Sundays with Jerome - Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyere

It's been awhile since I blogged and a lot has happened since then. We had a rough start to Thanksgiving week. We had an early Thanksgiving with my family and it was quite nice, not too much bickering and some good conversation. When we came home we discovered that our cat Pikachu of 10 years had died. She was a very friendly and personable cat when we got her but a traumatic trip to the vet changed her personality. Pika, Chowzie, Chowzilla, Zil Zil, P-Chu or our favorite, Zilla, went in for a routine vet check and nails trim and not 10 min after I dropped her off I got a call from the vet. I guess Pika lounged at the vet tech when he opened the cage. She then bounced off of him and then went above the crates and back behind them. I quickly raced to the vet to try and capture her. No luck. TWO DAYS later after they had to set out opossum traps and close down that side of the vet, Pika was captured. She didn't get groomed or checked out that day and she was never the same since then. She was great to me and was kind of scared of Jen. She would always purr loudly and sit right next to me to make sure she was touching me when I would work on the computer. Louis and Lola wanted to be her friend so bad and although she would withstand the constant harassment from them, she teased them endlessly and would hiss just to get a rise out of them. I will miss her sitting in the hall waiting for me to feed her or brush up against me and all those times she would interrupt me working to sit on my papers to purr loudly. We buried her in our garden and to memorialize her life, we will be placing a bird bath on top of her and some plants surrounding it.

On Thanksgiving we had a full day packed. We visited the Waszczuk and Fiori families. The morning consisted of donuts and coffee and finally getting to meet Baby Landon Sousa, Averie's future boyfriend, or one of them. He was so small and precious and such a great baby. There was barely any fussing and he slept a good majority of the time. After visiting with everyone we had to head home to cook a broccoli/cauliflower gratin and head over to the Fioris. This is where we spent the majority of the afternoon catching up, drinking wine and eating great food. Everyone is a great chef so there was plenty of amazing food to eat. My favorite was a green bean casserole, mac n chz and a jalapeno stuffing. Everything was new to me and it was nice to change it up from the traditional preparation.

From dinner we were going to head to Jen's parents so that I could experience Black Friday shopping but due to the turkey and wine and for Jen getting over a cold, we decided to stay home and do our own Black Friday shopping. We weren't looking for anything in particular because we are trying to get rid of junk in our house in preparation for Averie. However, I knew we would probably do some shopping next year so I needed to experience it first before I threw myself into it next year. Let me tell you, seeing stores crazy busy at 3AM in CRAZY! Also, seeing grown adults run in a store is even CRAZIER. It made my morning and I really couldn't believe my eyes. Next year that could be me but for now, I will say that it won't be. There were some amazing deals but nothing I had to have. I could always talk myself into buying something just because it was on sale but not this year. We did however manage to buy a $3 hand mixer. We couldn't pass it up.

Later that day, we decided to start the mass purging and decluttering of Averie's room and our office. This continued into Saturday but I am happy to say that Averie's room is empty and our office feels a lot cleaner and more functional. Next week we will hopefully prime the walls in Averie's room and then put up wallpaper and paint. We went to Home Depot and priced all of the wainscot and mouldings we are going to need. It will be a big project but well worth it. This weekend I was finally able to mark things off of my To-Do list before Averie gets here. Now only 34 more items.

I put up our Xmas lights on the house and finally, to end the great four day weekend, Jen and I had our own Thanksgiving dinner. We LOVE leftovers and Jen has been craving turkey sandwiches for lunch. She used to live off of turkey sandwiches but they urge you not to eat deli meats while pregnant so she was happy that we were cooking our own turkey. We had turkey, sage and apple sausage stuffing, brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes. The best part is that there is SO MANY LEFTOVERS!!!

Here is the recipe for the Broccoli/Cauliflower gratin from Cooking Light:

Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyère

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
• 1 medium head broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets
  
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place cauliflower/broccoli in a broiler-safe baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; coat cauliflower with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until almost tender. Cool 5 minutes.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in panko. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and chives.

5. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until almost tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, parsley, and pepper. Pour milk mixture over cauliflower mixture; toss. Top evenly with cheese mixture. Broil 3 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly heated.

ENJOY! Have a great week. Jerome

23 Week Baby Update!

Last week we had our 23 week appointment with my OB. It started out a little hectic because my fabulous doctor, whom was also pregnant and due in December, had gone in to labor early, causing the office to have to reschedule all of her appointments on short notice. The office is usually pretty packed (it is a very in-demand OBGYN practice in Newport Beach), but this time it was a madhouse. Luckily, we were able to keep our appointment time, but we will be seeing the nurse practitioner, Angela, for the next few appointments, while Dr. Lai is out on leave.

I was a little nervous going in to this appointment because I had thought for sure that I had put on quite a few pounds since last month's weigh in. My appetite was seemingly growing, and I assumed the scale was too! Luckily, I only gained 2 more pounds! Phew! My urine was good, blood pressure perfect, and the belly measured right on track. We got to hear Averie's heartbeat, and it was in the 150's. I couldn't stop laughing while the NPR was using the Doppler because every time she put it on my belly to hear the heart, Averie would move and give it a little kick. I guess she didn't want us to bother her! Haha! I've had a little sinus congestion, thanks to this fluctuating weather and spending some time with the already sick Boroff ladies, but the NPR assured me that it was nothing to be too worried about, and said I could use Sudafed if it got any worse.

The appointment went pretty quickly, and soon we were on our way home (so I could eat!). Here are some FAQs on where we are so far:

How far along?: 23 weeks and 4 days. We've made it to the 6th month!

How big is baby?: She's estimated to be about a pound and a half and about 8 1/2 inches long. The growth spurt is coming, so she is expected to start gaining an additional 6 oz each week!

Weight gain: So far, I have gained 10 pounds. I am very pleased with this, considering I am over half way done and they say you gain the most weight at the end. Although I am definitely hungry, I have not really gotten any more of an appetite than I had pre-pregnancy.

Clothes: I finally broke down and bought two pairs of maternity jeans last weekend. Wow! I didn't know I could be this comfortable! I had been rocking the Bella Band with my regular jeans, and I still will on occasion, but the new jeans are a welcome addition to my wardrobe. Leggings are also high on the list. Just got some super cute and comfy ones at Forever 21 that don't have a waistband and were only $6! I will be living in these, I'm sure!

Showing: I am starting to pop out much more. It seemed to have happened over night! I had been to dinner with my girlfriend Dana, and was "barely" showing. A few days later we met up to do some shopping, and she couldn't get over how much I had "popped" out! It is still definitely on the smaller side, and I find myself having belly envy towards the women who have those cute round baby bumps. I want mine now! A lot of my Mom friends have been telling me

that they didn't really show with their first until the 6th month, so I'm hoping that means I will start too!

Food Cravings: Still loving cold fruit and apple juice. I have also been loving the Avocado Al Fresco sandwich from Whole Foods. I could eat it daily! I am also happy to have eaten turkey for Thanksgiving. I used to eat turkey sandwiches regularly as part of my lunch routine, but since being pregnant, I was advised to avoid deli meats due to the higher possibility of them containing the bacteria, Listeria. Luckily, I have had 3 different Thanksgiving meals and plenty of turkey to munch on! Yay!

Feeling: Fabulous! The most exciting feeling since my last post is the fact that we have been able to feel Averie move all over my belly. It is the craziest and coolest feeling ever! She seems to be most active at night before I go to sleep, and first thing in the morning. I love feeling her and can't wait till the kicks get stronger!

As for me, No major complaints here. I have been dealing with some sinus issues, but Vapo Rub, Ocean nasal spray and Mucinex have seemed to help. The notorious leg cramps have started this weekend, and I'm finding it increasingly uncomfortable to sleep comfortably. I've been waking up with achy hips, as if I'd run a marathon. Ugh! Definitely going to invest in a pregnancy pillow this week to see if that helps.

Daddy-isms: Jerome is getting so excited knowing that Averie is getting closer to being here! He has started working on her room and it awesome to see him so excited and proud of setting it up for her. The room is getting quite the overhaul from the guest bed it once housed, but I know Jerome will do a great job! We've got all of the furniture and now we are waiting on some wallpaper samples to come in the mail, so we can push forward with picking out the paint and bedding (my Mom is making it custom for us).

Jerome still loves talking to Averie and telling her how much he loves her and how excited he is to meet her. I even caught him talking to her ultra sound pictures that are hanging on the fridge, telling her how much he loves her. Last weekend we registered at Babies R Us (wow, that was overwhelming!), and Jerome was so stoked to pick out the Baby Bjorn. He is already planning his days, carrying Averie around in the BB and doing stuff all over the house.

Louis and Lola: Jerome and I have already decided that the dogs are going to love Averie, not only because she is their family, but because she will have lots of new toys for them to chew on! They are definitely in for a reality check when they find out that those "yummy" toys and stuffed animals are not for pups!

Sundays with Jerome: Movember and Spanish Rice

This month is November, but as we say in the office, it's MOVEMBER. Movember is an annual month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November. Movember raises awareness and funds for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. Last year, our work decided to participate in Movember by growing beards but it was more of a friendly competition in the office. This year, we took it one step further and actually are raising funds as a team. http://us.movember.com/mospace/633706/ Below is a photo of the first week's progress.

week 1

For the past few years, I have always had some type of facial hair on my face, but never a mustache for a long period of time. I have very sensitive skin so I don't like shaving my face everyday. The mustache in the beginning phase is pretty awful too. You tend to get different looks from people and I feel myself being very self conscious about it. Well at least I did until today at church. I have become a little more aware of people rocking mustaches this past week. I look at someone and wonder, are they participating in Movember? I asked myself the same question when I went to church this morning. We have a pastor who normally rocks a beard but today he had a perfectly groomed handlebar mustache. I leaned over to Jen and said, "I wonder if he is participating in Movember" and believe it or not, he mentioned that he got a work email talking about Movember and decided to be a part of it. He told a very funny story about people treating him differently because he had a mustache and we just laughed because I noticed the same thing. When we went to breakfast this morning, I also noticed someone sitting next to us who had a full Burt Reynolds stache and I know it had to be because of Movember. I only know one person who loves mustaches as much as Burt Reynolds and it is my dear friend Jenneane. I love her but don't know if I could every love a mustache. I hope I can get into it by the end of the month. The funny thing is, because I am documenting my progression each day, I find myself trying to dress appropriately for the mustache so it looks correct. The wrong outfit could seriously make me even creepier than I already look. We will see by month's end if I was successful. Please stay updated through my Movember webpage and help raise awareness for these awful health issues.

For Sunday dinner this week, Jen and I decided on homemade tacos, with fried taco shells and spanish rice. Jen's spanish rice is amazing. So much better than Rice-A-Roni or Unlce Ben's Spanish Rice. Here is the recipe:

Spanish Rice

1 onion, diced
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
2 tbs chicken bouillon
1 can tomato paste
garlic powder
cumin

Dice one onion and place it in a small pot with 2 tbsp olive oil. Cook the onion for 1 min and then add the white rice. Mix together and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the onion is browned. Add the water, chicken bouillon and 1/2 the can of tomato paste. Fill the other 1/2 of the can up with water and add to the mixture. Pour in some garlic powder and cumin. Bring to a boil and then simmer until liquid is gone.

This is the perfect flavor and the rice is always cooked perfectly. It was the perfect ending to a weekend filled with friends and amazing restaurants. P.S. As a bonus, Jen got to feel Averie move tonight. She must have enjoyed the food too. And as a P.S.S. Trader Joe's has peppermint Joe Joe's back and a frozen pumpkin cheesecake for only $6.99. Have a great week.

20 Weeks and Counting...

We made it to the halfway point! 20 weeks of pregnancy down, and 20 weeks to go! Here are some stats on us so far:

How far along?: 20 weeks and 1 day

How big is baby?: She's estimated to be about as big as a banana, and at our anatomy scan this past Monday, she had an estimated weight of 12 ounces.

Weight gain: So far, I have gained 8 pounds. Most of which came on in the last 4 weeks, thanks to my lessening nausea. The doctor says I'm doing perfect in the weight department, so lets hope this keeps up!

Clothes: I am still wearing all of my pre-pregancy clothes, but I have a feeling those days are numbered for my jeans. The legs and butt fit perfectly, but I am finally having trouble buttoning them! I bought a Bella Band at Nordstrom, and it works, but it isn't always the most comfortable item to wear (it rolls up). Looks like a shopping trip for jeans might be in order sooner than later! Of course, I'm still rocking my heels, although I admit, wearing my Tory Burch flats have become a godsend on some days! The bra's have been where the biggest change has happened. Already up a cup size, and wondering if perhaps it is already time to go up one more! Wow!

Showing: I am slowly getting a rounder "bump". It especially seems bigger at night. I can't wait to pop out and actually look pregnant and not just like I gorged a little too much on snacks!

Food Cravings: I am still loving fruit, especially when it has been chilled in the fridge. Cantaloupe, apples, oranges..you name it, I can't get enough of it! Apple juice (the Martinelli's kind in the small glass bottle) and "Honest Kids" organic, no sugar added fruit punch pouches have become a staple of my morning breakfast. Other than that, I am still eating the same things I always ate (minus the caffeine and sushi!). My appetite hasn't really picked up, and I'm still eating in my bird like ways. I'm sure this will change soon!

Feeling: Fabulous! What a difference from a few weeks back ,when I was puking my brains out. I definitely have my energy back, although I am still down for a nap anytime I can get one, and I do wake up to the occasional dry heaves (mostly after brushing my teeth. Thank you, poor gag reflex!). I have had some "growing pains", which the doctor assured me is par for the course, and nothing to worry about. No crazy heartburn... lord knows I had enough of it in the first tri!

Daddy-isms: Jerome is amazing! He is beyond excited to meet his little girl, now that he knows she is really a girl (he had a huge fear that even though a previous ultrasound confirmed it was a girl, he was worried that our most recent would suddenly turn Averie into a Jacob!). He went out and bought her a cute purple velour jumpsuit at Janie and Jack, all on his own, and was so proud to give it to "her"! It's the first little outfit she's gotten from us (our amazing friends and family have spoiled her otherwise), and it matches Mommy's purple velour jumpsuit perfectly. Looks like we will be twinsies coming home from the hospital! haha!

Louis and Lola: Louis is still attached to me. The boy will not leave my side, and any time he lays with me, he puts his head near my rib cage and his paw on my belly. It's as if he is staking his claim already!

Anatomy Scan

Last Tuesday, we had our monthly appointment with my doctor. All of my second trimester genetic testing came back "perfect" (doctor's words), which is a huge relief! Baby's heart rate was in the 150's, and everything else was right on track. At that time, we scheduled our appointment for our 20 week anatomy scan ultra sound, which we had anxiously been awaiting.

This morning was our ultrasound. We had a 7:30am appointment (we took such an early time so Jerome could make it in to work after). We were a little nervous because up until now, we had been having all of our ultrasounds down in the doctors office, and they have been amazing. I recently switched insurances, and the new insurance required that we now do the ultrasounds at the Hoag Hospital radiology center. We had been warned that they might not be very friendly and might not tell us too much about what they see on the screen. Luckily, we got a super nice ultrasound tech named Shannon, and she was super friendly and talked us through everything.

Good news is, Averie is still an Averie! We were both having some fears that we would be told that our previous ultrasound was wrong, and it's now a boy. Thankfully, we won't be returning any of the pink clothes! She is all girl! Averie measured right on track with my estimated due date, and all of her body parts and organs were growing as they should be! She was laying transverse across my body from hip to hip, with her feet at my left side, which explains why I had been feeling pretty uncomfortable on that side! Averie was laying on her tummy, which made it quite difficult to get some of the measurements of her heart. At one point she must have gotten tired of us poking at her, because she curled up into a complete ball, with her her feet up by her head! Clearly our little lady is stubborn (like her Daddy). After trying for an hour, our sweet tech had to call in another tech, who continued to spend another 30 minutes trying to get the baby to move into position (this included me walking around, peeing, laying on my sides, taking deep breaths...). Luckily, the tech finally got the shots she needed, and in the mean time, got some adorable profile shots of Averie's adorable little face! Two hours later, we were ready to leave, happy about the experience at the Hoag ultrasound center, and even more happy that they gave us printouts and two cds of all the photos!

Here are some shots of our beautiful little girl:

Averie's head and abdomen

She's waving "Hi" to us!

A profile shot of her cute little face!

We loved seeing our little girl on screen (for nearly 2 hours!), and we can't wait till we can see her in person! Only 20 weeks to go!