Dinner Date

We had a really nice dinner this weekend with the Stone Family. We went to Somethings Fishy, a Japanese Hibachi and Sushi restaurant on State Street. I don't think we had been to this restaurant in 10+ years. It was one of those places you would go to dinner at when you were in your early 20's and now we are old......

Live cooking, chopsticks and FIRE! Very entertaining, especially for the kids. When the chef would do something fancy, Connor and Samantha would clap real loud. I am sure the chef appreciated his captive audience.

Then the dinner went haywire. Connor fell out of his chair and hit his head and Samantha poured an entire bottle of soy sauce down her dress. Check PLEASE!

Story Time

I have lived in Santa Barbara for 15 years and have never set foot in our local downtown library. It must have been the endless hours of studying I did at the UCSB library during college that has kept me away ;) In any case, there is a reason to start going now. They have a really nice children's area with more than just books. They have puzzles, stuffed animals and other activities plus they offer a free story time each week and Samantha LOVED it!

Notice where she is sitting in this picture

And where she ends up.....

The librarian actually kept telling Samantha to move back a little so the other kids could see. I tried to pull her back but she started to throw a fit so I just ignored the situation (which is my latest parenting technique I have adopted when I become embarrassed of my own child). Which by the way came in handy when she wanted to take all her clothes off in a restaurant the other night after she spilled on herself. I started to act like I couldn't hear her.......it worked!

You will see in this video that the librarian decided to just embrace Samantha's willingness to be up front and center, or as we say in our household "Become the Boss".

And then it was time for Samantha to show off her moves.

Baby Celebration

Laurie, Chris and Holley hosted a wonderful Baby Celebration for both the Delio family and our family. It was a perfect party with amazing food, friends and fun. Both Todd and I feel so fortunate to have such a great support system of friends.

The fabulous hostesses

The Lovely Ladies

The Dad's + Baby Margaret (poster child for best behaved baby) minus Bill (we missed you!)

The 3 Pregnant Ladies (Due March, February and June)

Goodie Bags for Everyone

Sammie and I

Samantha and I have been enjoying our last days of just the two of us. We went to the zoo together on Monday and have gone to breakfast at our favorite coffee shop, The Daily Grind, two days in row. And since we couldn't be outside today because of the rain, we went to a Yellow Bird Music class and it happened to be a Valentines Day party. Tomorrow she is going to come with me to my hair appointment, that should be interesting! :)

Oh and she keeps telling me that the new baby is going to come live with us on Saturday. Does she know something I don't???

This is the only smile I can get out of her lately.

Baked Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna can be a bit labor intensive but the good thing is that you can prep it ahead of time, assemble and bake later. Plus, it freezes really well. And if you are pressed for time, try the "no-boil" lasagna noodles and use a store bought marinara sauce - I am sure no one will know :)

I made this lasagna the other night for a large group and it turned out pretty well. The bell peppers and crushed red pepper add some spiciness and the addition of tofu makes it feel lighter than some of the heavy cheese lasagnas that I have made.

From Cooking Light

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 (14-ounce) package water-packed firm tofu, drained
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 cups finely chopped red bell pepper (about 2 medium)
2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add white onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute or until golden. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, crushed red pepper, and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in basil and oregano. Cool.

3. Combine ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, tofu, egg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor; process for 10 seconds or until blended. Stir in green onions. Set aside.

4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, zucchini, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.

5. Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with 3 noodles. Spread 3/4 cup tomato mixture over noodles; top with 1 cup tofu mixture and 1 cup zucchini mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with noodles. Spread remaining 3/4 cup tomato mixture over top. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until bubbly; top with mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes.

The Perks of Having a Daughter

I have to be honest, I have been very neglectful when it comes to keeping my toes nice and pedicured lately. It has to do with a combination of things but mainly it is because I am constantly in Uggs, the only shoes that fit my pregnant feet, and the fact that I can't see my toes because of my belly. Oh and one other major factor is finding the time to go since I need to find a time/day when Samantha is with a babysitter or with Daddy.

Samantha has been getting weekly manicures from Dancing Grandma so I thought I would take a chance and take her to the nail shop to see if she would be up for getting a manicure/pedicure along with me.

She was a little hesitant at first but as soon as she got the hang of the massage chair and realized she could watch "Oprah" on the big flat screen, she was sold!

I am thrilled that it went so well since my swollen feet will soon be disappearing and now we can add this to the list of fun things we do together. Plus, the new baby can join us. I used to take Samantha with me when she was a baby up until she was about 6 months old. She used to just sleep in her car seat next to me.

And not to sound totally cheesy but it was really one of those Mother/Daughter moments that really was special.

Look at my little princess:

Getting the hang of the massage chair

She insisted we bring in our Chanel nail polish from home (okay, that was Mommy's idea)

She went with Chanel color #367 Trapeze

This is the face I get when I ask her to say, "Cheese"

Walking out of the salon with her "spa shoes"

The last you will be seeing of my swollen feet very soon...........

Not Too Much Longer

90% of your pregnancy has passed, there is 10% left to go

This was the subject of an email I got from one of those pregnancy websites.

Two things I will not miss hearing people say to me:

"You are for sure having a boy, you are carrying so low!" or "I can tell it is a girl, just by looking at you!" Seriously, you sound ridiculous.

and

"Oh dear, you are going to have your hands full with a 2 year old AND a newborn!" No kidding.......The reality is, I have my hands full with just a 2 year old.

I am so ready to have this baby. This third trimester has flown by but nights are a bit difficult with pretty intense Braxton Hicks contractions, ridiculously painful heartburn and insomnia. I would rather be up at night with the baby than by myself, at least I would have company. And as soon as I put my head down on my pillow to go to sleep, I can't breathe. I become instantly congested. And I think I am up to 4 trips a night to the bathroom.

The part I love about being pregnant is watching and feeling the baby move. It is such an indescribable feeling. At this point in the pregnancy you can actually see what looks like either a foot or a hand jabbing me at times.

We see the doctor weekly now and tomorrow she will be checking my fluid levels and blood pressure to make sure I am not heading towards an early induction like I had to have with Samantha. I am really hoping I do not have to be induced. I have visions of another 36 hour labor that scare me.

In more positive news, we successfully cleaned out our garage and got out all the baby stuff that we saved. We ordered a new infant car seat and bought a box of newborn diapers, which by the way, are so tiny compared to the Size 4 diapers that Samantha was last in, they fit in the palm of my hand! The bassinet is all set up, newborn clothes washed (if it is a boy, he is going to look awfully cute in pink), bottles, sling, baby carrier, breast pump, pacifiers, swaddle blankets....it's all ready to go!

We would not have been able to get any of this done if it weren't for Todd's parents so graciously taking Samantha overnight for us this past weekend. Samantha came home with new toys, new clothes, new shoes, a new book and a new manicure. Spoiled?!

Here are some pics:

Matching Outfits :)

And I thought I would throw these cute pictures in of Samantha. We had such a great day Monday going out to lunch and then to the beach. She has really been into posing lately and showing me her dance moves and singing. I think we are just about ready to sign her up for dance lessons or gymnastics. She is quite the little performer. I wonder where she gets it from? :)

So now we just wait....... Any predictions on the sex of the baby and birthday (actual due date is 2/28)?

Here is my guess: 2/17 and a Girl

Todd's guess: 2/18 and a Girl