Officially famous ;)

Okay, so I MAY have mentioned once...or twice about that time I was an extra in a Reese Witherspoon movie?


And then I saw the trailer, and was a bit disappointed, but still excited to see the movie?


Well, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.  Their YouTube channel has a new preview out, and my friend Christina and I are TOTALLY IN IT!


First, go to this link:  http://www.youtube.com/user/HowDoYouKnowMovie?v=zlqxwkqWLaQ&feature=pyv&ad=7291204665&kw=how%20do%20you%20know


Then click the bottom right video:

Feel free to watch the whole thing, then start watching closely at 20 seconds in.


See that?

WOW!  It is very surreal to see yourself standing next to Owen Wilson for real...I was so sure that scene would get cut because I suck, and now I'm assuming its definitely in the movie if we're in the trailer!


Now you all know where I will be on December 17th :)  Who else is going to see this movie?!

OB Appointment

I had an OB appointment this morning, and it was my first time meeting with an actual doctor, and not a nurse practitioner.  I expected to go in, talk about the pregnancy and hopefully even the labor, listen to the heartbeat, then schedule my next appointment.


First, they wanted a urine sample, which I wasn't prepared to give.  So that took a little longer than expected.  Then I met the doctor, and LOVED her - thank goodness!  But after talking about the pregnancy, she said she would leave the room so I could undress, and she'd be back to do an internal exam.


Uh, oh.  I had NO idea they'd have any need to be down there.  If I had, I would have shaved my legs, and painted my toenails.  Yes, I know that doctors have seen MUCH worse than my one day old stubble and a chipped big toe, but I am a fanatic about cleanliness for doctors!  So I was very uncomfortable while she checked out my cervix and felt my uterus.


The exam was pretty quick though, and painless - it was nice to get right in and out at the doctor.  And then we got to listen to the heartbeat, which was a gloriously strong 167bpm :)


I made my 16 week appointment for 12/28 but luckily won't have to wait that long to see our baby again...my NT Scan is on Wednesday, and I can't wait!!!  

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

I volunteered to bring desserts to Thanksgiving, and the second I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats, I knew I had to make it.

The texture was amazing, and so were all the flavors together.  We skipped the pumpkin pie this year, and I think this was the PERFECT replacement!  I also loved the presentation - it looked so elegant on the table.

You really can't go wrong with any of Annie's recipes.  Copy and pasted below, directly from her post found here.  My changes are in red.  And, if you look at her site, you'll notice she includes candied pecans on top.  I skipped this step, so I removed it from the recipe below.  Please visit Annie's site to see her recipe!

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:
For the crust:
5 oz. graham crackers, broken into large pieces (I bought pre-crushed graham cracker, and used a little less than half of the 13oz. bag)
3 tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1 1/3 cups (10 1/3 oz.) sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg)
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325˚ F and place an oven rack in the lower-middle position.  Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly with two pieces of foil.  Spray the inside of the pan lightly with cooking spray.  To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and spices in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to process until evenly and finely ground.  (I skipped the food processor since I bought graham cracker crumbs, and just stirred all dry ingredients together)  Add the melted butter to the bowl and pulse again until the crumbs are evenly moistened.  Transfer the crumbs to the prepared springform pan and press firmly into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.  (I like to use the bottom of a ramekin or measuring cup to do this.)  Bake until fragrant and browned at the edges, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes.  Set the pan inside a larger roasting pan.

Bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil; maintain at a simmer.  To make the filling, combine the sugar, spices and salt in a small bowl; whisk to blend and set aside.  Line a work surface with a triple layer of towels.  Spread the pumpkin on the towels and cover with a second triple layer of towels.  Press firmly until the towels are saturated with excess liquid.  (I replaced the top layer of towels twice to remove the moisture.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and softened, about 1 minute.  Add about a third of the sugar-spice mixture to the bowl and beat at medium-low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed and repeat, adding the remaining sugar mixture in two additions.  Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla and lemon juice; beat at medium speed until blended, about 45 seconds.  Add 3 of the eggs and mix on medium-low until incorporated; repeat with the remaining two eggs.  Add the heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds.  Use a rubber spatula to give the mixture a final stir by hand.

Pour the filling into the springform pan, over the crust.  Smooth the top.  Pour enough simmering water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.  Bake until the cake is slightly wobbly when the pan is shaken and the center reads 150˚ F on an instant-read thermometer, about 90 minutes.  Transfer the roasting pan to a wire rack and cool until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes.  Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil, and run a paring knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake.  Cool until barely warm, about 3 hours.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.

To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan.  Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and the bottom of the pan to loosen.  Transfer to a serving platter.  Garnish with candied pecans as desired.  Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

11 weeks!

How far along: 11 weeks.

Size of our baby:  A lime.


Total weight gain/loss: 126 lbs.

Maternity clothes:  Haven't worn any this week.

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep:  Slowly getting better.

Best moment this week:  Thanksgiving!  And telling my extended family today :)

Movement: Not yet.

Food cravings/aversions:  I am LOVING everything.  Food is my friend :)

Belly button in or out: In.

What I miss/What I am looking forward to: Tomorrow I'll get to tell the In laws :)

Weekly Wisdom:  Your fetus currently enjoys a 1:1 ratio between body and head, and has skin so transparent that blood vessels show right through it. But fingers and toes are no longer webbed, and hair follicles, tooth buds, and nail beds are forming -- setting up a significantly more attractive future. 

Milestones: Almost out of first trimester!

Symptoms:  Just minor aches and pains...probably from growing :)

Happy Thanksgiving!! OOTD

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday.  And not because of the turkey or pie...but because it means I can officially kick off the Christmas season, and all the decorations and Christmas music my little heart desires!


We had a fabulous day, and spent it with my family.  My aunt hosted, and lives about 15 minutes away, so it was nice to have a short drive.  I have some incredible recipes to share for a spicy sausage dip, pumpkin spiced cheesecake and apple pie.  I thought about posting one to start...then realized I haven't done an outfit of the day in forever.  So here you go, what I wore for Thanksgiving:

Skinny jeans are my absolute favorite, and these are my favorite pair, so its shocking how cheap they are - Charlotte Russe's skinny jeans.  I love that they come in a Short length, its the perfect fit.

I hadn't been in a Wet Seal since college, but popped in randomly last week looking for a necklace, and saw this sweater on a mannequin.  I knew I had to have it, and I love how perfect it is for the holiday season.

  

Holidays also call for a fabulous pair of shoes:

And some blingy jewelry:

 Fun and festive!  If it were up to me, holidays would be a dressier affair in my family.  But they aren't, and as it was I was the most dressed up.  I'm okay with that :)

Sweater:  Wet Seal.  Jeans:  Charlotte Russe.  Heels:  Paris Hilton "Senorita".  Earrings:  Target.

Junebug Wine?

Yes please!  I found this in my local Super Target, and couldn't resist!  How cute is this wine, to commemorate MY little junebug?!  

I bought a bottle for my mom, and another for myself (to enjoy in June!)

10 weeks!

How far along: 10 weeks - a quarter of the way there!

Size of our baby:  A prune.


Total weight gain/loss: 127, down 3lb since getting pregnant, but up 2lb from last week.

Maternity clothes:  Haven't worn any this week.

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep:  I bought a Snoogle, and its the greatest invention ever.  In fact, I think it needs its own post.

Best moment this week:  Telling a few more people at work...I LOVE telling people!

Movement: Not yet.

Food cravings/aversions:  I am LOVING:  Pizza!  I had it five times this week.  And I almost never eat pizza, so this is definitely unusual for me.

Belly button in or out: In.

What I miss/What I am looking forward to: I'm hoping to tell my little sister tomorrow night, and then less than a week until we get to tell my aunt, and Tyler's parents!

Weekly Wisdom:  With bones and cartilage starting to form and vital organs beginning to function, baby is making major progress. Body length will almost double in the next three weeks, and arm joints are now working. (Soon, legs will start working too.)

Milestones: A quarter of the way through the pregnancy!

Symptoms:  Pretty much none.  My hips and back have been a little achy, but that could be from sleeping weird...I'm sure it will go away now that I have my snoogle :)

Daddy's Girls

Tyler and I love unwinding on the couch at night - watching TV or a movie (or hockey!), and usually with a laptop or two in front of us.  For some reason, the girls always insist on sitting on me at all times.

Tyler caught a rare moment where both took up residence behind me.

I much prefer this set up - they make the best little headrest!

Puerto Rico, Part 3

See Puerto Rico, Part 1 here


See Puerto Rico, Part 2 here


For the last two nights, we checked into La Concha.  It was the most amazing hotel I've ever been in.  When we walked up, there were all these crazy cars parked outside.  I commented on one particularly fancy one, and Tyler informs me it costs $1.8million.  Holy hell.  This hotel was definitely the place to be seen.  When you walked into the lobby, it was a pretty fancy nightclub.  Everyone there clearly belonged to the "Beautiful People" club, perfectly dressed and amazing music playing.


I didn't get pictures at night, but the lobby the next morning:

The outside areas:

The inside entrance to our room looked down to a second lobby:

It totally reminded Tyler and I of the Johnson Center at George Mason University.

And I almost fell over when I walked into our room - it was bigger than our first apartment.  

Our patio - I loved sleeping with the door open to hear the ocean.

Daytime view:

We got ready, and headed down to the main lobby for some drinks.

The next morning, I headed straight for some sunshine.  LOVED the infinity pool.

But I moved to the beach for a closer view.

After a long day in the sun, Tyler and I got cleaned up and headed to dinner at Perla.  It was in a gorgeous huge clam shell and dinner was to die for.

It felt like we were right on top of the water!

After dinner, we headed back into Old San Juan to meet up with Joel and Jessie at a place called Barrachina, and Tyler bought me a rose from a street vendor.  It matched my sunburn from being outside all day :)

Afterwards, we headed to Nonos, one of our favorite bars.  That night they had an 80s coverband playing.  They started out with Freebird, then moved on to Hotel California, Jessie's Girl, etc.  These guys knew all the words to all the songs...but didn't speak a word of English.  Hilarious.

The next morning, I spent some more time on the beach, and then we had a flight to catch :(  It was such an amazing trip, I can't wait to go back in April!

9 weeks

How far along: 9 weeks!

Size of our baby:  An olive.


Total weight gain/loss: 125, so down 5lb from when I got pregnant.

Maternity clothes:  I saw maternity jeans and leggings on sale, and decided to buy them.  I wore the jeans to lunch with Tyler at Rio Grande on Sunday and HOLY AWESOME ELASTIC WAISTBAND!  I definitely could have worn my skinny jeans, but I felt like I was wearing pajamas.  They are SO comfortable!

Stretch marks: None.

Sleep:  I cannot sleep anymore.  I am tossing and turning, and decided to buy a Snoogle this weekend.  Everyone says it will help me sleep better, so I hope they're right!

Best moment this week:  Telling my parents at dinner last Saturday, and seeing their incredible reaction :)

Movement: Not yet.

Food cravings/aversions:  I am LOVING:  Cold, cut up green apples with caramel sauce.  Plain toast.  Apple Juice.  I'd be happy to just eat that all day long!

Belly button in or out: In.

What I miss/What I am looking forward to: In two weeks, telling Tyler's parents and my aunt/uncle and cousins!  I'm also trying to figure out a way to tell my little sister before then.

Weekly Wisdom:  Your little embryo has now officially graduated to fetus-hood. Adding to the excitement, a Doppler ultrasound device might be able to pick up the beating heart. With basic physical structures in place and increasingly distinct facial features, baby is kind of starting to look like...well...a baby!

Milestones: We are officially a fetus!

Symptoms:  Everything is winding down.  I'm not as exhausted, my acne is gone, and my breasts aren't as sore. Every once in a while I get a bit queasy, and then as soon as I eat I'm good as new!  I feel VERY lucky!

Puerto Rico, Part 2

See Puerto Rico, Part 1 here.


So after spending a little bit of time in Old San Juan, we headed up to El Morro.  El Morro is a 16th century citadel on a gorgeous peak of lank - its also where Joel and Jessie are getting married in April.


On our way - it felt like a very long walk!

The entrance to the city.

I loved how the street names were tiled into the side of buildings.

One of the craziest parts about San Juan?  The wild cats EVERYWHERE!  You couldn't go three feet without seeing another cat just hanging out.  It was crazy.

Oh, and the biggest bug I've ever seen in my life.  It was like 5" long.  Terrifying.

Walking up to the Fort.

Where they'll be standing on April 10th :)

Ceremony site.

So windy!

Entrance to the Fort.

Thin alleys for cannons and musket rifles.

Tiny chapel inside the Fort.

Looking back to the city.

So after a long day of exploring, I took a nap (I had been up all night before cleaning and getting ready for our trip!) and Joel, Jessie and Tyler went to a manager's reception at our Hotel.  After we all changed, we headed out to some local bars.  Our first stop was El Batey.

The walls in this bar were COVERED in graffitti...it was pretty cool.

And it had a pool table.

SO fun!

The next morning, I got up pretty early to go sun at the pool on the rooftop terrace.  I spent every morning there, and was always alone...it was small, but more than big enough for just me ;)

Look at that view!

When everyone was up, we all headed to lunch at El Picoteo.

Jessie and Joel had some wedding appointments that day, and so Tyler and I spent some time relaxing - he slept off his hangover in our room, and I went back to the pool :)

The night, we went to dinner at Baru.

And then moved on to some bars.

In addition to cats, there were also a lot of stray dogs.  These two pitts tried to follow us to the  bar Nonos.

This one guy had mange...I wouldn't let Tyler touch him.  Poor guy.

In this bar, patrons carve into the bar, which looked pretty cool.

Joel hard at work.

Tyler busy carving.

Joels:  Jessy + Joel.

Mine:  K <3 T

Tylers:  Try the Veal.

Some things never change :)

The next day, we joined Joel and Jessie for their food tasting at the Hotel El Convento, and it was in the COOLEST room.

All of the food was amazing!

Afterwards, Tyler and I spent some time wandering around Old San Juan, and Joel got his first tattoo.

Then, we set off to another part of the island, to check into our hotel room at La Concha.  That will be the third and final Puerto Rico post ;)