Autumn is Here! Kind Of! Not Really!

This past Sunday we took The Peanut to his first pumpkin patch. It was a perfectly overcast Autumn day. And then the sun peaked out. And then is was 80° out. Whatever.

We got some great shots of him that you can see on his blog, but I also got some Autumn-y shots. Let's just pretend the air is crisp and we don't need sunglasses, k?

Happy New Year!

2009 is going to be an awesome year! Okay, so the whole baby thing is an automatic awesome factor... :) But I just know this is going to be a great year. For one thing, I'll FINALLY be done with my BFA and Trip will be done with his credentials and grad school. We'll be able to focus on our wonderful son. I can't wait! 

First, I should update you all on the whole gestational diabetes thing. So, I went in on Tuesday for the three-hour glucose screening test (I know I said I would go on Saturday, but I really didn't want to waste a Saturday morning at the hospital). The fasting part wasn't so bad. The glucola part, however, was even worse this time around. They give you double the amount of glucose for this test, and drinking that on top of an empty stomach is not fun at all. I thought I was going to get sick, but the technician told me if I did I wouldn't be able to finish the test, so I made sure I didn't. Pregnant and fasting = no bueno. Suck it up, girlfriend, cause you are not doing this again.

Three hours and three blood draws later, they couldn't get a full vial out of me for the fourth and final draw. The technician I had for the final draw was the same pregnant lady I had for my one hour test. Funny. She had to call over an expert blood person (technical term) to make sure what she was able to get was enough, and thank goodness it was. My poor little veins couldn't take anymore. Three days later and I am still bruised!

So my doctor's office called on New Years Eve with the results. My stomach dropped at first, as my OB said she would only call if there was cause for concern. But she just wanted to call and tell me my results were great, and to have a good New Years. Hurray! Chocolate for all!

Back to New Years (and chocolate)... Trip and I started the evening with dinner at La Fondue, where we literally ate until we felt ill. In fact, Tripple said we can't go there anymore because we always feel obligated to eat everything, which is way more than anyone other than Michael Phelps should consume in one sitting. So we said we'll just go for dessert from now on. :) Put a bowl full of bittersweet chocolate in front of me and suddenly I have more room to eat!

After dinner we went to Adam and Renee's for a really nice, intimate New Years with about 15 people. My friend Linda, who is due about three weeks after me, was there, so I had someone to talk baby with all night. Which of course we did. It's so great to talk to someone that is going through the same aches, pains and emotions that you are. 

So now it's New Years Day, and we started it out right by cooking a traditional Southern New Years meal (well, the vegetarian take): black eyed peas (eating one for every day is supposed to bring you good luck!), collard greens (to bring you money -- we need that!), corn bread, fried okra and squash, and Nay brought over a green bean casserole. Dessert was more Californian -- a simple fruit salad of pears, pineapple, oranges and banana. I have a feeling we'll be eating the black eyed peas for a fews days. Does that mean we'll have extra extra good luck?

Like I said, I know without a doubt this is going to be a great year. Lots of changes, lots of big milestones, lots of great times with family and friends!

Six Month Belly!

Six months! Third trimester here I come!

So we had our OB appointment on Wednesday, and I got the results of my glucose test. I'm a failure, friends of the interweb. The only thing I've ever failed in my life. Okay, I didn't actually fail. The official cut-off to be concerned about gestational diabetes is 140, and I was 139. So my OB, being the awesome and thorough doctor that she is, still wants me to take the 3 hour glucose test. Yes, three hours. Sad... I'm sure everything will be fine, just a bummer to have to not only fast, but sit in the lab for three hours on a Saturday. But as Trip recommended, best to get it out of the way this weekend so that I can enjoy my New Years Eve dinner at La Fondue (and that vat of chocolate!). I guess going from hardly eating any sugar at all to eating about four cookies a day probably hasn't been the best thing for my system, so I should probably chill out on the sweets a bit. The sacrifices we make... :p

Everything else is great. My belly measured 28 cm, which means baby is growing perfectly (Just so you know, the measurements I have been taking are around my waist. The measurements my OB takes are from the top of the pubic bone to the top of my uterus, and should be about the same in centimeters as the number of weeks of pregnancy). Heartbeat sounded good, too. Now is the time I start going to the OB every two weeks, so I doubt Tripple will be able to go to all of them (which he has so far), but I think I'll be alright. :)

My backaches have actually subsided, which could be due to the regular pre-natal massages I'm now getting (loooooove those!). I highly recommend a good pre-natal massage at least once a month. If anything, it forces you to lay still for an hour (something that gets pretty hard to do once the whole "nesting" thing starts). I'm sure the backaches will start up again as I continue to grow, so I'm enjoying the painless moments while I can.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve with friends at Adam and Renee's house. Four boys running around, all under the age of 3. Can't wait for our little guy to join in the fun! Christmas Day was a bit of a bummer, as I woke up with an awful sore throat -- symptoms of the same cold Trip suffered from early in the week. So we decided it was better for us to stay home instead of making the trip to Sacramento. We stayed in our jammies all day, watching movies, drinking tea (since I can't take anything) and taking naps. So besides not being with family, I guess it really wasn't that bad.

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Oh, and here it is, the six month belly!

117# and 35"

Baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long

My progress:

One Month: 100# and 24"

Two Months: 101# and 25"

Three Months: 104# and 31"

Four Months: 107# and 31.5"

Five Months: 112# and 33"

Six Months: 117# and 35"

Happy Birthday to Tripple, and Some Catch Up

Sorry friends of the interwebs -- I didn't post at all last week. My goal is to at least post once a week, and I would really love to post two or three times. So shame on me for slacking.

Last week was my last week of the Fall semester at Academy of Art, as was it the last week of one of Trip's graduate courses. Work has been project after project, and Trip was wrapping things up before his 2-week holiday break (man am I in the wrong profession!). So needless to say there has been some serious cramming going on. Good thing is that we really didn't do any Christmas shopping this year, so I've been relieved of that annual stress-fest. For the past few years, my family has done the Secret Santa thing, but this year I was inspired by a wonderfully heartwarming story I saw on the news about a company that decided that, because the food banks are so low this year, they would donate their $4500 holiday party budget to a food bank. So instead of drawing names, my family agreed to donate to a charity of our choice. Trip and I did the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Humane Society of Silicon Valley. Christmas shopping -- CHECK! Now next year I realize will be quite different, as our son's first Christmas is sure to be an extravaganza (to say the least). But let me tell you, I have definitely enjoyed being mellow this year.

Speaking of the peanut (or English cucumber, as BabyCenter claims a 26 week baby is the same size as), everything seems to be going along smoothly. We have our 6 month appointment this Wednesday (6 months?!?), so I'll be sure to give an update, with new belly pics. I swear, the belly (among other things...) has been growing on a daily basis. As has my appetite, so go figure. At this visit our OB said she would schedule another ultrasound, just to make sure my placenta has moved up. I'm so looking forward to getting another peek at the little guy!

It was Tripple's birthday yesterday, and we had a really nice dinner at our favorite vegetarian restaurant, with a few of our favorite people. My birthday gift to him was driving him and Adam downtown to see a hip hop show on Friday, then picking them up at 1:30A. I think that wins me some Wife of the Year awards, don't you? I was a trooper again on Saturday night, when we went to a friend's party, where we stayed until after 1AM. I figure I better let Trip have some fun before it's all about the baby. Plus he deserves a little R&R after a hard first semester at work, some pretty demanding graduate school courses, and all the extra works he's had to pick up around the house (painting, kitty litter duty, cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, carrying things up and down the stairs for me, and cooking dinner most nights -- yup, he's a keeper).

Okay, I've rambled enough... I'll try to post soon after my appointment on Wednesday -- Christmas Eve!

Thanksgiving is for Lovahs '08.

Man, am I exhausted. It's been a busy week for the Johnsons. Trip's mom is in town for almost two weeks, we hosted Thanksgiving, made a trip to Sacramento, another to San Francisco, and up to Summit Road to cut down our Christmas tree.

We'll start with Thanksgiving... My parents came the night before so that they could cook the turkey for all the meat-eaters (meaning everyone except Trip and I). There were 11 of us, and it was really wonderful. I filled up early on butternut squash soup, then casseroles (yes -- the broccoli casserole was a hit again), and of course dessert. And bit more dessert. And then some more. A few of us went for a little walk afterwards, which probably saved me from heartburn hell. Although baby did somersaults all night from all the sugar I fed him. Bad mommy.

Baby is thankful for Mommy being such a piggy.

The next day Trip and I went with Zack and Vicky and their kids to cut down a Christmas tree. Now, if you remember from last year, I did quite a bit of research and tried to find the "greenest" (as in eco-friendly) option for a Christmas tree -- which was to get a live tree. Well, apparently you also need a green thumb to go along with that live tree... something I apparently do not have. So we gave that tree to a better home, where it could be planted and flourish. After more research, we decided our next best option would be to cut down our own tree at a tree farm. So it was perfect timing when Zack and Vicky invited us along.

Purdy!

Saturday we went to Sacramento to go to my parent's house, and then headed to Old Sac for some piddling and dinner at the Firehouse (which, by the way, was one of the best meals I've ever had. And I've had some good meals.)

Adam and Nay watching the train conductor having a heck of a time trying to connect.

Trip, Rachel, Nay and I all took Monday off (and Amii joined us, who always has Mondays off -- great job on waking up early, girl!), and we took my mother-in-law to the new California Academy of Sciences. Another great excursion! The  aquariums are mind-blowing, and the rain forest is truly a unique experience. 

Leave it to Amii to provide the biggest laugh of the day. "Control, some lady dropped her hairbrush on the Living Roof." Hil-ar-i-ous. 

The Living Roof... and Amii's Brush.

So it's been a busy Thanksgiving holiday, as I'm sure it has for all of you.

I'M THANKFUL FOR:

• The most amazing partner, the love of my life, my best friend.
  
• The most loving and caring family a girl could ever ask for. I know without a doubt any of us would do anything for each other. 
  
• The best in-laws in the world. Like, for reals. 
  
• Friends that love me unconditionally, just as I love them.
• Two kitties that always seem to know when we need a kissy or some nuggles.
  
• And of course, our amazing little miracle, that now moves whenever he hears his daddy whistle. <sniff sniff>
  

Easy -- And DELICIOUS -- Broccoli Casserole

On my first visit to North Carolina to visit my mother-in-law, oh about 6 years ago, she made us a wonderful Christmas dinner. I left that visit with three recipes that have now become tradition with my family as well. In fact, I have many friends that have requested those recipes after having joined us at one of our holiday meals. By that far the most popular is this Broccoli Casserole. And the best part -- it's super easy!

Casserole Ingredients:

• 10 oz. package frozen broccoli (or I use two bunches of fresh broccoli)
  
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use the reduced fat Campbells)
  
• 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar (I usually double this :p)
  
• 1/4 cup milk
  
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (low-fat works great)
  
• 1 egg, beaten

Topping Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter (Start with this and add more if needed. I usually end up using a whole stick! For reducing the fat, try Smart Balance 50/50)
  
• Ritz crackers, crumbled (Enough to cover top of casserole. I crumble one pack in a zip lock bag and gradually add to the melted butter. And yes, there is a Reduced Fat version that is just as tasty.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
   
2. Cook broccoli according to directions, omit salt (or steam to crisp/tender if using fresh broccoli). Drain well and put in 10" x 6" casserole dish
   
3. Mix all remaining ingredients (except Ritz cracker mixture) in large mixing bowl. Pour over broccoli.
   
4. Melt butter over low heat and add crumbled Ritz crackers. Top casserole with Ritz cracker mixture (make more if you need to).
5. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (you want topping to be golden brown).
   

If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!

Halloween Costume 2008: Juno

So this year was another throw something together at the last minute. And being four months pregnant limited me a bit. So I figured, why not integrate the belly. :p

My sister actually suggested the Juno costume idea about a month ago, but as always, Halloween snuck up on us. So after a trip to Target last week, I thought I would cruise the mall and see if anything popped out at me. I stopped in at Hot Topic, and as I was looking through the clearance rack, found Bleeker's T-Shirt from Juno -- on clearance for $8. Sweet. Costume decision made.

So for the rest of Trip's costume, he found the yellow shorts at a discount shop for $6 (which I hemmed). I then found the socks at Big 5 for about $5, along with the wrist bands and headband for $1 each. Those were white, so I ran over to Michael's for some yellow dye, and that took care of the rest of his costume. (If you know Trip, you know he has a million sneakers, so I made him work with something he had. Which, of course, was a pair of sneakers with yellow on them, that matched his outfit perfectly.)

As for me, on that same shopping trip at the mall I went into Forever 21, where I found the orange stripped shirt for about $6, and the skirt for about $15 (both of which I can work into my wardrobe later on). The jeans, hoodie and sneaks were mine. 

The only other added additions was the orange Tic Tacs for Bleeker (you can see them tucked into Trip's socks), and the Big Gulp I carried around with me (filled with water of course). Oh, and I used some Bumble black hair powder to cover my blond chunks. And there you have it.

Okay, so there are some obvious differences here. 1.) I'm not nearly as far along as she was in the movie poster. 2.) Bleeker isn't covered in tattoos. 

So this is the Johnsons' interpretation. :)

The Best Christmas Light Display EVER.

This picture does not do it justice. When I say the two houses at 1164 & 1168 Tangerine Way in Sunnyvale are the best Christmas lights I have ever seen, I don't think you understand. I am talking the best. EVER.

Last year Mr. Johnson and I went, then had to go back a few times to show other people. It's that good. Tune into channel 104.1 FM when you get there and witness 55,000 computer controlled lights on 178 different channels, synchronized to MUSIC! I know, right!!!!

They have their own website where you can download the playlist with times (and also which songs are animated and when they do "low power"), some behind the scenes info and pics, and a bunch of other stuff. While reading through, I found this:

"Our dog Sparky passed away in the Spring of '07. He was my Xmas light buddy and loved to be outside working on the lights (or sitting on them) with me. In memory of Sparky, Rudolf is wearing his collar and tags this year."

I am seriously crying as I type this.

As if the lights and music and snow and Rudolf weren't enough, they also have provided a great opportunity to do some good this holiday season - by setting up a donation can for Second Harvest Food Bank. Opening night was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and they raised $16,362 and filled 1.5 barrels with food. Last year they raised $27,836 & 10.0 barrels, so help them beat it! All donations up to $500 will be matched! If you decide to bring food, please see the following recommendations from Second Harvest:

MOST NEEDED FOODS
The Food Bank needs nutritious, non-perishable foods:
Please avoid donating items in glass containers (they break and make a mess).

Powdered milk
Peanut butter
Pasta
Tuna
Low sugar cereal
Meals in a can (stew, chili, soup)
Canned foods with pop-top lids

Click here more info, and details on how to donate online.

So if you're not yet feeling the spirit of Christmas, pay a visit to these houses and I promise you you'll be ho-ho-ho-ing in no time.

Can you tell I love Christmas?

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

So now Thanksgiving is over, making it officially the most wonderful time of the year!!!!

We went back and forth on what to do about a Christmas tree this year. Last year we got a real one, but it just seemed so sad that first week of January, sitting in the gutter. So then we thought of an artificial tree, but found out that they're made of PVC. Ummm ya. That's not biodegrading like EVER.

So Mr. Johnson had the best idea! Getting a live tree! Per TreeHugger (and you know they got the tree love), "if you’ve got the space for it, getting a tree with roots and replanting it is obviously the most eco-friendly solution". Well we don't have a yard, but the nice lady at OSH told me it well be good in a pot for at least 5 years. Then we may need to think about transplanting it.

I loooooove my little tree! And we've picked out the perfect place for it on the patio once Christmas is over. Now let's just pray I don't kill it.

Thanksgiving is for Lovahs.

Well, Thanksgiving is over, and obviously from my lack of posts, I've been quite busy. So thought I would bring ya'll up to date!

First, Mom & Daddy came on Wednesday. Mom and I went for a hike, and came back to find Daddy nugglin' with the grandkids.

Then we had sushi for dinner. Daddy recognized that the server was Korean and started spittin' some Korea geography knowledge (No, my dad isn't Korean. He just knows everything about everything). He must have made an impression, as the husband and Daddy got some Kirins on the house. Not that this surprised me. Things like that happen to Daddy all the time.

Next day, Thanksgiving at Sissy and Keith's in Oakland.

First I made Tristan pose for me.

Renee made super yummy apps. Yum. Yum. YUM!

Keith took pictures. I took pictures of Keith taking pictures.

And Brother got kisses from Tristan.

Sissy did a Martha-riffic job of setting the table.

And here it is folks - the piece de resistance. Our first Tofurky!

Isn't it gorgeous??

Well it smelled like ass and tasted like nothing. Neither of us really cared for turkey when we were meateaters, so it was kinda destined for failure. Oh well. We tried. Next year just straight "tofu" minus the "rky". Thank goodness we had lots of these:

But everything else was wonderful, and I ate waaay too much. Dur.

So then the sun started to set, and made some bitchin shadows on the wall. Keith was jealous he didn't have his camera close by (and apparently walking up a flight of stairs is impossible after a Thanksgiving binge).

Game time! YAAAAAAAAAAAHTZEEEEEEEEEE!

Ahhhhhhh yaaaaaa. That was me biotches.

How my sister-in-law slept while we played Yahtzee I'll never know. Girlfriend was tired (or maybe drunk, but we'll just say she was tired).

And then Marie Claire proclaimed it was time for all of us to leave. "Out thee minions!"

To quote the great Ice Cube, "I gotta say it was a good day."

Friday was more eating and drinking and a 6 hour marathon of Rock Band. Papa Bear - AKA me (on vocals and bass), Mr. Johnson (on lead), Brother (on vocals and drums), Sissy (on vocals and bass) - made their first appearance in Campbell and rocked it. Keep an eye out. We're going to make it BIG. In our imaginary Rock Band world.

And then it was game night at our house Saturday night. Fun times. Lots more drinking and eating. Brother and I put together a puzzle of the Biltmore Estate - one of our NC summer vacation stops. Cat was not helping.

Mr. Johnson, Miguel, Chris, Steve, Amii, Nay, Jackson and Sarah all played Yahtzee. And apparently doodled.

Sunday was laying on the couch recovering. All day. It rocked.

And now here I am back to work and blah blah blahdiddy blah. Sad.

I repeat, will the real Amy Winehouse please stand up?

Halloween used to be so much fun. Seeing all fun costumes, the candy, haunted houses, the candy, pumpkin patches, the candy. Ah! What revelry!

Now it just stresses me out. I start thinking weeks in advance, "what to be. what to be?!?!" Of course I don't start actually doing anything until about four hours before I'm supposed to be at a party. Although this year I did put some thought into my costume ahead of time, and even tried to start piecing it together about two weeks before. I found the perfect wig at about ten different websites - all of whom were sold out. So either Elvira is making a comeback in a serious way (stranger things have happened I suppose), or EVERYONE else had the brilliant idea of dressing up as the hot mess that is Amy Winehouse.

Uh oh. Perhaps my ingenious idea was not as ingenious as first thought. I mean, when you really think about it, its not particularly creative. Its pretty much stealing her costume idea (lets all pretend she doesn't really dress like that and everyday is Halloween in her messed up world). Is this the lamest idea coming from someone who considers herself a creative person? Ugh. Now I'm as depressed as Amy Winehouse. I need wine.

But not giving up (or maybe just too lazy to think of something else. ya probably that.), I decided to run with the idea, and ended up combing two wigs from Halloweens past (shout out to Amii for the help). In fact, most of the costume was recycled goods (I'm even green on Halloween! Hey that rhymed!) The only real purchase was the fake tattoos, which were actually pretty cool. I've always wanted an excuse to have boobies on my arms.

The tank top, bra, mini skirt and platform shoes were all mine. I'm a whore. :(

So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado (thats a weird word)... I give you... Amy Winehouse!
(or "The Asian Amy Winehouse" as my whitey white white husband so nicely referred to me)

So there it is. Me and eight thousand other Amy Winehouses.

Oh, did I mention someone at the party thought I was Cher? Why is that the most hilarious thing EVER?

***********************

OCTOBER 2008 UPDATE: I've had thousands of hits to this post in the last few weeks, as I'm sure Amy Winehouse will be a popular costume choice again this year.  I've also had a lot of people emailing me asking how I put my costume together, so I wrote a new post with all the deets. Good luck and Happy Halloween!

Halloween Filler.

Sorry, midterms this week, so been a bit busy. So here's some filler. I'm a huge fan of stop motion animation, and this one does not disappoint. I'm really diggin the song, too.



Speaking of stop motion, the hubby promised to take me to see the 3D version of Nightmare Before Christmas (pardon me, the official title is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3D). This is Halloween! This is Halloween!

Has anyone seen?