Weekend with the Grandparents

Samantha spent the weekend with Todd's parents so that we could do a major garage clean-out. I took a before picture of the garage but I am too embarrassed to post it. We were prime candidates to be on one of those documentaries where they follow "hoarders". We aren't done putting it back together so if the finished product warrants a good enough transformation from before to after, I will post them ;)

While we were up to our ears with boxes of junk, Samantha was having tons of fun with Dancing Grandma and Papa Ward. They took such great care of Samantha, who of course didn't want to nap, heaven forbid she miss out on all the fun activities Grandma and Papa had planned.

Here are some photos that Grandma sent us:

Miss Independent

She brushes her teeth by herself

She climbs in and out of her car seat without being lifted

She helps herself to snacks in the cupboard

She has ditched the high chair

She hops in and out of her "big girl" bed

What's next? A part-time job? Geez.........Slow Down!

Samantha is going to be a BIG SISTER!

Big news - we are having another baby!

After suffering a miscarraige at 9 weeks in April, the news that we were pregnant again in June was both exciting and nervewracking. I have been so worried that I may miscarry again that it hasn't been the most relaxing first trimester. Not to mention that I have had morning, noon and night sickness!

I am happy to say that we have made it through the first trimester and everything looks great. I still have bouts of nausea but not nearly as bad as it had been from week 5 through 11.

On Father's Day I surprised Todd with the news. Upon reading the cake, he looked confused. He then asked, "Who is baby?" It took him a few minutes for it all to register and once it did, he was thrilled. And then we both proceeded to eat an entire cake that serves 50 for the next week. It's okay because I am eating for two right?

Here is the kidney bean at 7 weeks

And again at 9 weeks

And finally looking like an actual baby at 12 weeks (although the baby was measuring 13 weeks)....could be all that cake!

The official due date is February 28th. We have decided to keep the gender a surprise. We found out with Samantha however this time around we are less concerned about having a boy or girl and more concerned about delivering a healthy baby. Plus, the first time around not knowing what to expect with labor (OUCH!) was the real suprise. Now that I know what to expect (I am praying for an easier labor), we wanted some element of surprise. Also, how neat is it going to be when the doctor announces, "It's a _____!", just like they do in the movies!

While this pregnancy has been harder than my first in that I have been so sick, it has been flying by. I rarely check to see which week I am in and when I do, I am surprised by how far along I am. I am way too tired to read about the development of the fetus, whether the arm buds have sprouted or if eyelids have formed. I think a lot of this has to do with a certain 21 month old....

Pregnancy cravings? YES!

cupcakes

ice cream

pizza with jalapenos and pineapple

bagels with cream cheese

watermelon

apples

pasta

popsicles

And I find myself putting crushed red pepper on everything

At least there are 2 healthy things on that list...And yes, I have already sent my dear husband to the store late one evening to fulfill a cupcake craving emergency. Thanks Todd.

And what does Samantha think of the news?

We have told her that there is a baby growing in Mommy's belly and she has been to all the doctor's appointments thus far. The only thing she has gotten out of it is that Bellies = A Baby. So, she is going up to everyone pregnant or not, male or female, and pointing to their belly saying, "BABY"!

I guess come February Samantha will get the real idea, right?

Turkey Breast Fajitas with Strawberry-Jalapeño Salsa

I've mentioned before that I am a big fan of doing a taco bar. It is my "go to" dish when having a large amount of guests over because you can prepare most of the stuff ahead of time.

Since I am devastated that the summer is coming to an end, I have been trying to find recipes that include seasonal fruit and evoke that fresh summery feel. The Strawberry-Jalapeno Salsa that accompanies these fajitas does exactly this.

Cheers to Summer!

From Food and Wine Magazine by Marcia Kiesel
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
One 3 1/2-pound skinless, boneless turkey breast, butterflied to a 1-inch thickness
Kosher salt
1 medium red onion, very thinly sliced on a mandoline
2 small jalapeños, very thinly sliced
5 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 quart strawberries, thinly sliced
12 corn tortillas
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large bunch of cilantro, separated into small sprigs

Directions

1.Light a grill. In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil, ancho chile powder, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper until it forms a smooth paste. Rub the spice paste all over the turkey breast. Season the turkey breast with salt.

2.In a medium bowl, toss the sliced onion and jalapeños with the sherry vinegar. Add a pinch of salt to the salsa and let stand, tossing a few times, for 15 minutes.

3.Meanwhile, grill the turkey breast over a medium-hot fire until lightly charred and just cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the turkey to a carving board.

4.Stir the honey into the salsa until dissolved. Then fold in the strawberries and season with salt.

5.Heat the corn tortillas on the grill until they are warm, about 5 seconds per side. Transfer the tortillas to a cloth-lined basket and cover to keep warm. Thinly slice the turkey breast and transfer to a platter; serve with the tortillas, salsa, red bell pepper, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro sprigs.

Samantha at the Sushi Bar

Yo Gabba Gabba

WHAT'S OUT

Elmo

The Wiggles

Dora

Diego

WHAT'S IN

DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba

Grilled Halibut and Leeks with Mustard Vinaigrette

I can't figure out which cooking magazine I got this one from as my tear sheet is in bad shape but in any case, it's good, thanks to whomever came up with it!

We have been using our grill almost every night lately. Food just tastes better when it comes off the grill plus I like the fact that there are less dishes to wash! The grilled leaks and light vinaigrette over the fish are yummy.

The recipe calls for yellow tomatoes which would present a lot better than my picture below but I had an overabundance of the red ones so that is what I used.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds fish, halibut steaks, cut 1 inch thick
2 tablespoon vinegar, white balsamic
2 tablespoon mustard, coarse-grain
1 tablespoon water
4 teaspoon oil, olive
4 clove(s) garlic, minced
4 small leek(s)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground
yellow pear-shaped tomatoes, halved (optional)
chives

Preparation
1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 serving-size pieces. Refrigerate fish until needed. In a small bowl, whisk together white balsamic vinegar, mustard, the water, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and the 1 clove garlic. Set aside.

2. Trim roots and cut off green tops of leeks; remove 1 or 2 outer white layers. Wash well (if necessary, cut a 1-inch slit from bottom end to help separate layers for easier washing). Drain. In a medium saucepan, combine leeks and a small amount of water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain. Pat dry. Brush with 1 teaspoon of the remaining olive oil.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, the 3 cloves garlic, the salt, and pepper. Spread evenly over fish; rub in with your fingers.

4. Place fish and leeks on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, gently turning fish and leeks once. Slice leeks into 1/2-inch pieces. Divide fish and leeks among four shallow bowls. Drizzle with vinegar mixture. If desired, garnish with tomato halves and chives.

Pony Girl

Fiesta has begun in Santa Barbara so we decided to check out El Mercado Del Norte. I had heard they had lots of fun things for toddlers to do and Samantha was not disappointed.

I was so proud of Samantha today because she wanted to do the pony ride. She had a very serious look on her face the whole time but as soon as the ride was over, I had to drag her away from the pony area. She cried "Horsey Holly" (that was the horses name) over and over again. I felt so bad that I wanted to let her ride it again but I didn't have another 7 bucks with me!!

She has not stopped talking about "Horsey Holley" since we got home so I may just take her back tomorrow. I figure $7 bucks is cheaper than owning a pony ;)

After the pony ride Samantha was feeling so confident that she wanted to ride this thing:

I convinced her that a popsicle was a better option

Toddler Bed Update

It has been a couple weeks since we transitioned Samantha to a toddler bed and it has been going great. Part of the reason I think it is going so well is because the novelty has not worn off yet. She still gets pretty excited to hop up in her big girl bed by herself and often takes books or toys into her bed during playtime. The part she seems to like best is getting up in the morning or from her nap by herself, she runs out of her room with her bedhead and greets us with the biggest smile. She is so proud of herself.

And getting out of her bed herself is something I have to get used to. It still startles me sometimes when she comes into our room in the morning and I feel this little body staring at me.

Today she got up from her nap and went into my room and grabbed my Ugg boots and then went back to her room and got in bed. I watched her on the monitor for about 20 minutes trying my shoes on and talking to herself. Silly girl!

Weekend Getaway

Samantha and I took a weekend getaway to my parents house in Riverside so that Todd could paint the inside of our house.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

Samantha watching Yo Gabba Gabba with her new Yo Gabba Gabba DJ Lance hat (she has glasses too but she didn't want to put those on). It is the most bizarre show I have ever seen - Samantha loves it!

We took a trip to the golf course. Samantha spotted a golf cart and was ready to drive it.

Feeding the ducks with Papa



Driving the cart


We visited cousin Adrianna and Alyssa


We went to Newport Beach to eat at my favorite restaurant, The Crab Cooker.

Grandma and Papa

Riding the Carousel at Fashion Island

They have lots of fun waterfalls at this mall

Pinkberry!

Samantha had a blast running around the Pop Jet fountain. Unfortunately a kid took a spill at the end of the video which prompted us to drag Samantha out of there since we were afraid she was going to slip. (It's okay to laugh - he was fine).

We got Samantha a new pair of high heels at the Dollar Tree. I wish Santa Barbara had a Dollar Tree store....Samantha got 13 toys for 13 dollars!

Samantha loves Papa

Grandma and Grandpa sent us home with a nice gift for Samantha - a new tricycle!

Thanks Grandma and Papa for such a nice weekend!