Secret Shame

I guess this won't be so secret after I post it for the world. We don't frequent buffets because Aaron thinks they are pretty disgusting. However, I have been DYING for a potato bar my entire pregnancy. I just didn't want to go to all the effort of creating one at home. So last month I was finally indulged...twice! The first time I went with my friends Rhiannon and Annie during the Priesthood session. The next time was a few weeks later for my birthday. It was delicious.

While I was there with Aaron, the family at the table next to us got into a big fight. The climax was the grandma telling her grandson, "I wish I wasn't your grandma." Good times that just reinforced Aaron's poor opinion of the GC. It's just part of it's charm! The problem is, I'd love to go back again, but Aaron says the only way he'll go is if I'm overdue. Evil.

Craving Chronicles: Strawberry Pie

As promised, here is a picture of the delicious strawberry pie I made a few weeks ago. I've made one more since then, but I wasn't too pleased with the recipie...and I ruined the crust. Since, this is a long weekend I believe I'll try this again and see if I can get it to be a little less jello-like.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons package strawberry flavored gelatin mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 quarts strawberries, hulled
1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, combine water, sugar and cornstarch. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the strawberry gelatin. Allow to cool slightly.

Arrange strawberries in the pie crusts with the tips pointing up. Pour gelatin mixture over, covering the berries.

* In this pie I actually did a cream cheese and powder sugar mix to put at the bottom of the crust so it wouldn't get soggy. It turned out alright, I'm still playing around with what could have made it better.

** You also can't eat this pie without whipped cream! Unless you have dairy allergies...or just don't like it. :)

Update

It's about time I updated this bad boy. Usually, I have posts mulling around in my head, but then I forget to actually post them. By the time I remember to post they feel like old news.

Things are going well right now. Baby F is still very content having me as his host. It's good to know that he's doing well. My fingers are crossed that he'll make a timely debut and not be fashionably late. We feel pretty prepared for his arrival...essentials have been purchased and we just finished our prenatal class. Here's me at 34 weeks.

Aaron has been really busy with work lately, which leaves me with a lot of time by myself. I'd like to say that I'm being really productive with that time, but I'm not. Right now I'm listening to "Showtune Saturday Night". Don't worry, I know that makes me a geek. I'm not allowed to exercise right now, so sometimes I get around that by going to "float" in the pool at the gym. Most of the time, however, I watch movies.

Last night I watched Lars and the Real Girl. It was very different than what I expected. The premise was what would happen if we treated episode of mental illness with compassion instead of shying away from those who suffer. Has anyone else seen this movie? What did you think? I'm still trying to form my thoughts on the subject.

20 Things I Love Right Now

1. That human pregnancy only lasts for ten months. Poor elephants have to suffer for twenty-two!
2. Chicken Curry...I admit that I've had some every day since last Thursday.
3. My Mando for coming down to have a Girl's Day!
4. Tulips are officially blooming everywhere. Hooray for spring.
5. Strawberries being abundant so I can continue to perfect my pie-making abilities...post coming soon!
6. The fact that I bought a Cinco De Mayo shirt from Old Navy and will be wearing it with pride on Monday...even if it doesn't fit correctly.
7. The idea of not having to do my hair for the next few weeks. Braided extensions are the best.
8. The fact that Aaron is excited about Baby F and is the one who pushes me to prepare for his arrival. He does most of the work...I sit in the rocking chair and oversee.
9. Reconnecting with old friends.
10. NPR
11. That I will not be at work for 3 months after the baby is born.
12. My one-hour prenatal massage tomorrow!!!!
13. Fruit slushes and frozen lemonade. I should just say Happy Hour at Sonic.
14. Aaron...He's a pretty good guy.
15. My heating pad
16. The Office and How I Met Your Mother.
17. Weekends
18. Reading blogs
19. The fact that I have finished most of the Thank You notes from my shower.
20. I only have ninety minutes left at work.

Favorite Things Around My House...for Wendy.

My favorite thing in the kitchen is... My mini food prep processor. That thing is amazing! Especially now that my nesting has translated into cooking.

My favorite thing in the bathroom is the toilet...We've become very good friends over the past seven months. I won't be sad to say good-bye once this baby is born.

My favorite thing in the bedroom is the heating pad. I would normally say my bed, but I've started to wish I had a king size mattress instead of a queen.

My favorite thing in the bedroom closet is my yoga pants. I would wear them everyday of the week if I could. Maybe I should talk to my supervisor about changing our dress code.

My favorite thing in the living room is the couch. I consider our couch set my first adult purchase...other than my car.

My favorite thing in the pantry is nothing. I really need to go grocery shopping, but usually food doesn't sound too appealing to me. I do like the fact that I've cleaned out some space to store non-food items.

My favorite thing in the "office" is that it's my bedroom. We have converted the office to the baby room. I sure do love our computer though...probably more than I should.

My favorite thing in the baby's room is the pictures that Aaron painted for the wall.

I'm tagging Janae, Alexis, and Helen.

Ode to Incompetent Ultrasound Techs

How we love planning our day around seeing the growing babe inside.

We love taking time off from work to wait in the waiting room for thirty minutes before being ushered in.

And who doesn't love cold KY Jelly all over the tum-tum?

And the tact of the technician to say, "I can't find its brain, I will be back" as the door is slamming behind her.

Oh, how we love incompetent ultrasound techs.

Who can forget the classic gender percentages for the naughty bits?

65-70% sure it's a boy at 16 weeks.

85-95% sure it's a girl..."look a textbook shot" at 25 weeks.

And at 30 weeks..."They told you it was a girl (pause) oh yeah I see it, but the clitoris is enlarged and the vagina swollen."

Enter in, the second opinion (at week 30; and the lady who needed to find the brain)...

"How could you tell them it's a girl (pause) that's a penis, no questions asked."

So which incompetent ultrasound tech is right? 

Or are they all wrong together?

You be the judge, because the one who told it about "the clitoris being enlarged and the vagina swollen" tried to lie to us "to not ruin our weekend"

I don't know about anyone else here, but I would rather have a hectic weekend while the baby is still in the oven rather than out months later.

But that's my opinion incompetent ultrasound technician.

No that is not its cranium.

But That is...welcome to earth (well almost) Finnley Patrick, or maybe he's an Abrham Joseph...only time can tell.

A Blast from the Past

Confession: The first concert that I went to was New Kids on the Block. I was in the fifth grade and desperately in love with Joey MacIntire. My parents scrounged up a ticket for me to go to the sold out event, only to have me hate them inexplicably two weeks later. I'm not sure what happened, but everyone else hated them so I went with the crowd. There's no amount of groveling that can make up for the betrayal of my Joey.

Over the years I've kept track of the whereabouts of the New Kids. I admit to skipping a class in college to watch Joey and Jordan's TRL music video debut. One of the top reasons I watched and loved Band of Brothers is because of Donnie and his, now receding, hairline. Jonathan and Danny basically faded into boy-band obscurity. I even braved Dancing with the Stars while Joey was a contestant. My friend Sandy and I were ESTATIC to find out that when we saw Wicked in New York Joey was male lead. After the show the cast held a charity auction. Several audience members pooled their money together and for 5,000 Joey did a NKOTB dance. It's probably bad manners, but I cheered like an eleven year-old girl back at the Marriott Center.

Needless to say I'm excited about their reunion. Aaron thinks it's silly, but I told him that if they tour anywhere in this region I am going to be in attendance. Here's a look at the boys then and now.