31w+5d

pete and i visited our doctor, dr. le, on thursday for our almost 32-week check-up. we can't believe how fast time is flying by -- with the holidays and baby preparations, i feel like it was yesterday we were celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary. not the case, as that was over 2 months ago! our doctor measured my belly, right on track, and informed us that our baby is about 3.5 pounds at this point. and he said get ready for the weight gain as the growth from here on out is substantial in comparison to the first 30 weeks! we listened to the heartbeat, steady and strong, and can't believe that is our little baby moving around :)

a big thanks to grandma & grandpa steward

on black friday, pete and i met his parents and sister, sara, in dublin to visit babies 'r' us. the crowds weren't bad at all and we were able to get our stroller, car seat, crib, and a few other items! we had a nice time picking out the goodies and are so thankful for their generosity. i haven't had a nightmare about having to leave the baby at the hospital due to lack of proper restraints for the ride home since!

gulf coast blog referencing

so, just wanted to explain the gulf coast gram blog reference:

1. not only does this blogger have the recipe for paula deen's pumpkin cheesecake, she also had a picture (however, this wasn't even the cake we had, though was my intention. the cake we had also came from katrina rozelle's like the tart. i didn't find it very truthful to blog about a cake i didn't make, but def. wanted to share the recipe because it looked amazing and, it was my thanksgiving intention to serve this cake)

2. my mom is from the gulf coast, mobile, ala. specifically, and i thought it was interesting to google this cake and end up here.

3. check out the comment regarding the cake. notice the name? ring any bells? thought that was too ironic (and potentially a sign)...

thanksgiving

we had a ton of yummy turkey and family time this year for thanksgiving! on wednesday night, pete and i had a wonderful evening with his parents and enjoyed a delicious turkey casserole, tons of veggies, a cranberry tart, and pumpkin cheesecake! we made plans to go baby shopping on black friday and headed home for some tryptophan-induced snoozing.

on thanksgiving, pete and i got up super early for brown thursday, shopping at big lots and kmart at the crack of dawn. we were on the search for a recliner for our bedroom and ended up with only a fishing pole from kmart. then we ventured to the dog park for some doggie exercise and headed off to my parents' house to play wii and eat turkey, welsh stuffing, green beans, yams, bread, and pumpkin & pecan pie! we walked off the dinner down by the pond, where my dad, brother, and pete fished for some bluegill and trout. mom and i got too cold, so we went back to the wii to bowl. unfortunately, my ribs have been hurting, so i had to be a spectator - nice that video games can actually be active now-a-days! some dog park pics:

black friday consisted of some leftovers and a trip to dublin (see post).

saturday took us to brentwood where we celebrated the holiday with eric, kaye, patrick, alicia, and fam. this dinner consisted of a bbq'd turkey, as well as a baked one, two stuffings (one of which I believe had clams in it!), mashed potatoes, and an amazing caramel-apple cake. i brought corn muffins (to steve and lucy's, too, they are quite the hit), sausage-stuffed mushrooms, and a black olive/cream cheese dip with Ritz.

thanksgiving sunday included a trip to breakfast with andy (in from hawaii), wilson, and kristin (jason was dirt-bike riding) at nation's in pleasant hill - yum!

i don't know how many calories were consumed this long weekend, or how many cubes of butter were sacrificed, but it was an astronomical amount and i have no desire to ever know. the baby kicked & squirmed around and i do believe enjoyed the scrumptious food!

pond visits!

pepper loves to swim, so we like to take her to my parents' house (and site of our wedding!) to jump off the dock in search of sticks/frisbees/balls/etc. since we got bailey, we've attempted to make her a water dog, too, which she handles well, but she is so independent she runs away when not on a leash. here are a few pics of our adventures:

happy halloween!

here we are carving our pumpkins and setting them up for the big night. pete and i really enjoy handing out candy to all the cute kids. we started our traditional dinner of fat-free crescent dogs (the costanzo's always had hot dogs as a quick dinner before trick-or-treating) and they sounded great to this preggo!

the pumpkin patch(es)

pete and i went to a few patches this year! we visited the pumpkins at apple hill, in dixon, and the usual spot in green valley, Larry's. it was a little early and crowded at apple hill, so we left those pumpkins there. the dixon patch was great, and will be great with kids -- they had wagons for riding around, a guinness book of world records winning corn maze, and the largest patch i've ever seen. we may have visited that patch a little too late in the season as there were very few acceptable pumpkins.



on monday, we went to our regular spot and chose three great carving pumpkins.

25w+6d

on tuesday, pete and i went to another baby check up. we listened to the baby's heartbeat - and to the swooshy sounds of it moving around (a ton!). the movements are getting very strong (esp. for a little one - only about 12 inches and around 3 pounds). i had to take a blood test after drinking an extremely sweet orange-flavored carbonated beverage to detect my glucose levels (a standard test at the end of the 2nd/beg. of 3rd trimester). the results came back and my body processed the sugar well, so we are in the clear of gestational diabetes at this point. we have less than 100 days until the due date!!

apple hill

on sunday, pete and i joined my parents, david and laura on a trip to apple hill for my dad's birthday. we used to visit this place every year around this time -- we'd fish (there is a little pond), visit the craft booths, and eat a slice of apple pie a la mode. we indulged in a few other treats: caramel apples and caramel-covered marshmallows! so many memories rushed back to me when we got there and it was so nice to share them with pete. we look forward to visiting apple hill next year with our little one!

thanks, dev!

a little shout-out to devon for our anniversay present -- a cupcake traveler and cake plate :) here is the first outing to annie's birthday. i made cupcakes from leslie's recipe with funfetti icing -- they got great reviews -- thanks devon and leslie!

first fire of the season

when pete got home from work on tuesday, he surprised the girls and i with a quick-start log and some firewood. we had our first fire of the season! bailey loved looking and it, and pepper, baby, and i took a nap near the warmth. the baby kicked up a storm and pepps and i got in a few good zzzzzz.... such a great evening after a soggy day!

on october 13th...

amy flores and daniel sosa tied the knot at the wild animal park in san diego. the scenery was amazing and so perfect for the couple! we spent a lovely evening rehearsing and eating dinner at the karl strauss brewery. the bridal party, parents, and out of town guests enjoyed a delicious meal with micro-brews and wine. later that night, the girls hung out by the pool, danced to some ipod tunes, and got some rest for the big day. the morning of the big day was jam-packed with hair and make-up appointments and a limo ride to the park. here are julie,emma, and i in the limo - check out emma's expression! the ceremony went off with out a hitch, despite the early day down-poor. amy and daniel are so in love and had a great time at the ceremony and reception. it was a whirl-wind weekend for a preggo, but i am so happy i was there to celebrate with them!

23w+4d

here is a belly pic! i am 23w+4d and so looking forward to our baby :) i just started popping out - hence the lack of pics before now! i will be sure to update weekly so you all can share in my growth!

a traumatic poodle experience

check out bailey on our way to get her first big girl haircut:

such a proud poodle:

and bailey after they had her for 5 hours...

i spent quite a while asking the 'stylist' about bailey's coat and her matted hair. i asked her not to shave her, maybe just cut a little close where she needed to. as you can see, bailey had wonderfully wavy hair that would've covered any shorter areas. i also asked her not cut her in any way 'poodle-y'. i should've known the outcome wasn't going to be what i asked for because the 'stylist' didn't even call to have me pick her up. i think she jetted out of work so she wouldn't be there when i got there.
here's what bailey did later that evening to our white feather duster:

pete and i think she was trying to make herself a new coat.
lesson learned: if you want something done in a specific way, and you can't do it yourself, stay to oversee the job.

current object of my obsession

yesterday, tara and i spent some time looking for baby items. we visited goores, a specialty baby/children's store in sacramento. our goal was to determine a paint color for the nursery by exploring different boy/girl bedding and furniture options. we found some amazing items and think we came to a color conclusion (more on this as i get the palate ready for public viewing).

more importantly, this was the place where i found my current obsession (see minnie mouse bag) mia bossi diaper bags! they look like the most practical purse, yet hold all our little one's needs for outings. i haven't made a final decision on color yet, but this was the best style we found - no top zipper for quick grabs of cloths or bottles, plenty of side pockets, and so much interior room for all the necessary items. my ultimate goal is to make the diaper bag my purse - i can't handle two! - so this brand will lend itself nicely to being all a new mom could ask for! and, for later use, the interior 'diaper bag likeness' can be removed and a laptop carrier/organizer can take its' place - doesn't that scream classy working mom?