Merry Christmas!

I got the white Christmas that I wished for... but maybe wished a little too hard because we also got a lot of Christmas ice. A road trip that usually takes us two hours took us three. The Christmas holiday was spent visiting family, filled with lots of laughter and many memories.

This time next year we will have a little baby to cuddle with. It's amazing what a year can bring. This week Baby Sasek is 12 weeks old. Almost all the systems are fully formed and the baby is shifting into the growth and maturation stage. What I find interesting is if I were to apply pressure to my abdomen, the baby would squirm in response. Too cool!

Next month is going to be spent preparing for the baby. We will start construction on some areas of the house and get ready for Baby Sasek's arrival. Lot's to do in the coming months!

Awaiting Baby Sasek's Arrival

In August 2010, James and I decided we wanted to start a family. After many months of tests, prayers, and waiting... we finally got a positive test back on November 2, 2012! Our life as we know it was about to change forever but we were ready for the journey to begin on July 10, 2013!

It's fascinating how fast a baby grows each week and its fun to have a comparison to a fruit or veggie. I am at 11 weeks and the baby is the size of a lime (1.6 inches, .25 ounces). We visited the doctor last week and we heard the heartbeat...188! The baby is active!

My belly is starting to get a little full. I think I need to get some new pants soon. My dear sister bought me some awesome leggings the other day. I am either going to wear them all the time or get some other colors soon. I am getting more energy these days and not falling asleep on the couch at 6 PM each night. I am blessed I did not have many days of morning sickness. If I haven't eaten anything in a few hours, my stomach will get a little upset. But as long as I eat snacks through the day, I feel great!

I need to start a project plan soon to keep track of all the things that need to be taken care of before July. We had a project plan for our wedding and I still get made fun of... the project manager in me can't turn it off I swear!

Pounds of Bacon

Ahhh bacon… such a glorious piece of meat!

How do bacon lovers celebrate this delicious salty goodness? By having a Bacon Fest of course! The 5^th annual Bacon Festival was held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and 4000 bacon lovers stood in line to try these creative bacon concoctions…

• Bacon Gelato. This was good. Subtle bacon and salt flavor.
• Bacon Etouffee. Great way to kick of Mardi Gras. It had a great favor of onions, green peppers, bacon, and salty goodness.
• Elvis Pizza (peanut butter, bananas, and crispy bacon). This was my favorite of the day. I loved the combination of the sweet bananas and salty bacon.
• Dark Chocolate covered bacon strip. The dark chocolate actually over-powered the bacon. I don't think using such good chocolate with bacon was necessary. Chocolate and bacon is actually a great combination.  
• Blue cheese, bacon crumbles, drizzled with honey. I love honey drizzled over a strong blue cheese. Then you go and sprinkle on smoked bacon... pure joy!
• Bacon, caramelized purple onion, and cheese quesadilla. For as simple as this dish was, it was very good. This was another favorite of the day.
• Pork loin and smoked bacon crumbs. Hallelujah! The pork loin was pounded flat, than topped with a handful of smoked bacon crumbs, rolled up like a swiss roll and then cut into a patty and placed on a bun. This was worth standing in line for 15 minutes.... twice.
• Bacon, peanut butter mousse bar. This tiny bite sized treat was very rich. It had more of a peanut butter flavor than bacon.
• Bacon Mexican style meatballs. These had a nice bacon gravy. Good home-style meatball.
• Bacon and onion cream cheese on onion ciabatta bread. This would be a great appetizer. I actually enjoyed the bread more.

Of course there were companies just frying up strips of bacon and I tried over a half dozen different types of bacon. 

All in all, it was a good day being with close friends and eating pounds of bacon. Ohhhh BACON!