blueSky

I'm back....(I think)

2010-08-24T22:01:00.004-04:00

Since Greyson' s birth I've deliberated over how and where to blog and post photos. There are so many options and I haven't been sure that Blogspot was the best place for everything I was looking for. However, just as I was about to close this blog, I started looking back at all the posts I made over the last year and realized I wasn't ready to let them all go. So, for now, I'm going to keep this site and continue with our family Shutterfly website for sharing more photos and videos of our sweet little Baby G. The Shuttefly website allows us to share a lot of photos of Greyson as he grows and changes all the time, and also allows people to order prints for super cheap directly from the site. I'll keep this Blogspot site as my own personal playground of randomness (and of course, a lot of Greyson-ness). :-)

One caveat...I've decided to password protect this site. I'm a mother hen that feels very protective of my little chick. :-) If you'd like to continue reading this site, send me an email to let me know you'd like to be added to the list.

39 weeks!!

2010-03-04T10:24:00.009-05:00

We're at 39 weeks....HORRAY!!!! I'm feeling really well. The baby has dropped continually lower and feels much heavier now. I'm honestly not feeling miserable or terribly uncomfortable like I hear a lot of women say they felt at this point. We're just super excited and anxious to meet our sweet baby. Every morning we wake up and wonder "is today THE day"? We're trying to be patient, but it's just so exciting!

I'm still doing yoga every morning at 4 am and swimming at least 3 times a week. By 4 am my hips and joints hurt too much to stay in bed, and I've found that if I just get up and do yoga for 30 minutes, I'm usually able to lay back down and sleep for another couple of hours. Swimming is AMAZING!! The weightless feeling in the water feels incredible and allows me to move in ways I otherwise can't. I can't get enough of it. I swim laps and do a lot of stretching in the water. After my laps, I swim on my back and focus on my breathing. I try to meditate and imagine the baby floating along with me in his or her own little water bubble. It's so relaxing and the only time I get to be on my back. My swimming suit is black and white, so I probably look like a big whale when I'm floating on my back, but I don't care. It's completely worth it! :-)

I'm still working and will continue to do so up until the end. I fortunately have my own office and am sitting most of the day behind a desk. Besides that, I work in a hospital and they could just wheel me upstairs if they had to. Each morning my co-workers wait with anticipation to see if I'll arrive to work. When I open the door, I get a big "Heeeyy! You're here!" I usually have the door to my office open throughout the day, and people pop their heads in frequently throughout the day to see if I'm there. If they don't find me, they've learned that I'm probably visiting my second office...the restroom. My office is at the end of a long hallway and the restroom is at the opposite end. I think I've worn a path in the flooring going between the two so often! It's really nice that my co-workers are so excited about the baby too, and I really appreciate all their support and concern. I can't hardly step outside my office without getting a high-five, thumbs-up, an "alright!", or a big smile from someone. This baby is very popular already!

Today I'm really feeling like the baby's birthday is right around the corner....I hope it's not just wishful thinking. We're ready when you are baby!

39 weeks + 1 day

38 weeks + 6 days

blizzard 2010 & nesting

2010-02-07T19:08:00.012-05:00

We've just experienced the Blizzard of 2010 and got wholloped wi

th 27" of snow!! I've never experienced so much! Unlike our December '09 snow storm, this one was much more wet and dense. The trees are weighed down and unfortunately a lot of trees and power lines have fallen. We're fortunate that our power has remained on. The trees that haven't fallen are really beautiful and it looks like a true winter wonderland outside. We went for a nice long walk yesterday- it was such a pretty day with gorgeous blue skies. The streets were quiet and calm other than the sounds of neighbors chatting and shoveling. It's kind of refreshing to see everything come to a halt in the city, people being forced to slow down and spend time at home. It wouldn't be very cool though if the baby decided to come early and we couldn't get to the hospital, but thankfully the baby seems to understand that it's not quite time yet. :-)

Yesterday Eddie unburied the truck and it's in prime quick-access location, just in case we need it. The National Weather Service has issued another winter storm warning that is expected to begin tomorrow around noon and dump an additional 8-10" on the area. It will be really interesting to see what happens if we get that much more snow. If we get just 1/2" more snow this winter, it will be the second snowiest winter in DC's history.

I've enjoyed being home the last couple of days and I didn't have to go to work today- horray!! It's given me ample time to finish up my baby sewing projects. I've made girl and boy things to cover the bases: minky blankets, receiving blankets, burp clothes, diapee & wipee holders, and appliqued onesies. It's been so fun!

My good friends Maria and Rachael hosted a baby shower for me a couple weeks ago and it really lovely- thanks guys! I had a great time catching up with friends and we received so many adorable and much-needed baby gifts. It's all very, very appreciated! I've been doing laundry today, washing up all the baby's things and putting them away. Eddie is working from home and carried the laundry for me. It was surreal seeing the baby things coming in and out of the washer and dryer, knowing that they belong to OUR little one. Just 4 weeks to go....wow, it's going fast.!!!

I'm feeling good, but BIG! Here's a picture of me from 34 weeks. I'm already a lot bigger than this picture...seriously! I'll have to post another picture soon.

blizzard of 2009

2009-12-20T17:30:00.004-05:00

Usually when the forecast calls for inclement weather in DC, it rarely amounts to much. I admit that I was skeptical when I heard the weekend forecast calling for a massive snow storm. "Yeah right", I thought to myself. "I'll believe it when I see it". Much to my delighted surprise, it really happened. We got 16.5" of snow this weekend in DC!!! Whoo-hooo!! We very rarely get snow that covers the ground in DC and to have this much at Christmas-time is awesome! Waking up to a white winter wonderland on Saturday morning was like a Christmas miracle. I heard on the news that DC hasn't had a white Christmas in 20 years and this was the 6th biggest snow storm in DC's history.

My dad and his girlfriend Lori were in town visiting us this weekend and thankfully made it in Friday before the snow hit. The snow changed our plans for the weekend a bit, but we made our own fun and still had a great weekend. Friday night we visited the National Christmas Tree and saw the White House. The tree is really beautiful and we had fun looking at all the little state trees with their personalized ornaments.

Saturday, Eddie had a killer idea for some snow fun with his snowboard and we all had a blast playing in the snow....check out the video below. We're buffing up on our video skills for Baby G. I have a feeling Baby G is going to be starring in A LOT of movies!

turkey day & 26 weeks

2009-12-03T19:50:00.008-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend in North Carolina with Eddie's family. A lot of food and a lot of laughs- how could it not be fun?! My birthday fell on Thanksgiving Day this year which doesn't happen too often and it was fun to just be together with everyone. I introduced noodles to the NC family and I think they turned out to be a hit! Having homemade noodles at Thanksgiving and Christmas is a long-standing tradition in my family and it just doesn't seem like the holidays to me without them. I have a lot of great memories of making the dough, rolling, cutting, drying, and cooking the noodles together with my mom and grandmas. It was fun to share the tradition with my new family.

Saturday was really beautiful and a bunch of us headed to the park for a nice walk, geocaching, and playing on the playground. Cute picture of the girls and Edward.

Things are going well on the baby front. We had another ultrasound a couple weeks ago so they could finish up what they weren't able to see the first time. Everything looked great and Baby G is developing just as expected. Horray! It was amazing to see how much baby had grown in the 3 weeks since the previous ultrasound! At our 21 week ultrasound the baby weighed less than a pound, and at 24 weeks the baby weighed 1 lb. 9 oz! Grow baby, grow! And we again stuck with our decision to not find out the gender. :-)

We're now 26 weeks 1 day. Here's a pic of baby this week, courtesy of Baby Center:

and here's a pic of me at 26 weeks...

thankful

2009-11-19T19:31:00.006-05:00

It's hard to believe that we're already 24 weeks along in the pregnancy, which means only 16 weeks to go! How exciting!! I'm still feeling great, except for a few minor things. My feet have really started to hurt- maybe it's the extra weight I'm carrying around? I've been feeling very energetic for the most part and really pretty normal, other than the obvious. The baby is growing bigger every day and so am I. The bump is really obvious now and I love it!

The radiologists' report from our ultrasound was good and baby's doing A-okay in there and we're so thankful. Everything was normal and baby was right on target with what they expected. They weren't able to see quite everything they wanted because of the baby's position, so we're going back tomorrow for another ultrasound so they can be thorough and finish up. I'm so excited to see the baby again and how much he or she has changed in 2 weeks!!

Eddie has been super busy working to open another store in Florida. He's been in Miami for the past 10 days and comes home this evening. It sounds like the weather was really nice there, but unfortunately he didn't have any down-time to enjoy it. His hotel was a block from the beach and he wasn't ever able to step foot in the sand...poor guy! Can't wait to see him tonight!

We're really excited for Thanksgiving next week and looking forward to seeing family in NC. Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. I love Christmas too, but I love Thanksgiving for it's focus on delicious food, being thankful for our blessings, and just enjoying the opportunity to spend time with friends and family without the focus of gifts. This year, as always, we have so much to be thankful for!

24 weeks 1 day

21 week ultrasound!

2009-11-01T18:46:00.004-05:00

We had our 21 week ultrasound Friday, the 30th. Seeing Baby Garrett's little toes, legs, arms, fingers, nose, heart, etc. was incredible! I go back this week to hear the full report on the radiologist's readings from the ultrasound. We were very tempted but didn't peek at the baby's sex. We're looking forward to the big surprise at birth!

Eddie hates having his picture taken and prior to the ultrasound we were joking that the baby would probably take after him and try hiding from us....and it did! The baby was laying head down, face down and was laying with one arm beside the head and the other arm in front of the face. The technician was fortunately able to see everything she needed and we did end up with a pretty good profile shot, despite the baby's best efforts to hide. :-) It was wonderful to see how much the baby has grown and I feel so privileged to have this special little life growing inside of me. It's just so amazing and wonderful.

the great expansion!!

2009-10-10T08:41:00.010-04:00

I've been absent from the blogosphere for awhile and the main reason has been that I've been preoccupied with...........growing our baby!!!!!!! Baby Garrett is due sometime around March 10 and we're so excited to meet him or her!!!

This week we're 18 weeks and 3 days along and doing very well. I was very fortunate to have thwarted off morning sickness in the first trimester and really have felt great so far. I'm now sporting a sweet little baby bump (yeah!!) and started feeling the baby move around week 17. Feeling the baby move is the greatest hi-lite of my life right now. It's amazing to think about there being a little person growing and stretching inside of me. What an amazing, wonderful miracle!

And I LOVE my baby bump! I love to rub my baby-Buddha bump and talk to it. Someone at work stopped me in the hall this week and said, "Oh my gosh, you're pregnant!" I was really excited to confirm her suspicion and to know that the pregnancy is obvious enough now that people can really tell I'm pregnant and not just gaining weight. It really popped into a bump during week 17. Each morning when I wake up I can notice that it's grown a little bigger from the previous morning, no joke! Baby has been undergoing a growth spurt in the last 2 weeks.

During my 16 week check-up I got to hear Baby G's heartbeat and it made me melt! Baby's heartbeat was a strong and healthy 150 bpm. My doctor said everything was perfect and we're right on schedule. During my 12 week appointment I saw the baby on an ultrasound and was amazed to see Baby do a somersault and wiggle his or her right hand and fingers at me!! I was squealing with delight and did not want my doctor to turn the ultrasound off! We go for our big ultrasound on October 30! We can't wait to see our little baby's face, fingers, toes....but we're not going to peek at Baby G's privates. We've decided to NOT find out the baby's sex and wait for the BIG surprise at delivery.

So far I've gained about 8 pounds, which is right on target. My doctor said she likes to see women gain about 10 pounds by Week 20. For a women starting at a normal healthy weight it is recommended she gain around 25-35 pounds total. You know that old saying, "I'm eating for two?" Unfortunately, it's complete crap! Women only need about 300 extra calories a day to support the growing fetus. That's the equivalent of a snack of an apple with a couple tablespoons of peanut butter, or a piece of cheese with a handful of crackers. I set a goal (long before I was ever pregnant) to be as healthy and fit as possible during pregnancy. I really try hard to eat very nutritiously and am maintaining my workout habits. I still walk to work, take my lunch, and workout on my lunch-hour every day. I feel great! My doctor agreed that getting at least 30 minutes of physical exercise on most days supports a healthy pregnancy and delivery. I'm hoping to keep it up all the way to the end.

I've been researching baby gear to the point that it's making me crazy! Learning about baby gear is like taking your first class in a new subject you've never studied and learning the new language. I'm so thankful to have so many friends who are currently pregnant or recently just had a baby. It's very helpful to be able to discuss not only the pregnancy, but all my gear questions with them. Currently I'm obsessed with researching strollers and car seats, two of the most important objects we'll buy for the baby. The dialogue with my friends has changed considerably during the past weeks as my topic of interest has shifted. I call them now and ask things like "so what's your opionion of the Chicco KeyFit 32 compared to the new Britax Chaperone...or tell me what you know about the safety ratings for the Britax and it's side-impact compression features". :-). There are SO MANY options! I'm getting it narrowed down now and today I'm hoping to go to Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby and check out my final contenders more in person. It's so much fun planning for our baby's arrival!

This week Baby G is about the size of a bell pepper. Here's a picture of what Baby G looks like right now and a link to the full article from Baby Center on what Baby G's doing this week:

Credits: photo from Baby Center

looking forward to fall

2009-08-31T19:43:00.005-04:00

Summer is winding down and I'm excited for Fall. I love Fall! Today was the first cool day we've had without humidity and I think it was a fluke, but I really savored it. I walked to work this morning, took a walk at lunch, and walked home from work- so nice. Students are back in school and it reminds me of the excitement of those first school days, fresh school supplies, new clothes, so fun! Here's what I'm looking forward to this fall. What are you looking forward to?

Fall goodness...

crisp, cool sunny days
beautiful sunsets
apple picking, apple pie, apple butter, cider
pumpkins, pumpkin pie
leaves changing
colorful mums
tourists leaving the city and enjoying the mall and museums again
soups! I can't wait to make a lot of yummy stews and soups.
squash from the farmer's market
the smell of firewood burning
Halloween and seeing the cute kiddo costumes
Thanksgiving

fun in the midwest

2009-07-22T19:42:00.010-04:00

I'm a bad blogger...almost a month since my last one. Sorry about that! I'll make up for it with a good post about our trip back home.

We visited family and friends in Iowa and Missouri over the fourth of July holiday weekend and had a blast. We really fit a lot in and a lot of people. We spent the night with each of my 3 grandmas while home and that was a real treat for us all. Terrific food, great stories, photos, and laughs- it was perfect! You're never too big to spend the night with Grandma!

Spending time with my dad in Iowa was wonderful and we enjoyed trap shooting with him. I was a little nervous but Dad was a good teacher and I actually hit several targets. Eddie was awesome, of course, and loved it. And Dad and Lori, well they're in a league of their own- the professional league, really! We really enjoyed just sitting and talking together. Iowa is really quite beautiful in the summer with its' flowing green corn fields and bright blue skies. And the weather was perfect and pleasant!

Dad and Eddie shooting trap

New lil' babies near us...aren't they cute?!

We had a really great time with my mom, step-dad and brother Traivs. The morning of the 4th we went to a little nearby town, Hurdland, to watch the big parade. Unfortunately is was raining but we couldn't miss the parade since Travis was riding his horse in the parade. We found a good parking spot along the parade route, backed in the car, kept the wipers on and the windows up and then hollered out the windows cheering for Travis when he rode by. :-) He was very handsome atop his horse. Eddie was also impressed with the many varieties of tractors. It's a cute little parade.

Mom and Mike hosted a bbq at the house on the 4th and it was great seeing so many people and catching up. I love me some bbq!! Mom and I had a lot of laughs and it was fun just being around the house together. Eddie and Travis entertained the crowd with some lovely fireworks to top off the evening. Travis demonstrated his talent for making "sparkler bombs"- until you've heard one, you can't imagine how loud they are!

Travis demonstrating his sparkler bomb skillz

Travis and his buddy Brian treated us to a 4-wheeler ride at the farm and we loved it. Eddie drove and I rode behind and picked a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers along the way.

Eddie's dream was for ME to propose to HIM with an ATV...didn't quite happen but I think this helped tide him over

Blurry wildflowers...

We attended my neice, Isabella's baptism. Here she is with Grandpa Mike.

Lovely family ladies. (Terry, you made it on the internet!)

I'm just skimming the surface of all the fun we had. Thank you to EVERYONE for making our visit so great! We love you all and can't wait to come back again for more everything!! and you're always welcome to visit us too!

coming soon...

2009-07-14T07:52:00.002-04:00

I know, I know...it's been a while since my last blog. We've been busy bees but very soon my friends, I'll get this thing updated with some jolly fun. Hopefully later tonight. :-)

happy father's day

2009-06-21T10:56:00.006-04:00

Happy Father's Day to my dad and step-dad! I'm a lucky lady to have you both in my life and love you very much!

my new baby

2009-06-21T08:47:00.005-04:00

I'm so excited about the new member of our mac family! Yesterday I got a shiney new MacBook Pro and she ROCKS! Previously I had an old iBook G4 that I purchased in 2005 (a lifetime in computer years- she served me well). We're addicts of Apple in this household, so the new baby has a lot of other Apple brother and sister products around the house to keep her company.

Apple introduced their new MacBook Pro family last week and there's no better time for an upgrade than right after the release of a new computer or operating system. The new Pro family has a ton of awesome new features that make it super smooth and fun to work on. To see details of what makes her so wonderous, click here.

Being on the computer is now exponentially more fun...watch out, I feel a lot of blogging coming on. :-)

florida trip, part 2

2009-06-12T19:33:00.009-04:00

After we left Tampa we headed south to the Fort Myers area where we stayed at a friend's vacation home (what a super nice friend!) near the beach. We got into a very relaxed groove for 5 days that consisted of sleeping 10 hrs/night, going to Captiva Beach every day and watching the sunset every night. Ahhh...exactly what we needed!

The water was so warm! We spent probably 5-6 hours in the water everyday- that's how great it was! One day while we were swimming some guys came running down the beach pointing and yelling about something. They were letting us know that there was a MANATEE swimming nearby! We saw his big paddle-tail splashing in the water and his round back as he came up for air...incredible! During that same swim there were dolphins swimming behind us, pelicans diving in for fish in front of us and a full DOUBLE rainbow overhead! I know this sounds like something from Ace Ventura or the Discovery Channel but it all truly happened. We were in awe and reveled in every moment.

can't quite see the second rainbow here, but it's there

my McSteamy playing in the sand

we rented scooters, did some sight-seeing, and a little geocaching.

we visited the Seashell Museum on Sanibel Island and were pretty impressed.

a sailor's valentine made completely with shells

loved ending each day with gorgeous sunsets on the beach

florida trip, part I

2009-06-06T11:27:00.011-04:00

I didn't realize it had been so long since I last blogged- I'll try to do better. We've been a bit busy. What have we been up to? So glad you asked...:-)

Eddie was away in Tampa, FL, most of the month of May preparing for the opening of the new Crate & Barrel store. I flew down to meet up with him at the end and attended the store opening party. The opening parties are always fun and I enjoyed meeting the friendly Tampa crew and many other top-notch peeps that Eddie works with. It's always nice for me to be able to meet the people he's been telling me about and finally put a face to their name. The Tampa store is gorgeous and sits on a pretty lake filled with tropical birds and even an alligator or two, no joke.

Here's a few pics from the party:

Arrghh matey!....what's a party in Tampa Bay without a pirate eye?

After the store opening we took out to begin our mini-vacation. First stop, food! We drove down to Ybor City, a very historic area of Tampa. We stumbled upon the Columbia Restaurant, the oldest Cuban restaurant in Florida. Inside and out, the restaurant was filled wit historic charm, photos of the family generations that have ran the restaurant and beautiful Cuban architecture and tiling. Apparently Food Network also liked it since we saw a framed article on the wall about them naming it a "must do" for Tampa.

cool keyhole doorway into an old ballroom that's now a dining room

the gorgeous original bar from the early 1900s.

delicious Cuban sandwich with amazing hot, fresh homemade bread

incredible Cuban sampler platter with meaty yumminess and plantains

hands down, the best mojito either of us have ever had! and that's real sugar cane.

europe in a day

2009-05-15T21:42:00.014-04:00

We live in the vicinity of the German Embassy and often joke about how nice it would be if our "neighbors" would finally invite us over for dinner sometime. They frequently have parties and they appear to be pretty awesome. Several times a year while the weather is nice they have lavish garden parties- parties that require almost a week to set up all the big white tents on their enormous estate. The grounds of the embassy really are spectacular and we finally had the opportunity to enter the gates last weekend!

Once a year the embassies in DC host an open-house weekend and welcome everyone in for a tour. We made a special effort this year to visit our German neighbors. It was like a mini-festival with a variety of booths, music, food, drink, and freebies.

Of course it happened to be one of the hottest, most humid days we've had so far and we were downing sparkling German water with double-fists. We sampled chilled cherry soup (yummy) and some German wines. They were also offering grilled brats and pretzels but we opted to forgo the very long line in return for more sight-seeing. We came away with so many little treasures from Germany: lapel pins, key chains, bracelets, stickers...oh and this little beauty - the diplomat's BMW(just dreaming).

While we were waiting in line to get into the German Embassy I was chatting with the woman behind me who said she had visited the Hungarian Embassy earlier in the day and really liked it. So...after Germany we hopped in the truck and drove on over to Hungary. It was nice but very small compared to the German Embassy and very crowded. They were out of the Hungarian goulash (rats!) but it was good for a bathroom break.

After leaving the Hungarian Embassy we randomly discovered the Embassy of Belgium and figured we might as well stop and say hello. So glad we did! We toured the embassy, saw the ambassador's office, and really enjoyed their party snacks. We tried these cookies called Jules Destrooper biscuterie and couldn't get enough! They looked like large, flattened waffle cones and tasted like crunchy, caramelized wafers. They were so good that I swallowed my pride and went back for 2 more...one for me and the one for the husband. They gladly complied. We also enjoyed incredible Belgium chocolates made by Galler, which according to the box is "The" Belgian chocolate. We sampled some delicious pear nectar juice and of course had Belgium beer. Come on, what's a trip to Belgium without some infamous Belgium beer?! Some of our favorite beers are from Belgium. We enjoyed a bit of Duvel, Stella Artois, and something else that I can't remember.

So what started as a trip to Germany turned into a spontaneous tour of Europe. We had a really great day exploring together!

a view from inside the German Embassy looking out onto the lawn

the "ladies' sitting room" at the German Embassy- notice the curves

Embassy of Belgium

happy mother's day!

2009-05-10T10:33:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and grandmothers!

It's a really gorgeous day here today in DC and I hope it's beautiful where you are. This is one of my very favorite photos of my mom and Grammy. It was so wonderful having my mom and all 3 of my grandmothers at our wedding! I'm really blessed to have such amazing women in my life and they've all played an important role in making me who I am today. Thank you for all your love and support!

We're going back home to Missouri next month and I have a special project in mind that involves my grandmothers...I can't wait! I also have a mission to get a photo of all 4 of us together, me and the 3 grandmas. I don't know how that didn't happen at the wedding but I'm making it my mission to make it happen this summer, say cheese ladies! I'm so excited to see everyone and can't wait to spend time sitting together and just catching up.

one year ago today...

2009-05-03T15:49:00.011-04:00

wagon wheel

2009-04-27T18:50:00.010-04:00

Last week while I was eating my lunch outside there were 2 guys sitting on a park bench next to me playing guitar and singing. They were really good and it was nice to have some live music as a side dish to my sandwich and the sun. One of the songs they played was "Wagonwheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show. Although I really like the song, I've had it stuck in my head now every since, so I thought I might as well share. Hope you enjoy and sorry if it gets stuck in your head too. I think my Garrett family in NC will especially like this, so this song is dedicated to ya'all. :-)

I like the original but thought that this cover was really good and sounded more like the lunch-time version I heard while sitting outside.

rupunzel, the harpist

2009-04-07T21:25:00.005-04:00

Last week we went to a concert at the Japanese Embassy...a FREE concert. That's one thing I love about DC- there are so many great free events. The concert was a cherry blossom festival event and intended to promote cultural awareness of Japanese culture. And that it did.

There were 3 musicians: a harpist, a violinist, and a soprano. The event was limited to about 75 people and held in a small auditorium which was perfect because everyone had an awesome seat and no microphones were needed. This year they chose American musicians to perform Japanese composed pieces and the musicians were directed by a Japanese conductor. All of the musicians were amazing, but the harpist blew us away! We were like babies being lulled to sleep! zzzzzz.....

The harpist received her PhD in music by age 19 (how is that even possible?) and is the youngest professor in the world!!! She's a professor of music at a university in Texas and travels the world performing individually and with various symphonies. She has long, flowing hair that reminded me of Rupunzel and made music that sounded like something coming from heaven! It was so beautiful. Afterwards, we caught a cab home in the rain and slept like babies.

cherry blossoms!

2009-03-30T19:52:00.009-04:00

Every spring something truly marvelous happens in DC... hundreds of Japanese Cherry Blossom trees bloom in all their glory and create a canvas of beautiful white and pink flowers around the Tidal Basin. Everyone flocks to the Tidal Basin from near and far to admire their beauty and welcome their arrival. Yesterday, we biked downtown to see them for ourselves and were just as awed as ever.

The Cherry Blossoms have their own 2 week festival in DC marked with a parade, a Cherry Blossom royalty coronation, concerts, a 10K run, walking tours, kite festivals, a street fair, and more. "The Cherry Blossom Festival annually commemorates the 1912 gift of 3,000 Cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington, honoring the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan and celebrating the continued close relationship between our two cultures (NCBF website, 2009).

If you've ever needed an extra reason to visit DC, maybe this will convince you. Hint, hint, friends and family! :-)

Jefferson Memorial

the Japanese lantern lighting ceremony

the queen royalty

kennedy center

2009-03-28T13:55:00.012-04:00

We went to the Kennedy Center on St. Patrick's Day last week to see an Irish dancing performance. The dancers were members of an Irish dancing school here in the DC area and ranged from little bitty kidlets to young adults. They were awesome and the music was great! Apparently they're so good that they're competing in the World Irish dancing competition. Sorry, no pictures of the dancers- my pictures turned out looking like colorful dancing blurs.

I've been to the Kennedy Center a handful of times but each time I'm always struck by how beautiful it is. I'm a big fan of John F. Kennedy and am thankful for his appreciation of the arts. He was a lifelong supporter and advocate of the arts and took the lead to raise the funds to build the Kennedy Center. It was originally called the National Cultural Center but renamed after JFK's assassination and dedicated as a living memorial in his honor.

crystal chandeliers in the lobby

the outside patio overlooking the Potomac River and looking into Virginia

the Georgetown crew team rowing at sunset

spring has sprung

2009-03-22T11:24:00.007-04:00

Friday was the first day of spring (and also my mom's birthday!). It's still a bit chilly here but the flowers are popping up and the trees are beginning to bud.

I love Spring and it's refreshing reminder that the grass will become green again, the flowers and trees will bloom, and the days will grow sunnier and longer. My grandmother recently said, "I always look forward to March because it signalizes the closing of winter and the welcoming of spring... it means we made it through another winter and even if it's still cold, we know the warmer, sunnier days are just around the corner". She's a smart lady.

I took a walk around the Georgetown University campus on my lunch break on Friday and snapped some photos of the signs of spring. There are so many beautiful flowers that bloom in Spring. Someday I hope to have a yard and look forward to planting a lot of flowers...tulips, daffodils, peonies, pansies, roses...I love them all! And then when you visit me I'll greet you with a bouquet of flowers, hand-picked from my flower garden. :-) Until then, here are my flowers for you!

"If we had no winter, spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome" ~Anne Bradstreet

prostate cancer news!

2009-03-18T17:05:00.003-04:00

Cancer. It's an ugly thing that affects us all- yes, all of us. Whether it be through a friend, family member, co-worker, acquaintance, or a personal experience, we've all been affected by cancer. As many of you already know, I work in clinical cancer research and today something really BIG, in regards to a project I work on, was announced to the public! But before I get to that I want to go back to this word, "cancer".

What is cancer exactly?? Cancer occurs when the normal, healthy cells in your body begin to multiply and grow out of control. These rowdy cells become like big bullies and push out the healthy cells. Not all cancers are equal and they progress in different ways depending on the cells, the tumors that form, and the location of the original site of the cancer. Cancers can spread to other organs and cause problems in seemingly unrelated parts of the body without explanation.

What most people don't realize is that cells naturally go awry everyday in our body without us knowing it. Cells have life cycles just like everything else in nature. When a cell's life is up, either because it was damaged or just at the end of its' life, it is magically programmed by nature to die on its' own. This is called apoptosis, also known as "cell suicide". Regular cells in our body do this everyday. Cancer cells, however, are selfish and ignore their built-in instructions to undergo apoptosis. Instead, they grow and grow and grow (sometimes rapidly, sometimes slow) until we stop them. This is where cancer treatment (i.e. radiation, chemotherapy) come into play.

Preventing cancer is obviously better than getting or treating cancer, which is why there is such a big emphasis in health care on regular cancer screenings. One of the research studies I work on is called the Prostate, Lung, Colon and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. Today some very important results of this trial were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and are popping up in headlines around the globe on the news because of their importance.

The BIG news...

More than 75,000 men were in enrolled in the PLCO Trial where 1/2 were assigned to 10 years of annual prostate screenings and 1/2 were assigned to follow their usual health care routine, without any recommendation for or against undergoing prostate screenings. The results showed that after 7-10 years of following the participants there wasn't a significant difference in the rate of death of prostate cancer between the two groups. Put more simply, the men who did get the annual prostate screenings didn't fare better than the men who didn't have the screenings.

I would highly encourage you to click on the links below and read more about this for a better explanation and more details. It's also important to remember that this isn't the final word on this topic and it doesn't mean that men shouldn't have prostate screens. What it does mean is that it's complicated and men (and women) need to be informed of the issues and discuss it with their doctors. To my Ladies out there... we might not have prostates but we surely know a fella that does and that we care enough about to inform them of what's going on in the world. Can I get an AMEN?! :-)

I'm proud to be working on and contributing to such important research and hope you'll take the time to read the links below or watch the news tonight and in the next coming days to learn more.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Links to the published research and news articles:

http://content.nejm.org/

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/16/prostate.cancer.screening/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/18/prostate.screening.debate.brawley/index.html

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100234871

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29745004/

tomato basil chicken pasta

2009-03-13T18:35:00.003-04:00

This is a simple dish and one of our favorites. It's a regular in our dinner repertoire and we don't seem to ever get tired of it. It's quick to make (about 20 minutes), healthy, tasty, and only takes a few ingredients. What more can you ask for? My recipe is an estimate of the amounts I think I use, so adjust as needed, it's fool-proof.

Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta

3 cups multi-grain/whole wheat penne
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 pound cubed chicken tenders or breasts

olive oil

salt and pepper

grated Parmesan cheese

Makes about 4 servings

Dice tomatoes into halves and set aside. Loosely chop a generous amount of basil (about a 1/2 cup or so) and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a dash of salt to flavor the pasta water and cook the pasta until it's al dente. While waiting for the pasta to cook cut the chicken into cubes. Spray a skillet with fat-free cooking spray, add the chicken, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cook until done. Set the chicken aside. When the pasta is done, drain the water and reserve about a cup of the pasta water. Dump the pasta back into your pot and add the chicken, tomatoes, and basil. Add 2 T of the reserved pasta water (or more as needed for a little moisture). Drizzle the mixture with olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir together. Dish your pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bon appetit!

welcome isabella!

2009-03-11T20:23:00.006-04:00

I have a new little niece!! Isabella Louise was born February 20 and to welcome her to the world I whipped up a snugly blanket and matching burp cloth. I used Alexander Henry fabric for the print and minky dot for the reverse. The burp clothes were made using pre-folded cloth diapers and a zig-zag stitch. This blanket is so soft that I caught myself snuggling with it while taking a t.v. break during its' making (sorry Isabella).

california dreamin'

2009-03-07T11:47:00.014-05:00

This week I traveled to Marina del Rey, CA, for a work meeting. I very rarely travel for work but when I do I'm lucky that it's usually somewhere nice. I've been to California several times but had never been in the LA area. Marina del Rey is just West of LA and attaches to Venice Beach. I flew into LAX and thought for sure I'd see a celebrity but alas, I saw none. :-( It was so nice to step out of the airport and see green grass, palm trees, flowers and to feel a warm breeze...ahhh! I was a bit bummed though because just as I was leaving for Cali, DC was receiving the largest snowfall we've had in years. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to welcome the warmth, but wished the snow could have held out long enough for me to get home to enjoy it since it doesn't often accumulate to much here.

After checking into my hotel I ventured down to Venice Beach. I grabbed a sandwich and enjoyed a mini picnic in the sand. It was a perfect beach day- 80 degrees with a breeze. The mountains could be seen in the distance and there were many sailboats on the water. I enjoyed just sitting in the sand and reading. I even took a short nap. Sounds pretty rough, right?

I had heard from some Californians that the current craze in Cali is a frozen yogurt place called "Pinkberry". Of course I had to find this place and try it for myself. It was so delicious!!! and tasted very different than the normal frozen yogurt.

My favorite adventure from this trip was driving the Pacific Coast Highway, aka Highway 1. I rented a car (let's pretend it was a convertible), grabbed a map, cranked the radio and drove the PCH with the windows down, hair flying in the breeze...it was perfect! It really is as beautiful as it looks in pictures and the movies.

I stopped frequently to admire the view and found a great

little beach to climb around on the rocks. While I was there a woman found a starfish and let me touch it-they're such beautiful creatures.

I love the ocean...its' sound, smell, feel. I can't ever get enough and so I tried to really soak it in while I was there. There's something so calming and soothing about the water, feeling the sand between your toes and the sun on your skin. It was a short trip but I really made the most of it and appreciated the break from winter. Oh, and the meeting went well too. :-)

baby food & a baby shower

2009-02-26T18:13:00.011-05:00

It's been a crazy couple a weeks for me. The oral surgery for my wisdom teeth turned out to be more complicated than expected. I developed complications from the surgery and can honestly say that I've never experienced worse pain in my life! The surgeon was super nice and I almost feel like we're family now with him and his staff after all the many visits and calls. My sweet husband and friends were awesome and kept me fed with some truly delicious soups, smoothies and other mashed foods. My friend Cara has a one year old and shared some of her delicious gourmet homemade baby food with me- that's a lucky baby I tell you! Everyday I feel better- thanks for all your well wishes.

On to more fun things...Saturday I hosted a baby shower for a friend and her darling little baby boy. He's just a little over a month old now and certainly got plenty of lovin' and snugglin' from all the ladies at the shower. The shower was held at one of my favorite tea places in DC. It's a Chinese tea house called ching ching CHA in Georgetown. The teas are wonderful and everything on their menu is delicious. Upon choosing a tea, the ladies at the tea house present you with a teacup and teapot especially suited for brewing the particular tea you ordered. They then teach you how to properly steep the tea and drink from the cup without spilling your loose tea leaves and flowers. I also had fun creating the invitations with Asian rice paper and the favors were customized fortune cookies in take-out boxes. Here's a few pictures from the tea house.

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

2009-02-16T18:02:00.002-05:00

Giada DeLaurentis is one of my favorite chefs and last night Eddie helped me make one of my favorite soup recipes from her new book, Giada's Kitchen. The soup has a comforting, velvety texture that's hearty yet not heavy. The sage and garlic really give off amazing, scrumptious flavor. Usually we puree only half of the soup so that there's some whole beans and garlic pieces mixed in, but last night we pureed it all and that was great too. Also we serve crusty French wheat bread (instead of Ciabatta) on the side, but of course I had to skip that last night but I highly recommend you partake. Dipping the crusty bread into this soup is oh so yummy! This soup is quick and easy to make and doesn't require a lot of expensive ingredients. Good on the budget and the tummy!

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

2 sage leaves, stems removed

2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinse and drained

4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 slices of ciabatta bread

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallots. Cook, stirring occasional, until the shallots are softened. about 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves, cannellini beans, and garlic and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook gently until the garlic is softened, about 15 minutes. Pour half of the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle a third to half of the soup from the bowl into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (be careful to hold the top on the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended). Pour the blended soup back into the pot and repeat with the remaining soup from the bowl. Once all the soup is returned to the soup pot, stir in the cream, salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm over very low heat.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the slices of ciabatta bread with the extra-virgin olive oil. Grill the bread until is is warm and golden grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side. Serve the soup in bowls with the grilled break alongside.

Food Network also has a nice video of this recipe too. Click HERE to watch Giada make it.

*Photo and recipe courtesy of DeLaurentis, G. (2008) Giada's Kitchen. New York, New York.

happy valentine's day

2009-02-14T11:37:00.028-05:00

I feel really lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life and today I'm sending all of you my love! xoxo

Of course, there is one person that is especially close to my heart. He stands at 6'2", is very handsome, has beautiful soft brown eyes, he's incredibly sweet and soft spoken, and still gives me butterflies when he holds my hand. He makes me laugh like no one else can, makes me smile when I don't think I can, and makes me a better person by just being in my life. I feel protected and at peace when he wraps his arms around me and I lay my head on his chest, my favorite place in the world. He's my best friend, my soul-mate, and my husband. I love you Eddie!

These beautiful roses are gift from Eddie! They're so pretty and smell lovely today!

Also have to share a couple photos from our honeymoon in Thailand. This is what we saw when we opened the door to our honeymoon suite in Phuket. So romantic...

champagne, chocolates, exotic fruits, a lovely card

a warm bath filled with flower petals

kissing swans made from towels, rose petals and orchids

chipmunk cheeks

2009-02-13T09:33:00.007-05:00

I can't talk but I can write and say thank you for all your well wishes! The good news is it's over and all of my wisdom teeth are gone forever (thank God they don't grow back) and that I did NOT lose permanent feeling in my lower lip! I was so relieved when I realized I could feel my lip. The bad news is that the surgery was difficult and I'm in a lot of pain. The morning of the surgery I received a call from the surgeon's office that they'd made a mistake and realized that they didn't have an alternative anesthesia for me (I'm unfortunately allergic to the most common one) and so I'd have to be awake for the surgery! This made me even more anxious so they had me come in early for a little pharmaceutical assistance in relaxing.

I won't go through all the gross details with you but the surgery took about 2 hours and was very difficult. Unfortunately I was very aware of what was happening. Eddie has been amazing and I'm so thankful for him caring for me. He keeps a record of when I take my meds and lets me know when to do what. Wednesday night he really got some good parenting practice because I was like an infant needing care at least every 2 hours. I'm rockin' a steady diet of applesauce, yogurt, pudding and ice cream. I'm very swollen (think Nutty Professor or a chipmunk with full cheeks). The surgeon gave us a forewarning that I would likely be in a great deal of pain, more than the average patient, because of the way they were impacted and had to be extracted in pieces around the nerve. He was right, I have never been in more pain in my life, no exaggeration. I'm trying to distract myself with books, internet surfing, t.v., music, and sleeping when possible.

Did you know?...

mandibular third molars are called wisdom teeth because they typically appear between ages 17-21 or older, when people are supposedly "wiser".
it's been postulated that the skulls of our human ancestors had larger jaws and more teeth to help chew down foliage and to compensate for the lack of ability to efficiently digest the cellulose that makes up a plant cell wall. As human diet has changed, a smaller jaw was selected by evolution, yet the third molar (wisdom teeth) still commonly develops in human mouths.
Other findings suggest that a given culture's diet is a larger factor than genetics in the development of jaw size during human development (and thus the space available for wisdom teeth).
Different human populations differ greatly in the percentage of the population which form wisdom teeth, ranging from 0.2% in Bantu speakers to nearly 100% in Mexican Indians. The difference is related to the PAX9 gene and perhaps other genes related to tooth formation.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_teeth

goodbye wisdom teeth

2009-02-10T19:32:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I'm having my wisdom teeth extracted and needless to say I'm not looking forward to it. My regular dentist has been nudging me for a couple years now to have them checked out. Now that engagement pictures, the wedding, classes, and honeymoon are over (no pun intended babe) now seems as good a time as any for undergoing an uncomfortable oral surgery.

Last week I visited the oral surgeon and he "reluctantly suggested" I have them removed. Reluctantly suggest, what's that mean? He said that my xrays show signs that I ultimately might have problems with them in the future and need to have them removed. But here's the kicker... Apparently my wisdom teeth are particularly difficult to remove due to their angle and the fact that the roots are hugging my lingual nerve like a opossum on a branch. The oral surgeon says everyone has a slight risk but I'm in a high risk-group for losing permanent feeling in my lower lip! This means that I might be a dribbler before 30! He says I'm high-risk but not risky, so hopefully I will be fine. Also, he said that as I get older the chances of losing permanent feeling in my lip would only increase. I know he's very talented and came highly recommended so I'm going to hope for the best and get it over with. At least I'll be completely knocked out and hopefully not feel or remember a thing.

My sweet husband will be accompanying me and nursing me back to health. The fridge and pantry are stocked with Jell-O, Danimals yogurt (just for added fun), tomato soup, Cream of Wheat, and let's not forget the ice cream! Wish me luck!

meet effie

2009-02-09T18:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day in DC! It was about 65 degrees with beautiful blue skies. We went for a nice bike ride on the C & O Canal and then strolled through Georgetown. It was obvious that we weren't alone in our desire to be outdoors, soaking up the sun and unusually warm February weather. The canal paths and Georgetown were flooded with people enjoying the outdoors. One of my favorite places to do yoga is in Georgetown and after a good, sweaty yoga session I love to sit and relax on the wall of the canal located just outside the front door of the studio. Although we didn't do yoga Sunday we did perch ourselves on the tall brick wall along the canal and enjoyed people-watching, chatting and getting our dose of Vitamin D. Ahh, sun!

Biking around the city is by far my favorite way of getting around and I don't know what I would do without my girl, Effie. She's a silver-blue, F400 (hence the name Effie) Cannondale mountain bike and is the best bike a gal could ask for. I ride her to work most days and have had many awesome adventures with her. She's been in the rain, snow, sleet, hail, sun, mud, sand, rocks, grass, water,...and never skips a beat! She even did a triathlon with me a couple years ago. You rock Effie, thanks for the great rides!

i'm blogging?

2009-02-05T20:43:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm starting a blog. I've been thinking about doing this for awhile now and have decided to stop second-guessing it and just get on with it. What am I going to blog about? Well, I don't know yet and I'm thinking it's probably going to be pretty random. My topics are likely to reflect what's cooking in my kitchen, crafting/sewing projects, health topics, movies we've watched, DC outings, my thoughts, etc, etc. Come to think of it, it's likely to be pretty boring but I'm going to do it anyway. Besides, sometimes the everyday things turn out to be more interesting than we think. I appreciate details and the simple things in life. And I think that's what life is all about- a collection of all the little moments pieced together to create a larger story.