Bebe Shower

I am now at full-term! The baby weighs about 6 lbs and is over 20 inches long. I have been eating a lot of fresh fruits lately (tis the season). Bebe 'Pat' loves watermelon and twists and tumbles up a storm after I eat it. That's my bebe!

Last weekend was my bebe shower. It was a French themed tea shower and it was absolutely delightful! French macaroons, cupcakes, and finger sandwiches were served while guests sipped on pink lemonade. It was a wonderful afternoon spending time with friends and family.

Sunday morning while James was outside attacking the weeds, I was in the nursery putting everything away. Surprisingly, I found a place for everything and now the nursery is all organized and ready for Bebe 'Pat's' arrival! Once we get the paintings hung up, we will take some pictures of the nursery.

Found a great sale on Sunday... we bought a $3 diaper pail normally $25! Target was having a one-day sale and we got the last one! The refill diaper bags were also on sale for $3 a box so we took all 12 boxes and cleaned them out! I LOVE SALES!!

Only 20 days left... curious when Bebe Pat will decide to arrive. I am so excited!!



Thank you Deb & Sarah for the sweet diaper 'cake'!



Bonjour Bebe! We can't wait to meet you!



T-Minus 28 days...

We are officially less than a month away from our little bundle of joy coming into this world. I look at myself in the mirror and see my growing belly, I feel the baby moving around, and even see its kicks... but it's still really hard for me to believe we are going to be having a baby.

I am looking forward to having the summer months off... taking walks in the park and enjoying the summer season.

Baby 'Pat' is now about six pounds in weight and measures about 20 inches in length. Growth will slowdown this month in order to prepare for birth. The baby's systems are pretty mature, blood circulation has been perfected, and immune system has matured enough to protect Baby 'Pat' from infections outside the womb. Digestion will mature after birth since it has been relaying on the umbilical cord for nutrition these past eight months.

Next weeks blog will include some pictures of the new artwork for our anti-nursery nursery. It's all coming together!

Cute baby commercial: http://www.youtube.com/embed/pfxB5ut-KTs?rel=0
Funny tumblr page: http://daddy-newbie.tumblr.com/

35 Weeks... 35 Days to go

Baby 'Pat' is over 17 inches and weighs around 4.5 lbs. Not a lot of room in there, so the lil' one keeps shoving his/her foot in my belly. Physical development is mostly complete - so for the remaining weeks Baby 'Pat' will be putting on some weight. The uterine and abdominal walls stretch and thin, which causes more light to reach the womb and the baby will open and close his/her eyes in response.

Interesting article this week from BBC News. New parents in Finland get a box of baby essentials and the box that everything comes in doubles as a crib. It's an old tradition dating back to 1930 that gives all children an equal start in life. "The box is a symbol. A symbol of the idea of equality, and of the importance of children."

I realized my blog posts consist mostly of Baby 'Pat" and good food. I love food! Especially French food... James and I went to dinner at our favorite restaurant Baru 66 last week. Wini Moranville and Chef David teamed up again for "Springtime Chef and Bonne Femme Night". The evening meal was inspired by Wini's cookbook, "The BonneFemme Cookbook".

First Course

• Roasted Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with Seasonal Greens
• Vol-au-Vent (puff pastry) with Asparagus, seasonal greens, and vinaigrette's

Main Course

• Suprême of Chicken with Morel Sauce

Chef David came out to talk to us and was telling us that the mushrooms were called "ash morels". The morel's were grown in Washington state in a forest that was burnt down. The morels grow under the ash from the fire.

Cheese Course

• A soft brie paired with homemade strawberry jam
• Goats milk slightly melted rolled in ash
• A sweet cream cheese (almost tasted like a marscapone) rolled in fruits that were mulled in wine

The Chef came out and said he was going to give us a little something extra and brought us out a couple ounces of the blue cheese that was on the first course. Some blue cheeses are overpowering and very pungent... but this one was actually subtle and delicious.

Dessert

• Tart du Jour/Tart of the Day: French tarte au rhubarb
• Vacherin Glacé: Meringue with fresh fruit and ice cream

Six Weeks To Go...

Only six weeks to go and our life as we know it will be forever changed! But that's an adventure we are very excited to take. Week 34 the baby is about 4 pounds and gaining as much as 8 ounces a week and is almost 18 inches long. This weeks food comparison is a "butternut squash". That's much nicer than last weeks durian!

Good sleep is harder to come by these days... I am thinking I might have to call a friend and borrow a body pillow for the last 6 weeks. I will try and get some much needed sleep before this baby arrives.

Some interesting tidbits of the week...

• 1/3 of the amniotic fluid is replaced every hour.
• A century ago, the word "pregnancy" was hardly spoken in public. It was said a woman was in a "delicate condition".

We hosted our 2nd Annual Bacon Fest this weekend. We boycotted the Des Moines "Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival" last year because tickets were getting too pricey, there were too many people, and not enough food to go around. So last year we decided to have our own Bacon Fest. This year James and I teamed up with Chef Jason from Louie's Wine Dive and we held our private party at the restaurant. All our friends were asked to bring a "pork themed" side-dish. We had bacon mac & cheese, bacon cinnamon rolls, bacon ice cream, savory salami bread, bacon hummus, Korean pork, bacon wrapped lil smokies, chocolate bacon cupcakes, and bacon chocolate chip cookies. For the main dish, James and I ordered a 40 lb suckling pig from Sheeder Family Farms. Chef Jason rubbed the pig with a spicy seasoning and then stuffed it full of apples, sage, and thyme. We devoured every bite of the moist and spicy pork. There was no leftovers. It was a great afternoon!

Here's a picture of the delicious pig: http://jamessasek.tumblr.com/post/51517936065/the-pig

Don't compare my baby to a foul smelling fruit!

At week 33 the baby weighs about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds and measures about 17.2 to 18.7 inches. And the baby may grow up to a full inch this week. The ultrasound technician told James and I that our baby has long legs and long arms. So I already know I am going to have a tall baby. I read something interesting this morning... the reason the kicks and jabs feel so much stronger these days is because the amniotic fluid has maxed out (less fluid to cushion the blows).

The weekly baby newsletter told me that our baby is the size of a durian. We tried a durian once... it was foul smelling and had the consistency of a custard. Not a fan. I kinda feel bad for comparing our child to a durian.

This week the baby's skeleton is hardening. The bones in the skull won't entirely fuse until early adulthood. Speaking of brains... I have baby brain. I have been pretty clumsy lately. I even dropped my phone on the ground yesterday and shattered the screen. Oh joy!

Last night James and I went to the "Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo" ballet. It was phenomenal!!! It's an all male dance company who perform the full range of ballet and modern dance repertoire. "The comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance." What's impressive is these men will dance all parts typically performed by women and will even be up on point! During the night I forgot I was watching male dancers dance around on their toes...they were that good! Here's a video of the company:. It was a very enjoyable evening at the ballet!

8 Months - 32 Weeks

Wow... where has the time gone!? These past eight months have gone by pretty fast... I can't believe our lil' one will be here in eight weeks!

Baby Pat continues to grow and develop. Measuring about 15 inches long and weighs around 3 pounds. The wrinkles are disappearing and more fat continues to develop under the skin. It's getting cramped in there... I can feel stronger kicks and turns. The baby can also see in utero - discern between light and dark, and blinking and shutting eyes.

I am getting more sleepy through the day. Got me to thinking about how once the baby comes I am going to be a "walking zombie". Kinda freaks me out knowing that sleep will cease to exist once the baby comes. But it's nice knowing those first 6+ weeks I will spend at home will help to get the baby on a sleeping schedule and I will be able to function (a little) once I get back to work. Goodbye sleep... I will see you in a few more years!

We got the crib set up and the nursery organized. Now we just need the some beautiful artwork and bedding and we are all set! Pictures to come.

Mothers Day was spent at our house again this year. Each year we host brunch and invite our parents and siblings over. It was a great day spending time with our loved ones and daydreaming about the new addition that will be joining our family in eight weeks.

P.S. Now whenever I hear or see a Taco John's commercial, I think of the zombie apocalypse.

Magnificent Miami

Week 31 the baby measures about 16 inches long and weighs about four lbs. Since the baby is getting bigger, the tumbles and kicks are getting much stronger. Only nine weeks to go... eeekkk!!!

James and I spent a week in South Beach Miami for a babymoon/wedding anniversary. We enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine while Des Moines was getting a spring snowstorm. One of our favorite things to do while traveling is trying out the local cuisine. We try to get our hands on anything out of the ordinary. Here are a couple of our favorite meals during the trip...

Juvia is a trinity consisting of a French, Japanese and Peruvian cuisine. A foodies dream....
Appetizers

• Pork and Foie Croquette - pork confit, foie gras, panko, and pinapple
• Sauteed Foie Gras with grapes, pineapple mango chutney, and hazelnuts
• Unagi chocolate - causa, chocolate eel sauce

Main Course 

• Hawaiian Blue Prawns smoked on sugarcane with fried plantains
• Chilean seabass with sauteed eggplant and shaved cucumber

Dessert

• Key lime mousse, shortbread crumbles, and meringue fingers
• Dulce tropical was a trio of tropical chutney, coconut streusel, and exotic sorbet

Tongue and Cheek offered innovative and creative dishes...
Appetizers

• 100% pure Iberico de Bellota Ham
• Marinated olives in bay leaf, orange, and chilies
• Chicharrones of chicken skin, Japanese mustard, and Thai chili

Main Course

• Beef cheek burger, cheddar pimento cheese, sweet onions, and house-made brioche
• Crisp lamb belly, barbecued octopus, roasted eggplant, and romanesco

Side

• Poutine of braised brisket, cheddar and pastrami spiced fries

Dessert

• Matcha tea sponge cake, cardamom espuma, rasberry meringue, black tea gelee

You can't go to Miami and not eat at a Cuban restaurant. We noshed on Cuban sandwiches, pulled beef with gravy, rice, and plantains, and sipped Cuban espresso (aka cortadito).

I had some fresh squeezed Florida orange juice...my life was changed! I don't know what I have been drinking but the OJ down there was sweet and creamy. It was pure sunshine!

Pregnancy Dreams Revealed...

Dream 1 ~ I dreamt my belly was like a balloon and when the baby was stretching out the feet it was stretching my belly. I decided to pop my balloon belly and take the baby out to play with it. The baby had a lot of hair and big eyes (very cute baby). Then after awhile I realized I probably should not have done that and told the baby I need to put it back inside because it was not ready to come out yet and still had a couple months before we could play again.

Dream 2 ~ Dreamt of the zombie apocalypse. A group of us were learning what could kill a zombie. We used everything from ballpoint pens and pocket knives. We found an abandoned store and locked ourselves in. Somehow I was always the one having the lock the door because some idiot in our group would leave it unlocked. When I would run over to lock the door the zombie would be pushing against the door and grabbing my shoulder. We decided to out-smart the zombies and handed out bananas and coupons for free tacos at the Taco John's next door. The zombies took them from us and started to wander over to Taco John's to get their free taco! We figured out a way to get the zombies off our backs! (I should call Taco John's marketing department and get a commercial going...)