i think this may become my new mantra...

Learn to like what doesn't cost much.
Learn to like reading, conversation, music.
Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking.
Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills.
Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different... different from you.
Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.
Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs.
Learn to like gardening, puttering around the house and fixing things.
Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of the rain on the roof and windows, and the gentle fall of snow on a winter's day.
Learn to keep your wants simple and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.

-Lowell Bennion

*****

as beautiful as this is, it may be difficult for me to learn to enjoy "plain food" and the "companionship of dogs"...just being honest. however, as a whole, i adore this message. it reminds me that a simple life, free of rubbish and silly wants can be the most rewarding. and most importantly, this mantra reassures me of what i learned not so long ago: life's best gifts are free and are often right in front of us.

twenty three weeks

dear baby:

* we are heading into our sixth month together and my body has begun to feel a bit cumbersome. and this is really just the beginning of the long haul. i wonder how on earth my skin and bones will stretch even more to accomodate you, my ever growing babe.


* i had two dreams this week about running for miles, getting sweaty, and feeling the "burn". much to my suprise, i miss that feeling. both dreams were so vivid and it felt glorious. i look forward to hitting the pavement with you soon enough.


* chocolate has officially taken on a new meaning in my life and i am comforted that i am not alone in this obsession. legend has it that ryan's dear granny had to have chocolate daily while with child, and i think its safe to say that i am eating a bit of chocolate every day. oh boy. or maybe i should say, "oh girl". either way its dangerous, but oh so delicious.


* this week also marked a change in your movement. it is suddenly much more frequent and much stronger-i suppose it should-you now weigh over a pound-as much as a large mango! instead of little flutters, sometimes it is like i can feel complete back flips. it is pretty neato.


* we love you, lil' mango baby.

date night: down by the river

i am quite partial to this companion of mine. i am smitten with the sinking sun. i am enchanted by this river. and i like sacramento sunsets quite a bit. we walked for an hour and a half. sometimes chattering. sometimes quietly observing. oftentimes laughing. all the time holding hands.

birthday boy

my dear father in law, or daddy david as we prefer to call him, had a birthday on sunday, so we had a little celebration at casa de kelly on monday night. i wish i could say that i delicately slaved over that beautiful wedge salad that you see, but alas, i did not. instead, mama marsha, who will soon be known as mimi, brought all the fixin's for davids favorite. so sweet. and soooooo delicious. it was the perfect compliment to the pizza that ryan and i worked so hard to order and pick up.


for dessert, we had david's favorite: cheesecake (which i whipped up courtesy of my mama's beloved recipe - i still can't believe she shared that treasure with me) coffee and a rousing game of jeporady. daddy david is good. real good.


happy birthday, dear daddy david. you are quite a guy, always telling a good joke, are our biggest fan, and is someone who would do just about anything for us. we are so lucky to have you!

sister slumber party

while the mister worked hard all weekend, my sisters headed up for a slumber party...

i busied myself at the farmer's market (my first of the year!) and with flower picking until they arrived. i was jumping up and down when this view was visible from my doorway. it meant that i was in store for a lot of fun and even more laughter.

after some chatter around the table while we ate strawberries, we agreed outside is where we wanted to be. so old sac it was.

we perused the stores and tried on many hats...

and masks and shoes and rings and taffy too.

after sunset we headed home for supper. we whipped up ina's parmesean chicken, asparagus, salad and bread. and for dessert, movie time with our dad's banana milshakes recipe.

the morning came and we ate cinnamon french toast with fruit.

and then we planted wheat grass for easter treats. such fun.

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. ~ Marion C. Garretty

twenty two weeks

dear baby,

at long last, the clouds have parted and the warm sun is shining through. i have never been more excited for spring in.my.life. although i may be longing for winter come july when my belly is full and the temps are high, today, i am just excited. because you see, the arrival of another season means we are that much closer to meeting you. i can't stop thinking about what you will look like, whether or not you will have hair, and the simple fact that only you, little one, can make us a family.

love, mamasita

****

a couple of things i want to always remember:

*your daddy picked me up for a surprise lunch this week. we ate outside at la bou. after he kissed me goodbye, he smiled and said "stay pregnant" and turned and walked away. he has a way of making me feel so loved and cute, even on days when i feel large and in charge.

*yesterday morning as i rolled out of bed, ryan pretended to stop in his tracks and with a shocked look on his face, shouted, "whoa! what happened?!?!" like i had just gone to bed the night before and woke up very pregnant. we laughed and laughed. it made my morning.

this week...

* we pulled out the hose for our first car wash party of the season.

* and i walked barefoot amongst the grass and suds. *i drank enough fresh grapefruit juice to turn my cheeks an alarming shade of ruby red. i can't get enough! *we had our first cookout of the year. *we slept with windows open and casually left doors open behind us. *i hung an easter egg wreath on the door. thank you, target dollar section. *we gazed at gifted crocs that will soon grace chubby little feet. *i fell in love with my new/old plates all over again. mom, can you believe i forgot about these beauties? the trunk of my car really is like a black hole. *i made banana bread. courtesy of this recipe.*and admired the darling little nest that my dad made and gave to me last easter. now it is filled (well, almost filled) with chocolate eggs, which truly thrills me. it's been such a cheery week.

and today, i am wearing flip flops and short sleeves. it just keeps getting better...

girls night

last week, we celebrated me (or is it mine?) and tracey's birthdays with a fancy dinner soiree, thanks to christy and sara. and fancy it was. they went all out. the menu included an incredible mushroom pasta dish (recipe courtesy of the cheesecake factory) salad, warm rolls and chicken. i can't speak for the rest of the girls, but it was bliss for me.


after our gourmet supper, we admired baby T's adorable nursery and itty bitty clothes, and then we hung out in the living room, talking about babies in utero (there were two there), vegas, jobs, and our dreamy men folk.


then we ate cake. strawberry cake. do i have to remind you how much i love berries right now?


i love these girls. and i am pretty smitten with our birthday celebrations. for years, we would visit chic, new downtown eateries and now we opt to eat in at each other's houses. it is so cozy and so....grown up. i dig it.

three is glee

this little boy turned three and his mom and dad arranged a celebration with his friends at a bouce house wonderland!

he certainly knew that it was his birthday and that everyone was there to party because it was his day. so cute.

the cupcakes were made by his mama...and they were good. real good.

one of my favorite parts was watching ever play with all his little friends and hearing their little voices call out each other's names.

erika's brand new, adorable niece was there for us all to gaze at. i even got to hold her. i couldn't believe how tiny and sweet she was.

and these two silly billies doing their, "let's pretend we are a family" picture.

i just can't believe ever is three! it seems like just last tuesday that he looked like this. i remember waiting and waiting for him to come and then getting the text message that he had arrived. it took my breath away. and now he is here, speaking in sentences, understanding that there is a baby in my tummy, and using the big boy potty. he is one of the most fun people i know. and i hope this year is especially magical for him...

happy birthday, sweet boy.

twenty one weeks

dear baby:

today, i am feeling pretty lucky to be preggo with this fine lady. and something tells me that you and baby trampetti are friends already.

love, mama

weekend report

the weekend began on friday night: dinner at casa de kool with the kelly parentals to celebrate both my birthday and st. patty's day. good eats and lots of laughs all around...lucky us, AND we got to take leftovers home.

i got a few fabulous gifts including those to-die-for rain boots. i can't wait to splash around with baby berry next year. or maybe the year after that. but my favorite gifts were the ones i inherited...the shirt that marsha wore to surprise david's parents with the news that she was expecting ryan all those years ago and the baby book that she read before he was born. tied with the most darling bow. how special is that...

the rest of the weekend looked like this:


1. chicken fajitas. times two.

2. nursing runny noses and sneezing fits.

3. first attempt at landra's chocolate oatmeal cookies. best ever.

4. the beginning of "the list". as in the baby name list.

5. rainy walks followed by lots of couch time.

6. french toast mornings.

7. marsha's irish soda bread. with butter. all weekend long.

8. a sudden burst of energy to do loads of laundry, iron and mop.

9. rainy window views.

10. movies with hot chocolate. lots of movies.

********

it seems that i had forgotten how splendid a weekend at home, with nothing to do is, even if i did have a cold. after a trip to the doctor, the video store and the market, we hardly left the house all weekend and the hours crept by so slowly. so lovely.

note to self: you don't always have to plan every inch of your day. sometimes doing nothing at all is delicious. especially when you are with your favorite person, in your favorite place. that's all.

twenty weeks

halfway there!

dear baby:

*i have nothing but love for you this week (well any week really). but this must be the most wonderful stage of "you and me" so far.

*the doc says you look healthy, are growing and i feel fabulous. it is hard to even remember those rough first few months now.

*i started my swim class and i love it. i think you do too because that night after i got home, your daddy felt you move for the first time. i was so happy that he was able to connect with you in the same way that i have. i think you like his funny voices.

*we also celebrated st. patrick's day this week. a big holiday in our household. your daddy celebrated with your uncle jimmy while you and i stayed home and got cozy. no beer for me this year. but tonight we head to mimi and pop's for an irish feast. i don't know about you, but i am pretty excited.

*rest up, our little lephrecaun.

birthday girl (a.k.a. me)

simply put, i adore my birthday. perhaps i am a narcissist. oh well. all i know is that i have never dreaded the arrival of another year. or a chance to celebrate.

so when the daffodils begin to pop up in random patches of grass...i begin planning. and my loyal loved ones play along...

the first celebration began on the eve of my birthday, at casa de awesome, and despite a forecast of rain...sunny skies were here.

we walked with pups (and stared in shock at my growing tummy)

we watched as our mama prepared my favorite treats, including green beans and pear cake...

we visited antique stores where i bought that irresistable little school bus for the nursery, a cute pink basket in case baby berry is a girl berry and mom treated me to a hamper that will soon hide dirty little onesies.


i admired the decorations, carefully placed in my honor (and drooled over the cooling pear cake).

and then we feasted. dad's famous tri tip (apparently, i am now a full-fledged carnivore-weird) mom's salad, green beans and smashed dill potatoes. mmmmm....

and then i made a wish (one that i didn't have to think about for long) and blew out my candle with gusto, so grateful for my first family. it has been such a happy year, and the next is poised to be even better...



*******


on my morning of my birthday, i woke up with my ryan, to an entire day of no plans. it was refreshing. days like this feel like fairy tales to me.



after i opened a darling card that brought a tear to my eye and smelled the bouquet of hydrangeas and tulips that ryan had carefully picked out, it was eating time and my man said he would take me anywhere i wanted to go. i chose tower cafe. it is the best breakfast in this city, i am convinced.


i remember when i used to work in a cafe, i would admire couples who would leisurely eat breakfast, and flip through newspapers in between sips of coffee. they would sometimes lift their head to alert the other to a news story or compliment the eggs, but would quickly return to their paper, content in silence.


my favorites were the ones who played footsie under the table.


ryan and i did just that. it was pretty romantic.


and then the food came. and it instantly garnered our attention.


i couldn't decide between the huevos or the cornmeal blueberry pancake, so i got both! ha!


sadly, i am picture-less, but the rest of the day was filled with a nap, a movie, a surprise trip to the baby store, a long drive and dinner at a pizza parlour...the entire day it poured and it seemed perfectly lazy. it was just how i had hoped to spend my birthday and my favorite part was when ryan, in the sweetest voice i know, toasted me for just being born. swoon i did.

*******

as if i wasn't lucky enough, last night, my besties and i got all dressed up and headed north bound to the place where, in my mind, celebratory dinners are enjoyed. rutherford grill.

a photo shoot helped pass the time as we waited for our table. i am pretty sure that no one has more stylish or fun besties than i.


it is without a doubt, that this year my birthday has really revolved around food. my one remaining vice, and enjoy all the food i did. i really didn't hold back when it came to ordering off the menu. the artichoke was my favorite, but the ribs never disappoint. but the company surpassed any bite that entered my mouth. never dull, always funny they are. sometimes i don't know why they picked me, but i always feel like the lucky one.


i had to save room for dessert. the oreo sandwich is so memorable and the baby inside me really likes sweets. how could i say no? after a thoughtful toast from my companions, i blew out yet another candle.


and i still have two celebrations to go! one with the kelly's of casa de kool on friday and another with my sac town besties next week...


it is all about drawing out the birthday as long as possible, friends, and i am soaking up every moment.