Are we having a girl or a boy?

Stay tuned as we have our ultrasound on Monday, Febraury 4, 2008! Only 7 1/2 more days to go!

We truly believe we are having a girl. It just feels right. We knew we were having a girl before Sofia was ever conceived and it's the same feeling with this one! Sofia is also convinced it's a girl--she loves the idea of a baby princess to play with. :) That said, we could all be wrong...In the end we're happy with either.

Take a moment and cast your vote for what you think we're having. It'll be interesting to see the consensus!

Hogheaven in Houston

For my 30th birthday, Ryan and Sofia gave me a plane ticket to Houston, Texas, to visit my Best Friend, Tori. From January 3-7th, I was flyin' solo with Tor. It was awesome and we had an absolute blast. (Thanks, Tori--wink wink) From eating the most amazing steak fajitas at Papasito's to throwing a surprise party for Tori's friend, Anela while sipping "virgin" strawberry daqueri's, to late night talks, a trip to the gym and plenty of shopping in between it was an all out girls weekend! I even re-vamped my sunday best wardrobe! YAY! Oh, and we even celebrated Kings Day--complete with the traditional King Cake. It was cool to spend 4 days in the city where I was born and even find the apartment building my parents lived in when I was born. That was really something special for me because for a moment I could sense the love and excitement my parents had when they welcomed me into the world. I am naturally super sentimental and couldn't help but feeling so grateful to my mom and dad for all of their sacrifices and love they gave to me and our special family.

So here's some photos to highlight the best weekend ever--Tori feel free to add anything I may have left out. :)

Presenting, my BFF, Tori!!!

...and here we are drinking our virgin strawberry daqueri's

Anela (the birthday girl!), Me, Tori having a great time...

The apartments where my parents lived when I was born

After thirty years, my mom could still remember the exact address:
9550 Long Point Road, Houston, Texas

Movie and dessert night at The Chocolate Bar
...everything there is chocolate--chocolate candies, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate pie...the list goes on and on and on!

No doubt, they live up to their motto!

So sorry this is all we had left to show for our decadent dessert spread...which included three different kinds of icecream and a three or four layer chocolate cake with cream and chocolate sauce. Holy Mother of Mercy--I could use a trip there right now!!

Kings Day was January 6th--we celebrated with many friends of Tori and of course, the traditional King Cake. It was absolutely scrumptious. It brought back memories of my childhood when my Grandparents Britton would ship us a King Cake every year. Before returning to Portland, I went to the bakery and purchased one for my Momma and fam--so yummy.

Tori's friend, Danny, and Tori. Seriously, I loved this guys hair. It reminded me of Ryan's hair when we were first married. Ryan didn't cut his hair for nearly 8 months and it looked just like this! Awesome.
I ate a dove chocolate and the inside of the wrapper said: "Your presence is often the best present." I think that sums up perfectly how I feel about my best friend, Tori. LYLAS to the MAX!

Upon returning to Portland, I was greeted by my sweet hubby, Ryan, Sofia, and my mom. Sofia came running towards me with two dozen GOREGEOUS long stem red roses--it was so nice to be home and with my family again. Thanks to each of you for making this trip possible, it was a blast.

Beef Carnitas, A Family Favorite

Everyone knows our family loves any food with a Latin or Spanish flare. This recipe is a staple for us and can be used to make so many great dishes. Tonight we're having Beef Carnitas Tacos for dinner but like I said the Beef Carnitas can be used to make various dishes including: empanadas, enchilada casseroles, and beef salad.

I found this recipe almost a year and a half ago in Cooking Light Magazine. It's such a stellar recipe that I've never found a reason to alter it. Give it a try, your tummies and waistline won't be sorry!

p.s. The timing of Beef Carnitas on our menu for the week is no coincidence...I'm having some serious physical cravings for red meat. It must be all the protein and iron! Not too worry--I'm doing my best not to over due it. :D

Sofia's Hair Makeover Extravaganza

I was away at the grocery store two nights ago shopping alone when Ryan called me to ask if I was almost home. I told him that I was finishing up my selections and quickly asked, "what happened?" He then said he'd wait to tell me when I arrived home. Right, like I'm going to let him wait--so I dragged it out of him..."Sofia has butchered her hair upstairs and cut a good 60% of it off!!!!" Holy cow, I never hurried up so fast to get out of the grocery store.

Apparently, she came downstairs and said, "Papi, what happened to my hair?" Ryan was staring at her puzzled and he said, "No, what did you DO to your hair?!?!" I rushed home to find Sofia's new "doo" and of course, my mouth dropped to the floor, as I stared at her head. Sofia what did you do to your hair, I asked. She replied, "I cut my hair, don't you like it?!?!" When her Papi asked her why she cut her hair, she replied, "It was getting too long!"

So there we sat wondering if any thing could be salvaged. The next day we went to the kids salon, Little Clippers. Let me just say this place is any parents saving grace. It's only for kids, and the kids get to choose what kind of "car" they sit in, they watch a movie while they get their haicut and can play when they're done! Where was a place like this when I was a kid?!?

Sofia chose the pink Barbie corvette, of course, with Sleeping Beauty as her video entertainment. She would not stop hammin' it up with the stylist. It was HILARIOUS! She kept saying things like, "What are you doing to my hair?" and "Yeah, I cut my hair!" and "Do you know the name of the witch on the movie? and of course, "Wow, my hair is SO COOL!" The stylist, 'Drea, and I could not stop laughing. She was just the little charmer, jokester, that she always is and I regretted not having our camcorder to record it all! The photos will have to tell the story. Most of them are her chatting away while she gets her haircut.

The beauty of the experience was that we dodged the a pixie cut, can I get a hallelujah?!?! In fact, Sofia's new "doo" is so cute, it's way more trendy than mine!!!

Here we go, combing through, to see what could be done.

This was a Sofia moment, where she asked, "Do you even know the name of that witch on the movie?"
Chop, chop, chop, with a smile!

This picture makes me laugh, instantly!

The pink Barbie Corvette, it doesn't get anymore cool than this!

Sofia says, "My hair is SO COOL!"

Blow dry, almost done!
Some spray glittler, to really "sparkle" like a Princess.

So adorable.
The back.

"Let me see, let me see!"
All done, it's play time now!!!

Sofia's First School Picture, Amiguitos Pre-school, 2007-2008

Here she is, as cute and adorable as can be!  This photo was taken in the Fall and comes with a funny story.  When Sofia first sat on the stool for her picture she refused to smile.  I know, I know--Sofia, refuse to smile?  Is that even possible?  She's always smiling and joking around but it was something about the school picture scene, I guess.  I kindly asked the photographer to give us a couple of minutes and I took Sofia aside to talk to her.  I asked her what was wrong, to which she responded, "I don't want to take my picture, Mami."  I responded to that by bribing her with a donut after the picture and it was as easy as that.  While bribes are used sparingly this was certainly the moment that called for one. Sofia had no problems hopping back up on the stool, and giving her biggest smile ever.  In the end, Sofia was happy (with her donut) and Mami and Papi were happy with her very first school picture.  So dang precious!  

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Okay, everyone, this bread recipe is a definite keeper. I found it on allrecipes.com and then of course, modified it quite a bit...like I always do! To be honest, I don't think I'll every buy wheat bread from the store again. This is so good and let's just say my hubby is going to be the happiest guy on earth tomorrow when he opens his lunch bag. (A tuna salad sandwich on homemade bread awaits him)


Honey Whole Wheat Bread

• 1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 cup wheat bran (if you don't have wheat bran substitute wheat flour)
  
• 1 cup bread flour
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (may also use veg/canola oil)
  
• 1 package active dry yeast

Add ingredients according to the manufacturer's directions to your bread machine. Use the wheat bread cycle and light color setting. Most bread machines tell you to add the ingredients in the order they are listed--that's exactly what I did.

Feel free to play with the wheat flour and bran ratios--there's a lot of wiggle room there to make it to your liking. I'm going to add some flaxseed next time to give it an even healthier boost.

I LOVE THIS BREAD!!!!

p.s. The picture above is not my own--the bread didn't last long enough to get a pic. :D

Every Generation Experiences it...

So Stormy really wanted to see the movie, Hairspray, which I'm sure that most of you have either heard of or seen in it the past year. And so Stormy and I decided that we'd watch it as a family. Generally speaking the movie doesn't have anything that Sofía wouldn't normally see or hear around the house, not to mention that the movie is rated PG. 

From the moment we started the DVD, Sofía was mesmerized; she studied the dances, listened to the music, and by the end, put on a dress and danced her little heart out, rocking out to the music--it brought tears to my eyes. Mind you, this was the first time we'd watched the movie. Stormy departed for Houston, TX, the following day, and I told her that we were going to have to purchase the movie soundtrack and the DVD so that Sofía could continue rockin' out, as this is something I encourage. I believe it was AC/DC who said that "Rock-n-Roll ain't noise pollution."

The video clip takes place shortly after downloading the Hairspray Movie soundtrack from iTunes (hello, where else would I buy music?), and after Sofía had watched Hairspray three times. 

So while I rocked out to Grease, and other kids have their High School Musicals, my daughter has Hairspray. 

Enjoy the clip.

Christmas 2007, Part 2

We decorated our tree on Monday, December 3rd at about 9:30pm. Yes, Sofia was still awake, we had just returned from the gym about 45 minutes earlier and figured, if we didn't do it then it would be another week before the tree was decorated. We had a lot of fun and Sofia couldn't stop talking about her tree. I loved our tree as I do each and every year because I enjoy hanging all of the different ornaments. We have such a variety and almost everyone has a little story or meaning behind it. It was fun to talk about some of them and tell Sofia about them. It was so neat how she recognized a couple and could remember receiving them and why. Here are a few fun pics of the finished product.

Sofia presenting the Christmas Tree to the camera

A fun family group shot when it was all done!


The Christmas Tree in all its glowing glory

Fine, YOU WIN, Pregnant Brain!

For those of you who may or may not recall, pregnant brain struck big during my pregnancy with Sof. My mind was pretty much worthless and so it seemed that I lost brain cell after brain cell as the days went on. Some would try to console me by saying my brain cells were just taking a brake while others (bless their heart) actually told me the truth. Once you get it--it never goes away and only gets worst with each pregnancy thereafter.

Being the type of strong-willed, stubborn, and determined person that I am, I have tried to fight the pregnant brain theory...only to fail each and every dang time. Well, today was no exception and in fact was the frosting on the cake, the cherry on top, even better--the straw that broke the camels back!

That's right folks, I give up. I'm no longer going to fight it...pregnancy brain theory is true and my experience today solidified that for me.

It's Wednesday, January 2nd, I'm swamped with a disorganized house, a daughter who is dying to go back to school, some killer nausea and vomiting all morning, packing for my trip to Houston, laundry, oh and my nice thought to make meals for my family while I'm away. Sofia and I rush out the door a few minutes before 1:00pm to drive her to school about 30 minutes away. We arrive at what seems to be 20 minutes late only to find the doors locked. The Director and her teacher, Maestra Claudia, come to the door only to say, the school is closed today and doesn't re-open for classes until tomorrow, the 3rd. (which means the 4th for Sofia since she doesn't attend on Thursdays) That's right, everyone, I'm the 1 out of 120 parents who failed to read the newsletter where it stated that school doesn't resume until the 3rd. Which by the way, in the back of my mind, I swear I read it but instead read the 2nd--something my mind must have hallucinated.

Being the super efficient, ultra-organized freak that I am--I was utterly humiliated by my mistake. It was that moment where I realized my fight against pregnant brain was over and I had lost. On top of that my precious Sofia couldn't understand where the "ninos" were and didn't want to listen when I broke the news that Mami made a mistake and there was no school today. UGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!! The Director and teacher couldn't quite understand until I just started rambling about pregnant brain and how I was losing my mind. Being the empathetic beings they are, they were polite and laughed with me. I explained to them that in the month of December I had paid Sofia's tuition late, the rent late, and now this....I failed to mention the less important things like: finding myself in a room in my house and having no idea why I'm there, never being able to remember what the date is or even the day of the week, or calling someone on the phone only to immediately forget my main purpose in calling. The beauty that came from our trip to the school was that I actually remembered to pay the tuition on time...

So, there you go. It's over. I'm pregnant, a bit retarded, and the latests self-proclaimed victim of pregnant brain. Or actually I'm not the latest victim...I've just been in denial for a LONG time!

Christmas 2007, Part 1

Yes, I realize that Christmas is now over and we hadn't posted any of these yet. This month has been hectic as I've been trying to recover from my horrid all-day sickness, oh and we moved--more later on that!

So here is the first of a few posts highlighting our Christmas festivities!

The Christmas Tree

The beauty of Oregon is that there is an abundance of trees. I feel like it's against my own personal core beliefs to have anything but a real tree and since they're so cheap up here it's no big deal. We went to purchase a tree on Saturday, December 1st, and told Sofia that she could pick one out. She was so excited and conveniently picked out one of the biggest ones they had. Keep in mind, however, they only had really big ones for the most part so it was inevitable that we go home with a honkin' tree.

We got home and realized it would definitely need some trimming--NO--make that A LOT of trimming! Papi went to work with the axe and here are some highlights of the experience. Can we just say we we're so grateful for a garage to do this in?!?! It was pouring outside and would have been a miserable task otherwise!

Sofia watches Papi as he trims away...

Sofia helped Papi pick up all the branches and debris

Papi smiles as he's nearly finished trimming the monstrosity

Chop, chop, chop

The stand goes on

Voila! We have our Christmas Tree. It remained in the garage that night so it could dry and we decorated it on Monday, December 3rd, 2007. More on the finished product later!

"Ry, I have a feeling I'm about to get pulled over..."

....turns out I was right. Twenty seconds later, the siren and lights went on. I slowly pulled over and into a K-Mart parking lot. Down went my window and here goes:


Officer: "Good Evening. Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Stormy: "No sir, not really."

Officer: "Well you swerved back there into the bike lane, and well, it's the holidays, I want to make sure that you're not driving under the influence or talking on your cell phone."

Stormy: "No officer, it was neither, I sneezed." (I refrained from mentioning that I was holding my legs together to avoid pee-ing my pants. Considering I had to pee like a Russian race horse and the baby feels like it's literally sitting on my bladder!)

Officer: "Oh, okay. That makes perfect sense. How about you give me your driver's license, registration, and insurance information."

Stormy: "Sure, no problem. Sweetheart can you help me find the insurance card and registration?"

Officer: "I'll be back and you can keep looking."

(about 5 minutes later)

Officer: "Were you able to find that information?"

Stormy: "Well, we found an expired insurance card and registration from Utah, we're still working on it."

Officer: "Okay, then. I can check to see if your insurance was renewed. Be right back."

(another 5 minutes later)

Stormy: "We found the Oregon registration!"

Officer: "Thank you ma'm. Well everything checks out just fine. I'm not going to give you a warning or ticket, I simply wanted to make sure you weren't driving under the influence."

Stormy: "Officer, rest assured we weren't driving under the influence, in fact, my husband and I have never drank an ounce of alcohol in our lives."

Officer: "WHAT?!??!?!?!"

Stormy: "Nope."

Officer: "Wow. That's amazing."

Stormy: "You know what else, officer? This past July marked the 10th anniversary since I received a traffic ticket...AND I was only 5 months from my 10th anniversary of not being pulled over!"

Officer: "Well, that's wonderful. I'm glad you're driving safely. All I have to suggest is that you go home and prepare a "traffic stop packet" in the chance you get pulled over, this way, you'll be more prepared."

Stormy: "Absolutely, Officer, will do!"

(about 4 minutes later)

We finally finished cleaning off the dash which was covered with the glove compartment contents.

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Back in October, Sofia's school had a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch! (So sorry for the delay in posting these.) Ryan took the day off and we accompanied Sofia and the other students. It was so much FUN—complete with a train ride, feeding the animals, a pyramid hay maze, and of course, loads of pumpkins.

We went to the Flower Farmer Pumpkin Patch in Canby, Oregon. Canby is SE of Portland. It was a beautiful morning and it didn't rain—even though we were fully prepared as Oregonians are—it was nice to enjoy it without the rain!

Mami and Sofia about to depart on the train ride...

Papi, the Rock Star, ready for the train ride as well!

First a visit to feed the animals, las chivas y los burros (goats and donkeys)

Next a stop at the gigantic hay pyramid. This was a fun one—Sofia couldn't stop running through with her flashlight. The crazy thing was that Papi is allergic to hay so he couldn't go in there and I'm claustrophobic so it was quite the experience. We had a blast and Sofia pretended to be one of the Backyardigans "on a secret mission."

Alas, I found my pumpkin! Sofia had to pick a pumpkin, which she could carry for 10 steps all by herself. She was so proud of this little pumpkin as you can see in the picture. Good times!

Papi and Sofi, so precious. This picture makes me melt!

Coming up for air....

Perhaps that sounds a wee bit dramatic for some of you but nevertheless and notwithstanding that's basically what I'm doing here. I've been relatively MIA online for a few weeks. The month of November proved to be extremely painful as you all know and today I felt somewhat coherent enough to type a post.

So, yes, I'm as sick as I was with Sofia. And, yes, I'm on the "vomiting-my-guts-out-weight-loss plan." For those of you who recall my 30-by-30 goal--I put it on hold until the end of the pregnancy. That said, I've still actually managed to achieve 56.7% of that goal. Yes, I've lost 17 pounds in the last month averaging 4.5 pounds per week. My b-day is six days away, so we'll see what the number actually is on December 9th.

Ryan is unceasingly supportive (thanks a million, sweetheart). He's picked up where I haven't been able to and we're getting through this. Last week on one particular day my body was so dehydrated and wasted that I literally slept 16 hours. When I finally woke up and vomited some more I managed to get some fruit in me. Later that evening Ryan and Sofia were headed to the gym and encouraged me to go with them. This way I could get my mind and blood pumping so I agreed. I took it really easy but it definitely helped. I was able to do that two other days last week and it proved to be as good for my mind as well as for my body. We're going to go again tonight. :)

Clearly, this is one of my life battles, but I know why we decided have another baby, and I know this part won't last forever. I'm feeling more and more connected to the little one inside of me and continue to do everything I can to "keep my eye on the prize" --sorry for the cheesy-ness there. It's up and down for me; I try to keep in mind how happy our family will be to welcome the new little one into our lives.