library! I borrowed two books a few weeks ago, enjoyed one (Goodnight June by Sarah Jio) and really couldn't get into the other (Le Divorce by Diane Johnson), even after ten chapters. So I returned both today and borrowed J.K. Rowling's The Cuckoo's Calling (written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith). I don't normally read crime novels, but I think Rowling is a fantastic writer, so I'm eager to see how this one goes. Terry is reading A Casual Vacancy by Rowling. 

The library has a little pay area for "young readers"--Marshall was more interested in the fun toys than the books!

In other adventures...

I found Trumer Pils at Costco! I was thrilled, and Scout felt pretty happy about it, too.

It's a million degrees here (well, high 80s), and Scout is miserable. He's not even running away (as fast) when Marshall crawls over to terrorize pet him. We will all be close behind him. Time to haul out the portable air conditioner again...

Tomorrow evening, after a swim lesson for a certain little boy and a basketball game for the Bruins, we're heading down to San Diego for a quick trip. Terry has to work early Saturday morning down there, so we figured we'd make it a little family trip.

Rainy Day WIAW

It's been a while since I've joined in the WIAW fun. Before I get to that, though, let's catch up.

On Monday, when it was still dry enough, Marshall and I ran a few errands and then took a little walk. He knows how to time it so that he falls asleep during the last lap I had planned, so then I end up walking another lap or two to give him a good nap. I told my friend Jenn that I think he's plotting to make me exercise more.

Speaking of which, it's been raining for two days, and I have really struggled to find the motivation to work out all week. Coincidence? No. Between the sun setting earlier and the cooler and rainier weather, it's hard to find time and energy to work out. But alas, we must, huh? Plus, it feels so much better to cozy up in PJs and comfy clothes at the end of the day if I've gotten some sort of exercise in earlier. So Monday (in addition to that 45-minute walk with my sidekick), we busted out a 12-minute workout after Marshall went to bed, and then today I did a super quick upper body thing while Terry worked. I'll share both with you tomorrow!

Anyway, I'm thrilled that this week is moving right along because I can't wait for the weekend. We have big plans to meet Santa and get our Christmas tree. Any time spent with my favorite guys is okay by me.

Oh, and this guy, too.

I've heard that cats will sit in a circle on the ground, but I've never gotten Scout to do it, and then yesterday I found him just hanging out on the Q on Marshall's play puzzle. So there you go.

Other adventures around here have been pretty mellow, because of the weather and because I'm trying to be sure we're home for Marshall to nap in his crib. Today we went to HomeGoods to buy some Christmas decorations for our mantle (success!), and we've gone to the grocery store more times this week than I care to discuss.

And now for that WIAW:

Breakfast: Sourdough toast with peanut butter and banana plus some pumpkin spice tea in a Christmas mug, which makes me so happy.

For lunch, leftover veggie fajitas (sweet potatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, and refried black beans) on a tortilla with some Greek yogurt as sour cream. Plus an apple and a cookie. :-) 

Since lunch was on the early side, I had a quick snack later. I made this frittata--I roasted the butternut squash and broccoli and then sauteed some greens on Monday, and threw it all in the cast iron pan with some eggs for a super quick breakfast on Tuesday. Now we have breakfasts for the rest of the week. Or, in this case, a snack. 

For dinner I made one of our new favorites: Kath's Nutty Noodles. I doubled the recipe so we'll have enough for tomorrow and maybe even a little extra for a lunch over the weekend.

I also sipped on some wine while these guys hung out together. Will my heart ever stop fluttering seeing them together? It just makes me melt to see Marshall look at his daddy.

And now it's 8:30. I have big plans for the night: a shower, some cookies, more wine, and While You Were Sleeping. I hope you're finding some time to relax, too!

Here are more WIAW posts from around the interwebs. :-) 

What was the best thing you ate today? I think mine was dinner. I love peanut sauce. 

What do you do to stay motivated to work out when it's dark early and/or rainy? 

Bay Area Summer Trip

Almost two weeks ago, we packed up and drove up to the Bay Area. It's strange to think we only made it up north once this year. Obviously, we had good reason, but usually we head up at least twice, and we've never missed hitting the delta. Next year we'll be able to bring our little one-year-old out on the boat, but for this trip we settled for family time, a celebration, and a very successful first road trip for the little guy.

We practically had to wake him up halfway there to feed him, and on the way home he slept five hours straight. 

We chose this particular weekend because two of our very close friends were having an engagement party!

Congratulations to Matt and Amy, an incredible couple with a beautiful future ahead. We're excited for the wedding...whenever it may be. :-)

The party was so fun and lovely, but it was certainly different from the old days. The party was at 3, and Marshall was cluster feeding, so I ended up feeding him twice while we were there. Normally I just feed him with a nursing cover wherever we are, but it ended up being easier to hang out in a bedroom with him. So I felt that my time celebrating the couple was a bit shorter than I would have liked, especially since we left fairly early (around 7) to put the little guy to bed. Add it to the list of changes that come with parenthood!

The rest of the weekend was busy, as well. We arrived early Friday morning (we decided to leave whenever Marshall woke up for his first feeding, which turned out to be 2:30 am, so we left at 4), and we hung out at home with my parents and waited for my brother and Ashley to arrive. Once they did, the dogs got to meet Marshall!

A scene of chaos: cleaning spit up off Marshall's face, trying to keep the dogs calm, and introducing furry friends to an infant)

My mom took me to a farm stand, which is a permanent farmers' market. Certainly I should be able to find one of these in LA, right? We used to go to one in my hometown, too, when I was young. I love the idea of supporting local farmers without having to wait for the weekend for a farmers' market!

Tons of fruits and vegetables, plus fresh pie!

My parents cooked a typical delicious meal--short ribs, corn, asparagus, and rice.

Hanging out with daddy

And on our way home we stopped to see two of our best friends, Brian and Winnie, so they could meet Marshall. Fun fact: Winnie went into labor that night! How crazy, right? Congratulations to the new parents of baby Keston! We couldn't be happier for you!

It was a great trip, but I'm already looking forward to a much longer stay next time. That 48-hour turnaround just doesn't work as well with an infant.

Also, I thought I'd share some fun I'm participating in this September:

• The Larabar #SimpleRealJoyful photo-a-day challenge on Instagram. Each day has a theme, and you post a photo that fits the theme (per your interpretation). My photo for "Simple" was:
  
  
  
• Gina's September Sweatfest Workout Calendar. I've been feeling SO much better (and more like myself) lately because we're finally getting more consistent in our workouts, so I'm going to use Gina's awesome calendar as motivation to make sure I'm more accountable. After that, I hope to be back to posting my own workouts again! 

Hope you're enjoying a great start to the short week!

Are you doing anything fun this month? Any goals or challenges? 

Out of Order

These photos shall appear in whatever order they downloaded from my phone. Enjoy, and forgive the random order.

Terry and I enjoyed these super easy open-faced sandwiches on Wednesday, perhaps. I grilled the eggplant and zucchini (tossed in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper), then toasted some bread and topped the toast with cream cheese and the veggies. So easy, but a nice way to get in some extra vegetables. I think I would have preferred burrata to the cream cheese, but it was still satisfying. 

Upon witnessing the little cat and the baby getting closer to each other than ever before, I created this little collage on PhotoGrid (my favorite collage-making app). My husband praised my humor, which, unfortunately for you and Facebook, only encourages me to make more.

Saturday night, Terry and I played Trivial Pursuit. I would say that the baby has totally changed us, but this is what we used to do on Saturday nights. The only thing different is that we have to be a little quieter when we get an answer right or wrong so we don't wake the little one.

 At some point (maybe Wednesday?) I made pancakes. I topped them with macadamia nuts and bananas. They were perfect.

Another day, I craved a hot dog, so we swung by Whole Foods and picked up some Applegate Farm hot dogs, plus premade potato salad and nectarine salad from the salad bar.

This weekend, Terry and Marshall (and Scout, if you look closely) defined relaxation.

On Friday night, Terry took me out for a birthday dinner! We brought Marshall along to the Hook & Plow and LOVED it. While a bit pricey, every item tasted incredibly fresh. The restaurant focuses on "farm to table" and "ocean to plate" foods, which I certainly appreciate. We loved the panko-crusted avocado for an appetizer, and I loved my crab cake appetizer (a special). Terry liked his halibut, but it was a bit dry. And Marshall did great!

Speaking of which, we're working on getting this little guy to nap in his crib a bit more.

But it can be terrifying. :-)

On Saturday, I redeemed a massage gift certificate (a gift from my parents from Christmas...oops), and it was wonderfully luxurious. I find myself hunching forward a lot when I nurse Marshall, and of course heaving a 15-pound baby up and down countless times each day doesn't feel incredible on my back and shoulders, so the massage really loosened me up. At least for the afternoon. 

Today was an awesome day. After a restful morning and laundry, we checked out a new farmers' market. Then we found a new park, thanks to the MOMS Club meeting I had the other day, which was fun! I barely got to chat with the other moms and meet their kids, but I'm looking forward to future events. Anyway, about this new park...

It's incredible! Oh, and it might overlook the ocean.

 We took a walk around the park (maybe 20 minutes, including a nice hill), then did a mini workout (guys, don't judge; I call this a workout because I'm still getting back in shape, and it was just enough after the walk):

• 10 squats
• 10 squat jumps
• 10 back lunges (each leg)
• 10 burpees
• 10 walking lunges (each leg)

Then we spread out a picnic, and I took a photo from Marshall's perspective.

On our way home, we stopped at Road Runner for shoes. It was my birthday gift from Terry! I've been in need of some nice cross training shoes (for, um, a few years), and I chose the Reebok Nano 2.0. I don't love the look (why are all workout shoes neon? And why do these ones say "CFit" on the sides?), but they feel fantastic and will get the job done. I'll share more once I've used them for a bit.

Tonight Terry grilled up some beer can chicken, corn, and zucchini for dinner. He made the entire meal on his own while I hung out with a slightly fussy Marshall. But dinner turned out to be delicious!

Another weekend over too quickly. Terry heads back to work tomorrow, and Marshall and I are looking forward to a week of new adventures!

What's something new you've done lately? I find us discovering something new almost every week in our new neighborhood. Especially with a newborn (I only get to say that for one more week!), I need new sights and experiences to keep me from getting a bit crazy.

Sick on a WIAW

This week has been a bit of a blur. I'm on Day Four of a pretty rough cold (body aches, runny nose, sore throat, cough, fatigue), but I'm hoping all the sleep, rest, and fluids I've gotten over the last few days will do the trick. Plus Scout has been helpful.

We got to see an ultrasound of the baby, but actually I started to feel woozy while on the table. I got all clammy and couldn't focus on the screen anymore, so I told the doctor I wasn't feeling well. Luckily, he said it was completely normal and simply told me to roll over to my left side.

Pregnant women are supposed to avoid lying on their backs because the increased size and weight of your abdomen can cause obstruction of the vena cava, a vein on the right/posterior side of the body. So my position on the table for even a few minutes was apparently enough to cause me to feel faint! Thankfully I'm totally better now, but it was similar to feelings I've had when I've donated platelets and plasma before.

I'm a little bummed because I wasn't able to focus all my attention on the baby, and we weren't able to snag a new picture of the ultrasound images. The next ultrasound isn't for eight more weeks, but at least we know all is well. I was concerned about my weight gain because I hadn't had much of an appetite lately, but my doctor is still very happy with my progress.

I've been feeling pretty awful all day, so tonight's WIAW will be a quick one. Still, I hope you had a great day of delicious eats!

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, bread (our toaster's shot), and chamomile

Snacks throughout the day: Homemade Lara bars, which I just made into bite-size pieces

Lunch: leftover beefy pasta

Snack: banana with peanut butter

Snack: Almonds

Dinner: sausage, cheese, and broccoli quiche with a sweet potato

Dessert: milk and more Lara bar bites!

Here's hoping for a healthy day tomorrow!



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