Sickeningly Sweet

Today has been awesome. I feel like Bug is my little lucky charm. We had our 24 week appointment today and along with that was the dreaded 1 hour glucose tolerance test. I’ll be honest and say I’ve feared this most for a completely silly reason…I’d have to drink a nasty flat Orange Fanta flavored beverage. I hate orange soda. To me it’s so unnatural and burns and is disgusting. I feared vomiting from the sugar if, and only if, I was even able to get it done in the first place. As luck aka God’s blessing shining down upon this poor tired pregnant woman would have it, I was spared! When I was handed this cold clear glass of fluid I was pleasantly surprised to find the most “delicious” flat, sickeningly sweet lemon lime glucola. I practically lived off of Sprite or the like for my entire first trimester so I knew I could hang in there and get it down. I doubt I will crave Sprite anymore this pregnancy but man was I relieved.

The appointment was awesome as usually. Bug is growing normally and is perfect in every way. My little sugar fiend was having a blast during the brief exam. The Doctor mentioned that the scratches we were hearing during his Doppler exam were from all of his movements. If he is anything like his father, I’m going to have big trouble on my hands when this kid is given sugar.

After the appointment we ran to get some teriyaki grill so I wouldn’t crash when the glucola’s effects wore out. It was delicious and I’m so thankful it worked. I had already started feeling really sluggish and blah until I got the best text in a long time. I had won the Beaba Babycook from Mandy’s OMG…I’m a Mom blog. I’d been following Mandy from my Weddingbee days back in 2007-2008 so I was really excited when I found her new blog(s) when I was planning to plan conceiving.

The only thing I’ve know for certain about this motherhood thing is that I wanted to cook for my baby. I want to share my love of food with him and teach him what I know. In our home the kitchen is the happy place, the safe place, the center of our home. I want Bug to love it the way his father and I do. Of all the important purchases for an expectant mother to think about, the Beaba Babycook was the only thing I knew for sure I wanted and had actually researched. When I saw Mandy’s give-a-way it felt like destiny, like Bug was meant to have this and I was meant to make some really awesome food for him. I’m really excited to play around with this and make some totally awesome foods for him. First up is vanilla scented pears from Smitten Kitchen. This baby food thing is so going to rock. Thanks Mandy!

The line has been drawn

On my belly that is. Tonight we took my parents to Okawa for some Japanese Hibachi and sushi to remember my Grandpa who passed away 23 years ago. I still am not used to Bug moving so much. It still freaks me put when I am eating and he sucker punches me. It's like a weird tickle. In any case, after Bug had feasted I went home and started getting ready for bed. For the first time I really noticed how big bug's getting. Part of that noticing was string straight at my brand new Linea Nigra. I swear it wasn't there this morning when I showered.

I am constantly impressed with pregnancy. It is so different than what I had expected and yet exactly what I thought it would be. No amount of planning or preparation can help a woman to understand fully what this journey is like. I can only say I have been blessed with the health and pregnancy I have been given. I'm really grateful for the mild morning sickness sans puking and feeling great except for pretty tired. I'm blessed that I have low blood pressure and low blood sugar instead of the dangerous highs. If only I could get rid of feeling like an air heady space cadet everything would be perfect but I'll deal. In 19 weeks I should be better than normal with my little Bug in my arms. I can't think of any living person more perfect to sacrifice for.

I'm not the only one

Little Bug,

Today, at 17 days 6 weeks, you gave me the best late Mother's day gift ever...you finally let your Daddy feel you move. It was the tiniest kick but it brought a smile to his face that warmed my heart. I'm so excited to share you with everyone else. Up till now it's just been you and me (ok, sometimes puppy Betsy smuggles on my belly to listen and feel you too) but now Daddy knows you're in there wiggling and stretching too.

I'm sure it was your way of saying "Thanks Dad!" for the delicious ribeye, steamed broccoli, mushroom risotto -and a piece of a lemon bar we had been craving. Well sweet little bug, thanks for the surprise. Everyday brings us a little closer to seeing your cute little face.

Location:Home

Kicking me from the inside

So, I haven't been updating much at all. Life gas gotten away from me and cooking has temporarily lost it's appeal...morning sickness will do that to you. Now, I can safely and officially announce the worst kept secret ever...I've got a bun in the oven. That's right, my own cute little bun is baking and set to be cooked to perfection in early-ish October 2011. So this blog may be getting a lot more new action and as such probably needs to be split in two. Eating My Inheritance and Baking the Baby.

I'm really excited for this new adventure. I have the perfect partner and so much love and support. To top it off, today at 13w3d I actually felt the little Bug move. I can't believe it's not gas but it really wasn't that or hunger or any other feeling I've ever felt before. I was being kicked from the inside and I couldn't be happier.



Well back to work. I'll try and pop in soon for more news and delicious meals. We mad some pork Lin and asparagus for my Dad's birthday that is totally going in to regular rotation now.

A time for change

Now is a time of change. It's scary and sad but leaves me feeling hopeful. I'm where I've been afraid to be, my Grandparent's house. It's been almost eight years of fear and sadness being here in the house, a haven of cold air and soft pink carpet. The aura of a home whose family has moved and shifted and in essence left it behind. There are still lots of love and laughter here but the hole left by my Grandma feels evident. It feels like she is on vacation and even though we all have aged and moved on I feel her loss like a brick on my chest, like her presence or lack thereof is a white elephant in the room.

My grandfather has moved on. He has a new wife, Emily, and at times I feel conflicted. I like her a lot; she makes my grandpa happy and for that I am so grateful. She brings a youthfulness and vitality to him that suits him well. It's been a long road to get to this place of acceptance but I am happy to be here now. I am facing the fact that even if my grandpa has moved on and found love outside of my grandma, it doesn't change the life, love and family that they created. It just expanded it an a different way. I have to realign my thinking from one of replacing my grandma to one of making a new friend.

Today, I had the opportunity to hang out with Emily and talk to her and learn about her family and life before US. She taught me how to turn leftover barbacoa with the addition of simple vegetables into machaca, delicious comfort food. She also taught me how to make homemade salsa. It was to die for and so sinfully simple that I will never buy salsa again. Ok well maybe Chachie's mango salsa. I guess food really is a great unifier and a true means of healing.

So without further ado, please make and enjoy Emily's machaca.




Since this is more an art than science, you will need to use as much vegetables as you see fit. The amount listed below were added to about 1/2 a gallon ziplock bag of barbecued shredded beef, I.e. Barbacoa.

2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tomatoes diced
1 green bell pepper
1 Anaheim chili de-seeded
1 onion large dice
2 tbl spoons canola oil

Sauté all the vegetables except the tomatoes in canola oil over medium high heat for between 2-5 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add the barbacoa and mix with the sweated veggies. Cover and steam for a few
minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and add a small palm of cumin, approximately a teaspoon. Add a cup of liquid, we used water but a stock or other liquid would work. Adjust seasoning and continent to cook. Once the veggies are tender and the meat is warm and steamed through you are done. Heat up your tortillas, fill with the machaca and eat. You can mix leftover machaca with eggs and cook for breakfast. So so good.

I'll be back later with the salsa recipe. Time to go visit my family. It's a trying time for my family with my two Uncle's being sick. Please pray for us or toss a kind thought our way.

Location:Calexico