Brian Bear - The Book

Who knew there was a book out there call Brian Bear? Isn't it amazing?!?! Our friend Danielle happened upon it at a garage sale in Hawaii, but it was pretty beat up and kinda nasty. She somehow found a nice, clean copy for little baby Baer.

Here is the amazing story:

There's a sleepover tonight at Brian Bear's cave.
There'll be a midnight feast if they all behave.

The bears brush their teeth and say goodnight,
They jump in the bed and are tucked up tight.

The three little bears lie still in a row
But Brian Bear wriggles and over they go.

With a wiggle and wave they fall out and then
They all climb back in the bed again.

The Bump: 38 Weeks

Week 38: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

The photo above was taken by my dear, sweet friend Ashley who is a wonderful photographer. Click on her name to browse her blog...you'll be swept away by her dreamy photos :-) Ash and her family moved to Sacramento in January, and I've been telling her ever since then that I would come up and stay with them....hang out, see where they live, etc., etc. At 38 weeks pregnant I just couldn't put it off any more. If I didn't do it then I would never be able to do it. I am SO glad we were able to have the time to hang out. Jason (her husband) pampered us to no end. We had home made lentil soup (with ham hocks, which add such amazing flavor) and crusty bread for dinner, played some Candyland with Kyla (their daughter), watched the original Footloose since neither of us had seen it, and had peach infused caramel apple cider. How's all that for a rainy night? Jason even slept on the couch so that I could sleep in the bed with all of my pillows :-) The next morning Ash and I awoke to Starbucks beverages and breakfast treats; seriously, I could get used to living at the Maxwell's.

The rain lifted by mid-day, so we were able to spend a few hours on a fun prego shoot for me and baby Baer. And since my wardrobe mainly consists of jeans and t-shirts (boring, I know) I let Ashley take the reigns on styling me...so glad one of us has some fashion sense!

I am so grateful we were able to get some girl time in before the arrival of baby Baer. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing friend...Ash, you are beautiful inside and out...selfless, spontaneous, caring, creative, energetic, and loving. You love people like no one else I know, and you inspire me to love with all my heart. Thank you for being you!

The Bump: 36 & 37 Weeks

Week 36: Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath.

Week 37: Your baby is now considered full term, even though your due date is still three weeks away. If you go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. She weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.

I am definitely started to get a bit more uncomfortable as due date approaches, but i'm not complaining...I would take this stage of pregnancy any day over the "morning sickness" stage. My back hurts, my sciatic nerve hurts, I pee far too many times, and I don't really sleep. Everyone keeps telling me, "take advantage of this time and sleep, sleep, sleep....". Ya right, not happening. Oh well, I guess it's preparing me for having a newborn, right :-)

We are definitely excited about the soon-to-be arrival of this little one, but it almost doesn't feel real yet. I feel like she could stay in there and cook for a few more months. I have to keep reminding myself that she could literally show up ANYTIME!

The Bump: 34 & 35 Weeks

Week 34: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers – which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born – are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

Week 35: Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete – she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

I don't like to do pregnancy like most people...I like to help my husband build fences at 35 weeks pregnant :-) I guess that's what happens when you are do-it-yourselfers!

The Bump: 32 & 33 Weeks

Week 32: Baby by weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

Week 33: This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal (ouch!). These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

We had an ultrasound last week so they could make sure she was gaining the weight that she was supposed to, and sure enough she was just fine! He even said she was measuring ahead of where she is "supposed" to be. All in all, things are looking good :-)

Lauren and I at my baby shower...33 weeks


Isaac is the sweetest little guy...he was talking to his new cousin.

My Favorite Summer Dessert

Summer is my favorite time of year, which is kinda unfortunate because we haven't had much of a summer in Santa Cruz the past few years. Luckily, Santa Cruz is one of the most beautiful places to be when the sun decides to grace us with its presence for the entire day, so I guess I can't complain :-)

I came across this dessert in Martha's "Everyday Food" magazine a few years ago and it has become my summer staple...it is SO easy and SO delish! You can even customize it to whatever fruit you have a hankering for.

Strawberry & Blueberry Fruit Tart

The original recipe is made with fresh cherries and it is out of this world! Click here for the link. I have also made a mixed fruit version with strawberries, kiwis, mandarins, and grapes which is so colorful and pretty....really, the options are endless. But I must warn you, this dessert is sneaky. Though it is made with cream cheese (I use low fat) and whipping cream it seems so light and fluffy...I could probably eat half the tart in one sitting; it's dangerous! Oh, and another tip, if you happen to have any left over, it is so good for breakfast with a cup of coffee :-)

Now do yourself a treat and make this on a beautiful summer day...enjoy!

Ecuador: Curia Town - The Coast

I just realized that I never finished blogging about our trip to South America that we took back in December/January. Now that eight months have gone by maybe I'll finish :-) From the mountains of Banos we headed to the coast...it was time for Brian to surf and for me to relax!

We knew some folks who had lived in Ecuador for a while, so they gave us the recommendation to stay with a friend of theirs who rented out rooms from his house on the water. It was a great spot where we ended up spending a week and made friends with a group of Argentenians who were staying there as well.

And here are some more friends we made...Helmet and his twin daughters are from Germany. The girls had just finished a few months of studying in Quito, so he flew out to do some traveling with them...they were a great family!

This was the view from our room...

One of the great things about staying at Dicky and Susie's was that they had boards...yay! If we didn't go anywhere for the day Brian was still able to surf out front; even though the waves weren't the best there, they were still surfable. I was even able to try short boarding for the first time....and I got up! It was heaps of fun until the fin decided to come crashing down on the back of my arm, which gave me the biggest bruise I have ever had....

Here is a day that we went searching for waves....and we played, "how many people can you fit in one truck?" I think there were 12 of us...it was pretty impressive.

Aaaaaaaand we got stuck on the way out.

Besides surfing, our other activities included:

Crab Catching


Relaxing

And LOTS of Eating!

Pan fried fish with fried plantains


Fish and shrimp ceviche with fried plantains...AMAZING!


Breaded fish...these plates were about $2.50 and they were SO good!


Corviche. Some sort of dough that had peanut butter in it then stuffed with squid and fried...it was yummy!


Fried shrimp


Yes, that is the "restaurant" right behind me :-)


Mora (blackberry) popsicles. These things were out of control! They also had chocolate and coconut ones that came in a close second place. We eat lots of ice cream (whatever form it comes in) when we travel, it's just what we do!

There were a few nights that we all ate together and the Argentinians bar-b-que'd for us in traditional Argentenian style. They even treated us to a delicacy....any guesses??? Cow salivary glands! Yes, we ate them, and yes, they were strange. They were kinda sticky and chewy but with somewhat of a meaty texture. I don't think I'll eat one ever again....

One of the craziest nights we had in Ecuador was New Year's Eve in Montanita (a 10 minute drive from Curia). Unfortunately I don't have any photos from the night, but to give you a picture of what it was like: thousands and thousands of people (mainly young people) flock to Montanita for the New Year's celebration where, at midnight, they burn massive "puppets" on the beach, then a bunch of drunk idiots run through the fires. We saw a guy rolling in the waves because he caught on fire...don't worry, he was fine. There were tons of people night surfing, lots of music, and dancing in the streets. By far the craziest New Year's celebration we have ever been a part of!

The trip is almost over...I'll fill you in on our next destination soon....

Bermuda

Yes, it's true, we were just in Bermuda for 5 days. I know, so random....who goes to Bermuda??? It was a mixture of a work trip (though there was technically no work involved) and a vacation. I am so proud of Brian and his accomplishments at work last year. He is the hardest worker I know, and it was great to see him being recognized for all of that work.

Bermuda is not a place we would have ever chosen to go, but it ended up being just what we needed! I got to watch Brian relax for the first time in I don't know how long...we were so lucky that this trip fell at the time that it did. Being 7 1/2 months pregnant I was still feeling good and had a decent amount of energy.

We were put up at the Fairmont South Hampton, and this was the view from our room...not too shabby....

And the pool facilities...

The first two days of the trip there was quite a bit of rain, but we didn't let that dampen our spirits! Tropical rain is so different then the rain we get here, so it is more of a novelty. The dark clouds actually made for a cool photo...

Luckily our massages were scheduled on one of the rainy days, so it worked out perfectly. I can't tell you how great it felt to lay on my belly (they had a pregnancy massage table) and how fabulous my masseuse was! Brian experienced his first massage ever and he is now a HUGE fan...he looked like he was going to fall over from being so relaxed :-)

The water in Bermuda was the perfect temperature! Cool enough to feel refreshed when you get in, but warm enough that you could literally stay in it all day. Sorry in advance for the loooooong columns of photos...if I knew how to use Photoshop I would place some of them side by side, or make small collages, but I have no idea how to do it...anyone up for giving me a simple Photoshop tutorial?!?! Anyway, the water photos...

And now for a close-up of the belly....

Bermuda is expensive! We decided it is probably all east coast billionaires who own homes there. This is what most of the houses look like...

We spent most of our evenings attending company events where we actually had a blast...there were some great people to hang out with, and I even hit the dance floor two of the nights. I think maybe that is what wore me out the most! Here is Brian accepting his Falcon Award on the night of the big awards ceremony....Yay Brian!!!!!

And this was our last night at the goodbye beach party...

Well, that's the quick recap...we so enjoyed our time of relaxation, perfect water, and pink sand beaches!