Passing the time...

As I am a day away from my duedate (and waiting not so patiently), I'm glad to say that I can finally cook in my kitchen!  So, I thought I would inaugurate my oven with a batch of peanut butter cookies.  I found the easiest recipe in my Paula Deen cookbook, "Kitchen Classics".  Now, as easy as this recipe is, keep in mind that it doesn't make a lot (18 cookies) which, in this instance, is perfect because I just wanted to bake, I didn't NEED to.  Here is the recipe:

Magical Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a large baking sheet.  In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, the egg and the vanilla.  Stir well with a spoon.  Roll the dough into ball the size of a walnut.  Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.  With a fork, press a crisscross design on each cookie.  Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle the cookie with a bit of the remaining sugar.  Cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Happy baking!

Been awhile...

My apologies for not blogging in 2 months...how embarrassing (if anyone actually even reads this!)  Things have been ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.  We're getting settled in Sonoma and I'm absolutely loving it.  It is wonderful to have a bigger space and the culture in Sonoma is perfect.  Small town, slow vibe and good friends. 
I've been off work for three weeks now.  How nice it is to get things done around the house.  I only wish I could be cooking and baking and prepping things for when baby arrives.  Although our kitchen is getting there (and should be done by next weekend)...it just doesn't seem to be going fast enough.  Besides the kitchen, we've (as in Joel and others) have gotten lots done. 
1.  We've taken down the popcorn ceilings, gotten them retextured and painted white. 
2.  All the rooms are painted. 
3.  Installed fans in the rooms
4.  Put in can lighting in all rooms
5.  Redid the wet bar-yes we have one
6.  Rebuilt the back fence and side gate
7.  Trimmed trees-although both yards need to be completely redesigned
8.  Prepped baby's room

Thus far with the kitchen:
The cabinets are looking great!  Tile floor is getting done this weekend a la the Green family and counters/sink get installed on Friday, June 3rd.  Then we will be done!  I'll feel like I can finally settle in with everything else.  Before and after pictures to come in a bit...

Baby news - 38 weeks
Baby is still head-down and as the nurse in labor and delivery stated yesterday (I was getting monitored with a non-stress test) that the head is VERY LOW.  Let me tell ya, I can feel that is low!
I'm thinking (and hoping) that this baby can come at any time.  Our bags are packed, camera batteries are charged and champagne is ready to be drunk.
Now that Kellie knows that she is due in October with a baby girl, I really want to meet our little one and find out who he/she is!  I can hardly stand it!

29 Weeks

We've been looking at this doplar image for about 12 weeks now!  This shows that the heart is pumping blood at the correct rate (amongst other things).

The nurse couldn't get over how much this babe moved.  She couldn't get a good shot!  I love how you can see the mouth and nose so well.

Some quick pics from today's ultrasound.  The anemia is completely gone and we have a healthy baby!

Nan's Bachelorette

We had such a great time in Scottsdale, AZ for Nan's bachelorette.  How times have changed us girls.  To think of the first bach party to this one-how tame we are (and married!)  We spent all day Friday laying out and soaking in the sun, then went to dinner at Bandera's.  Saturday was the Giants game and Oregano's for dinner-it was perfect! 

We've got 2 major life events going on here

Poly Dollies

Now THAT is a round tum-tum

even the baby's daddy was there for the game

are you sisters?

The entire wonderful crew to the perfect weekend.  Thanks girls!

27 Weeks

Sprout is growing...like a sprout!  It weighs 2.1 lbs. and is in the 44% in weight-which is not a bad thing at all.  Last week, I had another check for anemia in the baby and things are looking really great!  The fluid in the belly is minimal and they expect the baby to be back to "normal" baby status by next week!  Yea!  What a relief!  These pictures have been such a joy to us and it makes you realize that this blessing is truly resilient!  I love that we can see some fat on it's cheeks and it really does look like a baby!  Now if only I can get through this 3rd trimester (I'm already exhausted thinking about it!)  I'm so thankful that I'm finishing teaching on May 6th so that I can have the month to organize and accomplish.  I couldn't imagine finishing out the school year!  I'd roll over if I bent down to tie a shoe!

Sunny Saturday

After a VERY STRESSFUL week with paperwork not going our way with our new house, (we're closing a week later than expected), Joel and I had a weekend with little to do!  We were expecting to have the keys to our new house in Sonoma, but alas, it did not work out.  So we were in true "Sonoman" fashion and had a green weekend!  We started our Saturday out by attending the farmer's market and getting some produce for dinner and beautiful strawberries for dessert.  We then headed to the gym and had a great workout (as great as you can have 6.75 months pregnant).

We planted tomatoes, onion, peppers and ghourds, with seeds coming from the amazing Seed Bank in Petaluma.

Spent some time with Jessie who had a horrible (and pricey) bout of sickness.

...and enjoyed my favorite cocktail (mocktail for me) with Meyer Lemons.  We bought them at the F.M. but this is our first Meyer Lemon from our tree!  Keep growing!

My favorite cocktail:

1 oz. fresh meyer lemon juice

1 oz. simple syrup

2 oz. vodka

soda water

ice

***mix the first 3 ingredients in a shaker and pour over ice.  Add soda water as desired.  If you feel like getting fancier, add a little thyme or basil to the simple syrup when on the stove.

thankful

As I am in the thick of school, closing our house in Sonoma, trying to sell our Santa Rosa condo, a sick pooch and of course, pregnancy...I am getting T-I-R-E-D.  Big life events just keep happening!  It just seems I can't get enough sleep!  I wake up in the morning and my hips hurt from sleeping on my sides.  I suppose I can't complain too much, I only wake up on average once a night and am sleeping pretty well.  However, I just am having a hard time imagining this going on for 3 more months!  People who see me can't believe I'm not due until June!

As I complain, I realize how wonderful Joel is.  He has been so supportive in our very tough February and I couldn't imagine going through this without him.  Last night he read Goodnight Moon ABC to Sprout and I loved it.  What a lucky baby to have such a wonderful daddy!

A very exciting thing in the last month is that we found a church!  For years now we've admired St. Andrew Presbyterian when we drive by on Arnold Drive coming home through Sonoma.  It is the most beautiful white church on the outskirts of Sonoma.  We've now gone 2 times this month and have truly enjoyed it.  It's a bit sad that it took a horrible scare like Sprout to become Anemic to get us to go to church, but now we are hooked!  What an uplifting experience to begin your week!  We're so excited to be close to it once we move!