The Gender Party

So being the non-conformists that we are (ha ha!), we decided to find out what we were having in an interesting way: A cake.

I had my ultrasound Monday, the 18th. We informed the ultrasound tech of our plan and agree to help us out. When it was time for her to determine the gender, she told us not to watch the screen and printed out a separate picture, which she proceeded to put a few staples in (so we couldn't sneak a peek). I then drove it to Fuquay to the lady who was baking our cake for us (because there was no way I could have that photo in my possession very long and not want to peek!).

I then had to pick the cake up on Thursday. Thursday people! The party wasn't until Saturday!!! It was hard opening the fridge and having that box just sit there and mock me every time. But Saturday finally arrived (as well as a few guests) and we cut the cake. Here's the reaction:

I love that Matt is trying to play it cool, like he doesn't care.

Initial reactions

"Having sunk in" reactions (can you tell I really wanted a girl?)

You can't see it, but I started tearing up at this point I was so happy.

It was wonderful to be able to share that moment with friends and family (Matt, computer nerd that he is, streamed the whole party live on the internet for our family who live far, far away).

all in all, I don't think I'll find out this way again. There was way too much suspense. :) I think we'll just have our excited moment in the doctor's office.

My hair!

I am bored by my hair. I want to cut it off. Like all of it off. But I've been growing it out for so long I've become sort of attached to easy ponytails and the laziness of never styling it. Like, ever. Here's a good picture demonstrating the length.

So in lieu of cutting it off, I've thought about dying it some kind of craziness. I just don't know what. My husband has said no to my repeated requests to perm it and/or dye it red, so I've got limited options there. Also, the streak of blond I put in the back (which was delightful for a while) has grown out something serious and looks bad. Any ideas?

Also, my lack of hitting the gym has seriously taken its toll on my arms... I think I need to start lifting again. Soon.

Dreams are the windows into our souls...

Well,if that's the case, then I'm in trouble! I recently had a dream starring myself, my husband and my good friend (and roommate again!), Shelly. In the dream, we stole a cruise ship. Yes, the three of us managed to break in and operate a cruise boat without any help! And we all had designated jobs: Matt was the pilot, Shelly was the Cruise Director and I was the chef.

In our newly acquired vessel, we sailed all over the world, stopping in some interesting places. For instance, did you know that the port in Key West was a maze that only the native cart vendors knew how to navigate? Neither did I! And every time we would ask for directions on how to get into Key West, it seemed to get us more lost.

I also found out that Shelly is an accomplished aldergator fisher. Oh yes, you heard me right: aldergator. It's a cross between an alligator and a crocodile, don't you know? And the only way you can fish for one is with you rear end stuck in the water. Eventually, Shelly was pulled under and I, of course, had to jump in and save her. But, in the end, everything turned out just fine.

I cannot explain my subconscious sometimes. I honestly don't know where it comes from, but I'll tell you this: sleep is never boring. :)

It's a Girl!!!

Just wanted to say... :)

Lack of posting due to lack of pictures

So I hate writing posts and not have pictures to go with them. I am a visual person and half the time I just like looking at pictures people have taken. Now, we've been remarkable busy the past two weeks, but believe it or not, we did not take ANY pictures!!

Our friends in Charlotte invited down for an Independence Day party and we were there for a long weekend! The party was fun, but I've developed some pretty intense allergies to EVERYTHING since I've been pregnant including dogs. I've never had a problem with dogs before in my life (other than not particularly caring for them as them jump all over you and lick you all the time), but the weekend was miserable due to the presence of a very large boxer in residence. Bella (pronounced in the spanish version: Be-ya) is an incredibly well behaved dog and I generally like her, but I had a running nose, congestion and itchy eyes the whole weekend. Top that off with a killer headache the day of the party and the weekend was pretty long.

Any way, we left their house on Tuesday and on Thursday night we left for Wadesboro. my father-in-law got married last weekend and it was the same story. The house is old and there are dogs there as well. It was great because the weekend was filled with family we don't see often, but between the allergies and lack of central AC (only window units in a ginormous house doesn't quite cut it) and the general stress of getting ready for a wedding made the weekend equally long.

And the whole time, we never got our cameras out! Any way, I'm recovering from seeing HPDHP2 this morning at 2:50 AM. Ugg... I am not as young as I used to be.

Restaurant Review: Poole's Diner

Matt and I went on a date to Poole's Diner in downtown Raleigh.  Poole's Diner is self-described as a "part of a community that recognizes the importance and value of supporting the small family farm". The diner focuses their food on seasonal, local offerings while being "simple to digest", "creative" and "carefully executed".

My first impression was that the place reeked a hipster vibe. The walls were adorned with chalkboards covered with the day's offerings in addition to some interesting photos from the original diner. Matt and I sat at one of the two semi-circle counters and turned around to browse the chalkboard menus (they don't do printed menus). We ordered the watermelon salad to share, and for the main course, I ordered the herbed chicken over mashed potatoes and double stock, Matt got the open faced burger and we shared a side of the macaroni au gratin.

Let me begin with the salad. The salad was this: champagne vinaigrette, watermelon, avocado and basil. When it came, I wasn't sure about it, but let me tell you, it works. It was incredibly delicious! The salad was a perfect balance of sweet, salty, savory and creamy. Truly, it was a great start to the meal.

Then, there came to 25 minute wait for our food. 25 minutes. I cannot believe how long we waited. And apparently this is the modus opperandi for Poole's. And once our food arrived, I was ultimately disappointed. Matt's "burger" was a giant (think baseball sized) meatball that was completely raw on the inside, with a slice of cheese on top, served on a thick piece of what looked to be texas toast, with a side of au jus. I didn't try it, but it looked gross. Matt said it tasted alright, but it wasn't that great. Definitely not worth the 13 dollars we paid for it.  My chicken was moist and flavorful and the mashed potatoes creamy and smooth, but other than that it was fairly unremarkable. I can achieve the same meal at home and definitely cheaper than 18 dollars. The macaroni and cheese was pretty good, but not any better than I can make at home.

When all was said and done, we left feeling pretty cheated. With tip, our date was 70 dollars and all for a dinner that, apart from the watermelon salad, was ultimately disappointing! I can appreciate that local organic produce and meats do not come cheap, but when I'm going to pay a premium price for my dinner, I want a premium eating experience. Not only was the food disappointingly average, the restaurant was incredibly loud. When we left, my ears felt a little fuzzy, like I'd been to a rock concert.

So, bottom line: Over-priced and underwhelming.  There are plenty of restaurants in Raleigh that I would rather spend my money at. I won't be going again.

Busy Busy

We are busy people. At least I feel like it sometimes. We went to Charlotte this past weekend for an Independence Day party at our friend's house. It was a great party, or so I was told. I basically felt like total crap the whole weekend and escaped from the party several times to go lay down. The party started at 4, but people were still hanging around at 11:30. I think at one point, there were almost 70 people milling around the deck and in the back yard, even despite the rain that came through! Blayke said she just kept inviting people! I think I would have gone crazy if I were her!

We came home Tuesday morning and I slept for 4 and a half hours in recovery. And then I went to bed early! And then this afternoon my husband reminds me we're leaving Thursday evening to drive down to Wadesboro for my father-in-law's wedding this weekend. I feel like we just got home!!

Any way, I was asked to play the piano for Wayne and Elaine and have been feverishly practicing to get the music just right. It's almost there. I just hope I don't make too many mistakes! :) Wish me luck!